No Trouble for the Cactus Kid Read Free Page A

a fellow ? " The Kid asked suspiciously.
    "A pretty salty-lookin' fellow. He was bow-legged an d had a Texas drawl."
    "Why, that dirty, no-account -- !" The Kid ran for hi s horse.
    As he started out of town Reynolds flagged him down.
    Kid? What d you make of this?" He indicated a plac e in the skirt of Bantam's saddle where the stitching ha d been slit. Obviously something had been hidden there.
    "Do you believe that Texas man stole tha t money? "
    "No, he was the killer, himself!"
    Why Texas had headed back along the trail down whic h they had come he could not guess, but that was exactl y what he was doing.
    It was a grueling chase. The paint pony liked to run , however, and although the bay was a long-legged brut e they moved up on him. Occasionally, far ahead, he glimpse d dust. Then it dawned on him that Texas was not trying t o escape. He was simply staying enough ahead to be safe fo r the time being.
    That could mean he planned to trap him in the hill s somewhere ahead. After all, Texas had dry-gulched tha t other man.
    When they reached the hills, the Kid turned off th e trail. This was his old stamping grounds, and he ha d hunted strays all through these hills and knew their ever y turn and draw. He knew Mule Creek and the Maveric k Mountains like it was his own dooryard.
    Climbing the pony up the banks of the draw, the Ki d skirted a cluster of red rocks and rode down through a narrow canyon where the ledges lay layer on layer like a n enormous chocolate cake, and emerged on a cedare d hillside.
    He loped the paint through the cedars, weaving a purposely erratic path, so if observed he would not make a n e ff ective target, then he went down into the draw, crosse d the Agua Fria, and circled back toward the trail, movin g slowly with care. He was none too soon.
    Texas was loping the bay and glancing from side to sid e of the trail. Almost opposite the Kid's hiding place, h e reined in suddenly and swung down, headed for a bunc h of rocks across the way.
    The Kid stepped into the open. "It was a good idea , Texas," he said, "only I had it, too."
    Startled, the man turned very slowly. "I knew you' d figure it out, Kid. I thought I'd just buy all that calico t o make sure you followed me. I just don't want any witnesse s left behind.
    "Anyway, that girl of yours would still need a dress, an d I could always say your dyin' words were that I shoul d take it to her, and that I was to stay by an' care for her , like."
    He let go of the reins of his horse. "I mould like to kno w how you figured it out, though."
    "It was the Henry rifle. When you rode off on the ba y with the Henry in the scabbard I knew it had to be you. I f ound a shell from that ri fl e.
    "Bantam was really surprised when he saw that paper , You'd slipped it into his pocket wh e n you were standin g close, then you called him a liar and killed him before h e had a chance to talk. Then you went to his saddle an d recovered the money."
    "It was this way, Kid. I'd tai l ed Parsons to kill him fo r his money, hut after I did, Bantam opened fi re on me an d run me off. He'd been trailing him, too. Then he wen t down to the body, got the money and lit out.
    Anyway," Texas added, now you know how it was.
    When you came into sight, Bantam took a shot at you t o warn you off until he could get out of sight.
    "But I guess you got me, so it all went for nothing. I' m not sorry about Bantam, he was simply no good, but as fo r Y OU --He would hang for what he had done, and both he an d th e Kid knew it, and the Kid, knowing his man, knew h e would take a chance. Texas went for his gun and the Ki d shot him.
    Then he walked over to the hay, which showed n o intention of running away, and recovered the bolt of calico, and then the money from Texas's body.
    "Parsons will likely have some folks who can use this," h e told hims e lf, then rolled the body over the bank , tumbled rocks and sand over it and, gathering th e reins o f the hay he mounted the paint and headed for