told me his name was Carlos Silva,” Matt said to Marshal Drew. “Have you ever heard of him?”
“No, I don’t think I have,” the marshal replied. “At least, not before a few days ago. But I understand he has been been hanging out in The Lion and The Crown for a while. You say he started shooting at you for no reason?”
“Yeah, and from a long way off, with a special rifle.”
“What kind of rifle?”
“It’s out there, stuck down his saddle holster,” Matt said, making a motion toward the street with his thumb. “A fifty caliber, with a scope.”
“Fifty caliber?” Marshal Drew whistled. “Now that would do a job on a man.”
“It would,” Matt said.
“Are you going to take him down to Welsh, or shall I?”
“I’ll take him,” Matt said.
Marshal Drew chuckled. “You know, you have given him more business this month than he has had for the previous six months.”
“As long as the business I give him isn’t me,” Matt said with a smile.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Another one for me, Mr. Jensen?” Welsh asked. He looked at the body. “My word, what did you do to his face? Why is it so red? By now the blood has usually drained out and they are almost white, but his face is still as red as a beet.”
“I don’t know,” Matt said. “Marshal Drew said it was always like that.”
“I suppose I can cover it with powder and paint or ...” Welsh started, then he stopped and shook his head. “No,” he said. He smiled. “I’m going to leave it just as it is.”
Matt left the body with Welsh, then walked down to The Lion and The Crown to have a beer. He started to pay for it, but Harry pushed the money back.
“The ladies are buying your beer,” he said.
“What? Why?”
“Word has already gotten around that you shot Carlos Silva.”
“That was fast. I just brought him in half an hour ago.”
“Yes, but enough people saw him thrown over his horse that they knew what happened. For about a week, he came in here every day, and sat right back there in that corner, scaring the ladies and my customers. I say good riddance.”
“What have you got to eat here?” Matt asked.
“Ham, beans, cornbread,” Harry said.
“Sounds good.”
Matt found a table and began playing solitaire as he waited for his food. A few minutes later, one of the bargirls brought it to him and when he reached into his pocket to pay, she held out her hand.
“No,” she said. “The other girls and I want to pay for your meal.”
“Well, that’s very nice of you,” Matt said. “I thank you.”
“Hey!” someone shouted, stepping into the saloon then. “Wait until you see what Welsh has standing tied to a board in front of his place now.”
“We know,” Harry said. “It’s Carlos Silva.”
“No it ain’t.”
“What do you mean, it isn’t? Who is it, if it isn’t Silva?”
“It’s the devil his ownself,” the man said. “I’m serious, come look!”
Matt knew they were probably talking about Silva’s red skin, so he stayed to eat his meal while nearly everyone else in the saloon hurried down to see for themselves. A few minutes later one of the customers came back and stepped up to the bar. “Give me a whiskey, Harry, a strong one. Mickey is right. Welsh does have the devil standing up down there.”
“Don’t be silly, Carl,” Harry said, pouring the drink and handing it to him. “It’s just Silva.”
“The hell it is. It’s the devil hisself, I tell you.” Carl put a coin down on the bar. “I’ll have another one. Otherwise, I’ll be seeing the devil in my nightmares tonight.”
The three bargirls had left when most of the customers did, and when they came back, two of them were comforting the third.
“What is it?” Harry asked. “What’s wrong with Rose?”
“She fainted when she saw the devil.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Has everyone gone crazy? I’m going to go see for myself,” Harry said, taking the towel down from his shoulder and starting toward the front door.
Finished with his meal now, Matt left with Harry, retracing the steps he had taken earlier when he came straight to the saloon from Welsh’s Undertaking Parlor.
There was a large crowd gathered around in front of the place, more people than Matt would have thought were even in town. He had to admit that Silva was strange-looking, but his looks hardly seemed to justify a crowd
