Blood Valley Read Online Free

went lookin’ for.
    Rusty looked like he was comin’ down with something terrible contagious. He backed up, his hands relaxed, palms up.
    â€œTake him, Rusty!” Big Mike shouted. “That’s an order.”
    â€œHell with your orders! You want him so bad, you take him. Come to think of it,” the redhead said, “I ain’t never seen none of your graveyards.”
    â€œYou insolent yellow pup!” Mike slapped him, the blow knocking the smaller man to the sawdust.
    The kid had sand, I’ll give him that. He come up off that floor and took a swing at Big Mike. ’Bout like a gnat tryin’ to fight a mosquito hawk. Big Mike hit him once, a hard straight right, and Rusty hit the floor and didn’t move.
    Big Mike dug in his pocket and tossed a handful of silver coins to the floor and on Rusty. “Let’s ride!” he barked. Then looked at me. “I’ll see you around . . . Sheriff.”
    That “Sheriff” bit was greasy. “Yeah, I imagine you will, Romain. ’Cause you gonna screw up, and when you do, I’m gonna put your big ass in jail.”
    â€œYou’ll play hell ever doing that!” he blustered.
    â€œThen I reckon I’ll just have to shoot you, Romain. Why don’t we settle it now?”
    â€œMike!” a woman squalled. I recognized the squall. The same woman who wanted me rode down.
    â€œSaved by a woman. You’re a lucky man, Romain.”
    That got next to him. I really thought he was gonna jerk iron. But he just turned his big butt to me and walked out, his punchers trailin’ along behind him.
    Kneeling down by Rusty, I noted that he was gonna have a shiner for a few days.
    â€œI’ll get him a beefsteak,” the woman said. “Couple of you boys haul him up and sit him over there.”
    The barkeep leaned over and dumped a pitcher of water on the puncher. Sputtering and shaking his head, Rusty sat up, allowing the boys to drag him to a table and sit him down.
    I got me another beer and one for Rusty. The woman—she introduced herself as Mary—brought a beefsteak out and Rusty held it to the side of his face.
    â€œHow old are you, Rusty?” I asked.
    â€œTwenty.” He grinned and I liked him immediately. “And for a minute there, Mister Cotton, I didn’t think I was gonna get much older, neither.”
    â€œHow’d you get tied up with Circle L?”
    â€œSigned on to shove beeves around. Then the word come down about six months back, that anyone who wanted to ride for the brand had best be ready to fight for it. Some left, I stayed, figuring the f ightin’ wages would come in handy.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I was gonna quit come payday anyhow.”
    â€œHow good are you with them hoglegs?”
    â€œBetter than average, I reckon. But not near’bouts in your class.”
    â€œYou ain’t worried about what people’s gonna say?”
    â€œâ€™Bout me backin’ down?”
    I nodded.
    â€œHell, no! I’m alive!”
    I returned his grin. “That’s your money layin’ over yonder on the floor.”
    Mary got her swamper to pick up the money. He laid it on the table and Rusty shoved a dollar at the old man.
    And I liked that gesture. Even though the old swamper would surely spend it on rotgut.
    â€œWhat are you gonna to do now, Rusty?”
    â€œI don’t know. Drift, I reckon. When Big Mike fires someone, it ain’t wise to hang around. Only two I know of that’s still around is De Graff and Burtell. They pretty salty ol’ boys. Mike’s got this hang-up about ropin’ and draggin’ folks.”
    â€œSo I heard. How much was he payin’ you at the brand?”
    â€œFifty and found.”
    â€œI’ll give you seventy-five and one meal a day and a place to bunk.”
    His eyes widened. “Doin’ what?”
    â€œTotin’ a deputy’s badge.”
    His grin