“How we gonna get past Smoke and them mountain men?” Reese asked.
“Go holler up the hill,” Stratton said. “Tell Smoke I wanna talk to him.”
“What do you want?” Smoke called out of the high darkness.
“It was Richards that ordered your brother killed!” Potter yelled. “Me and Stratton didn’t have nothing to do with it.”
Smoke knew the man was lying. Knew it because of the dying confession of a TC hand a few years back. Smoke knew Potter had shot his brother. But since Sam had hightailed it back and told them all what he’d done, Smoke had agreed it was a fine idea. He’d play along.
“All right. I never knew who it was. But you was part of it,” Smoke returned the darkness-shrouded shout.
“I won’t deny that.” Stratton’s voice. “Neither of us. But what’s done is done. I still have nightmares about it, though. If that makes any difference to you.”
“That lyin’ poke of buffalo chips!” Preacher said. “Only nightmares he ever has is someone stealin’ his money.”
“Yeah, I know,” Smoke told his mentor. Raising his voice, he called, “What’d you want to talk to me about?”
“Ain’t no call for us to be fightin’ each other, Jensen. We know that Josh sent for you, probably payin’ you good money, but whatever he’s payin’ you, we’ll triple it. How about it? You’re a hired gun. What difference does it make who pays you?”
“He’s payin’ me what’s on that dodger. All in gold. You want to triple that, I’ll take it in greenbacks or double eagles. Send MacGregor up here with the money. Let all the women leave the Pink House. Send them up here with Mac.”
“And you’ll do what?”
“I’ll stand aside and let you three fight it out among you. Deal?”
“Who is Sam working for?” Potter called.
“Richards. But I know where he is, so I can get word to him.”
“All right. It’ll take us about an hour to get that much money together. We’ll have to open the bank.”
“I’ll be here. In the meantime, you let those women go free. Deal?”
“It’s a deal, Jensen.”
“Sally?” Smoke called. “You hearin’ all this?”
“Yes!” Sally’s voice rose faintly from the edge of town.
“Then get some clothes and blankets together and come up here. You won’t be harmed.”
“We’re on our way. And Mister Potter and Mister Stratton?” she yelled.
“We’re right here, Miss Sally.”
“We’ll all be armed!”
No one could hear Stratton or Potter’s muttered response. Probably just as well.
19
“Thank Sam for this,” Smoke told Sally, as the women scampered up the hill and over the crest of the ridge. “He come up with this idea.”
“Came up with,” Sally corrected.
“Yes, ma’am,” Smoke said.
“Lord have mercy!” Preacher muttered. “Rest of you boys look out now, ’cause them two gonna git to sparkin’ and a-moonin’ and a-carryin’ on like who’d-a-thunk-it.”
“Shut up, Preacher,” Smoke told him.
“Most unrespectful young’un I ever hepped raise,” Preacher said.
“Disrespectful,” Sally corrected automatically.
“Lord, give this old man strength,” Preacher mumbled, walking away.
About forty minutes after the women arrived, MacGregor called up the hill. “Do you actually expect one aging bookkeeper to behave as a pack animal and carry all this money up this mountain?”
“Comin’ down,” Smoke called.
“Any trouble?” Smoke asked, facing Mac on the hillside.
“Not a bit. Come on, let’s walk.” He tossed his suitcase to Sam and split the sacks of money between Smoke and him self. When they were out of normal earshot, Mac said, “I told Stratton and Potter I was no gunhand. I wanted out. They dismissed me without a second thought. Tell you the truth, I was relieved to get out. What in the world is going on, Mr. Jensen?”
“Let them destroy each other,” Smoke said. “I’ll clean up what’s left.”
“Very good thinking, young man. But what if one side or the other discovers your ruse?”
