It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own (Code of the West) Read Online Free

chance to meet him.”
    “You’re in luck, Hatcher. Brannon’s due in here within a couple hours. He knows Andrews, too. He’s brought him in before. Wait around and I’ll get you properly introduced.”
    “I’d like to oblige you, but I’ve got to get to Fort Collins to meet my fiancée.”
    “I thought you said you might forget about her,” Sassy pouted. She stood up and plunked her hands on wide hips.
    Tap forced an apologetic smiled. “It would never work. You’re too exciting of a woman for me. I’m really kind of a bo ring fellow and—”
    Sassy whirred around. “You see? You think some man who’s been locked up in Yuma is going to turn me down like that?”
    “No, ma’am, I don’t reckon he would.” One of the deputies frowned. “Hatcher, you take it careful riding north. This Andrews character is a desperate killer. Don’t get tangled up with the likes of him.”
    “No, sir, I won’t.”
    “Is that stew any good?” the shortest of the men asked.
    “Depends on how long it’s been b etween meals and whether someone as pretty as Sassy is sittin’ at your table. Since I’ve got to ride, why don't you men sit here?"
    “Obliged. Sorry for grillin’ ya, Hatcher. We been trailin’ six days. If Brannon’s horse hadn’t lamed up, we’d have caught up with him last night.”
    Tap rose up, grabbed for his Winchester leaning against the back wall, and sauntered toward the door.
    “Mighty fancy sight you got on that ’ 73,” one of the deputies called. “You could pick off a man from seven hundred yards away.”
    Tap felt his neck stiffen. “Or a bull elk from a thousand.”
    “So you’re leavin’ me without even a little kiss?” Sassy followed him to the door.
    “I don’t ever give a pretty woman a little kiss.” Tap  winked.
    “Prove it.”
    Tap hugged the girl hard, leaned her back, and pressed his lips into hers.
    When he lifted her back up, she squealed. “Whew-eee! That lucky old Suzy Cedar.”
    “Suzanne,” Tap corrected. “She hates to be called Suzy.”
    He left the cantina, tossed the saddlebags over the horn, mounted the brown horse and rode north. A good hour later he stopped to glance over his shoulder. He began to relax.
    “Zachariah Hatcher, you saved my skin back there. Thank heaven for dance-hall girls who can’t remember one man from another.
    "’ Course, maybe we do sort of look alike. Just a tad. If he had been taller, a little more beefed up, and his hair a little longer. I should get mine cut. My old beard probably kept her from telling the difference.
    She don’t like to be called Suzy.
    "Tap, you started believin’ it yourself there for a minute. But you about blew it with that kiss. Too bad that Kentucky woman wouldn’t be as easy to fool as Sassy."
    Three hours later he camped on the ou tskirts of a small Utah farm town. Sitting cross-legged next to the fire, he chewed on some dried beef. He kept mulling over the thoughts that had occupied him all afternoon.
    If I ride up there, and this Miss Suzanne Cedar thinks I’m Hatcher, maybe I should just string along. I hate to take what another man worked for, but Hatcher’s dead. And he sure was sorry to disappoint this woman. Besides, a remote ranch in Col orado sounds mighty peaceful. Just like startin’ life all over. Sort of a new chance. Of course, if someone laid the finger on me . . . But Hatcher said he didn’t have any kin. Hardly knew a soul out there, he told me.
    However, if she has a picture—but not a good one. And I’ve got a beard now, but no scar. I’ll tell her it healed up.
    What did he write in his letters? I know all about her, but little about old Hatcher. She’ll see right through me. Maybe.
    But it might be worth a try. I’ll just let it ride. If she thinks I’m Hatcher, I’ll go with it and see where it leads. If she takes one look and says, “Who in the world are you?”, I’ll ’ fess up.
    “Yep. Hatcher, you can count on me. I’ll take care of her. Shoot, she