42
WE PUT Allie and Laurel in the Boston House, on the second floor in front.
“Lock the door, stay inside,” Virgil said, “until me or Everett tells you to come out.”
“Do you think they’ll come soon?” Allie said.
“Yes,” Virgil said. “You got a gun?”
“Yes.”
“Laurel, too,” Virgil said.
“The one Pony gave her. She always has it,” Allie said.
Laurel took the derringer out of her skirt pocket and showed it to Virgil. He nodded. She stepped close to him and whispered. Teagarden and I stood at the front windows, looking down.
“Pony’s on watch,” Virgil said.
Laurel nodded. Her face was pale and very tight. She swallowed hard. And her movements were stiff.
“Ain’t gonna let them near you,” Virgil said.
Laurel nodded stiffly.
“Somehow they get in here,” Virgil said quietly to Allie, “you know what to do.”
Allie nodded.
“How many will come?” she said.
“Pony says between fifteen and twenty.”
“And there’s only four of you,” Allie said.
“More like three and a half,” Virgil said. “Pony said he won’t shoot no Indians.”
“How can you stop them?” Allie said.
Virgil smiled faintly.
“We shoot very good,” he said.
He was wearing his Colt, and a second one stuck in his belt. He carried a Winchester and two bandoliers of .45 ammo. The ammo fit the Winchester and both Colts. I had two Colts and the eight-gauge, and ammo. Chauncey wore a two-holster gun belt with matching ivory-handled Colts. There were bullets in the loops on the gun belt. He had a Winchester, too, and extra ammo in a pigskin satchel.
“Pony’s coming,” I said.
“How fast?”
“Easy trot,” I said.
Virgil nodded toward the door, and Teagarden and I started out.
“We’ll be back for you,” Virgil said to the women.
Allie looked nearly as pale as Laurel did.
“Can’t you stay with us?”
“Don’t want to draw fire or attention,” Virgil said. “We’ll be back.”
“I pray that you are,” she said.
Laurel stood stone still and watched us as we started out the door.
“Lock it behind us,” Virgil said.
“Come back for us,” Allie said.
Her voice sounded scratchy.
“Always have,” Virgil said.