'They hid them all right, but I seen where. I went looking for Flo.
Didn't find her, ' he said. 'But I seen the women all right.'
'What are you talking about, you old goat? There aren't any fresh
whores coming here. I would have known about it. Don't I run this
town? ' 'Yes, Harley, you surely do.'
'That's right, ' he growled. 'And I'm telling you, I didn't hire any
new women.'
'I'm telling you what I seen. Two men hid those perty girls in the
cavern just south of town.
Maybe these men are gonna give you some competition and start up a
whoring business of their own.' Harley slammed his hand on the bar.
'We'll just see about that, ' he hissed. 'Now that Flo took off, I
could use a couple more good women.
Did you say there were only two men with them? Just two? ' 'That's
what I said, ' Gus agreed. 'Not too smart neither. Those two fellers
left those women on their own, tucked inside the cavern, but one of
them must have gotten curious, because she poked her head out the
entrance to have herself a look around. Then the other one had to look
too, and I seen them both. They're mighty fine looking, ' he added
with a snicker. 'Nice and young, and sure to be feisty.' Harley was
fuming. He was considering riding out to the cavern to steal the women
when Robertson strolled over to the bar.
Gus's stench ensured that Robertson wouldn't get too close. 'Tell me
what you saw, old man, ' he demanded, his hand caressing the handle on
his knife. 'I want to hear all about those women.' It had been a long
while since Gus had been the center of attention, and he gloated while
he repeated the story, but before he got the chance to describe the two
ladies in detail, Robertson had motioned to his friends and left the
saloon. The three others followed him out the door.
They were gone a long time, almost three hours, and when they returned
to the saloon, Gus was nowhere in sight. Robertson wanted to go
looking for him, but the others talked him out of it. They reclaimed
their table in the corner to discuss the situation.
Cole strode through the swinging barroom doors a moment later. Harley
took one look at the badge on his vest and reached for the shotgun he
kept tucked under the counter.
'Put your hands on the counter, where I can see them, ' Cole ordered.
