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Updated: June 17, 2025
She didn't want to have a thing to do with him, but he bullied her, same as he did me. June she found out he knew something about me, an' she was afraid to make him mad. I reckon finally he got some kinda promise outa her. He had some business at Meeker, an' he was comin' back to the ranch yestiddy. Then he aimed to bring her here to get married." He was looking steadily at Houck.
"Then you boys" and Houck indicated the first group "can ride back to the ranch. Or, here, Larkin, you can stay with Steve till the doc shows up. The rest of you can drift." Without waiting for dawn the men who had refused to go out after Pete rode back along the hill-trail to the ranch.
"What you got there in yore hand?" demanded Houck. The revolver came to light. Houck stuck his hands in his trouser pockets, straddled out his feet, and laughed derisively. "Allowin' for to kill me, eh?" "No, sir." The voice was a dry whisper. "I'd like to talk this over reasonable, Mr. Houck, an' fix it up so's bygones would be bygones. I ain't lookin' for trouble." "I sure believe that."
Drawing the rope close, he caught at the mane of the horse and bent his knees for the spring. Houck had an instant's warning, and his revolver was half out of its scabbard when the rush of the attack flung him against the startled animal. He fought like a baited bear, exerting all his great strength to fling back the figures that surged up at him out of the darkness.
If it was possible she must help him to avoid a meeting with Houck. She could not have him shamed. Her savage young pride would not permit the girl to mate with one who proved himself a coward at a crisis of his life. It was necessary to her self-respect that she save his. "We'd better go back to the hotel," she said. "You can stay in our room, and I'll send for Jake an' talk with him downstairs."
He struggled fiercely to free himself, but was dragged down to the floor and pinioned. Before he was lifted up his hands were tied behind him. Unobserved, the front door of the barroom had opened. An ice-coated figure was standing on the threshold. Houck laughed harshly. "Come right in, Tolliver. You'll be in time to take a hand in the show."
But between Bob and that precious water lay a stretch of sandy wash which the Blanco covered when it was high. One venturing to cross this would be an easy mark for sharpshooters from the camp. It seemed to him that the firing was now more distant. There was a chance that none of the Utes were still in the camp. Fever was mounting in Houck.
We'll leave a note here for the boss. Tack it to this cottonwood. If we don't show up in a reasonable time he'll trail back an' find out what for not." "That'd do us a lot of good if Houck had dry-gulched us." Dud laughed. "You're the lad with the imagination. Far as Houck goes, an' Bandy Walker, too, for that matter, I'll make you a present of the pair of 'em as two sure-enough bad eggs.
"If you men were deputies sworn in regular why, I'd have to give it to you." Simpson was inclined to argue, but Houck stopped him. "Guess we can make it all right," he said easily. "Come on, boys!"
"You want me to brag an' strut like Jake Houck?" "No-o, not like that. But Blister's right. You've got to know your worth. When you're sure of it you don't have to tell other people about it. They know." He considered this. "Tha's correct," he said. "Well, then." Bob had an inspiration. It was born out of moonshine, her urging, and the hunger of his heart. His spurs trailed across the grass.
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