Speedy's Mare by Max Brand

Author:Max Brand [Brand, Max]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: Roy Glashan's Library
Published: 2020-05-21T22:00:00+00:00

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CHAPTER IX. — THE RETURN

LEVINE was at the breakfast table. His coat was off. He had not put on the stiff white collar that made him respectable for the day. He had rolled his sleeves. By way of a bib, a large cotton hand towel was stuffed in at his throat. This kept him from the necessity of leaning far forward every time he raised a dripping forkful from his plate. Fried eggs will drip. A ragged half of a loaf of bread remained at his left hand; a tall coffee pot and a can of condensed milk were at his right. The eggs were well flavored by numerous strips of bacon. The precious juices that might slip through the fork were salvaged by using the bread as a sort of sponge. In this way he made excellent progress.

He had a newspaper propped up in front of him, but he paid less attention to its headlines than to the cheerful conversation of One-Eyed Mike Doloroso, who was lolling in a corner of the room. Mike had just come in and made himself at home.

“Have something?”

“Nope,” said Mike.

“Slug o’ coffee, maybe?”

“I fed my face a coupla hours ago,” said Mike. “I ain’t a lazy hound like you, what I mean.”

“You got nothin’ on your brain to worry you, like me,” said Levine. “You got nothin’ but hair.”

“Ain’t I got Speedy to worry me, too?” asked Mike.

“Him? Aw, he don’t pay much attention to you. It’s me that he wants. What’s that yowling out there?”

Mike went to the window. “Aw,” he said, “there’s a coupla dozen poor fools walkin’ down the street carryin’ a big banner that says J.J.J. for sheriff.”

“Close the window and shut the yapping out, will you?” asked Levine testily. “That tramp, I’m kind of tired of thinking about him.”

“Yeah,” said One-Eyed Mike, “you shouldn’t go and get yourself into a stew about him now. You’re gonna have plenty of time later on, when he throws you into the pen for life.”

“He’s gonna throw me into the pen, is he?” asked Levine.

“Sure, so you’ll be sure to have plenty of time to think about how he’s trimmed you.”

Levine paused with a large slice of egg dripping from his raised fork. Twice he tried to put it into his mouth. Finally he gave up the effort and lowered the fork to the plate. “Whatcha drivin’ at, Mike?” he asked. “Stow that chatter, will you? You wanna spoil my breakfast?”

“You’ve had enough for three men for three days, already,” said Mike. “I was just thinking how you and Derrick and Buck Masters had the town all laid out and ready for a trimming. And here comes Speedy, and he gets Derrick first, and then Buck Masters that was sheriff, and now he’s gonna get you.”

Levine pointed at Mike with his fork. “You think I’m asleep on the job, do you? Well, right now, Mister Deputy Sheriff Speedy has disappeared from Sunday Slough, and the town’s gonna wake up to the fact, pretty pronto.

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