' Like hell you are, von Heusen.
'That's uncalled for, ma'am.'
'Be damned, you carpetbagging riffraff, but it is.'
'Someone ought to wash your mouth out with a little soap, lady. I just
came by' -- 'You just came by to rob Joe of everything he ever had, now
that you've murdered him!'
'You watch your accusation there, Miss. Stuart.'
'It's the truth. You know it, and I know it. And somehow, I'm going to
prove it!'
Von Heusen was smiling.
'I don't think so, little lady. No, I don't think so. You want to know
what I do think?' He leaned toward her. It was just a fraction of an
inch and he was still far away, but the gesture made her tremble inside.
'I think that this ranch was meant to be mine, Miss. Stuart. Now I've
offered you good money for it. Real good money.
And you still don't want to sell. Miss. Stuart, I want you out of town.'
'I'm not leaving.'
'I wouldn't be so adamant, little lady. You may find that you leave in
one way or another.'
'You threatening her, von Heusen?' Jori asked. 'She seems to think that
I'm guilty of something,' von Heusen said.
'The whole damned town can tell you that I was in the saloon playing
cards the day the Indians attacked the Stuart train. The whole damned
town can tell you that. But still, if the lady is so worried and so
certain, well then, maybe she ought to plan on riding out of town. What
do you think?'
'I think that you should give reasonable thought to the idea of riding
out of town yourself, yon Heusen,' Jon warned quietly.
Von Heusen started to laugh.
'On the word of a half- breed Indian?'
He started to Urge his mount closer to the porch. Jori fired a shot that
must have sizzled a hairbreadth from the man's cheek. Von Heusen went as
pale as the clouds. boss'-- one of Von Heusen lifted a hand.
'Calm down now, boys. Just because Miss. Stuart's resorting to violence
is no reason that we should. We'll be riding off now. But you remember
what I said, Miss. Stuart. I'd hate to see you leaving town other than
all dressed up right pretty and in a comfortable stagecoach!' He smiled
at her.
'It is good to see you alive and well. Such a pretty, pretty woman. And
all that blond hair. Blond hair alone is worth a pretty penny in certain
places, did you know that?'
He stared at Tess. As he did so, she suddenly realized that she could
smell smoke.
Suddenly she knew where the rest of yon Heusen's men were. The smoke was
coming from the direction of the card age house. The printing press was
in the wagon still, and the wagon was next to the buckboard and the
chaise in the carriage house.
And so far, it had been a dry summer. If the carriage house went up in
flames, the blaze could quickly spread to the house, to the barn, even
to the stables. Von Heusen was smiling.
