United States or Brazil ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Belllounds, I can make you swallow that kind of talk," interrupted Wade. "It's man to man now. An' I'm a match for you any day. Savvy?... Do you think I'm damn fool enough to come here an' brace you unless I knew that. Talk to me as you'd talk about some other man's son." "It ain't possible," rejoined the rancher, stridently.
The rancher, Belllounds, sat in his easy-chair before the fire, his big, horny hands extended to the warmth. He was in his shirt-sleeves, a gray, bold-faced man, of over sixty years, still muscular and rugged. At Columbine's entrance he raised his drooping head, and so removed the suggestion of sadness in his posture. "Wal, lass, hyar you are," was his greeting.
"I'll give you first shot," went on Wade, in his strange, monotonous voice. "Bah! You're lying to me," replied Belllounds, with pale grimace. "You just want me to get a gun in my hand then you'll drop me, and claim an even break." "No. I'm square. You saw me play square with your rustler pard. He was a lifelong enemy of mine. An' a gun-fighter to boot!... Pull your gun an' let drive.
When the saddle was thrown and strapped in place the mustang showed to advantage. He was beautiful, but not too graceful or sleek or fine-pointed or prancing to prejudice any cowboy against his qualities for work. Jack Belllounds admiringly walked all around the mustang a little too close to please Spottie.
Alas for the dignity and pain and resolve that had only recently showed there! Belllounds reached them. He was frothing at the mouth. He cocked the rifle and thrust it toward Wade, holding low down. "You meddling sneak! If you open your trap I'll bore you!" he shouted, almost incoherently. Wade knew when danger of life loomed imminent. He fixed his glance upon the glaring eyes of Belllounds.
Significant was the fact that Belllounds hired new men. Bludsoe had quit. Montana Jim grew surly these days and packed a gun. Lem Billings had threatened to leave. New and strange hands for Jack Belllounds to direct had a tendency to release a strain and tide things over.
I'll train two packs, so I can rest one when the other's huntin'." "Wal, I'll be dog-goned!" ejaculated Belllounds, with relief. "I sure thought you'd roar. All this rabble to take care of!" "No trouble after I've got acquainted," said Wade. "Have they been hunted any?" "Some of the boys took out a bunch. But they split on deer tracks an' elk tracks an' Lord knows what all. Never put up a lion!
He began a descent, leading off somewhat to the right of the point where the smoke had arisen. The presence of the rustlers in the cabin was of importance, yet not so paramount as another possibility. He expected Jack Belllounds to be with them or meet them there, and that was the thing he wanted to ascertain.
"If they're as good as they look we're lucky," said Wade, as he tied the ends of his rope round their necks. "Now are there any more you know are good?" "Denver, come hyar!" yelled Belllounds. A white, yellow-spotted hound came wagging his tail. "I'll swear by Denver. An' there's one more Kane. He's half bloodhound, a queer, wicked kind of dog. He keeps to himself.... Kane! Come hyar!"
"Say, Buster Jack, don't get any idee thet my ole pard Wade was shootin' at your head. Aw, no!" The other rustlers understood then, if Belllounds had not, that the situation was in control of a man not in any sense ordinary. "Cap, did you know Buster Jack accused my friend, Wils Moore, of stealin' these cattle you're sellin'?" asked Wade, deliberately.
Word Of The Day