was beating him. He didn’t know why the man being held was being beaten, but he didn’t like the odds.
His common sense dictated that he do nothing, but instinct overcame common sense.
“Damn,” he said aloud. Lifting the window, he crawled out onto the edge of the hotel’s porch roof, moved through the rain to the edge, then dropped down to the ground. By now he was so close that, even through the staccato rhythm of the falling rain, he could hear the sound of fists on flesh and the grunts of pain.
Matt moved quickly through the rain, unseen and unheard by either the assailants or the hapless man being beaten. Reaching out, he grabbed the shoulder of the man doing the actual beating, spun him around, then knocked him down with a hard blow to the man’s chin.
“What the hell?” one of the two who were holding the man shouted.
Matt started toward him, but he and his partner released the beating victim, then ran quickly up the alley. The beating victim collapsed, and Matt decided that attention to his condition was more important than chasing down the two villains.
“Look out!” the victim suddenly shouted, and turning, Matt saw the man he had knocked down reaching for his gun. Because he was still lying on the ground, it was an awkward draw, which gave Matt time to step through the mud and kick the pistol out of the man’s hand.
Unarmed now, the man turned over onto his hands and knees and crawled far enough away to regain his feet. Then he, like the other two men, ran away.
“Are you hurt?” Matt asked, turning back to the victim.
“A few bruises and cuts,” the man said, rubbing a finger against his cut lip. “No broken bones, thanks to you.”
“Come on, let’s get in out of the rain,” Matt suggested.
“That’s a good idea. Oh, have you had your supper yet? If not, I’d like to treat you. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” Matt said. “I think anyone would have come to your aid if they had seen what was going on.”
“I’m not so sure of that. But I’d like to buy you dinner anyway. The name is Garvey. Stan Garvey.”
“Matt Jensen.”
“I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Jensen.” Garvey chuckled. “That’s an understatement. I’m damn glad to meet you.” He pointed. “Little Man’s Cafe is just down the street here. Little Man makes a damn good pot roast.”
Matt followed Garvey into the restaurant, and the two men stood just inside the door for a moment, dripping water. Because it was quite late for dinner, the restaurant was nearly empty.
“Hello, Stan, wet enough for you?” someone asked. The man who greeted them was wearing the white apron and cap of a cook. He was very short, standing just over five feet tall.
“Hello, Little Man. Two pot roast dinners,” Garvey said.
“Two pot roast dinners coming right—uh—damn, Stan, what the hell happened to you?”
“I fell down,” Garvey said.
“You fell down?”
“Yes.”
“Well, all I can say is, it must’ve been one hell of a fall.”
“You have any apple pie left?” Garvey asked pointedly, making it obvious that he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Yes. You want it now?”
“No, for dessert.”
Leading Matt to a quiet corner of the dining room, Garvey took out a handkerchief to dab at his bloody lip. The handkerchief was as wet as his clothes.
“Who were those men?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know the two who were holding me,” Garvey said. “But the one doing the hitting was a man named Odom. Cletus Odom.”
“What did you do to make Odom so angry?”
Garvey held up his finger as if suggesting that Matt wait for a moment. Then he got up from the table and walked over to the counter. Picking up a newspaper, he returned to the table and handed the paper to Matt.
“This might have done it,” he said. He pointed to a story on the front page.
A VILLAIN WALKS AMONG US
If there were no other reasons why Arizona should strive for early statehood, then the lack of any sense of justice would be reason enough. On the fifth, instant, three masked men entered the Bank of Wickenburg with the express purpose of robbing it. Their attempt was foiled by the fast and heroic action of Adam Thomas, who slammed shut the safe.
When the leader of the robbers demanded that Thomas reopen the safe or forfeit his life, Thomas maintained his resolve. As a result, the leader of the robbers shot and killed this brave husband and father of two.
There are credible eyewitnesses who say that, despite the fact that he was wearing a mask, they recognized Cletus Odom as the robber and murderer. They are not shy in making these claims, but, thus far, no
