night his feet were throbbing, his head was aching, and he knew why he hated politicians. Most of the men he spoke to were obvious phonies and blowhards. None of them would have lasted an hour on the trail, or in a poker game.
Late in the evening Clint was standing off to the side, holding a glass of whiskey rather than another glass of champagne. He was hoping to be left alone for a while, but that didn’t seem to be in the offing as a tall man in a suit and a tan hat came walking toward him, his head down. As the man approached, however, the man raised his head and Clint smiled.
“Well,” he said, “as I live and breathe, Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas.”
The badge on Thomas’s vest caught the light in the room as Heck smiled and stuck out his hand.
“Hello, Clint. Or should I say, Congressman?”
“Please don’t.”
“That doesn’t sound like somebody who wants to get elected.”
“I don’t.”
Thomas frowned.
“But you’re runnin’, right?”
“I am,” Clint said, “like I said in my telegram.”
Clint had sent a telegram to Fort Smith even before he arrived in Austin. Thomas was wearing a badge for Judge Parker’s court, but despite that had come in response to Clint’s call for help.
“How long can you stay?” Clint asked.
“Long enough to keep you alive, I guess.”
“You tell the Judge what you were doing?”
“Of course I did,” Thomas said. “I told him I was trackin’ a dangerous desperado into Texas.”
Both men laughed.
“Come on,” Clint said, “let’s go to the bar and I’ll get you a drink.”
“You gonna fill me in on what’s goin’ on?” Thomas asked. “You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I heard you was runnin’ for office.”
“I will tell you,” Clint said, “but not here. This shindig is about to break up. I’ll tell you the whole story in a little while, when we get away from here.”
“Good,” Thomas said. “I could use a drink.”
“Do you have a place to stay?” Clint asked as they approached the bar.
“No,” Heck said, “I just got here.”
“You’ll stay with me.”
“With you?”
“They’ve given me a house, with a lot of rooms and a great cook,” Clint said.
“Sounds like an offer I can’t turn down.”
“Whiskey?” Clint asked as they reached the bar. “Or champagne?”
“Whiskey,” Heck said. “Champagne is swill.”
As Clint handed Heck his drink, Gryder and Carla came walking up.
“We’ve been looking for you,” Gryder said.
“Well, here I am. This is my friend, Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas.”
“Deputy?” Gryder asked.
“In Judge Parker’s court in Fort Smith,” Heck said.
“And what are you doing here, Deputy Thomas?” Carla asked.
“Right now I’m lookin’ at a beautiful gal,” Heck said.
“Heck, this is Carla Beckett. She’s my…assistant. And this young fella is Will Gryder, my campaign manager.”
Gryder nodded and said, “You didn’t answer Carla’s question, Deputy. What brings you here?”
“Keeping my friend alive, I hope,” Heck said.
“I don’t understand,” Gryder said.
“I sent Heck a telegram and asked him to come here and watch my back during the campaign.”
“Watch your back?” Gryder asked. “You expect somebody in Austin to try and kill you?”
“Will, I expect somebody to try and kill me every day of the week.”
“Well…yes, of course, I mean…being who you are, I suppose…”
“It’s only natural,” Carla said.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“Heck will be staying at the house with me,” Clint said. “In fact, we’re headed there as soon as we finish these drinks.”
“That’s fine,” Gryder said. “This shebang is just about over. But you better say good-bye to our hostess.”
“Yes,” Carla said, “I’m sure she’ll be terribly upset if you don’t.”
“I’ll do that right now,” Clint said. “Why don’t you two keep Heck company, and then we’ll all go to my house for a nightcap.”
As
Late in the evening Clint was standing off to the side, holding a glass of whiskey rather than another glass of champagne. He was hoping to be left alone for a while, but that didn’t seem to be in the offing as a tall man in a suit and a tan hat came walking toward him, his head down. As the man approached, however, the man raised his head and Clint smiled.
“Well,” he said, “as I live and breathe, Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas.”
The badge on Thomas’s vest caught the light in the room as Heck smiled and stuck out his hand.
“Hello, Clint. Or should I say, Congressman?”
“Please don’t.”
“That doesn’t sound like somebody who wants to get elected.”
“I don’t.”
Thomas frowned.
“But you’re runnin’, right?”
“I am,” Clint said, “like I said in my telegram.”
Clint had sent a telegram to Fort Smith even before he arrived in Austin. Thomas was wearing a badge for Judge Parker’s court, but despite that had come in response to Clint’s call for help.
“How long can you stay?” Clint asked.
“Long enough to keep you alive, I guess.”
“You tell the Judge what you were doing?”
“Of course I did,” Thomas said. “I told him I was trackin’ a dangerous desperado into Texas.”
Both men laughed.
“Come on,” Clint said, “let’s go to the bar and I’ll get you a drink.”
“You gonna fill me in on what’s goin’ on?” Thomas asked. “You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I heard you was runnin’ for office.”
“I will tell you,” Clint said, “but not here. This shindig is about to break up. I’ll tell you the whole story in a little while, when we get away from here.”
“Good,” Thomas said. “I could use a drink.”
“Do you have a place to stay?” Clint asked as they approached the bar.
“No,” Heck said, “I just got here.”
“You’ll stay with me.”
“With you?”
“They’ve given me a house, with a lot of rooms and a great cook,” Clint said.
“Sounds like an offer I can’t turn down.”
“Whiskey?” Clint asked as they reached the bar. “Or champagne?”
“Whiskey,” Heck said. “Champagne is swill.”
As Clint handed Heck his drink, Gryder and Carla came walking up.
“We’ve been looking for you,” Gryder said.
“Well, here I am. This is my friend, Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas.”
“Deputy?” Gryder asked.
“In Judge Parker’s court in Fort Smith,” Heck said.
“And what are you doing here, Deputy Thomas?” Carla asked.
“Right now I’m lookin’ at a beautiful gal,” Heck said.
“Heck, this is Carla Beckett. She’s my…assistant. And this young fella is Will Gryder, my campaign manager.”
Gryder nodded and said, “You didn’t answer Carla’s question, Deputy. What brings you here?”
“Keeping my friend alive, I hope,” Heck said.
“I don’t understand,” Gryder said.
“I sent Heck a telegram and asked him to come here and watch my back during the campaign.”
“Watch your back?” Gryder asked. “You expect somebody in Austin to try and kill you?”
“Will, I expect somebody to try and kill me every day of the week.”
“Well…yes, of course, I mean…being who you are, I suppose…”
“It’s only natural,” Carla said.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
“Heck will be staying at the house with me,” Clint said. “In fact, we’re headed there as soon as we finish these drinks.”
“That’s fine,” Gryder said. “This shebang is just about over. But you better say good-bye to our hostess.”
“Yes,” Carla said, “I’m sure she’ll be terribly upset if you don’t.”
“I’ll do that right now,” Clint said. “Why don’t you two keep Heck company, and then we’ll all go to my house for a nightcap.”
As
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