Novel.13.Radigan.1958 by Louis L'Amour

Author:Louis L'Amour [Louis L'Amour]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five.

Coker simply turned and fired. But he turned too fast and shot too quick, and his bullet went where Radigan had just been.

For Radigan had been completely fooled. He expected Coker to talk because Coker was that sort of man. It was his pattern to play the big man for a few minutes before he killed, but Coker simply spun around and fired, throwing his bullet fast and considering the turn, with amazing accuracy.

Only the fire was sinking and Radigan had dropped to a squatting position to add fuel, and the bullet cut the air right over his head.

Yet as he spun and fired, Radigan threw himself forward and grabbing the gun that Gretchen thrust at him he rolled completely over and fired.

And missed.

It was point-blank range but he was moving and made the same mistake Coker had made by firing too quickly. But his second shot was faster, and it ripped upward into Coker's throat, ranging upward and outward to emerge just above the gunman's ear.

Coker had been so sure-and he was eager to make Gretchen suffer for his swollen and burned lips-he had turned and fired and then he was dying on his feet with blood gushing from his mouth and a puzzled expression as if he could not comprehend what had happened.

He had automatically fired a second time and the bullet had smashed into the fire, scattering sparks, but then the gun slid from his fingers and he tried to speak, staring at Radigan with dawning horror in his eyes, realizing in that last awful moment that he was dying.

His knees sagged then and he fell face forward with his feet in the snow at the entrance and his head toward the fire, and Radigan turned with his gun ready and saw Gorman stretched out on the floor with blood trickling from a split scalp where Child had clubbed him with a chuck of firewood.

Gretchen was a sickly pale, and she turned quickly from the dead man at the cave mouth and said, "We'll need a hot meal." She paused then and seemed to stiffen herself.

"I've got to"

Radigan caught her as she started to faint and she clung to him an instant, fighting it off. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'll be all right. "

Child had picked up a Winchester. "D' you suppose Wall heard those shots?"

"He heard them. But he won't be back."

Child walked to the opening and caught Coker by the foot, dragging him out into the snow where he lay face down. Then he walked back and began methodically to sort the gear in the cave and pack for a leave-taking.

Radigan indicated Gorman. "Leave him some grub. We'll soon be at the cache, and he's done us no harm."

Radigan went to Coker's body and pulled off the cartridge belt and shucked the shells from the loops. The gun Gretchen had tossed him had been his own, and now he retrieved his belt and holstered the gun after reloading. He found his Winchester, checked the barrel and the loads, and then took his bowie knife and went to the trees to cut some branches.

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