Funeral By The Sea Read Online Free

bright light only along the higher areas of the slope to the right. But a peripheral glow shed a low level of illumination elsewhere, except for the deeply shadowed places where the timber grew thickest.
    Seth Harrow hauled on the reins and yelled at the team to halt. Then shouted, ‘I got a young feller with me, you guys! He had to shoot his lame horse and wants to buy a new mount! I told him it’d be better if...’
    ‘Shuddup, Seth!’ Bud cut in.
    And he and Kent started down toward the trail where the wagon was stalled. The sounds of their approach could be clearly heard against the regular beat of the Pacific waves on the beach, but the men could not be seen until they emerged from the timber and came across the turf that covered the lower slopes flanking the trail.
    Big-built men wearing Stetsons and sheepskin coats that bulged where they covered bolstered handguns. Both carrying Winchester rifles with their hammers cocked and the muzzles aimed at the driver and passenger up on the wagon seat.
    They closed in slowly, spurs making small, metallic sounds; rifle barrels angling higher as they neared the wagon. Their teeth and eyes gleamed menacingly against the dark tones of their skin.
    ‘Evening to you,’ Barnaby Gold greeted, nodding to each man in turn as they came to a halt six feet to either side of the wagon. ‘Mr. Harrow told you why I’m...’
    ‘What d’you think, Bud?’ Kent growled.
    ‘About what?’
    ‘We kill just him? Or Seth as well? For tryin’ to sneak him into town.’
    ‘Sneak nothin’!’ the old-timer blurted, his voice high-pitched with fear. ‘He’s ridin’ up here on the seat plain for anybody to see!’
    ‘You know the way it is, old man,’ Bud growled. ‘Ain’t nobody allowed through here except you. Unless Hal gives the okay first.’
    Barnaby Gold clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Said, ‘Sorry I’m causing you trouble, sir.’
    ‘Figure Hal wouldn’t like for us to blast Seth unless we really had to, Bud.’
    ‘Go along with that, Kent. You, stranger. Get down from there.’
    The old-timer’s sigh was part relief and the rest philosophical as his passenger eased up from the seat. ‘You can’t say I didn’t give you warnin’ enough, son.’
    ‘Sure, sir.’
    He kept his hands clear of the Peacemakers as he climbed down from the wagon, using both of them to steady himself until he was on the ground, his back to Bud.
    Seth Harrow looked sadly down at him and shook his head as he muttered, ‘Real polite. Damn shame you’re so stupid.’
    He made to reach for the brake lever, but halted the move and peered hard down the ravine when a woman called his name.
    ‘Seth!’
    There was pleasure in her voice and Barnaby Gold experienced a degree of the same emotion as he swung his head to look toward her, the fact that the interruption might not influence the outcome of this situation limiting the extent to which he could share her feelings behind the blank mask of his face.
    ‘Seth! Did you get it for me?’
    She was on foot. A tall, slender woman with long dark hair. Hatless and wearing a dark-colored dress that fitted snugly to her torso and flared slightly from waist to ankles. Carrying something in each hand and keeping her arms down straight at her sides as she hurried up the gentle slope of the trail.
    ‘Sure did, Miss Eve!’ Harrow yelled and now there was excitement in his voice. As if he had more hope than Gold that the intervention of Eve Delroy would augur well for the stranger to Oceanville. ‘It’s exactly like the one in the picture you give me!’
    Gold still had his back to Bud, who rasped softly, ‘Shit!’ then raised his voice to yell, ‘He’s brought somethin’ else, Miss Eve! That Hal won’t like near as much as you figure to like the new dress!’
    ‘Why, what do you mean...?’
    She was close enough now for Gold to see that she was carrying a coffee pot in each hand, and to smell the aromatic steam that escaped from