The Untamed by Max Brand MP3 Audiobook

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The Untamed by Max Brand
1949 Whistlin' Dan Barry was slight, but with something more of wolf than of man in him…

Product Code: 232

Digital Audiobook -- in stock

US$9.95

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All works by Max Brand

Availability: Usually ships within 48 hours. Ships from and sold by Babblebooks.com.

Running time: 7 hr 9 min

The unabridged classic on MP3 audio, narrated by Anais 9000. Three playback speeds on one disk; etext edition included. Running time: 7.2 hours (slow), 6.5 hours (medium), 6.0 hours (fast).

Chapter I Pan of the Desert

Even to a high-flying bird this was a country to be passed over quickly. It was burned and brown, littered with fragments of rock, whether vast or small, as if the refuse were tossed here after the making of the world. A passing shower drenched the bald knobs of a range of granite hills and the slant morning sun set the wet rocks aflame with light. In a short time the hills lost their halo and resumed their brown. The moisture evaporated. The sun rose higher and looked sternly across the desert as if he searched for any remaining life which still struggled for existence under his burning curse.

And he found life. Hardy cattle moved single or in small groups and browsed on the withered bunch grass. Summer scorched them, winter humped their backs with cold and arched up their bellies with famine, but they were a breed schooled through generations for this fight against nature. In this junk-shop of the world, rattlesnakes were rulers of the soil. Overhead the buzzards, ominous black specks pendant against the white-hot sky, ruled the air.

It seemed impossible that human beings could live in this rock-wilderness. If so, they must be to other men what the lean, hardy cattle of the hills are to the corn-fed stabled beeves of the States.

Over the shoulder of a hill came a whistling which might have been attributed to the wind, had not this day been deathly calm. It was fit music for such a scene, for it seemed neither of heaven nor earth, but the soul of the great god Pan come back to earth to charm those nameless rocks with his wild, sweet piping. It changed to harmonious phrases loosely connected. Such might be the exultant improvisations of a master violinist.

A great wolf, or a dog as tall and rough coated as a wolf, trotted around the hillside. He paused with one foot lifted and lolling, crimson tongue, as he scanned the distance and then turned to look back in the direction from which he had come. The weird music changed to whistled notes as liquid as a flute. The sound drew closer. A horseman rode out on the shoulder and checked his mount. One could not choose him at first glance as a type of those who fight nature in a region where the thermometer moves through a scale of a hundred and sixty degrees in the year to an accompaniment of cold-stabbing winds and sweltering suns. A thin, handsome face with large brown eyes and black hair, a body tall but rather slenderly made--he might have been a descendant of some ancient family of Norman nobility; but could such proud gentry be found riding the desert in a tall-crowned sombrero with chaps on his legs and a red bandana handkerchief knotted around his throat? That first glance made the rider seem strangely out of place in such surroundings. One might even smile at the contrast, but at the second glance the smile would fade, and at the third, it would be replaced with a stare of interest. It was impossible to tell why one respected this man, but after a time there grew a suspicion of unknown strength in this lone rider, strength like that of a machine which is stopped but only needs a spark of fire to plunge it into irresistible action. Strangely enough, the youthful figure seemed [...]

"you're wrong i know what silent can do with his hands no one could beat him up what's name of other"

"barry whistling dan barry"

calder hesitated

"right or wrong i'd like to have this barry with me so long"

he was gone as he had come with a nod and a flash of keen black eyes lee hardy stared at door for some moments and then went outside warm light of sun had never been more welcome to him under that cheering influence he began to feel that with tex calder behind him he could safely defy world

his confidence received a shock that afternoon when a heavy step crossed outside room and his door opening without a preliminary knock he looked up into solemn eyes of jim silent outlaw shook his head when hardy offered him a chair

"what's main idea of them two new men out in your front room lee" he asked

"two cowpunchers that was down on their luck i got to stand in with boys now and then"

"i s'pose so shorty rhinehart in here to see you lee"

"yep"

"you told him that town was gettin' pretty hot"

"it is"

"you said you had no dope on when that delayed shipment was comin' through"

hardy made lightning calculations a half truth would be best way out

"i've just got word you want it come this morning"

silent's expression changed and he leaned a little closer

"it's nineteeth train number 89 savvy seven o'clock at elkhead"

"how much same bunch of coin"

"fifty thousand"

"that's ten more"

"yep a new shipment rolled in with old one no objections"

silent grinned

"any other news lee"

"shorty told you about tex calder"

"he did seen him around here"

slightest fraction of a second in hesitation

"no"

"was that straight dope you give shorty"

"straighter'n hell they're beginnin' to talk but i guess i was jest sort of panicky when i talked with shorty"

"this tex calder----"

"what about him" this with a trace of suspicion

"he's got a long record"

"so've you jim"

once more that wolflike grin which had no mirth

"so long lee i'll be on job lay to that"

he turned towards door hardy followed him a moment more in a single word and job would be done five thousand dollars for a single word it warmed very heart of lee hardy

silent as he moved away seemed singularly thoughtful he hesitated a moment with bowed head at door--then whirled and shoved a six-gun under nose of hardy latter leaped back with his arms thrust above his head straining at his hands to get them higher

"my god jim"

"you're a low-down lyin' hound"

hardy's tongue clove to roof of his mouth"

"damn you d'you hear me"

"yes for god's sake jim don't shoot"

"your life ain't worth a dime"

"give me one more chance an' i'll play square"

a swift change came over face of silent and then hardy went hot with terror and anger long rider had known nothing gun play had been a mere bluff but he had played into hands of silent and now his life was truly worth nothing

"you poor fool" went on silent his voice purring with controlled rage "you damn bli"

"give me a chance jim one more chance one more chance"

even in his terror he remembered to keep his voice low lest those in front room should hear

"out with it if you love livin'"

"i--i can't talk while you got that gun on me"

silent not only lowered his gun but actually returned it to holster nothing could more clearly indicate his contempt and hardy in spite of his fear crimsoned with shame

"it was tex calder" he said at last

silent started a little and his eyes narrowed again

"what of him"

"he came here a while ago an' tried to make a deal with me"

"an' made it" said silent ominously

no gun pointed at him this time but hardy jerked his hands once more above his head and cowered against wall

"so help me god he didn't jim"

"get your hands down"

he lowered his hands slowly

"i told him i didn't know nothin' about you"

"what about that train what about that shipment"

"it's just way i told you except that it's on eighteenth instead of nineteenth"

"i'm goin' to believe you if you double cross me i'll have your hide maybe they'll get me but there'll be enough of my boys left to get you you can lay to that how much did they offer you lee how much am i worth to little old usa"

"i--i--it wasn't money i was afraid to stick with my game any longer"

long rider had already turned towards door making no effort to keep his face to agent latter flushing again moved his hand towards his hip but stopped movement last threat of silent carried a deep conviction with it he knew that faith of lone riders to each other was an inviolable bond accordingly he followed at heels of other man into outside room

"so long old timer" he called slapping silent on shoulder "i'll be seein' you agin before long"

calder's men looked up with curious eyes hardy watched silent swing onto his horse and gallop down street then he went hurriedly back to his office once inside he dropped into big swivel-chair buried his face in his arms and wept like a child

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