the Man from the Broken Hills (1975) by Louis - Talon-Chantry L'amour Page A
Book: the Man from the Broken Hills (1975) by Louis - Talon-Chantry L'amour
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Authors: Louis - Talon-Chantry L'amour
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thoughtfully, "I do think they should be with their kinfolk. Of course, while we're over yonder we might's well stop by and see how they run that social affair."
"Bueno,"Fuentes agreed seriously. "And you will see a dozen, maybe two dozen head of the finest looking girls in Texas."
"And that's pretty fine lookin' by any man's standards," I agreed. "You been to these box socials before? Here, I mean?"
"Often ... whenever there is one."
"Who makes the best box?"
He shrugged. "Ann Timberly ... the major's daughter."
"Next best?"
"Maybe Dake Wilson's daughter ... maybe China Benn."
"China Benn? That's a girl?"
He kissed his fingers. "Ah! And such a girl!"
"She and Ann Timberly friends?"
"Friends?But no, senor! The major's daughter does not like her! Not one little bit! China is too ... too ..." he made gestures to indicate a rather astonishing figure.
"Good!" I said. "I know whose box I'm bidding for."
Fuentes just looked at me and shook his head. "You are a fool, a very great fool, but I think I shall enjoy this social."
He paused. "China Benn is beautiful. She is also the girl Kurt Floyd likes."
"If she's as pretty as you say, there must be a lot of men who like her."
His smile was tolerant of my ignorance. "Not as long as she is Kurt's girl." We were making camp in the lee of a low hill, a little way from the corral. We were hoping those steers would come up during the night, and they might ... if we weren't too close. "Floyd ismucho grande , amigo. How you say? He isbig ! He is also strong. He does not fight with a gun, like a gentleman, but with his fists. We Texans do not like to fight with fists. It is what we call 'dog-fighting,' you see?"
"You're a Texan? I thought you were from California?"
He shrugged. "When I am in Texas, I am a Texan. On the other side of the border I am a Mexican. It is political, you see?"
"All right, I see your point. Has this Floyd ever really beaten anyone?"
"There was One-Thumb Tom, there was George Simpson ... a hard fight, that one. There was Bunky Green . .. only two punches, I think."
"You will introduce me to China?"
"Of a certainty. Then I shall stand back and watch. It will be so sad ... you are so young! To see one so young demolished. Well, so be it."
"If you were a true friend," I suggested, "you'd offer to fight him while I get away with the girl."
"Of course. And I am a true friend. Up until I introduce you to China Benn ... Then I shall be an observer, amigo, a spectator, an interested spectator, if you will, but a spectator only. Any man who endeavors to court China Benn in the presence of Kurt Floyd needs only sympathy."
"In the morning then," I said, "we will drive those steers to the home ranch. We will bathe, wash behind the ears, brush the dust from our boots and join the rush to ... where is this fandango, anyway?"
He chuckled. "At Rock Springs Schoolhouse. And Rock Springs Schoolhouse is on the Balch and Saddler range, and Kurt Floyd is the Balch and Saddler blacksmith. And remember this, amigo. You will get no sympathy from the major's daughter. She detests China Benn."
"I remember now. You told me that before. Now I wonder how I ever forgot!"
Chapter 7
Henry Rossiter went with Barby Ann in a buckboard with Ben Roper and Danny--Fuentes and me riding a-horseback alongside.
The Schoolhouse was built on a low knoll with the spring from which it took its name about twenty-five yards off. There must have been a dozen rigs around the place, mostly buckboards, but there was one Dearborn wagon, a surrey and an army ambulance among them.
As for riding stock, there looked to be forty or fifty horses under saddle. I wouldn't have believed there were that many people in the country but, as I was to discover, it was just like other western communities and some of the folks had been riding all day to get there. Parties, dances and box dinners were rare enough to draw a crowd at any time.
Saddler was just pulling up. On the seat beside him was a thin,
"Bueno,"Fuentes agreed seriously. "And you will see a dozen, maybe two dozen head of the finest looking girls in Texas."
"And that's pretty fine lookin' by any man's standards," I agreed. "You been to these box socials before? Here, I mean?"
"Often ... whenever there is one."
"Who makes the best box?"
He shrugged. "Ann Timberly ... the major's daughter."
"Next best?"
"Maybe Dake Wilson's daughter ... maybe China Benn."
"China Benn? That's a girl?"
He kissed his fingers. "Ah! And such a girl!"
"She and Ann Timberly friends?"
"Friends?But no, senor! The major's daughter does not like her! Not one little bit! China is too ... too ..." he made gestures to indicate a rather astonishing figure.
"Good!" I said. "I know whose box I'm bidding for."
Fuentes just looked at me and shook his head. "You are a fool, a very great fool, but I think I shall enjoy this social."
He paused. "China Benn is beautiful. She is also the girl Kurt Floyd likes."
"If she's as pretty as you say, there must be a lot of men who like her."
His smile was tolerant of my ignorance. "Not as long as she is Kurt's girl." We were making camp in the lee of a low hill, a little way from the corral. We were hoping those steers would come up during the night, and they might ... if we weren't too close. "Floyd ismucho grande , amigo. How you say? He isbig ! He is also strong. He does not fight with a gun, like a gentleman, but with his fists. We Texans do not like to fight with fists. It is what we call 'dog-fighting,' you see?"
"You're a Texan? I thought you were from California?"
He shrugged. "When I am in Texas, I am a Texan. On the other side of the border I am a Mexican. It is political, you see?"
"All right, I see your point. Has this Floyd ever really beaten anyone?"
"There was One-Thumb Tom, there was George Simpson ... a hard fight, that one. There was Bunky Green . .. only two punches, I think."
"You will introduce me to China?"
"Of a certainty. Then I shall stand back and watch. It will be so sad ... you are so young! To see one so young demolished. Well, so be it."
"If you were a true friend," I suggested, "you'd offer to fight him while I get away with the girl."
"Of course. And I am a true friend. Up until I introduce you to China Benn ... Then I shall be an observer, amigo, a spectator, an interested spectator, if you will, but a spectator only. Any man who endeavors to court China Benn in the presence of Kurt Floyd needs only sympathy."
"In the morning then," I said, "we will drive those steers to the home ranch. We will bathe, wash behind the ears, brush the dust from our boots and join the rush to ... where is this fandango, anyway?"
He chuckled. "At Rock Springs Schoolhouse. And Rock Springs Schoolhouse is on the Balch and Saddler range, and Kurt Floyd is the Balch and Saddler blacksmith. And remember this, amigo. You will get no sympathy from the major's daughter. She detests China Benn."
"I remember now. You told me that before. Now I wonder how I ever forgot!"
Chapter 7
Henry Rossiter went with Barby Ann in a buckboard with Ben Roper and Danny--Fuentes and me riding a-horseback alongside.
The Schoolhouse was built on a low knoll with the spring from which it took its name about twenty-five yards off. There must have been a dozen rigs around the place, mostly buckboards, but there was one Dearborn wagon, a surrey and an army ambulance among them.
As for riding stock, there looked to be forty or fifty horses under saddle. I wouldn't have believed there were that many people in the country but, as I was to discover, it was just like other western communities and some of the folks had been riding all day to get there. Parties, dances and box dinners were rare enough to draw a crowd at any time.
Saddler was just pulling up. On the seat beside him was a thin,
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