Robert B. Parker's Buckskin by Robert Knott

Author:Robert Knott [Knott, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

39

As we got closer it became clear that the riders were Edward Hodge and his two men. They were a good fifty yards in front of us, riding in our direction. Hodge stopped his big dun horse and his men did the same. The manner in which they stopped on the narrow path gave us the impression they might likely have notions of blocking us from passing.

We pulled to a stop.

“None other,” Virgil said under his breath.

“Well, well,” Hodge hollered.

Then he pulled a rifle from his scabbard and laid it across his lap.

“Don’t look pleasant,” I said.

“No,” Virgil said, “they don’t.”

Hodge said something to his men and they pulled their rifles and laid them across their laps.

“Look who in the hell we got here,” Hodge said loudly.

Virgil pulled his Winchester and rested it on his saddle horn. I pulled my eight-gauge from its scabbard and turned my horse slightly to the right. Then I put the barrels on the left side of my fork and pulled both hammers back.

Hodge nudged his horse closer. The two men flanking Hodge did the same.

“Imagine that,” Hodge said.

We moved closer.

“What brings you fellas out this direction?” Hodge said.

“Be a good idea that you boys don’t fuck around and get yourselves killed,” Virgil said.

“We ain’t fucking around,” Hodge said.

“Good,” Virgil said.

“Being out here,” Hodge said, “makes things a little different, don’t it?”

We continued slowly and moved closer yet. The whole time I kept my horse angled to the right.

“How so?” Virgil said.

Hodge laughed.

“For starters, the first thing is, there are three of us against two of you.”

“Against?” Virgil said.

“Goddamn right, against. You got a problem with that?”

“Got no problem. Fact is you choosing to get yourself and your friends killed or not, is more your problem.”

“Listen to mighty Virgil Cole . . . I offered you our help.”

“Don’t need any help.”

“I would not be too sure of that.”

“Sure enough,” Virgil said.

“These sumbitches have gone way too far and you know it.”

“I know what I know.”

“Well, that’s real good,” Hodge said.

“What’s the other?” Virgil said.

“What’s that?” Hodge said with a sneer.

“You said for starters, the first thing is, there is three of you and two of us,” Virgil said. “What’s the second thing?”

“Good to know you can count,” Hodge said. “The second thing is we ain’t within the town limits. In case you ain’t noticed.”

“There is not much not to notice about you,” Virgil said.

“Oh, you think?”

“I do,” Virgil said.

“Don’t matter,” Hodge said.

“It matters,” Virgil said.

Hodge nodded to his rifle but left it lowered.

“Got no rules out here for us to follow, do ya?”

“Oh, there are rules,” Virgil said.

Hodge and his men rode closer and we moved closer still. Now we were within pistol distance.

“Your rules?” Hodge said.

Virgil nodded.

“That’s right.”

Hodge smiled.

“I don’t much care for you, Virgil Cole. Or your fucking rules.”

“That’s okay.”

“Yes,” Hodge said. “It damn sure is.”

“But you’ll do best not to test me,” Virgil said.

“Just funnin’,” Hodge said with a nasty grin, “Just funnin’.”

“That right?” Virgil said.

Hodge smiled and turned to his men.

“Put your guns away.

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