“Not a hand so much as a sledge,” Durn said, and bobbed his head at the man with the enormous fists. “He is yours. Try not to make too much of a mess or you will clean it up.”
Fargo saw it all.
Everett swore and grabbed at his six-shooter. His fingers had not quite reached it when Grunge reached him and swept both giant fists up and in. The double crunch was loud enough to be heard clear across the room.
Everett howled and covered his shattered ears with his hands. He bent slightly, enough that Grunge brought his fists smashing down on top of Everett’s head. Instead of a crunch there was a thump, and Everett was belly down on the floor, and did not move.
“Now get him out of my sight,” Big Mike Durn said gruffly. “And if you break a few of his bones while doing it, so much the better.”
Grunge and Tork were quick to obey, each taking an arm and dragging Everett out. Laughter and insults were flung at the unconscious man by some in the crowd.
Fargo observed that some did not laugh or poke fun. Durn’s high-handed methods were not appreciated by everyone. He downed the whiskey in his glass at a gulp and set the glass down.
“I did not take you for the squeamish type,” Mike Durn said.
Refilling his glass, Fargo was aware that Kutler had come up on the other side of him. They were slick as grease, this bunch. “I am thirsty, is all.”
“Now where were we?” Big Mike said. “Oh. Yes. I was saying as how I suspect you are working for the army. But I hear tell that you claim you came all this way to have some time to yourself.”
“What is unusual about that?”
“Nothing. Except that you had the whole Rockies to choose from, and they run from Canada to Mexico. Yet you picked our neck of the woods.”
“You have a suspicious nature,” Fargo said.
“As suspicious as they come,” Mike Durn confirmed. “It is why I have lived as long as I have.”
“What is this I hear about a thousand people moving to Polson by the end of next year?” Fargo casually inquired.
“Who told you that?” Durn snapped, and glanced at Kutler, who averted his gaze. “Some people can’t help wagging their tongues, it seems. Yes, I am counting on a lot more folks wanting to live here after I have made a few changes.”
“Changes how?”
Durn’s grin was no grin at all; it was a vicious sneer. “You have yet to convince me you are not a danger to me and my plans. Until you do—” He shrugged, then finished his drink. “It has been interesting. We will talk again tomorrow if you are still here. If you aren’t, I will take that as a sign you were lying, and if I ever hear of you anywhere in Polson or Mission Valley, I will send Kutler and Tork and Grunge to talk to you, along with a few others.”
“Was that a threat?”
“No. A promise.” Big Mike Durn walked off with Kutler in his wake. Three more men fell into step behind them.
Fargo had not counted on this. That sharpshooting contest in Missouri a while back, along with a few other incidents, had brought him notoriety he could do without. Now, most everyone who heard of him knew that he scouted for the army on occasion. He refilled his glass. How in hell was he to convince Durn he was not working for the government when he only had his own say-so? Durn would never accept his word. He might as well ride out by morning. Sure, he could ask around, like the army wanted, but word was bound to reach Durn, and he would be up to his neck in curly wolves out to blow windows in his skull.
“Damn,” Fargo said to himself. He decided to find an empty chair and sit in on a card game. That would take his mind off his problem for a while. Picking up the bottle and glass, he pivoted.
Just then a commotion broke out at the batwings. Two men were blocking the doorway to prevent someone from forcing their way through.
“Let go of me, consarn you!” a woman’s voice demanded. “I insist on seeing your boss!” The woman tried to shove them out of her way.
Patrons were stopping what they were doing to stare.
Fargo glimpsed lustrous blond hair and a shapely figure, and then the onlookers were making space for Big Mike Durn. Durn gestured, and the two men at the batwings stepped aside to admit the woman.
“Sally, Sally, Sally,” Durn said with a smile. “The Whiskey Mill is no fit place for a lady. What are you doing here?”
Fargo had it, then. This was Sally Brook, the woman Thaddeus had told him about.
She put her hands on her hips, her emerald eyes flashing. “Not fit for a lady?” she repeated, and bobbed her head at a Flathead maiden. “Then why are she and these others here?”
“Don’t start,” Durn said.
“You do not seem to understand,” Sally Brook declared. “I will not rest until you stop using these women for your private gain. It is despicable.”
“My customers don’t think so.”
“I just heard that three more were brought in today,” Sally said. “Young ones, too.”
“The younger, the better,” Durn told her. “They are more popular than toothless hags.”
“You have no shame, do you?” Sally Brook said, her tone laced with condemnation.
“None whatsoever. But fortunately for you, I have a lot of patience. Otherwise, you would not still be in my good graces.”
“I will have to remedy that,” Sally Brook said. And before anyone could guess her intent, she stepped up close to Big Mike Durn and slapped him across the face.
4
Skye Fargo half expected Mike Durn to knock Sally Brook to the floor. Apparently, judging by the expressions of those around him, he was not the only one.
As for Durn, he started to raise his right fist, then lowered his arm, took a step back, and laughed. “You always did have more gall than sense. Want to do the other cheek? Here. I will make it easy for you.” Durn turned his head.
Sally Brook was furious. “There you go again. Making light of me. But I will not give up. I will do whatever it takes to stop you from mistreating these Indians.”
“I have been meaning to ask,” Durn said. “Why make all this fuss over a bunch of squaws?”
“They are
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Sally regarded Mike Durn almost sadly. “I pity you. I truly do. You have no regard for the feelings of others. No concept of what you are doing.”
“Like hell,” Durn said. “I have everything planned out. I know exactly what I am doing.”
“That is not what I meant.” Sally suddenly turned toward the maidens. “I know some of you can speak enough English to get by. Listen to me. What this man has you doing is wrong. It is degrading. He has no right to force you to parade yourself.”
“They don’t do anything a white dove wouldn’t do,” Big Mike said.
“Walk out!” Sally urged them. “All of you, together. Now. I will see that you get back safely to your families.”
Some of the Indian women swapped troubled glances but none of them said anything.
Durn’s amusement faded. “That is enough out of you. I will not have you filling their heads with contrary notions. I do not force them to come work for me. They do it to pay off debts.”
