Matagorda (1967) Read Online Free Page B

sallow of face, with dark, lank hair and a gold earring in each ear.
    "What about the cattle?" Tap asked. "That was every cent I had in the world, Tom.
    I gambled on you."
    "And you won't regret it, Tap. I've had troubles-I suppose you've heard about that?"
    "I heard about it."
    "When we talked I thought the feud was a thing of the past. It was just a matter of rounding up some of Dad's cattle. I didn't have any money, so with your money, our cattle and know-how, we could drive to Kansas and make some money. That's what I planned. The trouble was, the cattle had been stolen. Most of them, at least."
    "So the drive is off?"
    "Not on your tintype! We're rounding up cattle now. Fact is, we've got a good part of a herd stashed away. But that's a small part of it. Somehow we've got to slip three thousand head of cattle out of the country without the Munsons gettin' wind of it."
    They walked back and sat down around the fire, and the Cajun disappeared into the darkness. "He'll keep watch, so don't you worry none. He's one of the very best."
    "I met Mady Coppinger on the boat."
    Tom Kittery shot him a quick glance. "Came back did she? I wouldn't have bet on it."
    "I thought you two had an understanding."
    Tom shrugged. "We have, sort of. Mady's fed up with Texas, fed up with dust, cows, bronc riders, and cookin' for ranch hands. She fell heir to a stack of Godey's Lady's Books, and since then all she does is pine. I keep tellin' her I ain't no city man, but she won't listen."
    With another glance at Duvarney, he said, "How'd she look?"
    "Great. She's a very pretty young woman."
    Tom filled two cups with the hot coffee. "Did you see any Munsons? I mean, around Indianola."
    Tap ignored the question. "How did you know I'd arrived? Or did you know?"
    "Cap'n Wilkes. He dipped the flag when he passed the point. We'd agreed on the signal."
    He paused a moment. "You're drivin' the rig ... where's Foster?"
    "They killed him. He was killed just about the time we were coming up to the wharf.
    I buried him in your family lot."
    "You what?"
    "You didn't want him buried there? Didn't seem that I had much choice."
    "They let you bury him? Of course, we'd want him in our lot, or anywhere we could manage, and the best. But Indianola is mostly a Munson town. There's two or three of the clan live there, and always some of them are circulatin' about."
    Over coffee, Tap Duvarney told about the burial and the brief encounter with Shab, or Shabbit. Of the brief fight on the wharf he said nothing at all.
    "Tom," he said abruptly, "let's get the herd together and get out. The feud is none of my business, and I don't intend to make it mine. Every dime I've got in the world is tied up in that venture."
    Tom Kittery looked at him, his eyes suddenly hard. "That's right. It isn't none of your affair, and I'm not expecting you to take a hand in it. Nonetheless, you may have to before we get those cattle out of the state."
    Johnny Lubec got up angrily. "I thought you said he was a friend of yours? He sure don't sound like it to me!"
    Kittery said nothing, but stared into the fire. Tap Duvarney looked at Lubec. "I consider myself Tom's friend, but that does not involve me in a shooting war that began God only knows how-and years ago, from all I've heard. If I were a member of his family, I might feel otherwise, but I am not. Furthermore, Tom and I made an agreement, and I expect him to live up to it."
    "Don't count yourself any friend of mine!" Lubec responded, his tone harsh. "Far as I'm concerned, them as ain't for us is against us."
    Tap turned to Kittery, "Tom, if you don't like the sound of this, just give me back my money and we'll forget it."
    Kittery looked up. "You know damn well I can't give that money back. I spent it.
    I bought cattle."
    "Then we've got a deal." Tap reached across the fire for the coffeepot. "I'll be ready to go after those cattle in the morning."
    "You got to wait." Lubec spoke with cool triumph. "We're goin' after them as killed