Ride the Man Down by Luke; Short Read Free Book Online

grass, and back there in Ten Mile we heard about this outfit.”
    Ike spoke with a surly truculence. “Heard what?”
    The older one looked at his brother and shrugged. “This outfit was s’posed to be bustin’ up. They said there was all the grass a man wanted, just for the takin’.”
    Ike said grimly, “There is, if you can take it.” He came up to the younger one, ripped open his slicker, and lifted out a gun. The second man held his arms away and let Ike do the same to him. They both kept watching Will, however, for a clue to what would happen to them.
    Will’s face was impassive, but a slow anger smoldered in his eyes. It did not touch these men, for in their places he would have done the same. His anger was at Bide and his sly, tireless schemings. Ten Mile was up in the Indigos at the end of a logging road. There was a rickety hotel there, the old logging-camp bunkhouse, along with a saloon and a store. It was Red Courteen’s town, out of which he and his men peddled whisky to the Indians and smuggled the beef they received in payment out of the country. A furtive trade in stolen horses and cattle was carried on there, and a few small outfits under Indian Ridge who were more than a day’s ride from Boundary traded there. Red Courteen had always been too wise to provoke Hatchet, but now that was changed too. Bide had persuaded him, and Red, in turn, had sent on these two ragged punchers who only wanted grass to give them a start. They had risked the gamble and lost.
    Will let his rifle swing to his side. “Let ’em go, Ike.”
    The outrage in Ike’s face was immediate, and he only stared at Will.
    Will asked curtly, “What’s your name?”
    The older one said, “Mel Young. Brother’s name’s Jim.” Only now that Will had let them go did he seem ashamed and somehow eager to please.
    Will wiped a muddy hand on his slicker, framing his orders to them, and he was aware that Ike was watching with fierce disapproval. He looked at the younger brother, who grinned faintly, his sole gesture of thanks for letting them go.
    A sudden thought struck Will. “Those your cattle down-canyon?”
    Jim Young nodded. Will wheeled and looked back at their outfit, which was small enough that a pack horse could carry it. When he faced them again his mind was made up. “What do you do now?”
    â€œGet off your range,” Mel said soberly.
    â€œWant grass for your stuff?”
    The two brothers looked at each other, and Jim Young said cautiously, “Sure.”
    â€œWant it bad enough to work for nothing? I’ll feed you and put you up, but there’s no pay in it. You can run your stuff along with ours.”
    Mel said immediately, “Hell, yes, we’ll take it.”
    â€œWe’re having trouble, you understand.”
    â€œWe’ll take that too,” Jim Young said.
    While Ike held his surly silence Will gave them directions to Hatchet. After their guns had been returned he and Ike left them and climbed the slope in the still-falling rain and sought their horses. Ike paused as he was about to mount and looked at Will. “Know what a rawhider is, Will?”
    Will shook his head in negation.
    â€œThey travel in wagons, whole famblies of ’em,” Ike said wryly. They’ll clean a country, quicker’n locusts. Steal you blind and deef. All their sorry gear they patch with rawhide.”
    Will frowned, and Ike spat and said mildly, “Notice that youngest kid’s gun handle was tied with rawhide?”
    â€œNo.”
    Ike said gloomily, “You’re goin’ to be sorry you didn’t run ’em out of the country. I’d sooner trust Red Courteen than them two.”
    Will said mildly, patiently, “We need a crew if we’re going to fight, Ike. That’s one way to get one.”
    When John Evarts saw the first scattering of cattle in the dripping timber, he grunted