Read the Outlaws Of Mesquite (Ss) (1990) for Free Online Page A

fool. His situation was desperate. That they would not hesitate to leave him dead, he knew.
    All three of these men would hang if caught alive and they had proved too many times in the past that they had no hesitation about killing a helpless man. None of them was the sort to be troubled by qualms or conscience.
    Red was obviously the leader, yet from his looks Benny was no fool. Joe was a hulking brute, physically powerful, but mentally his range was bare.
    The Kid's chances looked nil, and they might kill him at any time. However, if they would leave him alone for a while ... He had his own ideas about that, and his first ruse had worked.
    Red had said they did not kill him because of buzzards.
    They were afraid attention might be drawn to the area by some chance rider seeing circling buzzards. That implied they were not ready to leave. For all he knew, this area might be a permanent hideout for them, and might explain why they had so often dropped from sight on previous occasions.
    Tentatively, he tried his bonds. Having taken a deep breath and swelled his muscles before being tied, he now had a little slack. It was little enough, but he was thankful that he had not been hit in the wind before being tied, as that little slack might make all the difference in the world. His four inches of chest expansion had been a help before this, but never had he needed it so much.
    His wrists, however, were tightly bound, although he knew he could move around the tree with some ease if left alone.
    When they finished eating, Benny mounted a horse and drifted out of the hollow-to act as a lookout, the Kid guessed. Red smoked a cigarette and eyed the Kid irritably. Obviously, he was in the way, and wouldn't be kept around for long.
    Red Herring was wise in not attracting attention to their hideout, for the Cactus Kid knew that searchers were not even coming this way, and as this country was seldom traveled, it was perfection itself for their purposes.
    There was small chance that anyone might see the circling buzzards, but at this time caution was the smart thing and Red Herring had the cunning of a wolf. At the same time, the Kid knew that it would serve no purpose to keep him alive. He was only an encumbrance, and the sooner they rid themselves of him the better off they were.
    An idea came to the Kid suddenly, an idea that might keep him alive a little longer, and he desperately wanted to live.
    "You got it mighty good here," he said. "Only that money won't do you much good in this hole."
    "We don't aim to stay." Red threw a couple of dry sticks on the fire. "Just to let things quiet down."
    "They'll be watching for you at Hanksville, Greenriver, and Dandy Crossing. At Helper and Henrieville, too."
    Herring looked up, studying the Kid. "How'd you know that?"
    "They wanted me in the posse. I wouldn't go because my girl wanted the flowers."
    Red grunted. "You stickin' to that story? Why come way down here?"
    "Figure it out for yourself. With this drought there ain't none anywhere around. Prospector told me about these flowers. Hombre name of Hayes."
    Red nodded. "Know about him. So they got us bottled up, have they? Why tell us? Why not let us ride into a trap?"
    The Kid grinned wryly. "Because I want to live. To get you killed after I'm dead doesn't help me, and the way I figure it, you don't aim to let me live that long."
    "That's right. We'll kill you before the day's out.
    Drop you in a hole over west of here. Still, I don't see why you tell me."
    "I said, because I want to live ... and there's a way out of this country."
    "Out of here? How?" The Kid was aware of Red's awakened interest. If he could keep him hooked ...
    "South of here, if you know the water holes.
    Otherwise, you can die out there."
    "South?" Red studied the situation. "That's a mighty long ride. I heard a man couldn't make it through. You know the water holes?"
    "Sure, I know "em. And I know the trails like an Injun. You boys aren't known down thataway, either, are