To The Death by Scott Connor

Author:Scott Connor [Connor, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Culbin Press
Published: 2015-07-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

‘Keep your head down and whirl your fists,’ Nathan said. ‘If you get knocked down, stay down.’

‘That mean look in Gene’s eye says it’s a when, not an if,’ Jeff said unhappily as he stared across the ring at his opponent.

‘Then just make sure you last for long enough to make this look good.’

‘This isn’t like the last fight in the barn.’ Jeff looked at his hands and clenched them tightly to remove a tremor. He moved over to get a drink of water. ‘And I’m not feeling angry or in the mood to fight dirty.’

Nathan offered his friend a smile. Then he tripped him up, sending Jeff sprawling on to his chest.

Nathan waited until Jeff muttered in anger and then went to his knees to help him back up.

‘That make you feel angry enough to start punching?’ he asked when he’d turned him over.

Jeff batted the dust from his vest. ‘It makes me feel angry enough to punch you.’

Nathan sighed before he busied himself in their corner with lining up his equipment of water, a bucket, and a towel.

Earlier that day, as requested, they had reported to the abandoned homestead, but only Gene Hansen had been waiting for them. Information had leaked out about the last fight, Gene had reported.

Even though he had sent Yardley Weston to deal with the people responsible, this had necessitated a change of venue. Gene had led them to a stable in Hickory Point where the audience was smaller than at the last fight, with only ten men watching.

Unlike the rowdy crowd before, these men were silent and seated. The chairs had been placed at the end of the stables with seven at the back and three pushed forward.

The men who had taken these seats had done so in a somber and deliberate manner, as if there was an unspoken protocol about who sat where.

Nathan had asked Gene Hansen who these three men were. Gene had pointed out that at one end sat Guy Atwood, the owner of the stables where Nathan and Jeff had kept their horses.

At the other end sat Zack Snyder, who owned the largest hotel in Lone Gulch while in the middle sat Philip Winston, the owner of several saloons. So the leading businessmen in Lone Gulch were here and that alone helped to make Nathan feel even more nervous.

Nathan had tried watching them several times, but their impassive gazes had made him uncomfortable.

There were no women and the men were older than the previous crowd, although Yardley Weston supervised a group of young, armed men who roamed around beyond the entrance to the stables.

Yardley was looking for trouble coming from outside and the only hopeful element was the lack of money changing hands. As nobody was interested in betting on the match, Nathan hoped that nobody would be too concerned about the result.

Presently Gene entered the ring. He called Jeff to the scratch while beckoning Nathan to stay in his corner.

Gene said nothing until Oscar McClellan took up

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