surmised, had gone in at on e side and out the other, and it was an ugl y wound.
Scott's face was pale. Evidently he ha d not seen much blood before, and now i t was on his own shirt and hands.
You can wash up outside the door , Conagher said , if you want to chance it .
Scott glanced at him . You must b e Conagher. You don't think much of us, d o you ?
A bunch of damn two-bit thieves tha t would rustle an old man's cows? No, I don't think much of you. If Smoke Parnel l had the guts of a mouse he'd get out an d earn himself a living instead of robbing ol d men .
The boy flushed, and Conagher studie d him coldly . No, kid, if you want to know , I don't see anything a damn bit excitin g about what you're doin' now. I don't thin k it takes nerve, and I don't think it' s romantic, like some folks seem to think.
The outfit you're tied up with are a bunc h of dry-gulchin' thieves .
Scott turned to go . You better do som e thinkin', boy , Conagher said . You loo k like you had the makings, and it took san d to come down here after this man. Look a t your hole card, kid, and quit this bunch .
They're my friends .
They were his friends, too. The y knowed him a lot longer than you have , but who came after him? And who'd com e after you? Kid, it's just pure luck tha t you're standin' here talkin' with m e instead of lyin' on that bunk, gut-shot .
Can you do anything for him ?
Why the hell should I? He was comin' a fter me when he got it. But I will, kid, I will because I'm a damn fool, if I can fin d the time while I'm standin' off you r friends .
Conagher moved back, watching th e windows . Your friends are waitin' unti l dark when the lot of them can come dow n here and jump me. Well, I've got som e money here, boy, and I'll bet you the stac k that I take at least two more, and likel y three, and you can be one of them .
Scott stood still, his face still pale, ange r fighting with indecision . You can sta y here if you like , Conagher said , an d mind your friend, if friend he is .
You'd trust me ?
Not a damn bit. If you made a wron g move I'd shoot you dead in your tracks.
But you're better off down here than ou t there. You got a chance, kid. You'd bette r take it .
I ... I can't. I'd be a traitor. I' d be?
A traitor to them? All right, boy , you've had your say, now get out and ge t on back up the hill, but when you com e down again, you better be using that gun , because I'm going to be aiming for you r guts .
You're a hard man, Conagher .
This here's a hard country. But it's a good country, Scott, and it'll be better a s soon as we hang or shoot a few mor e thieving skunks .
His face white to the lips, Scott wen t out. He hesitated, then started the lon g walk up the hill. Conagher watched hi m go, knowing how long and hard a walk th e boy was taking. He was going back to hi s outlaw companions, when deep dow n inside he knew he shouldn't. He was goin g back out of misplaced loyalty.
Suddenly Conagher shouted , Scott , you tell Smoke Parnell that if he has th e guts of a jack rabbit he'll come down her e and we'll shoot it out, man to man. He' s supposed to be gun-handy. Me, I'm just a cow puncher .
When Scott got over the crest, Pet e Casuse, Tile Coker, and Smoke Parnel l were waiting for him . Took you lon g enough , Smoke said . What happened t o Hi ?
He's been shot in the belly. It's prett y bad, I guess .
Tough, but while Conagher's carin' f or him he ain't watchin' for us ?
Curly Scott looked at him, the n repeated what Conagher had said.
I heard him , Parnell said carelessly , an' why should I be a fool? We got hi m right where we want him, and come dar k we'll go in after him .
Curly Scott dropped to the ground. H e wished he was anywhere but here. He ha d seen that man down there. He wa s unshaven and down at heel, he was no kid , and he was alone, but there was somethin g about him . . .
That's a tough man down there , h e said quietly , and we still don't kno w where Leggett and Tay are
Scott's face was pale. Evidently he ha d not seen much blood before, and now i t was on his own shirt and hands.
You can wash up outside the door , Conagher said , if you want to chance it .
Scott glanced at him . You must b e Conagher. You don't think much of us, d o you ?
A bunch of damn two-bit thieves tha t would rustle an old man's cows? No, I don't think much of you. If Smoke Parnel l had the guts of a mouse he'd get out an d earn himself a living instead of robbing ol d men .
The boy flushed, and Conagher studie d him coldly . No, kid, if you want to know , I don't see anything a damn bit excitin g about what you're doin' now. I don't thin k it takes nerve, and I don't think it' s romantic, like some folks seem to think.
The outfit you're tied up with are a bunc h of dry-gulchin' thieves .
Scott turned to go . You better do som e thinkin', boy , Conagher said . You loo k like you had the makings, and it took san d to come down here after this man. Look a t your hole card, kid, and quit this bunch .
They're my friends .
They were his friends, too. The y knowed him a lot longer than you have , but who came after him? And who'd com e after you? Kid, it's just pure luck tha t you're standin' here talkin' with m e instead of lyin' on that bunk, gut-shot .
Can you do anything for him ?
Why the hell should I? He was comin' a fter me when he got it. But I will, kid, I will because I'm a damn fool, if I can fin d the time while I'm standin' off you r friends .
Conagher moved back, watching th e windows . Your friends are waitin' unti l dark when the lot of them can come dow n here and jump me. Well, I've got som e money here, boy, and I'll bet you the stac k that I take at least two more, and likel y three, and you can be one of them .
Scott stood still, his face still pale, ange r fighting with indecision . You can sta y here if you like , Conagher said , an d mind your friend, if friend he is .
You'd trust me ?
Not a damn bit. If you made a wron g move I'd shoot you dead in your tracks.
But you're better off down here than ou t there. You got a chance, kid. You'd bette r take it .
I ... I can't. I'd be a traitor. I' d be?
A traitor to them? All right, boy , you've had your say, now get out and ge t on back up the hill, but when you com e down again, you better be using that gun , because I'm going to be aiming for you r guts .
You're a hard man, Conagher .
This here's a hard country. But it's a good country, Scott, and it'll be better a s soon as we hang or shoot a few mor e thieving skunks .
His face white to the lips, Scott wen t out. He hesitated, then started the lon g walk up the hill. Conagher watched hi m go, knowing how long and hard a walk th e boy was taking. He was going back to hi s outlaw companions, when deep dow n inside he knew he shouldn't. He was goin g back out of misplaced loyalty.
Suddenly Conagher shouted , Scott , you tell Smoke Parnell that if he has th e guts of a jack rabbit he'll come down her e and we'll shoot it out, man to man. He' s supposed to be gun-handy. Me, I'm just a cow puncher .
When Scott got over the crest, Pet e Casuse, Tile Coker, and Smoke Parnel l were waiting for him . Took you lon g enough , Smoke said . What happened t o Hi ?
He's been shot in the belly. It's prett y bad, I guess .
Tough, but while Conagher's carin' f or him he ain't watchin' for us ?
Curly Scott looked at him, the n repeated what Conagher had said.
I heard him , Parnell said carelessly , an' why should I be a fool? We got hi m right where we want him, and come dar k we'll go in after him .
Curly Scott dropped to the ground. H e wished he was anywhere but here. He ha d seen that man down there. He wa s unshaven and down at heel, he was no kid , and he was alone, but there was somethin g about him . . .
That's a tough man down there , h e said quietly , and we still don't kno w where Leggett and Tay are
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