to you about something.â
âWhat?â
âWhat would you think of not hunting the Wendigo?â
âWhy would I do that?â
âTo stay alive.â
âIâm not afraid, Clint.â
âI know youâre not.â
âThen why would I not go?â
âI had a talk with Fiddler this morning,â he admitted. âHe seems to think heâs the only one who can kill it.â
âMy bullets are as good as his.â
"He says you need more than bullets,â Clint replied. "You need magic.â
âClint,â Dakota said, âyou canât believe everything Jack Fiddler tells you. Heâd old.â
âNo way I can talk you out of this?â
âI donât think so. Thereâs always the money to think about.â
âOh, yeah, the money.â He told her what the sheriff had said, that she might be better off going for the bounty.
âWell, like you said,â she answered, âletâs see what the mayor has to say.â
âOkay,â he said, âhave it your way.â
She touched his arm.
âI know youâre not scared for yourself, so youâre scared for me. Thatâs nice, but Iâm gonna do thisâ with or without you.â
âI get it,â he said. âLetâs go see Hizzoner.â
Sheriff Dekker was waiting in front of City Hall.
âAdams, Dakota,â he said. âThe mayorâs waitinâ.â
âLetâs go,â Dakota said.
They followed the lawman into the building and to the mayorâs office.
âMayor Payne, this is Clint Adams, this is Dakota.â Dekker gestured.
âAdams, this is a pleasure.â The mayor, a big, florid-faced man, extended his hand and Clint shook it. âMiss Dakota.â
âJust Dakota.â
âI must say,â he commented, âyouâre not quite what I expected.â
âOh,â Dakota said. âWell, Clint made me take a bath.â
âI see.â The mayor wasnât quite sure if that was a joke or not. âPlease, both of you sit.â
They each took a chair. The sheriff stood in a corner with his arms folded.
âI understand you want the town to hire you to hunt this . . . this Wendigo thing.â
âWellââ
âClint and I think that together we can kill it faster than anyone else.â
âWell, we certainly want this taken care of quickly,â the mayor said, âbut weâve already hired Jack Fiddler. He has a reputation for killing these . . . things.â
âWell, thatâs true, but Jackâs . . . been at it for a while.â
âIs that your way of saying heâs getting old?â Payne asked Dakota.
âIâm just sayinâ . . .â She trailed off and looked at Clint.
âDakota is just saying that maybe you can use an alternative,â he offered.
âYeah,â she said, âthatâs all I was sayinâ.â
âWell,â Payne said, âI can tell you I wouldnât mind having the Gunsmithâand Dakotaâhunting this thing.â
âThen youâll do it?â Dakota asked.
âI tell you what,â Payne said, âletâs make a deal. If you two kill the Wendigo, weâll give you the bounty, and the town will match it. Howâs that? A thousand each?â
âIâm not interested in the money,â Clint said. âAll the money will go to Dakota.â
âWhatever you want to do with the money, thatâs your business,â Payne said. âIs it a deal?â
Clint looked at Dakota, leaving it to her.
âItâs a deal, Mr. Mayor.â
âThe sheriff can tell you where this thing struck last,â the mayor said, standing up. âI wish you both luck.â
They all shook hands and then they followed Sheriff Dekker out.
âSheriff, did Fiddler get to look at the dead man and question the survivor?â Dakota
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