To Arms! To Arms! In Dixie by J. T. Edson

Author:J. T. Edson [Edson, J. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: belle boyd, pulp westerns fiction, the american civil war, westerns fiction general, piccadilly publishing, rebel spies, j t edson, westerns fiction ebook
ISBN: 9780440210436
Goodreads: 4265836
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1972-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Ten – Are They After You, Or Me?

‘You’re lucky we weren’t in Helena when you came to the Belle asking after me,’ Jim Bludso remarked, as he and Belle sat at a side table in the almost empty barroom to which he had escorted her. ‘There’s a lil red-haired gal there who’d get into a real tizz happened she’d heard you.’

‘Knowing you, that could apply in Greenville, Vicksburg, Natchez and all points down to New Orleans; although maybe not always with a redhead,’ Belle replied with a smile. ‘In fact, I nearly didn’t chance coming. I was a long time getting over the bruises from the first time we met.’

Bludso grinned in sympathy. The incident to which Belle referred had taken place during the War, in New Orleans. On an assignment to smash a Union counterfeiting ring which had operated in that city, Belle had required the services of a safecracker. Because of an incident involving a woman of Bludso’s acquaintance, the girl had found herself in a boxing ring and compelled to fight a professional female pugilist. 11

‘Mind if I ask why you did chance coming?’ Bludso drawled. ‘Not that I’m not real pleased to see you again.’

Before answering, Belle glanced quickly around her. Apart from the bartender, idly shooting poker dice with a customer, they had the room to themselves. The two men were far enough away to be unable to overhear any conversation that took place. So Belle knew that she could supply her companion with the answer to his question. That was why they had come to the bar, to talk without the danger of anybody eavesdropping.

A soaking, furious Captain Bascoll had managed to haul himself from the river. His appearance on the dock had coincided with the arrival of a sergeant and a patrolman of the Memphis Police Department, which had prevented any further hostilities.

The peace officers had asked questions concerning the cause of the disturbance, learning that the captain and the mate of the Stream Queen had been the aggressors. On being asked if he wished to prefer charges, Bludso had refused to do so. Accepting the decision, the sergeant had suggested that the two parties stayed aboard their respective vessels and saved their feuding until they were long gone out of his jurisdiction.

Due to being occupied in acting as a witness on Bludso’s behalf, Belle had lost sight of the gambler who had attracted her notice amongst the crowd. That had meant she would be unable to satisfy her curiosity about him. So she had accepted Bludso’s offer to go and talk ‘old times’ over a drink. Belle had wondered if it had been made due to the engineer’s desire to satisfy his curiosity about her presence on the dock, or concerning her appearance. She had settled on the former reason when Bludso had selected the small barroom after passing other, better-patronized establishments.

‘I need your help, Jim,’ Belle said frankly.

‘You’ve got it,’ Bludso promised without hesitation. ‘What can I do?’

‘Find out if a

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