Read Online Westward the Tide (1950) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Louis L'amour
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Clive Massey would throw a gun only for what he could get out of it. Remember that, Deane!"
Logan Deane studied him. "Why tell me?" he said. "Why warn me?"
"Because someday you and I may shoot it out, Logan," Matt said. "I hope not, because I'm not a man who likes to kill, but if the time comes when we face each other, it will be fair and above board an' the best man will win. If either ofus ever faces Clive Massey, it will not be until all the breaks are on his side!"
Deane did not comment. He turned his glass on the bar, studying the wet rings left by the bottom of it.
"We'd have heard his name."
"Maybe we have," Matt suggested, "maybe we have ... an' it might be a different one than the handle he uses now."
"Who?"
"You're as good at guessing as I am." Matt shrugged. "But a man could figure it out, maybe. Clay Allison has a club foot, an' Wyatt Earp has a different color of hair an' eyes. Also, he's an honest man. He's too big for Billy, an' I know Dave Rudabaugh, but he's one of them. I know he is!"
Matt was waiting on the street by the hitching rail when Murphy came up with Ban. Both men had stopped by after the show to get their horses, and now they were saddled up and ready to go. It was a good long ride they had ahead of them.
Bardoul glanced up and saw Brian Coyle going into the IXL, and saw Massey leave them at the door. All would be moving out soon, so if he was to speak, it must be now. Clive Massey was heading down the street, so without a word, Matt stepped up on the boardwalk and followed the Coyles into the hotel. Barney had joined them and the three were going upstairs.
They opened the door of Brian Coyle's room, and he lighted a light. When he lifted it, he saw Matt Bardoul standing in the door. They all three looked at him, waiting, trying to find some reason for his being there.
"I'd like to speak to you, sir," he said carefully.
"Very well." Brian was puzzled. "Come in and close the door."
"Sir," he said, "tonight when I was saddling my horse a man spoke out of a dark stall ... I didn't get a glimpse of him ... and warned me not to go on this trip. He warned me that nobody was to come back alive."
"Nonsense, my boy! Utter nonsense! Why, the Sioux wouldn't think of attacking a train as large as ours!"
"He wasn't thinking of the Sioux. I believe he was thinking of the same thing I was, that there are too many outlaws on this wagon train."
Brian Coyle's face had hardened. "Just what is your motive for this advice, Bardoul? I'll admit I was aware there was some bad blood between you and Massey, but I ascribed that to nothing more than Clive's short temper and your own abruptness."
"Are you aware of the character of the men around him? Of Bat Hammer, or Abel Bain?"
"Bain? I don't believe I know him."
"You wouldn't. He's hiding in Hammer's wagon. He's known in all the camps as a thief and a murderer."
Coyle's face was stiff now, and his manner had grown chill. "Really, Bardoul, I think you've gone far enough. If you had such suspicions you should have voiced them at the meeting and not come to me here alone and by night. I'm afraid, sir, you're guilty of some very ungentlemanly conduct!"
Matt's face paled a little. His eyes shifted to Jacquine's but she glanced away coldly. "I was thinking of your daughter, sir. If there is trouble it would not be a good place for her."
"We, my son and I, are quite capable of caring for Jacquine's interests. You forget, Young Man, that I am one of the leaders of this wagon train, that I helped organize it, that I might say, Idid organize it!
"Every man on this train is known to me, personally. Each one has been vouched for by one of my trusted friends. If there is any Such person as Abel Bain, I have seen nothing of him.
"As to your tale bearing, and I'm sorry Bardoul, but there is no other name for it, I can only say that I have known some things about you and your past conduct for some days. I do not refer to the fact that you are an acknowledged
Logan Deane studied him. "Why tell me?" he said. "Why warn me?"
"Because someday you and I may shoot it out, Logan," Matt said. "I hope not, because I'm not a man who likes to kill, but if the time comes when we face each other, it will be fair and above board an' the best man will win. If either ofus ever faces Clive Massey, it will not be until all the breaks are on his side!"
Deane did not comment. He turned his glass on the bar, studying the wet rings left by the bottom of it.
"We'd have heard his name."
"Maybe we have," Matt suggested, "maybe we have ... an' it might be a different one than the handle he uses now."
"Who?"
"You're as good at guessing as I am." Matt shrugged. "But a man could figure it out, maybe. Clay Allison has a club foot, an' Wyatt Earp has a different color of hair an' eyes. Also, he's an honest man. He's too big for Billy, an' I know Dave Rudabaugh, but he's one of them. I know he is!"
Matt was waiting on the street by the hitching rail when Murphy came up with Ban. Both men had stopped by after the show to get their horses, and now they were saddled up and ready to go. It was a good long ride they had ahead of them.
Bardoul glanced up and saw Brian Coyle going into the IXL, and saw Massey leave them at the door. All would be moving out soon, so if he was to speak, it must be now. Clive Massey was heading down the street, so without a word, Matt stepped up on the boardwalk and followed the Coyles into the hotel. Barney had joined them and the three were going upstairs.
They opened the door of Brian Coyle's room, and he lighted a light. When he lifted it, he saw Matt Bardoul standing in the door. They all three looked at him, waiting, trying to find some reason for his being there.
"I'd like to speak to you, sir," he said carefully.
"Very well." Brian was puzzled. "Come in and close the door."
"Sir," he said, "tonight when I was saddling my horse a man spoke out of a dark stall ... I didn't get a glimpse of him ... and warned me not to go on this trip. He warned me that nobody was to come back alive."
"Nonsense, my boy! Utter nonsense! Why, the Sioux wouldn't think of attacking a train as large as ours!"
"He wasn't thinking of the Sioux. I believe he was thinking of the same thing I was, that there are too many outlaws on this wagon train."
Brian Coyle's face had hardened. "Just what is your motive for this advice, Bardoul? I'll admit I was aware there was some bad blood between you and Massey, but I ascribed that to nothing more than Clive's short temper and your own abruptness."
"Are you aware of the character of the men around him? Of Bat Hammer, or Abel Bain?"
"Bain? I don't believe I know him."
"You wouldn't. He's hiding in Hammer's wagon. He's known in all the camps as a thief and a murderer."
Coyle's face was stiff now, and his manner had grown chill. "Really, Bardoul, I think you've gone far enough. If you had such suspicions you should have voiced them at the meeting and not come to me here alone and by night. I'm afraid, sir, you're guilty of some very ungentlemanly conduct!"
Matt's face paled a little. His eyes shifted to Jacquine's but she glanced away coldly. "I was thinking of your daughter, sir. If there is trouble it would not be a good place for her."
"We, my son and I, are quite capable of caring for Jacquine's interests. You forget, Young Man, that I am one of the leaders of this wagon train, that I helped organize it, that I might say, Idid organize it!
"Every man on this train is known to me, personally. Each one has been vouched for by one of my trusted friends. If there is any Such person as Abel Bain, I have seen nothing of him.
"As to your tale bearing, and I'm sorry Bardoul, but there is no other name for it, I can only say that I have known some things about you and your past conduct for some days. I do not refer to the fact that you are an acknowledged
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