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Excerpt From
"The Chalk Town Train"

HARPER BARELY COULD DISCERN the hounds’ silhouettes near the foot of the front steps. Crouched and motionless, they growled almost imperceptibly. Harper stood at the darkened corner window of the empty parlor. The only light shining in the house was the kitchen lantern. Outside, one street light shown at the corner. No one could be seen within its circle, but enemies, he knew, were about.

Harper, like Moore, heard the approaching whistle of the Chalk Town train. That told him it was almost 7:45. Then the minutes dragged by. Five? Ten? Twenty? Harper could not judge. He was about to move toward the open kitchen doorway so he could check his watch in the light—and then he saw it: a match struck at the edge of the woods across the street. Then a torch. A second torch. They hovered, lingering close together in the black surroundings. Harper could distinguish no human form. Suddenly one of the torches moved along the edge of the dirt street, away from the corner. Heading for the rear! Harper surmised.

He lifted the 12-gauge. If he fired now, he believed, he might blow out the torch before it was out of range. Harper aimed, leading the moving light slightly, and squeezed one of the triggers. . . .

© 2001 by Daniel Elton Harmon. All rights reserved. Any use of this material without the author's express written permission is forbidden.