Read Online Reilly's Luck (1970) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Louis L'amour
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line of trees.
"Wait a minute." Will stopped. "We've got to get horses--"
"They're waiting in the barn over there," Val pointed. "I had Luigi put them there. I paid for them," he added, "out of your anchor money."
That anchor money had been a joke between them. It was a little money Will Reilly always kept for a road stake in the event he had to move swiftly. He had once jokingly referred to it as his up-anchor money, but the phrase had somehow been trimmed over the years.
They walked swiftly. Will Reilly was no fool. He was a traveler with no local standing, and no influence, while Prince Pavel came from a powerful family with connections in many European countries. If Will Reilly was arrested now there would be small prospect of escape.
"We're going to be in trouble," he said to Val. "I haven't been gambling lately, and I've spent a good bit. I wish we dared go back and get that anchor money."
"We don't need to," Val replied, "I've got it here."
They dipped down through a stream bed, crossed a stone wall, and went up the grassy slope to the barn. Luigi got up from where he had been sitting. "The horses are saddled," he said, "but you must hurry."
There were three horses, and Luigi said, "You would never get over the mountains without me, and if I take you over the mountains you might take me to America."
"That we will," Reilly said, and swung into the saddle.
They followed footpaths and cart roads to the village of Axams, then across country toward the Sellrainer.
It was clear and cool. The wind from off the Alps was fresh, the horses lively, eager to go. The meadows were matted with wild flowers. The mountain slopes were dark forests of pine. Once a small blue butterfly lit for an instant on the mane of Val's horse and then was gone.
There was no sound but the beat of hoofs. How long before their route would be discovered? How long before pursuit could be organized? A man was dead, and another man of power and influence had been beaten with a whip. They would come, Val was sure of that.
Will led the way Luigi had pointed, and Luigi fell back beside Val. "Tell me. What happened?"
When Val had told him, his only comment was, "It is what I said, he is a man, that one!"
"Where are you taking us?"
He pointed at the vast wall of the Stubaier Alps. "Over that. On the other side is Italy; or if you wish we can go west, and there is Switzerland."
"But they will follow us."
He shrugged. "They will try all the roads first. It will give us time. Not many know the way we are going, although the mountaineers would guess. They will not know at first that we are mounted, and they will try to close the best-known roads. By the time they know what we have done, we shall, with luck, be lost back in the Alps."
When they reached the Sellrainer there was a good cart road that followed the stream as far as the village of Gries, where a footpath continued on up the gorge of the Melach. It was wild and picturesque. Somewhere near was the hunting lodge of the Emperor Maximilian I, but they had no time to think of such things. Soon they would leave the horses at the farm of a man known to Luigi, and from there on it was walk all the way.
"We can get what we need from my friend," Luigi said. "He has warm clothes, boots, packsacks ... everything."
"I will want a good rifle," Will said.
Luigi shrugged. "That, I think, is impossible. We will have enough to carry without it."
They were climbing steadily. Around them the high fields were green, and there were many butterflies, mostly of the small blue variety, and many birds. Twice he saw what Luigi told him were golden eagles, and once the fearedlammergeier, or bearded vulture.
The farm of Luigi's friend was a pleasant place when they came to it, a barn for the cows, sheepfold, and a rather larger than usual house with white walls and an overhanging roof. They rode into the yard and a short, stocky man appeared in the doorway, studied them carefully for a moment, and then came down
"Wait a minute." Will stopped. "We've got to get horses--"
"They're waiting in the barn over there," Val pointed. "I had Luigi put them there. I paid for them," he added, "out of your anchor money."
That anchor money had been a joke between them. It was a little money Will Reilly always kept for a road stake in the event he had to move swiftly. He had once jokingly referred to it as his up-anchor money, but the phrase had somehow been trimmed over the years.
They walked swiftly. Will Reilly was no fool. He was a traveler with no local standing, and no influence, while Prince Pavel came from a powerful family with connections in many European countries. If Will Reilly was arrested now there would be small prospect of escape.
"We're going to be in trouble," he said to Val. "I haven't been gambling lately, and I've spent a good bit. I wish we dared go back and get that anchor money."
"We don't need to," Val replied, "I've got it here."
They dipped down through a stream bed, crossed a stone wall, and went up the grassy slope to the barn. Luigi got up from where he had been sitting. "The horses are saddled," he said, "but you must hurry."
There were three horses, and Luigi said, "You would never get over the mountains without me, and if I take you over the mountains you might take me to America."
"That we will," Reilly said, and swung into the saddle.
They followed footpaths and cart roads to the village of Axams, then across country toward the Sellrainer.
It was clear and cool. The wind from off the Alps was fresh, the horses lively, eager to go. The meadows were matted with wild flowers. The mountain slopes were dark forests of pine. Once a small blue butterfly lit for an instant on the mane of Val's horse and then was gone.
There was no sound but the beat of hoofs. How long before their route would be discovered? How long before pursuit could be organized? A man was dead, and another man of power and influence had been beaten with a whip. They would come, Val was sure of that.
Will led the way Luigi had pointed, and Luigi fell back beside Val. "Tell me. What happened?"
When Val had told him, his only comment was, "It is what I said, he is a man, that one!"
"Where are you taking us?"
He pointed at the vast wall of the Stubaier Alps. "Over that. On the other side is Italy; or if you wish we can go west, and there is Switzerland."
"But they will follow us."
He shrugged. "They will try all the roads first. It will give us time. Not many know the way we are going, although the mountaineers would guess. They will not know at first that we are mounted, and they will try to close the best-known roads. By the time they know what we have done, we shall, with luck, be lost back in the Alps."
When they reached the Sellrainer there was a good cart road that followed the stream as far as the village of Gries, where a footpath continued on up the gorge of the Melach. It was wild and picturesque. Somewhere near was the hunting lodge of the Emperor Maximilian I, but they had no time to think of such things. Soon they would leave the horses at the farm of a man known to Luigi, and from there on it was walk all the way.
"We can get what we need from my friend," Luigi said. "He has warm clothes, boots, packsacks ... everything."
"I will want a good rifle," Will said.
Luigi shrugged. "That, I think, is impossible. We will have enough to carry without it."
They were climbing steadily. Around them the high fields were green, and there were many butterflies, mostly of the small blue variety, and many birds. Twice he saw what Luigi told him were golden eagles, and once the fearedlammergeier, or bearded vulture.
The farm of Luigi's friend was a pleasant place when they came to it, a barn for the cows, sheepfold, and a rather larger than usual house with white walls and an overhanging roof. They rode into the yard and a short, stocky man appeared in the doorway, studied them carefully for a moment, and then came down
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