Longarm and the Bad Break by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Chapter 20

“What do you think?” Jimmy asked when they were alone in a cottage that had once been an officer’s living quarters. Sgt. Johnson, they’d learned, had established himself in the house that had been the post commander’s quarters. The enlisted men of the detail were scattered inside the barracks buildings in housing that originally was assigned to senior non-commissioned officers.

“I think this isn’t exactly what I expected,” Longarm said. “One thing I’m sure of, though, is that Bob an’ Brad Dekins aren’t here. There’s no chance they could get lost in a crowd this size. So I reckon we sit tight an’ wait. They’ll come to us.”

“Do you think Dutch and Carl are onto them by now?”

Longarm shrugged. “There’s no way t’ tell, but they was going in the opposite direction the last we knew. It’d be good if they was to show up, but I ain’t gonna count on it. No, whatever happens here, Jim, I expect it’s up to the two of us.”

“The three-fourths, you mean.”

“Yeah,” Longarm said with a grin. “But that three-fourths of a human has a sting.” The grin grew wider. “Comes to that, Jimmy, I can whack ‘em with a crutch while you thump them with your stump.”

“You really know how to inspire confidence, don’t you.”

“Leadership ability is one o’ my finer qualities.”

There was no retreat formation called by the caretaker detail. Late in the afternoon one of the privates ambled out to the parade ground and hauled the flag down without ceremony. Shortly afterward Boggs clanged a call to supper on an iron triangle hanging by the mess hall door.

Longarm and Jimmy joined the soldiers who were gathered in a very small cluster close to the kitchen where a few lamps spread light into that end of a building designed for the feeding of two hundred or more at one sitting. The remainder of the long room was dark and cavernous.

The soldiers sat at the table closest to the kitchen, each of them in the same places where they had been sitting at lunchtime, their places occupied by force of habit, Longarm guessed. He and Jimmy settled at a nearby table rather than intrude on the soldiers.

Boggs and one of the men brought out steaming bowls of short ribs cooked in sauerkraut.

“This is good,” Longarm said, turning toward the soldiers’ table. “Where d’you get fresh meat though? This damn sure ain’t the salt pork and bacon I expected.”

“There’s some Injuns that come by a couple times a week. They trade us meat for salt and sugar,” one of the men answered.

Another soldier added, “That ain’t all they bring.” His comment brought a round of laughter from the others, even from Johnson.

“An’ what’s that supposed to mean?” Longarm said.

“You’ll see.”

“Oh, go ahead and tell the man. Civilians get horny too. At least I think they do. I can’t remember that far back, not for sure.”

“Shit, Boston, you can’t remember last week, never mind back before you joined up.”

“I can remember how to whip your ass any time I take the notion,” the man called Boston snapped, suddenly testy.

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