"SHOWDOWN AT YELLOW BUTTE" - читать интересную книгу автора (L'Amour Louis)

from Shaw to Kedrick, and Tom took an easy step for putting himself almost within
arm's length of Burr.
naw not in this, Burt," he said quietly. "I've no quarrel
you, man, but no man calls me without getting his chance. If
want what I've got, don't let the fact that I'm not armed stop
I wanted no quarrel, but you do--so have at it]"
' " was in the big man's eyes. He had seen guns come
nowhere before, and especially from men dressed as this
He was not prepared to believe that Kedrick would face him
"You got a gun!" he snapped. "You got a hideout, you
coyote!"
jerked his gun from the holster and in that instant, Tom
moved. The edge of his left hand chopped down on the
wrist of the gunhand, and he stepped in, whipping up his
in an uppercut that packed all the power in his lean, whip rd body. The punch was
fast and perfectly timed, and the crack
on the corner of Burt's jaw was like the snap of a teamster's
. Burt hit the walk just one split second after his gun, and he
right on his shoulder blades.
Coolly then, Kedrick stooped and picked up the gun, an old
Model Navy revolver. He stood over the man, his eyes
iearching the crowd. Wherever he looked there were hard, blank
He glanced down at Burt. The big man was slowly sitting
shaking his big head. He started to lift his right hand, and
gave a sudden gasp of pain. He stared at it, then looked up. "You
my wrist!" he said. "It's busted! An' me with my plowin' to
i.; do!"
"Better get up," Kedrick said quietly. "You asked for it, you
i know."
When the man was on his feet, Kedrick calmly handed him his
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six-shooter. Their eyes met over the gun and Kedrick smiled. "Take it. Drop it down
in your holster an' forget it. I'm not worried. You're not the man to shoot another
in the back."
Calmly, he turned his back and walked slowly away down the street. Before the St.
James, he paused. His fingers trembled ever so slightly as he took out a paper and
shook tobacco into it.
"That was slick." It was Dornie Shaw's soft voice. His brown eyes probed Kedrick's
face curiously. "Never seen the like! Just slapped his wrist an' busted it!"
With Keith, John Gunter had also come up, and he was smiling broadly. "Saw it all,
son! That'll do more good than a dozen killings! Just like Tom Smith used to do!
Old Bear Creek Tom who handled some of the toughest rannies that ever came over the
trail with nothin' but his fists!"
"What would you have done if he had jerked that gun back and fired?" Keith asked.
Kedrick shrugged, wanting to forget it. "He hadn't time," he said quietly. "But there
are answers to that, too!"
"Some of the boys will be up to see you tonight, Tom," Gunter advised. "I've had
Dornie notify Shad, Fessenden and some of the others. Better figure on a ride out