buzzed on the window. Pete walked out to the road and looked off into the distance , shading his eyes against the glare. Jones got up and walked to the window and the n turned back, and as he came back toward the table he was behind Talon. Suddenly hi s gun was thrust against Talon's spine. "You may want to play games," he said to Robeck , "I don't. That stage is due any minute." Jones reached down and took Talon's gun , then stepped back away from him, careful not to get within reach of Talon's hands.
"All right." Robeck shrugged. "I just figured maybe he'd like to try it with me."
He grinned at Talon. "No guts."
Talon got slowly to his feet and stretched his long arms. Idly, he walked to th e bar where Robeck was seated, and poured a drink. Robeck moved back a little, watchin g Talon cheerfully. "I'll still kill you if you start anything, Talon," Robeck warned.
Ruth, tense only a moment before, relaxed, accepted her fate . .. she and Kate wer e one step further from safety.
In the kitchen, Kate Breslin had taken an old .31 Colt from her valise, and she slippe d it into Ruth's hand. "Only if the chance is just right," she whispered. "Then giv e it to him."
Pete walked out to the road. "Not much more time, Lute."
"No." Lute glanced around the room. "They don' t know the women are here, anyway. They can't know, with the only stage since Burnet t was hurt going out the other way. We'll hide them... put 'em in Burnett's room."
Tracey got up. "What about Talon?"
Ruth came into the room and crossed to the table where Talon sat. Lute watched he r with bright interest, never missing a move. The butt of the little Colt was visibl e to Talon from under Ruth's apron, but he carefully ignored it. Ruth fussed with th e dishes, waiting, and suddenly Robeck began to laugh.
"He's yellow! Yellow! Ruthie, you picked yourself the wrong man!"
Ruth turned away from the table and instantly Robeck motioned to Tracey, who grabbe d the girl and shoved her across to Robeck, who jerked the apron from her, and th e gun. "You little fool!" He slapped her wickedly across the mouth. "Who do you thin k you're fooling?" He shoved her back against the counter and slapped her again. Instantly , she lashed out and slapped him, then kicked him on the shins. There was a momentar y struggle, and then he shoved the girl from him and slapped her again, thrusting th e pistol into his waistband.
Talon stood flat-footed, watching, but making no move away from the table. His expressio n had not changed as he watched the brief struggle. When it was over he stepped ove r and helped the girl to her feet. Angrily, Ruth jerked away from him. "Don't touc h me, you coward!" she flared.
Robeck laughed.
Pete ran in from the road. "Here she comes!" he said.
Tracey grabbed Ruth and shoved her toward the bedroom door. Robeck stood watchin g Talon and smiling. "No hurry," he said. "They're bringing it right to us."
Tracey ordered Kate from the kitchen and into the bedroom. "If they make a wron g move," Robeck ordered , "use your gun barrel. And I don't care how hard you hit."
Lute Robeck walked to the door and looked out. The stage was rolling into the yard.
"All right." He gestured to Talon. "Walk out there ahead of us and don't say anythin g or make a wrong move."
Whatever happened now would depend on fast thinking and breaks, and the shotgun guar d must do some fast thinking, too. He walked outside with Lute beside him; Jones an d Pete moved up behind. Talon angled toward the stage, knowing the men behind him woul d spread out. If the shotgun guard started shooting, which Robeck well knew, Talo n would be the first man killed.
The stage whirled into the yard and came to an abrupt stop in a cloud of dust. Th e shotgun guard was staring from the door to the waiting men, and as Talon slowly turne d he saw a rifle barrel glinting from the bedroom window ... Tracey was going to kil l the guard.
"Holdup!" Talon yelled, and a Colt Lightning slid from under the arm
"All right." Robeck shrugged. "I just figured maybe he'd like to try it with me."
He grinned at Talon. "No guts."
Talon got slowly to his feet and stretched his long arms. Idly, he walked to th e bar where Robeck was seated, and poured a drink. Robeck moved back a little, watchin g Talon cheerfully. "I'll still kill you if you start anything, Talon," Robeck warned.
Ruth, tense only a moment before, relaxed, accepted her fate . .. she and Kate wer e one step further from safety.
In the kitchen, Kate Breslin had taken an old .31 Colt from her valise, and she slippe d it into Ruth's hand. "Only if the chance is just right," she whispered. "Then giv e it to him."
Pete walked out to the road. "Not much more time, Lute."
"No." Lute glanced around the room. "They don' t know the women are here, anyway. They can't know, with the only stage since Burnet t was hurt going out the other way. We'll hide them... put 'em in Burnett's room."
Tracey got up. "What about Talon?"
Ruth came into the room and crossed to the table where Talon sat. Lute watched he r with bright interest, never missing a move. The butt of the little Colt was visibl e to Talon from under Ruth's apron, but he carefully ignored it. Ruth fussed with th e dishes, waiting, and suddenly Robeck began to laugh.
"He's yellow! Yellow! Ruthie, you picked yourself the wrong man!"
Ruth turned away from the table and instantly Robeck motioned to Tracey, who grabbe d the girl and shoved her across to Robeck, who jerked the apron from her, and th e gun. "You little fool!" He slapped her wickedly across the mouth. "Who do you thin k you're fooling?" He shoved her back against the counter and slapped her again. Instantly , she lashed out and slapped him, then kicked him on the shins. There was a momentar y struggle, and then he shoved the girl from him and slapped her again, thrusting th e pistol into his waistband.
Talon stood flat-footed, watching, but making no move away from the table. His expressio n had not changed as he watched the brief struggle. When it was over he stepped ove r and helped the girl to her feet. Angrily, Ruth jerked away from him. "Don't touc h me, you coward!" she flared.
Robeck laughed.
Pete ran in from the road. "Here she comes!" he said.
Tracey grabbed Ruth and shoved her toward the bedroom door. Robeck stood watchin g Talon and smiling. "No hurry," he said. "They're bringing it right to us."
Tracey ordered Kate from the kitchen and into the bedroom. "If they make a wron g move," Robeck ordered , "use your gun barrel. And I don't care how hard you hit."
Lute Robeck walked to the door and looked out. The stage was rolling into the yard.
"All right." He gestured to Talon. "Walk out there ahead of us and don't say anythin g or make a wrong move."
Whatever happened now would depend on fast thinking and breaks, and the shotgun guar d must do some fast thinking, too. He walked outside with Lute beside him; Jones an d Pete moved up behind. Talon angled toward the stage, knowing the men behind him woul d spread out. If the shotgun guard started shooting, which Robeck well knew, Talo n would be the first man killed.
The stage whirled into the yard and came to an abrupt stop in a cloud of dust. Th e shotgun guard was staring from the door to the waiting men, and as Talon slowly turne d he saw a rifle barrel glinting from the bedroom window ... Tracey was going to kil l the guard.
"Holdup!" Talon yelled, and a Colt Lightning slid from under the arm
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