the Key-Lock Man (1965) by L'amour Louis

Author:L'amour, Louis [L'amour, Louis]
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-12-12T06:26:32.093000+00:00

"Good enough . . . I've been that way a time or two."

Under his breath Gay said, "You the one shot that man down to Freedom?"

"Yes."

"Description sounded like you. The shootin' didn't."

"He was facing the bar, half-turned and drew.

My first shot got him back of the left shoulder, the second in the spine. He'd been standing left side toward the door, and he drew from his waistband and fired from under his left arm. It was a fair shooting."

"Never doubted it."

Skin was busy piling up packages, measuring.

"They've hired themselves a marshal. Stranger ... a big, cold-faced man."

"Neerland?"

Cooley glanced up sharply. "You know him?"

"We had words." Matt gestured toward the back room. "Over her."

There was a moment of silence, during which Skin continued his ambling about the store, searching for the various things. Unfamiliar as he was with the stock-for he had been asked to care for it only while the trader was over in Prescott on business-he was slow, but Matt was in no hurry, now that he had found Cooley.

"Three men back there," he said. "Do you know them?"

Gay Cooley hesitated, then replied, "No . . . don't think I do. One of them might be Neerland, as you call him."

"There will be others. I led that posse to Mormon Well."

"Heard so." Cooley lowered his feet to the floor. "Do "em no good. I've known where it was for years, and it never did me any good." He glanced up at Matt Keylock. "You huntin" the Lost Wagons yourself?"

"Me? Hell, no! Only kind of gold I want is on four hoofs ... a stallion."

"Seen him a time or two," Cooley said.

"That's a lot of horse, man."

"Anybody should ask you, I'm riding out for Prescott and Skull Valley. I'm going to locate over there."

"Good country."

Gay Cooley was not a man either to comment or to ask questions, but he was well aware that Keylock would not be going to Prescott. Keylock was about horses the way he was about that Lost Wagon treasure.

Kris came back into the room, and Cooley stared. God! he thought. What a woman!

Matt Keylock picked up his sacked supplies and carried them outside to his pack animals. As he packed up, he watched the trail. He would be uneasy until he got clear away and into the hills again.

Gay Cooley and Skin went to the door, watching him.

As he drew the last hitch tight, Kris came from the door and he helped her into the saddle.

"You get over around Skull Valley," he said, "you boys look me up. You'll be most welcome."

"Somebody comin'," Cooley remarked. "Two riders."

Kris spoke urgently. "Matt!"

"It's all right." They were only a couple of hundred yards off, coming in from the west, which could mean the south and, possibly, Freedom. They were riding easily, and seemed unworried about anything. Almost without movement, Matt shifted his position just enough to keep Kris out of the line of fire.

The men were coming on, trotting their horses now as they drew near. Keylock made a show of tightening the cinch on his horse, keeping the animal between himself and them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.