Kiowa Trail (1964) Read Online Free Page B

fight, Conn," he said. "When have I ever? All I want to do is go see a girl. What's so wrong about that?"
    "Nothing ... nothing at all, except that nobody wants a cattleman north of the street. It's John Blake's job to see that none of them do - no exceptions." The disgust on his face was obvious, and I didn't much blame him. But neither did I see any reason to get a few men killed over such a thing.
    Finally he said, "Is it all right if I ride with you when you go back? I'd better see her and tell her I'm not coming."
    Well, what could I say? I agreed, figuring he would use good judgment, but I was worried as much about some of the others as I was about him. Delgado was in town and he was not hot-headed, but Rule Carson was, and a wrong word could precipitate a gun battle. The whole outfit felt insulted in the person of Tom Lundy, and, in a way, I didn't blame them. But it was up to me, as well as John Blake, to keep the peace.
    Kate was waiting for me at the hotel when I got in town. She had closed the deal with Hardeman, and all that remained was to go to the bank and pick up the money.
    Hardeman looked at me. "Conn, one thing I must warn you about. I've heard the talk around town - everybody has - and the man who will pay over the money will be Aaron McDonald."
    "So?"
    "He's a narrow, disagreeable man, but don't think he does not speak for the town. He does."
    "We'll be talking business, that's all."
    Hardeman glanced over at Tom. "Sorry, boy. If it was my daughter you'd be welcome, but I have no say here. I am a Kansas City man, just doing business here."
    Kate had said very little, but I had been keeping an eye on her, and I was worried. Her face was cold, colder than I could ever remember seeing it, unless it was in a bind when we were fighting Apaches or Comanches somewhere. Tom Lundy was more like a son to her than a brother. She had reared him, brought him up almost from babyhood, and she resented his treatment as much as any of the outfit did.
    An idea came to me. "Let's go back to that restaurant," I said. "I could do with something to eat. I mean, after we've finished at the bank."
    Nobody said anything, and the three of us went across the dusty street to the bank. Glancing up and down the street, I saw men loitering there, men with coats on ... men who at this time of day would ordinarily not be wearing coats.
    Only John Blake himself stood in front of the bank. He turned squarely toward us and scarcely glanced at me, but he lifted his hand to his hat respectfully at Kate Lundy. "Howdy, ma'am. Hope you've had a nice trip up the trail."
    "No more trouble than is to be expected at this time of year, Mr. Blake." She looked at him coolly, and then said, "You know, what you told Mr. Dury is correct. We have only fifteen men with us, but by now there are at least twenty other outfits starting north from Texas. And the Clements boys are bringing two herds this year."
    The Clements boys had had their share of trouble, and they had coped with it.
    John Blake's big head thrust forward. "Now, Mrs. Lundy, there's no call for us to have trouble. You just keep that boy of yours south of the street -"
    "Why?" Tom spoke for the first time, keeping his voice low. "Why should I stay south of the street, Mr. Blake? Am I some sort of a savage? Am I an outlaw? By what right do you discriminate against me?"
    Tom Lundy had been well taught, and he had read in his books, and when he wished he could talk like it. There was a time when I had spent an hour or two a day with him myself, and in some ways I had a better education than the average man of my time, although my schooling had been short Kate had spent a lot of time with Tom, more time than I had, teaching him to act the gentleman. She knew how it should be, but those months in England and on the Continent that I'd put behind me, they helped. No man had had a stranger life than mine, although the West was filled with men from everywhere, from all countries and all walks of life,