The Outlaw Josey Wales Read Online Free PDF Page B

receiving a nod he quickly gathered the gold coins out of the dust and moved at a half trot toward the house.
    Josey turned to Jamie behind him, “You stay here and keep the corners of them buildings under eyes.” He put the roan on the heels of the old man. Stopping the horse at the porch of the log cabin, he listened while Carstairs shouted instructions through the open door of the cabin. Then as the old man turned from the door, “Let’s step over to the store, Mr. Carstairs. Tell yore feller in there we want a half side of bacon, ten pound of beef jerky, and twenty pound of horse grain.”
    Carstairs returned with the bags, and Josey had just settled the grain behind his saddle when a tiny white-haired woman stepped through the door of the cabin. She held a pipe in her mouth and extended a clean pillowcase stuffed with the bandages toward Josey.
    Moving his horse to the edge of the porch, Josey tipped his hat. “Howdy, ma’am,” he said quietly, and reaching for the pillowcase he placed two twenty-dollar gold coins in her small hand. “I thank ye kindly, ma’am,” he said.
    Sharp blue eyes quickened in the wrinkled face. She took the pipe from her mouth. “Ye’ll be Josey Wales, I reckin.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I’m Josey Wales.”
    “Well,” the old lady held him with her eyes, “them poultices be laced with feather moss and mustard root. Mind ye, drap water on ’em occasional to keep ’em damp.” Then without pause she continued, “Reckin ye know they’re a-goin’ to heel and hide ye to a bam door.”
    A faint smile lifted the scar on Josey’s face. “I’ve heard tell of sich talk, ma’am.”
    He touched his hat … whirled the roan and followed the old man to the ferry. As they walked their horses aboard the flat, he looked back. She was still standing… and he thought she gave a secret wave of her hand… but she could have pushed a strand of hair back from her face.
    Old man Carstairs felt bold enough to grumble as he walked the couple cable from bow to stern on the ferry. “Usually have Lem here to help. This here is heavy work fer one old man.”
    But he moved the ferry on out across the river. To die north a distinct rumble of thunder rolled across the darkening clouds. As the current caught the ferry they moved more swiftly on a downward angle; and half an hour later, Josey was leading the horses onto the opposite bank and into the trees.
    It was Jamie who saw them first. His shout startled Carstairs, who was resting against a piling, and made Josey whirl in his tracks. Jamie was pointing back across the river. There, from the bank they had just left, was a large body of Union Cavalry, blue uniforms standing out against the horizon. They were waving their arms frantically.
    Josey grinned, “Well, I’ll be a sucking hound.” Jamie laughed… coughed and laughed again, “Whupped ’em agin, Josey,” he said jubilantly… “We whupped ’em agin.”
    Carstairs didn’t share in the enthusiasm. He scrambled up the bank to Josey. “They’re hollerin’ fer me to come over… I got to go… I cain’t hold up.” A gleam touched his eyes… “but I’ll hold up ’til ya’ll are out of sight… even longer. I’ll make do somethin’s wrong. You fellers git goin’, quick.”
    Josey nodded and headed the horses up through the trees. Only a short distance, and undergrowth blocked their view of the river. Here he halted the horses.
    “Thet feller ain’t goin’ to hold up thet ferry… he’s goin’ to bring that cavalry over,” Jamie said.
    Josey looked up at the lowering clouds. “I know,” he said, “wants hisself a piece of the reeward.” He brought the horses about… back to the river.
    Carstairs had already moved the ferry from the bank. Walking the cable at a half trot, he was making rapid time toward midstream. Across the river a blue-clad knot of men were pulling on the ferry’s cable.
    Josey dismounted. From a saddlebag he pulled nose bags for the horses, poured