and Cole was no exception. His smile was genuine, as was his
appreciation.
'A lot of people wouldn't have taken the trouble to nurse a stranger, '
he added.
'You weren't any trouble at all, ' she replied. 'You lost a little
weight, but my chicken ought to put the fat back on you. I brought
some from home.'
'My Josey makes mighty fine fried chicken, ' Norton interjected with a
nod toward the basket his wife carried.
'I felt I ought to do something to make up for my husband's
orneriness.
Thomas shouldn't have knocked you out the way he did, especially since
you were feeling so puny and all. Does your head pain you? ' 'No,
ma'am, ' he lied.
She turned to her husband. 'Those two no-good gunslingers are still
hanging around. I spotted both of them on my way here. One's
squatting north of our avenue and the other's due south. Are you going
to do something about it before this boy gets himself killed? ' Norton
rubbed his jaw. 'I expect Marshal Ryan will have a talk with them. '
'He doesn't seem the talking type, ' Josey replied.
'Ma'am, those gunslingers want me, ' Cole said. 'I'll talk to them. '
'Son, they don't want to talk. They're itching to build their
reputations, and the only way they can do that is if one of them shoots
you in a draw. Just don't let them aggravate you into doing anything
foolish, ' Norton said.
Josey nodded her agreement, then turned to her husband again. 'Where
do you want me to lay out the plates? ' 'It's too stuffy to eat in
here, ' Norton said. 'Why don't you put it all out on my desk? ' Cole
waited until Josey had gone into the outer room before speaking to the
sheriff again. 'Where's Ryan? ' 'He'll be along soon. He was headed
here, but then he got called over to the telegraph office to pick up a
wire. I expect you're anxious to have a word with him.' Cole
nodded.
He kept his temper under control by reminding himself that the sheriff
had only done Ryan's bidding. It was the marshal who'd ordered Norton
to keep Cole in town, and it was also the marshal who'd pinned the star
on his vest. Cole had in mind another place for the badge. He thought
he might like to pin it to the center of Ryan's forehead. The thought
so amused him, he smiled.
Josey had removed the papers from the desk and covered it with a
