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.He let go of the chair with his righthand and drew his gun.Brazos let him swing it upward.Then he leaped aside and shot.Bodkin's gunboomed so close afterward that the two shots seemed simultaneous.But Bodkin's bullet crashed through the window and Brazos's reached its mark.Then the cowboy faced the ill-assorted group of men who had assembled there asBodkin's guests.They stood as if petrified."Henderson, yu're in bad company," rang out Brazos, "an' no matter what yoreexcuse, it'll be remembered in Las Animas.Miller, I'm brandin' yu as hand an'glove with this Surface ootfit.Yu businessmen an' yu strangers all knowBodkin now for what he was.An' I reckon thet'll be aboot all for Brazos Keenein Colorado."CHAPTER 13He rode away at dawn as the sun was reddening the grey landscape, without everonce looking back, as he had done so often in his tumultuous life.His heading for the south, however, towards Texas, had an air of finality.Thirst for adventure and even for romance had been effectually killed.AsBrazos took to the well-worn cattle trail, he felt sick and old and unhappy.He came at length to Doan's Crossing, one of the famous old posts of thefrontier.Doan's Crossing had grown to be a settlement.The huge rambling trading-postappeared the same as the picture in his memory.But it fronted on the cornerof a wide street that stretched far between grey flat houses and red-walledbuildings."Wal, doggone me!" ejaculated, Brazos mildly."Tom Doan has shore thrown up ametropolis."As he slid wearily out of his saddle a lanky young Texan met him with a keengaze."Howdy, rider.Air you stayin' over?""Howdy, young feller.I reckon my hawss is lame.Will you put him up and lookafter him?""Yu bet," replied the lad."Tom Doan heah yet?""Shore, Tom's heah, big as life.Mister, there's Doan comin' now."Brazos's glance lighted upon a tall Texan approaching.Same old Tom Doan!Brazos could have picked him out of a hundred Texans, though they all weresandy-haired, sallow-faced, with slits of grey fire for eyes."Howdy, stranger.Git down an' come in," was the greeting."Haven't I seen youbefore?""Tom, I reckon I'm starved and thin and black with this heah dust and beard.But it's a downright insult for you not to know me," drawled Brazos.Doan straightened up from his close scrutiny and broke into a broad smile."Wal, talk of the devil an' heah he is! Brazos Keene!""Yep, it's Keene all right.And how air you.Tom?"The warm smile, the hard grip, and the hand on his shoulder thrilled some ofthe weariness out of Brazos."I reckon I'm downright glad to see yu, Tom," he responded hoarsely."Say, yu're spittin' cotton.Come in, boy, an' hev a drink.""Wal, I need one, Tom.But not red likker."Doan led Brazos through a lane of curious riders into the post.The hugeinterior, its adobe walls decorated with Indian ornaments, the colouredblankets and utensils hanging from the rafters, the counters laden withmerchandise, and especially the great open fireplace at the end--all theseappeared just the same as if he had seen them yesterday.But there was a widedoor that Brazos did not remember.It led in to a saloon full of smoke andnoise."Tom, what the hell has come off about heah?" asked Brazos, after he hadquenched his thirst.Page 46 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Brazos, we've growed up.Doan's Crossing is a town.""Hell, Tom, I ain't blind.But how come? There never was nothin' heah.Wal,nothin' but buffalo, Injuns, and trail-herd rustlers."Doan laughed."So we used to think, cowboy.But we was blind.There's richland heah.Lots of farms, ranches.We've got a growin' town.A dozen storesan' more, too many saloons, a school an' a church an' a doctor.I've added ahotel to my post.Two stages a week, herds still trailin' north, travel heavy.Aw, Doan's Crossing is boomin'.""Wal, doggone! I'm shore glad.""Brazos, where yu headin'?""West of the Pecos," replied Keene ponderingly, his gaze averted."Aw! Don't tell me yu are on the dodge, Brazos?""Not atall.Tom, I want a room and hot water.Last time I was heah I slept onthe counter oot there.Recollect thet?""I shore do.An' you didn't need no bath, 'cause yu an' Herb Ellerslie gotpiled off in the river.""Gosh, Tom, yu do remember heaps.What become of Herb Ellerslie?""Shot, Brazos.Shot at Dodge by a gambler named Cardigan?'"Aw, no! I'm sorry.Cardigan? I'll remember thet name.How aboot Wess Tanner?""Jest fine.Come to think of it, Wess will be along any day now.""Wouldn't I like to see Wess!" ejaculated Brazos dreamily, following his hostout of the saloon.Doan halted at the end of a corridor, which opened into a green and flowerypatio.He was ushered into a room that spoke eloquently of the advance Doan'sCrossing had made toward civilisation."Doggone! Tom, this heah is mighty stylish for me.Wonder if I can sleep inthet bed.""Wal, you look like you needed to," replied Doan with a laugh."I'll send somehot water.You got about a half hour before supper."Brazos laid off his sombrero, his gun, spurs, and chaps.Then he opened hissaddlebags to take out his last clean shirt scarf and socks, and also hisshaving outfit."Heigho!" he sighed, and sat down on the bed."Doan's Crossing--JesseChisholm's Trail--and I'm a broken old man!"That night, tired as he was, Brazos could not sleep.The bed felt too soft,too comfortable.He lay awake, thinking [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He let go of the chair with his righthand and drew his gun.Brazos let him swing it upward.Then he leaped aside and shot.Bodkin's gunboomed so close afterward that the two shots seemed simultaneous.But Bodkin's bullet crashed through the window and Brazos's reached its mark.Then the cowboy faced the ill-assorted group of men who had assembled there asBodkin's guests.They stood as if petrified."Henderson, yu're in bad company," rang out Brazos, "an' no matter what yoreexcuse, it'll be remembered in Las Animas.Miller, I'm brandin' yu as hand an'glove with this Surface ootfit.Yu businessmen an' yu strangers all knowBodkin now for what he was.An' I reckon thet'll be aboot all for Brazos Keenein Colorado."CHAPTER 13He rode away at dawn as the sun was reddening the grey landscape, without everonce looking back, as he had done so often in his tumultuous life.His heading for the south, however, towards Texas, had an air of finality.Thirst for adventure and even for romance had been effectually killed.AsBrazos took to the well-worn cattle trail, he felt sick and old and unhappy.He came at length to Doan's Crossing, one of the famous old posts of thefrontier.Doan's Crossing had grown to be a settlement.The huge rambling trading-postappeared the same as the picture in his memory.But it fronted on the cornerof a wide street that stretched far between grey flat houses and red-walledbuildings."Wal, doggone me!" ejaculated, Brazos mildly."Tom Doan has shore thrown up ametropolis."As he slid wearily out of his saddle a lanky young Texan met him with a keengaze."Howdy, rider.Air you stayin' over?""Howdy, young feller.I reckon my hawss is lame.Will you put him up and lookafter him?""Yu bet," replied the lad."Tom Doan heah yet?""Shore, Tom's heah, big as life.Mister, there's Doan comin' now."Brazos's glance lighted upon a tall Texan approaching.Same old Tom Doan!Brazos could have picked him out of a hundred Texans, though they all weresandy-haired, sallow-faced, with slits of grey fire for eyes."Howdy, stranger.Git down an' come in," was the greeting."Haven't I seen youbefore?""Tom, I reckon I'm starved and thin and black with this heah dust and beard.But it's a downright insult for you not to know me," drawled Brazos.Doan straightened up from his close scrutiny and broke into a broad smile."Wal, talk of the devil an' heah he is! Brazos Keene!""Yep, it's Keene all right.And how air you.Tom?"The warm smile, the hard grip, and the hand on his shoulder thrilled some ofthe weariness out of Brazos."I reckon I'm downright glad to see yu, Tom," he responded hoarsely."Say, yu're spittin' cotton.Come in, boy, an' hev a drink.""Wal, I need one, Tom.But not red likker."Doan led Brazos through a lane of curious riders into the post.The hugeinterior, its adobe walls decorated with Indian ornaments, the colouredblankets and utensils hanging from the rafters, the counters laden withmerchandise, and especially the great open fireplace at the end--all theseappeared just the same as if he had seen them yesterday.But there was a widedoor that Brazos did not remember.It led in to a saloon full of smoke andnoise."Tom, what the hell has come off about heah?" asked Brazos, after he hadquenched his thirst.Page 46 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Brazos, we've growed up.Doan's Crossing is a town.""Hell, Tom, I ain't blind.But how come? There never was nothin' heah.Wal,nothin' but buffalo, Injuns, and trail-herd rustlers."Doan laughed."So we used to think, cowboy.But we was blind.There's richland heah.Lots of farms, ranches.We've got a growin' town.A dozen storesan' more, too many saloons, a school an' a church an' a doctor.I've added ahotel to my post.Two stages a week, herds still trailin' north, travel heavy.Aw, Doan's Crossing is boomin'.""Wal, doggone! I'm shore glad.""Brazos, where yu headin'?""West of the Pecos," replied Keene ponderingly, his gaze averted."Aw! Don't tell me yu are on the dodge, Brazos?""Not atall.Tom, I want a room and hot water.Last time I was heah I slept onthe counter oot there.Recollect thet?""I shore do.An' you didn't need no bath, 'cause yu an' Herb Ellerslie gotpiled off in the river.""Gosh, Tom, yu do remember heaps.What become of Herb Ellerslie?""Shot, Brazos.Shot at Dodge by a gambler named Cardigan?'"Aw, no! I'm sorry.Cardigan? I'll remember thet name.How aboot Wess Tanner?""Jest fine.Come to think of it, Wess will be along any day now.""Wouldn't I like to see Wess!" ejaculated Brazos dreamily, following his hostout of the saloon.Doan halted at the end of a corridor, which opened into a green and flowerypatio.He was ushered into a room that spoke eloquently of the advance Doan'sCrossing had made toward civilisation."Doggone! Tom, this heah is mighty stylish for me.Wonder if I can sleep inthet bed.""Wal, you look like you needed to," replied Doan with a laugh."I'll send somehot water.You got about a half hour before supper."Brazos laid off his sombrero, his gun, spurs, and chaps.Then he opened hissaddlebags to take out his last clean shirt scarf and socks, and also hisshaving outfit."Heigho!" he sighed, and sat down on the bed."Doan's Crossing--JesseChisholm's Trail--and I'm a broken old man!"That night, tired as he was, Brazos could not sleep.The bed felt too soft,too comfortable.He lay awake, thinking [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]