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 [...]

hardly a score of miles away jim silent and his six companions topped a hill he raised his hand and others drew rein beside him kate cumberland shifted her weight a little to one side of saddle to rest and looked down from crest on sweep of country below a mile away railroad made a streak of silver light across brown range and directly before them stood squat station-house with red-tiled roof just before house a slightly broader streak of that gleaming light showed position of siding rails she turned her head towards outlaws they were listening to final directions of their chief and darkly intent faces told their own story she knew from what she had gathered of their casual hints that this was to be scene of train hold-up

it seemed impossible that this little group of men could hold great fabric of a train with all its scores of passengers at their mercy in spite of herself half her heart wished them success there was terry jordan forgetful of wound in his arm shorty rhinehart his saturnine face longer and more calamitous than ever hal purvis grinning and nodding his head bill kilduff with his heavy jaw set like a bull dog's lee haines with a lock of tawny hair blowing over his forehead smiling faintly as he listened to silent as if he heard a girl tell a story of love and finally jim silent himself huge solemn confident she began to feel that these six men were worth six hundred

she hated them for some reasons she feared them for others but brave blood of joe cumberland was thick in her and she loved danger of coming moment their plans were finally agreed upon their masks arranged and after haines had tied a similar visor over kate's face they started down hill at a swinging gallop

in front of house of station-agent they drew up and while others were at their horses lee haines dismounted and rapped loudly at door it was opened by a grey-bearded man smoking a pipe haines covered him he tossed up his hands and pipe dropped from his mouth

"who's in house here with you" asked haines

"not a soul" stammered man "if you're lookin' for money you c'n run through house you won't find a thing worth takin'"

"i don't want money i want you" said haines and immediately explained "you're perfectly safe all you have to do is to be obliging as for money you just throw open that switch and flag train when she rolls along in a few moments we'll take care of rest you don't have to keep your hands up"

hands came down slowly for a brief instant agent surveyed haines and group of masked men who sat at their horses a few paces away and then without a word he picked up his flag from behind door and walked out of house throughout affair he never uttered a syllable haines walked up to head of siding with him while he opened switch and accompanied him back to point opposite station-house to see that he gave "stop" signal correctly in meantime two of other outlaws entered little station bound telegrapher hand and foot and shattered his instrument that would prevent sending of any call for help after hold-up purvis and jordan (since terry could shoot with his left hand in case of need) went to other side of track and lay down against grade it was their business to open fire on tops of windows as train drew to a stop that would keep passengers inside other four were distributed along side nearest to station-house shorty rhinehart and bill kilduff were to see that no passengers broke out from train and attempted a flank attack haines would attend to having fire box of engine flooded for cracking of safe silent carried stick of dynamite

now long wait began there is a dreamlike quality about bright mornings in open country and everything seemed unreal to kate it was impossible that tragedy should come on such a day moments stole on she saw silent glance twice at his watch and scowl evidently train was late and possibly they would give up attempt then a light humming caught her ear

she held her breath and listened again it was unmistakable--a slight thing--a tremor to be felt rather than heard she saw haines peering under shaded eyes far down track and following direction of his gaze she saw a tiny spot of haze on horizon tiny puff of smoke developed to a deeper louder note station-agent took his place on track

now train bulked big engine wavering slightly to unevenness of road bed flag of station-agent moved kate closed her eyes and set her teeth there was a rumbling and puffing and a mighty grinding--a shout somewhere--the rattle of a score of pistol shots--she opened her eyes to see train rolling to a stop on siding directly before her

kilduff and shorty rhinehart crouching against grade were splintering windows one by one with nicely placed shots baggage-cars were farther up siding that silent calculated he and haines now ran towards head of train

fireman and engineer jumped from their cab holding their arms stiffly above their heads and haines approached with poised revolver to make them flood fire box in this way train would be delayed for some time and before it could send out alarm bandits would be far from pursuit haines had already reached locomotive and silent was running towards first baggage-car when door of that car slid open and at entrance appeared two men with rifles at their shoulders as they opened fire silent pitched to ground kate set her teeth and forced her eyes to stay open

even as outlaw fell his revolver spoke and one of men threw up his hands with a yell and pitched out of open door his companion still kept his post pumping shots and prone figure twice more muzzle of silent's gun jerked up and second man crumpled on floor of car

a great hissing and a jetting cloud of steam announced that haines had succeeded in flooding fire box silent climbed into first baggage-car stepping as he did so on limp body of wells fargo agent who lay on road bed a moment later he flung out body of second messenger man flopped on ground heavily face downwards and then--greatest horror of all--dragged himself to his hands and knees and began to crawl laboriously kate ran and dropped to her knees beside him

"are you hurt badly" she pleaded "where where"

he sagged to ground and lay on his left side breathing heavily

"where is wound" she repeated

he attempted to speak but only a bloody froth came to his lips that was sufficient to tell her that he had been shot through lungs

she tore open his shirt and found two purple spots high on chest one to right and one to left from that on left ran a tiny trickle of blood but that on right was only a small puncture in midst of a bruise he was far past all help

"speak to me" she pleaded

his eyes rolled and then checked on her face

"done for" he said in a horrible whisper "that devil done me kid--cut out--this life i've played this game--myself--an' now--i'm goin'--to hell for it"

a great convulsion twisted his face

"what can i do" cried kate

"tell world--i died--game"

his body writhed and in last agony his hand closed hard over hers it was like a silent farewell that strong clasp

a great hand caught her by shoulder and jerked her to her feet

"the charge is goin' off jump for it" shouted silent in her ear

she sprang up and at same time there was a great boom from within car side bulged out--a section of top lifted an fell back with a crash--and silent ran back into smoke haines purvis and kilduff were instantly at car taking ponderous little canvas sacks of coin as their chief handed them out

within two minutes after explosion ten small sacks were deposited in saddlebags on horses which stood before station-house silent's whistle called in terry jordan and shorty rhinehart--a sharp order forced kate to climb into her saddle--and train robbers struck up hillside at a racing pace a confused shouting rose behind them rifles commenced to crack where some of passengers had taken up weapons of dead guards but bullets flew wide and little troop was soon safely out of range

on other side of hill-top they changed their course to right for half an hour killing pace continued and then as there was not a sign of immediate chase lone riders drew down to a soberer pace silent called "keep bunched behind me we're headed for old salton place--an' a long rest"

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