Shadow River Read Online Free Page B

hurting like hell—”
    Sam turned and walked away, goat shank in hand.
    â€œHold on, Jones,” Burke called out. “Where you going?”
    â€œOn,” Sam said, “by myself.”
    â€œWait, damn it,” Burke said, scrambling to his feet. The others followed suit, still chewing their goat meat. “Can’t we just talk about it?”
    â€œWe did,
twice
,” Sam said without looking back. “I’m not talking about it again.” He stopped at the dun and the spare horse. He scooped his saddle off the ground, slung it over the dun and cinched it.
    Burke and the others looked at one another.
    â€œDamn it to hell!” said Burke.
    Sam swung atop his saddle, the spare horse’s lead rope coiled in his hand. He turned the dun and gave a pull on the spare horse’s rope, guiding both animals toward the trail.
    â€œIf I start looking smaller, it’s because I’m riding away,” he said, touching his hat brim toward the staring gunmen.
    â€œJones—” Burke started to call out, but a distant sound of gunfire resounded from far down the hillside, causing him to stop and stand in silence. The others did the same.
    Sam stopped the dun, but only for a second. As the gunfire increased, erupting into a full-fledged gun battle, he touched his boots to the dun’s side and rode on, leading the spare horse close alongside him.
    â€œJesus!” said Burke. He let out an exasperated breath and snatched his saddle from the ground. “I’ve never seen a man so damn intolerant of others.” He hurried toward his horse, the remainder of the group right behind him.
    Sam rode on, keeping the dun at a steady but easy pace, knowing the others would be hurrying to join him. Before he’d gone two hundred yards, he heard their horses’ hooves thundering up behind him.
    â€œDamn it, Jones!” said Burke, riding up beside him, well ahead of the others. “You can’t just ride off and leave us. We’ve still got a deal.”
    â€œI’ve got no deal with dead men,” Sam said, playing it hard as stone. “If you fool around in the country, you’ll be decorating some warrior’s lodge pole.”
    â€œAll right,” said Burke. “We were all worn out, but here we are now, ready to ride. Giving it all we’ve got.”
    â€œYep, here you are,” Sam said. “But let me make sure you understand, I’m not going to waste my time keeping you alive if dying is all you’re good for. Either give it all you’ve got to begin with or go lie on a rock and blow your heads off—save yourself the trouble.” He booted the dun up a little. Burke rode alongside him.
    â€œYou’ve got it, Jones,” he said. “What do you suppose all that shooting is about down there?”
    â€œI’ve got no idea,” Sam said. “But it’s coming from the trail we’re on. When they’re finished fighting, if they haven’t all killed each other, they’ll be coming up this trail.” He slowed the dun a little as the other men came galloping up in a hurry, still stretched out single file.
    Seeing the men slow their horses, Burke looked down at the sound of the battle raging below them. He looked back up at the men as Sam booted the dun forward.
    â€œWhat the hell are you all waiting for?” Burke said to the other three. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    On the lower trail the battle raged full bore for over an hour. For the next three hours sporadic gunfire continued. From the upper ledges just short of the hillside’s crest, Sam and the four gunmen heard the straggling battle spread out, diminishing farther down along the trail and out across the sand flats. After midnight a lasting silence had set in. From the crest of the trail, the five sat their horses in the purple light of a three-quarter moon and gazed