Free Slocum and the Glitter Girls at Gravel Gulch (9781101619513) by Jake Logan Page A

Laurie said.
    “Anyone who sets up two innocent men and accuses them of being horse thieves has something bad sticking in his craw. From what I’ve seen so far, Canby runs the town and he’s greedy.”
    “You got that plumb straight, Slocum,” Hornaday said. “Me’n Harlan never came near that horse in town. Next thing we knew, it was tied up at our cabin and Canby’s men swarmed all over us like we was dangerous outlaws.”
    “That tells me that Canby will stop at nothing to get what he wants,” Slocum said. He fished out a cheroot from his pocket and bit off the end. He took the tip out of his mouth and set it in an ashtray, then put the cigar in his mouth. He did not light it, but just left it in his teeth, letting the tobacco juices flow over his tongue.
    “We’d better get going,” Laurie said. “We’ll stop by Harve’s mine and let him know what’s going on. Besides, John, I want you to meet my brother.”
    “I’m looking forward to it,” Slocum said.
    Laurie got up and beckoned to the two men to follow her into the kitchen.
    There, on a counter, were two flour sacks filled with airtights, bread, biscuits, fried beef, and bacon wrapped in oil paper, and a pair of wooden canteens.
    “I’ll carry the water,” Carrie said. “You can each carry a food sack. That all right?”
    “Yes’m,” Hornaday said.
    Slocum nodded and reached for one of the sacks.
    Hornaday grabbed the other sack.
    “Wallace, I’ve got an extra pistol in my bedroom, with a holster and cartridge belt. You might need it.”
    “I do feel kind of naked, but I’ve never shot nobody,” he said.
    “Let’s hope you won’t have to use it,” she said.
    They walked back down the hall. Laurie carried the two canteens and slung one on each shoulder. She entered a room while the two men walked on to the front room and set down their sacks near the door.
    Laurie came into the room with a holster and gun belt wrapped up in a ball. She handed the rig to Hornaday. He strapped it on and pulled the pistol from its holster.
    “This is a mite better’n my old hogleg,” he said.
    “It’s a converted Remington .44,” Laurie said. “Shoots straight and has never misfired.”
    “A lot of gun,” Hornaday said as he slipped the pistol back in its holster.
    “It’s loaded,” Laurie said.
    Then she looked at the two men and adjusted the canteen straps on her shoulder.
    “Shall we go?” she said.
    Hornaday and Slocum lifted their sacks from the floor.
    Slocum opened the door and held it while Hornaday and Laurie stepped out onto the dirt in front of the cabin. Then he closed the door and slung the food sack over his left shoulder.
    “Follow me,” she said. “We’ll walk next to the big butte on this side and then cross over to where Harve’s mine is,” she said.
    They walked along a worn path next to the other creek.There were a few men on that side of the canyon valley and they were busy dipping their gold pans into the stream. Apparently, without much luck. One would dip gravel and water, swirl the sediment by tilting his pan one way then another, and peering into the pan as he eliminated small portions of sand and water. Then shook his head when no color showed and repeated the process.
    “Howdy, Carl,” Laurie said as they passed the man.
    “Mornin’, Laurie.”
    He bent down to dip more water and sand into his pan.
    They walked about a mile then Laurie turned away from the creek and headed straight for the other buttes that flanked the right side of the canyon. There were miners and prospectors plying the other creek, and some were digging into the base of the butte with picks.
    Slocum could smell their sweat as they drew near.
    Laurie spoke to none of them, but turned left and stopped in front of a mine adit, a gaping black hole in the side of the bluff, at the very bottom of the butte.
    “Drop your sacks,” she said. “I’ll see if Harvey is inside.”
    Slocum and Hornaday set their sacks down. They clanked with