The Rustlers of Pecos County

The Rustlers of Pecos County

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Grey
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Title: The Rustlers of Pecos County
Author: Zane Grey
Release Date: April 8, 2005 [eBook #15580]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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THE RUSTLERS OF PECOS COUNTY
By Zane Grey

1914
Chapter 1
VAUGHN STEELE AND RUSS SITTELL
In the morning, after breakfasting early, I took a turn up and down the
main street of Sanderson, made observations and got information likely
to serve me at some future day, and then I returned to the hotel ready
for what might happen.
The stage-coach was there and already full of passengers. This stage
did not go to Linrock, but I had found that another one left for that
point three days a week.
Several cowboy broncos stood hitched to a railing and a little farther
down were two buckboards, with horses that took my eye. These
probably were the teams Colonel Sampson had spoken of to George
Wright.
As I strolled up, both men came out of the hotel. Wright saw me, and
making an almost imperceptible sign to Sampson, he walked toward
me.
"You're the cowboy Russ?" he asked.
I nodded and looked him over. By day he made as striking a figure as I
had noted by night, but the light was not generous to his dark face.
"Here's your pay," he said, handing me some bills. "Miss Sampson
won't need you out at the ranch any more."
"What do you mean? This is the first I've heard about that."
"Sorry, kid. That's it," he said abruptly. "She just gave me the
money--told me to pay you off. You needn't bother to speak with her
about it."

He might as well have said, just as politely, that my seeing her, even to
say good-by, was undesirable.
As my luck would have it, the girls appeared at the moment, and I went
directly up to them, to be greeted in a manner I was glad George
Wright could not help but see.
In Miss Sampson's smile and "Good morning, Russ," there was not the
slightest discoverable sign that I was not to serve her indefinitely.
It was as I had expected--she knew nothing of Wright's discharging me
in her name.
"Miss Sampson," I said, in dismay, "what have I done? Why did you let
me go?"
She looked astonished.
"Russ, I don't understand you."
"Why did you discharge me?" I went on, trying to look heart-broken. "I
haven't had a chance yet. I wanted so much to work for you--Miss Sally,
what have I done? Why did she discharge me?"
"I did not," declared Miss Sampson, her dark eyes lighting.
"But look here--here's my pay," I went on, exhibiting the money. "Mr.
Wright just came to me--said you sent this money--that you wouldn't
need me out at the ranch."
It was Miss Sally then who uttered a little exclamation. Miss Sampson
seemed scarcely to have believed what she had heard.
"My cousin Mr. Wright said that?"
I nodded vehemently.
At this juncture Wright strode before me, practically thrusting me
aside.

"Come girls, let's walk a little before we start," he said gaily. "I'll show
you Sanderson."
"Wait, please," Miss Sampson replied, looking directly at him. "Cousin
George, I think there's a mistake--perhaps a misunderstanding. Here's
the cowboy I've engaged--Mr. Russ. He declares you gave him
money--told him I discharged him."
"Yes, cousin, I did," he replied, his voice rising a little. There was a
tinge of red in his cheek. "We--you don't need him out at the ranch.
We've any numbers of boys. I just told him that--let him down
easy--didn't want to bother you."
Certain it was that George Wright had made a poor reckoning. First she
showed utter amaze, then distinct disappointment, and then she lifted
her head with a kind of haughty grace. She would have addressed him
then, had not Colonel Sampson come up.
"Papa, did you instruct Cousin George to discharge Russ?" she asked.
"I sure didn't," declared the colonel, with a laugh. "George took that
upon his own hands."
"Indeed! I'd like my cousin to understand that I'm my own mistress.
I've been accustomed to attending to my own affairs and shall continue
doing so. Russ, I'm sorry you've been treated this way. Please, in future,
take your orders from me."
"Then