want to open this ball, I want Bayless." .
They were flabbergasted, you could see it. Here I was, an unknown kid, stepping out to call a rancher known as a gunman. It had them stopped, and nobody quite knew what to say .
"Lucas," I said, "you ain't a fool. You got a daughter and a nice ranch. You got some good boys. If this shooting starts we can't miss Bayless or you." .
It was hot, that afternoon, with the clouds fixing up to rain. Most of the snow was gone now, and there was the smell of spring in the air .
"Me, I ain't riding nowhere until I've a mind to. I'm fixing to stay right here, and if it's killing you want, then you got a chance to start it. But for every one of us you bury, you'll bury three of you." .
Tap Henry was as surprised as they were, I could see that, and it was surprise that had them stopped, not anything else. That surprise wasn't going to last, I knew. Walking right up to them, I stopped again, letting my eyes sweep over them, then returning to Bayless .
"Why don't you get down, Chet? If you go for that gun you better have solid footing. You don't want to miss that first shot, Chet. If you miss it you'll never get another .
"You aimed to do some burning, Chet. Why . d on't you get down and start your fire? Start it . w ith a gun like your coyote friend did?" Without shifting . h is eyes, Bayless stared, and then slowly he . k icked one foot out of a stirrup. "That's right, .
Chet. Get down. I want you on the ground, . w here you don't have so far to fall. This . h ombre"--I said it slow--?pd Kiowa .
Johnny to burn us out. I heard 'em. I . g ave Johnny a chance to drop his guns and would have made him talk, but he wanted to take a chance. He took it." .
"You killed Johnny?" Lucas demanded, staring at me. "He was supposed to be a fast man with a gun." .
"Him?" The contempt was thick in my voice. "Not even middling fast." My eyes had never left Bayless. "You want to start burning, Chet, you better get down." .
Chet Bayless was bothered. It had been nigh two years since he had seen me and I'd grown over an inch in height and some in breadth of shoulder since then. My face was part shaded by that hat and he could just see my mouth and chin. But he didn't like it. There was enough of me there to jar his memory and Chet Bayless, while fast with a gun, was no gambler. With Jerito or Red there, he would have gambled, but he knew Red was out of it because of Tap .
"Lucas," I said, "you could be riding in better company. Bayless ain't getting off that horse. He's got no mind to. He figures to live awhile longer. You fellers better figure it this way. Tap and me, we like this place. We aim to keep it. We also figure to run our own cows, but to be fair about it, anytime you want to come over here and cut a herd of ours, come ahead. That goes for you--not for Bayless or any of his gun-handy outfit." .
Chet Bayless was sweating. Very careful, he had put his toe back in the stirrup. Jim Lucas shot one glance at him, and then his old jaw set .
"Let's go!" He wheeled his horse and without another w ord they rode away .
Only Red looked back. He looked at Tap, not me. "See you in town!" he said .
Henry called after him. "Anytime, Red! Just anytime at all!" .
When the last of them had gone he turned and looked at me. "That was a tough play, kid. S'pose Bayless had drawed on you?" .
"Reckon he'd of died," I said simply enough, "but I didn't figure he would. Chet's a cinch player. Not that he ain't good with that Colt. He is--plenty!" .
Walking back, I got my rifle. "Gosh amighty, I'm sure hungry!" I said, and that was all. What Tap thought of it, I had no idea. Only a couple of times I caught him sizing me up. And then the following night he rode off and I knew where he was riding. He was gone a-courting of Betty Lucas .
That made me sore but there was nothing I could do about it. He sort of hinted that Margita was my dish, but that wasn't so. She was all wrapped up in some vaquero who worked for her
They were flabbergasted, you could see it. Here I was, an unknown kid, stepping out to call a rancher known as a gunman. It had them stopped, and nobody quite knew what to say .
"Lucas," I said, "you ain't a fool. You got a daughter and a nice ranch. You got some good boys. If this shooting starts we can't miss Bayless or you." .
It was hot, that afternoon, with the clouds fixing up to rain. Most of the snow was gone now, and there was the smell of spring in the air .
"Me, I ain't riding nowhere until I've a mind to. I'm fixing to stay right here, and if it's killing you want, then you got a chance to start it. But for every one of us you bury, you'll bury three of you." .
Tap Henry was as surprised as they were, I could see that, and it was surprise that had them stopped, not anything else. That surprise wasn't going to last, I knew. Walking right up to them, I stopped again, letting my eyes sweep over them, then returning to Bayless .
"Why don't you get down, Chet? If you go for that gun you better have solid footing. You don't want to miss that first shot, Chet. If you miss it you'll never get another .
"You aimed to do some burning, Chet. Why . d on't you get down and start your fire? Start it . w ith a gun like your coyote friend did?" Without shifting . h is eyes, Bayless stared, and then slowly he . k icked one foot out of a stirrup. "That's right, .
Chet. Get down. I want you on the ground, . w here you don't have so far to fall. This . h ombre"--I said it slow--?pd Kiowa .
Johnny to burn us out. I heard 'em. I . g ave Johnny a chance to drop his guns and would have made him talk, but he wanted to take a chance. He took it." .
"You killed Johnny?" Lucas demanded, staring at me. "He was supposed to be a fast man with a gun." .
"Him?" The contempt was thick in my voice. "Not even middling fast." My eyes had never left Bayless. "You want to start burning, Chet, you better get down." .
Chet Bayless was bothered. It had been nigh two years since he had seen me and I'd grown over an inch in height and some in breadth of shoulder since then. My face was part shaded by that hat and he could just see my mouth and chin. But he didn't like it. There was enough of me there to jar his memory and Chet Bayless, while fast with a gun, was no gambler. With Jerito or Red there, he would have gambled, but he knew Red was out of it because of Tap .
"Lucas," I said, "you could be riding in better company. Bayless ain't getting off that horse. He's got no mind to. He figures to live awhile longer. You fellers better figure it this way. Tap and me, we like this place. We aim to keep it. We also figure to run our own cows, but to be fair about it, anytime you want to come over here and cut a herd of ours, come ahead. That goes for you--not for Bayless or any of his gun-handy outfit." .
Chet Bayless was sweating. Very careful, he had put his toe back in the stirrup. Jim Lucas shot one glance at him, and then his old jaw set .
"Let's go!" He wheeled his horse and without another w ord they rode away .
Only Red looked back. He looked at Tap, not me. "See you in town!" he said .
Henry called after him. "Anytime, Red! Just anytime at all!" .
When the last of them had gone he turned and looked at me. "That was a tough play, kid. S'pose Bayless had drawed on you?" .
"Reckon he'd of died," I said simply enough, "but I didn't figure he would. Chet's a cinch player. Not that he ain't good with that Colt. He is--plenty!" .
Walking back, I got my rifle. "Gosh amighty, I'm sure hungry!" I said, and that was all. What Tap thought of it, I had no idea. Only a couple of times I caught him sizing me up. And then the following night he rode off and I knew where he was riding. He was gone a-courting of Betty Lucas .
That made me sore but there was nothing I could do about it. He sort of hinted that Margita was my dish, but that wasn't so. She was all wrapped up in some vaquero who worked for her
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