'Yes, sir. You come over and Daddy will tell you both how he wants you to do.'
'Your daddy's going to say he wants us to shake hands and be friends.'
'No, no, no. Daddy knows better than that. He don't trust Morton any farther than he could sling a bull. No, sir. He just wants to hear both sides of it.'
Longarm said, 'I caught the son of a bitch cheating in a poker game, and I shoved a pistol in his face. That's my side of it. I don't know what his side of it is, and I don't care.'
John said, 'You won't come over?'
'I'll walk out in front as soon as Morton Colton comes out in front and we can talk right there.'
Frank Carson spoke up. He said, 'Mr. Long, this ain't none of my business, but if I's you, I'd go on over and hear what the old man has to say. Could be that the matter could be resolved with no further trouble.'
John said, 'See. That's what I've been trying to tell you. Daddy is trying to head off any trouble.'
Longarm said with disgust in his voice, 'Yeah, I know Mr. Colton is trying to do for the best, but you can't turn sour milk fresh once it's turned sour. Morton Colton is sour milk. But I'll go with you. If that son of a bitch is waiting to bushwack me, there's going to be a hell of a lot of lead flying and some innocent people could get hurt.'
John shook his head. 'Daddy won't let that happen.'
Longarm gave Carson a significant look. He said, 'Daddy might not be able to stop it. Morton Colton don't strike me as the kind of man who listens to anybody but himself.'
Frank Carson said, 'I'm going to be right behind you, Mr. Long, so if any bushwhacking happens, I'll be able to see it at the same time as you, and there will be a lot of lead flying.'
Longarm cocked his head and looked at Carson. He said, 'You don't know me that well, Mr. Carson. It could get a little dangerous out there.'
'Oh, I like that sort of thing. Let's go.'
Longarm shrugged and started for the door, loosening his revolver in the holster as he did.
CHAPTER 9
They met in the kitchen. The old man and John and Mark were seated at the table. Morton Colton was standing with his back against the far wall. He was dressed much as he had been when Longarm had first seen him. He was wearing a white ruffled shirt with a black vest and the plantation broad-brimmed hat. Longarm noticed that he wore a silver buckle shaped like a concho. His boots were black and shiny, with silver tips.
As Longarm entered the kitchen, Morton took two steps forward, his eyes dark and angry. He had his hand a scant inch from the butt of the revolver he wore in a black, tooled-leather holster. Longarm stopped in the middle of the room and stared at Colton. John went around him and took his seat at the table. Longarm glanced back. Carson had stopped short of the door. He nodded at Longarm as if to say, I'm here but I don't want to intrude.
The old man said, 'Mr. Long, I'm much obliged at you seeing your way clear of coming over here. I know there be bad blood between you two, and we need to get it cleared up.'
Longarm said, 'There's no bad blood between us, Mr. Colton. That son of a bitch standing over there next to the wall got caught cheating at a poker game, and he didn't much like what I done to him.'
Asa Colton said, 'I think we've got to forget all about that. Let it be. I'm trying to make some peace here.'
Morton Colton suddenly stepped forward. 'There ain't gonna be peace except I get a piece of that son of a bitch standing there. That no-good bastard shoved a gun in my face.' Now, he turned and talked directly to Longarm. 'You thought you'd seen the last of me, you cowardly bastard. You ran off up here in the hills and hid. You didn't know I'd find you, did you?'
Longarm said carelessly, 'No, I figured you'd find me. I just didn't figure you'd have the guts to come looking for me.'
Morton Colton's face went red with rage. He was almost sputtering when he said, 'You son of a bitch! You and me's gonna get this settled.'
Longarm said, 'You got that right, mister. I ain't about to hang around and give you a chance to back-shoot me.'
Asa Colton broke in. He said, 'Boys, boys, boys. Stop this. We don't want no feuding or no trouble here. You're marrying into the family, Mr. Long.'
Longarm said, 'I ain't marrying into that son of a bitch's family.' He pointed at Morton Colton. 'I wouldn't let my dog know that son of a bitch's dog.'
Mark Colton broke in. He said, 'Daddy, ain't it just like I said it would be? I told you he wouldn't make no peace. I told you this fellow ain't fit for us. Ain't that what I told you?'
Asa Colton said, 'Shut up, Mark. You're not helping this matter any. You just keep it shut.' He turned to Morton. He said, 'You know, you ain't even supposed to be here. You're not welcome here. We made a deal a long time ago that if you stayed clear, you'd get your cut. And yet you come riding in here, creating a lot of trouble. We don't want no trouble around here. This is a happy time for us. Now, you get back on your horse and you ride on out of here.'
Colton stabbed out his finger at Longarm. He said, 'I came to kill this son of a bitch, and I aim to do it.'
Longarm said, 'Well, let's just step out in front and see how well you do.'
Mr. Colton said, 'Boys, we can't have no shooting. You'll scare the women. They're all huddled back there in a room somewhere, scared to death. Is this any way for you to act, Mr. Long, right before you get married?'
Longarm said, 'Mr. Colton, with all respect, I'd feel mighty skittish with this son of a bitch around. I'd rather get this situation settled here and now.'
The old man sighed. He said, 'I was afraid it would come to that.' He looked at Morton Colton. 'Is this how you
