Under the Sweetwater Rim by Louis L'Amour

Author:Louis L'Amour
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi

Chapter 12

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When Lieutenant Tenadore Brian awoke suddenly some hours later, it was not yet dawn, but his senses told him the hour was not far away. He lay still and considered the situation. He believed their wild ride through the night had left pursuit far behind, and the rain must have washed away whatever tracks they had made.

The cave in such an out-of-the-way spot was not likely to be known to the Kelsey men, nor easily found by them. They had some food, though not much, and Brian decided his idea of the night before was a good one—to remain right where they were, making no tracks whatsoever.

And then he began to think about the gold.

When he had ordered the army ambulance away from the wagon train, taking over command without authorization, he had assumed responsibility for the payroll as well as for the women, and therefore it was up to him to recover the gold.

In studying the problem, Reuben Kelsey had to be considered first, and what did he know of him?

Little enough, though years ago they had for several weeks moved across the country together. At that time Kelsey was sixteen and it might be assumed that his character was formed to a considerable degree.

He was a reckless boy, tall and handsome, unusually powerful, perfectly coordinated, and already a good woodsman. He had lived in Missouri and Texas, had fought Comanches at fourteen, Kiowas at fifteen, and shortly before the wagon train started west he had killed a bad man from east Texas in a hand-to-hand fight.

He was a natural leader, ready to put himself forward, and gifted with a strong vein of caution for all his seeming recklessness. He and Brian had become friends from necessity, but Ten Brian in those days had been a quiet boy, retiring, and with a preference for going it alone. When with others he had usually allowed them to take the lead. He had been, he felt, as good a woodsman as Kelsey, but Kelsey assumed that Brian was not up to his own capabilities; and Brian, knowing they would get along better as long as Kelsey had that idea, did nothing to change it.

Kelsey showed himself even then to be ruthless and without scruples, but he was also outwardly friendly, quick to laugh or smile—superficially a good companion.

Ten knew that Kelsey had always regarded him with amused contempt, but during the months after their escape and before Brian left for the East and the years of soldiering abroad, they had continued to be friendly. During that period Kelsey had several times told Brian that he was the only friend he had.

Since that time their paths had taken different directions. Kelsey had stayed in the West. He had trapped fur in Montana and Wyoming, had roamed the Colorado mountains, and had gone on to California, returning eventually to Missouri.

Brian's experience had been utterly different. At a time when many men were drifting from place to place, seeking their fortunes in the far-off corners of the world, he had served with the Foreign Legion in Africa.

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