two gunfighters named Becket and Pike step out of the car.
Jaeger, the German immigrant turned gunfighter, stepped down right behind them. Molino was right behind him.
Smoke ticked the names off to the editor.
Chato Di Peso, the much feared and very dangerous New Mexico bounty hunter stepped down, hitching at his gun belt as he walked.
There were several young punks, with fancy guns and silver adorned gun belts tagging with the better known gunnies. Smoke counted them out as two-bit never-would-be’s with no sand in them.
“I think,” the editor said, “that I shall inform the governor of this gathering of trash.”
“Go ahead. But it won’t do any good.”
“Why?” the man asked indignantly.
“There isn’t a man over there who is wanted for anything that I know of. And there is no law against hiring tough men to work for you.”
“There is going to be a bloodbath around the Bear, Mr. Jensen.”
“Yes. And the only way I know to avoid it is for Walt and Alice Burden to turn tail and run; just give up their holdings to a madman and leave the country. Would you want to see them do that, Mr. Argood?”
“No,” the editor replied quickly. ”I would not. Is there a joker in this deck, Smoke?”
Smoke smiled. “Yes. And his name is Clint Perkins. He’s an unknown. Have you ever seen him?”
“No. Few people have over the years. Or at least, if they have, they aren’t talking. But I can tell you that many still look upon him as some sort of Robin Hood.”
“But you don’t."
Argood snorted in disgust. “He’s no better than a common outlaw. And personally, from what I know about him, I think he’s insane.”
“Is he headquartered in this area?”
“No one knows. He’s a mystery man. And a master of disguises.” He looked at the most famous gunfighter in the West. "You think he’ll show up here?”
“I think so. This is just too good for him to miss.” He didn’t know how much the editor knew, so he chose his words carefully. “I think there is a lot of hate in the man; all bottled up and ready to explode. When it does, it’s going to get very interesting.”
“That, young man,” Argood said drily, “is one way of pulling it.”
7
Smoke took the bank draft from the cattle buyer and tucked it safely away in a money belt around his waist. He had a letter from Walt giving him the authority to endorse the draft and deposit it in the bank over in Malad City, a wild, rip-roaring town with a history of murder, lynchings, and stage holdups. But the Overland Stage Company —whose run stopped at Malad City—had a good record of foiling holdups, so Walt’s money would be reasonably safe after being deposited.
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