Blood on Mcallister by Matt Chisholm Read Free Book Online Page A

Didn’t have a chance to find you.’
    There wasn’t a telegraph office in Clanton, but, just the same, Gage looked like the genuine pleased article. McAllister wondered if it were possible for him to be the man to hit him on the back of the head in the hotel room. He took Gage’s hand and shook it. Gage gripped him by the arm and led him back to the rig saying: ‘Hey, Harry, look who’s here. Say, Mr. Rigby, did McAllister tell you how he beat me in Abbotsville? Did he tell you that?’
    â€˜No,’ said Pat, ‘he didn’t say a thing about it.’
    Gage went on: ‘There was some skullduggery in Abbotsville and some fellers tried to nobble me in the foot-race. McAllister here came to my rescue and saved the race for me and the feller who’d challenged me didn’t wait for the wrestling and high-tailed outa town fast as he could go. That left me with nobody to fight, so McAllister stepped in and offered. And, say, folks, did I take a beating. This feller knocked me clean out. Beat the pants off me. Boy, was Harry mad. He lost a packet of money on the fight. Didn’t you, Harry?’
    Shultz looked a little sick, but he managed to spread his ugly face in a pale smile.
    â€˜Sure did,’ he said. ‘But if s all in the game. You lose one day, you win the next. You can’t win ‘em all.’
    â€˜That’s real sporting of you,’ McAllister said.
    â€˜You’ve got to be a sport in my game,’ Shultz said.
    Rigby said: ‘I thought Rem could do some work-outs with you, Billy. Get you in trim for when you meet Clem.’
    Gage looked eager.
    â€˜You mean that, McAllister. Say, that’s real great. How about me calling you Rem? That all right?’
    â€˜Sure thing, Billy.’
    â€˜Great, just great.’
    Rigby showed them where they could sleep in the barn, McAllister unhitched the horse from the rig and loosed it in the corral. Then they repaired to the house for a drink. Gage didn’t touch the stuff and drank water. He and Pat kept looking at each other and McAllister got the message loud and clear that something could easily grow between those two. He didn’t like it one little bit and reckoned he would have to do something about it. What, he didn’t know quite. But he reckoned he’d think of something.
    The day was still young and Billy announced that he would go for a run. McAllister said he would come along. Rigby had work to do. Pat said she’d saddle a horse and ride with them. Shultz said he’d do the same. They caught and saddled a couple of horses and Pat appeared in a divided skirt. McAllister changed into his Cheyenne moccasins and Billy put on running shoes. They set off north at a steady lope with the horses trotting alongside, Shultz riding as if he were a sack of cow chips tied in the middle, Pat sitting her saddle like the ranch girl she was. McAllister thought he had never seen a woman so beautiful. The thought of Gage getting her he didn’t like, the thought of Clem Brenell getting her made him sick.
    He watched the way Gage ran and saw that he knew his business. His stride was easy and unhurried, his breathing was excellent. They ran about three miles and Gage was as fresh as when he started.
    Without pausing, they headed back, not talking, just keeping the same steady mile-eating pace, neck-and-neck, neither man straining to get ahead of the other. Gage didn’t show his surprise at McAllister being able to keep up with him, but the surprise was there and McAllister knew it.
    They came in sight of the house—they had now covered nearly six miles. McAllister now spoke softly to the man athis side so the two on the horses couldn’t hear him.
    â€˜This is where we sort the men from the boys, Billy.’
    Gage gave him a puzzled look.
    â€˜How?’
    â€˜I’m sprinting the rest of the way.’
    Gage grinned confidently.
    â€˜Go ahead,’ he said.
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