“This promises to be quite an interesting night.”
“That ... is one way of putting it, yes.”
They walked down the stairs and were a head-turning couple, Sally a beautiful woman and Smoke a strikingly handsome man in a rugged sort of way.
They joined Dr. and Mrs. Turner in the hotel dining room for coffee.
“I will say this, Smoke,” Robert said. “I find the people of Barlow a refreshing change from the hoodlums and rowdies of Hell’s Creek. We both like it here.”
“I’m glad you do. And I hope you decide to stay. It’s going to be a growing little town.”
“But you and Sally will eventually move on?”
“Oh, yes. Back to the Sugarloaf. It’s home. We’ll get this situation straightened out here and be back home in early fall.”
“Will there be trouble tonight?” Vicky asked.
“Probably,” Smoke gave her an honest reply. “But it won’t be gunplay.”
“Anyone from Hell’s Creek made an appearance yet?” Robert asked.
“Not to my knowledge. But they’ll be along. They can’t afford not to show up.”
They looked up, and Tom Walsh and his Circle W crew rode in and dismounted. Tom drove the buggy, sitting beside his wife. Mrs. Walsh joined the ladies in the dining room, while Smoke and Dr. Turner stepped outside to join Joe and his crew.
“All right, boys,” Smoke spoke to the Circle W hands. “This is the way it’s going to be this night. When you enter the dance and box supper area, you check your guns with Mrs. Marbly. The only people who will be armed will be me and my deputies. And I’ve appointed several special deputies for this night. Anyone who doesn’t think they can abide by that rule, haul your ashes out of town.”
“Suits me,” Curly was the first to speak. “But it’s gonna be interestin’ to see you take Melvin Malone’s guns offen him.”
“I’Il take them,” Smoke replied. “Or tomorrow his dad will be burying him.”
Tom Johnson, one of the special deputies, rode in from the north, just as Benson, another of the special deputies, rode up from the south end of town. Johnson said, “Big Max and half a dozen of his gunslicks coming in.”
“Red Malone and his crew are just outside of town,” Benson added.
“Get your shotguns, boys,” Smoke said. “Line up with me on the boardwalk.”
Johnson, Marbly, Benson, and Toby got sawed-off shotguns and lined up in front of the hotel, two on each side of Smoke. Jim and Sal stood a dozen yards off, one on each side of the five. They too were armed with Greeners.
Smoke knew some of the men who rode in with Max: Alex Bell, Dave Poe, Val Singer. He did not know the others with them. But he knew the breed: hired guns.
“I don’t like this,” Val muttered, eyeballing the shotgun-armed men on the boardwalk.
“Relax,” Max told him. “It’s just a show of force.”
“Hell of a welcoming committee, boss,”John Steele said.
“Don’t nobody do nothin’stupid,” Red Malone said to his men. “Them express guns would kill everybody in the whole damn street. Let’s find out what’s going on.”
One of Red’s hands was driving the buggy with the elegantly gowned Tessie. She took one look at Smoke and said, “Oohhh, I think I’m in love!”
In heat would be more like it, the hand thought. But he kept that to himself.
Tessie’s exploits were known throughout the entire county—and several adjacent counties.
The crews of Max and Red swung their horses and faced Smoke and his deputies.
“Good evening, gentlemen, Miss Tessie,” Smoke said. “Welcome to Barlow.”
“What’s the idea of all this force?” Red demanded in a loud voice.
Smoke ignored him. “It’s a beautiful night, people, so we decided to move everything outdoors. The dance area is roped off, as is the box supper area. We have plenty of chairs and benches for your comfort if you didn’t bring blankets to sit on. That tent set up just before you enter the entertainment area is where you will check your guns.”
Smoke had stepped off the boardwalk as he was speaking, moving close to Mel Malone.
“I’ll be damned if I’ll check my guns!”the young man said.
Smoke jerked him off his horse, slapped him twice, ripped the gunbelt from him, and tossed guns and belt into a horse trough. He did it so quickly no one had a chance to interfere.
Smoke faced the young man as he spoke to his deputies. “Anybody who makes a grab for a gun, start killing the whole bunch of them.”
Hammers were eared back on the sawed-off shotguns and the muzzles leveled at the mounted men.
“Now, hold on!” Red bellowed. Sawed-off shotguns at this range would tear them all apart.
Smoke grabbed Melvin by his fancy shirt and jerked him close. “You say one more word to me about what
