Shadow on the Sun Read Online Free PDF

test, there would have been little doubt. But they had all seen white men burned by the sun to a similar pigmentation. It was the features themselves that weren’t right. The arrangement of them did not place a definite stamp of Indian on the man. Nor was he clearly a white man either. The harsh angularities of his face seemed, in fact, to go beyond the limits of either possibility. Somehow, it seemed closer to being an animal than a human face.
    As the man started toward the counter, the collar of his coat slipped down.
    Only the general noise in the room kept Appleface’s voice from being heard as he said, “
Holy jumpin’ Christ!
”
    Around the entire circumference of the man’s neck was a red, uneven scar, thick and crudely stitched.
    The three men sat staring at the stranger as he halted before the counter. They saw Eddie come walking over, saw him glance involuntarily at the scar, then with a quick, nervous swallow, force a smile to his lips and ask the man what his pleasure was.
    They couldn’t hear what the man was saying; only the deep rumble of his voice was audible. They saw Eddie pour a drink hastily, but the man didn’t touch it. He spoke again and Eddie answered. Even from where they sat, they could see how the young bartender seemed to shrink back from the man.
    Abruptly, the stranger turned and headed for the doorway.
    â€œSay—” Eddie called after him.
    The man stopped and looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes boring into the bartender’s.
    â€œW-what about your drink?” asked Eddie, trying to look affable.
    The three men couldn’t see the expression on the man’s face, but they noticed how a muscle twitched in Eddie’s cheek.
    â€œM-my money, I mean.” Eddie seemed to be speaking more from instinct than desire. His voice was not strong, but it had grown so quiet in the saloon now that everyone could hear it.
    The man didn’t seem to understand.
    â€œMoney?” asked Eddie. He swallowed. “For the drink?”
    He held up the glass, obviously regretting that he’d spoken at all. Then, putting down the glass, he dug a coin out of his vest pocket and held it up.
    The stranger looked down at his clothes. Awkwardly, he slid his big right hand into the pants pocket and drew it out, coins clutched between the thick fingers. Stepping to the counter, he dropped them, and two of the coins rolled toward the back edge of the counter. Eddie lunged for them.
    â€œHey, that’s too much,” he said.
    But the man was already halfway to the doors. Eddie called after him once again, then said no more. Blank-faced, he watched the big stranger push out through the batwing doors and disappear. One of the men at the table nearest the doorway got up and peeked across the top of the doors. After a moment, he turned back and shrugged exaggeratedly to his friends.
    Appleface got up and walked over to the bar, where he talked with Eddie. In a minute, he was back.
    â€œWhat’d he want?” Lon Dailey asked.
    â€œEddie said he asked after a small man in a black suit,” he said. “A man with a little beard. A man of learning.”
    â€œHe asked in English?” asked Earl.
    Kelly nodded. “Yeah.”
    â€œWhat’d Eddie tell ’im?” asked Lon.
    â€œEddie said he thought the stranger must’ve meant Perfessor Dodge,” said Appleface.
    â€œDodge?” Earl grimaced. “What in hell would he want the perfessor for?”
    Kelly shook his head. “I dunno,” he said.
    â€œEddie tell him where t’find the perfessor?”
    â€œI guess he did,” said Kelly.
    The three men looked at each other for a moment. Then Earl Dailey cleared his throat.
    â€œWhat the hell,” he said, reaching for his cards. “Whose play?”

4
    H arry Vance sat mumbling behind the desk of the lobby of the White River Hotel. He was mad, good and mad. Ethel had made him come out and sit there.