by Jake Logan
“Creeping along,” said Slocum.
“Anything resolved?”
“It will be soon,” Slocum said. “I’d say Monday morning for sure.”
“You got all those cowboys out of town,” said Church.
“Yeah. It just makes things seem more peaceful for the time being,” Slocum said. “They’re still boiling, though. They’ll boil over sometime between now and Monday morning.”
“Are you sure of that?” said Fall.
“Ain’t you? Oates ain’t going to just let this go. Not now. He’s got a reputation to save. He’s also got a new hired gun out at his place.”
“That Cherry?” said Church.
“That’s him. Richard Cherry.” Slocum sipped some coffee. It was hot, and it was good.
“Do you suppose,” said Church, “that you’ll have to face Cherry?”
“I’ll be surprised if I don’t,” Slocum said. “You don’t hire a man like Cherry just for show.”
“We have confidence in you, Slocum,” Church said.
“I hate to say it,” said Slocum, “but I have more confidence in Tommy and his shotgun. It don’t miss.”
“Slocum,” said Church, “do you need more deputies? We can hire as many as you need—temporarily, of course.”
“We’ve already got two armies fixing to face each other in this town,” Slocum said. “I don’t think we need another one. Thanks just the same.”
“All right. It’s your—”
“Funeral?”
“I was going to say, ‘It’s your show.’”
“Yeah.”
The front door opened and Richard Cherry walked in. He tipped his hat to Terri Sue and walked to the table where the three men were sitting. “Gentlemen,” he said.
“Mr. Cherry, is it?” said Church.
“That’s me. Now you got the advantage on me.”
“I’m Will Church, the mayor of Shot Creek. This is Mike Fall, one of our councilmen.”
“How do,” said Cherry. “Now that we’ve been properly introduced, reckon I can sit down.”
“You haven’t been invited,” said Fall.
“I’m inviting him,” said Slocum. “Unless you want me to move.”
“Sit down, Mr. Cherry,” said Church.
Cherry looked at Fall, pulled out a chair, and sat down directly across the table from Slocum. “Thanks,” he said.
Terri Sue came over with a fresh cup of coffee and put it down in front of Cherry. He looked up at her and smiled. “And thank you, pretty lady,” he said. “Are you spoke for?”
Terri Sue looked at Slocum. His expression was noncommittal. “No,” she said. “I’m not.”
“That’s nice to know,” said Cherry. He picked up his coffee and took a sip. “Ouch. It’s hot.”
“That’s the way most people like it,” she said.
Cherry laughed as Terri Sue walked away to tend to business.
“So what brings you to town, Mr. Cherry?” Church asked.
“That cook out at Simple Simon Ranch don’t make good coffee,” Cherry said.
“You rode all the way in just for a good cup of coffee?”
“A really good cup of coffee is worth a long ride,” Slocum said. “Ain’t it, Cherry?”
“Sure is. You notice, Slocum, I’m wearing my guns.”
“I saw that.”
“No problem?”
“You can wear them anywhere you want in Shit Creek,” Slocum said, “except in the saloons.”
“Except in saloons,” Cherry echoed.
“That’s where the trouble usually starts.”
“Usually,” said Cherry. “But not always.”
“Is this conversation going somewhere?” asked Fall.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Cherry said. “Just making small talk. Trying to be friendly.”
“I think Cherry here came into town to kill me,” Slocum said.
Church and Fall stiffened. Cherry put down his coffee cup and looked into Slocum’s eyes.
“Now what made you say that?” he asked.
“Experience. Am I right?”
“You’re all of a sudden worth five hundred dollars to me,” Cherry said. “Dead, of course.”
“Of course.”
“But you have to cooperate with me.”
“Oh?”
“I never gun a man who didn’t draw on me first.”
“You’ve got a problem then,” Slocum said. “I won’t do that.”
13
Slocum walked into the Fat Back saloon to get a drink and to look around. He noticed right away that no one was wearing a gun. Except for the smoldering range war, things appeared to have settled down in Shot Creek. He walked to the bar and stood next to a cowhand. When he got beside the man, he recognized him. He had only seen him once, the first time he had seen Oates, at the jail. The man noticed Slocum at the same time.
“Howdy, Marshal,” the man said.
“I recognize you,” Slocum said, “but I don’t know if I ever got your name.”
“It’s Mo Diamond.”
“You work for Oates,” said Slocum.
“I was his foreman,” said Diamond. “He fired me.”
“Oh, yeah? What for?”
“On account of I wasn’t so eager as him to break Sammy Hyde out of jail.”
“I see. So he’s still planning on that, is he?”
“He don’t mean to see Sammy hang, if that’s what you’re getting at. But that’s all I know. Even if I did know more, I wouldn’t say anything about it. He fired my ass, but I worked for him for a good long time, and I still got some loyalty toward him.”
“Well, I can’t fault you for that. What are you planning to do?”
Diamond shrugged. “I got no plans. Ain’t in a hurry. I saved up a little money over the years. I’ll just hang around here awhile till I figure it out.”
“Mo, let me buy you a drink.” Slocum could afford to be generous with the town paying all his bills.
“Why not?” said Diamond. “Thanks.”
Slocum got a bottle and the two men sat down at a table. Slocum poured two drinks.
“There ain’t many who’d give up a good job like you did on a matter of principle,” Slocum said.
“It don’t seem like too much,” Diamond said. “A man who won’t stand up for what he believes in ain’t worth a damn, the way I see it.”
Just then, Richard Cherry walked in. He grinned, took off his gunbelt and handed it to the barkeep, and then walked directly to the table where Slocum and Diamond were seated.
“Mind if I sit down, gents?” he said. Not waiting for a response, he pulled out a chair and sat. He waved a hand at the barkeep for another glass.
“I guess not,” Slocum said.
“Buy me a drink, Slocum?” Cherry said. Then he reached for the bottle and, when the barkeep put down the glass, poured it full.
Cherry turned up the glass and drank about half of its contents in a gulp. He put the glass back down and looked at Diamond. “The marshal here won’t fight me,” he said. “He told me as much.”
“Seems like a right smart attitude,” said Diamond.
“Seems a little cowardly to me,” said Cherry.
“I was raised to avoid a fight if it’s possible,” said Diamond.
“Well, I guess it takes all kinds,” said Cherry. “Still, I wouldn’t want a man like that for a town marshal. Not when there’s trouble brewing.”
“What kind of trouble are you looking for, Cherry?” asked Slocum.
“Hell, you know as well as I do.”
“I ain’t the one who’s got a special place with the man who might be fixing to start the trouble,” Slocum said.
“You mean Mr. Oates?” said Cherry. “He don’t want no trouble.”
“Not much,” said Slocum. “He just wants you to kill me for him, and then he means to bust Sammy Hyde out of jail.”
“That’s what I mean. With you dead, it won’t be no trouble at all to get Sammy out of jail. Oates d
on’t want trouble. See?”
“He’ll have trouble if Slocum here won’t cooperate with you,” said Diamond.
Cherry drained the rest of the liquid from his glass and poured himself another. “I never knew a man to just sit by when someone else drank his whiskey without being invited,” he said.
“Drink all you want,” said Slocum.
“I will,” Cherry said.
“I’d be just tickled to see you staggering drunk,” Slocum said.
“Don’t hold your breath. I can hold my liquor pretty good. Have another?”
“I’ve had enough,” Slocum said. He watched Cherry down the drink he was holding and then pour another. Slocum stood up and took off his own gunbelt. He walked over to the bar and handed it to the barkeep. Then he walked back to the table and looked down at Cherry. “So you want to fight me,” he said.
Cherry looked up at him with a surprised expression. “You know what I meant,” he said.
Slocum said, “You like my whiskey? Have another.” He picked up the drink Cherry had poured himself and tossed it in Cherry’s face. Cherry was on his feet instantly.
“Damn it,” he said.
“You want a fight?” said Slocum, slapping Cherry in the face. “Come on.”
“Let’s get our guns and go out in the street,” Cherry said.
Slocum grabbed Cherry’s shirt front and shoved him toward the door. “We don’t need guns to go out in the street,” he said. He shoved Cherry backward through the batwing door, and Cherry sprawled on his back in the dirt street. He rolled over quickly and scrambled to his feet, staring at Slocum, who was still up on the sidewalk.
“You son of a bitch,” he said.
“You still plan on waiting for me to draw first?” Slocum asked.
“I’ll kill you,” said Cherry.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Get our guns.”
“If you mean to stay out of the saloon,” Slocum said, “you can get yours. Anytime.”
“If I get my gun, I’ll kill you.”
“If I’m unarmed? In front of witnesses?”
Cherry started shaking in his anger.
“Get our guns,” he said in a low and menacing voice.
“I don’t mean to strap mine on,” Slocum said. “I already told you, you can get yours and leave town.”
“All right,” said Cherry. “All right. I will.”
He walked tentatively toward Slocum, who was blocking the doorway. It took three steps to reach the sidewalk, then one more to get up on the sidewalk. He was standing face-to-face with Slocum. Slocum stepped aside. Cherry went on in.
“Give me my guns,” he said to the barkeep.
“You leaving us?”
“Hell yes. Give them to me.”
The barkeep turned around and took Cherry’s two-gun rig off the rack. He held it out toward Cherry, who grabbed it and stormed out the door, past Slocum, and out into the street, where he started strapping the rig on around his waist. Back inside the saloon, Diamond had gotten up and walked to the bar. Without a word, he pointed to his own gun. The barkeep handed it to him. He strapped it on, pulled out the gun, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Just then, Cherry jerked out one of his two shiny Colts, but before he could bring it into play against Slocum, Diamond raised his and fired. His bullet struck Cherry in the chest, just about at the heart. Cherry staggered back and looked down at the hole in his chest spurting blood. He looked up again at Slocum, who was still unarmed. His eyes widened. His fingers went limp, and he dropped the Colt to the ground. His knees went weak and he staggered two steps. Then his knees buckled, and Cherry fell on his face and did not move again.
Slocum looked at Diamond. “You just dealt yourself a hand in this game,” he said.
“I could tell he was fixing to abandon his rule,” Diamond said. “He’d have shot you, even unarmed. You had him real pissed off, Marshal.”
“Yeah. I reckon I did.”
Diamond holstered his gun and went back into the saloon, where he turned it in again and went back to the table. Slocum stood on the sidewalk until he saw Tommy running toward him, holding the shotgun. When Tommy got closer, Slocum said, “You don’t need that Greener, boy. You’re a little too late.”
Tommy stopped running and looked down at the body of Cherry in the street. “That’s Cherry,” he said.
“That’s obvious,” said Slocum. “Take care of it, will you?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Tommy looked at Slocum and saw that he was not wearing his gun. “Slocum?” he said. “Marshal?”
But Slocum had turned and walked into the Fat Back. He returned to the table with Mo Diamond and sat down. Reaching for the bottle, he poured another drink.
“I hope it’s all right that I already poured myself one,” said Diamond.
“It sure is,” said Slocum.
Tommy Howard came into the saloon and walked over to the table.
“Slocum?” he said.
“What is it?”
“You-you weren’t wearing a gun.”
“Is that right?”
“So how did you—Who—”
“Tommy,” said Slocum, “I gave you a job to do.”
“Yes, sir,” said Tommy, and he turned and hurried out the door.
Slocum took a sip of his drink. He looked at Diamond.
“Mo,” he said, “I could use another deputy.”
“Not me, Slocum,” Diamond said.
“Why not?”
“I told you already,” said Diamond. “I won’t go against Oates.”
“Hell,” said Slocum. “You just did.”
“I didn’t go against Oates,” said Diamond. “I just seen a man about to do a murder, and I stopped him. That’s all.”
“He was about to do what he was about to do for Oates,” Slocum said. “It was his job. He was going to get five hundred bucks from Oates for it.”
“Forget it, Slocum. I don’t want a job.”
“All right,” Slocum said. “Suit yourself. But thanks for what you did anyhow.”
Slocum got up, retrieved his gun, and headed for the office. He found Tommy sitting behind the big desk, fondling his shotgun, and Sammy Hyde sulking in the cell. “What’s up?” he said.
“Nothing’s up in here,” said Tommy. “You had all the excitement today. Getting that two-gun gunfighter killed like that. How did you do it, Slocum?”
“I didn’t do it, Tommy. You saw me. I had no gun.”
“Well, are you going to tell me what happened?”
“Mo Diamond shot him, Tommy. By the time you came running up, he’d gone back inside and turned his gun in again. Mo shot him because he was about to gun me, and I was unarmed.”
“Mo Diamond?” said Tommy.
“What are you talking about?” Sammy Hyde almost shouted from the cell. “Diamond works for Mr. Oates. You’re lying.”
“Oates fired Diamond,” Slocum said.
“Bullshit,” said Hyde. “You’re lying.”
“You shut up, Hyde,” said Slocum. “I wasn’t talking to you anyhow.”
Hyde recalled the abrupt bath he’d had earlier and decided to shut up.
“When will they be coming, Slocum?” said Tommy.
“Hell, how should I know? They could come today or tomorrow. Or they could surprise us all and wait till the trial’s over. If Sammy gets the noose, they might hit us then, before the hanging. There’s no way to tell.”
“I wish they’d go ahead and make their move. I wish they’d hurry up,” Tommy said.
“Don’t let it get to you, Tommy. That’s all part of the plan. The longer they make us wait, the more nervous we get. Don’t fall into their trap.”
Hyde couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. “Tommy’s nervous, all right,” he said. “And he’s got some more waiting to do. He’ll get more nervous. Might shit in his pants.”
“Shut up,” Tommy shouted, and he stood up and pointed the shotgun toward the cell. Sammy shr
ank into a corner, huddled up, frightened.
“Calm down, Tommy,” Slocum said.
“I ought to blast your ass,” Tommy said to Hyde. “I ought to splatter you all over that cell.”
He walked back to the desk and put the shotgun down on top of it. Then he dropped back into the chair.
“You know what, Sammy?” he said. Sammy, still quivering in the corner, did not answer. “However long we have to wait, you have the same wait that I do.”
14
Bartlet called all of his men together in front of his ranch house. He stood on the porch facing them. “Boys,” he called out. “Hold it down.” They grew quiet. It was Saturday, late afternoon. “All right. Listen to me. The time is almost here. The trial is set for Monday morning.
“You all know Oates’s attitude. He wants Hyde out of jail. Wants to set him free. Sammy Hyde gunned down Bennie Dill when Bennie wasn’t even wearing a gun. Murdered him in cold blood. I mean to see that trial go forth. I mean to see Bennie’s killer get what’s coming to him, and that’s a rope.”
The cowhands all agreed loudly. Bartlet held up his hands for quiet. Soon they calmed down and listened again.
“I think Oates might try to pull something. There’s only two lawmen in Shot Creek. One of them’s got to sleep. Now, we can’t be sure when Oates will try to pull something. There are several possibilities, and the first one is that he’ll try something before the trial. He could try tonight. I want two of you boys to volunteer to ride out and watch the Simple Simon. If you see anyone heading for town, hurry back here and let the rest of us know.”
“I’ll go, boss,” shouted a cowhand who was standing up front.
“All right, Jesse,” said Bartlet.
“Here, boss,” called another.
“Good,” said Bartlet. “Jesse, you and Levi saddle up and head out. Remember now: I don’t want no shooting. Just watch, and get back here if you see any movement.”
“Gotcha, boss,” said Jesse.
Jesse and Levi hurried away from the general gathering. Bartlet stood for a moment and watched them go.
“All right now,” said Bartlet, “the rest of you be ready to jump and run if those boys report back to us any movement over at the Simple Simon.
“If they don’t make a move now, they’ll make it later. They might wait to see how the trial comes out, and if Hyde is sentenced to hang, they’ll move before the hanging date. We can’t know. We just have to stay ready. We have to keep our eyes open. That’s all.”