Free The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 2 by Louis L’Amour Page A

puncher.
    â€œJim Gary,” Blaze mused. “We’ve heard about you. Old Steve’s son, aren’t you? I knew Steve.”
    Jim looked up, his eyes cold. “My father,” he said grimly, “was a mighty good man!”
    Dan Blaze’s eyes warmed a little. “You’re right. He was.”
    â€œWhat of it?” Jerry demanded sullenly. “The man’s a killer. We know that. We found him with the cattle. We found him with some of Tom’s stuff on him. What more do you want?”
    The girl spoke suddenly. “There was another rider, one who joined you and then rode away. Who was he?”
    There it was, and Jim suddenly knew he would not lie. “Mart Ray,” he said quietly, “of the Double A.”
    â€œThat’s a lie!” The girl flashed back. “What are you saying?”
    â€œYou got any proof of that?” Jerry demanded hotly. “You’re talkin’ about a friend of our’n.”
    â€œHe was a friend of mine, too.” Gary explained about Mart Ray. “Why don’t you turn me loose?” he suggested then. “I’ll go get Ray and bring him to you. Chances are Slagle and Tobe will be with him.”
    â€œYou’ll get him?” Jerry snorted. “That’s a good one, that is!”
    â€œTie him,” Dan Blaze said suddenly. “We’ll go into Salt Creek.”
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    Riding behind Dan Blaze was his niece, whom he heard them call Kitty, Jim Gary was suddenly aware, almost for the first time, of the danger he was in. The fact that it had been averted for the moment was small consolation, for these were hard, desperate men, and one of them, perhaps more, had been slain.
    Fear was something strange to him, and while he had known danger, it had passed over him leaving him almost untouched. This situation conveyed only a sense of unreality, and until now the idea that he might really be in danger scarcely seemed credible. Listening to these men, his mind changed about that. He realized belatedly that he was in the greatest danger of his life. If he had none of their talk to warn him, the mute evidence of Jeeter’s body was enough. And Jeeter had died yelling to him, trying to give him a warning so he might escape.
    Now fear rode with him, a cold, clammy fear that stiffened his fingers and left his mouth dry and his stomach empty. Even the sight of the scattered buildings of the town of Salt Creek did not help, and when they rode up the street, the red of embarrassment crept up his neck at the shame of being led into the town, his hands tied behind him, like a cheap rustler.
    Mart Ray was sitting on the steps, and he shoved his hat back and got to his feet. Beside him was Red Slagle. There was no sign of Tobe Langer. “Howdy, Dan! What did you catch? A hoss thief?” Ray’s voice was genial, his eyes bland. “Looks like a big party for such a small catch.”
    Blaze reined in his horse and stopped the little cavalcade. His eyes went from Mart to Slagle. “How long you been here, Red?” he demanded.
    â€œMe?” Slagle was innocent. “No more’n about fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. Just rode in from the Double A. Somethin’ wrong?”
    Blaze turned his cold eyes on Jim Gary and then looked back to Ray. “We found a herd of Slash Four cattle east of here, Mart. They were wearin’ a Double A brand worked over our Slash Four. How do you explain it?”
    Ray shrugged. “I don’t,” he said simply. “How does that hombre you got with you explain it?”
    Kitty Blaze spoke up quickly. “Mart, did you ever see this man before? Did you?”
    Ray stared at Gary. “Not that I recall,” he said seriously. “He sure don’t look familiar to me!”
    â€œBlaze,” Gary said suddenly, “if you’ll turn my hands loose and give me a gun, I can settle this in three minutes! I can prove