The Unknown
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Nineteen
The breeze offered little coolness as the sun shined down. Slim, Jonesy, and Muller had been riding for hours. Now their shirts stuck to their backs as sweat slid down their bodies.
“Well we’ve been to ten homesteads. Six yesterday. Four today.” The sheriff wiped his sleeve across his forehead then put his hat back on his head.
“How many more?” Slim questioned.
“One more. But it’s far out. A woman and her son.”
“Out here all by herself?” Jonesy asked with surprise.
“Husband ran off. But she thinks her man was killed. But ain’t been so sign. He was a prospector. I figured that he just got tired of having a woman and boy to look after. Was more interested in finding gold.”
“Well let’s check it out,” Slim said.
Jonesy nodded as he squirmed in the seat of the horse.
”Jonesy, you all right?” Slim studied Jonesy carefully.
“I’m fine.” But pain was etched on his face.
“You ain’t done this much horse riding in a long time. Your back must be really hurting you.”
“I said I was fine. Now let’s get going.”
“Why don’t you stay here?” Slim encouraged. “Rest. The sheriff and I can go check this last place.”
“It is kind of rough riding to get there,” Muller added.
Jonesy frowned. “Well, I’d probably only slow you down.”
“It’ll take us awhile,” Muller informed.
As Jonesy dismounted, Slim asked, “Which way?”
The sheriff turned his quarter horse and Slim followed on his sorrel. Once they rode out of sight, the lawman pulled up his horse. “You sure your friend Jonesy is all right? Seemed to be in a lot of pain.”
“Got a bad back. He ain’t ridden this much in I don’t when. Usually when he travels he uses the buckboard. Sure wish he had stayed back in town.”
“He must think awful highly of Harper.”
“We both do. You should know that.”
The sheriff nodded. “You know if you want to stay behind with Jonesy. I’ll go check-”
“No! Jonesy wouldn’t want me to do that. And I want to be there when you cross paths with Jess.”
“You thinking there’s going to be trouble?”
“Not from Jess. And you know what will get me to shooting,” Slim warned. “Now let’s ride. I’m not hankering to leave Jonesy longer than I need to.”
The sheriff nodded in the direction they would be headed. And both men rode hard and fast.
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