Read Online How the West Was Won (1963) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis L'amour
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clutching a double-barreled pistol. He was obviously listening, trying to figure out what had happened at the landing. A quick sizing-up of the situation at the store told Linus his best chance for quick action would come from Zebulon or Sam. Drawing back his knife, he threw it into the back of the man guarding them.
Then all hell broke loose. Zebulon grabbed the falling man's rifle by the barrel and drove it hard at the face of the guard close to the wall of the store. The thief leaped back and Zebulon reversed the rifle, and the two men fired as one. The thief's bullet was a clean miss, and it smashed into the wall on the far side, scattering chips of bark. Zebulon's shot killed the guard. Hawkins wheeled and fired simultaneously. His first bullet struck Sam and knocked him to his knees; the second bullet killed Colin Harvey. Hawkins ducked and ran, coattails flying, into the brush. Dora followed him out of the clearing.
Swinging his rifle like a club, Linus had followed his knife into the fight. It was by no means his first experience in such a melee, and he floored the last of Hawkins' men.
Eve, retreating toward the brush with her mother and Lilith, recognized Linus. Her eyes caught his lean, swiftly moving figure even as he left the brush to plunge into the fight. Oh, it's him! she cried out. It's him! As always in such situations, the action ended as abruptly as it had begun. At one instant there had been cries, shots, wild blows, and running men; then there was sunlight and shadow falling over the clearing's edges ... some gasping for breath ... a muffled groan.
Rebecca for once had forgotten Zeke, and was kneeling above Sam. The Harvey boys had gone into the brush, pursuing Hawkins and Dora, while Eve ran to Linus. You're hurt! There's blood on your back!
It's all right, he said. I've got to round up my furs and get goin'. She drew back, dropping her arms stiffly; her eyes searched his face. Then you didn't come back to-? The excitement was gone from her face. No, I see you didn't. Somehow they got your furs and it was them you came after. I might have known.
He avoided her eyes, embarrassed by his own sense of guilt and by the hurt in her eyes. This was quite a woman, he told himself, a woman with the kind of courage he had always admired. He knew what it must have cost her in pride to have come to him that first time. Trouble was, he was no marryin' man. If he was, this would be the girl-she surely would be. The Harveys came plodding back through the brush. Got away, Harvey said tiredly. Had them a dugout hid on the other side of the island. I fired, Brutus said. I think I put lead into him. Can't be sure.
Let them go, Prescott said. Their sins will catch up with them. He avoided even looking at Sam. Rebecca, assisted by Lilith, was doing all anybody could. The thought of losing Sam shook him deeply, and he could not stand knowing how serious his wounds might be. Sam had changed since the trip began, becoming a man almost at once, making his own decisions and moving with a certainty Zebulon had never seen in him before. Perhaps the very act of leaving the farm, Zebulon's farm, had been responsible for that. Now they were just two men together, each standing on his own feet, doing his own share of the work.
For the first time, looking at Sam and at the body of Colin Harvey, Zebulon Prescott began to realize what the cost of this western venture might be. No new land is gained without blood and suffering, and they had been bold to leave all behind to go into the Ohio River country. They might yet pay a high price for their boldness.
They had scarcely begun ... how many would die before the West was won? How many by river, by disease, by blizzard and tornado and flood? How many by starvation and exhaustion? It was a long way to the shining mountains. He was glad they were not going that far ... nor many miles farther, when it came to that. Turning away, he began to go through what was left within the store.
Then all hell broke loose. Zebulon grabbed the falling man's rifle by the barrel and drove it hard at the face of the guard close to the wall of the store. The thief leaped back and Zebulon reversed the rifle, and the two men fired as one. The thief's bullet was a clean miss, and it smashed into the wall on the far side, scattering chips of bark. Zebulon's shot killed the guard. Hawkins wheeled and fired simultaneously. His first bullet struck Sam and knocked him to his knees; the second bullet killed Colin Harvey. Hawkins ducked and ran, coattails flying, into the brush. Dora followed him out of the clearing.
Swinging his rifle like a club, Linus had followed his knife into the fight. It was by no means his first experience in such a melee, and he floored the last of Hawkins' men.
Eve, retreating toward the brush with her mother and Lilith, recognized Linus. Her eyes caught his lean, swiftly moving figure even as he left the brush to plunge into the fight. Oh, it's him! she cried out. It's him! As always in such situations, the action ended as abruptly as it had begun. At one instant there had been cries, shots, wild blows, and running men; then there was sunlight and shadow falling over the clearing's edges ... some gasping for breath ... a muffled groan.
Rebecca for once had forgotten Zeke, and was kneeling above Sam. The Harvey boys had gone into the brush, pursuing Hawkins and Dora, while Eve ran to Linus. You're hurt! There's blood on your back!
It's all right, he said. I've got to round up my furs and get goin'. She drew back, dropping her arms stiffly; her eyes searched his face. Then you didn't come back to-? The excitement was gone from her face. No, I see you didn't. Somehow they got your furs and it was them you came after. I might have known.
He avoided her eyes, embarrassed by his own sense of guilt and by the hurt in her eyes. This was quite a woman, he told himself, a woman with the kind of courage he had always admired. He knew what it must have cost her in pride to have come to him that first time. Trouble was, he was no marryin' man. If he was, this would be the girl-she surely would be. The Harveys came plodding back through the brush. Got away, Harvey said tiredly. Had them a dugout hid on the other side of the island. I fired, Brutus said. I think I put lead into him. Can't be sure.
Let them go, Prescott said. Their sins will catch up with them. He avoided even looking at Sam. Rebecca, assisted by Lilith, was doing all anybody could. The thought of losing Sam shook him deeply, and he could not stand knowing how serious his wounds might be. Sam had changed since the trip began, becoming a man almost at once, making his own decisions and moving with a certainty Zebulon had never seen in him before. Perhaps the very act of leaving the farm, Zebulon's farm, had been responsible for that. Now they were just two men together, each standing on his own feet, doing his own share of the work.
For the first time, looking at Sam and at the body of Colin Harvey, Zebulon Prescott began to realize what the cost of this western venture might be. No new land is gained without blood and suffering, and they had been bold to leave all behind to go into the Ohio River country. They might yet pay a high price for their boldness.
They had scarcely begun ... how many would die before the West was won? How many by river, by disease, by blizzard and tornado and flood? How many by starvation and exhaustion? It was a long way to the shining mountains. He was glad they were not going that far ... nor many miles farther, when it came to that. Turning away, he began to go through what was left within the store.
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