Further Adventures of James Butler Hickok (9781101601853) by J. R. Roberts Page B

couldn’t. For one thing, Rafe was two inches taller, and twenty pounds heavier. He finally let his shoulders slump.
    â€œYou wanna change things, Orville?” Rafe asked. He looked at the other brothers. “You boys wanna change things? Make Orville the leader?”
    â€œHell, no,” Ben said. “Orville ain’t smart enough to lead us, Rafe.”
    â€œLike you said,” Charlie chimed in. “He’s too stubborn.”
    Rafe looked at his youngest brother.
    â€œWhat about you, George?”
    â€œI’m with you, Rafe,” George said. “You know that.”
    Rafe looked at Orville again.
    â€œWhat’ve you got to say?”
    â€œNothin’,” Orville said. “I ain’t sayin’ nothin’.”
    â€œThen put that money away and start supper.”
    â€œWe stayin’ here, Rafe?” Charlie said. “What about a posse?”
    â€œThat town ain’t gonna raise a posse, not without a lawman to lead it,” Rafe said. “But we’ll take turns keepin’ watch, just in case. You set it up, Charlie.”
    â€œYou gonna watch, too, Rafe?”
    â€œYeah,” Rafe said, “all of us’ll take turns.”
    â€œOkay,” Charlie said.
    â€œGeorge, get some wood. We’re gonna want to keep the fire goin’.”
    â€œYes, Rafe.”
    â€œBen and Orville, you take care of the horses.”
    â€œWhat’re you gonna do?” Orville asked.
    â€œMe? I’m gonna take care of the rest of this money.”
    Rafe had put the remainder of the money into one bag. Orville eyed the bag, then turned to go and take care of the horses with his brother Ben.
    * * * 
    The next few days were tense for the brothers. Rafe insisted on carrying the rest of the money, and calling all the shots. All of his brothers except for Orville were content to let him.
    At one point, on the fourth day, Orville sidled up next to Ben.
    â€œThis ain’t right, you know,” he said.
    â€œWhat ain’t?”
    â€œThe way Rafe’s hangin’ on to all that money.”
    â€œRafe’s the leader, Orville,” Ben said.
    â€œWell, he don’t hafta be, ya know.”
    Ben looked at Orville.
    â€œIf you wanna take over, Orville, you’re gonna hafta make that play alone.”
    â€œCome on, Ben,” Orville said. “You and me could take ’im.”
    â€œAnd then what?” Ben asked. “Kill ’im?”
    â€œNo, I don’t wanna kill ’im,” Orville said. “He’s our brother. I just wanna take over.”
    â€œNot me,” Ben said. “You’re gonna have to do that yerself.”
    â€œFine! Just keep yer mouth shut.”
    â€œI ain’t gonna say a word.”
    Orville slowed, allowed Ben to ride ahead of him, then rode up to his brother Charlie.
    â€œThis ain’t right, ya know . . .”
    * * * 
    Hickok and Clint made camp themselves at the end of the fifth day. Clint took care of the horses while Hickok made the fire and started their supper.
    They sat around the fire, eating beans with some beef jerky mixed in, and some coffee. Suddenly, Hickok raised his head and sniffed the air.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œBacon,” he said. “I smell bacon.”
    â€œWe’re not cooking bacon,” Clint said.
    â€œNo, we ain’t,” Hickok said. “But somebody is. Somebody upwind of us. That means ahead of us.”
    â€œCould be coming from somebody’s house.”
    â€œOr another camp.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t have to be the Jenkins camp.”
    â€œNo, it don’t,” Hickok said. “But somebody’s cookin, and they’re ahead of us. If we don’t come to a house tomorrow, we’ll know it was somebody makin’ camp. And maybe we’ll find that camp.”
    â€œAnd maybe something there will tell us if it was the Jenkins gang or