Read Online West Of Dodge (Ss) (1996) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis L'amour
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frantically pulled the trigger three more times as Kilkenny scrambled for cover behind the table, hot lead catching him again, this time in the thigh. His gun was gone, the room full of powder smoke.
Houseman slammed out the door and half fell into the road. He headed for Main Street, reloading. Kilkenny was wounded, maybe dying. They had to move quickly but, he consoled himself, they had done it before and it was time. This had been a good bet, but he knew when his time was up. He had always known. The others had stayed behind at Bannock and at Dodge and other places. He pulled stakes before the Vigilance Committees and United States Marshals got wind of him. He had always moved when the time was ripe. It was ripe now.
Hillman had just opened his store when Houseman limped across Main Street and followed him inside. "Open the safe, Hill," Turner said, "we're getting out. I've just had a shoot-up with Kilkenny."
Hillman looked incredulous, and the limping man shrugged. "I'm not crazy. That gunfighter Lance--he was Kilkenny. I should have remembered. He's used the name before.
"We've got to move! Get the safe. He's in no shape, but people heard the shots and he'll get help."
The look in Hillman's eyes stopped him. Hillman was looking in back of him, over his shoulder.
Houseman turned and stared, his hands hanging. Kilkenny stood in the doorway, his chest covered with blood from the still-oozing cut across collarbone and shoul- der. Standing silent in the doorway he was a grim, dangerous figure, a looming figure of vengeance.
Hillman drew back. "Not me, Kilkenny. I'm out of it. He's made life hell for all of us, Barney has. He's made us all do his dirty jobs. And I won't move on to rob another town."
Kilkenny did not speak. He was squinting his eyes against the pain. He could feel the blood trickling down his stomach. He was losing a lot of blood, and he had little time.
Barney Houseman was a murderer many times over. He was a thief and a card cheat, but always he had let his brother and uncle carry the burden of suspicion while he handled the reins. In Dodge they had believed it was he who left Kilkenny's saddle partner dead in an alley with a knife in his back.
Kilkenny had long given up the chase, but his memory was good. v The Lumping man . . . Barney Houseman.
"I beat you just now," Barney said, "I'll do it again." His hand went down for the gun and grasped the butt, and then Kilkenny took a step forward, his gun sprang to his fist, and something slapped at Barney's pocket. He was angry that anything should disturb him now. He started to lift his gun, and something else slapped him and he suddenly felt very weak and he went down, sinking away, and saw the edge of the table go by his eyes. Then he was on his back, and all he could see was a crack in the ceiling, and then the crack was gone and he was dead.
Hillman twisted his big-knuckled hands. "He was my nephew," he said, "but he was a devil. I was bad, but he was worse."
Kilkenny asked him then, "Who is Laurie Archer?"
"My daughter."
Kilkenny walked back through the street and people stared at him, turned when he passed, and stared after. He walked up to the jail, and Laurie stood on the steps. Her face was drawn and pale. "Can I see him now?"
"Yes," he said. Then he added, "Barney's dead."
She turned fiercely, her eyes blazing. "I'm glad! Gladl"
"All right." He was tired and his head ached. He wanted to go back to the hotel and wash up and then sleep for a week, and then get a horse, and--
He indicated the man on the bed inside. "You're in love with Stroud?"
"Yes."
"Then go to him. He's a good man."
Kilkenny turned around and started back up the street, and the morning sun was hot on his shoulder blades and there were chickens coming out into the street, and from a meadow near the creek, a smell of new-mown hay. He was tired, very tired . . . rest . . . and then a horse.
West Of Dodge (ss) (1996)
*
The Passing of Rope Nose .
To err is human,
Houseman slammed out the door and half fell into the road. He headed for Main Street, reloading. Kilkenny was wounded, maybe dying. They had to move quickly but, he consoled himself, they had done it before and it was time. This had been a good bet, but he knew when his time was up. He had always known. The others had stayed behind at Bannock and at Dodge and other places. He pulled stakes before the Vigilance Committees and United States Marshals got wind of him. He had always moved when the time was ripe. It was ripe now.
Hillman had just opened his store when Houseman limped across Main Street and followed him inside. "Open the safe, Hill," Turner said, "we're getting out. I've just had a shoot-up with Kilkenny."
Hillman looked incredulous, and the limping man shrugged. "I'm not crazy. That gunfighter Lance--he was Kilkenny. I should have remembered. He's used the name before.
"We've got to move! Get the safe. He's in no shape, but people heard the shots and he'll get help."
The look in Hillman's eyes stopped him. Hillman was looking in back of him, over his shoulder.
Houseman turned and stared, his hands hanging. Kilkenny stood in the doorway, his chest covered with blood from the still-oozing cut across collarbone and shoul- der. Standing silent in the doorway he was a grim, dangerous figure, a looming figure of vengeance.
Hillman drew back. "Not me, Kilkenny. I'm out of it. He's made life hell for all of us, Barney has. He's made us all do his dirty jobs. And I won't move on to rob another town."
Kilkenny did not speak. He was squinting his eyes against the pain. He could feel the blood trickling down his stomach. He was losing a lot of blood, and he had little time.
Barney Houseman was a murderer many times over. He was a thief and a card cheat, but always he had let his brother and uncle carry the burden of suspicion while he handled the reins. In Dodge they had believed it was he who left Kilkenny's saddle partner dead in an alley with a knife in his back.
Kilkenny had long given up the chase, but his memory was good. v The Lumping man . . . Barney Houseman.
"I beat you just now," Barney said, "I'll do it again." His hand went down for the gun and grasped the butt, and then Kilkenny took a step forward, his gun sprang to his fist, and something slapped at Barney's pocket. He was angry that anything should disturb him now. He started to lift his gun, and something else slapped him and he suddenly felt very weak and he went down, sinking away, and saw the edge of the table go by his eyes. Then he was on his back, and all he could see was a crack in the ceiling, and then the crack was gone and he was dead.
Hillman twisted his big-knuckled hands. "He was my nephew," he said, "but he was a devil. I was bad, but he was worse."
Kilkenny asked him then, "Who is Laurie Archer?"
"My daughter."
Kilkenny walked back through the street and people stared at him, turned when he passed, and stared after. He walked up to the jail, and Laurie stood on the steps. Her face was drawn and pale. "Can I see him now?"
"Yes," he said. Then he added, "Barney's dead."
She turned fiercely, her eyes blazing. "I'm glad! Gladl"
"All right." He was tired and his head ached. He wanted to go back to the hotel and wash up and then sleep for a week, and then get a horse, and--
He indicated the man on the bed inside. "You're in love with Stroud?"
"Yes."
"Then go to him. He's a good man."
Kilkenny turned around and started back up the street, and the morning sun was hot on his shoulder blades and there were chickens coming out into the street, and from a meadow near the creek, a smell of new-mown hay. He was tired, very tired . . . rest . . . and then a horse.
West Of Dodge (ss) (1996)
*
The Passing of Rope Nose .
To err is human,
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