Free Under a Turquoise Sky by J. R. Roberts

still had some of the money left in his hands.
    â€œYou look surprised,” Clint said. “Did you think we’d take all the money?”
    â€œI think I might have been fortunate enough to find two honest men in Kingman,” Markstein said.
    â€œDon’t be so sure about me,” Chance said. He turned to Clint. “I’ll pick up the supplies and meet you at the livery.”
    â€œFine,” Clint said. “It’ll take me a while to pick out a couple of likely horses.”
    They left the hotel together and stopped briefly out in front.
    â€œWe have some rough terrain to cover,” Chance said, “unless we just stick to the roads, which I would do if I was guiding somebody with wagons.”
    â€œWell, we’re not in a hurry,” Clint said, “but one night on the trail should be enough.”
    â€œOkay, then,” Chance said, “pick out a couple of sure-footed horses. See if they have any buckskins; they generally have harder hooves.”
    â€œI’ll do my best,” Clint said.
    â€œYou ride that Darley Arabian, don’t you?” Chance asked.
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œThen I guess you won’t have any trouble pickin’ out horses. I shouldn’t be tellin’ you what to look for.”
    â€œNo problem,” Clint said. “The more I know about what our ride’s going to be like, the better choices I can make.”
    â€œOn the other hand,” Chance said, “we just might have to settle for what we can get.”
    â€œWe’ll just have to wait and see.”
    They split up there, Chance heading for the mercantile and Clint for the livery.
    Â 
    â€œLet’s take Adams now,” Edwards said as they watched the two men go their own ways.
    â€œYou know, for the first time in your life you said somethin’ smart a minute ago,” Breckens said.
    â€œI did?” Edwards looked puzzled. “What was it?”
    â€œThat we don’t know if the dandy’s even hired Clint Adams,” Breckens said. “Until we do know that, why would we chance goin’ up against him?”
    â€œOkay, then how do we find out?”
    â€œWe just keep watchin’,” Breckens said, “and waitin’.”

NINETEEN
    When Clint had first left Eclipse at the livery, he’d only concerned himself with the liveryman’s ability to take care of his horse. Now, as he entered, he took a better look at the overall operation. The place looked well cared for, and the horses stabled there looked healthy, which was important. Too many times he’d seen mangy horses in liveries, and had refused to board his own horse there, whether it was Duke in the old days, or Eclipse now.
    â€œBack to check on your big boy?” the liveryman asked. He approached, wiping his scarred hands on a rag. He was in his sixties and bore all the earmarks of a man who had handled horses all his life—including parts of two fingers missing, having been bitten off. “He’s doin’ real good.”
    â€œActually, I need a couple of horses for a trek up to one of the mines,” Clint said.
    â€œSaddle horses?”
    â€œOne saddle, one pack animal.”
    â€œActually,” the man said, “I’ve got two for you that will do the trick, for sure. They’re out back.”
    â€œLet’s go have a look.”
    The man led Clint through the stable to a back door and along the way said, “My name’s Axel.”
    â€œClint Adams.”
    â€œI know,” Axel said. “It’s a real honor to have your horse in my place, Mr. Adams.”
    â€œThanks.”
    Out back was a corral with about a dozen horses in it.
    â€œYou lookin’ ta buy or just rent?”
    â€œI think it would make more sense for me to rent them,” Clint said. “We’ll be comin’ back this way and I can return them with no problem.”
    â€œOkay,” Axel said. “I