Free Wanted! Belle Starr! by J.T. Edson

very
aggressive Irishwoman having mistaken their proposed victim for
somebody with whom she had a close acquaintance, he had not
disposed of their services. Being in an unfamiliar region, his
previous period west of the Mississippi River having been confined
to Oklahoma, he had no personal knowledge of where he might be able
to procure replacements. Nor did he wish to be without some form of
protection.
    Having guessed why Crayne was following him,
wearing a disguise, Icke had believed there would continue to be a
threat to his life from that source and, if possible, wanted to
have it removed before returning to his usual stamping grounds.
While the termination could be arranged in the east, he considered
it advisable to happen in Mulrooney without, ostensibly, it having
any connection with him. However, although there had been no trace
of the young Bostonian since the abortive attempt, he was
disinclined to take the chance that the quest for vengeance was
called off due to the other being frightened from Mulrooney by the
narrow escape he had had. He felt sure Crayne would not give up so
easily.
    Notwithstanding the desire for protection
against the young Bostonian and, perhaps, the outlaws with whom he
would be dealing, the parsimonious nature of the receiver would not
cover the cost of having his bodyguard take rooms at the hotel he
was using. Instead, they were staying and paying for their own
accommodation elsewhere, reporting to him for orders every morning.
Having had neither the reason nor the inclination to go out that
day, regardless of how he had been dressed on coming from his room,
he had told them to continue their search for Crayne when he last
saw them. He had no idea where they might now be looking, so he was
unable to send a message demanding their attendance.
    Now, due to the unanticipated turn of eve ms
which he had been fortunate enough to discover, Icke was wishing he
had the pair readily available to act as escort until he had
retrieved his money and secured it in the safe at the hotel.
However, he took what comfort he could from the thought that the
bank was only a short distance away from his temporary
accommodation and both were in an area far more adequately
protected by the local peace officers than the district with the
shipping pens for cattle into which he had lured Crayne two days
earlier.
    Hurrying to the bank, the receiver was alert
for any sign that the secret of the peculations by Hobert had
become public knowledge. With relief, he saw nothing to suggest
this might be the case. Certainly there was no crowd of worried
depositors outside, either waiting patiently or clamoring to
withdraw savings before it was too late to save them from being
impounded.
    On entering the building, Icke found it was
devoid of clients and on the point of being closed. The only
employees present were one of the guards, standing by the main
entrance, and a solitary teller, who was no longer young, behind
the counter. Nevertheless, although the actual conversation was
inaudible, voices could be heard from beyond the door inscribed,
‘CYRUS B. COCKBURN Private’.
    Suspecting the books were being inspected,
prior to the forthcoming visit by the Federal bank examiners, the
receiver decided there was still an urgent need to regain
possession of his money. Being a man of integrity, Cockburn would
consider it his duty on discovering the deficit caused by Hobert to
wit hold all the assets pending an official investigation. There
was no telling how long this state of affairs might continue. Nor
did Icke wish to go through the formalities required to bring a
similar sum from one of his bank accounts in the East despite
having more than sufficient resources to do so. For one thing, this
would cause him to pay with honest rather than ‘hot’ money and
still leave the problem of disposing of the latter.
    Crossing to the counter, Icke thought he
detected a somewhat strained air about the solitary, gray haired
and