The rugged looking cowboy shifted his weight in the saddle before glancing up at the skyline. The creaking sound of leather sounded overloud in the still afternoon as he moved forward to get a better look over what was causing the commotion just up ahead. Sweat poured down his face landing in his eyes and burning them. He took an old red kerchief from his back pocket to wipe the salty moisture off his forehead.
As he glanced toward the skyline again, he felt surprised by what he saw. Swarms of buzzards were circling a spot just over the ridge from where he sat astride the big black bay.
"Now what could be causing that," his voice echoed out across the vast plains, as he leaned forward and used his horse as a sounding board.
After studying the area with the scorched earth and high winds sending a stench out to him, he finally concluded that it was either a dead animal or a person that had met an untimely fate. Untimely fates weren't uncommon in this part of the wild, isolated countryside. There could be anything waiting for him over the next ridge.
Duke Mackey decided he would have to ride the short distance and find what caused the birds feeding frenzy. When he had started out this morning, he never expected to find anyone or anything on the trail. It looked as if there was something out there, though.
He had been on his way to the little town of Buckeye to haul back a prisoner wanted for murder in the town of Devlin. He'd brought many prisoners across the wastelands in the past, but this trip had him spooked for no good reason. He couldn't shake the premonition that something wasn't right.
