Read Oliver Strange - Sudden Westerns 06 - Sudden Gold-Seeker(1937) for Free Online Page B

           “Fagan’s
got a new friend too,” Mason went on. “Shortish chap with bow-legs an’ a mean
eye, called ` Bandy ’.”
                 “What’s
the name o’ the other eye?” Sudden asked interest edly, and listened to a short
but pithy description of himself . “This hombre has a
Dago’s black greasy hair an’ his face looks like someone had pushed it in.”
                 “Han’some
fella,” Sudden commented. “No, I ain’t seen him.” The omission was to be
rectified a little later when the chase of a steer took him down the trail.
Returning with the runaway at the end of his rope, he pulled up at a halted
wagon, with a group of men ringed round two others. One of these, a slight
bow-legged man with a peculiarly fiat face and beady eyes, was bending forward,
a hand on his pistol. The other, a burly, bearded teamster, stood a dozen paces
away, gripping his whip.
                 “Pull
yore gun, farmer,” the former was saying. “I’ll larn you to lay yore paws on
Dick Rodd.”
                 “I
don’t use none ,” the other replied. “If you was more’n half a man I’d take my han’s to you, but …” His
look of contempt at the puny figure of his adversary finished the sentence.
                 One
of the onlookers now noticed the man on the black horse. “Hey, cowboy,” he
called.
                 “Yo’re
the fella to settle this; you’ve seen gunfights, I’ll lay .”
Sudden rode nearer. “What’s the trouble?” he inquired.
                 The
teamster explained, with an angry gesture towards his opponent: “This rat has
been shinin’ up to my daughter, who don’t want none of
his company. I’ve warned him two-three times to keep his distance an’ now I
find him pesterin’ her again. I had to argue with him.”
                 “He
kicked me—me, Dick Rodd,” the little man almost screamed. “He dies for that,
the ..”
                 He
ended with a string of obscenities.
                 “Why
didn’t yu let the gal alone if she didn’t want yu?” the cowboy asked.
                 “Bah! women are all alike,” came the sneering reply. “They
just retreat to draw a fella on. I ain’t the on’y one she’s ”
                 “You
dirty liar,” the teamster stormed.
                 As though he had been waiting for this further provocation, Rodd
rapped out an oath and dragged at his weapon. It was no more than half
out of the holster, however, when Sudden spoke again:
                 “Put
that back where it belongs or yu’ll eat yore supper in a hotter place than
this.” The cold, passionless tone was pregnant with menace. Still clutching the
butt of his gun, Rodd hesitated. Then, when he saw that by some miracle of
speed, one of the cowboy’s Colts was covering him, he let his hand drop to his
side.
                 “What
damn business is it o’ yores, anyway?” he grumbled. Sudden did not answer. He
turned to the teamster. “Can yu use that whip pretty good?” he asked.
                 “Can
I use her?” the man repeated. “Why, stranger, I c’n take a fly off’n the ear o’
my lead ox an’ the critter wouldn’t know.” Boastful as the statement certainly
was, Sudden knew it might not be very wide of the truth. The cowboy looked at
the smaller man.
                 “Understand
whips?” he questioned.
                 “Naw,”
was the disgusted reply. “I ain’t no perishin’ hayseed.”
Sudden pondered for a moment. “He don’t savvy yore weapon an’ yu don’t savvy
his,” he said. “It’ll have to be yore gun against his whip.”
                 “Suits
me,” the teamster said, adding grimly. “I’ll have an eye out’n him ‘fore he can
wink it.” The second combatant was less prompt in speaking and it was plain he
did not