Deadman Canyon Read Online Free PDF

a hard fist into Damson’s mouth. Damson stopped and shook his head, spitting blood. He made a thick sound deep in his throat and lashed out at Clay with a wild fist.
    He’s lost his temper
, Clay thought. Deliberately, he waited for Damson to lift his guard and swing again. Then he stepped in close and hit Damson twice, twisting his fists in an effort to cut the skin over Damson’s eyes.
    Damson raised both hands and reached for Clay as he stepped back. The judge said sharply, “Here comes Roy Ponders!”
    Damson stopped, shaking his head. Clay let his arms fall to his sides. He stood breathing deeply while Damson took out a fancy handkerchief and wiped blood from the corner of his swollen lower lip.
    Damson put away the handkerchief and, without a word, drove himself against the crowd, splitting it apart. He stalked onto the sidewalk and into the lobby of the hotel.
    Roy Ponders came around the side of the stage, a foolish look on his face. “You’re early,” he said angrily to the stage driver. He looked apologetically at Judge Lyles. “I was across town on business or I’d have been here sooner.”
    The judge merely nodded and stepped down from the stage door. Ponders turned on Clay. “I warned you, Belden.”
    “Did you warn Damson too?” Clay asked softly.
    The sheriff reddened and put a hand out to take Clay’s arm. Judge Lyles moved forward. “Be careful, Roy,” he warned. “To arrest a man, you have to have something to charge him with.”
    Ponders’ hand fell back. “I thought …” he began. He compressed his lips, cutting off the flow of words.
    Judge Lyles nodded to Clay. “I think we have something to talk about.” He was a tall man and his eyes moved easily above the crowd. “And I see Tonia came with the rig. Shall we ride to the house? It should be about dinnertime.” He spoke easily, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
    Clay felt the curious stares of the crowd and sensed some of them were hostile. A lot of people remembered him as a wild kid who’d been run out of town five years ago. Like the sheriff, they expected the worst from him.
    “I could use something to eat,” Clay said.
    “I’ll fetch your horse to the house,” Tom Roddy called. He gave Clay a heavy wink and cocked his head at the sheriff, who was walking away with as much dignity as he could manage.
    Clay walked with the judge to the edge of the square where Tonia was waiting with a small rig. She leaned out and kissed her father as he climbed up beside her. She slid over on the seat, leaving the reins for Clay. He could feel the warmth of her close to him with the three of them squeezed together. He heard her murmur, “You should know better than to let Bick Damson get his arms around you that way.”
    Clay clacked the team into motion.
    Judge Lyles snorted. “A lady isn’t supposed to watch a fight, let alone enjoy one.”
    “I didn’t enjoy it until Clay started winning,” she retorted. She laughed, the husky, tomboyish laugh Clay remembered from their childhood. “I’m sorry Roy Ponders stopped it. I think it’s about time Bick Damson had another beating.”
    The judge said, “If it was only another fight, that would be fine. But you know it won’t be. Bick Damson won’t stand being reminded of what Clay once did to him. Not now.”
    “I thought you two were friends, Judge,” Clay said quietly.
    “If you mean that my traveling to Helena on business with him makes us friends, then I am,” the judge said. “If you mean do I want him as a guest in my house, the answer is, not yet. He’s neither friend nor enemy. I can’t afford to have either one, Clay. I’m still a judge and I’m supposed to be impartial. I’ll give Damson the same chance I would anyone else to make himself into a good citizen. But that doesn’t stop me from expressing an opinion on something that everyone in town knows already.”
    “You aren’t on the bench now, Dad,” Tonia said. “Can’t you admit that