Luke cleared his throat, hawked up a glob of phlegm and spat. Johnny took a swig from his canteen to wash the dust out out of his mouth and throat, then passed the canteen to Luke. “What do you make of that?” he asked.
“You tell me,” Luke said.
“You’re the one who’s been back for a while.”
“I never saw that bunch before. But I don’t get into town much.”
“I’ll tell you this: they was loaded for bear.”
“They must’ve been Yankees.”
“How can you tell? They don’t wear signs, Luke.”
“They looked like they was doing all right. Well-fed, good guns and mounts, clothes that wasn’t rags. Only folks getting along in these parts are Yankees and outlaws. They was escorting the wagon, doing a job of work. Outlaws don’t work. So they must be Yanks, damn their eyes.”
“Could be.”
“They got the right idea, though. Nothing gets nowhere in Hangtree less’n it’s well guarded,” said Luke. “Wonder what was in that wagon?”
“I wonder,” Johnny Cross said, thoughtfully stroking his chin. A hard, predatory gleam came to his narrowed eyes as they gazed in the direction where the convoy had gone.
PINNACLE BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2011 William W. Johnstone
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Following the death of William W. Johnstone, the Johnstone family is working with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Mr. Johnstone’s outlines and many unfinished manuscripts to create additional novels in all of his series like The Last Gunfighter, Mountain Man, and Eagles, among others. This novel was inspired by Mr. Johnstone’s superb storytelling.
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ISBN: 978-0-7860-2349-3
Notes
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