Code of the Mountain Man Read Online Free Page A

squatting down beside the dying woman.
    â€œI recollect hearin’ a man they called Lake and another man they called Taylor. Dear God in Heaven it was a long two days they stayed here.” She looked at him. Her eyes were unusually bright and clear. “Did I dream it, or did you put dirt over my family?”
    â€œI buried them and read words from the Bible.”
    â€œThank you. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember no more names of them outlaws.”
    â€œI’ll find out who the rest of them were. Did they all... ah? . . .” He didn’t know quite how to say it. But the woman did.
    â€œYes. Several times. One of my girls died while they was abusin’ her. You got kids of your own, Mr. Smoke?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThen you know how I must feel.”
    â€œI believe so.”
    â€œI heard them say they was goin’ to take over part of Colorado.”
    â€œThe only thing they’re going to take over is a grave, ma’am.”
    â€œThat’s good. You got a hole dug for me?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI reckon it’s about time then.” She closed her eyes, smiled, and said, “Thank you, God, for sending me a warrior.” Then the woman leaned her head back and died.
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    Smoke buried the woman and moved on, making camp a few miles from the scene of cruelty and savageness. He would try that little town on the Rio Grande, on the southern edges of the La Garita Mountains; see if any of the scum had ridden in there. What was the name of that place? Yeah, it came to him. Somebody had named it Gap.
    Wasn’t much to Gap, Smoke thought, as he approached the town from the north. A saloon, a little hotel, a general store, a cafe and barber shop. Maybe two dozen houses. He swung down in front of the small livery and looked at the man sitting in a cane-bottomed chair in front of the place.
    â€œThat horse has got a mean eye on him,” the man said.
    â€œFeed him, curry him, and take care of him,” Smoke said, dropping the reins. “Give him all the grain he wants. And don’t get behind him. He’ll kick the crap out of you.”
    â€œGonna cost you extra for me to take care of that wall-eyed bastard.”
    Buck lifted his head and showed the man his big teeth.
    â€œDon’t call him names. He’s sensitive about that.”
    â€œI’ll make a deal with you,” the man said. “You stable and feed him, and I’ll just charge you for what he eats.”
    â€œThat’s fair enough. Livery looks full.”
    â€œBunch of lawmen in here, U-nited States marshals; stayin’ over to the ho-tel. Chasin’ some gang, they is.” He squinted his eyes. “Don’t I know you?”
    â€œNever been here before in my life.”
    â€œYou shore look familiar. I seen your pitcher somewhere. Maybe on a wanted poster?”
    Smoke laughed. “Not likely. I ranch up north of here, outside of Big Rock.”
    â€œThat’s Smoke Jensen’s country. He’s kilt a thousand men.”
    â€œNot quite that many.”
    â€œYou know him?”
    â€œI know him. You got a marshal in this town?”
    â€œYep. Right over there’s his office.” The man pointed. “Name is Bradley.”
    Smoke took his gear and checked in at the hotel. He got the last room available. He registered as Jen Sen.
    â€œFunny name,” the desk clerk said. Then he looked into the coldest eyes he’d ever seen. “No offense meant, mister.”
    â€œYou been in this country long?” Smoke asked.
    â€œJust got in from Maryland a few months back.”
    â€œThen learn this: you belittle a man’s name out here, and you’d best be ready to back it up with guns or fists.”
    â€œHere, now!” a man said. “There’ll be none of that around me.”
    Smoke turned. A man stood before him with a big badge on his chest that read: “Deputy U. S.