Ambush at Blanco Canyon (Jerry eBooks) by Donald Hamilton

Author:Donald Hamilton [Hamilton, Donald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jerry eBooks
Published: 2014-12-31T05:00:00+00:00

Patricia found a handkerchief. “It’s been—such a nightmare, Julie!” she said in a muffled voice. “He—he wasn’t at all like I remembered.”

“This is your Mr. McKay, I take it. Well, people usually do look different after six months.”

“I kept remembering the first time I saw him,” Patricia said without looking up. “We were going on an excursion in somebody’s sailing boat, and he was steering, I watched him at that rudder thing, giving orders to the other men in a calm voice, but you heard him right away. There wasn’t any question who was in charge. Then a wind hit us and we started flying along and tipping, and I didn’t know but what we were going straight to the bottom, and I looked at him again and he was steering with one hand and lighting his pipe with the other, kind of smiling to himself, and I knew everything was all right, and I Sold the girl who had brought me, ‘I have to meet that man,’ so later, while we were having our picnic on board, she introduced him.” She drew a deep, indignant breath, “And then he comes out here and acts like a perfect mouse!”

Julie said, “Well, what did you expect him to do, bring his sailboat with him?”

“I don’t think that’s very funny, Julie!”

“Well, it doesn’t sound to me like you’re being very fair to poor Mr. McKay. Incidentally, since we’re talking about him so matter-of-factly, I assume he got home all right.”

“Oh, yes,” Patricia said tartly. “He got home, finally. Steve found him just about dusk, wandering around, east of the river somewhere.” She looked up abruptly, startled by a thought. “Why, how did you know he was lost, Julie?”

“I didn’t,” Julie said. “I just saw him yesterday noon. He stopped by Big Muddy. I fed him lunch and—and showed him the trail north. Then, this morning, I got a little worried—after all, he is new to the country—so I decided I’d take a ride over this way and just check that he made it all right with his funny little map and compass. What’s the matter?”

Patricia had risen from her chair. Her face was pale. “Julie, is that the truth?”

“Is what the truth?”

“Your saying that Jim—that Jim was clear down to Big Muddy yesterday?”

“Why, yes. I’d just got there myself, when I heard somebody at the pump, so I took my gun and went out, and there he was, filling up his water bottle. He apologized for trespassing. Said he’d wanted to see the place. We—had lunch together and I sent him off—about two o’clock. I’d say.” It seemed better to be discreet; the deal they had made was McKay’s secret to divulge in his own way.

“He—wasn’t in trouble?” Patricia asked.

“Not so you’d notice. He was glad to get something to eat, I will say that. Said he was saving the rest of his grub in ease he didn’t make it back here by dark. He seemed to know what he was doing, so I let him go off alone.

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