Heart of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2016-07-13T04:00:00+00:00

18

After supper that night, Smoke met with his friends in his room to plan their next move. They’d just settled down when a knock came at the door.

Four pistols were drawn and aimed as Smoke stepped to the door. “Who is it?” he called, standing to the side so a bullet fired through the wood wouldn’t hit him.

“It’s me, Muskrat Calhoon.”

Smoke pulled the door open and stepped back to let the mountain man enter. Muskrat took off his coonskin hat and grinned. “Howdy, boys.”

Smoke peered out in the corridor to make sure no one had followed the old man up the stairs, then closed and locked the door.

After everyone told Muskrat hello, he glanced around the room. “What kind’a meetin’ is this? I don’t see no nectar around.”

Louis smiled, pulled a bottle of whiskey from the bureau drawer, and flipped it to the mountaineer.

Muskrat pulled the cork and took a deep swig. “Ah, that’ll git the chill of winter outta my bones,” he groaned with pleasure.

Smoke sat on the bed and leaned back against the headboard, motioning for Muskrat to take his chair. “What can we do for you, Muskrat? I thought you were headed up into the high lonesome for your wintering.”

As the old man took his seat, Pearlie moved quietly to the window and opened it a crack, hoping the night breeze would remove some of the smell.

“Well,” Muskrat said, taking another sip of whiskey and smacking his lips, “I was on my way up the mountain when I got to thinkin’ ’bout our little fracas the other night.” He glanced around at the men watching him. “I ain’t had so much fun since back in ’42 when Preacher and Bear Tooth an’ me blowed hell outta some Injuns down in Arizona.”

His eyes opened wide. “I plumb forgot how good it feels to put some lead in folks that sorely need it. Hell,” he continued, “it made me feel like I’se a young buck again ’stead of an old fart waitin’ round to die.”

Smoke nodded. “I know the feeling, Muskrat. Combat surely does get the juices flowing.”

Muskrat shook his head. “No, Smoke, ’twas more’n that. It was that I’se doin’ somethin’ useful agin.”

Louis spoke up. “Well, we certainly couldn’t’ve done it without your help, Muskrat. We never could have found our way up to the hole-in-the-wall without your showing us the way.”

Muskrat nodded. “That’s why I decided to circle around and take me ’nother look at the hole-in-the-wall.”

Smoke leaned forward, suddenly interested in what the mountain man had seen. After the battle the other night, they’d left so quickly they hadn’t had time to fully assess the damage they’d done.

“What’d you see, Muskrat?”

“The place was a mess. All of the cabins was pret’ near destroyed. A couple’a walls was still standin’, but they ain’t in no shape to keep nobody warm in the winter.”

“What about the outlaws?” Pearlie asked.

“They had a pile of bodies all stacked up over near one corner of the valley, an’ some of the men were diggin’ a big hole.

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