for they moved inside a whirl of blowing snow in a white world where most of the time Val could not even see Will Reilly.
Finally Reilly took an abrupt turn. For a moment the buckboard canted sharply and Val hung on, wildly afraid that it would tumble over. But the buckboard righted itself and they were out of the wind behind a shoulder of the mountain.
For thirty or forty yards they had clear going on a ridge that fell away on both sides and was blown free of snow. Then they were under the trees, in a thick stand of timber.
Reilly came back to Val. "You'll have to sit tight. If you see me go on ahead, you stay right in the seat. The old Ebbens' cabin is just up ahead, but if we don't make it soon the trail will be blocked."
Reilly moved back and forth across the road, trampling down the snow where it was too deep, then leading the horses on.
Suddenly a black bulk of rock showed before them, and close to it a slanting roof and a doorway. Surprisingly, a thin trail of smoke rose from the chimney.
Will Reilly stared at it, then with numbed fingers he unbuttoned his coat. Tucking his right hand into his armpit, he warmed his fingers while Val watched curiously.
Why didn't they go on, he thought. It would be warm inside the house, and he was cold now, especially his toes. After a few minutes Reilly walked on. He did not go right to the door, but veered off along a beaten path that led to a stable. He opened the door and went inside. When he came out he walked back to the buckboard.
"Val," he spoke quietly, "I don't want you to be afraid now. There are some men in there, and they may be outlaws. No matter what happens to me, you be friendly with them and they will take care of you. There are mighty few men who wouldn't be good to a little boy.
"There are three of them. Probably I will know them when I see them. They may even try to rob me, but you'll be in a warm place, and we haven't any choice. I'll put the horses up first." He started off, but paused and looked back. "Don't worry too much, Val," he said. He slapped his waistband. "I can handle this sort of thing pretty good."
He drove on to the stable through the steadily falling snow, and Val watched as Reilly stripped the harness from the horses, and then rubbed them down with care.
"Always take care of your horses first, Val," he said. "You never know when you may need them in their best shape." He flexed his fingers a few times. "All right, let's go see what kind of a hand we've drawn."
Their arrival had been muffled by the snow, which covered and banked the cabin. Reilly's knock brought sudden silence within. He pounded on the door. "Open up in there! It's cold! I've got a boy out here."
There was the sound of a bar being removed, then the door swung inward. Will Reilly pushed the door back further and walked in, holding Val's hand in his left one, then releasing it.
He pushed the door shut behind him, still facing the three men who sat around the room. They stared at Reilly, then at Val.
"Looks like I drew a pat hand," Reilly said quietly. "Val, this is the Tensleep Kid. He's one half Irish, one quarter Dutch, one quarter Sioux Indian, and he's four quarters bad. But he's a strong man and he's honest with his friends."
Tensleep chuckled. "I'm not all bad, kid. I got a liking for kids and gamblers." He looked up at Reilly. "How'd you find this place, Will?"
"I grubstaked Ebbens a couple of times."
"Anybody else know of it?"
"I doubt it. Ebbens wasn't a talking man, you'll recall."
"It's mighty cold to be travelin'," one of the others said. "Maybe you'd like to tell us how come?"
"This is Myra's boy. Van left him with me when they skipped town, and the sky pilot down there was going to take him away from me. I like the boy, and I don't like Dunker."
The man was heavyset, with powerful shoulders. "I don't buy it," he said, looking hard at Reilly, "and I don't like you."
"Your privilege, Sonnenberg. I don't like you, either."
"Then get out."
"No." Val
Finally Reilly took an abrupt turn. For a moment the buckboard canted sharply and Val hung on, wildly afraid that it would tumble over. But the buckboard righted itself and they were out of the wind behind a shoulder of the mountain.
For thirty or forty yards they had clear going on a ridge that fell away on both sides and was blown free of snow. Then they were under the trees, in a thick stand of timber.
Reilly came back to Val. "You'll have to sit tight. If you see me go on ahead, you stay right in the seat. The old Ebbens' cabin is just up ahead, but if we don't make it soon the trail will be blocked."
Reilly moved back and forth across the road, trampling down the snow where it was too deep, then leading the horses on.
Suddenly a black bulk of rock showed before them, and close to it a slanting roof and a doorway. Surprisingly, a thin trail of smoke rose from the chimney.
Will Reilly stared at it, then with numbed fingers he unbuttoned his coat. Tucking his right hand into his armpit, he warmed his fingers while Val watched curiously.
Why didn't they go on, he thought. It would be warm inside the house, and he was cold now, especially his toes. After a few minutes Reilly walked on. He did not go right to the door, but veered off along a beaten path that led to a stable. He opened the door and went inside. When he came out he walked back to the buckboard.
"Val," he spoke quietly, "I don't want you to be afraid now. There are some men in there, and they may be outlaws. No matter what happens to me, you be friendly with them and they will take care of you. There are mighty few men who wouldn't be good to a little boy.
"There are three of them. Probably I will know them when I see them. They may even try to rob me, but you'll be in a warm place, and we haven't any choice. I'll put the horses up first." He started off, but paused and looked back. "Don't worry too much, Val," he said. He slapped his waistband. "I can handle this sort of thing pretty good."
He drove on to the stable through the steadily falling snow, and Val watched as Reilly stripped the harness from the horses, and then rubbed them down with care.
"Always take care of your horses first, Val," he said. "You never know when you may need them in their best shape." He flexed his fingers a few times. "All right, let's go see what kind of a hand we've drawn."
Their arrival had been muffled by the snow, which covered and banked the cabin. Reilly's knock brought sudden silence within. He pounded on the door. "Open up in there! It's cold! I've got a boy out here."
There was the sound of a bar being removed, then the door swung inward. Will Reilly pushed the door back further and walked in, holding Val's hand in his left one, then releasing it.
He pushed the door shut behind him, still facing the three men who sat around the room. They stared at Reilly, then at Val.
"Looks like I drew a pat hand," Reilly said quietly. "Val, this is the Tensleep Kid. He's one half Irish, one quarter Dutch, one quarter Sioux Indian, and he's four quarters bad. But he's a strong man and he's honest with his friends."
Tensleep chuckled. "I'm not all bad, kid. I got a liking for kids and gamblers." He looked up at Reilly. "How'd you find this place, Will?"
"I grubstaked Ebbens a couple of times."
"Anybody else know of it?"
"I doubt it. Ebbens wasn't a talking man, you'll recall."
"It's mighty cold to be travelin'," one of the others said. "Maybe you'd like to tell us how come?"
"This is Myra's boy. Van left him with me when they skipped town, and the sky pilot down there was going to take him away from me. I like the boy, and I don't like Dunker."
The man was heavyset, with powerful shoulders. "I don't buy it," he said, looking hard at Reilly, "and I don't like you."
"Your privilege, Sonnenberg. I don't like you, either."
"Then get out."
"No." Val
Similar Books
Dark Spaces
Helen Black
FMR
SL
Judge & Jury
James Patterson, Andrew Gross
The Stanforth Secrets
Jo Beverley
Gunsmoke Justice
Louis Trimble
Hot in the Saddle (Heroes in the Saddle Book 1)
Randi Alexander
Twisted
Laurie Halse Anderson
Ell Donsaii 12: Impact!
Laurence E Dahners
