three to one—and that one wounded. No! the cashier. I didn’t have a gun. This is Pete Three to two. When the shooting starts, I’ll be Yeager’s gun I’ve got now, Benson. Before he at Bob’s side.”
died, he told me the boss of this outfit was But he sprang from the loft like a lean,
comin’ here tonight.”
lithe panther. She jumped, startled, as his dark Benson sneered. “Mighty long speech,
shape shot down. He landed on the balls of his Wiley. But yah won’t live to tell it to nobody feet, with a jingle of spurs, in the center of the else. And I can be the man who trailed the
room.
gang here and wiped; ’em out—sabe? Turn
“Reach high!” he ordered coolly.
towards the door, Wiley!”
Benson ripped out a curse. Donna;
The cowboy was gathering his muscles
jerking to her hands and knees at the rim of for a spring. Donna heard his boot heels click the loft, could see only an indistinct mass as on the floor. She could see Benson’s gun,
the three men whirled, snarling. Then gun-
smoke still wisping from its muzzle.
flame streaked to meet gun-flame, in a livid, The crack of the .38 sounded distant.
crazy quilt pattern spread beneath her.
But its kick against the heel of her palm was a Somebody fell at the first hammering
comforting thing. She fired again.
roar. It wasn’t Bob Wiley. His gun thundered There was a gun blazing below, but the
again and again. Donna could see Benson
bullet ripped harmlessly into the warped
backing into the shed, taking crouching shelter flooring. Dane Benson cried out, more in
behind the door jamb, blazing back at the man surprise than pain, and fell across the smoking she loved, and the first man who had fallen weapon.
sprawled across the table.
Donna was halfway down the ladder
There was another crash, a queer, before the crash of his heavy body had ceased gurgling cough. The other man’s shoulders hit echoing in the room. Bob Wiley caught her
the wall, and his boots slid out from beneath and held her close.
his wilting body.
“Yuh didn’t kill him, honey!” he
Wiley’s gun clicked, empty, and soothed. “He’ll live to stand trial. Don’t—
Benson’s bulk filled the doorway. The don’t cry!”
dimness of the room below where blue
powder smoke swirled was terrifying.
THE tears came, but she was Rufe King’s
“So it’s you, Wiley!” gritted the B Bar
daughter, and they were really tears of
owner. “Here’s where yuh sell out cheap. Like happiness.
Riders of the Rain
11
There would be no arrest now for the
came on here—and the water came down in
tall handsome rider who was going to settle the draw after my hoss strayed to the other down.
side. You know the rest.”
“Here’s the bank money, Bob,” she
“Yes,” said Donna. “I know the rest up
said. “I’m sorry I ever distrusted you. I might to now. But after this—what?”
have known all along that you were innocent.”
He kissed her. “Yuh’re goin’ to be
“Shucks, nobody could blame yuh for
rich, sweetheart, when yuh find the silver
thinkin’ I was one of the gang,” he said. “They vein. And I’m so poor, I—”
didn’t want to wait, because somebody else
Donna put a finger across his lips.
might come in the bank. So they pulled the job
“Imagine,” she whispered, “finding
with me there. And Yeager woulda shot me,
something that’s been around a long time and too, but Benson yelled at him. So I tailed ’em was never discovered! Something a lot more
out of there—and got shot, anyway. I didn’t precious than silver!” And Bob Wiley, kissing have enough reputation to try and explain to her again, knew just what she meant.
the sheriff. Then I went after Yeager, and
Pulp - Popular Western.41.11.Riders of the Rain - Allan R. Bosworth (pdf) Page 3
