Read Online And Kill Them All by J. Lee Butts - Free Book Online Page B

about has to be goin’ on over around that pocket of ground right on the edge of Turkey Mesa. Green spot next to the river. You know the one I’m talking about.”
    â€œYep. That’s how I figured it, too. Place where Three Mile Creek seeps down to the river—when there’s enough water to do anything by way of seeping that is. Passin’ itinerants have always liked that particular location. Yep. All that blastin’s gotta be somewhere close to that ’ere shade-givin’ stand of cottonwoods and good grass, I’d wager.”
    â€œYeah. Heard tell as how some of them old forty-niners laid over in that spot on their way to the West Coast back during the gold rush days. Can’t say as I blame them much. Fine site for tired folks to take their ease. Rest up on the difficult way to wherever they might be headed. Location has pretty much everything going for it—shade, grass, water. Nice, real nice.”
    Those words had barely passed my lips when another round of faint popping echoed down the river, ricocheted off the surface of the glass-still water, and, without welcome, bounced onto the doorstep right at our feet. The rapid burst of gunfire tickled the edges of our pricked ears. A tingling sensation crawled up my spine like a Mexican scorpion on the prowl for something it could sting to death.
    I squinted and said, “Who you reckon would be doin’ that much shootin’ this time of the mornin’, Boz? Sun’s only just now gettin’ up good. Got nothin’ more’n a fingernail-sized sliver of moon for real light right now. Could barely see my hand in front of my own face not more’n ten minutes ago.”
    I took a single step out onto the rough-and-ready veranda and cast a squint-eyed gaze along that part of the shimmering river I could see. “Be full light soon enough, I guess. Another half an hour, forty-five minutes maybe.”
    â€œUh-huh,” Boz grunted. “Still and all, ain’t much of a time for folks to be out huntin’. Lest them as are doing all that shooting have a pack of dogs along to scare up some game. Doubt that.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œ ’Cause if’n they had dogs, bet ole Bear, here, would be barking and hopping around like he was on fire. Tell you what, whoever them noisy boys are, they’ve gotta be damned site better shots than either one of us—if they can hunt in the dark, that is.”
    I mumbled, “Beats all I’ve heard in a while.” Then, with considerably more force and vigor, I added, “Well, suppose we’d best get ourselves together, arm up, and go see about it. Bothers the hell out of me that people are shooting up the property. That they woke me up. And here I am a standin’ in the door, in my drawers, and don’t have the least idea as to who they are or why they’re doing it.”
    Ever the philosopher, Boz said, “As you are well aware, Lucius Dodge, I don’t care for such blatantly mischievous and dangerous behavior myself. Never have condoned the thoughtless deeds of arrogant, unthinking bastards as would roust me out of a night of much-needed, rejuvenating slumber by firing off their pistols in such an unthinking and promiscuous manner.”
    Shook my head and grinned in spite of myself. “Jesus, Boz. I’d ask you to repeat all that, but I know you couldn’t do it on a bet.”
    Tatum chuckled and slapped his leg without thinking, then grimaced and sucked in a quick, hissing breath.
    â€œWell, guess maybe you’d best amble on back down to the corral and saddle us a couple of them bangtails, Boz. I’ll ride Grizz—if he’ll let you get close enough to catch him.”
    â€œOh, I’ll catch him all right.”
    â€œWhile you’re doing that, I’ll roust Paco out of the sack. Have him cook us up a pot of coffee thick enough to float a Colt’s pistol and load us up a sack for