Free Cotton’s Inferno by Phil Dunlap

then right, just to make sure she was radiant from every angle. Jack fell back on the pillows.
    â€œPlease, Melody, give this some more thought. Let an expert go into the mine and confirm Pick’s claim. He’s a crafty ol’ goat, and I don’t trust him one bit.”
    â€œNo need to. I’ve seen the silver for myself. And you can trust that I know silver when I see it. That mine is absolutely full of the real thing, all right.” She closed the door behind her, leaving Jack fuming. She could be heard humming all the way down the stairs.

Chapter 12

    C otton was cleaning a rifle at his desk when Jack stormed in and slammed his hat on the floor. He dropped into a straight-back chair and crossed his arms. He looked like he’d either bitten into a persimmon or was ready to go out and kill someone. Cotton didn’t look up when he noted Jack’s foul mood.
    â€œMelody stomp on your foot, Jack? Maybe she dropped somethin’ foul in your porridge. Which is it?” Cotton said nonchalantly.
    â€œIt’s not funny, Cotton. She’s gone completely out of her mind.”
    â€œYou say it as if I didn’t already know that.”
    â€œI doubt you knew about this latest dumb move.”
    â€œTry me.”
    â€œShe woke me up to tell me she’s goin’ to buy Pick Wheeler’s silver mine. There, now tell me you knew she’d do something
that
stupid.”
    Cotton frowned and worked his mouth.
    â€œShe tell you why she decided to do such a thing?”
    â€œSaid we’ll be rich, by damn. Rich! Do you believe it?”
    â€œPick has been pullin’ little bits of silver out of there for quite a spell, maybe he’s just tired and wants to quit.”
    â€œUh-huh, and he’s found himself a willin’ sucker to make his getaway complete.”
    â€œWhat’d you say when she told you?”
    â€œWhat could I say? I told her she was crazy, but it
is
her money and I don’t have any say in how she spends it.”
    â€œYou askin’ me to do somethin’?”
    â€œNo. I know you can’t do anything unless it was illegal or he held her at gunpoint.”
    â€œWhen’s the deal goin’ down?”
    â€œAww, hell, she’s over at the bank as we speak signin’ the papers. I just hope she doesn’t plan on
me
diggin’ in the ground for her. That isn’t about to happen.”
    â€œThe assayer probably would be willin’ to go out and take a look if she asked him real purty-like. Better yet, why don’t
you
ask him?”
    â€œShe says Pick took her out and showed her through the mine hisself. Held the lantern up so she could see all the sparkly pieces of pay dirt just drippin’ off the walls.”
    â€œThat’s interestin’.”
    â€œWhy do you say that, Cotton?”
    â€œThat isn’t the way silver shows itself. Might not hurt for you to go out and take a peek in that mine yourself.”
    â€œAny chance you’d be interested in ridin’ out with me?”
    â€œOn the possibility that Melody has gotten in over her head, once again? Not a chance.”
    â€œI know you got no love for Melody, but you’d be doin’ a friend a favor. Look at it that way. I mean if Melody loses everything she’s built here, she’ll be forced to go back to Gonzales. Then I’d have to make a choice whether to go with her or stay on as your deputy.”
    â€œSounds like your decision might come from below your waist.”
    â€œIt’s not funny, Cotton. At least think on it. I need help here.”
    Cotton rubbed his chin. “All right, I’ll think on it. But right now, I got to find someone to finish up workin’ on some of the guns that Burnside left. Since we don’t know how to locate the nephew, the store is kinda up for grabs. And folks need their guns.”
    â€œWell, don’t cogitate on it too long. I’d like to make sure the deal is