Free Novel 1966 - Kilrone (v5.0) by Louis L’Amour Page A

was likely to falter.
    Stella Rybolt, as the more experienced, was in her element. Denise was quietly competent, quietly in command, but without any effort at assertion. She, who alone among the women had not been born or brought up on the frontier, came of a soldier family; moreover, being of the nobility and the wife of a commanding officer here, hers was a necessity for courage. One of the easiest ways to be brave is to have bravery expected of you.
    With Denise there could be no question of her role. The matter of her role or her reaction to the situation would never even arise in her mind, for the position to which she had been bred was not only that of leader, but of protector.
    Barney Kilrone walked out on the parade ground, visiting each barracks. It had been the rule to have a barrel of water at each corner of each barracks building, but those barrels were now gone. Inquiry revealed that they had been piled into a wagon and taken to the creek for refilling, and had not been returned. That had been two days ago.
    Paddock had been drinking, Ryerson ill, and nobody had been quite up to par. Colonel Webb and Mellett gone…and somebody had been careless. But it might have been part of a preconceived plan, arranged by someone who was aiming at destruction of the army post. Well, if those barrels had been left at the creek they should be there still.
    He went on toward the corrals and stopped. Just ahead of him he heard a faint rustle of movement, glimpsed a momentary shadow. Somebody was pitching hay to the horses. Kilrone walked around the corral and it was Teale.
    He stopped when he saw Kilrone, poised with the pitchfork in his hand. “You, is it? Figured I’d feed the horses before I went on guard. They may not get fed for a while.”
    “Good thinking.” Kilrone paused. “Teale,” he said after a moment, “we should have those barrels. If this lasts any while at all, one barrel of water for each building won’t be enough. Especially at Headquarters, where the women and children will be.”
    Teale was leaning on his fork now. Because of the darkness, Kilrone could not tell what his reaction was.
    “The barrels were left in a wagon down at the creek,” Kilrone said. “Would you know where that would be?”
    “Uh-huh. There’s a pool near the Hog Town crossing. We usually watered up there. When the Major ordered K Troop out, they were told just to leave the wagon, that somebody would go pick it up, but nobody did.”
    “Catch me up a couple of those mules, will you, Teale? I’m going after that wagon.”
    “Suppose the wagon ain’t there?”
    “Then I’ll go where it is.”
    “Alone?”
    “Why not? In any event, we can’t spare any men to go along. They’ll be needed on the post.”
    Teale stood his fork against the corral. “Maybe they can spare one man. I’d like to sort of trail along an’ see what happens.”
    He paused. “You got any idea what you’re gettin’ into? I know why that wagon wasn’t sent after. Some of Sproul’s men hooked onto it and pulled it into Hog Town. Ryerson was too sick to go himself and didn’t like to send anybody after it without orders. Now, I’ve got a feelin’ Iron Dave Sproul won’t let you have that wagon, and if you make any kind of a fuss, Iron Dave will chop you up without working up a sweat.”
    Teale stepped into the corral, caught a couple of the big Missouri mules, and led them out. Kilrone shut and fastened the gate while Teale took the mules to the harness rack.
    After the animals were harnessed, the two men mounted and rode away toward the creek, Teale leading the way. Kilrone sat silently on the big mule.
    Their time was short. Barrels or not, they must get back before daylight. His thoughts strayed to Betty Considine. There was something about her that stuck in a man’s mind, some quality beyond her beauty or her charm. It was that quiet competence that made a man realize she was a woman to walk beside a man and not behind him. She had a