Title: Black Knife
Doc Jacobi Western Book One
ISBN: 978-1-62420-166-0
Author: Henry P. Gravelle
Genre: Western
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 2
TAGLINE
Doc Jacobi, a Civil War veteran surgeon, travels the
territory providing medical services between the Noel mountain range and
Sessions River Indian territory where he faces two killers, renegade Indians
and a rogue marshal.
BLURB
Doc Jacobi, a Civil War veteran surgeon, travels the
territory serving medical assistance to towns between the Noel mountain range
and Sessions River Indian territory. Along the way, the doc and his trusty
Appaloosa named Bell encounter thieves, murderers and hustlers. In Black Knife,
the Doc and Bell face two killers, renegade Indians and a rogue marshal.
EXCERPT
Bell
and I sat motionless, watching the Injuns turn their ponies toward the hill's
crest. When they disappeared over the rise, Bell's ears perked. I heard the
horse behind us then Garvey's voice.
"Injun
justice, Doc, or yours?" he asked.
I
nudged Bell to turn and face Garvey's black roan behind us. Garvey sat easy,
leaning forward, his Winchester across his lap.
"Had
no choice, Marshal," I said, motioning to the hill where the Injun's left
with Small. "That fella they took kilt a squaw with child, the chief's
child. There weren't no white justice gonna soothe their desire for
vengeance."
Garvey
spit a wade of chew onto a nearby rock. The roan continued to eyeball Bell.
"Doesn't
make no matter, Doc. That fella was a white man, a white man wanted for murder.
Ain't your duty to just turn him over to anybody, 'specially a victim's
kin."
Garvey
leaned over the saddle horn looking at the now empty hillside then back to me,
"Weren't there two of them boys?"
Bell
took a step back from the roan.
"Was
another fella," I said calmly. "I reckon he's being fitted for a box
'bout now over at Peterson's Mortuary."
"He
didn't want to go see your Injun friends?" Garvey said.
"Didn't
like the invite, I reckon," I said.
"Witnesses?"
Garvey wondered of how and why he was killed.
"Plenty,
and they'll all tell you the same," I nodded over my shoulder to where the
Injuns went, "including that one."
Garvey
took up his rifle and reins then nudged the roan closer. He glared at me long
and hard, "I found your red skin hid away up in your room."
"Doing
well is he?" I asked.
"I
gave him five minutes to clear town. The last I seen he was hobbling down
toward Sessions River."
"Mojave?"
I said, guessing that was the source of locating Big Rock.
Garvey
chuckled, "You gotta know that old ruined Injun would kill his momma for a
drink. Told me all 'bout the Injun, you headed off with a bunch of 'em and 'bout
Billy."
"She
only helped me bring the Injun up—"
"No,
Doc," he interrupted, a smug grin on his face, his hand tightened on the
rifle. I held Bell steady. "Drunk old fool couldn't count how many times
he seen Billy climb your stairs over time."
I
felt the forty-four under my coat, but knew I was no match for a rifle already
pointed at me. Before I could reply, we heard a man scream from over the
hilltop.
"Sounds
like they begun justice on your white man," I said.
Garvey
spurred the roan and reined him toward the hilltop, looking at me as he did,
"Let's go, Doc. I gotta try and bring that fella back."
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