Free Treasure Mountain (1972) by Louis - Sackett's 17 L'amour Page A

likely they outfitted at Fort Gibson, right up the line. Those days nobody stopped here very much. This place was started by a part-blood Creek who came in here a good many years back. He took over the saltworks up the stream.
    Did right well. But anybody outfitting for the western ride would go to Fort Gibson."
    We finished our coffee and got up. "Let's see those horses," I suggested. "We've got to get back to town. Orrin will be waiting."
    There were three of them, sixteen hands, beautifully built, and in fine shape.
    One was a gray with a splash of white with black spots on the right shoulder, and a few spots freckled over the hips, black amidst the gray. The other horses were both black with splashes of white on the hips and the usual spots of the appaloosa.
    "We'll take them. How about packhorses?"
    "There," he indicated a dun, a pinto, and a buckskin. "They're good stock themselves, mustang cross."
    "How much?"
    He laughed. "Take 'em and forget it. Look, when Lando Sackett whupped Dune Caffrey down to Oakville I went down for all I had, and with my winnings I bought this place and my stock. I built it up and I still have money in the bank.
    "Take 'em along, an' welcome. Only thing is, if Lando fights again, you write me. I'll come a-runnin'."
    "Thanks," I said, "but--"
    "No buts." Doc Halloran shook his head at me. "Forget it. Reason I asked was you on the dodge," he said, "because three hard cases drifted in a few days ago.
    They've been sort of hangin' around as if on the lookout for somebody."
    The Tinker looked at me, and me at him. Then we sprinted for the buckboard.

    Chapter IX
    Orrin didn't make it sound like much when he told us of it after. He was in that there store, and it was like most country stores, smelling of everything that was in it--good, rich, wonderful smells of new leather, fresh-ground coffee, cured hams and bacon, spices, and the like.
    He knew where we were going and how we'd have to live. We'd have fresh meat from the country around us, and we'd have what we could gather in the way of roots and such, only that wouldn't amount to much unless we happened on it.
    A man traveling doesn't have much time for stopping off to look or pick, so Orrin was buying sides of bacon, flour, meal, coffee, dried fruit, and whatever figured to be handy.
    He also was buying some .44's for our Winchesters and pistols, and the man who owned the store took down a spanking new Smith and Wesson .44 and was showing it to Orrin.
    Orrin had just put it down when those hard cases walked in. Now they weren't from the western lands, they were river men, mean as all get-out, but they didn't know Orrin. They'd been told they were to kill a lawyer ... now there's lawyers and there's lawyers.
    Just like there was a dentist named Doc Holiday.
    They came in the store at the front, and Orrin was back yonder at the counter.
    He must have turned to look, as he would, but likely he was expecting the Tinker an' me.
    Now those three spread out a little after they got through the door, and they were all looking at him. It was three to one, and Orrin spoke to the storekeeper out of the corner of his mouth. "You better get out. This appears to be a shooting matter."
    "You know those men?"
    "No, but they look like they're hunting."
    One of them, who wore a tall beaver hat, noticed the gun on the counter. He had his in his hand. He smiled past some broken, yellowed teeth and a straggly mustache.
    "There it is, mister lawyer. You better try for it."
    Now that gun was brand new and empty. Orrin knew that, even if they didn't. He could also see these were river men, and while there'd been a sight of shooting and killing alonf the Mississippi, very little of it was based on fast drawing.
    "If I reached for that gun, you'd kill me."
    The man with the beaver hat gave him a wolfish grin. "I reckon."
    "But if I don't reach for it, you'll kill me anyway?"
    "I reckon we'll do that, too." He was enjoying himself.
    "Then I haven't much choice, have