Blood on the Moon by Luke Short Read Free Book Online

on to. And if he’s caught on the reservation on the deadline, his herd is seized by the army at Pindalest’s request. So what does he do?”
    “Sell?”
    “To me. Cheap, because he’d rather get a little money for the stuff than lose it all to the army.” He paused. “Once I’ve got ’em, I sell them to Pindalestfor less money than the government contracted to pay Lufton in the beginning.”
    “And how much is that?” Jim drawled.
    Riling laughed softly and said, “These are the figures. The government contracted to pay Lufton through Pindalest over a hundred thousand for the herd. The money is banked here in Sun Dust. But Pindalest refused the herd. So when the deadline comes I take this ten thousand that Pindalest advances me and buy the herd from Lufton. I sell them back to Pindalest for sixty thousand.” He spread his hands and shrugged. “I make fifty thousand, and Pindalest makes the difference between sixty thousand and a hundred thousand, or forty thousand.” He paused. “And your share of that, Jim, is twenty thousand, two fifths of my loot. Did I lie to you in my letter?”
    Jim was silent a moment, considering this, and then he asked idly, “What do I do to earn it?”
    “Fight,” Riling said bluntly. “Lufton’s tough. These nesters aren’t. You’ll make up the difference.”
    Jim stared thoughtfully at Riling. This scheme was like him, daring and bold and unscrupulous. He’d organized his small army into a weapon with which he could blackmail Lufton. There was a wry admiration in Jim for Tate’s scheme, and he thought of the money. It was more money than he’d ever seen, and earning it wouldn’t be hard.
    “Well?” Riling said.
    “Why not?” Jim murmured.
    Riling grunted with satisfaction and picked up the valise and tucked it under his big arm. “Your first job,” he said, “is to get on the good side of these nesters. You better start now. So come along.”
    They went out into Sun Dust’s main street and into the Bella Union. The nester crew was loafing idly, waiting for Riling. Jim understood then how completely Riling had done his job. He’d won their loyalty enough to be undisputed leader.
    Riling put the valise on the bar and said to the bartender, “Lock that up in the safe, Barney.”
    The bartender took it, and Riling turned to go back to the men.
    “Wait a minute,” Barney said. He reached down under the bar and brought up a rock, around which was tied a note. He handed it to Tate.
    “Someone fired that through the back window during the ruckus,” he said.
    Jim had a sudden memory of Carol Lufton riding past him and flinging something through the saloon’s rear window. He watched Tate unfold the note and read it and saw the slow smile that came over his face.
    Riling went back to the table and said, “Saddle up, boys. I know where Lufton’s crossing tonight.”
    Milo Sweet came over and said, “How do you know?”
    Tate grinned good-naturedly and handed him the note. “I know the writing. Saddle up.”
    Jim knew then the reason for Tate’s confidence in his eventual success. Carol Lufton was willing to betray her father to him.

Chapter Three
    Amy Lufton Rose before daybreak, threw a wrap around her and padded in bare feet out to the kitchen to light the lamp and make a fire in the big range. There was a chill in the air, and when she looked out the kitchen window toward the mountains she could see golden sunlight touching the very tops of the distant Braves. It was a melancholy sunrise, as all fall ones are, with their promise of winter coming. When the wood began to snap in the range it was more cheerful, and Amy put on a kettle of water.
    Afterward she started back down the long corridor toward her room. Passing the door of Carol’s room, she debated whether or not to waken her now. This day would tell them if Blockhouse could force its way across the Massacre in the face of the fighting nesters. Already it was decided, for they had made their drive in