the Mountain Valley War (1978) by Louis - Kilkenny 03 L'amour Page A
Authors: Louis - Kilkenny 03 L'amour
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had half as many man as us, but he surely out-maneuvered us an' whupped us."
He poured coffee around the table, then put the pot down. "Point that I'm makin' is that that young Union officer who whupped us so bad, that was Trent here." He smiled slyly, eyes twinkling. "I never said nothin' to Trent about rememberin' him, because back then he had a different name than now, and a man's name is his own business."
"That's good enough for me," Runyon said. "If you say he's got the savvy, I'll take your word for it."
"All right." Trent wasted no time. "Mount up and go home, bring all you can load easy of ammunition and grub, but get back tonight. Two of you ride together as much as possible, and watch your back trail. They will be coming, you can depend upon it, and I want all of you back here alive. We need every man ... Don't try to fight unless you cannot get away, just come on to the Hatfields'."
Trent got to his feet. "We will let Hale make the first move. That isn't tactically sound, but we must have the law on our side. If they attack first, we have every right to defend ourselves.
"When Hale moves, we will move too. We've got twelve men--"
"Twelve?" Smithers looked around. "I count only eleven."
"Jack Moffit's number twelve," Trent replied. "I gave him a Sharps. Jack is fourteen, and at fourteen many of us have done a man's job. I'll stake my saddle that Jack Moffit will do his bit. I've seen him bark squirrels with a good rifle, and a squirrel's not as big as a man."
He paused. "We will have six hold this place, and six can do it. With the other six, or with four or whatever we need, we will strike back, go after grub ... whatever."
"That's the kind of talk I like," Smithers said. "I've not been a fighting man, but I dislike to think of my property destroyed when they get off scot-free. I am for striking out, but first we've got to think of food."
"Lije and Saul will go after deer. There are no better hunters in these parts. With what they can kill and what we have, we can get by for a few days. Then I will go after food myself."
"You?" O'Hara demanded. "Where will you get food?"
"Blazer. I'm not going to take all that time, either. I'm going across country, across the broken lands."
There was dead silence. Runyon leaned forward as if to speak, then sat back, shaking his head doubtfully. Smithers broke the silence. "I'll go with you," he said.
"Man," Hight protested, "even the Injuns shy away from that country. If there was any way across, I'd say take it, but men have tried, and died trying."
"There were Indians one time, old Indians, who knew a way across, and I think I know how it can be done. If I can do it, I need be gone only a few days at most."
Trent looked over at Jesse. "Do you want to watch Cedar? You and Quince, takin' turns? Don't take any chances, but when they start to move this way, bring us word. You can take that chestnut of mine. He's a racer, and loves rough going."
Jesse Hatfield got up and slipped from the room, taking up his rifle as he left.
"Jack"--Trent turned to Moffit--"you get up in the Eye and keep a good lookout on the Cedar trail. If you see anyone coming, give us a call."
He mounted the buckskin and took the trail for his own place. He knew what they were facing, but a plan of campaign was shaping itself in his thoughts. If they sat still, sooner or later they must be wiped out or starved out, and his own people would lose heart. They must learn to strike, and they must teach Hale that he was vulnerable.
All was still around his cabin when he rode in. There had been tracks on the trail, and he was not worried, as his was a most difficult place to reach.
Leaving the buckskin ground-hitched, he went inside and loaded two sacks with food of various kinds. A couple of slabs of bacon, some beans, rice, and dried apples.
When he had slung them on a packhorse, he crossed to the nail where he kept his guns. For a moment he hesitated. Then he took them down and buckled the gun
He poured coffee around the table, then put the pot down. "Point that I'm makin' is that that young Union officer who whupped us so bad, that was Trent here." He smiled slyly, eyes twinkling. "I never said nothin' to Trent about rememberin' him, because back then he had a different name than now, and a man's name is his own business."
"That's good enough for me," Runyon said. "If you say he's got the savvy, I'll take your word for it."
"All right." Trent wasted no time. "Mount up and go home, bring all you can load easy of ammunition and grub, but get back tonight. Two of you ride together as much as possible, and watch your back trail. They will be coming, you can depend upon it, and I want all of you back here alive. We need every man ... Don't try to fight unless you cannot get away, just come on to the Hatfields'."
Trent got to his feet. "We will let Hale make the first move. That isn't tactically sound, but we must have the law on our side. If they attack first, we have every right to defend ourselves.
"When Hale moves, we will move too. We've got twelve men--"
"Twelve?" Smithers looked around. "I count only eleven."
"Jack Moffit's number twelve," Trent replied. "I gave him a Sharps. Jack is fourteen, and at fourteen many of us have done a man's job. I'll stake my saddle that Jack Moffit will do his bit. I've seen him bark squirrels with a good rifle, and a squirrel's not as big as a man."
He paused. "We will have six hold this place, and six can do it. With the other six, or with four or whatever we need, we will strike back, go after grub ... whatever."
"That's the kind of talk I like," Smithers said. "I've not been a fighting man, but I dislike to think of my property destroyed when they get off scot-free. I am for striking out, but first we've got to think of food."
"Lije and Saul will go after deer. There are no better hunters in these parts. With what they can kill and what we have, we can get by for a few days. Then I will go after food myself."
"You?" O'Hara demanded. "Where will you get food?"
"Blazer. I'm not going to take all that time, either. I'm going across country, across the broken lands."
There was dead silence. Runyon leaned forward as if to speak, then sat back, shaking his head doubtfully. Smithers broke the silence. "I'll go with you," he said.
"Man," Hight protested, "even the Injuns shy away from that country. If there was any way across, I'd say take it, but men have tried, and died trying."
"There were Indians one time, old Indians, who knew a way across, and I think I know how it can be done. If I can do it, I need be gone only a few days at most."
Trent looked over at Jesse. "Do you want to watch Cedar? You and Quince, takin' turns? Don't take any chances, but when they start to move this way, bring us word. You can take that chestnut of mine. He's a racer, and loves rough going."
Jesse Hatfield got up and slipped from the room, taking up his rifle as he left.
"Jack"--Trent turned to Moffit--"you get up in the Eye and keep a good lookout on the Cedar trail. If you see anyone coming, give us a call."
He mounted the buckskin and took the trail for his own place. He knew what they were facing, but a plan of campaign was shaping itself in his thoughts. If they sat still, sooner or later they must be wiped out or starved out, and his own people would lose heart. They must learn to strike, and they must teach Hale that he was vulnerable.
All was still around his cabin when he rode in. There had been tracks on the trail, and he was not worried, as his was a most difficult place to reach.
Leaving the buckskin ground-hitched, he went inside and loaded two sacks with food of various kinds. A couple of slabs of bacon, some beans, rice, and dried apples.
When he had slung them on a packhorse, he crossed to the nail where he kept his guns. For a moment he hesitated. Then he took them down and buckled the gun
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