“Who told you?”
He stared at the wall. “I don’t know. I had too much to drink.”
“Someone told you?”
“Yeah, someone said there was some T-Bar hands looking for a fight, and if I dodged it, they’d know what to think of me.”
“A fistfight?”
He stared at me. “What does it matter? I walked into it.”
“You went alone, looking for a brawl with that bunch?”
“I guess so.”
“Something don’t add up, King.”
“You ever been called a coward, Sheriff?”
“Mostly, they call me lazy. My ma, she used to scold me—”
“Not what I asked.”
He irritated me. “Yeah, a few times. Made me mad.”
“I’m not one. I’m not afraid of dying,” he said. “If you were in my shoes, would you be?”
“I’m not in your shoes,” I said.
Then he turned his back to me. He was just counting the minutes and hours left to him. Or trying not to.
I kept wanting to palaver with him, but he clammed up, so nothing came of it. I hiked out of the jail and locked the door, and thought I’d patrol the town. Burtell would be on until supper, and then DeGraff would come in for the night.
“I’m going out,” I said.
“Better than sitting around,” he replied.
I opened the door and discovered a regular parade out there, a mess of horsemen all heading my way. And Crayfish himself was leading the pack, on a ewe-necked gray horse that should have been sold for wolf bait.
Them fellers was armed to the teeth. Most had a pair of six-guns strapped to their waists, and most of the others had rifles or shotguns sheathed or in hand. A few had regular bandoliers loaded with shiny brass hanging over a shoulder. This here was a regular army. Worse, they spread out in a way that looked like they was priming for action.
“Crayfish, if there’s trouble, you’ll be answering first,” I said.
He knew what I meant. “That word, answering, is an interesting allusion,” he said. “Actually, well done and interesting syntax. My congratulations.”
I just about had a fit, but all I could do was snarl some.
Crayfish smiled easily. “We’ve appointed ourselves your posse,” he said. “We are going to keep the peace in Doubtful until the hanging is over.”
“What are you mouthing about?”
“A posse, we’re a posse, Sheriff. We’re an armed body of men acting in an official capacity on behalf of the legally constituted law officers of Puma County, Wyoming.”
“You ain’t nothing until I swear you,” I said, “and right now you’re not keeping any peace around here.”
“Ah, Sheriff, you don’t quite comprehend. Our town is under siege. Anchor Ranch, in all its power and glory, threatens to perform a lawless act. Namely, breaking the young multiple murderer spawned by its owner out of your lockup and spiriting him away from the majestic reach of the law.”
“He ain’t getting out, and I can take care of it myself,” I said. “We don’t need a posse.”
Crayfish smiled. “Well, you’ve got one. I’ve leased the upstairs of Rosie’s Parlor for the duration, and that will be the T-Bar headquarters until justice is done.”
“Sounds more like the T-Bar’s hindquarters, Crayfish.”
“That too. My main worry is that my staff will be too weary to perform its duties adequately. We will need alert and ready men to patrol the streets, guard the courthouse and especially rim your jail with stouthearted stalwarts. A week or two upstairs at Rosie’s might gravely weaken my force, but that is a risk to be endured.”
“Some risk,” I said.
“At any rate, Sheriff, the T-Bar posse will be patrolling Doubtful day and night. We will ensure good order at the Sampling Room and other watering holes. We will ensure that no illicit armies of the night sweep into your understaffed jail and attempt to spirit away the prisoner. We will, of course, frisk all visitors to the jail, making sure that lawyers and such don’t smuggle instruments of violence within. And of course we plan to accompany you on your daily rounds. Henceforth, wherever you go, two of my best men will be serving as your deputies, lockstep with you. Two other trusted men will protect Judge Nippers and the courthouse. Nothing will escape their attention.”
“Thanks, Crayfish, but I’ll just handle it all myself. I don’t need your posse.”
He smiled. “Well, your thoughts are noble, and your skills are unquestioned, and your bravery is legendary, but we’re here, and we’re staying, and we’re protecting Doubtful until justice is served, and you’ll find me at Rosie’s henceforth.”
“How about you just get out of town and leave the peacekeeping to those that got a badge?”
