Snake River Slaughter. William W. Johnstone

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MATT JENSEN, THE LAST MOUNTAIN MAN SNAKE RIVER SLAUGHTER

      MATT JENSEN, THE LAST MOUNTAIN MAN

       SNAKE RIVER SLAUGHTER

      William W. Johnstone

       with J. A. Johnstone

      

PINNACLE BOOKS Kensington Publishing Corp.

       www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-one

      Chapter Twenty-two

      Chapter Twenty-three

      Chapter Twenty-four

      Chapter Twenty-five

      Chapter Twenty-six

      Chapter Twenty-seven

      Chapter Twenty-eight

      Chapter Twenty-nine

      Epilogue

      Chapter One

      Sweetwater County, Wyoming

      The Baker brothers, Harry and Arnold, were outside by the barn when they saw Jules Pratt and his wife come out of the house. Scott and Lucy McDonald walked out onto the porch to tell the Pratts good-bye.

      “You have been most generous,” Jules said as he climbed up into the surrey. “Speaking on behalf of the laity of the church, I can tell you that every time we hear the beautiful music of the new organ, we will be thinking of, and thanking you.”

      “It was our pleasure,” Scott said. “The church means a great deal to us, more than we can say. And we are more than happy to do anything we can to help out.”

      “We’ll see you Sunday,” Jules said, slapping the reins against the back of the team.

      Lucy McDonald went back into the house but before Scott went back inside, he looked over toward the barn at the two brothers.

      “How are you two boys comin’ on the wagon?” Scott called toward them.

      “We’re workin’ on it,” Harry called back.

      “I’m goin’ to be needin’ it pretty soon now, so you let me know if you run into any trouble with it,” McDonald replied, just as he went back inside.

      Harry and Arnold Baker were not permanent employees of the MacDonalds. They had been hired the day before for the specific purpose of making repairs to the freight wagon.

      “Did you see that money box?” Harry asked.

      “You mean when he give that other fella a donation for the organ? Yeah, I seen it,” Arnold replied.

      “There has to be two, maybe three hunnert dollars in that box,” Harry said.

      “How long would it take us to make that kind of money?” Arnold asked.

      “Hell, it would take the better part of a year for us to make that much money, even if we was to put our earnings together,” Harry said.

      “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Arnold said. “Harry, you want to know what I’m thinkin’?”

      “If you’re thinkin’ the same thing I’m thinkin’, I know what it is,” Harry replied.

      “Let’s go in there and get that money.”

      “He ain’t goin’ to give up and just give it to us,” Harry said.

      “He will if we threaten to kill ’im.”

      Harry shook his head. “Just threatenin’ him ain’t goin’ enough,” he said. “We’re goin’ to have to do it. Otherwise, he’ll set the sheriff on us.”

      “What about the others? His wife and kids?”

      “You want the two boys to grow up and come after us?”

      “No, I guess not.”

      “If we are goin’ to do this thing, Arnold, there’s only one way to do it,” Harry insisted.

      “All right. Let’s do it.”

      Pulling their guns and checking their loads, the two brothers put their pistols back in their holsters, then crossed the distance between the barn and the house. They pushed the door open and went inside without so much as a warning knock.

      “Oh!” Lucy said startled by the sudden appearance of the two men in the kitchen.

      “Get your husband,” Arnold said, his voice little more than a growl.

      Lucy left the kitchen, then returned a moment later with Scott. Scott wasn’t wearing his gun, which was going to make this even easier than they had planned.

      “Lucy said you two boys just walked into the house without so much as a fare thee well,” Scott said, his voice reflecting his irritation. “You know better than to do that. What do you want?”

      “The money,” Harry said.

      “The money? You mean you have finished the wagon? Well, good, good. Let me take a look at it, and if I’m satisfied, I’ll give you your ten dollars,” Scott said.

      Harry shook his head. “No, not ten dollars,” he said. “All of it.”

      “I beg your pardon?”

      Harry drew his pistol, and when he did, Arnold drew his as well.

      “The money box,” Harry said. “Get it down. We want all the money.”

      “Scott!” Lucy said in a choked voice.

      “It’s all right, Lucy, we are goin’ to give them what they ask for. Then they’ll go away and leave us alone. Get the box down and hand it to them.”

      “You’re a smart man, McDonald,” Arnold said.

      “You’ll never get away with stealing our money,” Lucy said as she retrieved the box from the top of the cupboard, then handed it over to Harry.

      “Oh, yeah, we’re goin’ to get away with it,” Harry said as he took the money from the box. Folding the money over, he stuck it in his pocket. Then, without another word, he pulled the trigger. Lucy got a surprised look on her face as the bullet buried into her chest, but she went down, dead before she hit the floor.

      “You son of a bitch!” Scott shouted as he leaped toward Harry.

      Harry was surprised by the quickness and the furiousness of the attack. He was knocked down by Scott, but he managed to hold onto his gun and even as he was under Scott on the floor, he stuck the barrel of gun into Scott’s stomach and pulled the trigger.

      “Get him off of me!” Harry shouted. “Get him off of me.”

      “Mama, Papa, what is it?” a young voice called and the