Man on the Blue by Luke Short

Author:Luke Short [Short, Luke]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Maginnis grinned shyly. "Got the makin's?" he asked gruffly.

Shamrock handed him his Durham sack and did not laugh at the fat inch of cigarette Maginnis built, nor at the cough it brought. Slowly, in that wordless communion, Maginnis's face lost its tautness.

"I wisht I had a gun," he said suddenly.

"I thought you would. That's why I took one off that towhead. It's in that slicker, on the roans saddle."

"Thanks," Maginnis said huskily.

"Might's well start from the beginnin'." Shamrock said presently. "Even to the name."

"It's Lee," Maginnis began. "Same as my old man. He died in this country, not far from here, when I wasn't more than fourteen or so."

"That couldn't have been more than a couple of years ago," Shamrock said after a moment's thought.

"No. He died in town."

"In Malpais Springs?"

Maginnis nodded and said tonelessly, "Not town exactly. Just on the edge. He died swingin' from that big cottonwood just across the bridge."

"No," Shamrock said softly.

Maginnis nodded. "Lynched. Lynched for killin' that old devil of a Hyatt."

"Mayo's father?"

"Yes." He looked at Shamrock. "But he never done it, though. I know Dad. I'd seen him when he was murderin'-mad, and I know. Nothin' in the world would've made him kill a man—except someone he caught beatin' a horse or cheatin' at cards, maybe."

"Go on," Shamrock said, cursing himself because he had not thought to question Hyatt when he mentioned his father's death.

Maginnis thought a minute. "Dad was prospectin'—always had. He wanted me raised with a family and women-folks, so he put me with an aunt down in Tucson. He wrote reg'lar. He kinda liked me, and I reckon I was that way about him. We'd made big plans for as soon as I was growed up. Then one day word come to my aunt that Dad had killed a rancher named Hyatt up in this country, and that he'd been lynched for it—took out of jail and strung up."

"Lobell's jail?"

"His jail," Maginnis said grimly. He went on: "That was about a year after it happened that the news came. They tried to keep me there in Tucson, but I run away. I kept workin' up to this country, sometimes swampin' long enough for stage fare to the next town, sometimes workin' in stables. Everyone I talked to, I asked about this lynchin' —and about Lobell. By the time I hit here a couple of months ago, I knew enough to know that if I wanted to stay in town, I'd better change my name. I did—to McKinley." He smiled at Shamrock. "You know I never thought I'd told you I was Maginnis till after you'd gone, then I thought you'd never think about it."

"I'm sorry I ever did," Shamrock said. "Go on."

"I got one letter from Dad before he died, mailed less than a week before the lynchin'." He scowled and looked down at his heels. "I memorized it. Here's the way it went: " 'Son—I've got holt of somethin' big. If I get the backin' I need and got to have, we'll buy us so many horses you'll be an old man before you've rid 'em all once.

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