Read Online Brotherhood of Evil by William W. Johnstone - Free Book Online
Authors: William W. Johnstone
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twice as he moved quickly to his left, away from Sally.
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Before the two men by the campfire or the pair hidden in the brush could do anything, the quiet was shattered by a swift flurry of gunshots.
Pearlieâs blood seemed to turn to ice in his veins as he realized the blasts came from the direction where Sally and Hardy waited.
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The gunman let the hammer fall as bullets whipped through the air around him. His revolver belched fire. The slug tore through space a good eighteen inches above Sallyâs head and plowed a furrow in the dirt behind her. She rolled over, levering the carbine again.
The stranger swung his gun toward Hardy and loosed another round. Hardy grunted and stumbled as the bullet thudded into him. Despite being hit, he stayed on his feet and triggered a third shot at the stranger.
From her prone position, Sally fired again. She was rewarded by a spray of blood from the gunmanâs right arm. He howled in pain. The bulletâs impact shattered his elbow, flinging his arm out at his side. The revolver flew from suddenly nerveless fingers.
She worked the Winchesterâs lever and fired a third time. The stranger was already twisting away, and he dived behind some trees as Sallyâs bullet whistled past his head.
Somewhere not far away, crashing sounded in the brush.
Someone else was coming, she realized, and she had no way of knowing if it was friend or foe.
Chapter 13
The flurry of gunshots made both Pearlie and Cal stiffen as they crouched in the brush bordering the strangersâ camp.
Green was already on his feet. Joe leaped up as well. Startled curses spilled from each manâs mouth.
âDamn it. Larson mustâve run into trouble,â Green exclaimed. âCome on!â
Chances were the outlaw called Larson had run across Sally and Ben Hardy, Pearlie knew. Whatever was going on back there, Larson didnât need reinforcements.
âGo help Miss Sally!â Pearlie snapped at Cal. âIâll deal with these two!â
Cal obeyed the order without argument or hesitation, another sign that he wasnât the green kid he had once been. He turned and plunged through the brush toward the sound of shooting.
At the same time, Pearlie drew his gun and sent a couple shots at Green and Joe. The outlaws had started in his direction, but as slugs kicked up dirt at their feet, they stopped short with almost comical suddenness and then dived for cover behind the log where they had been sitting.
âWhat the hell!â Joe shouted.
âItâs an ambush!â Green hollered. âMust be Jensenâs men!â He stuck his gun over the log and triggered twice in Pearlieâs general direction. The bullets rattled the brush but didnât come very close to the Sugarloaf foreman.
Pearlie fired again. The slug chewed bark and splinters from the fallen tree.
As long as the two outlaws stayed behind the log, he couldnât hit them. The best he could hope for was to keep them pinned down until Cal got back with Sally and Ben.
Pearlie wasnât much of a praying man, but he sent up a plea that all three of his friends would be all right.
One of the outlaws raised up to try a shot. Pearlie was ready and squeezed the trigger. The man yelped as his hat flew off his head. Pearlie hoped the bullet had found more than hat, but judging by the manâs renewed cursing, that wasnât the case.
With one ear, Pearlie listened to the other battle that was going on. He heard the heavy boom of pistol shots, mixed in with sharper cracks that probably came from Sallyâs carbine. She was giving a good account of herself, anyway . . . not that Pearlie would have expected anything else.
A lull fell over the clearing. He took advantage of it to thumb fresh cartridges into the chambers he had emptied.
He heard the two outlaws behind the log talking but couldnât make out any of their words. They were probably planning something, he
Â
Â
Before the two men by the campfire or the pair hidden in the brush could do anything, the quiet was shattered by a swift flurry of gunshots.
Pearlieâs blood seemed to turn to ice in his veins as he realized the blasts came from the direction where Sally and Hardy waited.
Â
Â
The gunman let the hammer fall as bullets whipped through the air around him. His revolver belched fire. The slug tore through space a good eighteen inches above Sallyâs head and plowed a furrow in the dirt behind her. She rolled over, levering the carbine again.
The stranger swung his gun toward Hardy and loosed another round. Hardy grunted and stumbled as the bullet thudded into him. Despite being hit, he stayed on his feet and triggered a third shot at the stranger.
From her prone position, Sally fired again. She was rewarded by a spray of blood from the gunmanâs right arm. He howled in pain. The bulletâs impact shattered his elbow, flinging his arm out at his side. The revolver flew from suddenly nerveless fingers.
She worked the Winchesterâs lever and fired a third time. The stranger was already twisting away, and he dived behind some trees as Sallyâs bullet whistled past his head.
Somewhere not far away, crashing sounded in the brush.
Someone else was coming, she realized, and she had no way of knowing if it was friend or foe.
Chapter 13
The flurry of gunshots made both Pearlie and Cal stiffen as they crouched in the brush bordering the strangersâ camp.
Green was already on his feet. Joe leaped up as well. Startled curses spilled from each manâs mouth.
âDamn it. Larson mustâve run into trouble,â Green exclaimed. âCome on!â
Chances were the outlaw called Larson had run across Sally and Ben Hardy, Pearlie knew. Whatever was going on back there, Larson didnât need reinforcements.
âGo help Miss Sally!â Pearlie snapped at Cal. âIâll deal with these two!â
Cal obeyed the order without argument or hesitation, another sign that he wasnât the green kid he had once been. He turned and plunged through the brush toward the sound of shooting.
At the same time, Pearlie drew his gun and sent a couple shots at Green and Joe. The outlaws had started in his direction, but as slugs kicked up dirt at their feet, they stopped short with almost comical suddenness and then dived for cover behind the log where they had been sitting.
âWhat the hell!â Joe shouted.
âItâs an ambush!â Green hollered. âMust be Jensenâs men!â He stuck his gun over the log and triggered twice in Pearlieâs general direction. The bullets rattled the brush but didnât come very close to the Sugarloaf foreman.
Pearlie fired again. The slug chewed bark and splinters from the fallen tree.
As long as the two outlaws stayed behind the log, he couldnât hit them. The best he could hope for was to keep them pinned down until Cal got back with Sally and Ben.
Pearlie wasnât much of a praying man, but he sent up a plea that all three of his friends would be all right.
One of the outlaws raised up to try a shot. Pearlie was ready and squeezed the trigger. The man yelped as his hat flew off his head. Pearlie hoped the bullet had found more than hat, but judging by the manâs renewed cursing, that wasnât the case.
With one ear, Pearlie listened to the other battle that was going on. He heard the heavy boom of pistol shots, mixed in with sharper cracks that probably came from Sallyâs carbine. She was giving a good account of herself, anyway . . . not that Pearlie would have expected anything else.
A lull fell over the clearing. He took advantage of it to thumb fresh cartridges into the chambers he had emptied.
He heard the two outlaws behind the log talking but couldnât make out any of their words. They were probably planning something, he
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