The Gentleman Outlaw and Me-Eli Read Online Free Page A

because a few seconds later he was snoring as nice and polite as a lady in church.
    But not me. I was too worried to shut my eyes. Much as I hated to part company with a famous outlaw, the sensible thing seemed to be to sneak away while Calvin slept. Go on to Tinville with Caesar. Find my father. Tell him he might have an enemy.
    While I lay there trying to decide what to do, an owl hooted. Animals moved around in the bushes, rustling and snapping twigs. The sounds brought to mind the stories Little Homer made up to scare Millicent and William and me. What if the bogeyman was out there in the dark woods, waiting for me to leave the fire and come closer? The yellow-bellied snallygaster might be perched in a tree right over my head. The fierce turkey chatch that gobbled up little children could be hiding anywhere. I felt their red eyes watching me, smelled their evil smell, heard their sharp claws scratching in the dirt.
    The owl called again, raising goose bumps on my skin. A few feet away, a branch snapped like something big and heavy had stepped on it. Moving even closer to Caesar, I hugged him tight. He whimpered and twitched like he was chasing rabbits in his dreams, but he didn't wake up.
    I guessed I'd stay with Calvin a while. At least till daylight. Perhaps even longer. After all, we had miles to go before we got to Tinville. If by some weird quirk of fate it turned out Calvin and I were looking for the same man, I had plenty of time to sneak off and warn Papa.
    Besides, I've never been one to do the sensible thing.

5

    I F YOU'VE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO spend a night sleeping on the cold ground without a blanket, you know how I felt when I woke up. I was so blamed stiff I could hardly move. My mouth tasted like I'd been chewing on Caesar's fur. Worst of all, I had to hobble off into the trees and relieve myself fast before Calvin noticed I wasn't exactly who or what he thought I was.
    By the time I came back, Calvin had gotten the fire going, but nothing was cooking. It seemed the Gentleman Outlaw wasn't the sort to hunt or fish or carry supplies. He was accustomed to eating in hotel dining rooms, he told me.
    Caesar sighed and lay down beside the young man. Calvin wrinkled his nose. "Pardon me for saying so," he said, "but this brute is badly in need of a bath, Elijah."
    "So are you," I said, making a great show of sniffing the air in Calvin's vicinity. It was true. After a night in the woods, the Gentleman Outlaw smelled a mite stale. I reckon I did too.
    Ignoring me, Calvin attempted to move upwind from Caesar, but my loyal companion wagged his tail and moved closer.
    "Why, Calvin," I said. "I believe Caesar likes you."
    "Is that meant to be a compliment?"
    "I reckon it is," I said, not sure whether I was pleased or jealous. "Caesar hates most everyone except me."
    Calvin heaved a sigh and patted the dog. "It's my fate to be befriended by the lowest types, both animal and human," he said glumly.
    Hoping he wasn't including me among the lowest types, I asked Calvin what he aimed to do next.
    He shook his head. "This is a sad state of affairs for the Gentleman Outlaw," he said. "Thanks to Roscoe Suggs and his cronies, I have no money, no gun, and no horse. Those scoundrels relieved me of everything, including my watch and my playing cards."
    "I've got some money," I said, hoping to cheer him.
    Calvin raised his eyebrows hopefully. "How much?"
    "I have two gold eagles in my pocket," I boasted, patting my overalls. "Twenty dollars is surely enough to get us on our way to Tinville."
    Calvin's eyebrows drooped and his face took on a glum expression. "That's most generous of you, Elijah, but I fear twenty dollars won't even buy our passage out of Kansas."
    Wishing I'd lied and said I had more, I watched Calvin get to his feet and take a couple of weak little steps, wincing and biting his lip. I jumped up so's he could lean on me. Caesar ran on ahead, pretending he knew just where we were going but looking back every