Read Online Showdown at Yellow Butte (1983) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis L'amour
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comment. He shaved, then dried his face and hands and walked into the house. It was amazingly neat. On a side table there were several books. Flowered curtains hung at the windows, and several copper dishes were burnished to brightness. He sat down and she brought him food: beef, eggs, and homemade bread with honey.
'Everybody's looking for you," she said. 'Where have you been?"
He accepted the statement and ignored the question. 'After that messenger was killed, I had to get out of Yellow Butte. I did. What's been happening?"
'Keith served a final ultimatum. We either move, or they run us out. McLennon refused.'
'He did right"
She turned on him, her eyes questioning. 'You think that? I thought you were their man?'
He looked up from his food and shook his head. d on't know where I stand, but I don't go for murder, not for running people out of their homes." "They can't stay, anyway. If this land becomes a reservation they will all be moved off. We will, too. They are foolish to fight."
"At least, the Government will buy their land and pay for their investment. In any event, the company has misrepresented things."
'Does it matter?' She sat down opposite him. "They will win. They have money, influence, an d power. The settlers here have nothing." She looked around her bitterly. "Perhaps you think I am going against my own people, but that's not true. These aren't my people. Pit and I don't belong here and we never have, although Pit won't see it. Do you think I want to slave my life away on this desert?" She leaned toward him. "Look, Captain Kedrick, you're one of them, not just working for them, not just a hired gunman like Dornie Shaw. You can lead the men you have, and I wouldn't be surprised but what you could even handle Keith. You could be a big man in this country, or any country.
"Why be foolish and start thinking like you are? These farmers and ranchers can do nothing for you. They can't even help themselves. The company will win, and if you are one of them, you will have a share in the winning. Don't be foolish, Captain. Stay with them. Do what you have to do."
"There are things more important than money. There's self-respect."
She stared at him, her eyes widening. "You don't really believe that? Try buying supplies with it, sometime. You won't get any place. But that isn't the point. You'll do what you want, but I want a man who will take me out of this desert." She got up quickly and came around the table. "You could do it, Captain. You could become rich, right here."
He smiled at her. "Ambitious, aren't you?"
"Why not? Being a rancher's wife doesn't appeal to me. I want to get away from here, go someplace, be something and enjoy life." She hesitated, studying him. "You could edge Gunter out of it, and Keith maybe even Burwick. But the first two would be easy, and I know how."
"You do?" He looked up at her. She stood ver y close to him, and she was smiling down at him. She was, he had to admit, a lovely girl. And an exciting one. Too exciting for comfort right now, and that was a fact she understood completely. "How?" She shook her head. "Oh, no! That I'd tell you only if you threw in with me, joined me. But this much I'll tell you John Gunter is small potatoes. They needed money, and he had that girl's money so they roped him in. Keith is dangerous because he is ambitious and unscrupulous, but the man to reckon with is Burwick. He will be top man when this thing is over, and you can bank on it. He has a way figured, all the time."
"You seem to know a great deal."
"I do. Men like me and men talk. They don't have any idea how much I lead them to say, or how much I remember."
"Why tell me all this?"
"Because you're the man who can do what has to be done. You could whip that bunch into line. All of them would listen to you, even Dornie Shaw and he's suspicious of you."
"Of me? Why?"
"He saw Dai Reid come from your room. He was watching you."
So that was it? He had suspected that Shaw had something
'Everybody's looking for you," she said. 'Where have you been?"
He accepted the statement and ignored the question. 'After that messenger was killed, I had to get out of Yellow Butte. I did. What's been happening?"
'Keith served a final ultimatum. We either move, or they run us out. McLennon refused.'
'He did right"
She turned on him, her eyes questioning. 'You think that? I thought you were their man?'
He looked up from his food and shook his head. d on't know where I stand, but I don't go for murder, not for running people out of their homes." "They can't stay, anyway. If this land becomes a reservation they will all be moved off. We will, too. They are foolish to fight."
"At least, the Government will buy their land and pay for their investment. In any event, the company has misrepresented things."
'Does it matter?' She sat down opposite him. "They will win. They have money, influence, an d power. The settlers here have nothing." She looked around her bitterly. "Perhaps you think I am going against my own people, but that's not true. These aren't my people. Pit and I don't belong here and we never have, although Pit won't see it. Do you think I want to slave my life away on this desert?" She leaned toward him. "Look, Captain Kedrick, you're one of them, not just working for them, not just a hired gunman like Dornie Shaw. You can lead the men you have, and I wouldn't be surprised but what you could even handle Keith. You could be a big man in this country, or any country.
"Why be foolish and start thinking like you are? These farmers and ranchers can do nothing for you. They can't even help themselves. The company will win, and if you are one of them, you will have a share in the winning. Don't be foolish, Captain. Stay with them. Do what you have to do."
"There are things more important than money. There's self-respect."
She stared at him, her eyes widening. "You don't really believe that? Try buying supplies with it, sometime. You won't get any place. But that isn't the point. You'll do what you want, but I want a man who will take me out of this desert." She got up quickly and came around the table. "You could do it, Captain. You could become rich, right here."
He smiled at her. "Ambitious, aren't you?"
"Why not? Being a rancher's wife doesn't appeal to me. I want to get away from here, go someplace, be something and enjoy life." She hesitated, studying him. "You could edge Gunter out of it, and Keith maybe even Burwick. But the first two would be easy, and I know how."
"You do?" He looked up at her. She stood ver y close to him, and she was smiling down at him. She was, he had to admit, a lovely girl. And an exciting one. Too exciting for comfort right now, and that was a fact she understood completely. "How?" She shook her head. "Oh, no! That I'd tell you only if you threw in with me, joined me. But this much I'll tell you John Gunter is small potatoes. They needed money, and he had that girl's money so they roped him in. Keith is dangerous because he is ambitious and unscrupulous, but the man to reckon with is Burwick. He will be top man when this thing is over, and you can bank on it. He has a way figured, all the time."
"You seem to know a great deal."
"I do. Men like me and men talk. They don't have any idea how much I lead them to say, or how much I remember."
"Why tell me all this?"
"Because you're the man who can do what has to be done. You could whip that bunch into line. All of them would listen to you, even Dornie Shaw and he's suspicious of you."
"Of me? Why?"
"He saw Dai Reid come from your room. He was watching you."
So that was it? He had suspected that Shaw had something
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