“That was just a bluff. If your man had not drawn his pistol and then Pardeen killed him, it would have been murder.”
“And Billy would have still been dead,” Smoke said.
“Yes, well, the fact is, your man did draw first,” the sheriff said. “And as long as all the witnesses swear to what they saw, no charges can be made.”
“What about the fact that Pardeen and whoever he is with are about to steal my cattle?”
Dawson ran his hand through his hair, clearly agitated by the way the discussion was going.
The sheriff pointed toward the cow pens. “Maybe you don’t know it, mister, but there are ten men down there, in addition to Pardeen. I’ve only got one deputy.”
“So you have looked into it,” Smoke said. “You do know that Williams is down there with my cattle.”
“Yeah, I’ve looked into it,” Dawson replied. “Like I said, it is suspicious. But I have no proof that anything illegal has happened.”
“And you aren’t going to get proof unless you go down there and ask a few questions,” Smoke said.
Dawson shook his head. “Maybe you don’t know this, but the men down there aren’t just cowboys. They are a bad lot, all of them. More than half of them have been in jail at one time or another for robbery, assault, you name it.”
“They aren’t regular cowboys?”
“No.”
“Then that is more evidence, isn’t it? Sheriff, they are stealing my herd right before your eyes.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it? I told you, there’s just me and Titus.”
“Deputize us,” Smoke said, taking in the others with a sweep of his hand. “We’ll take care of the situation ourselves.”
“I don’t know that I can do that.”
“Of course you can do it,” Smoke said. “In fact, I am already a deputy back in Big Rock. All you have to do is grant me a professional courtesy as a visiting lawman. It’s done all the time.”
“All right, all right,” Sheriff Dawson said. “You’re deputized. Do what you feel must be done. But don’t count on any help from either me or my deputy.”
“At this point, Sheriff, you and your deputy would just get in our way,” Smoke said.
Chapter Twenty-four
Jarred McHenry came back to the feeder lot to report to Williams and Pardeen on what he had just learned.
“The sheriff has deputized Smoke Jensen and the others,” he said.
“Well, now, this is getting interesting,” Pardeen said. They were holding the conversation just outside the fence of the feeder lot, and the air was redolent with the pungent smell of manure. Nearby was a stable where a half- dozen buckboards and wagons were parked and waiting to be rented. Someone from the stable was working on the wheel of one of the wagons, totally unaware of the impending showdown.
“We about to have us a shoot-out, ain’t we?” one of the men asked, his voice betraying his nervousness over the prospect.
“I sure as hell hope so,” Pardeen said.
“What do you mean, you hope so?”
“The stage has been set for me’n Smoke Jensen to have us a meeting for a long time now,” Pardeen said. “And this is as good a time and place as any.”
“Well, I don’t mind telling you boys, this isn’t what I wanted,” Williams said. He sighed. “But I’m afraid the fat is in the fire now.”
Suddenly, and inexplicably, Jarred laughed.
“What it is? What are you laughin’ at?” one of the others asked.
“Devil’s food cake,” Jarred said.
“What?”
“Devil’s food cake,” Jarred repeated. “You think it really is devil’s food? What I’m askin’ is, come supper time in hell tonight, you think they’ll serve devil’s food cake?”
One of the others shook his head. “Jarred, you are dumber than a cow turd.”
They were quiet for a moment. Then Jarred growled, “We goin’ to stand around ’n talk all day? Or are we goin’ to get this thing done?”
“You’re anxious, are you?” Pardeen asked.
“Some,” Jarred admitted. “If we’re goin’ to do this, let’s get it done.” He started toward town and some of the others began to follow.
“Wait,” Williams called. The others turned to look at him.
“Didn’t you say they were coming to us?”
