Longarm in Hell's Half Acre Read Online Free Page A

thick-trunked, low-limbed cottonwood and adjusted his view through the field glasses. The image finally came into focus and something odd popped up. “What’re those dark mounds scattered around the slope goin’ up the hill?”
    Court let out an exasperated sigh. “Dead dogs. We counted three, maybe four. Could be more. Figured they either set up a racket when Calico Jack approached, or maybe he got tired of their barkin’ once he got inside and decided to put an end to it. No way to tell for certain.”
    Longarm backed away from the tree and turned to face Court. “Dogs? Damn. Takes one sorry son of a bitch to shoot a defenseless dog, for no good reason. Killin’ three or four of ’em like that’s just downright, good for nothin’, low-life crazy. Damnation, I’d rather tie a double knot in a mountain lion’s tail than have to deal with a man who’s snapped a link in his trace chain. Calico Jack’s never been known as the most dependable boat on the river, but I really didn’t know him as crazy.”
    â€œMy sentiments exactly, Marshal Long. But the situation confronting us, at the moment, is what it is. Just gonna have to deal with it.”
    For a second, Longarm’s brow knotted and a pained look flitted across his weathered face. A spark of realization lit his eyes like a Fourth of July whizbang. “Damn, Harley,” he said, “if there’s dead dogs up on the hill, near the cabin, that means there’s probably people. You think there’s any possibility that we might have other folks inside that hovel with Calico Jack?”
    Court peered up through the tree limbs, then toed the ground. “Well, we’re pretty sure there mighta been at least one other man in the cabin when Jack stormed in and took over the place.”
    â€œYou’re pretty sure? Is that anything like kinda definite ? Do you have anything substantial to base that opinion on?”
    Hadleyville’s marshal cast an eye-blinking glance at the patch of cloud-filled, crystal blue sky above them, then shook his head. “Not really. Look, Marshal Long, when we first got here, my man Gabe Coldwell, the one who hotfooted it back to Hadleyville, made it most of the way up the hill ’fore any shootin’ got cranked up good. He come nigh on gettin’ himself kilt, right then and there. Once we got back down here behind cover, he told me as how it appeared to him there mighta been a man’s body stretched out on the ground right outside the front door. That’d explain the biscuit eaters.”
    Longarm kicked at a rock with the heel of his boot. “Well, yeah, maybe that’d explain the dogs,” he snapped. He ran a hand to the back of his neck. He twisted his head sideways till he could feel the bones pop. “Jeez, just had a horrible thought.”
    â€œWhat? What’d you think, Marshal?”
    â€œWhat if there’s a woman up there, Harley? Christ, just think of that. Shit, we can’t stop Rudy now. It’s too late. He’s gonna blow that place to powder ’fore the day’s out.”

Chapter 3
    Marshal Harley Court wagged his head back and forth, then toed at some of the rocks on the ground. “Damn. Captives? Maybe a woman? Never even gave that likelihood a moment’s thought, Marshal Long.”
    â€œWell, you shoulda, Harley. Shoulda told me about your suspicions soon as I pulled all that dynamite outta my saddlebag. Men in our position can’t make mistakes like this. We might all end up responsible for the untimely death of a woman, and sweet Jesus, perhaps even children, for all we know. Ain’t that a horrific thought?”
    Court looked stricken when he said, “Children? Christ Almighty, don’t think they’s children up there, do you, Long?”
    Longarm cast a worried glance back toward Calico Jack’s stronghold. “Reckon we can talk to him? Did you, or any of