Read Online Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry - Free Book Online
Authors: Larry McMurtry
Tags: Fiction, Literary, General, Historical, Action & Adventure, Western Stories, Texas, Westerns, Cultural Heritage, Texas Rangers, Comanche Indians, McCrae; Augustus (Fictitious Character), Call; Woodrow (Fictitious Character)
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run from any man, yet he felt as if he should still be running. He needed to get farther from Buffalo Hump than he was, and as fast as he could. He just didn't know where to run.
Matilda thought the tall Tennessee boy looked a little green around the gills. Though she was stiff with Gus when he importuned her, she liked the boy, and winced when the lance was being pulled out. He was a lively boy, brash but not really bad. Once or twice she had even extended him credit--he seemed to need it so, and a minute or less did for him, usually. She could occasionally spare a minute for a brash boy with a line of gab.
"Sit down, Gussie," she said. "You oughtn't to be exercising too much just yet." "Let him exercise, it might keep that leg from stiffening up," the Major said. "It's a good thing that wound bled like it did." "Yes, good," Sam said. "Otherwise he be dying soon." "Comanches dip their lances in dog shit," Bigfoot informed them. "You don't want to get that much dog inside you, if you can help it.
Better to bleed it out." "Sit down, Gussie," Matilda said again.
"Sit down by me, unless you don't like me anymore." Gus hobbled over and sat down by Matilda.
He was a little surprised that she had been so inviting. It wasn't that he didn't like her anymore, it was that he liked her too much; for a moment he had an urge to throw himself into Matilda's lap and cry. Of course, such an action would be the ruin of him, among the hardened Rangers. Rather than cry, he scooted as close to Matilda's comforting bulk as he could get without actually sitting in her lap. He gulped a time or two, but managed not to break down and sob.
He saw old Shadrach mount his horse and ride off into the darkness. Shadrach said not a word, and no one tried to stop him or ask him where he was going.
"Doesn't he know that big Comanche with the hump is still out there?" Gus asked. He thought the old man must be completely daft, to ride into the darkness with such an Indian near.
Call, too, was shocked by Shadrach's departure. Buffalo Hump was out there, and even Shadrach would be no match for him. No one Call knew would be a match for him--not alone; Call felt sure of that, although he had only seen the man for a second, in the flash of a lightning strike.
But Shadrach left, with no one offering him a word of caution. Bigfoot didn't seem to give Shadrach's departure a second thought, and Major Chevallie merely frowned a little when he saw the mountain man ride away.
"What now, Major?" Ezekiel Moody asked. It was a question everyone would have liked an answer to, but Major Chevallie ignored the question. He said nothing.
Ezekiel looked at Josh Corn, and Josh Corn looked at Rip Green. Long Bill looked at Bob Bascom, who looked at one-eyed Johnny Carthage.
"Now where would Shad be going, this time of night?" Johnny asked. "It's no time to be exercising your mount--not if it means leaving the troop, not if you ask me." "I didn't hear Shad ask you, Johnny," Bigfoot said.
"That's twice today he's left, though," the Major said. "It's vexing." Bigfoot walked over to the edge of the camp, lay flat down, and pressed his ear to the ground.
"Is he listening for worms--does he mean to fish?" Gus asked Call, perplexed by Bigfoot's behaviour.
"No, he's listening for horses--Comanche horses," Matilda said. "Shut up and let him listen." Bigfoot soon stood up and came back to the fire.
"Nobody's coming right this minute," he said.
"If there were hundreds of horses on the move, I'd hear them." "That don't mean they won't show up tomorrow, though," he added.
"Why tomorrow?" several men asked at once. Tomorrow was only an hour or two away.
"Full moon," Bigfoot said. "It's what they call the Comanche moon. They like to raid into Mexico, down this old war trail, when the moon is full. They like that old Comanche moon." Major Chevallie knew he had only about an hour in which to decide on a course of action.
Of course the old woman might be daft; there might be no
Matilda thought the tall Tennessee boy looked a little green around the gills. Though she was stiff with Gus when he importuned her, she liked the boy, and winced when the lance was being pulled out. He was a lively boy, brash but not really bad. Once or twice she had even extended him credit--he seemed to need it so, and a minute or less did for him, usually. She could occasionally spare a minute for a brash boy with a line of gab.
"Sit down, Gussie," she said. "You oughtn't to be exercising too much just yet." "Let him exercise, it might keep that leg from stiffening up," the Major said. "It's a good thing that wound bled like it did." "Yes, good," Sam said. "Otherwise he be dying soon." "Comanches dip their lances in dog shit," Bigfoot informed them. "You don't want to get that much dog inside you, if you can help it.
Better to bleed it out." "Sit down, Gussie," Matilda said again.
"Sit down by me, unless you don't like me anymore." Gus hobbled over and sat down by Matilda.
He was a little surprised that she had been so inviting. It wasn't that he didn't like her anymore, it was that he liked her too much; for a moment he had an urge to throw himself into Matilda's lap and cry. Of course, such an action would be the ruin of him, among the hardened Rangers. Rather than cry, he scooted as close to Matilda's comforting bulk as he could get without actually sitting in her lap. He gulped a time or two, but managed not to break down and sob.
He saw old Shadrach mount his horse and ride off into the darkness. Shadrach said not a word, and no one tried to stop him or ask him where he was going.
"Doesn't he know that big Comanche with the hump is still out there?" Gus asked. He thought the old man must be completely daft, to ride into the darkness with such an Indian near.
Call, too, was shocked by Shadrach's departure. Buffalo Hump was out there, and even Shadrach would be no match for him. No one Call knew would be a match for him--not alone; Call felt sure of that, although he had only seen the man for a second, in the flash of a lightning strike.
But Shadrach left, with no one offering him a word of caution. Bigfoot didn't seem to give Shadrach's departure a second thought, and Major Chevallie merely frowned a little when he saw the mountain man ride away.
"What now, Major?" Ezekiel Moody asked. It was a question everyone would have liked an answer to, but Major Chevallie ignored the question. He said nothing.
Ezekiel looked at Josh Corn, and Josh Corn looked at Rip Green. Long Bill looked at Bob Bascom, who looked at one-eyed Johnny Carthage.
"Now where would Shad be going, this time of night?" Johnny asked. "It's no time to be exercising your mount--not if it means leaving the troop, not if you ask me." "I didn't hear Shad ask you, Johnny," Bigfoot said.
"That's twice today he's left, though," the Major said. "It's vexing." Bigfoot walked over to the edge of the camp, lay flat down, and pressed his ear to the ground.
"Is he listening for worms--does he mean to fish?" Gus asked Call, perplexed by Bigfoot's behaviour.
"No, he's listening for horses--Comanche horses," Matilda said. "Shut up and let him listen." Bigfoot soon stood up and came back to the fire.
"Nobody's coming right this minute," he said.
"If there were hundreds of horses on the move, I'd hear them." "That don't mean they won't show up tomorrow, though," he added.
"Why tomorrow?" several men asked at once. Tomorrow was only an hour or two away.
"Full moon," Bigfoot said. "It's what they call the Comanche moon. They like to raid into Mexico, down this old war trail, when the moon is full. They like that old Comanche moon." Major Chevallie knew he had only about an hour in which to decide on a course of action.
Of course the old woman might be daft; there might be no
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