Barnum and Bullets by JR Roberts

Author:JR Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: wild west, old west, pt barnum, old west adventure, western pulp fiction, jr roberts, the gunsmith, clint adams, adult pulp fiction, gunfighters of the old west
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Thirty-One

When they got back to camp, Barnum went immediately to his tent. The five troopers who had escorted them back rode out again to rejoin the others. Clint took care of his horse and Barnum’s. As he was doing so, Mrs. Custer came walking over to him.

“Has something happened?” she asked.

He turned to face her and removed his hat.

“Mr. Barnum has lost his taste for buffalo hunting, Ma’am.”

“And you?”

“What I saw out there was not hunting, Mrs. Custer,” he said, “it was out and out slaughter.”

“And my husband?”

“He’s still out there with the others.”

“Will you be going back the fort, then?”

“I imagine Mr. Barnum will want to.”

“Good,” she asked. “May I accompany you?”

“I don’t know if that would be a very good idea, Mrs. Custer.”

“I thought you were going to call me Libbie.”

“The general wouldn’t be too happy about you leaving, would he, Libbie?” Clint asked.

“Probably not,” she said, “but I’m a grown woman and make my own decisions. If you are going back to the fort, I would like to ride along.”

“Why don’t we see what P. T. has to say?” Clint asked. “If he wants to go back, then I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t tag along.”

At that moment, Barnum came out of his tent carrying his rifle and bedroll.

“Just point me in the direction of the fort,” he said.

“Nonsense, P. T.,” Clint said. “I’ll take you back.”

“I’ll have a few men ride back with us,” Libbie said.

“Can you do that?” Clint asked.

“I’m the general’s wife,” she said. “They won’t refuse me.”

Clint wondered why she hadn’t just gotten a few men to take her back already. Why did she have to wait for him? This was not going to make him very popular with Custer.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” she said and hurried away.

“She’s leaving, too?” Barnum asked.

“It looks that way. Are you all right?”

“That was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen,” Barnum said.

“It was pretty bad.”

“I don’t believe the others could take part in it and not feel sick.”

“Oh,” Clint said, “they’ll feel sick, all right. When it’s all over and they’ve seen what they’ve done, they’ll feel it.”

“And George?”

“I have the feeling the general knows exactly what he’s doing at all times,” Clint said, “or thinks he does.”

Barnum shook his head and went to tie his bedroll to his horse.

Libbie Custer appeared moments later with a horse, rather than with the buggy that had taken her out there. The three of them, along with three troopers who didn’t know if they were going to have their heads handed to them or not, rode out of camp and headed back to Fort Hays.

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