stable. He h eard Amanda gasp, "No!" behind him. He zigged and zagged. He could cover ground like a grizzly, with decep tive speed.
Bits of lead tore the ground before him and behind him.
In another moment, they would have the range. He made a last great leap, and as a bullet zipped past his head, he gained the door of the barn.
Durkin said in his hard voice, "Well, you made it. What you got in your head?"
"How do you feel about it?"
Durkin thrust out his prominent jaw. "You gonna come out here with me?"
Buchanan thought a moment. "Uh-huh. You two come into the house when the light fails. Durkin and me, we'll see how it goes. There'll be people on the roof of the house. That suit you?"
Durkin looked at the cowboys. "You heard him."
"Yeah. And you ain't got a ghost of a chance if they make a rush," said Cactus.
"And if we ain't —then you'll be in a hell of a fix when they take the barn," said Buchanan.
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," Durkin re marked. "Thing is, I wouldn't have a chance nohow unless we stop 'em right here. Them people in there, they ain't my kind. I'm lookin' out for me. I ain't no hero."
"Most heroes are dead," said Buchanan.
"I noticed."
"I'll be goin' in now. You want to cover me?"
Durkin said, "Not particular. I ain't so crazy about you neither, y' know."
"I figured."
"But every gun counts, and you got them people buffaloed into believin' you're the second comin'. So git goin'." Durkin took his rifle and went to the door at the west end of the barn. The cowboys hesitated, then joined him.
Buchanan began to run. There were shots that came too close. He flung himself down on the ground and rolled for the cover of the corral.
The three guns from the barn began to speak in unison. Buchanan did not wait to learn the results. He jumped up and continued on his way pell mell. Amanda held the door open, and he dove into the kitchen, sliding with his head under the table.
Amanda slammed the door and knelt beside him. "Are you hurt? Did they get you?"
"Might's well. Scared me to death." Buchanan sat up. "You sure do look pretty when you get exercised."
She flushed and stood up, moving toward the stove. "We couldn't do without you, now, could we?"
"You might not do too good with me," he told her.
The sun was going down. Buchanan went into the other room and made his announcement, two more guns in the house, Trevor and the Whelans on the roof because they could be trusted.
"Coco, Weevil, you keep your eyes on Cactus and Sut ter. They make a wrong move, you, Weevil, you shoot 'em. Coco won't do it, and he ain't able to scrag 'em."
"You still don't trust them?" asked Trevor.
"Nope. Could be Durkin wants to get me, figurin' them to take over the house."
"Then why not put them on the roof with us?"
"You'll be too busy to watch 'em close enough." He looked at Weevil. "You seein' straight now?"
"Fine, thankee." He picked a revolver from the arma ment on the long table. "Up close I can get 'em both. I ■ think."
Kovacs said quietly, "I watch. If I got to, I get one."
"Good."
"I do not like," Kovacs said. "But I do it."
"Nobody likes any of this," Buchanan told him. P rob'ly some people out yonder don't like it, neither."
But Kovacs was unhappy, he knew. The man had not complained, but it had to be a fearful time for him, his wife, and their adopted Indian girl. Amanda seemed tougher, more dedicated. The Whelans knew what had to be done and would carry through. Trevor was somewhat detached but willing.
The problem was that they all looked to Buchanan, who h ad no stake in the fight —all excepting Durkin, perhaps. Someone had to outmaneuver the enemy and none but Buchanan had the experience and the quality of leader ship. Except, perhaps, Durkin again. He went to the door and set himself for the short run. He called to the people on the roof, and they laid down a line of fire.
He made the quick dash. This time only two shots came close, but either one would have killed him. He
Bits of lead tore the ground before him and behind him.
In another moment, they would have the range. He made a last great leap, and as a bullet zipped past his head, he gained the door of the barn.
Durkin said in his hard voice, "Well, you made it. What you got in your head?"
"How do you feel about it?"
Durkin thrust out his prominent jaw. "You gonna come out here with me?"
Buchanan thought a moment. "Uh-huh. You two come into the house when the light fails. Durkin and me, we'll see how it goes. There'll be people on the roof of the house. That suit you?"
Durkin looked at the cowboys. "You heard him."
"Yeah. And you ain't got a ghost of a chance if they make a rush," said Cactus.
"And if we ain't —then you'll be in a hell of a fix when they take the barn," said Buchanan.
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," Durkin re marked. "Thing is, I wouldn't have a chance nohow unless we stop 'em right here. Them people in there, they ain't my kind. I'm lookin' out for me. I ain't no hero."
"Most heroes are dead," said Buchanan.
"I noticed."
"I'll be goin' in now. You want to cover me?"
Durkin said, "Not particular. I ain't so crazy about you neither, y' know."
"I figured."
"But every gun counts, and you got them people buffaloed into believin' you're the second comin'. So git goin'." Durkin took his rifle and went to the door at the west end of the barn. The cowboys hesitated, then joined him.
Buchanan began to run. There were shots that came too close. He flung himself down on the ground and rolled for the cover of the corral.
The three guns from the barn began to speak in unison. Buchanan did not wait to learn the results. He jumped up and continued on his way pell mell. Amanda held the door open, and he dove into the kitchen, sliding with his head under the table.
Amanda slammed the door and knelt beside him. "Are you hurt? Did they get you?"
"Might's well. Scared me to death." Buchanan sat up. "You sure do look pretty when you get exercised."
She flushed and stood up, moving toward the stove. "We couldn't do without you, now, could we?"
"You might not do too good with me," he told her.
The sun was going down. Buchanan went into the other room and made his announcement, two more guns in the house, Trevor and the Whelans on the roof because they could be trusted.
"Coco, Weevil, you keep your eyes on Cactus and Sut ter. They make a wrong move, you, Weevil, you shoot 'em. Coco won't do it, and he ain't able to scrag 'em."
"You still don't trust them?" asked Trevor.
"Nope. Could be Durkin wants to get me, figurin' them to take over the house."
"Then why not put them on the roof with us?"
"You'll be too busy to watch 'em close enough." He looked at Weevil. "You seein' straight now?"
"Fine, thankee." He picked a revolver from the arma ment on the long table. "Up close I can get 'em both. I ■ think."
Kovacs said quietly, "I watch. If I got to, I get one."
"Good."
"I do not like," Kovacs said. "But I do it."
"Nobody likes any of this," Buchanan told him. P rob'ly some people out yonder don't like it, neither."
But Kovacs was unhappy, he knew. The man had not complained, but it had to be a fearful time for him, his wife, and their adopted Indian girl. Amanda seemed tougher, more dedicated. The Whelans knew what had to be done and would carry through. Trevor was somewhat detached but willing.
The problem was that they all looked to Buchanan, who h ad no stake in the fight —all excepting Durkin, perhaps. Someone had to outmaneuver the enemy and none but Buchanan had the experience and the quality of leader ship. Except, perhaps, Durkin again. He went to the door and set himself for the short run. He called to the people on the roof, and they laid down a line of fire.
He made the quick dash. This time only two shots came close, but either one would have killed him. He
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