As she was on the point of saying emphatically
when Steve said "Sh!" and pointed. She heard a breaking of brush and
saw the horns of a steer; the animal was coming into the trail from the
Packard side.
"You just watch," whispered Steve. "And sit right still. It won't do
you any harm to know what's going on."
The big steer broke through into the trail, stopped and sniffed, and
then came on up the stream. Behind came another and another, emerging
from the shadows, passing through the swiftly fading light of the open,
gone again into the shadows that lay over the wooded Temple acreage.
In all nine big fat steers. And behind them, sitting loosely in his
saddle, came Blenham.
Only when the last steer had crossed the line did Steve rise suddenly,
standing upright on the great log, his hands on his hips. Terry
looking up into his face saw that all of the good humor had gone from
it and that there was something ominous in the darkening of his eyes.
"Hold on, Blenham!" he called.
Blenham drew a quick rein.
"That you, Packard?" he asked quietly.
"It is," answered Steve briefly. "On the job, too, Blenham. All the
time."
Blenham laughed.
"So it seems," he said, his look like his tone eloquent of an innuendo
which embraced Terry evilly. "If you're invitin' me to join your
little party, I ain't got the time. Thanks jus' the same.
Pages:
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181