Matagorda: A Novel by Louis L'Amour (English) Mass Market Paperback Book

Description: Matagorda by Louis L'Amour Tap Duvarney lost his innocence in the War Between the States and then put his skills to the test as a soldier in the frontier army. Now he has settled on the Texas coast, working a ranch as the partner of his old friend Tom Kittery-and finding himself in the middle of a feud between Kittery and the neighboring Munson family. Around Matagorda Island, most people are either backing the Munsons or remaining silent. But the danger from outside Kittery's camp is nothing compared to the threat within, as Duvarney begins to suspect that Kittery's woman isn't everything she appears to be. Now Tap is discovering that he must go to war again. But will it be with the Munsons-or with his closest friend? FORMAT Mass Market Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Tap Duvarney fought in the War Between the States, then signed on as an Indian fighter with the frontier army. Now hes settled in Texas, working a ranch as the partner of his old friend Tom Kittery - and in the middle of a blood feud between Kittery and the vicious Munson clan. Around Matagorda, most folks are either on the side of the Munsons - or laying low. With Kittery and the Munsons out to spill each others blood, and Kitterys woman stirring up trouble between the two uneasy partners, Duvarney knows hes headed for a savage showdown. But will it be with the Munsons, his enemies... or with Kittery, his friend? Author Biography LOUIS LAMOUR (1908-1988) was born in Jamestown, North Dakota. He left school at 15 to travel the world. While in his thirties, he began writing novels about life on the Western frontier. His first big success, "Hondo," was made into a John Wayne movie. LAmour wrote 100 books in all, which sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and several short stories. Promotional "Headline" Another classic tale from the foremost storyteller of the authentic West. Excerpt from Book Chapter One Major Tappan Duvarney rested his hands on the rail and stared toward the low sandy shore. It was not what he had expected of Texas, but whatever lay ahead represented his last chance. He had to make it here or nowhere. He listened to the rhythmic pound and splash of the paddle wheels and looked bleakly into the future. Behind him lay the War Between the States and several years of Indian fighting with the frontier army; before him only the lonely years at some sun-baked, wind-swept frontier post, with nothing to look forward to but retirement. When the war had broken out he was a young man with an assured future. Aside from the family plantation in Virginia, his father owned a shipping line trading to the West Indies and Gulf ports--four schooners and a barkentine, and good vessels all. Tap Duvarney had made two trips before the mast on the barkentine, had taken examinations for his ticket, and had made two trips as third mate, one aboard a schooner, the other on the barkentine. His father wanted him to know the sea and its business from every aspect, and Tap liked the sea. He had taken to the rough and rowdy life in Caribbean ports as if born to it. The war changed all that. His sympathies and those of his family were with the Union. He had gone north and joined up. Renegades had burned the plantation buildings and run off the stock; one schooner had been lost in a hurricane off this very coast, two others had been confiscated by the Confederacy and sunk by Union gunboats. The barkentine had disappeared into that mysterious triangle south of Bermuda and left nothing behind but the memory. The last schooner, beat and bedraggled, had burned alongside the dock when the war came to Charleston. Tap Duvarney returned from the war saddled with debts, his father dead, his home destroyed. There seemed only one thing to do, and he did it. He went back to the army and a series of frontier posts. During the nine years following the war he fought Indians from the Dakotas to Arizona. He managed to keep his hair, but picked up three scars, one from a knife, two from bullet wounds. Finally, his fathers estate had been settled and he emerged from the shambles with a bit more than seven thousand dollars. It was then he heard from Tom Kittery. Captain Wilkes stopped beside him now on his way to the pilot house. Duvarney knew that Wilkes was worried about him, and genuinely wished to help. The captain was a good man who had served on one of his fathers ships. "Youll find Texas a fast country, Major. Do you have friends here?" "One . . . so far as I know. I met him during the war." "You havent seen him since? Thats quite a while, Major. Is that the man youve gone into partnership with?" Duvarney thought he detected a doubtful note in Wilkess voice, and he was not surprised. He was a bit doubtful himself from time to time. "I know the man, Captain. Whatever else he may be, hes honest . . . and hes got guts. I go along with that." "The cattle business is good," Wilkes said. "Indianola has been the biggest cattle-shipping port in Texas for a good long time, so Ive had a good deal to do with it. I may know your partner." "Kittery . . . Tom Kittery. Old Texas family." "Kittery, is it? Yes, he has guts, all right. There isnt a man in Texas would deny that. And hes honest. But speaking as a friend, Id never leave the ship, if I were you. Come on back to New Orleans. Youre a good man, and you know the sea. Well find something for you there." "Whats wrong with Kittery?" "With him? Nothing . . . nothing at all." Wilkes glanced at Duvarney. "I take it you havent heard about the feud?" Wilkes paused, then went on. "Youre walking right into the middle of a shooting war . . . the Munson-Kittery feud. It has been going on since 1840 or thereabouts, and from the moment it is discovered that you are associated with Kittery youll be a prime target." "I know nothing about any feud." "You say you knew Kittery during the war? He may have thought the feud was a thing of the past because it seemed to be over. Until the Kittery boys left for the war there hadnt been any shooting for several years. "In the years before the war the Kittery faction numbered some of the toughest, ablest fighting men in Texas; so the Munsons laid low and played their music soft. And when the Kittery boys went off to war, the Munsons stayed home. "Even so, they kept quiet until Ben was killed at Shiloh. That started them stirring around a bit, but it wasnt until Tom was captured--reported dead, in fact--that they began to cut loose. "They ran off a bunch of Kittery cattle, then burned a barn. Old Alec, Toms uncle, rode out after the Munsons and they ambushed him and killed him. After that they really cut loose. They killed two Negro hands who had worked for the Kitterys for years, and burned the old home--one of the oldest houses on the coast. "Cattle were beginning to be worth money, and the Munsons thought they were rich on Kittery beef. Only somebody stampeded the biggest herd one night and ran them into the Big Thicket. Well, you dont know the Thicket, but finding cattle in there is like hunting ghosts. The Munsons never were much on hard work, and rousting those steers from the Thicket would be the hardest kind of work. So the steers, and a lot of other cattle, are still in there." "Maybe those are the cattle I bought," Duvarney commented ironically. "Its my luck." "Are you wearing a gun?" Wilkes asked. "I have one." As a matter of fact, he had two guns. "From what youve said, I should be wearing one." "You should." Wilkes straightened up. "Im going up to take her in, but my advice to you is: stay on the ship. . . . If you do leave her, be ready for trouble. They laid for Johnny Lubec, and they laid for Tom. They were waiting for him when the boat docked . . . my boat." "Tom?" Wilkes smiled grimly. "Tom was no fool. I told him what had happened to Johnny, so he left the ship as we were going past the island, entering the bay. "The fog was thick that morning, and he lowered himself over the side on a raft wed built for him, and paddled ashore. He slipped ashore on Matagorda Island, and nobody knows the island better than Tom. Its long, but so narrow you wouldnt think a man could hide there, but he managed it. Anyway, he was still alive the last time we were here, and I hope he still is." "You mentioned Johnny Something-or-other?" "Lubec. Johnny wasnt a Kittery, just an orphan kid they took in and treated like one of the family. Folks said that Johnnys pa was one of the Jean Lafitte pirates . . . they had a hide-out on Matagorda themselves and used to careen their ships on the landward beaches. "Anyway, Johnny grew up with the Kitterys, so when he came home the Munsons were laying for him. They shot him down and left him for dead, then went off to have a drink, and Johnny crawled away. He got to the house of an old Indian who lives on Black Jack Point, and the Indian cared for him. "The Munsons were fit to be tied when Tom gave them the slip. If theyd known Tom was alive they would never have reopened the fight, not even with Jackson Huddy or the Harts around to help. At that, they almost got Tom." "What happened?" "Tom rode over to his old home. Nobody had told him the place was burned out, and I guess he figured some of his people might be there. He rode home and the Munsons were laying for him. They heard him coming and shot him out of the saddle, put two bullets into him. "Jim Hart and two renegade riders of the Munson crowd were there, and when Tom fell they just knew they had him. They ran in on him and he killed one of them and burned Hart a couple of times. Then he crawled to his horse, pulled himself into the saddle, and rode off. "Tom must have figured he was dying, or he wouldnt have done what he did. He rode to the Munson place and hollered up the folks. Well, theyd no idea Tom was even alive. Word hadnt got back from Indianola yet, so old Taylor Munson, the bull of the woods, came to the door. Tom told him who he was, and shot him down. And then Tom dropped from sight." Tap Duvarney stared gloomily toward the nearing shore. He had bought a partnership in a herd of cattle to be driven to Kansas . . . not a feud. He wanted no part of it. "Months went by," Wilkes went on, "and nobody saw hide nor hair of Tom. The Munsons hunted him high and low, and finally they were ready to believe he was dead. Cattle had become big business, so the Munsons rounded up a herd and started for Kansas. When they were close to Doans Store, Dale Munson rode over to pick up the mail and some tobacco, and ran right into Tom Kittery. "First any of the Munson crowd knew of it was when Dales horse came into camp with Dale tied over the saddle. There were two bullet holes in Dales chest you could cover with a silver dollar." "You mentioned a Jackson Huddy," Duvarney said. "Hes a killer. Some say hes kin to the Munsons. Anyway, he runs with them, and after old Taylor Munson was killed Huddy sort of moved into command. And I mean it is a command. "When it looked like the fight was going their way, Munsons began showing up from all over. Id say there were forty or more gun-packing men in the clan. And theyve played it smart. Two of their kin are elected to office, a sheriff and a judg Details ISBN0553281089 Author Louis LAmour Pages 224 Publisher Bantam Language English ISBN-10 0553281089 ISBN-13 9780553281088 Media Book Format Mass Market Paperback DEWEY FIC Year 1985 Publication Date 1985-02-28 Imprint Bantam Doubleday Dell Country of Publication United States Birth 1908 Death 1988 Place of Publication New York Residence US Short Title MATAGORDA REV/E Edition Description Revised Subtitle A Novel DOI 10.1604/9780553281088 Audience General/Trade UK Release Date 1985-02-01 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:2604760;

Price: 14.87 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2025-01-08T06:03:26.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 AUD