Gunsmith 360 : The Mad Scientist of the West (9781101545997) by J. R. Roberts Read Free Book Online Page B

cups of coffee, scraped the rest of the bacon and beans into their plates.
    â€œI’ll get an early start in the morning,” he said.
    â€œHunting?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œMay I come with you? I’ve never hunted before.”
    â€œBut you’ve fired a rifle?”
    â€œYes, but not at anything living. I have nothing else to do until all my equipment is here and unloaded.”
    â€œOkay,” Clint said. “We’ll go hunting at first light. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to keep watch. I’ll take the first, and wake you in four hours.”
    â€œIt will be a pleasure to sleep in a bed tonight.”

SEVENTEEN
    In the morning Clint awoke and smelled coffee. He rolled out of bed. He’d had a good four hours on a mattress that had been better than half the hotels he’d stayed in over the years.
    When he came out of the room, Tesla was standing by the stove, watching the coffeepot. He turned his head and saw Clint.
    â€œGood morning.”
    â€œMornin’,” Clint said.
    â€œI would have started breakfast, but I am much better at cooking over an open fire.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Clint said. “I’ll make some bacon. Too bad we didn’t get some eggs while we were in Gunnison.”
    â€œThat would have been nice.”
    â€œI’ll probably have to go back there for supplies at some point,” Clint said. “I’ll see if I can get some.”
    â€œHow long can we last on the supplies we have?” Tesla asked.
    â€œA couple of weeks.”
    â€œWell, we can worry about it then,” he said, “unless we find some chickens wandering about.”
    â€œNot likely,” Clint said. “Any chicken found its way out here would get devoured by a big cat.”
    â€œBig cat?”
    â€œMountain lion,” Clint said. “These mountains belong to them. If we want a deer today, we’ll have to beat a mountain lion to it.”
    â€œMountain lions?” Tesla asked. “Seriously?”
    â€œOh yeah,” Clint said. “They are the top hunters up here.”
    Tesla stared at Clint as the coffee started to boil over. Clint grabbed the pot and took it off the stove.
    â€œGet the cups and pour,” Clint said. “I’ll put on the bacon.”
    He cut strips of bacon and put them in a frying pan. Before long the house was filled with the scent of sizzling bacon.
    Â 
    They finished their breakfast and stepped outside. It was cold, but not oppressively so. They each held their rifles, and Clint was wearing his modified Colt.
    â€œWhat do we do now?” Tesla asked.
    â€œWe walk,” Clint said. “Until we see some sign of a deer—or a mountain lion.”
    â€œYou keep talking about mountain lions,” Tesla said. “Are you trying to frighten me?”
    â€œNot at all,” Clint said. “I just want you to realize what we have to deal with up here.”
    â€œSo what do we do if we come upon one?” Tesla asked. “A mountain lion, I mean.”
    â€œWe leave it alone as long as it leaves us alone.”
    â€œAnd if it doesn’t leave us alone?”
    â€œThen we kill it before it kills us,” Clint said. “Let’s start walking.”
    Â 
    â€œSo if I could invent a gun that would fire electricity,” Tesla was saying half an hour later, “what would you think of that?”
    â€œWhat good would it do?” Clint asked.
    â€œWell . . . it would fire electricity instead of lead,” Tesla said.
    â€œI understand that,” Clint said. “My question is . . . why? What for?”
    â€œIt would be better than bullets,” Tesla said.
    â€œI’m afraid I’d have to see that to believe it,” Clint said. “Could I hit a deer at three hundred yards with your gun?”
    â€œCan you do that now?”
    â€œYes.”
    Tesla looked surprised.
    â€œThree hundred