Sudden Outlawed

Начало книги

"I'm pretty near down to my last chip, son, an' before I get outa the game there's somethin' I wanta say."

The voice was weak, little more than a whisper, and the breath came with difficulty from the speaker's labouring lungs. Out of the gaunt, angular face, deeply graven with lines of suffering, hard eyes rested approvingly upon the youth who, with downcast head, stood beside the bed. Tall, slim, and supple, wide-shouldered and narrow-hipped, strength showed in every line of him. In his eyes lay a deep-seated misery.

"I've allus had the name for a square shooter, but I ain't done right by yu, Jim," the sick man went on. "There won't be nothin' for yu--but a debt-to two men."

"yu've been mighty good to me," the boy muttered, and despite his iron effort for control there was a quaver in his voice.

The other was silent awhile, fighting for breath, and then, "Peterson stole my li'l gal an' broke my heart," he said slowly. "An' when yu was East, gettin' some larnin', that houn' Webb stripped me." His voice was harsh, pregnant with passion ; hatred gave him a last spasm of strength. "yo're the fastest fella with a gun I ever see, an' I've knowed some o' the best ; I'm leavin' them two skunks to yu."

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