hell I will,â Lindsey replied, and stood. He was a big man who liked to throw his weight around even when sober, and who had made more than a few peace-loving townsmen dance to the tune of his six-shooter. âOne of you is dealinâ from the bottomâ,â he snarled at the other cardplayers, âand I have a good idea who.â
That was when Neal set eyes on Jericho for the first time.
Jericho was one of the men at that table. His head was down, but just then heâd raised it and said to Lindsey, âNo one is cheatinâ. If they were, Iâd know.â
âWho the hell are you?â Lindsey demanded.
âJericho.â
A murmur spread through the saloon. Neal overheard enough to gather that the name wasnât to be taken lightly.
Lindsey didnât seem especially impressed. âJericho, you say? Iâve heard of you.â
Jericho didnât say anything. In his left hand he held his cards. His right was under the table.
âIâve heard youâre supposed to be considerable shakes with a six-gun,â Lindsey went on. âWell, I can shoot, too.â
âDonât go there,â Jericho said.
âIâll do what I damn well please,â Lindsey said. âAnd I donât much appreciate you buttinâ in.â
âYou should take the barkeepâs advice.â
âWhoâs he to tell me what to do?â Lindsey snapped. âWho are you to tell me the same?â
Neal had been surprised when Jericho set down his cards and stood.
âYouâre right. I shouldnât ought to stick my nose in. Itâs a bad habit of mine. I reckon Iâm done with this game.â With his left hand Jericho scooped up his money and stuck it in a pocket, then turned to go.
Lindsey stood there, staring. No one could say what made him do what he did next. Nealâs best guess was that Lindsey was looking to add to his reputation as a bad man to trifle with. It was the only thing that made sense, the only thing that explained why when Jericho had taken a couple of steps, Lindsey clawed for his six-shooter.
Nor could anyone say what prompted Neal to do what he did next. He couldnât explain it himself. All his life heâd minded his own business. He never got involved when a fracas broke out. He never raised a finger to stop a shooting. But as Lindsey started to draw, Neal shouted, âLook out!â
Jericho was already in motion. He must have sensed something or seen Lindsey out of the corner of his eye because he whirled even as Neal yelled, his pearl-handled Colt seeming to leap into his hand. He fanned two shots from the hip so swiftly they sounded like one.
Lindsey was jolted onto his bootheels. âNo!â he bleated, and keeled onto his back with his arms outflung. He lay gasping for air and staring at the ceiling.
No one moved. No one spoke.
Jericho came around the table. He watched Lindsey gasp, and said quietly, âYou made me rush it.â
âDamn, youâre quick,â Lindsey got out, and stopped gasping.
Jericho frowned. Heâd slowly replaced the spent cartridges, and slowly slid his Colt into its holster. âI had it to do.â
âWe all saw it,â a cardplayer said. âWeâll vouch for that with the marshal.â
Jericho nodded, then did the last thing Neal expected; he walked over to the bar. âIâm obliged for the warninâ.â
âDidnât seem as if you needed one,â Neal said, smiling.
Jericho held out a hand. His right hand. âJericho.â
âSo I heard.â Neal held out his. âNeal Bonner.â
âCowhand?â
âForeman.â
âI can work cows.â
âYouâre lookinâ for work?â
âNo. But if thatâs what you do, I can, too.â
Only afterward did Neal realize this was a pivotal moment in his life. On some unconscious level heâd recognized what Jericho was offering, and on
Susan Howatch
Jamie Lake
Paige Cuccaro
Eliza DeGaulle
Charlaine Harris
Burt Neuborne
Highland Spirits
Melinda Leigh
Charles Todd
Brenda Hiatt