Dark Night in Big Rock by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2022-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

The Box RG

Louis heard the gunfire well before he and the other members of the posse from Big Rock came in sight of Roy Gardner’s ranch headquarters. Sheriff Carson held up his hand in a signal for the group of riders to stop.

Monte said, “Louis, you aren’t armed, and you’re not a fighter. No offense, just stating the facts. I want you to stay back until we calm things down a mite.”

The sheriff’s firm tone didn’t allow any room for argument, so even though Louis felt like protesting, he nodded.

“All right,” he said. “I hope you don’t have to kill anyone.”

“Yeah, I hope so, too.” Monte looked around at the other members of the posse, including Conrad Morgan and Brice Rogers. “Nobody starts shooting unless I do, understand?”

“I’m not used to people shooting at me and not shooting back, Sheriff,” said Conrad.

“If it comes to that, we’ll defend ourselves, don’t you worry. But I’d like to put a stop to this without any killing . . . or any more than there has been already,” Monte added grimly. “Come on!”

The riders galloped ahead. Louis hung back for just a second and then followed them, blinking a little at the dust their horses raised stung his eyes.

They rode through a saddle between some hills, and the ranch came into view below at the bottom of an easy slope. Even from this distance, Louis could see the haze of powder smoke that hung over the place. Muzzle flame spurted from windows in the main house and the bunkhouse, as well as from the loft opening in the barn. The raiders had taken cover behind corrals, water troughs, and a parked wagon. They poured lead at the buildings from those vantage points.

Louis didn’t spot any bodies lying in the open, so he supposed that was a good sign.

Monte had brought along a shotgun. He pulled it from the saddle sheath in which it rode and angled the twin barrels skyward as he triggered both of them. The boom of the double discharge rolled over the landscape like a peal of thunder.

Quickly, Monte broke the shotgun open and thumbed a couple of fresh shells into the chambers. The shooting around the ranch had tapered off in response to the first report. The second double blast made everyone hold their fire and look in his direction.

Monte rode forward slowly, reloading the shotgun again as he did so. The rest of the posse followed closely behind him, with Louis bringing up the rear. Into the surprised silence, Monte bellowed, “Hold your fire down there! Hold your fire! I’ll arrest the next man who pulls a trigger!”

Louis felt the tension in the air as they closed in on the ranch headquarters. The shooting had stopped—for now—but it wouldn’t take much of a spark to blow up that momentary truce and start a swarm of lead flying through the air again.

Monte waved for the men following him to stop, then rode boldly into the ranch yard, putting himself between the two hostile forces.

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