There's Always A Trail (1984)
There's Always A Trail Louis L'amour *
He Sat On A Bale Of Hay Against The Wall Of The Livery Stable And Listened To Them Talk. He Was A Lean, Leather Skinned Man With bleak eyes and a stubble of beard on hi s jaw. He was a stranger in Pagosa, and showed no desire t o get acquainted.
"It's an even bet he's already dead," Hardin said, "ther e would be no reason to keep him alive once they had th e money."
"Dead or alive, it means we're finished! That was all th e money we could beg, borrow, or steal."
"Leeds was killed?" Hardin asked. He was a burly ma n with a hard red face. Now his blue eyes showed worry.
"Then he can't tell us a thing!"
That s just the trouble!" Causey said. We haven t a C lue ! Salter starts to town from our ranch with our fiftee n thousand dollars and Bill Leeds along as body-guard. Leed s is dead, two shots fired from his gun, and Salter is gone."
It's a cinch Salter didn't take our money," Hardin said , "because he would have shot Leeds down from behind.
Salter knew Leeds was good with a gun, and he'd neve r have taken a chance."
"Jake Salter isn't that sort of man," Bailey protested.
"He's a good man. Dependable."
The stranger in the dusty black hat crossed one kne e over the other. "Anybody trailin' theme' His voice had a harsh, unused sound.
Hardin glanced around, noticing him for the first time.
"There isn't any trail. Whoever done it just dropped o ff ' t he edge of the earth. We hunted for a trail. The body o f Bill Leeds was l y in' on the road to town, and that was al l there was!"
"There's always a trail, but you aren't going to get you r money back if you stand around talkin' about it. Why no t scout around' There's always some sign left."
Hunt where? Hunt asked irritably. A man s got t o have a place to start. There's no trail, I said!"
The stranger's eyes were bored but patient. Slowly, h e got to his feet. "If I'd lost that money, I'd go after it." H e turned on his heel and started along the street toward th e Star Saloon.
"Wait a minute! Hold on there!" Cass Bailey said. "Hey!
Come back here!"
The man turned and walked slowly back. The other s were looking at Bailey, surprised. "What's your name , friend?" Bailey asked.
"There's places they've said I was right handy, so jus t call me that, Handy."
"All right, Handy. You've done some talking. You said i f that was your money you'd go after it. Well, four thousan d of that money happens to be mine, and it represents ever y head of beef that was fit to sell on the CB range. As o f now, half that money is yours, if you can get it. You los t two thousand dollars in the holdup, so now we'll se e whether you're going to find a trail or not."
Handy stuck his thumbs behind his belt. You said i f you lost that money you were through, finished. Is tha t right?"
"It ain't only me," Bailey said. "We're all through if w e don't get our money back."
"AJI right, Bailey, I like the way you talk. I'll accept tha t two thousand on one consideration. If I get it back it buy s me a full partnership in your CB range."
Hardin jumped up. "Well of all the -!"
Cass Bailey stood, feet apart, hands on his hips, starin g at Handy. Obviously, the man was a rider. There wa s something about his hard assurance that Bailey liked.
"If you can get that money back, you've got yourself a deal."
"Find me a place to sleep," Handy said. "I'll be along i n a few days."
Handy turned away and walked along to the Star Saloo n and ordered a beer. He took a swallow of the beer the n put the glass back on the bar.
Too bad about Leeds," the bartender suggested. H e was a lean, loose-mouthed man with straw-colored hai r and watery eyes.
"Too bad about Salter, too. Probably they'll kill him.
That will be hard on his family."
"Salter? He's got no family. At least none that anybod y knows of."
"What about his woman'"
"You know about her, huh? From all I hear, Mari a won't do any frettin'. That Maria, she's a case, Maria
There's Always A Trail Louis L'amour *
He Sat On A Bale Of Hay Against The Wall Of The Livery Stable And Listened To Them Talk. He Was A Lean, Leather Skinned Man With bleak eyes and a stubble of beard on hi s jaw. He was a stranger in Pagosa, and showed no desire t o get acquainted.
"It's an even bet he's already dead," Hardin said, "ther e would be no reason to keep him alive once they had th e money."
"Dead or alive, it means we're finished! That was all th e money we could beg, borrow, or steal."
"Leeds was killed?" Hardin asked. He was a burly ma n with a hard red face. Now his blue eyes showed worry.
"Then he can't tell us a thing!"
That s just the trouble!" Causey said. We haven t a C lue ! Salter starts to town from our ranch with our fiftee n thousand dollars and Bill Leeds along as body-guard. Leed s is dead, two shots fired from his gun, and Salter is gone."
It's a cinch Salter didn't take our money," Hardin said , "because he would have shot Leeds down from behind.
Salter knew Leeds was good with a gun, and he'd neve r have taken a chance."
"Jake Salter isn't that sort of man," Bailey protested.
"He's a good man. Dependable."
The stranger in the dusty black hat crossed one kne e over the other. "Anybody trailin' theme' His voice had a harsh, unused sound.
Hardin glanced around, noticing him for the first time.
"There isn't any trail. Whoever done it just dropped o ff ' t he edge of the earth. We hunted for a trail. The body o f Bill Leeds was l y in' on the road to town, and that was al l there was!"
"There's always a trail, but you aren't going to get you r money back if you stand around talkin' about it. Why no t scout around' There's always some sign left."
Hunt where? Hunt asked irritably. A man s got t o have a place to start. There's no trail, I said!"
The stranger's eyes were bored but patient. Slowly, h e got to his feet. "If I'd lost that money, I'd go after it." H e turned on his heel and started along the street toward th e Star Saloon.
"Wait a minute! Hold on there!" Cass Bailey said. "Hey!
Come back here!"
The man turned and walked slowly back. The other s were looking at Bailey, surprised. "What's your name , friend?" Bailey asked.
"There's places they've said I was right handy, so jus t call me that, Handy."
"All right, Handy. You've done some talking. You said i f that was your money you'd go after it. Well, four thousan d of that money happens to be mine, and it represents ever y head of beef that was fit to sell on the CB range. As o f now, half that money is yours, if you can get it. You los t two thousand dollars in the holdup, so now we'll se e whether you're going to find a trail or not."
Handy stuck his thumbs behind his belt. You said i f you lost that money you were through, finished. Is tha t right?"
"It ain't only me," Bailey said. "We're all through if w e don't get our money back."
"AJI right, Bailey, I like the way you talk. I'll accept tha t two thousand on one consideration. If I get it back it buy s me a full partnership in your CB range."
Hardin jumped up. "Well of all the -!"
Cass Bailey stood, feet apart, hands on his hips, starin g at Handy. Obviously, the man was a rider. There wa s something about his hard assurance that Bailey liked.
"If you can get that money back, you've got yourself a deal."
"Find me a place to sleep," Handy said. "I'll be along i n a few days."
Handy turned away and walked along to the Star Saloo n and ordered a beer. He took a swallow of the beer the n put the glass back on the bar.
Too bad about Leeds," the bartender suggested. H e was a lean, loose-mouthed man with straw-colored hai r and watery eyes.
"Too bad about Salter, too. Probably they'll kill him.
That will be hard on his family."
"Salter? He's got no family. At least none that anybod y knows of."
"What about his woman'"
"You know about her, huh? From all I hear, Mari a won't do any frettin'. That Maria, she's a case, Maria
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