Tough to Kill by Matt Chisholm Page B

away.”
    â€œI’m not fooling,” she said. “Drop that gun or I’ll shoot you, Foley.”
    Ransome said: “No woman could do it.”
    Carlotta made a little grimace as if she were eating and had come on a bitter taste. She squeezed the trigger and the little gun bucked in her small hand. The dirt flew up at Foley’s feet and he jumped back in alarm.
    â€œBy God,” he said.
    â€œDrop it.”
    He dropped it. McAllister wrenched the rope out of Ransome’s hands, scooped up the fallen Remington and took the rope from around his neck.
    Then he stood and looked at the woman.
    â€œIt’s your play,” he said. “Give your orders.”
    She looked a little surprised and said to Foley: “Both of you get on that horse and go home.”
    â€œWhat about my saddle?” Ransome wanted to know.
    â€œCome back for it some other time.”
    The man looked bitter.
    â€œMarkham’s goin’ to have somethin’ to say about this,” Foley put in.
    Carlotta smiled.
    â€œMarkham has something to say about everything,” she said.
    Foley hesitated for a moment, gave McAllister a baleful look and started walking across the flat to his grazing horse. Slowly Ransome followed. When he had gone a short way, Foley stopped and turned.
    â€œIt’s the only way you could of done it, McAllister. With a woman’s help,” he said.
    McAllister didn’t say anything, but just looked at him bleakly. He and Carlotta watched the men walk to the horse, mount double and go slowly along the base of the mesa into the north. Finally, she turned to him.
    â€œIt sticks in your craw, being saved by a woman.”
    Without a smile, he said: “Why should it? I’m always bein’ saved by women.”
    â€œRem,” she said, “was I supposed to stand by and watch them hang you?”
    â€œYou were supposed to be on your way home so those two wouldn’t talk about you. Now your name’ll be bandied about in every cow-camp in the country.”
    â€œI don’t care,” she said. “Had it been any man but you I would have cared. But it was you.”
    McAllister knew that he should have felt good when he heard that, but he didn’t. He felt like he had been suckered in some way.
    â€œAll right,” he said. “I owe you one life.”
    She came close to him and touched his face with a cool hand, smiling up at him.
    â€œThat’s the life I want.”
    He softened to her a little then and said: ‘It’s just I usually make things happen. This time things happened to me. It ain’t so good for my confidence. You spoiled everything, Carlotta. Now your brother’ll know you rode out to meet me. You’ve given him a weapon against you.”
    â€œI don’t give a damn for my brother. At last, I’m not afraid of him any more.”
    He put an arm around her and she rested her head against his shoulder.
    â€œYou can’t go back,” he told her softly. “You’d best come into the hills with me.” She looked up at him.
    â€œThat would be wonderful,” she said. “But that’s not the way we’ll do it. I’m not running away from Markham. I have to beat him.”
    â€œIt’s your decision,” he said. “Now I’ll ride aways with you.”
    â€œYou’ll do no such thing. You’re in enough danger without riding straight for it.”
    â€œI respect your decision not to come into the hills with me,” he told her. “You gotta respect mine to ride along with you.”
    She didn’t argue. Night was coming down fast and she knew there could be safety in darkness. He went down into the canyon to fetch his horse, she walked across the flat to the mare. Shortly, they were riding side by side through the starlight. He rode with her till they saw the twinkling lights of Markham’s headquarters and then she halted.
    â€œNo