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don t want to drink with no tenderfoot brat? Corbus never saw what happened.
His brain warned him as Bastian s left hand moved, but he never saw the right.
The left smashed his lips, and the right cracked on the angle of his jaw. He
hit the floor on his shoulder blades, out cold.
Fletcher and the third tough hesitated. Corbus was on the floor and Bastian
was not smiling.  You boys want a drink or do we go on from here?  What if a
man drawed a gun instead of usin his fists? Fletcher asked.  I d kill him,
Mike replied.
Fletcher blinked. He had been shocked sober by what happened to Corbus.  I
reckon you would.
All right, let s have that drink. The boot hill out there already has twenty
graves in it. Relieved, the bartender poured. Nobody looked at Corbus, who
was still out.
 What will Corbus do when he gets up? Colley wondered. Garlin chuckled.
 Nothing today. He won t feel like it. was There was silence and then Garlin
said,  I can t wait to see Kerb Perrin s face when he hears of it. He glanced
over at Colley.  There s a whisper goin around that the old man intends the
kid to take over.  That is the rumor.  Well, he can shoot and he doesn t
waste around. Maybe he can cut the mustard. Mike Bastian finished his beer as
he heard a stage roll into the street. It offered an easy way out and he took
it, following several men who started for the door.
The passengers were getting down to stretch their legs and eat. There was a
boardinghouse alongside the saloon. Three of the passengers were women, all
were well dressed, with an eastern look to them. Seeing him, one of the
younger women walked up to him. She was a pale, pretty girl with large gray
eyes.
 What is the fastest route to Red Wall Canyon? she asked.
Mike Bastian was suddenly alert.  You will make it by morning if you ride the
stage. There is a crosscountry route if you have a buckboard.  Could you show
us where to hire one? My mother is not feeling well. Doe Sawyer was on the
steps behind him.  Be careful, Mike, he spoke softly.
 This could be trouble. Mike stepped down into the street and walked back to
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the stage with her. The older woman and the other girl were standing near the
stage, but he had eyes only for the girl.
Her hair seemed to have a touch of gold but was a shade or two darker than
the hair of the girl who had spoken to him. She who had approached him was
quiet and sweet. This other girl was vivid. Their eyes met and he swept off
his hat. The girl beside him spoke.  This is my mother, Mrs. Ragan, and my
sister, Drusilla. She looked up at him.
 I am Juliana. his Mike bowed. He had eyes only for Drusilla.  I am Mike
Bastian, he replied.
 He said we could hire a rig to take us by a shorter route to Red Wall
Canyon.  Just where in the canyon did you wish to go? he asked.  To the
V-Bar, Voyle Ragan s place. He had started to turn away, but stopped in
midstride.  Did you say-Voyle Ragan s?  Yes. Is there anything wrong?  No,
no. Of course not. I just wanted to be sure. He smiled.  I wanted to be sure.
I might want to come calling. his Juliana laughed.  Of coursel We would be
glad to see you. It gets rather lonely at the ranch sometimes, although we
love it. Sometimes I think I could spend the rest of my life there. Mike
walked swiftly away, heading for the livery sign he had seen along the street.
These then were Ben Curry s wife and daughters, and somehow Doe Sawyer knew
it. How many others knew?
He was their foster brother, but obviously his name was unknown to them. Nor
would he have guessed who they were but for what Roundy had told him. Yet he
was, as Sawyer had warned, treading on dangerous ground.
He must reveal nothing of what he knew, either to them or anyone else. This
was Ben Curry s secret and he was entitled to it.
Hiring the rig was a matter of minutes, and he liked the looks of the driver,
an older man with a lean, weathered face and an air of competence about him.
 No danger on that road this time of year, the driver said.  I can have them
there before the stage is more than halfway. I don t have to take that
roundabout route to pick up passengers.  Take good care of them, Bastian
said.
He left while the man was harnessing his team and walked back to the
boardinghouse.
Drusilla looked up as he came in.  Did you find a rig?  He ll be around in a
matter of minutes. It will be a long drive but you could lie down in the back
if you like. He was putting in some buffalo robes when I left.  You re very
kind.  I hope I am, he said,  but all I could think of was that you were [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]