Read Online Passin' Through (1985) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Louis L'amour
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was well back in the shadow of the pines and, I hoped, invisible to them, as long as I remained still.
One of the riders was astride a black horse with a splash of white over its rump. The man who had come to the ranch with Lew Paine had ridden such a horse, the man who had placed the noose around my neck.
They were a good half-mile away, and as I watched they began to ride along the ridge, dipping down into the saddle, riding west and closer to the ranch. There were trails from the ridge to the meadows, as I'd seen one of them. They dipped into the trees and I lost them.
Keeping under cover, I headed for the ranch. What they had in mind I did not know, but when they arrived, I'd be waiting.
Waiting, and with a Winchester . . .
Chapter Eight
The buckskin would be hard to see against the mottled greens and browns of the mountainside, and my clothes were nondescript. Keeping under the shelter of the ponderosa, I wove a course west above the trail, then dipped down into a draw that ended behind the house.
Unfortunately, I startled a deer feeding on the slope behind the house, but he ran off just a few yards and stopped, looking around. When it seemed obvious I wasn't on the hunt, he just went to feeding again.
Lazy smoke rose from the chimney and I stepped down from the saddle and went to the side door, leaving my horse tied to a willow tree back of the house. Winchester in hand, I knocked on the door.
Matty opened it. "Trouble coming," I said. "I wanted you should know."
"That detective again?"
"Lew Paine and a couple of riders. They're up on the ridge but they're keeping from sight and I don't know what they have in mind. You folks keep quiet and out of sight."
Taking a chair, I sat back inside the window but where I could keep a watch. There was a low ridge back of the creek that worried me some but it did not offer much cover. It did provide an easy place to watch the house and within easy rifle range. They could get to it without me seeing them. If they came down the meadow and around the end of the ridge I'd have them covered. There was a place back the way I'd come that would allow me to cover that ridge. I got up. "Just wanted you to know. No matter what happens, you folks stay inside. I'll be around doin' what's needful."
Taking my rifle, I went back to the buckskin, mounted, and went back along the draw I'd followed from up on the mountain. When some scrub oak and a cedar tree offered cover, I rode up out of the draw and into the trees. Tying my horse to some brush, I went down through the trees until I found the spot I wanted.
It was a warm, clear day. A few puffballs of cloud floated about, as they nearly always did in this country, and it was pleasant setting there, smelling the pines. There was a litter of pinecones among the needles on the ground, and away from the trees the tall grass moved when stirred by the wind.
They came out of the trees at the head of the meadow, then crossed to the near side where I could no longer see them. What they had in mind I'd no idea, unless they meant to try and scare the womenfolks. They knew I wouldn't scare, but they might not know I'd returned from Parrott City.
When they reached the end of the concealment offered by one of those long knolls they stepped down from their horses and led them, keeping to low ground and heading for that ridge. There was some low brush on the ridge, and a few scattered trees. I'd had a look at the ridge when I first rode around on the ranch and knew it was rocky ground with only thin grass.
A magpie lit on a low branch near me and cocked his head at me, trying to decide whether my being there was reason enough to make a fuss. Finally, after pecking at a few items in the grass he flew off about his business, and I eased the rifle from the ground, keeping it out of the sunlight as I wanted no flash from sunlight on the barrel to warn them.
They'd found the place they wanted, and Lew Paine rested his rifle in the crotch of a small
One of the riders was astride a black horse with a splash of white over its rump. The man who had come to the ranch with Lew Paine had ridden such a horse, the man who had placed the noose around my neck.
They were a good half-mile away, and as I watched they began to ride along the ridge, dipping down into the saddle, riding west and closer to the ranch. There were trails from the ridge to the meadows, as I'd seen one of them. They dipped into the trees and I lost them.
Keeping under cover, I headed for the ranch. What they had in mind I did not know, but when they arrived, I'd be waiting.
Waiting, and with a Winchester . . .
Chapter Eight
The buckskin would be hard to see against the mottled greens and browns of the mountainside, and my clothes were nondescript. Keeping under the shelter of the ponderosa, I wove a course west above the trail, then dipped down into a draw that ended behind the house.
Unfortunately, I startled a deer feeding on the slope behind the house, but he ran off just a few yards and stopped, looking around. When it seemed obvious I wasn't on the hunt, he just went to feeding again.
Lazy smoke rose from the chimney and I stepped down from the saddle and went to the side door, leaving my horse tied to a willow tree back of the house. Winchester in hand, I knocked on the door.
Matty opened it. "Trouble coming," I said. "I wanted you should know."
"That detective again?"
"Lew Paine and a couple of riders. They're up on the ridge but they're keeping from sight and I don't know what they have in mind. You folks keep quiet and out of sight."
Taking a chair, I sat back inside the window but where I could keep a watch. There was a low ridge back of the creek that worried me some but it did not offer much cover. It did provide an easy place to watch the house and within easy rifle range. They could get to it without me seeing them. If they came down the meadow and around the end of the ridge I'd have them covered. There was a place back the way I'd come that would allow me to cover that ridge. I got up. "Just wanted you to know. No matter what happens, you folks stay inside. I'll be around doin' what's needful."
Taking my rifle, I went back to the buckskin, mounted, and went back along the draw I'd followed from up on the mountain. When some scrub oak and a cedar tree offered cover, I rode up out of the draw and into the trees. Tying my horse to some brush, I went down through the trees until I found the spot I wanted.
It was a warm, clear day. A few puffballs of cloud floated about, as they nearly always did in this country, and it was pleasant setting there, smelling the pines. There was a litter of pinecones among the needles on the ground, and away from the trees the tall grass moved when stirred by the wind.
They came out of the trees at the head of the meadow, then crossed to the near side where I could no longer see them. What they had in mind I'd no idea, unless they meant to try and scare the womenfolks. They knew I wouldn't scare, but they might not know I'd returned from Parrott City.
When they reached the end of the concealment offered by one of those long knolls they stepped down from their horses and led them, keeping to low ground and heading for that ridge. There was some low brush on the ridge, and a few scattered trees. I'd had a look at the ridge when I first rode around on the ranch and knew it was rocky ground with only thin grass.
A magpie lit on a low branch near me and cocked his head at me, trying to decide whether my being there was reason enough to make a fuss. Finally, after pecking at a few items in the grass he flew off about his business, and I eased the rifle from the ground, keeping it out of the sunlight as I wanted no flash from sunlight on the barrel to warn them.
They'd found the place they wanted, and Lew Paine rested his rifle in the crotch of a small
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