Black Trails and Bloody Murder by Peter Brandvold

Author:Peter Brandvold
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Published: 2018-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 2

“I told Burnett no!” Jennie fairly screamed, aiming the Sharps at Dodge, the rifle quivering in her trembling hands. “When he rode out here and told my pa he was gonna marry me, I told him in no uncertain terms to go to hell!”

“I know ya did,” Dodge said. “I was right here where I am now—remember? But he gave you two weeks to ride to town on your own, or he was gonna send us, and he also said you weren’t gonna like it if you forced his hand like that. I think it sort of embarrassed him—you not comin’ in willin’ like. He doesn’t like how you’re makin’ him look in front of the whole town. So he sent us.”

Dodge’s voice dipped darkly. “He sent us, and, unfortunately, a whole passel of trouble. I’m sorry it’s come to this. I truly am.”

“This is crazy,” Jennie said. “He can’t force a girl to marry him. No man can. Not even Quentin Burnett!”

“Now, why don’t you go on inside and pack a bag for yourself? You’re comin’ to town whether you want to or not. Whether it’s right or not. You’d best get your family out of the house, as well, because me an’ the boys here have been ordered to burn it to the ground. That’s your punishment, see? I don’t think you want them in there when we put the torch to it.”

Jennie’s heart kicked like a mule in her chest.

She loudly cocked the Sharps, hardened her jaws, and shook her long dark-brown hair back away from her cheeks. “You go to hell, you son of a bitch. I may not be able to get all of you, but I can get you, Dodge. If you take one step toward this cabin, I’ll blow you out of your saddle!”

Dodge’s face turned red with anger. “Did you hear a word I just said?”

Jennie did not respond to that. She aimed down the Sharps’s barrel at Dodge. The other men were grinning now. The Miller brothers chuckled and looked at each other. Delvin Miller ducked his head and turned it to one side—a nervous twitch of sorts—while his brother, C.P., squirmed around lustily in his saddle.

“Go on inside and pack a bag,” Dodge commanded, raising his voice. “Tell your family to evacuate the premises. This ranch now belongs to Mr. Quentin Burnett, as you yourself do, Miss Broyles. We mean your family no harm, but we have our orders.” He rose slightly in his saddle as he raised his voice even louder. “Now, vamoose, damnit—I ain’t gonna tell you again!”

From upstairs in the cabin, Mercy cried, “Poppa, no!”

Hard thuds of someone tramping around up there hit the air.

“Unhand me, damnit!” came the angry voice of Angus Broyles.

“Poppa, you can’t go down there!” Mercy screamed.

Jennie glanced at the cabin’s open door behind her. “Pa, stay upstairs!”

She returned her nervous gaze to Dodge. The gunman pointed a finger at her in warning. “If that old man comes out here with a gun, he’s dead.

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