They were in a paper bag tucked into the narrow space behind the pickup’s seat, three of them, all standard Colt .38 Special revolvers with four-inch barrels. Two were fully loaded and unfired. The third was also fully loaded, but the barrel and four chambers of the cylinder were dirty. There were four fired cartridge cases in the bag, and two loose, loaded rounds; plus one empty six-shot speedy-loader and two full ones. Apparently the old man had managed to separate three guns and loaders from their owners somehow. He'd got into a firefight and got off four shots with one of the liberated weapons. Before hiding all the guns away, he'd dumped the cylinder of the one he'd used and slapped in a full load of six. Good firearms discipline for a gent with a hole in the back. Where he'd obtained all the weapons and spare ammo was an interesting question, and I had a hunch the answer would be equally interesting. However, at the moment the important thing for me to keep in mind was that, although he'd had weapons and ammunition readily available, he'd come to the house unarmed, indicating that his intentions had probably not been hostile.
