"ROWDY RIDES TO GLORY" - читать интересную книгу автора (L'Amour Louis)

it was generally believed he gathered them in some interior valley to hold until
he had enough to drive to market. Such shortages as his rustling caused would not
show up until the roundup.
"Well, I'm riding back into Aragon, then, if you won't listen to a thing I say,"
Jenny said, swinging into her saddle. "But I do wish you'd change your mind and let
me see Bart for you."
Rowdy shook his head, grinning up at her. Looking at him, Jenny thought for the thousandth
time that he was easily the handsomest cowboy, the best-looking man afoot or in the
saddle in the whole South Rim country. It was too bad he was so stubborn and such
a poor manager.
"Don't worry," he said, smiling. "One way or another I'll be in that rodeo, and I'll
win first money. Then we can be married." She gave him her hand. "I know you will,
dear. Luck." With a wave of her hand, she wheeled the paint and rode off
at a snappy trot. He watched her go, uncertain again. Cub nickered plaintively as
if unaware of the disaster his misfortune had brought upon them.
Rowdy ran his hand under Cub's mane and scratched the horse's neck.
"Too bad, old boy. We worked mighty hard, trainin' you for
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that rodeo, and all for nothing. That hole you stepped into was sure in the wrong
place."
Gravely, he studied the situation, but could see no way out, no escape. His Slash
Bar was a small ranch, the place upon which Tom Slater had made his start. Rowdy
had bought the ranch from the bank, making the down payment with his savings and
the reward for the capture of Beenk Danek, a bank robber.
There had been a few good months after the ranch was his, then the roundup-and he
had been missing more than two hundred head of cattle, more than any other one rancher,
even those with much larger herds. His was small.
Then there had been fence trouble with Luby's men, although never with Luby himself,
and more than once it had almost led to shooting. Despite Luby's smooth excuses,
he was sure the cattleman was deliberately instigating trouble. To top it all, water
shortages had developed, and he had fallen behind in his payments to the bank. So
it had been the Stockman's Rodeo that had offered him the best chance to make a substantial
payment on the ranch as well as to provide the things on which jenny insisted. Until
Cub's injury, he had been certain he had at least an even chance with Bart Luby,
and Bart had been aware of it, too.
Now still another worry had developed. One of his two hands, Mike McNulty, had ridden
in a couple of days before to tell him the water hole at Point of Rocks was shrinking-the
only water supply for miles of range. It had been considered inexhaustible. That
was a matter which Rowdy must look into himself-and now.
Mounting a steeldust he used for rough riding, he started off for the dim and lonely
land under the gigantic wall of the Rim. There, at the end of a trailing point of
rocks, lay the water hole.
It was an hour's ride from the home ranch, and when he drew rein near the water hole
the sun was still almost an hour high. His fears were realized the instant his eyes
fell upon what always had been a wide, clear pool, for around it lay a rim, at least
six feet wide, of gray mud, indicating the shrinkage. This was the last straw.
A hoof struck stone, and surprised, he glanced up. Lonely as this place was, other
riders than the two men who worked for
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him hardly ever came to this water hole. But here was one and a girl.