Ole Devil at San Jacinto (Old Devil Hardin Western Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the counter, he produced a short blunderbuss which
he passed to the white-haired chief of scouts. As Smith was taking
it, his two companions began to draw the pistols that were thrust
through their waist belts.
    ‘ Hold hard there, blast
ye!’ Smith commanded, swinging the blunderbuss towards
the center of the room and hauling back its hammer to fully
cocked. ‘This here ain’t no seemly bee-hav-ior for officers ’n’
gentlemen.’
    Strangely, considering the
prevailing conditions, Smith and his men appeared to be aligning
their weapons at the Creoles rather than in the direction of the actual instigators of
the disturbance. To Andre Jaloux, Bardeche, Mondor and Henri
Pierre-Quint, it seemed that each personally was being menaced by
the heavy caliber pistols, or the bell-mouthed muzzle of something
far more effective at close quarters.
    Equally peculiar was the behavior of the two
Texians who had been responsible for the fracas. Although they were
apparently being ignored by the trio of scouts, neither of them
appeared to want to continue hostilities against the other.
    ‘ My apologies, Colonel
Smith, ’ Ole Devil said, striding smartly across the room to pick
up his hat. ‘With your permission, Mr. Blaze and I will
leave.’
    ‘ It’d likely be’s well,’ the old scout
declared.
    ‘ Just a moment!’ Bardeche
put in, taking his hand from the already badly swollen area where
he had been struck and trying to focus through an eye which resembled
a Blue Point oyster peeping out of its partially open shell. He
made as if to advance, but changed his mind as Smith’s borrowed
blunderbuss singled him out with disconcerting accuracy. ‘My
friends and I have been assaulted—’
    ‘ It wasn’t except by
accident ,’ Mannen Blaze protested, relapsing into his earlier
attitude of somnolence and ambling over to retrieve his head
gear.
    ‘ That doesn’t make any difference!’
Bardeche spat out indignantly and his companions muttered their
concurrence. ‘We’ve been assaulted and we demand
satisfaction.’
    ‘ Well now,’ ‘Deaf’ Smith
drawled, looking from one to another of the offended party. ‘That’s
right truthful. ‘’Cepting, way you’ve all been hurt, there’s none
of you’ll be able to go fighting no duels for a spell.’

Chapter Three – It’s Your Assignment, Captain
Hardin
    ‘ Well,
Captain Hardin,’ greeted Major General Samuel Houston, studying the
ramrod straight young figure standing on the other side of the
rickety table which served as a desk in the big wall tent he was
using as his quarters and office. Unlike the members of the
Provisional Government, he cared little for his personal comfort.
‘I don’t suppose I need to tell you why I’ve sent for you, do
I?’
    ‘ No, sir,’ Ole Devil Hardin
admitted.
    Just over an hour had elapsed
since the disturbance at the Grand Hotel. Exerting his authority,
backed by the solid argument of his borrowed blunderbuss, ‘Deaf’ Smith had
insisted that the two parties concerned should not remain in each
other’s presence. So Ole Devil and Lieutenant Mannen Blaze had
taken their departure while the injuries of the six Creoles were receiving
treatment.
    Once outside the building, instead of
continuing their quarrel, the two cousins appeared to have
forgotten their differences. They were on the best of terms by the
time they had reached the Texas Light Cavalry’s tent lines and the
subject of the mounted drill was not mentioned. Nor, when the
captain had given instructions which would involve his
lethargic-looking lieutenant in some strenuous activity, did Mannen
repeat his earlier complaints or show any sign of shirking the
duty. Rather he had set about it with a lively cheerfulness which
seemed at odds with his general behavior. It was noticeable that
the men to whom he began to issue orders showed no surprise over
the way he was acting.
    Neither Ole Devil nor his cousin
had been particularly surprised when the former had received