[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
up to leave, and Boyle, who was relaxed on one elbow, looked around. "Stick
around, honey. Night's young." She merely looked at him and walked on to the
wagon. He sat up, staring after her, his face sullen. Janice got up and
scoured her cup with snow. Guilford had not moved. He sat by the wagon wheel,
warming his hands inside his coat. Healy's scalp began to tighten. Maybe it
was Boyle's surly attitude, or something in Wycoff's careless brutality.
Suddenly Healy knew the warning had come too late. The time was now. Tom
Healy got up and stretched. There was a shotgun in the wagon. It was hidden
beneath his blankets. There were shells there, too, but the shotgun was
already loaded. He had to have that shotgun and have it now. He started for
the wagon. Behind him Boyle spoke impatiently. "What are we waiting for,
Barker? Damn it, I'm-was "Healy!" Barker's voice caught him full in the light
and two good steps from the wagon. Healy turned. "Yeah? I'm tired. Figured
I'd catch some sleep." Guilford had not moved. He sat very quietly against
the wheel, but he was alert. Barker's gun appeared from beneath his coat.
"Come back and sit down, Healy. We want. to talk." "I'm all right where I am.
Start talking." Barker balanced the gun against the butt of his palm. "Where's
the money, Healy? Where's that strongbox?" Tom Healy took his time, trying to
think of a way out. He desperately needed a hole card and he had none. Barker
would not hesitate to kill, and he would be of no use to the girls dead. "You
boys have it wrong. There isn't enough money in that box to keep you drunk a
week." "He's lyin'!" Boyle shouted. "Damn it, Barker, you said he must be
carrying four, five thousand, anyway." "There's not eight hundred dollars
among the lot of us," Healy said. "That's why we're so anxious to reach the
Gulch." He took a careful breath. "No use you boys going off half-cocked. I
know this is a rough trip. I'll give you seven hundred more to take us on
through." Barker smiled, showing his white teeth under his mustache. "And what
would you tell them at the Gulch? What nice boys we'd been? I don't think so,
Healy. I think this is as far as we go." "Anyway," Boyle said, "it's as far as
you go." Wycoff looked up from under thick brows, grinning at Healy. Barker's
gun tilted and Healy saw his finger tense. He threw himself desperately at a
hole in the wall of brush. Barker's gun blasted once, then again. He hit the
brush, tripped, and plunged face down and sliding in the snow. A bullet
whipped past him and then he was up and running. Inside him was a desperate
hope that unless they could be sure of killing them all, they would not dare
kill any. If he got safely away, they might hesitate to kill the women while
Page 19
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
he might remain to tell the story. He stopped suddenly, knowing the noise he
made, and moved behind a blacker bush. There leas no pursuit. From where he
now stood, on a slight rise, he could see part of the camp. He was fifty
yards off, but in the clear, cold air the voices were as plain as if he stood
among them. "Shot me," Wycoff said. "The old devil shot me." Guilford no
longer sat straight against the wheel. He was slumped over on his side, limp
and still. "It was me he shot at," Barker said. "You just got in the way."
"Well," Wycoff shouted, "don't stand there! Get me a bandage! I'm bleedin'!"
"Aw, quit cryin'!" Boyle was impatient. "He just nicked you, an' it's over.
We got "em." Tom Healy looked around for a way to run. He might have to go
fast, for without doubt they would come looking for him. Only they did not
have to look now. They could wait until morning, then mount their horses and
ride him down in the snow. He was unarmed and helpless. Inside the wagon,
three women stared at each other, listening. Janice got up and started for the
door, but Maggie caught her arm. "Don't go out! The door's locked now and it
won't be easy to break." "There's a shotgun in the other wagon," Janice said.
Dodie swung her legs to the floor and began dressing. Then she opened her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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up to leave, and Boyle, who was relaxed on one elbow, looked around. "Stick
around, honey. Night's young." She merely looked at him and walked on to the
wagon. He sat up, staring after her, his face sullen. Janice got up and
scoured her cup with snow. Guilford had not moved. He sat by the wagon wheel,
warming his hands inside his coat. Healy's scalp began to tighten. Maybe it
was Boyle's surly attitude, or something in Wycoff's careless brutality.
Suddenly Healy knew the warning had come too late. The time was now. Tom
Healy got up and stretched. There was a shotgun in the wagon. It was hidden
beneath his blankets. There were shells there, too, but the shotgun was
already loaded. He had to have that shotgun and have it now. He started for
the wagon. Behind him Boyle spoke impatiently. "What are we waiting for,
Barker? Damn it, I'm-was "Healy!" Barker's voice caught him full in the light
and two good steps from the wagon. Healy turned. "Yeah? I'm tired. Figured
I'd catch some sleep." Guilford had not moved. He sat very quietly against
the wheel, but he was alert. Barker's gun appeared from beneath his coat.
"Come back and sit down, Healy. We want. to talk." "I'm all right where I am.
Start talking." Barker balanced the gun against the butt of his palm. "Where's
the money, Healy? Where's that strongbox?" Tom Healy took his time, trying to
think of a way out. He desperately needed a hole card and he had none. Barker
would not hesitate to kill, and he would be of no use to the girls dead. "You
boys have it wrong. There isn't enough money in that box to keep you drunk a
week." "He's lyin'!" Boyle shouted. "Damn it, Barker, you said he must be
carrying four, five thousand, anyway." "There's not eight hundred dollars
among the lot of us," Healy said. "That's why we're so anxious to reach the
Gulch." He took a careful breath. "No use you boys going off half-cocked. I
know this is a rough trip. I'll give you seven hundred more to take us on
through." Barker smiled, showing his white teeth under his mustache. "And what
would you tell them at the Gulch? What nice boys we'd been? I don't think so,
Healy. I think this is as far as we go." "Anyway," Boyle said, "it's as far as
you go." Wycoff looked up from under thick brows, grinning at Healy. Barker's
gun tilted and Healy saw his finger tense. He threw himself desperately at a
hole in the wall of brush. Barker's gun blasted once, then again. He hit the
brush, tripped, and plunged face down and sliding in the snow. A bullet
whipped past him and then he was up and running. Inside him was a desperate
hope that unless they could be sure of killing them all, they would not dare
kill any. If he got safely away, they might hesitate to kill the women while
Page 19
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
he might remain to tell the story. He stopped suddenly, knowing the noise he
made, and moved behind a blacker bush. There leas no pursuit. From where he
now stood, on a slight rise, he could see part of the camp. He was fifty
yards off, but in the clear, cold air the voices were as plain as if he stood
among them. "Shot me," Wycoff said. "The old devil shot me." Guilford no
longer sat straight against the wheel. He was slumped over on his side, limp
and still. "It was me he shot at," Barker said. "You just got in the way."
"Well," Wycoff shouted, "don't stand there! Get me a bandage! I'm bleedin'!"
"Aw, quit cryin'!" Boyle was impatient. "He just nicked you, an' it's over.
We got "em." Tom Healy looked around for a way to run. He might have to go
fast, for without doubt they would come looking for him. Only they did not
have to look now. They could wait until morning, then mount their horses and
ride him down in the snow. He was unarmed and helpless. Inside the wagon,
three women stared at each other, listening. Janice got up and started for the
door, but Maggie caught her arm. "Don't go out! The door's locked now and it
won't be easy to break." "There's a shotgun in the other wagon," Janice said.
Dodie swung her legs to the floor and began dressing. Then she opened her [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]