"l'amour, louis - west of dodge" - читать интересную книгу автора (L'Amour Louis)

The stolen money, Rossiter learned, had been taken in charge by the stage driver to buy dress goods, household items, and other odds and ends for a dozen of the squatters around Gentry. A boyish prank, some said, but it had cost the losers the few little things they needed most, the things they had saved many nickels and dimes to buy.

Yet, on the evenings when he visited Magda, he thought not at all of Lonnie. He was far away and Magda was here right now. They walked together, rode together. She was a widowЧher husband had been killed by Indians after a marriage of only weeks. At a trying time in her life, Lonnie had come along and he had been helpful, considerate.

Now Lonnie was back, and he, Jim Rossiter was to visit Magda that evening.

It was not quite dark when he opened the gate in the white picket fence and started up the walk to the porch. He heard a low murmur of voices, then laughter. He felt his cheeks flush, and for an instant debated turning about. Yet he went on, and his foot was lifted for the first step up the porch when he saw them.

Lonnie was there and Magda was in his arms.

He turned abruptly and started back down the walk.

Louis L'Amour / 6

He heard the door open behind, then Magda called, "Jim! Oh, Jim, no!"

He paused at the gate, his face stiff. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." He heard Lonnie's low chuckle.

She called again but he did not stop. He walked down the street and out of town, clear to the edge of the mesa. He stood there a long time in the darkness.

Leaving the restaurant at noon the next day, he saw Lonnie Parker, George Sprague, and Ed Blick sitting on the bench near the door. They looked up as he passed, and he had his first good look at Lonnie Parker.

He was tall and pink-cheeked, and had an easy smile. His eyes were bland, too innocent, and when he saw Ros-siter he grinned insultingly. Lonnie wore two guns, and wore them tied down.

Sprague was a cold, silent man who rarely smiled. Ed Blick boasted of a local reputation as a gunman.

"That's him," Blick said. "That's the gent who's been takin' care of your girl for you, Lon."

"Much obliged," Lonnie called out. He turned to Ed Blick. "I seen him last night. He was just leavin'."

His face burning, Rossiter walked on. Mike Hamlin was waiting for him when he reached the office.

"Jim." He got up quickly. "You said when I was fourteen you'd give me a job. I'm fourteen next week and I'd sure like to earn some money."

Rossiter sat down. This had been his idea, and he had talked to Mike's mother about it. If Mike was going to college he would have to begin to save. "All right, Mike," he said, "get on your horse and ride out to Frisby's. Tell him I sent you. Starting tomorrow morning, you're on the payroll at thirty a month."

Thirty a month was more than any boy in Spring Valley was making. A top hand only drew forty! Mike jumped up,

Beyond the Chaparral / 7

full of excitement. "You'll earn it," Jim told him dryly, "and when you show you can handle it, I'll go up to forty." He grinned suddenly. "Now get at it ... and save your money!"

During the week that followed he made no effort to see Magda, and carefully stayed clear of the places where she was most likely to be. He avoided mail time at the post office and began to eat more and more at home. Yet he could not close his ears nor his eyes, and there was talk around. Lonnie was to marry Magda, he heard that twice. He saw them on the street together, heard them laughing. Work was piling up for him and he lost himself in it. And there was trouble around the country. Ed Blick had returned to town from Durango, where he had killed a man.

Lonnie spent most of his time with Sprague and Blick. He had made no effort to rustle a job, but he seemed to have money. Once Jim saw him buying drinks in Kelly's, and he stripped the bills from a large roll.

Rossiter was working late over a brief when Frisby came to his office. He was a solid, hardworking man, but he looked tired now, and he was unshaven.

"Jim," he came to the point at once, "we're losin' cows. Some of yours, some of mine, a few other brands."