pain.”
“By causing me pain? It won’t work, Kilkenny. Yes, I often call you that. Everyone does. The mysterious Kilkenny, the unknown Kilkenny. Sometimes I wonder if I ever knew you myself, and if you weren’t just a dream I had, and then I try to go to sleep again and I remember how your arms felt, and your kisses, I remember how you stood in the center of that room and spoke to me first. Remember what you said, Lance? You don’t remember—trust a man to forget, but I remember. I remember every word you’ve said to me, at any time. Even the foolish little things you’ve said.”
He looked at her and tried to find words and there were none. He watched her lips, the rise of her high breasts as she spoke, the wetness of her lips. He turned sharply away, stabbed by sudden pain. Maybe he was a fool. “I’d better get saddled,” he said, “we can’t stay here.”
She smiled at him, laughing a little. “Tough aren’t you? Big and tough! But I know you. Under all that you’re sentimental as a kid. And you love me. I’ve known that from the start, and that’s what irritates me about you. Walking away from me!”
Nita dropped to her knees and began to roll his bed. “Get your horse. I’ll fix this bedroll.”
When he had the gray saddled he strapped the bed-roll behind the saddle and helped her with her black mare. They both mounted and he grinned at her. “All right, you tyrant! Wake a man up looking so gorgeous it hurts! Now take me to breakfast!”
“You think I won’t? And if Maria doesn’t have it ready, I’ll fix it for you.” She led off, starting for the switchback trail over the Comb. “You know, I’m almost as glad for Cain as I am for myself. Without you he’s like a big dog with no master. He needs you, Lance.”
“How is he?”
“Fine, and as big and ugly as ever. You should never have broken his nose, Lance. It was probably his one good feature.”
“If I hadn’t, he’d have killed me. That big lug can fight!”
“I’ve seen him.”
“Does he ever mention Abel?”
“Rarely. What was he like, Lance? I never knew him well.”
“Vicious. A killer. Completely and entirely criminal, and very dominating. Cain was never bad, it was just that he followed Abel’s lead. That was a good job I did, killing him. A good job for Cain if for no one else.”
“He thinks so, too. And he says you were the only person who ever treated him decently, and the only one who could ever handle him.”
They rode in silence for a distance and then Nita looked around at him, pausing to breathe her mare. “What’s going to happen, Lance?”
“We’re going to hit Forty. Tonight. And hit ’em hard.”
“And then?”
“Every man for himself. Tetlow will turn loose his dogs then and it’ll be kill or be killed all along the line.”
“That Dee Havalik—I’ve seen him, Lance. He’s mean, cruel.”
Kilkenny shrugged. They topped the ridge and the sun burst bright in their faces. Far below them lay the ranch house and along the distant line of the two ranches was a line of sprawled dark figures, dead cattle.
Beyond them was a dark mass of gathering weight. Suddenly, he was worried. “Let’s get down here! They may start something before we can!”
Suddenly the dark herd began to move and behind them, far behind them came a wave of riders firing into the air, starting the cattle They gathered themselves and lunged, plunging across the line at breakneck speed.
Kilkenny drew up, appalled. “My God! I hope the boys aren’t down there! If they are, they’re dead!”
Chapter 6
N ITA CAUGHT HIS arm. Her face was pale. “Oh, Lance! Jaime! And Cain! The rest of them! What could have happened to them?”
“I wish I knew,” he said soberly, “but we can’t find out now. If Tetlow’s gone this far it means he’s ready to go all the way. I’ve got to get you out of here, Nita. Some place where it’s safe.”
“In town?”
“No.” His mind was leaping ahead. It would not be
“By causing me pain? It won’t work, Kilkenny. Yes, I often call you that. Everyone does. The mysterious Kilkenny, the unknown Kilkenny. Sometimes I wonder if I ever knew you myself, and if you weren’t just a dream I had, and then I try to go to sleep again and I remember how your arms felt, and your kisses, I remember how you stood in the center of that room and spoke to me first. Remember what you said, Lance? You don’t remember—trust a man to forget, but I remember. I remember every word you’ve said to me, at any time. Even the foolish little things you’ve said.”
He looked at her and tried to find words and there were none. He watched her lips, the rise of her high breasts as she spoke, the wetness of her lips. He turned sharply away, stabbed by sudden pain. Maybe he was a fool. “I’d better get saddled,” he said, “we can’t stay here.”
She smiled at him, laughing a little. “Tough aren’t you? Big and tough! But I know you. Under all that you’re sentimental as a kid. And you love me. I’ve known that from the start, and that’s what irritates me about you. Walking away from me!”
Nita dropped to her knees and began to roll his bed. “Get your horse. I’ll fix this bedroll.”
When he had the gray saddled he strapped the bed-roll behind the saddle and helped her with her black mare. They both mounted and he grinned at her. “All right, you tyrant! Wake a man up looking so gorgeous it hurts! Now take me to breakfast!”
“You think I won’t? And if Maria doesn’t have it ready, I’ll fix it for you.” She led off, starting for the switchback trail over the Comb. “You know, I’m almost as glad for Cain as I am for myself. Without you he’s like a big dog with no master. He needs you, Lance.”
“How is he?”
“Fine, and as big and ugly as ever. You should never have broken his nose, Lance. It was probably his one good feature.”
“If I hadn’t, he’d have killed me. That big lug can fight!”
“I’ve seen him.”
“Does he ever mention Abel?”
“Rarely. What was he like, Lance? I never knew him well.”
“Vicious. A killer. Completely and entirely criminal, and very dominating. Cain was never bad, it was just that he followed Abel’s lead. That was a good job I did, killing him. A good job for Cain if for no one else.”
“He thinks so, too. And he says you were the only person who ever treated him decently, and the only one who could ever handle him.”
They rode in silence for a distance and then Nita looked around at him, pausing to breathe her mare. “What’s going to happen, Lance?”
“We’re going to hit Forty. Tonight. And hit ’em hard.”
“And then?”
“Every man for himself. Tetlow will turn loose his dogs then and it’ll be kill or be killed all along the line.”
“That Dee Havalik—I’ve seen him, Lance. He’s mean, cruel.”
Kilkenny shrugged. They topped the ridge and the sun burst bright in their faces. Far below them lay the ranch house and along the distant line of the two ranches was a line of sprawled dark figures, dead cattle.
Beyond them was a dark mass of gathering weight. Suddenly, he was worried. “Let’s get down here! They may start something before we can!”
Suddenly the dark herd began to move and behind them, far behind them came a wave of riders firing into the air, starting the cattle They gathered themselves and lunged, plunging across the line at breakneck speed.
Kilkenny drew up, appalled. “My God! I hope the boys aren’t down there! If they are, they’re dead!”
Chapter 6
N ITA CAUGHT HIS arm. Her face was pale. “Oh, Lance! Jaime! And Cain! The rest of them! What could have happened to them?”
“I wish I knew,” he said soberly, “but we can’t find out now. If Tetlow’s gone this far it means he’s ready to go all the way. I’ve got to get you out of here, Nita. Some place where it’s safe.”
“In town?”
“No.” His mind was leaping ahead. It would not be
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