'No. Let's see about the boy. I don't think he's hurt, just scared.'
Conrad was getting to his feet when Frank and Jerry reached him. His face was ashen, and he was trembling. 'They were going to kidnap me!' Conrad blurted. 'Hal pushed me down and stood in front of me.' He looked at Hal, bloody and dead in the street. 'Oh, my God!' Conrad started to move toward Hal, and Frank stopped him.
'Easy, boy. No point. He's beyond help.'
'You don't know that!'
'I know, boy. I saw him take three rounds in the center of the chest.'
'I liked that man. I didn't at first. But I really liked him. He saved my life.'
'That's what he was paid to do, Conrad.'
Jerry was checking the dead and the wounded. 'Two alive, Frank. And one of them ain't gonna be for long.'
'Good,' Frank said. 'The jail's gettin' full.' A crowd had gathered at the mouth of the street. 'One of you get Doc Bracken, and someone get the undertaker. Move!' He turned to Jerry. 'See if you can locate Kid Moran. Don't brace him, Jerry. Just see if he's still in town.'
'Will do.'
Jimmy and Vivian walked up. Vivian was pale with shock, and Jimmy was killing mad. Frank could read it in his eyes. 'Settle down, Jimmy. They're gone.'
'Me and Hal been pards for a long time, Frank. I ain't likely to forget this.'
'See to Mrs. Browning and her son, Jimmy. Right now!'
Jimmy nodded and took Viv's arm, leading her and Conrad toward the front door of the office building and inside. Jimmy stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at the bloody and still body of his longtime friend. The man touched the brim of his hat and walked inside the office, closing the door.
Someone called that the doctor had been roused out of bed and was on his way, as was Malone, the undertaker. Frank walked over to the hip-shot gunman. On closer investigation, he recognized him -- Max Stoddard. He was wanted in several states for murder, and there was a hefty reward for his arrest.
'You boys are making me a princely sum of money, Max,' Frank told him.
'Go to hell.'
Frank smiled at the outlaw. 'Time I get through here, I'll be near'bouts able to retire, I reckon.'
'Damn you, Morgan!'
Frank reached down and slipped an over-and-under derringer from the outlaw's left boot. 'Were you thinking I'd forget about this little banger, Max?'
'I was hopin' you would, you bastard.'
Frank laughed at him and took a long-bladed knife from the sheath on the outlaw's belt. 'Not likely, Max. I haven't stayed alive this long by being careless.'
'Ned or Vic will get you, Morgan. You can count on that. They'll get you 'fore this is over.'
Doc Bracken was pushing his way through the still gathering crowd, cussing loudly and ordering the gawkers to get the hell out of his way.
Mayor Jenkins was right behind him, both of them looking as though they had jumped into their clothes, unshaven and with disheveled hair.
'What the hell happened here?' the mayor shouted.
'These men tried to kidnap Conrad Browning,' Frank said, pointing to the dead and wounded in the street. 'Conrad's bodyguard was killed. Conrad and his mother are safe. They're in the office building.'
'My God!' the mayor whispered. 'Do you know any of these men, Marshal?'
'I know this one. Max Stoddard. He's wanted for murder in several states. All these men are part of the Pine and Vanbergen gangs.'
The mayor patted Frank on the arm. 'Wonderful job, Marshal. Superb.'
The mayor wandered off into the crowd. Frank turned his attention to the doctor, watching him work on Stoddard for a moment.
'No permanent damage to the hip,' the doctor said. 'But he won't be walking for a while. Some of you men take this hombre over to the jail.' Doc Bracken moved quickly to the other outlaws. 'Dead,' he said twice. 'And this one won't last long. Some of you men make him as comfortable as possible. He'll be dead in a few minutes.'
'Damn you to hell, Morgan!' the dying man said.
'Here, now,' Dr. Bracken admonished him. 'That's enough of that. You best be making your peace with God.'
The outlaw started cussing, spewing out a stream of profanity. Suddenly he began coughing. He arched his back, and then relaxed in a pool of blood.
'He's gone,' Doc Bracken said.
Frank went with the undertaker and searched the pockets of the dead men. They had no identification on them. He took their guns and walked back to his office. Jerry met him on the way.
'Kid Moran left town when the shooting started, Frank. Half a dozen people seen him hightail out.'
