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

“Those
young devils have made life a burden to me for weeks past.”
                 “I
reckon they won’t trouble yu again, seh,” Sudden smiled.
                 “You
certainly gave them a lesson, but I fear they will transfer their enmity to
you,” the other replied. “Ridicule is a bitter pill for youth to swallow.”
Sudden laughed and looked at his friend. “Shucks, I figure we can take care of
ourselves.” The old man’s eyes swept over them approvingly. “I do not doubt it,
given fair play,” he agreed, “but this is the toughest town of the many I have
known. You are strangers here; is there any way I can help you?”
                 “We
got in this afternoon an’ we’re wonderin’ where we can bed down,” Mason
explained.
                 “The
settlement is choke-full—newcomers will have to build shelter or camp out.
                 Fortunately
1 can offer you a roof, though little else. My hut is larger than a single man
needs, and there is a small corral at the rear–you have horses, of course?”
                 “We
left them at the livery,” Sudden said. “Couldn’t get along
without the broncs.”
                 “I
know,” the old man smiled. “Almost the last thing a cowboy parts with—except
his life. Well, what do you say?”
                 “We’re
mighty obliged,” Sudden told him, adding awkwardly, “We ain’t exactly broke, yu
understand.”
                 “I’m
not offering you charity—you will have to keep yourselves, no light task in
Deadwood. The room is of no use to me. I ought perhaps to point out that you
will be living with one who is poorly regarded.”
                 “Popularity
never appealed to me,” Sudden assured him, a tinge of bitterness in his tone.
                 “We’ll
go yu, Mister ?”
                 “You
may call me ‘Jacob’,” their new friend supplemented. “Deadwood dubbed me a Jew,
and, for reasons of my own, I have not refuted it, though 1 am not a member of
that persecuted race.” At his suggestion they collected the horses and made
their way to the far end of the settlement. Jacob’s dwelling proved to be the
last of the buildings, standing some two hundred yards from the others.
                 It
was a log cabin, strongly but roughly put together, and consisted of three
rooms. A table and two stools comprised the furniture of the one at their
disposal. Their host apologized for the absence of beds.
                 “Don’t
say a word,” Mason grinned. “We got blankets an’ fetched our own fleas.” Having
turned their horses into the poled enclosure at the back of the cabin, they
sallied forth to the nearest store for supplies. The prices they had to pay
made them open their eyes.
                 “Hell,
Jim, we don’t want no gold-mine, let’s open a store?” Gerry suggested.
                 “What
with—an axe?” Sudden queried. “Allasame, livin’ is goin’ to come high in this
neck o’ the woods; yu’ll have to hobble yore appetite.”
                 “My appetite? What about your’n?” Gerry cried indignantly.
                 “I’m
a pore eater,” Sudden told him.
                 “My Gawd! then I must be damn near
starvation point. C’mon, let’s see if the liquor is cheaper.” He led the way to
one of the saloons, pushed back the swing-door, and swaggered in—modesty on
such occasions is not a cowboy virtue. It was a garish place, bedecked with
gaudy gilt mirrors and crudely painted but sufficiently daring pictures. A
polished bar, with an array of bottles and glasses occupied the back of the
room, and there were tables and stools.
                 The
table they chose commanded a good view of both bar and
entrance. “ They’s a han’some lot, I don’t believe,”
Gerry commented.