kill Dawes, then clean out the rest of the den of rattlesnakes he'd brought to Lazy B."
Once again she was nearly caught in the grip of hysteria, and he thought that he would have to slap her to bring her to her senses. But she controlled her sobs and begged, "Do something. Those gunmen will shoot him down like a dog if he tries to take them on alone. He must be nearly out to Lazy B by now."
"Josh, you, Curly and Ringo, side me. The rest of you take Jen to town; then put yourself under the sheriff's orders. Did you tell anyone else about this, Jen?"
She shook her head. "There wasn't time."
"Then tell Lon he'd better get out to Lazy B quick. Are you all right now?" he asked her as he started to his horse.
She nodded her bright head. "I'm fine. But I'm not going back to Streeter. I'll ride on out to Maria at Wagon if you'll let me."
Kirby felt astonishment, then the lifting of a cold hand from his heart. "You mean until this is over?" he asked gently.
Again she shook her head. "For as long as you want me, Kirby. I know now it's better to have just a part of you than nothing at all. I've been a coward, the kind of girl Ma wouldn't have been proud of. I know now that the fight you're in is not of your making, and I'm ashamed I asked you to let someone else do the things that have to be done. Oh, Kirby, can't you see I'm asking you to let me wait where I should have waited all along… at Wagon?" She raised her face, and as her lips parted beneath his kiss he felt again a fierce exultation that sent the blood drumming in his ears.
"We'll talk when I get home," he said finally, when he could summon the will power to take his lips from hers. He helped her mount the sorrel, then ran to his black and flung himself into leather. In a few moments he was leading the way into the Lazy B cut-off. The big gelding appeared to catch the impelling spirit of his rider, for his great body flattened out and he seemed to flow along the trail in a symphony of fluid movement. If only we're not too late, he prayed, but exultation underlay his fear. He felt a vast lift of spirit at the knowledge that he would be siding his brother, not helping to hang him… and that the one girl would be waiting for him when he rode back to Wagon.
As the four riders roared into the yard of the Lazy B headquarters, they came upon a scene that none of them ever forgot.
Bill, a smoking Colt in his hand, was backing slowly out the front door. Across the doorsill stretched the body of a man, a widening red stain turning purple the bright blue of his shirt. Another sprawled figure lay on the porch.
Everything happened so quickly then that they had no time to cry a warning. As they slid from their horses in frantic haste, a man stuck his head around the corner of the house and aimed at Bill's back. He lifted his gun as he stepped out in full view and fired. They could see a puff of dust spurt from between Bill's shoulders, and the slug turned him around before his knees crumpled. Josh had his gun out and roaring before anyone else had time to make a move. Once, twice, it blasted, and Hub Dawes looked at Josh in stunned amazement. He died even as he stared. Kirby caught the sound of a running horse and sprinted across the yard. Curly had jerked his saddle gun from its boot and beaten Kirby to the open. He dropped to one knee, levering the Winchester as he squatted. It came to his shoulder, and the .30-30 sang a wicked song. An outlaw lurched from his saddle and his foot caught in the stirrup as he went down, his face slapping in the mud before the bronc stopped. Kirby yelled, "Curly, you and Ringo search the place. Be careful; there might be a hideout. Josh, let's get to Bill." They rushed to him, lying face down. Josh turned him over and slipped his hand into his shirt, feeling for a heartbeat. His fingers were crimson when he removed the hand, but there was hope in his voice as he said quietly, "He's alive, but he's got an awful hole in him. We'll have to get a
Once again she was nearly caught in the grip of hysteria, and he thought that he would have to slap her to bring her to her senses. But she controlled her sobs and begged, "Do something. Those gunmen will shoot him down like a dog if he tries to take them on alone. He must be nearly out to Lazy B by now."
"Josh, you, Curly and Ringo, side me. The rest of you take Jen to town; then put yourself under the sheriff's orders. Did you tell anyone else about this, Jen?"
She shook her head. "There wasn't time."
"Then tell Lon he'd better get out to Lazy B quick. Are you all right now?" he asked her as he started to his horse.
She nodded her bright head. "I'm fine. But I'm not going back to Streeter. I'll ride on out to Maria at Wagon if you'll let me."
Kirby felt astonishment, then the lifting of a cold hand from his heart. "You mean until this is over?" he asked gently.
Again she shook her head. "For as long as you want me, Kirby. I know now it's better to have just a part of you than nothing at all. I've been a coward, the kind of girl Ma wouldn't have been proud of. I know now that the fight you're in is not of your making, and I'm ashamed I asked you to let someone else do the things that have to be done. Oh, Kirby, can't you see I'm asking you to let me wait where I should have waited all along… at Wagon?" She raised her face, and as her lips parted beneath his kiss he felt again a fierce exultation that sent the blood drumming in his ears.
"We'll talk when I get home," he said finally, when he could summon the will power to take his lips from hers. He helped her mount the sorrel, then ran to his black and flung himself into leather. In a few moments he was leading the way into the Lazy B cut-off. The big gelding appeared to catch the impelling spirit of his rider, for his great body flattened out and he seemed to flow along the trail in a symphony of fluid movement. If only we're not too late, he prayed, but exultation underlay his fear. He felt a vast lift of spirit at the knowledge that he would be siding his brother, not helping to hang him… and that the one girl would be waiting for him when he rode back to Wagon.
As the four riders roared into the yard of the Lazy B headquarters, they came upon a scene that none of them ever forgot.
Bill, a smoking Colt in his hand, was backing slowly out the front door. Across the doorsill stretched the body of a man, a widening red stain turning purple the bright blue of his shirt. Another sprawled figure lay on the porch.
Everything happened so quickly then that they had no time to cry a warning. As they slid from their horses in frantic haste, a man stuck his head around the corner of the house and aimed at Bill's back. He lifted his gun as he stepped out in full view and fired. They could see a puff of dust spurt from between Bill's shoulders, and the slug turned him around before his knees crumpled. Josh had his gun out and roaring before anyone else had time to make a move. Once, twice, it blasted, and Hub Dawes looked at Josh in stunned amazement. He died even as he stared. Kirby caught the sound of a running horse and sprinted across the yard. Curly had jerked his saddle gun from its boot and beaten Kirby to the open. He dropped to one knee, levering the Winchester as he squatted. It came to his shoulder, and the .30-30 sang a wicked song. An outlaw lurched from his saddle and his foot caught in the stirrup as he went down, his face slapping in the mud before the bronc stopped. Kirby yelled, "Curly, you and Ringo search the place. Be careful; there might be a hideout. Josh, let's get to Bill." They rushed to him, lying face down. Josh turned him over and slipped his hand into his shirt, feeling for a heartbeat. His fingers were crimson when he removed the hand, but there was hope in his voice as he said quietly, "He's alive, but he's got an awful hole in him. We'll have to get a
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