Iron Eyes Must Die by Rory Black Read Free Book Online Page B

disgust. ‘Just for that, I’m gonna let you boys go free and
let Buck handle him! John Parsons is in for a real bad
surprise!’
    The engineer blinked hard.
    ‘ We
can go?’
    Snake Adams pointed his gun between the last
two cars.
    ‘ Yep.
But unhook this car from the rest of the train first. Then you can
skedaddle out of here.’
    The frightened man moved between the cars and
did as he was instructed. He then clambered back into the sunshine
and wiped the sweat and grease off his hands on the front of his
overall. His frightened eyes looked at Adams.
    ‘ Get
going, amigo’ Adams gestured. ‘Get this train out of here before I change
my mind.’
    The driver ran fast for a big
man. He did not slow up until he was back with the rest of the
train crew. Adams watched as they picked up the limp stoker and
dragged him on to the high engineer’s cab. Smoke billowed out of the train’s
stack as the long locomotive jerked into action and slowly moved
away from its abandoned car.
    Mayne and Brewster rode up to their five
cohorts and dismounted.
    ‘ What
we gonna do, Snake?’
    ‘ How
come ya let the train go?’
    ‘ The
next train stop is fifty miles from here, boys,’ Adams informed his
gang. ‘If they did tell anyone about us being here, we’ll be long
gone before any law could reach here.’
    The six outlaws stared hard at the solitary
car before them.
    ‘ I
reckon it’s time we let Coop show us again how good he is with them
dynamite sticks he’s got in his saddlebags, boys,’ Adams said,
puffing on his cigar.
    Coop Starr rubbed his hands together and ran
to his horse.
    ‘ I
thought that you was gonna let me kill someone, Snake!’ Buck Harris
complained.
    ‘ I
sure am gonna let you kill someone, Buck.’ Adams patted the cheek
of his most deadly follower. ‘Once Coop blows that door off that
car, you got a real ornery critter inside it to kill.’
    Harris smiled.
    ‘ Can I
kill him slow?’
    ‘ The
slower the better!’ Adams nodded.

Chapter Seven
    The ground shook as a blinding
flash sent black plumes of smoke heavenward. Flames leapt like
wildcats in all directions. A hundred th underclaps could not have equaled the
deafening blast that filled the area around what was left of the
rail car. Coop Starr lay on his back as debris showered down over
him and the rest of the outlaws.
    Starr managed to ease himself up on to his
elbows and brush the smoldering splinters of wood off his burned
face. He stared at the car which still rocked on the tracks. Only
half of the vehicle remained. The entire door section was gone. As
was the roof.
    Snake Adams and his cohorts staggered from
the cover of the canyon like phantoms. They were all covered in
sawdust.
    ‘ What
happened?’ Adams shouted as he tried to hear the sound of his own
voice over the ringing in his ears. ‘What did you do, Coop? How
much dynamite did ya use?’
    Starr turned to his companions.
    ‘ Did
somebody say somethin’? I can’t hear nothin’ ’ceptin’ war
drums!’
    Adams slapped the cowboy out of his way.
    ‘ The
safe better still be there!’
    ‘ Could
be in Wyoming, Snake,’ Kyle Parker commented dryly. ‘I figure most
of it’s at least two states away by now.’
    Buck Harris stormed past the deafened gang.
The blood-crazed outlaw reached what was left of the car and
snorted, his eyes darting at what remained of its interior. He drew
both his guns and cocked their hammers.
    ‘ Where
are ya, little man?’ Harris screamed at the car.
    Suddenly a pile of smoking
planks moved at the end of the car. Harris raised his leg and
placed his boot on the metal step. He hoisted himself up and then
stood on the blackened floor. He aimed both guns at the moving pile of
lumber.
    ‘ I see
ya! C’mon out!’
    The woodpile fell aside as the railroad
guard got back to his feet with his scattergun in his
hands.
    Both barrels spewed out their deadly venom.
Two barrels of buckshot hit the outlaw. A bloodied Buck Harris was
lifted off his feet by the