Zane Grey Twin Sombreros

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.An' to-morrow I'm lightin' out of thistown an' ridin' far.If you've got an ounce of sense you'll do the same.""Brad, I can't pull up stakes hyar.I'm goin' to be sheriff of this county.""You're goin' to be a stiff!""Not so loud," put in the third man."Bodkin, I'm afraid Brad has it figured.I'd say if we had plenty of time we'd have a sure thing with Bess on the job.She's the most fascinating girl I ever met.But the hell of it is, can we taketime? It's got to be done right now.""We'll have to give her time.""Every hour adds to the doubt and suspicion already working.""Even with Brazos Keene dead--which is sure a far-fetched conclusion,gentlemen--this town is going to think on.Henderson, Kiskadden, Inskip,Moore, Hadley, Stevens--all these men are getting their heads together.Theyare going to buck the Cattlemen's Association.They'll split it wide open.Most of them are honest cattlemen, you know.They've just been fooled.Cattlemen are the easiest of men to fool because they take a littleirregularity for granted, even among themselves.But when it comes to beingrobbed by rustlers--they wake up.""Fellers," said Brad, "I'm pullin' up stakes.An' I don't mind tellin' you I'dPage 27ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmltake that bag of gold with me, if I could find it.""Ha! Ha!" laughed Bodkin, sarcastically.Brad was not the only one who had hadthat ingenious idea."Where did he put it?" queried the unknown man."He must have banked such alarge sum.""He couldn't bank it.An' it's too soon yet after Neece's holdup.But it runsin my mind that he'll keep it close so he'll be well heeled when he slopes.""Does Bard know where that money is?""No more than do I.It's always stuck in his craw--that bag of gold.He an'Orcutt held Neece up.An' once I heard Orcutt say, 'Why did we let that goldget out of our hands?'""Same reason that applies to all of us.The stronger will of a crookeder man!Well, he's run his race.It's not in the nature of things for all the men hehas used to stand around now, waiting to be hanged or shot.How about you,Bod?""I'll stick around," replied Bodkin."Every man for himself from now on, eh?""Let's drink to thet."CHAPTER 7On every Sunday the event of the day was the arrival and departure of theafternoon train.It was about as much of a social gathering as Las Animas sawexcept at dances and school entertainments.Brazos occupied his old standagainst the wall of the station building.Bess Syvertsen was there with some country folk.Brazos needed only one lookto convince himself that none of the four men could be Bard Syvertsen orOrcutt.The fifth was a woman of rather bold and flashy appearance.Brazosstudied them with interest.The train arrived, and the woman, accompanied by the two best-dressed of themen, boarded it.Bess, with the other two, turned away to stroll along thestation platform, following the crowd upstreet.Brazos, from under hissombrero brim, looked that trio over as if his eyes were magnifying glasses.The two men he had seen somewhere.Monday brought back the bustle to the cattle town.Brazos felt that this dayhe would meet Bess Syvertsen and he was on edge for the event.Wherefore hewas all primed and set for the momentous meeting when it came about at thepost office.Bess had dropped out of the sky, apparently, to follow him up to the windowwhere Brazos was asking for mail.She pressed close to Brazos and asked theclerk for a stamp.What a hot gush ran along Brazos's veins at the sound ofthat young, high-pitched voice! For the stamp she tendered a hundred-dollarbill, which the clerk pushed back with a laugh."What will I do?" she complained."I'll trust you.Go to the bank and get change."Brazos promptly produced some coins."Heah, lady, I'll oblige yu," he drawled,handing her the money."Oh, thank you," she replied.She took two cents and paid for her stamp, butshe had no letter upon which to put it.Then she turned to Brazos."Cowboy, how is it I haven't seen you?" she asked merrily.Brazos took off his sombrero."Wal, I was just thinkin' the same about yu," he drawled, with his slow smile."I am Bess Syvertsen," she said.Brazos made her a gallant bow."I shore am happy to meet yu," he replied, buthe did not mention his name."Who are you?" she asked."Aw, I hate to tell yu.""You needn't be afraid," she said, with a smile."I can stand a shock.""Wal, then, doggone it--I'm thet poor hombre, Brazos Keene.""No!" she exclaimed.Despite her deceit she betrayed sincerity as well."Notthat hard-riding, hard-drinking, hard-shooting cowboy?""You forget yore West, my girl," he drawled."Range talk blames me for a lotPage 28ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlthet I'm innocent of.""You might be taking a risk.My father has no use for cowboys.""Is he heah?""Yes.Bard Syvertsen.He's a cattle buyer.We travel all over.Father has adeal on with Surface and Miller.""Wal, it's just too bad.Always my luck! I ride the ranges an' I meet girls.Reckon I'm hard to please.I don't care for town hussies or camp trulls.Icaint stand these nice goody-goody spoony little girls, neither.Lura Surfacewas one to make a cowboy ride high an' handsome.But she was a flirt.An' heahI meet yu!""Brazos, I might be a flirt--or worse.""I don't savvy yu, Bess.All the same I feel as if yu were fightin' somethin'yu didn't want me to know [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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