Read Online Bride's Flight from Virginia City, Montana by Murray Pura - Free Book Online
Authors: Murray Pura
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dad’s rich pipe tobacco, and saw him smiling at the dinner table and teasing Mom about something with the Remington in its holster hanging off the back of his chair. “I remember. He used to plink tin cans when he wanted to relax.”
“Yeah.” Matt smiled. “You shove it in your bedroll and I’ll relax, too.”
Zeph held on to the gun and holster. “I’ll keep it because it’s Dad’s. But I ain’t going to use it. Not ever.”
“Tell me your stories when you’re back in Iron Springs safe and sound.” Matt snatched a piece of telegram paper off his desk. “I forgot. We heard back from Fort Abraham Lincoln.”
“They’re too far.”
“I know they’re too far. But Custer’s keen. If Raber sets foot in Dakota again, they’ll send a platoon of troopers to run him down. A personal guarantee.”
Zeph shrugged. “He’ll cut straight down to Utah and the railroad once he knows the kids aren’t in Iron Springs.”
“Or try to head you off through Wyoming.” Matt pulled another scrap of telegram paper from his shirt pocket. “We heard back from Fort Laramie. They keep on eye on the railway anyhow. Said they’ll be ready to respond if they hear from us. They’re harboring a grudge against Raber. Appears he shot down two of their troopers last fall.”
“Good to know the bluecoats’ll be out and around. Thank you, brother.”
“I guess you’d better have a talk with Byrd and Holly about the Bar Zee. No telling when you’ll be back from Pennsylvania. See you at Spence’s at eight?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there. Gentlemen.”
Dunning and Doede both raised a hand.
When Zeph had Cricket a mile out of town and headed for Two Back Valley, he reined up, twisted his body around, and dug into the saddlebag on his left. He came up with his dad’s pistol and holster. Pulling the gun, he flipped open the cylinder gate and pushed against the ejector rod under the barrel. One, two, three, four, five rounds. That was all his dad loaded into the Remington. The hammer was always on an empty chamber, so he didn’t shoot his foot off when he tugged the gun free. He stuck the Remington back in its holster and shoved both into the saddlebag as deep as they would go. Then he cinched the bag down tight.
He kept riding toward the Bar Zee. Behind him the bullets were scattered in a circle and sinking into the mud and snowmelt and hoofprints. The sun was going down red. He’d see Charlotte Spence in two or three hours and then spend maybe three or four months with her if he was lucky. Or blessed. Now that would be a mighty nice way to spend the winter and spring, if it’s okay with You, Lord. Zeph began to whistle as Cricket jogged toward the mountains.
Chapter 7
C harlotte pulled aside one of the drapes at her third-floor bedroom window and looked down into the yard at the front of her house. Several men were riding up. Laycock held a lantern toward their faces. His other hand held a shotgun. She wasn’t alarmed. She had spotted Zeph right away.
He was taller than Matt, but Jude had a few inches on him. His teeth were whiter and straighter than either of his brothers and his shoulders broader. His hair was a nicer shade of brown. She made a face. His shoulders and teeth and height weren’t the important things. She liked his spirit. All the brothers had nice smiles and easy voices and pleasant personalities, but Zeph was something special.
She’d known it from the time he’d helped her brother Ricky on that posse. No, she’d known it before that. And when Cody and Cheyenne told her how he’d rescued them, how gentle he’d been, how he’d named them, it only confirmed what she already believed—that Zeph was strong, gentle, and caring, a true man. She had thanked God in her prayers that evening that he was the one accompanying her to Lancaster County and not a pair of strangers with badges and guns.
Years ago she had hoped to spend more time with him. But Ricky’s long illness and death had made that
“Yeah.” Matt smiled. “You shove it in your bedroll and I’ll relax, too.”
Zeph held on to the gun and holster. “I’ll keep it because it’s Dad’s. But I ain’t going to use it. Not ever.”
“Tell me your stories when you’re back in Iron Springs safe and sound.” Matt snatched a piece of telegram paper off his desk. “I forgot. We heard back from Fort Abraham Lincoln.”
“They’re too far.”
“I know they’re too far. But Custer’s keen. If Raber sets foot in Dakota again, they’ll send a platoon of troopers to run him down. A personal guarantee.”
Zeph shrugged. “He’ll cut straight down to Utah and the railroad once he knows the kids aren’t in Iron Springs.”
“Or try to head you off through Wyoming.” Matt pulled another scrap of telegram paper from his shirt pocket. “We heard back from Fort Laramie. They keep on eye on the railway anyhow. Said they’ll be ready to respond if they hear from us. They’re harboring a grudge against Raber. Appears he shot down two of their troopers last fall.”
“Good to know the bluecoats’ll be out and around. Thank you, brother.”
“I guess you’d better have a talk with Byrd and Holly about the Bar Zee. No telling when you’ll be back from Pennsylvania. See you at Spence’s at eight?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there. Gentlemen.”
Dunning and Doede both raised a hand.
When Zeph had Cricket a mile out of town and headed for Two Back Valley, he reined up, twisted his body around, and dug into the saddlebag on his left. He came up with his dad’s pistol and holster. Pulling the gun, he flipped open the cylinder gate and pushed against the ejector rod under the barrel. One, two, three, four, five rounds. That was all his dad loaded into the Remington. The hammer was always on an empty chamber, so he didn’t shoot his foot off when he tugged the gun free. He stuck the Remington back in its holster and shoved both into the saddlebag as deep as they would go. Then he cinched the bag down tight.
He kept riding toward the Bar Zee. Behind him the bullets were scattered in a circle and sinking into the mud and snowmelt and hoofprints. The sun was going down red. He’d see Charlotte Spence in two or three hours and then spend maybe three or four months with her if he was lucky. Or blessed. Now that would be a mighty nice way to spend the winter and spring, if it’s okay with You, Lord. Zeph began to whistle as Cricket jogged toward the mountains.
Chapter 7
C harlotte pulled aside one of the drapes at her third-floor bedroom window and looked down into the yard at the front of her house. Several men were riding up. Laycock held a lantern toward their faces. His other hand held a shotgun. She wasn’t alarmed. She had spotted Zeph right away.
He was taller than Matt, but Jude had a few inches on him. His teeth were whiter and straighter than either of his brothers and his shoulders broader. His hair was a nicer shade of brown. She made a face. His shoulders and teeth and height weren’t the important things. She liked his spirit. All the brothers had nice smiles and easy voices and pleasant personalities, but Zeph was something special.
She’d known it from the time he’d helped her brother Ricky on that posse. No, she’d known it before that. And when Cody and Cheyenne told her how he’d rescued them, how gentle he’d been, how he’d named them, it only confirmed what she already believed—that Zeph was strong, gentle, and caring, a true man. She had thanked God in her prayers that evening that he was the one accompanying her to Lancaster County and not a pair of strangers with badges and guns.
Years ago she had hoped to spend more time with him. But Ricky’s long illness and death had made that
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