The few men and women strolling down the street gave the marshals a
wide berth, and as soon as the two men sat down inside the restaurant,
most of the other diners got up and left.
'Does this bother you? ' Ryan asked Cole, nodding toward the doorway
where three men were comically tripping over one another in their hurry
to leave.
'No, ' Cole answered. 'I'm used to it. Every time I'd ride into a new
town, for some reason folks automatically jumped to the conclusion that
I was a gunslinger.'
'You were a gunslinger, ' Ryan reminded him.
Cole wasn't in the mood to argue with him. He moved back so that the
owner could place the bowls of rabbit stew and a basket of hot bread on
the table.
'If you two don't mind hurrying, I'd like to get you fed and out of
here so my business will pick up.' Cole tried to hold on to his
patience. The woman was old, tired-looking, and thin as a stick of
straw. He politely asked for coffee. She impolitely demanded to know
if he planned to linger while he drank it.
'Ma'am, neither Marshal Ryan nor I killed the seven men who were just
buried, and we'd both appreciate it if you'd stop treating us like we
did.'
'Why haven't you caught any of the men who killed them? That's what
folks are wondering.' 'We're trying, ' Ryan said, his voice weary.
'I know you've been talking to the folks who were in the bank the day
of the murders.' Cole nodded. 'Word gets around fast, doesn't it? '
he remarked to Ryan.
He turned back to the woman. 'None of your friends and neighbors saw
anything. They didn't see them ride into town or out. They didn't
hear any gunshots either, ' he added.
She gave the marshals a sympathetic look. 'Oh, some of them probably
heard the shots. They were maybe too scared to do anything about it.
You boys are tired, aren't you? My name's Loreen, ' she added. 'And
I'll go fetch your coffee now.' She returned a minute later, poured
two cups, and put the coffeepot down on the table between the men.
'The way I see it, some folks would tell you if they'd seen or heard
anything, but most probably wouldn't. We all know what happens to
