The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 7: The Frontier Stories by Louis L'Amour

Author:Louis, L'Amour,
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780553907056
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2009-10-13T07:00:00+00:00

Chet Lee’s eyes swung back to Krag. For the first time he seemed to see him clearly. A slow minute passed before he spoke. “So that’s the way it is?” he said softly.

“That’s the way it is. Right now you can offer your holdings to Ryerson. I know he has the money to buy them. Or you can sell out to Carol, if she’s interested. But you sell out, Chet. You’re the troublemaker here. With you gone I think Ryerson and Hedrow could talk out a sensible deal.”

“I’ll talk,” Hedrow said quietly, “and I’ll listen.”

Ryerson nodded. “That’s good for me. And I’ll buy, Chet. Name a price.”

Chet Lee sat perfectly still. “So that’s the way it is?” he repeated. “And if I don’t figure to sell?”

“Then we take your gun and start you out of town,” Krag said quietly.

Lee nodded. “Yeah, I see. You and Ryerson must have had this all figured out. A nice way to do me out of my ranch. And your quitting was all a fake.”

“There was no plan,” Moran said calmly. “You’ve heard what we have to say. Make your price. You’ve got ten minutes to close a deal or ride out without a dime.”

Chet Lee’s face did not alter its expression. “I see,” he said. “But suppose something happens to you, Krag? Then what? Who here could make me toe the line? Or gamble I’d not come back?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Krag spoke quietly. “You see, Chet, I know your kind.”

“Well,” Chet shrugged, glancing around, “I guess you’ve got me.” He looked at Ryerson. “Fifty thousand?”

“There’s not that much in town. I’ll give you twelve, and that’s just ten thousand more than you hit town with.”

“Guess I’ve no choice,” Chet said. “I’ll take it.” He looked at Krag. “All right if we go to the bank?”

“All right.”

Chet swung his horse to the right, but as he swung the horse he suddenly slammed his right spur into the gelding’s ribs. The bay sprang sharply left, smashing into Riggs and knocking him down. Only Krag’s quick leap backward against the print shop saved him from going down, too. As he slammed home his spur, Chet grabbed for his gun. It came up fast and he threw a quick shot that splashed Krag Moran’s face with splinters; then he swung his horse and shot, almost point blank, into Krag’s face!

But Moran was moving as the horse swung, and as the horse swung left, Moran moved away. The second shot blasted past his face and then his own guns came up and he fired, two quick shots. So close was Chet Lee that Krag heard the slap of the bullets as they thudded into his ribs below the heart.

Lee lost hold of his gun and slid from the saddle, and the horse, springing away, narrowly missed stepping on his face.

Krag Moran stood over him, looking down. Riggs was climbing shakily to his feet, and Chet was alive yet, staring at Krag.

“I told you I knew your kind, Chet,” Krag said quietly.

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