Loius L'Amour Silver_Canyon_v1.0

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"RollieFinder was killed ... never figured the man lived was fast enough.
Some folks say it was theBenaras boys, but they use rifles. I figure it was
that there Brennan feller."
He snipped away steadily. Then he said, "We'll never know,probly .Dead now."
"Brennan?"
"Uh-huh ... folks sayRollie got some lead into him, seems like. They found
blood sign."
The chair was comfortable. I closed my eyes. It would be good to sleep, to
rest. It had been a long time since I had slept in a bed. With the quiet drone
of the barber's voice, the comfort of the chair, I felt myself nodding.
"You'll have to sit up, mister. Can't cut your hair less you do."
So I sat up, but when helay the chair back to shave me, my eyes closed again,
and my body relaxed into the comfort of the chair. A hot towel on my face felt
good. I listened to the razor stropping, slapping leather.Slapping leather, as
I might soon be doing.
Smiling and half asleep, I felt the lather working into my beard under the
barber's fingers. I was not quite asleep, not quiet awake. A rider went by in
the street. The razor was sharp and it felt good on my face ... I dozed.
A hand shook my shoulder, shook it hard. My eyes opened into the anxious eyes
of the barber.
"Look, mister, you better get out of here. Get out of town."
"You know me?" My face was free of the beard now.
"Seen you once ... at Mother O'Hara's. You better go."
The little rest had left me groggy. I got out of the chair and checked my
guns. It was not a time to trust any man. "Don't want me killed here, is that
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it? Don't want my blood on your floor?"
"Thatain't it. I got nothing against you. Neverknowed who youwas until you
got rid of that beard. No, you just move out. Youain't safe. That Finder
outfit..."
My fingers found the money in my pocket.
"Thanks," I said. "I enjoyed the shave."
Then I walked to the front door and looked down the street. Two men sat in
front of the store. I put on my hat and lifting a hand to the barber, I
stepped out.
It was only sixty feet to MotherOtlara's , but it was going to be a long
walk.
Chapter Nine
WALKING THAT sixty feet, I knew a dozen men might be waiting to kill me.
Unconsciously, I guess a little swagger got into me. It isn't every man who is
hunted by a small army!
For an instant I paused by the window of Mother O'Hara's and glanced in. Key
Chapin was there, and Morgan Park. I could not see who else. Down the street
all was quiet. If anyone had identified me they made no move, and the barber
had not left his shop.
My hand turned the knob and I stepped in, closing the door behind me.
The smell of coffee was in the air, and the pleasant room was quiet. Morgan
Park looked up and our eyes held across the room.
"Next time you won't catch me with my hands down, Park."
Before he could reply I drew back a corner of the bench and sat down, keeping
my guns free for my hands. The pot was on the table and I filled a cup.
"Chapin, an item for the press.Something like this: Matt Brennan of the
Two-Bar was in town Friday afternoon. Matt is recovering from bullet wounds
incurred during a minor dispute withRollie Finder, but is returning to the
Two-Bar to take up where he left off."
"That will be news to Finder."
"Tell him to expect me. I'll kill or see hung every man concerned in the
killing of old man Ball."
"You know them?"
All eyes were on me now, and Mrs. O'Hara stood in the door of her kitchen.
"I know them ... all but one. When Ball was dying he named a man to me, only
I'm not sure."
"Who?"Chapin was leaning forward.
"Morgan Park," I said.
The big man came to his feet with a lunge. His brown face was ugly. "That's a
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lie!"
"It's a dead man you're calling a liar, not me. Ball might have meant that
one of your riders was present. One was ... a man namedLyell ."
"It's a lie." Morgan Park was hoarse. He looked down at Chapin, who had not
moved. "I had nothing to do with it."
This was the man who had struck me down without warning, who had held me
helpless while he beat me brutally.
"If it's true," I told him, "I'll kill you after I whip you."
"Whipme? "
You could see the amazement in his eyes. He was a man shocked, not by my
threat to kill, but by the idea that I, or any man, might whip him.
"Don't be impatient. Your time will come. Right now I need more time to get
my strength back."
He sat down slowly and I picked up my cup. Chapin was watching us curiously,
his eyes going from one to the other.
"Ever stop to think of something, Park?"
He looked at me, waiting.
"You hit me with your Sunday punch.Right on the chin. You didn't knock me
out. You sat on me and held my arms down with your knees and beat me ... but
you didn't knock me out."
He was staring at me, and if ever I saw hatred in a man's eyes, it was in his
at that moment. This was the first time the story of his beating of me had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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