The Gentle Desperado by Max Brand

Author:Max Brand [Brand, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: Roy Glashan's Library
Published: 2020-10-29T23:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER 18

ROBERT remembered the old story of the wishing gate, which is at hand when we know it not. Yonder was clever Pedrillo, using his Indian craft to locate a possible second person in the house of Dodge. And here at hand was the wanted man, stumbling fairly upon Robert!

Tim Cavaselle saw the stranger in the clearing as he strode forward, wrenching himself through the brush like one who has such an excess of strength that he need not worry about cunning. He saw, and he reached for his gun, but Robert had jerked out his ugly-faced automatic in the least part of a second, and leveled it at the other, while Tim’s hand was still gripping the butt of his gun, half-unsheathed.

Cavaselle hesitated. He knew nothing of the identity of this young man. But he could not despise that leveled weapon.

“Don’t make your draw, Cavaselle,” warned Robert. “You’ll be hurt if you do!”

Cavaselle growled. He was growing red with anger.

“What’s into you, runt?” he asked impolitely. “What’s into you? What you want with me?”

“Unbuckle your gun belt,” requested Robert.

“Kid, you’re makin’ a fool of yourself.”

“Unbuckle your gun belt!” said Robert. “I tell you, Cavaselle, you murdered a man in Catalina and then ran away and let an innocent man be jailed. I’d shoot you down with no more compunction than I’d shoot a woodchuck!”

Mr. Cavaselle hesitated, a black scowl upon his brow. Then he obediently unbuckled the belt—obediently but slowly. The belt and its revolver and heavy hunting knife fell to the ground.

“Walk over to the center of the clearing,” said Robert, getting to his knees without removing his attention from his captive.

Cavaselle obeyed, more slowly than ever.

“It ain’t really possible,” he declared. “It ain’t really possible that I’ve been snagged by a baby-faced boy like you! Now, what you want?”

The sound of the saw in the distance ceased.

“Talk quietly,” said Robert. “I don’t want to alarm Mr. Dodge. But I want you to go down to Catalina with me. I want to put you in the jail there and take poor Austin Bede out!”

“Bah!” snarled the big man. He strode nearer, menacing.

Now that Robert was on his feet, and his lack of inches was revealed, Tim Cavaselle’s scorn increased every moment.

It made the blood of Robert leap. He felt terror at the nearness of the huge cowpuncher; and yet that terror was not unpleasant. It kept a singing of delight along his taut nerves. This was the spice that life needed.

“Don’t come too close, Cavaselle,” he warned.

“Suppose I tell you that I’m not coming down with you?” asked Tim Cavaselle. And he clenched his fists.

“You’re not a madman, I hope.”

“Well, I’m big enough to take a slug through the body and get in at you,” said Cavaselle. “And once I laid my hands on you—why, I’d tear you in two!”

“I doubt it,” said Robert, the striking muscles quivering along both his arms.

“Are you nutty?”

“I think I might even handle you without a gun,” said Robert, his breath taken by his own temerity.

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