The Raiders

By Ted Stetson

In the 1880's, Texas Ranger Bill Morrison goes undercover to find why Mexican bandits are raiding the border.
Pretending to be Will Gentry he discovers Mexican bandits raiding ranches along the border.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ted Stetson
• Release date: Aug 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463266373

Ted Stetson

Ted Stetson is a member of SFWA. He was born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island and went to Seton Hall and Hofstra. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas. He was awarded First Place by the Florida Literary Arts Council and First Place in the Lucy B. McIntire contest of the Poetry Society of Georgia. His short fiction has appeared in Twisted Tongue, MysteryAuthors.com, Future Orbits, State Street Review, and the anthologies; One Evening a Year, Mota: Truth, Ruins Extraterrestrial Terra, Ruins Terra and Barren Worlds. His books include: Night Beasts, The Computer Song Book.

Book preview

The Raiders

By Ted Stetson

Published by Three Door Publishing

Copyright © 2018 Ted Stetson

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Cover art by Roger Kirby

Dedicated to Gail.

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Contents

Start

Chapter 1 – Jail

Chapter 2 – Crime

Chapter 3 – Wanted

Chapter 4 – Reborn

Chapter 5 – Gentry Rides Again

Chapter 6 – Long Shot

Chapter 7 – Indians

Chapter 8 – Snakes

Chapter 9 – Arrested Again

Chapter 10 – Leg Irons

Chapter 11 – Jail Break

Chapter 12 – Owl Trail

Chapter 13 – Sweat Lodge

Chapter 14 – Caught Short

Chapter 15 - Jornada del Muerto

Chapter 16 – Blood Trail

Chapter 17 – Dead Again

Chapter 18 – Storm

Chapter 19 – Cantina Ghosts

Chapter 20 – Rise Again

Chapter 21 – Hard Trail

Chapter 22 – Gunmen

Chapter 23 – Buscadero

Chapter 24 – Mexican Standoff

Chapter 25 – Jail or Trail

About the Author

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The Raiders

By Ted Stetson

Chapter 1 – Jail

Josh woke up in a jail cell with a pounding headache. Slowly, carefully he rolled to the side and almost cried out it hurt so much, a hammer pounding inside his head. He had come to town to celebrate his birthday with the ranch hand, Will, and was in jail for being drunk and disorderly. At least, that’s what he’d told them. He’d really come to town to run away from the beatings, from being treated like his stepparents owned him. He didn’t expect to get a job in town; he wasn’t going to ask. He figured he’d join the cavalry.

He heard a noise and looked across at the ranch hand. Will was a nice guy, tall and slender who now looked like death warmed over. The saddle tramp had wandered into town and signed on to be a ranchman. Some said he’d signed on to be close to Agnes. A lot they knew.

She was Josh’s stepmother, but she liked to say she was his mother when they were in public. She said something else in private. In private she was as mean as a rattlesnake and as foul-mouthed as a barroom drunk. In front of people she acted so nice and kind, but once the public was away she made warpath Indians look like sheep.

They’d come to town at Ma’s insistence. Will didn’t want to come, said he wasn’t much of a drinker, but Agnes had insisted. She’d told Will if he didn’t go with him the Jackson boys would pick on Josh as they usually did and ruin his birthday. So, he came and they met the Jacksons and Will made sure the fights were fair and square, in that Joshua only had to fight them one at a time. Josh couldn’t remember much about that now; it wasn’t too clear. He’d won a fight or two and they had celebrated. Josh had vague recollections of several people buying him drinks, including the Jacksons which seemed as though he wasn’t remembering things rightly.

He looked across, when it wasn’t too painful, and saw the three Jackson brothers in the cell next door. George, Al and Rick. All asleep. They looked like they’d been in a fight.

Josh held his head to stop the pain. The dream about outlaws raiding and shooting was pounding inside his head. Will moaned in his sleep and Josh wondered if he was having the same dream.

Josh leaned over and whispered, Will, you okay?

Will’s face scrunched up and he grumbled, Stop shouting.

Josh put his hands on his forehead, the pounding wouldn’t stop. When he opened his eyes, he saw Will’s bloodshot eyes staring at him. Gawd he looked awful.

Hope I don’t look as bad as I feel, Josh said.

Worse, Will said in a hoarse voice.

Will I live?

Unfortunately.

You okay? Josh asked.

Go to sleep.

It’s morning. Sunday, I think.

Will slowly looked around. With sunlight coming in the cell window you could make out the brick walls and iron bars of the cell.

Will said something under his breath.

What? Josh said.

Will turned his head away from him. Josh figured he was having dreams like he had. Josh laid back and stared at the ceiling.

He expected one of Sheriff Hiller’s deputies to shout to wake them. They usually did that to people who come to town on Saturday and tied one on. Or bang a tin cup on the bars. But when he heard them coming and opened his eyes he couldn’t believe he was seeing Sheriff Hiller himself coming to the jail in his Sunday go-to-meeting clothes. And even stranger he was carrying a bucket of water. Josh watched them not sure what was going on. Deputy Beadle opened the cell door and Hiller hurried inside and before Josh could shout a warning, tossed the bucket of water on Will. Will was up a flash ready to hit whoever had done that mean thing, but the Sheriff and two deputies were waiting with guns drawn.

Will stood there, wavering on his feet, his eyes so bloodshot he looked in serious pain. Josh thought a good breeze would’ve knocked him down, but Will didn’t reach out for the wall or anything for support.

Try anything, Arthur Hiller said, his Colt trembling in his little fat hand, and you’re a dead man. He and his deputies were ready to shoot him down in cold blood.

Josh had never seen anything like it before. It looked like they wanted an excuse to shoot. And they probably would’ve if it wasn’t for them waking up the Jackson boys in the next cell. The dark-haired brothers got up as if they were in just as much pain.

You going to shoot us all for being drunk? Al Jackson said.

Shut up, Tom Beadle said.

Did he say what I think he said? George Jackson said.

The Sheriff's little green eyes looked from Will to the Jacksons. The Sheriff was a short man with a round head. Whenever he got angry or upset his face would turn bright red. His face was easing off from being tomato red. His little mean eyes were measuring the situation.

The Sheriff and his deputies stood with their guns drawn as if waiting for Will to do something.

Josh glanced over at the Jacksons. Rick, the smallest Jackson, shook his head. They didn’t know what was going on either.

Josh remembered there had been rumors that the Sheriff had wanted to buy the Bar-None ranch after his stepfather died. Harry was his stepfather and Agnes was his stepmother. But Agnes didn’t want anything to do with Hiller and then Will came along and Agnes told Hiller to go find what he wanted in some other pasture. For a while there were hard feelings, and then when it became obvious that Will wasn’t after Agnes, everything eased off.

Walking into in the hall outside the jail cells was preacher Noah Griffin. The Sheriff was a part-time preacher. Reverend Griffin let Hiller say a few words every now and then. Truth is, if the Sheriff were the preacher no one would go to services in Purgatory. George Jackson had joked that if God made Hiller the preacher in Hell no one would go there. It seemed pretty funny when they were drinking.

What’s going on? Josh said and short Deputy Maluk turned to him, his pinched face livid with anger, and told him to quit yapping.

Huh? Josh stared at Maluk. The Jacksons called Maluk the duck because of his face, thin pointed mouth and pointy nose, and would say, Quack, when he walked past.

Sheriff Hiller said, We’re taking you and this saddle tramp home.

Josh put his hands on his aching head. Hiller’s words were like explosions inside his head, like a mule kicked the side of his head. This wasn’t making any sense. Will wasn’t a saddle trap. And Will and Josh didn’t need an escort home. They had come to town on a buckboard; it was loaded with supplies at the stable.

Sheriff Hiller smiled when his loud voice hurt Josh and Will.

Josh stared at Hiller, his eyes hurt. Why did they need an escort?

Get to your feet, Sheriff Hiller shouted at Will. Ain’t gonna tell you again.

Will had sat back down on the edge of his bunk and leaned over holding his head.

Josh could see Will was in a bad way. He wasn’t sure why. He hadn’t drunk that much. Josh got up, swayed on his feet, and stepped over to give Will a hand.

Leave him alone, Deputy Tom Beadle warned, waving his Colt Peacemaker at him. He was another piece of work. Always walking about with a thin cigar in his mouth like he was a big man. Hat too big for his head; gun too big for his hand, mouth too big for his brains. Talked in a whisper voice that made him sound strange. He was always warning Josh and the other guys, don’t do this, don’t do that or you’ll get in trouble. Or he’ll arrest them and throw them in jail and not let anyone see them until he was good and ready. Of course, when one of the guys told his pa, Sheriff Hiller said he was just trying to stop them from getting in trouble.

But today was different, something was going on.

Will staggered shakily to his feet. Josh guessed he was not used to drinking and his birthday drinks had really gotten to him. Will stepped to the jail door. Sheriff Hiller gave him a little shove and Will stopped and looked back at him and the little fat Sheriff cocked his gun as though what he saw in Will’s eyes scared him so much he was going to shoot him. The Colt Peacemaker trembled in the Sheriff’s small hand.

For a long moment they stood like that then Mayor Blarney came into the hall and saw what was going on and quickly went back out.

Hey Art, Rev. Griffin said and Hiller looked at him. Not now.

Come on, Deputy Maluk said and Will staggered down the hall.

They got to the front of the Sheriff’s office and the light coming in the windows was so bright it drilled into Josh’s eyes as if it wanted to kill him. He turned away from it. He heard the Sheriff chuckle and it angered him that he was so mean. He heard Will stumble so he knew it got to him too.

The Sheriff and his deputies shoved them outside where a bunch of riders waited for them. For a minute Josh had the feeling they were going to a hanging. Theirs.

Where’s our wagon? Josh said.

Over behind my store, Mr. Blarney said. We won’t be taking it now.

Why not? Will said.

Mr. Blarney looked uncomfortable being asked and turned to the Sheriff.

Because I said so, Sheriff Hiller said loudly and shoved them to two old nags.

Will glanced at J. R. Bates, the bartender. What the hell did you put in those drinks?

JR’s rubbery face fell like he’d been found out and he glanced at the Sheriff as if he was going to protect him. Nothing,