Rivers West by Louis L’Amour Read Free Book Online Page A

man…Neely Hall. He’s a strong man, and wins most of the time. He’s beaten everybody about here but Sam Purdy. Nobody wrestles Purdy.”
    â€œIs he so good then?” Jambe-de-Bois asked.
    â€œ
Good!
He’d make two of the lad here, and he’s got the power to match his size. There was a wrestler came through here two months ago. He’d defeated everybody, and Purdy tossed him in a moment. He’s a giant, Purdy is. Doesn’t know his own strength.”
    Now such talk nettled me a little. I shifted uneasily in my seat. There was no man invincible, not even me, I supposed, and big men always got under my skin a little. That is, if they were the aggressive, bullying type. I didn’t know that Purdy was, but such talk of invincibility stirred something in me.
    â€œI’d wrestle him,” I said mildly, “just for fun, you know.”
    The horse dealer laughed. “Fun? With Purdy? It would be no fun, lad. He’s rough. When you wrestle with Purdy, it’s no fun. It’s anything goes. You can gouge or bite if you’re of a mind to, although the last man to try biting Purdy left here with no teeth in the front of his face.
    â€œNo, no. I wasn’t thinking of Purdy. It was Neely Hall. I don’t think you’re up to him, but it might be a match. The boys would come out to see it, and there’d be some betting done.”
    He looked at me. “Do y’ bet, lad? Or have y’ scruples against it?”
    â€œWell…if it isn’t too much. After all, I don’t know this man Hall, and I’m a stranger. There mightn’t be fair play.”
    â€œOh, there’ll be fair play!” the dealer said. “They are honest boys about here. There’s sporting blood, but its honest sporting blood.”
    Jambe-de-Bois looked at the dealer, a baleful gleam in his eyes.
    â€œThey’d be honest,” he said coolly. “I’d be sure of that.”
    The dealer looked at Jambe uneasily. It was a quiet comment, but there were undercurrents of iron in it, and, looking at the one-legged man, the dealer felt a momentary icy shiver, as if somebody had stepped on his grave.
    â€œWould you be for it?” the dealer turned to me. “I could talk to the boys. There’s been nothing doing about here for weeks now.”
    â€œWell…I’m just passing through,” I said. “I had not thought of it, nor stopping. It is a far way I have to go.”
    â€œStay. Neely is about, and it could be done for the morrow. If you’ve a little money for betting—”
    â€œWell. You were talking to me of a horse. I had not thought of one, but maybe…well, maybe I should use the money and a bit more I have to buy a horse or two.”
    It was Purdy I wanted, but it was plain to see I’d have to go through Neely Hall to get at him. And I might just get a horse in the process.
    â€œWe’d best go,” I said to Jambe-de-Bois. “I make no boast of being one to wrestle in a match. I have tussled with the boys…I don’t think so.”
    â€œCome, now!” The dealer wanted his bit of sport, and after all, what was there to do in a settlement of forty people, with maybe fifty others within an hour’s ride? “Nobody will get hurt. It is just a friendly match.”
    He got up quickly. “Enjoy your drinks, lads, and be having another on me. I’ll talk to the boys.”
    When he was gone, Jambe-de-Bois studied me with some care. “You’re surely knowing some of these country lads are strong? They wrestle a bit of an evening, and about the fairs. It’ll be no easy thing to do…if you do. Have you wrestled at all?”
    â€œHere and there. When I was a boy in school.”
    â€œA boy in school!” Jambe-de-Bois was contemptuous. “This will not be like that, and you’ll be getting yourself hurt for no reason.”
    â€œI want a horse,” I said