Jake Law
Excerpt from Jake Law
The cowboys had shut down for the midday meal of beans and fried bread when a stranger rode up. He was offered food and coffee which he accepted. The newcomer had just taken a seat when he asked in a loud voice, "Have ya’ll heard the news?’
The foreman shook his head, "No. What?"
"Jim Courtright’s dead. And I bet you can’t guess who killed ‘im.
"Whoever did must have shot ‘im in the back," the foreman answered, "‘Cause I doubt if anyone alive could beat ‘im in a face to face shoot out."
"Luke Short did. He was looking right at ‘im when he did it too. They were standin’ right square dap in the middle of the street down in Fort Worth."
"Luke Short killed Jim Courtright? The same Luke Short from the Lincoln County War, killed a gun-hand like Jim Courtright in a head’s up gunfight?"
"That’s the one. And he sure did, killed ‘im deader than all get out. Shot his right thumb off with the first shot, then shot ‘im through the heart while Courtright was trying to changes hands with his pistol ... he ain’t so fast anymore ... no sir, anybody could beat ‘im now."
The foreman shook his head, "That goes to show a person, you never know."
The new comer nodded, "That’s nothing to what’s fixin’ to take place down south from here."
The foreman straightened at the comment and turned an ear, "What’s that?
"Outfit along the Gila, startin’ up a horse ranch. I never did see so many different brands in one place in all my life."
The men all suddenly turned their attention to the cowboy telling the story.
"Some of the finest horse flesh I’ve ever seen. I bet the owners will be coming lookin’ for ‘em. When they do you can bet there’ll be bloodshed."
Jake was hanging on every word the cowboy spoke, thinking this might be the lead he’d been waiting on. To this point he had not revealed to anyone on the ranch his reason for being in the country and he saw no need to change that fact, but wanting to know more he asked, "Where exactly is this ranch?"
