Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{AND THE}

_{COLORADO GUNDOWN}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_{JUSTICE AT GUNPOINT}

_{“We’ll be in Tipson in ten minutes or less,” Bevvy called to the men in the coach. “Everybody get ready.”}

_{There was a rattle of steel clashing on steel when Winchester levers were cranked as the posse members checked the function of their guns. Others snapped shotgun breeches open to inspect their chambers and make sure the guns were charged with man-sized buckshot and not puny bird shot. If there was any shooting tonight it would be to kill, not to scare...}

_{Also in the LONGARM series}

_{from Jove}

 

_{LONGARM LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR LEGEND LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR BOUNTY LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR RUSTLERS LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR DELIVERANCE LONGARM IN THE}

_{TEXAS PANHANDLE LONGARM AND THE}

_{RANCHER’S SHOWDOWN LONGARM ON THE}

_{INLAND PASSAGE LONGARM IN THE}

_{RUBY RANGE COUNTRY LONGARM AND THE}

_{GREAT CATTLE KILL LONGARM AND THE}

_{CROOKED RA1LMAN LONGARM ON THE S1WASH TRAIL LONGARM AND THE}

_{RUNAWAY THIEVES LONGARM AND THE ESCAPE ARTIST LONGARM IN THE BIG BURNOUT LONGARM AND THE}

_{TREACHEROUS TRIAL LONGARM AND THE}

_{NEW MEXICO SHOOT-OUT LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR FRAME LONGARM AND THE}

_{RENEGADE SERGEANT LONGARM IN THE SIERRA MADRES LONGARM AND THE MEDICINE WOLF LONGARM AND THE INDIAN RAIDERS LONGARM IN A DESERT SHOWDOWN EONGARM AND THE}

_{MAD DOG KILLER LONGARM AND HII;}

_{HANGMAN S NOOSE}

_{LONGARM AND THE REBEL KILLERS LONGARM AND THE}

_{HANGMAN’S LIST LONGARM IN THE CLEARWATERS LONGARM AND THE}

_{REDWOOD RAIDERS LONGARM AND THE}

_{DEADLY JAILBREAK LONGARM AND THE PAWNEE KID LONGARM AND THE}

_{DEVIL’S STAGECOACH LONGARM AND THE}

_{WYOMING BLOODBATH LONGARM IN THE RED DESERT LONGARM AND THE}

_{CROOKED MARSHAL LONGARM AND THE TEXAS RANGERS LONGARM AND THE VIGILANTES LONGARM IN THE OSAGE STRIP LONGARM AND THE LOST MINE LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONGLEY LEGEND LONGARM AND THE}

_{DEAD MAN’S BADGE LONGARM AND THE}

_{KILLER’S SHADOW LONGARM AND THE}

_{MONTANA MASSACRE LONGARM IN THE}

_{MEXICAN BADLANDS LONGARM AND THE}

_{BOUNTY HUNTRESS LONGARM AND THE}

_{DENVER BUST-OUT LONGARM AND THE SKULL CANYON GANG LONGARM AND THE}

_{RAILROAD TO HELL LONGARM AND THE}

_{LONE STAR CAPTIVE LONGARM AND THE RIVER OF DEATH LONGARM AND THE GOLD HUNTERS}

_{TABOR EVANS}

_{JOVE BOOKS, NEW YORK}

_{LONGARM AND THE COLORADO GUNDOWN}

_{A Jove Book / published by arrangement with}

_{the author}

_{PRINTING HISTORY}

_{Jove edition / October 1991}

_{All rights reserved.}

_{Copyright © 1991 by Jove Publications, Inc.}

_{This book may be not be reproduced in whole}

_{or in part, by mimeograph or any other means,}

_{without permission. For information address:}

_{The Berkley Publishing Group, 200 Madison Avenue,}

_{New York, New York 10016.}

_{ISBN: 0-515-10689-5}

_{Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,}

_{200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.}

_{The name “JOVE” and the “J” logo}

_{are trademarks belonging to Jove Publications, Inc.}

_{PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}

_{10 987654321}

 

 

_{Chapter 1}

_{Longarm clamped his lips shut to contain the belch that was surging out of his stomach. He was able to keep from embarrassing himself, but he wasn’t able to stop himself from burping. The liver flavor was just fine this second time around, but the onions tasted a trifle stale.}

_{He was just back from lunch, and normally would’ve let it rip if he needed to belch in the U.S. Marshal’s office. In fact, he might’ve tried to amplify things just to see if he could get a rise out of Marshal Vail’s dignified—a polite way of saying stuffy—clerk Henry.}

_{Not this time, though.}

_{There was a young lady standing bent over Henry’s desk signing something there. Longarm sure as hell didn’t want to disturb her. In fact, if she wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon bent over like that, well, Longarm would be so damned polite that he’d just stand right where he was and not interrupt for nothing.}

_{The view from back there was what you might call fine. Just fine.}

_{Unfortunately, the lady’s business seemed to be completed once her signature was done. She returned the steel- nibbed pen to Henry and straightened, diminishing the quality of the view somewhat once her gown was no longer stretched tight across the rear portions of her anatomy.}

_{“That should be everything, Miss Mayweather,” Henry said. ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”}

_{"Thank you, sir.” Mmm, not a bad voice, Longarm decided. Sexy.}

_{She turned, and he decided he didn’t regret losing that back view after all. This was one handsome filly. Blonde, perky, apple cheeks, ample chest—more than ample, in fact damned well overflowing. Yes, indeedy, the view from the front was fine too.}

_{He smiled and gave her a small bow. “Ma’am.”}

_{“Hello.” She had dimples when she smiled. Longarm liked dimples. “Are you the marshal, sir?”}

_{“A deputy, ma’am.” He bowed and held his brown Stetson low. “United States Deputy Marshal Custis Long, ma’am. At your service.”}

_{He was glad now that he’d stopped at the barber’s on his way to lunch today, and that his hat and jacket were as freshly brushed and decent-looking as either was likely to get. He looked, in fact, pretty much his best at the moment.}

_{Not that Longarm found anything about himself to get het up about. But the ladies didn’t real often object to what they saw when he was around.}

_{He was above six feet in height, with broad shoulders and a horseman’s narrow-waisted, muscular-legged build. He had brown hair and a large sweep of dark brown mustache set on a tanned and weathered face. He wore brown corduroy trousers and a brown tweed coat, and a flannel shirt under a brown calfskin vest. His stovepipe cavalry boots were black, as was the gunbelt that circled his waist. The butt of a .44-caliber Colt Lightning showed in a cross-draw holster at the front of the coat. A gold watch chain crossed the front of his vest, although only one end of the chain was put to a normal use. The fob end was soldered to the butt of a .44-caliber double-barreled derringer. Not that he was thinking in terms of weaponry at the moment.}