A Man Called Bradford: Western

By Neal Chadwick

Night over the river port of St. Louis...

Moonlight fell on the countless ships that lay at anchor here. Transport ships in particular, which stopped off on their journeys between New Orleans and the forts on the upper reaches of the Mississippi.

A dozen horsemen dashed through the narrow streets of the harbor district. They wore neckerchiefs in front of their faces. Some waved burning torches, the others had drawn Winchester carbines from their scubbards.

The pack reached the makeshift shore zone fortified with logs. The leader pointed the barrel of the Winchester at a medium-sized paddle steamer moored on the shore.

"That's Bradford's ship! The RIVER QUEEN!"

One of the other men loaded his Winchester through with an energetic movement.

"Come on, let's get this over with!"

The torchbearers let their nags advance a bit.

The first of them lashed out and hurled his torch at the wooden planks of the ship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BEKKERpublishing
• Release date: Jul 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223969860

Book preview

1

Night over the river port of St. Louis...

Moonlight fell on the countless ships that lay at anchor here. Transport ships in particular, which stopped off on their journeys between New Orleans and the forts on the upper reaches of the Mississippi.

A dozen horsemen dashed through the narrow streets of the harbor district. They wore neckerchiefs in front of their faces. Some waved burning torches, the others had drawn Winchester carbines from their scubbards.

The pack reached the makeshift shore zone fortified with logs. The leader pointed the barrel of the Winchester at a medium-sized paddle steamer moored on the shore.

That's Bradford's ship! The RIVER QUEEN!

One of the other men loaded his Winchester through with an energetic movement.

Come on, let's get this over with!

The torchbearers let their nags advance a bit.

The first of them lashed out and hurled his torch at the wooden planks of the ship.

2

Ray Bradford, one of the four owners of the RIVER QUEEN, had been awakened by the noise. With catlike movements, the tall, broad-shouldered man dashed onto the deck. At his side he carried a deep-strapped revolver, in his hands a Winchester.

He saw the burning torch on the planks.

Without regard for his cover, Bradford took a few quick steps. He kicked the torch off the boat. With a hissing sound, it sank into the dark, muddy river water.

Bradford fired the Winchester from the hip.

He caught one of the masked attackers in the arm. The guy cried out, dropping the torch he was about to throw at the RIVER QUEEN. His horse stood up on its hindquarters and he had great difficulty staying in the saddle at all.

Bradford took another arsonist out of the saddle.

The bandit's death scream faded into the night.

The other masked men were now firing from all guns. Bradford threw himself to the ground, rolled over the planks and snatched up the Winchester. The muzzle flash flickered blood-red from the barrel of the carbine. Bullets whizzed around his ears to the right and left.

Two more men came on deck and fired at the masked men. The taller of the two was a black man. He fired at the masked men with two revolvers. The other was a gaunt man in a beaver-skin cap who had a heavy Henry rifle talking.

Two other masked men were hit.

The others took flight.

They yanked their horses by the reins and let them dash away.

A short time later, the survivors had disappeared into the narrow alleys of the harbor district. The hoofbeats of their nags could still be heard for a few moments.

Bradford rose.

The two other defenders of the RIVER QUEEN as well.

Bradford swung over the railing.

With one leap he was on land.

The black man followed him, while the man in the beaver-skin cap remained on board.

Bradford spun one of the masked men lying on the ground around and pulled the bandana off his face.

You know that bastard, Ray? the black man asked.

Bradford shook his head.

Never seen it, Rick.

Riffraff hired by the United Riverboat Company dogs for a few dollars.

Except we'll never be able to prove it.

Now the man with the beaver cap also came ashore. He put the barrel of the Henry rifle over his back. There's not even any point in pressing charges against those bastards! Nobody dares to take action against the Company!

All three of them were owners of the RIVER QUEEN in different parts. There was a fourth man in the bunch.

Jim Lawton, Bradford's best friend for many years. The two had known each other since they were young. Both had grown up in Ohio before moving west as young men to make their fortunes.

The freight business on the Mississippi seemed to be made for it. The volume of goods that had to be transported on the great river grew many times over every year.

Actually, there were enough earning opportunities for everyone whose boats were buoyant.

But there was a snake in that paradise.

The United Riverboat Company.

The powerful company tried to build up a kind of cargo cartel on the Big Muddy. With legal but also with illegal means. At first, Bradford thought he could withstand the pressure in the long run. But apart from the machinations of the Company, Bradford was also plagued by financial worries. In order to buy the RIVER QUEEN, Bradford had to borrow money from the Grand National Bank of Missouri in St. Louis. Repayment was due in a few months. However, Bradford's freight business was still far from making the expected profit. The Company's machinations took care of that, too. Although Bradford offered his services more cheaply than the competition, it was often not the RIVER QUEEN that received the transport order, but a Company ship. Many businessmen allowed themselves to be pressured and intimidated by their commercial agents. And if that didn't help, they hired a bunch of trigger-happy gunslingers for a few dollars.

Bradford, however, was hell-bent on persevering against all odds.

The question, however, was whether he would have enough staying power financially to do so.

For the moment, Bradford's hopes rested on his friend and partner Jim Lawton. All four partners had put their last dime into this venture. They were broke. Lawton had then left for Montana a few months ago. He had inherited a ranch there that he wanted to turn into money he could put into the RIVER QUEEN.

Jim Lawton's inheritance was the financial lifeline on which everything depended.

The man in the beaver hat stepped up next to Bradford.

His name was Angus Cray and he had made a small fortune in the fur trade. In the meantime, he already regretted having put all of it into the RIVER QUEEN.

If Jim doesn't come back soon with a bag of dollars, I'm looking at black, Ray! he confessed. I talked to Rick about it...

Wrinkles formed on Bradford's forehead. He turned to the black man. You want to give up?

Jim should have been back by now! noted Rick bitterly. 

Turning a ranch into cash may not be that easy! defended Bradford Lawton. Besides, it's a good thousand miles to Montana. Winter is behind us...

...And maybe your friend has changed his mind and either kept the ranch or is now trying to do something else with his money than put it into such a risky venture as the RIVER QUEEN! added Angus Cray. No offense to your buddy, Ray. I'd understand!

Then Jim would have sent me a message, Bradford insisted.

Montana is a wide open country, Rick pointed out. A vast land with a handful of people in it. Pure wilderness rules there! And like I said... Money changes a man.

Not Jim.

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

A pause of silence followed.

From the river, the soft lapping of the waves against the outer shrouds of the RIVER QUEEN could be heard.

The point is simply that we don't want to stick our necks out for something that's futile up front, Cray explained. And without Jim's money, our venture is futile. That's for sure.

Ray Bradford raised his head.

He eyed the two men.

What are you going to do?

If we don't hear from Jim by next week, we're getting out, Rick said.

That would mean we would have to sell the RIVER QUEEN, Bradford noted bitterly.

Angus Cray patted Bradford regretfully on the shoulder.

Sorry, but Rick and I just don't have thick heads like you!

3

Jim Lawton froze instantly when he heard the soft rustling in the dry prairie grass. Then followed a clatter that was all too familiar to him.

Seconds before, everything had been so peaceful. The sun had crept blood-red over the horizon and had already driven away a good part of the night chill with its powerful rays. Lawton had spent the night near a group of craggy rocks jutting out of the plateau. He had just rekindled the burned-down campfire, and now he held his tin coffee cup in his right hand.

Lawton did not move from the spot, but every sinew of his body was stretched to the utmost at that moment.

Again the rustling in the grass.

And then this rattling sound....

Lawton considered his situation and found that he was in a rather fatal position.

He suddenly became aware that his revolver belt was not on his hip, but a few steps away with