Read Online Passin' Through (1985) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Louis L'amour
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said, "and he made the wrong catch."
The stew was good. I ate another plate of it and drank some coffee. The man behind the counter was a talker, and he felt because I'd ridden the cow trails that I was an old friend. He told me a good bit about everybody in town, all the prospects and the plans. Most of it I'd heard before about other places, because everybody who starts a town believes it will be a metropolis, eventually.
"I don't see many strangers around," I objected, "not city men, anyway."
"Ever' once in a while," he said. "You ain't here like I am. They all come in this place to eat. There's one in town right now. He doesn't have much to say but he stands around listenin' to folks. He's some easterner, lookin' for good buys. I can tell. Fact is, he's lookin' for ranch property." The cook glanced at me. "That woman who owns the Phillips place? The one you work for? D'you think she'd sell?
Hers was one of the places he was inquirin' about."
I'll bet, I said to myself, I'll bet he asked a lot of questions.
"She might sell," I said, "but I doubt it. She was lookin' for a place to light when she met Phillips. Been an actress," I said, knowing he'd heard it all before, "an' tired of travel. She loves this country."
Turning side wise on the bench, I sipped my coffee, watching the street. Where was he now?
"How much?" I asked.
He spread his hands. "It's a tin roof," he said, "because you come over the trail."
" 'Tin roof?" I asked.
He grinned. "On the house," he said. "Feller sprung that on me one time and I liked it. Next time you can pay, but this is for old times' sake."
"You can't make any money that way," I protested.
He chuckled. "Don't you worry! These lots will make me rich! You'll see! This here town will boom! John Moss started the town and he knows what he's about. It's named for this big Frisco banker, and you know darned well no Frisco banker is goin' to let his town die! But it ain't that. The mines are rich! Rich, I tell you.
"Then there's cattle. Lots of men running cattle. Feller named Caviness come in with a big herd. Thompson, too. He's in that cove just west of where you're located.
"Some towns are minin', some are cow towns, but this has it all, minin', cattle, sheep, an' now the railroad."
"That's comin' to Animas City, I hear."
"Oh, sure! That's what they say, and it will, but do you think they'd pass up a boomin' town like this? They'll be in here within a year. You just wait an' see!"
A buckboard was tied up across the street, and a man and woman were getting down from it. Walking across, I untied my horse, glancing at the woman as I did so. She was young, quite pretty, and a city woman. The man with her looked like a businessman or an official of some kind. She gave me a quick look, then looked again. I tipped my hat and she looked quickly away, flushing a little. Stepping into the saddle, I rode out of town.
When I saw an opening in the scrub oak I rode through, taking a route a half- mile or so to the east of that I had taken when riding to Parrott City, so as not to follow the same route on my return. Several times I drew up, listening, and whenever possible checked my back trail by sitting my horse and watching the few open areas I'd crossed. Soon I was working my way through and around stands of ponderosa or aspen until I found myself in a clearing on the mountainside with a tremendous view of the ranch. Drawing rein, while sitting horse under a couple of tall pines, I studied the layout.
Backed by the long ridge, at least a thousand feet higher than the ranch buildings, it was a green and lovely place with several wooded knolls like thick fingers reaching out from the ridge toward Cherry Creek and the trail.
Between the knolls were meadows with find stands of grass. As I sat my saddle studying the place I saw three riders come from under the trees on the highest part of the ridge opposite. From where they were they had a great view of the ranch and of my area as well, but I
The stew was good. I ate another plate of it and drank some coffee. The man behind the counter was a talker, and he felt because I'd ridden the cow trails that I was an old friend. He told me a good bit about everybody in town, all the prospects and the plans. Most of it I'd heard before about other places, because everybody who starts a town believes it will be a metropolis, eventually.
"I don't see many strangers around," I objected, "not city men, anyway."
"Ever' once in a while," he said. "You ain't here like I am. They all come in this place to eat. There's one in town right now. He doesn't have much to say but he stands around listenin' to folks. He's some easterner, lookin' for good buys. I can tell. Fact is, he's lookin' for ranch property." The cook glanced at me. "That woman who owns the Phillips place? The one you work for? D'you think she'd sell?
Hers was one of the places he was inquirin' about."
I'll bet, I said to myself, I'll bet he asked a lot of questions.
"She might sell," I said, "but I doubt it. She was lookin' for a place to light when she met Phillips. Been an actress," I said, knowing he'd heard it all before, "an' tired of travel. She loves this country."
Turning side wise on the bench, I sipped my coffee, watching the street. Where was he now?
"How much?" I asked.
He spread his hands. "It's a tin roof," he said, "because you come over the trail."
" 'Tin roof?" I asked.
He grinned. "On the house," he said. "Feller sprung that on me one time and I liked it. Next time you can pay, but this is for old times' sake."
"You can't make any money that way," I protested.
He chuckled. "Don't you worry! These lots will make me rich! You'll see! This here town will boom! John Moss started the town and he knows what he's about. It's named for this big Frisco banker, and you know darned well no Frisco banker is goin' to let his town die! But it ain't that. The mines are rich! Rich, I tell you.
"Then there's cattle. Lots of men running cattle. Feller named Caviness come in with a big herd. Thompson, too. He's in that cove just west of where you're located.
"Some towns are minin', some are cow towns, but this has it all, minin', cattle, sheep, an' now the railroad."
"That's comin' to Animas City, I hear."
"Oh, sure! That's what they say, and it will, but do you think they'd pass up a boomin' town like this? They'll be in here within a year. You just wait an' see!"
A buckboard was tied up across the street, and a man and woman were getting down from it. Walking across, I untied my horse, glancing at the woman as I did so. She was young, quite pretty, and a city woman. The man with her looked like a businessman or an official of some kind. She gave me a quick look, then looked again. I tipped my hat and she looked quickly away, flushing a little. Stepping into the saddle, I rode out of town.
When I saw an opening in the scrub oak I rode through, taking a route a half- mile or so to the east of that I had taken when riding to Parrott City, so as not to follow the same route on my return. Several times I drew up, listening, and whenever possible checked my back trail by sitting my horse and watching the few open areas I'd crossed. Soon I was working my way through and around stands of ponderosa or aspen until I found myself in a clearing on the mountainside with a tremendous view of the ranch. Drawing rein, while sitting horse under a couple of tall pines, I studied the layout.
Backed by the long ridge, at least a thousand feet higher than the ranch buildings, it was a green and lovely place with several wooded knolls like thick fingers reaching out from the ridge toward Cherry Creek and the trail.
Between the knolls were meadows with find stands of grass. As I sat my saddle studying the place I saw three riders come from under the trees on the highest part of the ridge opposite. From where they were they had a great view of the ranch and of my area as well, but I
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