occasion, and it did the same now as Longarm sent both bullets into Buck’s thick chest.
But even with two bullets, Buck somehow managed to stay on his feet long enough to fire a shot that went just wide of Longarm, who threw himself at the dying man’s legs and tackled him to the ground.
Longarm drew back his fist to smash the man, but Buck heaved a deep sigh and breathed no more.
“Nathan!” Longarm said, jumping to his feet. “Nathan, are you all right!”
Nathan was not all right, but the bullet had only grazed his arm. He lay on his back, whimpering, and when Longarm used his bandanna to tie up the wound, Nathan blubbered, “I don’t like guns!”
Longarm helped Nathan to his feet. He heard the front door to the house slam open and knew that more help was on the way.
“Oh, to hell with it!” Longarm swore after Dr. Barry had examined Nathan and pronounced that he was suffering from shock.
“What does that mean?” Diana said.
“It means that I’m going to destroy the Denver mint’s stolen goods and then we’re riding out of here and leaving these people alone.”
Diana’s face lit up. “We are!”
“Yes.”
“But I thought that you said-“
“Yeah,” Longarm agreed, “I did say a lot of things last night about how the courts needed to sort all this out. But I didn’t sleep well on that talk, and now that Nathan has saved my life and taken the bullet meant for me, I’d sleep on it even worse. So I’m destroying the plates and what’s left of the counterfeit money and then we’re riding for Albuquerque.”
“But what will happen to these people!” Diana said, looking at Rolf, Teresa, Carole, and Nathan.
“I dunno,” Longarm said, “but I expect that they’d better learn to become ranchers.”
Diana threw her arms around Longarm and began kissing him. Rolf and the two women from Whiskey Creek began hugging and dancing around in the yard. Longarm’s eyes met those of Dr. Barry, and the physician nodded as an understanding passed between them. Buck’s death would be their secret, and he’d be buried quietly on this ranch. Nothing would ever be said, not even to the local marshal.
Longarm yawned mightily, prompting Diana to say, “What’s the matter, sleepy?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“Come on,” she said, taking his hand, “I’m going to tuck you right back into bed.”
He grinned. “Yeah, but am I going to have a chance to sleep?”
“Maybe later,” Diana said with a wink as they shuffled through the crimson glow of sunrise toward the ranch house.
