Cookie turned and walked into the ticket office. Idaho sure looked good to him.
Red Malone received the news of being banned from Barlow stoically. He had been expecting something like this, so it didn’t surprise him.
But he was shook down to his boots at the news of John Steele being jailed. “How is Dan?” he finally asked.
“He ain’t never gonna use his right arm again. Tendons was cut.”
Red grunted. “Cookie?”
“He quit.”
“Get my horse. I’m riding to Barlow.”
“You want me to get the boys together?”
“No. I’m riding alone. Do it, Jake. I don’t want to hear any arguments.”
Red rode to the town limits and sat his saddle in the middle of the road. Malone was many things, but a fool was not one of them. Someone would soon spot him and take the news to Jensen. Smoke would ride out to see what he wanted.
In a couple of minutes, Jensen rode up and faced him. “Something I do for you, Red?”
“Has bond been set for John Steele?”
“Fifty dollars. He’s out, saddling his horse. He’ll be along shortly.”
“He hurt?”
“He’s got a knot on his noggin and his pride is bruised, that’s all.”
Red nodded his head. “You’d a done Dan a favor if you’d gone on and killed him. A one-armed puncher ain’t good for much, Jensen.”
“That’s his problem, Red.”
John Steele came riding out, wheeled his horse up beside Red, and faced Smoke. The man was killing mad and it showed on his face, which was chalk-white with anger. Smoke knew that was the sign of a very dangerous man. A red-faced man usually meant all bluff and bluster, but one whose face was chalk-white meant he was cold inside.
“I want to see my boy, Jensen. He ain’t much, I’ll give you that, but he’s still mine. You can have my gun and search me. Have a deputy there with us. But I want to see him.”
“All right, Red. I wouldn’t have kicked up any fuss at that. A father has a right to see his own. John, you ride on to the spread. Don’t come back to town. I mean it. Your high-handed, roughshod ways of dealing with the people of Barlow are over.”
“You and me, Jensen,” the foreman said tightly. “Someday, just you and me.”
“Shut your mouth and clear out, John. Don’t dig your own grave.”
John wheeled his horse and rode away.
“Did this ... incident with John go down the way my hand said it did?”
“What’d your hand say about it?” After listening to a brief rundown, Smoke nodded his head. “That’s about it, Red.”
It was obvious that Red had more on his mind than seeing his son. Smoke got the impression Malone didn’t even like the boy. He might love him, but he sure didn’t like him.
“Where am I supposed to buy supplies, Jensen?”
“I don’t know, Red. But if Marbly doesn’t want you in his store, that’s his right.”
“You’ve pushed me up against a wall just like you’re pushin’ Max. Don’t you think we’ll push back, Jensen?”
“We’re ready anytime you boys want to start the tug-of-war, Red.”
“Damnit, man!” Red stirred in the saddle. “My boys will have to drive teams way the hell south of here for supplies.”
“There’s a way you can prevent that, Red, and you know it.”
“There’s two ways, Jensen. And you know the other way I’m talkin’ about.”
“You want to try it now, Red?” Smoke calmly laid down the challenge.
Red grudgingly smiled at the man’s calmness and courage. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I reckon not, Jensen. But you can’t stick around here forever. You got to leave sometime. I’ll wait.”
“I’m betting you won’t, Red. Oh, you might; I’ll give you that. But sooner or later, your daughter is going to want some pretties from the dress shop or the general store, and she’ll agitate you or someone else until you drive her in. One of your hands is going to get drunk and come rip-snorting in here. You or some of your crew or your kid will get sick and have to see the doctor or the man at the apothecary shop. Any of those things could blow the lid off. And one of them more than likely will.”
“You’d stop me from bringing my girl or one of my men in to see the doctor?”
“That’s right, Red.”
“You’re a heartless bastard, Jensen!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t prevent the doctor from going out to your spread. Or you could bring them to this town limit
