Shadow of the Gallows Read Online Free

became obvious that Newberry was a reasonably prosperous town. Several stores, a bank, a hotel and the marshal’s office and small courthouse were situated around a well-kept plaza. Down side streets were a couple of boarding-houses, a school and a church. The buildings were made of adobe and overhangs provided welcome shade. Further work was going on here and there. Plenty of people were about and horses and buckboards crowded the dusty roads.
    Although Cobb was tired and hungry he decided to visit Marshal Jackson before he did anything else. He was anxious to find out exactly what hadhappened and what evidence Jackson had discovered to make him arrest Steadman.
    The marshal’s office appeared to be fairly new. It had a yard at one side out of view of the cells. It was here that a gallows was already being built: out of sight but not out of the hearing of the prisoner.
    Cobb dismounted, tied his horse to the hitching rail and went into the cool jailhouse. A young man was sitting at one of the two desks. Another older man, in his sixties, with grey hair and a grey beard and wrinkles round his eyes and mouth sat at the other.
    The young man looked up and said, ‘Help you?’
    ‘Marshal Jackson?’
    ‘Yeah.’
    ‘I’m Zachary Cobb from Bellington’s.’
    ‘Oh yeah. I got the message you were on your way. Owen Jackson.’ He stood up to shake Cobb’s hand. He was about twenty-eight, of middle height with bushy brown hair and blue eyes. Both his clothes and his gun were well-worn. ‘This is Bob Sparks, my jailer.’
    Cobb nodded at the old man. Jackson also nodded at him and Sparks hitched up his trousers and left the jailhouse to allow the two lawmen to have their conversation in private.
    ‘Pull up a chair, sit down. Would you like some coffee? It’s freshly brewed.’
    ‘Please.’
    After Jackson had poured out two mugs of coffee, he sat in his chair and leant forward on his arms. He said, ‘Look, let’s get it straight from the start: I ain’tgot any problem with you coming here trying to prove Steadman innocent; I’ll give you any help I can, but let me also say straight off I think he’s guilty and he was convicted after a fair trial. The evidence convinced Judge Bowyer and a jury.’
    ‘Fair enough.’ Cobb would do his job whatever the circumstances, but it always helped if the local law had no objection to his presence. He drank some of the coffee, which was hot and very strong. ‘Perhaps you would start by telling me the background to the situation?’
    ‘Sure.’ Jackson paused to gather his thoughts then went on, ‘This is cattle country, mostly open range. You probably noticed that on your ride up here.’
    Cobb nodded.
    ‘There are a number of large ranches roundabout most of which were started soon after the Civil War ended. They’ve always done well. Lately, over the past five or six years, farmers, homesteaders I mean, have been taking advantage of the offer of title to a hundred and sixty acres to move in.’
    ‘And the ranchers don’t like that?’ Cobb knew that ranchers often resented the intrusion on to their lands of farmers and their fences. Believed that as it had always been open range that’s the way it should stay.
    ‘No, not particularly,’ Jackson said in agreement. ‘In fact, it was the coming of the homesteaders that decided the ranchers to set up a Cattlemen’s Association. It doesn’t just exist to protect the ranchers ’ interests against the farmers but that’s its main aim.’
    ‘And Tom Steadman was employed as a detective?’
    ‘Almost from the start. He was known to one or two of the ranchers as a good man with a gun, and his reputation was helped by him coming from Bellington’s. He seemed a sensible choice and for most of the time he’s done a good, fair job. Oh, some of the farmers objected to his methods but they had no real complaint. He went up against known rustlers and mostly left the rest alone.’ Jackson paused for a moment. ‘Given the