William W. Johnstone by Preacher's Fire

Author:Preacher's Fire
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Rocky Mountains, Western Stories, Westerns, Fiction, Large Type Books, General, Mountain Life
ISBN: 9780786021277
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2010-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

There didn’t seem to be any point in denying it. Jessie probably wouldn’t believe him, anyway.

“There’s another old sayin’ about a cat bein’ out of a bag, but I don’t believe a Chinaman said it.”

“So you admit that you’re Preacher?”

“Yeah, might as well.”

“Wait a minute,” Cleve said. “I’ve heard of Preacher. He’s just one of those ignorant, unwashed mountain men—”

Jessie silenced him with a look. “Just because a man doesn’t have much education doesn’t mean that he’s unintelligent. I haven’t been to school all that much myself, and I believe I’m fairly smart.”

“Yeah, but you’re a . . .”

“Woman? Is that what you were about to say?”

Preacher chuckled and said to Cleve, “I may be ignorant, but I know enough that when I’m neck-deep in a hole, I stop diggin’.”

Cleve frowned and muttered something, then said, “Sorry, Jessie. I didn’t mean anything. And of course, you’re right. The question is, what are we going to do about him now?”

“We’d be fools to pass up this opportunity to have him on our side,” Jessie said, as if Preacher were no longer in the room. “You know his reputation. You know there are good reasons why Shad fears him.”

Preacher jerked a thumb at the door. “If you folks want me to step outta the room, I reckon I could go out to the parlor. I bet I could find a gal there willin’ to keep me company for a while.”

“I’m sure you could,” Jessie said, “but you don’t need to leave, Preacher. I think we should all work together. We have a common enemy, after all.”

Preacher looked at Cleve. “You feel the same way, gambler?”

“Of course, if Jessie does,” he said with a nod. He opened his coat and put away his pistol, slipping it into a holster somewhere under the garment.

Preacher wasn’t sure he completely believed or trusted Cleve. The gambler had teamed up with Jessie to overthrow Beaumont’s reign because he wanted power and money. Those were mighty good motives.

But they weren’t as pure as the hatred that Preacher and evidently Jessie, too, felt for Shad Beaumont.

For the time being, though, Preacher’s best course of action was to cooperate with them. As he always did, he would just keep his eyes open and be ready for trouble at any time. That way, if Cleve tried to double-cross him somewhere down the line, he’d be ready.

“We’re agreed, then?” Jessie said. “We’ll all work together?”

“Suits me,” Preacher said. “Just one question . . . what do you plan on doin’ next?”

Jessie went back behind the desk and sat down, motioning for Preacher to resume his seat in front of the desk. Cleve remained on his feet, still watchful. His hand didn’t stray far from the place where the pistol was tucked away under his coat.

“How much do you know about Beaumont’s business?” Jessie asked.

“I know he really owns this place and Dupree’s and a lot of other places in St. Louis,” Preacher replied. “Some of ’em are pretty shady, but some of them are real businesses.

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