The Essential Max Brand - 29 Westerns in One Edition. Max Brand

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СКАЧАТЬ yourself again. And the only way you can help Dawn is by getting into camp, where you and Dawn can try to make your break side by side or fight us to the finish back to back! You know that, and that’s why you’ll take my offer. You talk about rushing the camp at night. That’s fool talk. You know’s well as I know that the first shot fired would be by my man Treat into the head of Hugh Dawn.”

      Ronicky glowered. Indeed, the bait was almost irresistible, even though he was warned at the same time that, if he took it, the trap would close over him sooner or later.

      “You can come in with me,” said Jack Moon, “but when you come, you got to act like one of my men. And I’ll make them like it! They’ll want to finish you the first week or so. But you’ll take care of that. I trust you to sort of make your own way!”

      He grinned at Ronicky with malevolent meaning.

      “Suppose I was to start a riot and shoot up some of your men, Jack? Think about that?”

      “You won’t do it. You ain’t the kind that can kill without cause. You’ll just bluff them down.”

      Suddenly Ronicky started.

      “Suppose I was to take up your offer—which I ain’t going to do, of course—what would Dawn and the girl think, not knowing the truth, and thinking that I’ve took the oath and become one of your men? I didn’t think of that before!”

      “They’ll think you’re a skunk,” said Jack Moon. “That’s the main reason I want to get you there. The girl’s too fond of you.”

      Again Ronicky started.

      “Talk soft about her,” he said fiercely.

      “Sure,” and the outlaw nodded. “I like her fine. No fear of me talking hard about her. Matter of fact, I’m bringing you in so’s I can show her that I’ve done what I told her I’d do—wind you right around my little finger!”

      “You swine!” muttered Ronicky.

      “What difference does that make? Even if she despises you for a couple of days, won’t you still have your chance to play hero later on and save her and her father? And when you get away with them, can’t you explain how everything lies?” He paused, then added: “But while you’re in camp you’ll explain nothing to nobody. I’ll have your word on that before you go in!”

      “I’m not going in,” said Ronicky. “I got a little sense left!”

      “You’re afraid I’ll hypnotize you, or something?” said the leader. “Afraid of my men? Far as that goes, I’ll give you my word that I won’t let the crowd jump you. A couple might try to measure you, but you can take care of yourself, I reckon. Later on, when I’m ready, you and me’ll have it out! Make your play, Ronicky. Will you come, or will you just hang around here in the trees and do no good? You can’t get help. You know I got enough on Dawn to have him sent up or executed along with me if we’re caught. And I’d sure bust myself wide open to do it. One down, all down. That’s my motto.”

      Ronicky sighed. “I’m coming,” he said. “I’m coming. Jack. I start in feeling that I’m beat. You’re too clever for me. But I ain’t going to admit I’m beat till you drop me full of lead as a roast is full of cloves. Lead on, partner.”

      “You understand everything?”

      “I go in and let on that I’ve took the oath to stick with your crowd.”

      “And you promise that you won’t use what you might learn from the boys if they should get to talking promiscuous to you about what we’ve done in the old days.”

      “I’ll promise that. I’m not to do any explaining to anybody, the girl in particular. I’m to work under your orders until I get my chance to make my own play. Same time you contract that you won’t send your whole crowd after me. That’s what we shake on?”

      “That’s what we shake on. The only show-down will be between you and me. The girl—”

      “Leave her out,” said Ronicky sharply.

      The other laughed. “Anyway you want. But I’m going to show her that I’m a better man than you are.”

      “She’s got too much sense not to see through you, Moon!”

      “Has she? I like ‘em clever, Doone. They play better into my hand when they’re that way! Do we shake hands and start back?”

      Ronicky bowed his head, though never for an instant taking his eyes off the big figure in front of him. A few minutes before he had been on the point of drawing his revolver and shooting to kill. But the man had bound his arms with an invisible cord and had netted him in an hypnotic influence. He felt that to bow to the will of the outlaw would be disastrous. Yet, was it not cowardice to refuse? Was there really anything to dread save mob action on the part of the crowd? If he could trust Moon’s word to prevent such action, what else was there to worry over? In the meantime, the man to whom he had given his promise that he would see him through to the end was a helpless, hopeless prisoner in the midst of the band.

      “I’ll go,” said Ronicky at last, “on your own terms. You take me in to prove to the girl that I’m crooked. I accept because I want to get the girl and her father loose. We both have our eyes open—we play the game— we hope to plant each other under the sod in the end. Let’s start back!”

      “Good!” said the outlaw, and, stepping briskly forth to lead the way, he began laughing softly to himself.

      As for Ronicky, his mind was in a whirl of doubts as he followed. This was not his sphere, this atmosphere of trickery and suspicion. He was meant for swift decisions swiftly acted upon. But, having committed himself to this course of action, he could do nothing but submit and let chance bring what it would. At least, he could be constantly on the alert, and if Moon strove to strike by surprise the blow might recoil on his own head.

      They came to the edge of the clearing. The shacks were indistinct masses of shadow now, save for the faces on which the firelight struck. A mass of dead logs had been heaped in the center of the open space, and the flames from them leaped straight up until the wind, which stirred above the treetops, lopped off the fire in great billows and extinguished them in waves of darkness.

      This fire was for the purpose of giving heat, as the night was coming on chill; the cooking fire was a much humbler affair drawn well to one side. Scattered about it was the expectant circle. What Ronicky Doone saw was a blur of strong, ill-shaven faces, alternately played upon by light and shade as the men leaned toward the fire or sat back. Next he saw the shining hair of the girl, turning to red gold where the firelight struck through it.

      She sat with her fingers locked about her knees, and she was talking with animation to the solemn-faced Silas Treat, her nearest neighbor on the right. Hugh Dawn flanked her on the other side.

      “Looks kind of at home already, don’t she?” asked Jack Moon. “She’s one in a thousand, that girl!”

      “Sure,” said Ronicky Doone. “She’s smart enough to know how to act a part.”

      But he was ill at ease. If in five minutes the outlaw leader had been able to change the mind of a man bent on killing him, and had brought the would- be combatant peaceably back to his camp and really into his power, what could he not do with a girl of an impressionable СКАЧАТЬ