Excerpt

It was getting late in the afternoon when Lou held up an arm to halt the riders and declared, I see and smell the smoke ahead. Lay your rifle across your lap and make sure your six-gun is clear. Dont bunch up, spread out. Keep your eyes open and your spare horse on your off side.

As they proceeded, there was the glint of sunlight on bright metal. The foreman warned, Oh oh, watch for someone stashed in the brush. This could be a set up.

Gathered around a campfire, suspiciously built just a few feet from the trail, there were four unmistakable hard cases showing all of the posturing of gunslingers.

As Lou signaled their mounts down to a walk, the four stood up, separated, hooked their thumbs belligerently in their low-slung gun belts and gave the newcomers flinty stares, but their furtive eyes darted over the equipment and horses of Lous crew.

One no-account, with a weathered look and a crooked nose allowed his ego to display a nickel-plated pistol on his hip with the glancing sunlight dancing off of its surface.

Lou hailed them, Howdy. Were just passing by. Sorry about the dust.

A short waist hombre with long legs and a rock-hard face said, Hold on feller. Those are mighty fine hosses. Wed like to buy four of them.

Thats when Lou noticed that the four only had three droopy looking mounts in the background. He suddenly felt the old feeling of wariness come back over him. They need four horses badly and dont intend to bother about buying.

A soft headed, tall drink of water spoke to Lou, Say, I remember seen you near the Staked Plain country down Texas way. You sure are one bad ass with a hog-leg.

The slim one turned to his cronies, He gunned Rattler Pete who had him covered with a Winchester and then he shot both of his pards before they hardly touched iron.

Lou drawled, Big country. Must have been someone else. With such a bad memory Slim, how in hell did you manage to live long enough to grow so tall?

An average looking gun sharp, except that his left ear had come too close to a bullet, spoke out with a leering stance, That haint a right friendly way of talkin You have extry hosses and we haint got time to haggle.

Lou snapped, Hey brays-like-a-jackass, what makes you think Im dickering? The answer is no!

Lou had been keeping an eye on the fourth joker who had been laying back. He was keeping a low profile, with a relaxed posture, portraying the coiled agility of a mountain cat, as he had casually worked his way to a far side.

Lou had learned to decide early whom to take out first. With two guns slung low, this gun-slick had the look of 'aching to blow out some bodys wick'. Lou had faced many such un-curried, shaggy wolf types fast and poison mean.

They usually give a telltale sign before action, like dropping a shoulder, blinking an eye, pretending to turn away, or perhaps just forming his fingers claw-like.

Brave in front of his pals the slim character said, You got that right, we haint bargaining. We want four hosses.

Lou warned, If you curly wolves will look closely, there are four rifle barrels pointed at your guts. Also you are out numbered seven to four.

The joker spoke, How about just you and me settle it?

Lou inquired, And just who in hell might you be?

Slim opened his yap again, Ya haint had no schooln ifn ya dont know yer fooln with Sudden Moore.

Lou had seen his type before, deadly as a rattler, with ice flowing in his veins. He will all of a sudden burst into action with no warning. With no time to dwell, will this be the fast gun that Lou has been dreading for so long? The big sandy haired man was standing on solid ground, whereas Lou was mounted on a horse liable to flinch at a critical instant.

Pretending to be ignoring the group's fast-gun, Lou ordered tersely, All right, all four of you, drop your hardware, now!

Never taking his eyes from him, Lou saw Moores lips twitch at this insult of being ignored. Thats when both he and Lou exploded into action. Sudden Moore was fast; both of his guns simultaneously spewed lead. Lous shot to his chest, just a split-instant sooner, caused both of the gunnys bullets to miss. Once again, Lou found that it pays to experience fear later what the hell! This time he did dwell on it a bit a bad omen.

The other three raised their hands when the drovers raised their rifles menacingly. They were ordered to hang their belts on their horses saddles. Pablo grabbed their reins and started leading them down the trail.

One hard-case quavered, Leaving us no protection, what?

Ed scoffed, At least your alive. You aimed to leave us to the buzzards. You better hurry an bury that gunslinger, cause he a' ready smelled bad when he was alive.

Slim sneered, Thet haint none a yore put in.

Lou admonished, Slim, you are down right stupid. If I were you sitting around future camp fires, I wouldnt be telling any more fairy tales about the Staked Plains Country down Texas way.

Ed glowered, You can pick up your cayuses four or five miles down the trail. Feel lucky that we arent making you remove your boots. Lucky blisters to ya'll.



Later, as they moved down the trail, Lou thought with misgiving, There it is again. There was no way to avoid that, unless he allowed the gunman to kill him.

Lous wish to belong has just faded a notch, with the men now regarding him respectfully, but with that look of awe.