from either of you. I'll ask the questions, you answer them. Without the smart-aleck comments. Is that understood?' Frank took a couple more steps toward the pair.
One of the punks feigned great consternation at Frank's words. 'Oh, my! I'm so frightened I might pee my drawers! How about you, Tom?'
'Oh, me, too, Carl. The old-timer's words is really makin' me nervous.'
Both of them burst out laughing.
Frank took several more steps while the pair were braying like jackasses and hit Tom in the mouth with a hard straight left. The punch knocked the punk clean off his boots and deposited him on the floor. Frank turned slightly and drove his right fist into the belly of Carl. Carl doubled over and went to his knees, gagging and gasping for air.
Frank reached down and snatched the guns from Tom, tossed them on a table, and then pulled Carl's Colts from leather. He backed up, holding the punk's twin pistols, and waited.
Tom got to his feet first, his mouth leaking blood. He stood glaring at Frank.
Someone out on the boardwalk yelled, 'Here comes Doc Bracken. Get out of the way, boys!'
'Get your friend on his feet,' Frank told Tom. 'Right now!'
Jerry pushed open the batwings just as both young trouble-hunters were on their feet, wobbly, but standing.
'Jerry,' Frank said, 'I want you to get statements from as many people as you can about this shooting. Get their names and tell them to drop by the office in the morning to verify and sign all they told you.'
'Will do, Frank.'
Frank motioned with the muzzle of the right hand Colt. 'Move, boys. To the jail.'
'It was self-defense, Marshal!' Tom shouted. 'He was pesterin' us.'
'That's a damn lie,' a miner said. 'It was them pesterin' the other guy. They goaded him into a gunfight. They pushed him real hard. I wouldn't have tooken near'bouts as much as that other feller took. He had to fight. That's all there was to it. They didn't give him no choice in the matter. None a'tall.'
'Yore a damn liar, mister!' Carl said.
'Give your story to my deputy,' Frank told the man. 'Move, boys.'
'You're makin' a mistake, Marshal,' Carl said.
'Shut up and move. If the other man started the trouble, you can ride on out of town.'
'You son of a bitch!' Tom cussed him.
'Be careful, boy,' Frank warned him. 'Don't let your ass overload your mouth.'
Frank locked the pair up and once more hit the streets. He began prowling the new makeshift saloons, and there were about a dozen wood-frame, canvas-covered drinking spots that had sprung up since the new silver strike and the rumors of a major gold strike.
The evening's rambling and searching produced nothing. Frank could flush no one. He finally gave it up and returned to the office.
'Any luck?' Jerry asked.
Frank shook his head as he poured a mug of coffee. 'If I did see them, they're mighty cool ole boys. I didn't produce a single bobble.'
'I might be on to something,' Jerry said.
'Oh?'
'Four men are living in a tent 'bout a mile out of town.' He pointed. 'That way. Off the west trail. They staked a claim, but no one's ever seen them working it. Man I've known since I come to town told me about them. Only reason he brought it up was 'cause those ole boys is real unfriendly and surly like. I questioned him some and he said he seen them ride out 'bout noon today, and they didn't come back 'til late afternoon.'
'You did good, Jerry. I appreciate it.'
'There's more, Frank. My friend thinks one of them has a bolt-action rifle.'
Frank sugared his coffee and stirred slowly. 'I'll pay those ole boys a visit first thing in the morning. Going up there tonight would be asking for trouble.'
'It sure would. And it isn't against the law to be unfriendly.'
Frank smiled. 'You're right about that. If it was, half the population would be in jail. How did the questioning over at the saloon go?'
'Those two trouble-hunters we have locked up started the whole thing. They needled the other fellow into pulling on them. But the other guy did go for his gun first.'
'They'll probably get off, then. If the other man drew first, I don't know of any major charges that could be brought against them. But we'll keep them locked up until the judge opens court. It's his mess to deal with now. You go on to bed, Jerry. I'll make the late rounds.'
'You sure, Frank?'
'Oh, yeah. I'm not a bit sleepy. Besides, I need to go over to the funeral parlor and find out what I can about the dead man.'
'See you in the morning, Frank.'
