Last Train to Bannock [Clayburn 02]

Last Train to Bannock [Clayburn 02] by Marvin H. Albert Read Free Book Online Page B

Book: Last Train to Bannock [Clayburn 02] by Marvin H. Albert Read Free Book Online
Authors: Marvin H. Albert
and bonus arrangement. "Why? You know somebody good that'd be interested?"
        "Yeah." Roud's ugly face creased in a smile. "Me."
        Clayburn eyed the deputy over the rim of his cup. ' 'Tired of being a lawman?"
        "Kind of. This town life's beginning to bore me. Been a cowhand most of my life. Was, till Kavanaugh talked me into signing on as his deputy. Sounded like action so I took it on. But he's got this town so tamed there's hardly any excitement any more."
        "You'll get all you want with us," Clayburn told him. As far as he was concerned, any man good enough to work for Kavanaugh was good enough for him. Cora Sorel had estimated that she could afford, besides Clayburn, three extra men to act solely as guards. The old buffalo hunter and Jim Roud made two.
        "You're hired," he told Roud. "Any other of Kavanaugh's deputies itching for action and open spaces?"
        "I'll ask around."
        But when Clayburn met Cora Sorel an hour later, he found that the other guard had already been hired.
        Cora Sorel was coming down off the porch of the hotel when Clayburn got there. This morning she was dressed in a trail outfit-a split riding skirt, boots, sheepskin jacket and a flat, wide-brimmed hat. It was quite a change from what she'd worn the night before, but she still looked good to Clayburn.
        The man with her didn't.
        He was about Clayburn's height and age, but much slimmer, with long, delicate hands. There was a withdrawn, deadly quality to the man, something that emanated from the almost womanish grace with which he moved, the contemptuous set of his thin mouth, the empty expression of his thin face and eyes like dirty ice.
        Clayburn knew the breed and disliked it instinctively. A killer. He couldn't be anything else.
        

SIX
        
        Cora stared with shock at Clayburn's face. "What happened to you?"
        "Three of Adler's crew happened to me." He told her about it briefly.
        "Are you all right now? Will you still be able to…"
        "I'm fine," he told her flatly, looking at the man with her.
        Cora introduced them. The man's name was Matt Haycox. They eyed each other and nodded slightly, neither man offering his hand.
        "Matt and I know each other from before," Cora told Clayburn. "He kept order in a gambling house in Butte." She gave Haycox an admiring look that seemed to Clayburn to be contrived for effect. "And he certainly did keep order. I've hired him."
        "To do what?" Clayburn asked tonelessly.
        Haycox smiled faintly, but his eyes remained empty. "To keep order," he said in a voice as dead as his face.
        "As one of our guards," Cora added. "He can handle a gun better than any other man I ever saw.
        Clayburn held down his irritation. "Has she told you I'm wagon captain?" he asked Haycox. "That means you'll have to take orders from me."
        "She told me," Haycox drawled.
        "All right, then take yourself a walk. Miss Sorel and I have things to talk over."
        Haycox's thin mouth grew thinner. He looked to Cora.
        She put her hand on his arm. "You go ahead. Matt. I'll see you at Farnell's freight office at noon."
        Haycox's eyes slid back to Clayburn, held for a moment. Then he drifted away.
        Cora turned to Clayburn. "You deliberately tried to offend him. Why?"
        "I don't like him," Clayburn said simply.
        "Be careful, Clay. He's a dangerous man to toy with."
        "And maybe too dangerous to depend on."
        Cora shook her head. "He's exactly what we need. And don't worry, I can handle him." She smiled. "He had a yen for me. I think he still does."
        "I thought you were going to let me hire the guards," Clayburn said stonily.
        "Subject to my approval," she reminded him. "Any men you hire are bound to consider themselves your men. I want one along who'll be my man-all the way. Matt Haycox fits

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