登陆注册
4619200000034

第34章

"I expect t' go some," retorted the man. "A fellow with three sheriff's posses campin' on his trail ain't apt t' loiter none.""Oh!" Beatrice sat down and stared. "Then you must be--""Yep," the fellow laughed recklessly. "You ca, tell your maw yuh met up with Kelly, the darin' train-robber. I wouldn't be s'prised if she close herded yuh fer a spell till her scare wears off. Bu I've hung around these parts long enough. I fooled them sheriffs a-plenty, stayin' here.

Gee! you'r' swift--I don't think!" This last sentence was directed at Keith, who was putting a snail to shame, and making it appear he was in a hurry.

"Git a move on!" commanded Kelly, threatening with his eyes.

Keith wisely made no reply--nor did he show any symptoms of haste, despite the menacing tone Slowly he pulled his saddle off Redcloud, and carefully he placed it upon the ground. When a fellow lives in his saddle, almost, he comes to think a great deal of it, and he is reluctant under any circumstances, to surrender it to another; to have a man deliberately confiscate it with the authority which lies in a lump of lead the size of a child thumb is not pleasant.

Through Keith's brain flashed a dozen impracticable plans, and one that offered a slender--very slender--chance of success. If he could get a little closer! He moved over beside Rex an unbuckling the cinch of Beatrice's saddle, pulled it sullenly off.

"Now, put your saddle on that there Rex horse, and cinch it tight!"Keith picked up the saddle--his saddle, and threw it across Rex's back, raging inwardly at his helplessness. To lose his saddle worse, to let Beatrice lose her horse. Lord! a pretty figure he must cut in her eyes!

"Dry weather we're havin'," Kelly remarked politely to Beatrice;without, however, looking in her direction. "Prairie fires are gittin'

t' be the regular thing, I notice."

Beatrice studied his face, and found no ulterior purpose for the words.

"Yes," she agreed, as pleasantly as she could, in view of the disquieting circumstances. "I helped fight a prairie-fire last week over this way. We were out all night.""Prairie-fires is mean things t' handle, oncet they git started. Ialways hate t' see 'em git hold of the grass. What fire was that you mention?"Beatrice glanced toward Keith, and was thankful his back was turned to her. But a quick suspicion had come to her, and she went steadily on with the subject.

"It was the Pine Ridge country. It started very mysteriously""It wasn't no mystery t' me." Kelly laughed grimly. "I started that there blaze myself accidentally. I throwed a cigarette down, thinkin' it had gone out. After a while I seen a blaze where I'd jest left, but Ididn't have no license t' go back an' put it out--my orders was to git out uh that. I seen the sky all lit up that night. Kid, are yuh goin' t'

sleep?"

Keith started. He had been listening, and thanking his lucky star that Beatrice was listening also. If she had suspected him of setting the range afire, she knew better now. A weight lifted off Keith's shoulders, and he stood a bit straighter; those chance words meant a great deal to him, and he felt that he would not grudge his saddle in payment. But Rex--that was another matter. Beatrice should not lose him if he could prevent it; still, what could he do?

He might turn and spring upon Kelly, but in the meantime Kelly would not be idle; he would probably be pumping bullets out of the rifle into Keith's body--and he would still have the horse. He stole a glance at Beatrice, and went hot all over at what he thought he read in her eyes.

For once he was not glad to be near his Heart's Desire; he wished her elsewhere--anywhere but sitting on that rock, over there, with her little, gloved hands folded quietly in her lap, and that adorable, demure look on her face--the look which would have put her mother instantly upon the defensive--and a gleam in her eyes Keith read for scorn.

Surely he might do something! Barely six feet now separated him from Kelly. If one of those lumps of rock that strewed the ground was in his hand--he stooped to reach under Rex's body for the cinch, and could almost feel Kelly's eyes boring into his back. A false move--well, Keith had heard of Kelly a good many times; if this fellow was really the man he claimed to be, Keith did not need to guess what would follow a suspicious move; he knew. He looked stealthily toward him, and Kelly's eyes met his with a gleam sinister.

Kelly grinned. "I wouldn't, kid," he said softly.

Keith swore in a whisper, and his fingers closed upon the cinch. It was no use to fight the devil with cunning, he thought, bitterly.

Just then Beatrice gave an unearthly screech, that made the horses'

knees bend under them. When Keith whirled to see what it was, she was standing upon the rock, with her skirts held tightly around her, like the pictures of women when a mouse gets into the room.

"Oh, Mr. Cameron! A sn-a-a-ke!"

同类推荐
  • 苇碧轩诗集

    苇碧轩诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • History of the Catholic Church

    History of the Catholic Church

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 提纲释义

    提纲释义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Outlaw of Torn

    The Outlaw of Torn

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Faraday As A Discoverer

    Faraday As A Discoverer

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 农女修仙外传

    农女修仙外传

    农家少女夏拒寒,父母惨死。千辛万苦拜了师父,却被托付给不靠谱的小师叔;以为成了天下第一修仙大派的弟子,其实只是后备队员;理论考试结束,又来实战考核……这就觉得苦啦?更苦的还在后头!
  • 凰令之盛世天下

    凰令之盛世天下

    “好好守护她,这是我一生唯一求你的事。”曾经几许,那傲世天下的男子遗留下这唯一一言。风云乱世,动荡再起。四国之中,世家鼎立。楚家孤女,思虑何人?圣灵学院,又翻新章。一步一步,她无法回头,她所求,又要何人能懂。圣灵学院,谪仙王爷,镯中神兽,奇异空间,神秘的白衣男子,一切的一切,是巧合还是其他?她究竟是谁?身份重重,还是本该如此?封印松,天下乱,曾有人言:“他的一生,只求有个盛世天下!”盛世天下,究竟何人创造?神之境域再次开启,魔域破,利剑出鞘,风云中,谁人书写传奇?“我要立于顶峰,成为强者,才能保护我所爱的人及爱我的人。”
  • 都市超品保镖

    都市超品保镖

    新书:《修真超级兵王》发布啦有佣兵之王称号的任风,因为一个意外的保镖任务重回都市,从此开启了纵横都市的生活。
  • 荒戏

    荒戏

    这是一个关于爱和逃亡的故事,苏的逃避,臣的拯救,母亲的忏悔,父亲的回归,爱恨离和。在母亲死亡后,苏终于愿意原谅,而臣已经离开。有一种爱不会减退,却不能相守。苏理解了父母的爱,原谅了父亲的离开,并且接受父亲归来。
  • 千门江湖

    千门江湖

    根据古老的江湖传闻,每逢华夏乱世,自有千门弄权,自鬼谷子开门立派,后有苏秦、张仪、孙膑、庞涓,直到杀神白起坑杀巨万,又有王莽祸乱朝纲,千门沉寂千年,到民国变故骤生.....歌谣有云:千门出,江湖断,诡门谲,拆白乱,蜂门消息千千万,一朝千门归宗时,山河变色人心乱。
  • 异能模范生

    异能模范生

    韩小羽从踏出孤儿院的那天起,就清楚地明白自己的与众不同。因为拥有比普通人更加美丽的外表,使她在生活中四处碰壁,从小学到高中一直被同学排挤。白皙无暇的肌肤、金色的眼眸、身体时不时会绽放出的阳光般光芒……韩小羽身上的一切都太过不正常,她的身世亦是一个谜。
  • 邪帝心尖宠:废材也逆天

    邪帝心尖宠:废材也逆天

    她本是佣兵界的王者,在任务中为救同伴而死。再次睁眼,她成了“北冥”家族的废材七少爷。废材?不能修炼?开什么玩笑!姐是灵武双修的绝世天才。炼丹师很了不起吗?姐一抓一大把的弹药当糖球。驯兽师尊贵?姐一招手各兽尽在姐的手。她风华绝代,引世间男女竞折腰。某帝终于忍无可忍,决定无须再忍。“枫儿,千年前,你欠了我的,今天是不是应该还了?”某女一木脸,“我欠你什么啦?”某帝腹黑一笑“你欠我,生生世世永相随!”(本文男强,女强。1V1,身心干净,不虐。)
  • 你似人间四月天

    你似人间四月天

    我很遗憾,你不是我十八岁时爱上的男孩,我遗憾错过了你整个青春。但你却是我用一颗十八岁时那般炙热的心爱上的男孩。寻找初恋的感觉并不需要重回校园,而只需要遇见一个最美好的人,并在他眼中遇见最美好的自己。类型简介:高冷三观正二线小明星vs草根欢脱三流小言作家
  • 圣诞新颜:圣诞爱情喜剧之五

    圣诞新颜:圣诞爱情喜剧之五

    就在圣诞节快要来临之际,室内设计师杰姬·弗罗斯特意外接到圣诞老人的紧急电话,请她帮忙。回到北极,杰姬才发现是要把圣诞中心翻新改造一番,该计划是要给圣诞奶奶一个惊喜。然而,完成此事须同工匠大师迪恩·布拉德肖合作才行。迪恩是建筑行业的天才人物,英俊机敏、风趣幽默。但让杰姬烦恼的是,自己早已封心锁爱,建起一堵心墙严防死守,现在却被迪恩一点点地拆除……请欣赏圣诞爱情喜剧第五部:《圣诞新颜》,回味青春的甜蜜眼泪。
  • 私藏的情书

    私藏的情书

    如果你暗恋一个人,你会暗恋多久?如果你给一个人写情书,你会写多少封?如果你回头看青春,你会记得什么?本文讲述一个女子从10岁到25岁之间的15年美好年华以及她的781封情书的故事。这是一个慢热低调温馨浪漫哀伤的成长故事。谨以这781封情书献给曾经的暗恋、初恋以及没有结果的爱情,并祝愿所有幸福都能成永远。