FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  
n' money; it was also pretty damned dangerous. "One time they held up a stage and picked off of it two kids who was comin' out from the East to try their hands in the cattle business. They was young, they looked like gentlemen, they was dressed nifty, and they packed big rolls. So wise old Piotto took 'em off into the hills and held 'em till their folks back East could wire out the money to save 'em. That was easy money for Piotto, but that was the beginnin' of the end for him; because while they was waitin', them two kids seen Joan and seen her good. "I been telling you she was better'n two common men. She was. Which means she was equal to about ten ordinary girls. There's still a legend about how beautiful Joan Piotto was--tall and straight and big black eyes and terrible handy with her gun. She could ride anything that walked and she didn't know what fear meant. "These two kids seen her. One of 'em was William Drew; one of 'em was John Bard." He turned to Anthony and saw that the latter was stern of face. He had surely scored his point. "Same name as yours, eh?" he asked, to explain his turning. "It's a common enough name," murmured Bard. "Well, them two had come out to be partners, and there they was, fallin' in love with the same girl. So when they got free they put their heads together--bein' uncommon wise kids--and figured it out this way. Neither of 'em had a chance workin' alone to get Joan way from her father's gang, but workin' together they might have a ghost of a show. So they decided to stay on the trail of Piotto till they got Joan. Then they'd give her a choice between the two of 'em and the one that lost would simply back off the boards. "They done what they agreed. For six months they stuck on the trail of old Piotto and never got in hailin' distance of him. Then they come on the gang while they were restin' up in the house of a squatter. "That was a pretty night. Drew and Bard went through that gang. It sounds like a nice fairy-story, all right, but I know old fellers who'll swear it's true. They killed three of the men with their guns; they knifed another one, an' they killed Riley with their bare hands. It wasn't no pretty sight to see--the inside of that house. And last of all they got Piotto, fightin' like an old wildcat, into a corner with his daughter; and William Drew, he took Piotto into his arms and busted his back. That don't sound possible, but when you see Drew you'll kn
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Piotto
 

pretty

 

common

 

killed

 

William

 
workin
 
decided
 

fightin

 
daughter
 

wildcat


choice

 

corner

 
father
 

figured

 
uncommon
 

Neither

 
chance
 
busted
 

inside

 

sounds


knifed

 

fellers

 

squatter

 

agreed

 

boards

 

simply

 

distance

 

restin

 

hailin

 

months


telling

 
waitin
 

beginnin

 

legend

 

ordinary

 
picked
 

cattle

 
damned
 

dangerous

 
business

packed
 

looked

 
gentlemen
 
dressed
 

beautiful

 

explain

 
turning
 

scored

 
murmured
 

fallin