Two-Bits, Molly’s horse, has been stolen. There has been a gunfight at the jail in Durango and one of the miscreants has been captured. The crooked marshal of Silverton is waiting trial or escape, but it seems that only one of his men has remained loyal, the others fleeing or lying in the street dead. Miles has followed Lark Collins up the Animas Canyon and has stayed the night at a small hotel in Hermosa. What will the dawn bring? Success or more trouble? Come with me to see the old west opened up with the Saga of Miles Forrest.
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It was cold the next morning and I hated the thought of getting out from under the covers. The fire in the little stove had gone out, I could see ice on the window and the air was frosty. As I got out of bed I began to shiver so I hurriedly put on my clothes. I wasn’t planning on staying so I didn’t take the time to make a fire but went on my way downstairs where I reckoned it would be warm.
Right next to the hotel was a small cafe that also housed a saloon. The cold took my breath away when I stepped outside so I hastened to the cafe. This was only November but it felt like January outside. Hawk was not going to relish riding out in this temperature.
Even before I sat, the waitress had coffee on the table for me. “You want the special or the small order?” she chirped. She was happy, and I thought that she must not have come in from the outside.
Placing the cup between both hands warming them, I replied, “Go ahead with the special.”
Thirty minutes and three eggs, a dozen pieces of bacon, and a plateful of pancakes later, I was up putting my coat on to go get Hawk. I ate plenty, so my body was fueled up, and I hope that Hawk had been fed properly. It was a cold job waiting for us.
Finding Hawk in good shape, I mounted, pulled down my hat, and pulled up the collar on my coat. Since snow had fallen last night, not much – about four inches, but it was plenty to hide any tracks left by Two-Bits; I had to follow my senses. There’s a verse that is one of my favorites, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” That was going through my mind, for to find this crook I was going to need His guidance.
It was cold, the temperature way below freezing and there was a goodly breeze blowing down from the north. Hawk ducked his head, then moved out in a trot until we were out of the little community where I brought him to a walk. There were several cabins on up the road, I had visited several in my time in Durango as a peace officer, but it seemed that there were always new ones springing up. Collins could be in any one of them.
Stopping at the first three, I was told that nary a soul had ventured their direction yesterday. I was told that there was a cabin down by the river an mile or so ahead that was vacant. I’d head there.
We’d been out a little less than two hours, when Hawk stopped, his ears perking up and he gave a snort. He and I had rode many trails together, and I knew to trust him, so I gave him his head to lead out. With the wind coming from the north, he must have caught a scent of something. He moved on towards a game trail that would lead on down to the river. There was a one-room shack, not the one I was told about.
Then I saw movement, Hawk did as well and headed for it. Behind the shack on the leeward side stood Two-Bits, still with bridle and saddle on. The anger riled up in me to leave my good horse out like that all night, any horse for that matter. As we grew closer I noticed there wasn’t any smoke coming from the shack, nor was there a light inside. Hawk moved right up next to Two-Bits who did not even acknowledge him. Dismounting, I held the Greener in my left hand, and went to check on Two-Bits. The little mare was all right, cold for sure and I needed to get him to a stall and some food. Hawk moved closer and she must have felt some heat coming from him and nudged in right next to him.
I moved up to the door, there was a window, but it was too dark inside for me to see. Breathing a deep sigh, I kicked open the door and rushed in. On the floor lay a man, no coat, no blanket. I nudged him with the barrel of the Greener and found no movement. Glancing at the little fireplace I could see that a fire hadn’t been made in it for some time. Bending over the man he looked bluish, but I couldn’t tell if he was alive or frozen to death.
Going quickly back to Hawk, I took off my bedroll bringing it into the shack and wrapped the man up in it. I hated to put Two-Bits through this, but I had to throw him over the saddle and tie him down. Twenty minutes later we were headed back to Hermosa. I didn’t bother stopping at any of the cabins, for there wouldn’t be any room for us, nor was there any stable for Hawk and Two-Bits.
It was a cold ride back to Hermosa and the livery…