Fargo would rather not spend that long at it, and said so.
“As for this new bear, it may never kill again. People, I mean. Bears don’t usually make a habit of it, thank God.”
“Man-killers are rare,” Fargo agreed, and was refilling his glass when the batwings parted and in strode Moose. Behind him filed Cecelia Mathers and her three children.
The bartender was wiping the bar and hollered, “Hey, lady. What did I tell you about bringing those kids in here?”
“They’re mine and they go where I go,” Cecelia said.
“I could get in trouble.”
“Anyone says anythin’, you send them to me and I’ll box their ears,” Cecelia returned. “Now shush or I’ll box yours.”
The bartender opened his mouth to respond but closed it again and shook his head.
“Morning, fellers,” Moose said. He was grinning and looked fit to bust with the news he wanted to share. “You’ll never guess what I did.”
“You partnered up with Cecelia,” Fargo said.
Moose’s jaw fell. “How did you guess?”
Rooster snorted. “It was easy, you lunkhead.”
“Don’t insult my man,” Cecelia said, “or you’ll answer to me.”
“Your man?” Rooster repeated. He looked from Moose to her and back again, and laughed. “Damn, Moose. When you partner up, you
Fargo almost laughed, too, when Moose blushed.
“Enough about us,” Cecelia said. “We came here to talk.”
She turned to her offspring. “Abner, Thomas, Beth, I want the three of you to go sit by that wall there and don’t let out a peep until I call you.”
“Yes, Ma,” the oldest boy said, and he and his siblings dutifully obeyed.
“Now then,” Cecelia said, pulling out a chair. “Moose, you sit here.”
The big bear hunter sank down as meekly as a kitten and placed his rifle on the table.
“Ain’t life grand?” Rooster said.
Cecelia claimed the last chair and speared a finger at Rooster. “I ain’t dumb and I won’t be teased.”
“He’s teasing you?” Moose said.
“He’s teasin’ us,” Cecelia said. “But never you mind. He’s your friend so we’ll let it pass.” She sat back. “Now then. I don’t believe in beatin’ around the bush so let’s get right to it. Moose and me did a lot of talkin’ last night —”
“Is that all?” Rooster interrupted her, and winked at Moose.
Moose did more blushing.
“Consarn you.” Cecelia’s hand came from under the table. She had produced a derringer from the folds in her dress, and thunked it down, saying, “Mr. Strimm, I am tryin’ to be polite. You’re an ornery cuss so you can’t help bein’ contrary but there is only so much I’ll take.” Rooster went to say something but she held up her hand. “I ain’t done. You poke fun at us but you have no idea what it’s like to be a widow alone with three small children, and how hard it is to find a good man willin’ to accept you and them. And I do mean good. Not someone like you who’d poke a gal and go his merry way but a man who’d stick. So I’m tellin’ you. Make fun of my Moose again and I’ll shoot you.”
“I’m your Moose?” Moose said.
“You are after last night.”
“Oh.”
“Well now,” Rooster said.
Cecelia looked at Fargo. “How about you, mister? You don’t say much, do you?”
Fargo raised his glass. “Here’s to the happy couple,” he said.
“Now that’s better.” Cecelia smiled. “And we thank you. But Moose and me didn’t come here to talk about us. We’ve got a plan to collect the bounty but we can’t do it alone and Moose said we should ask you two first because he likes you.”
“Ask us what?” Rooster said.
“If you’re willin’ to settle for a thousand dollars as your share. We figure that you two and us two and maybe one more ought to be enough, and that comes to a thousand each.”
“I don’t know,” Rooster said. “I had my heart set on twentyfive hundred.”
“A thousand is still a lot. And we’re bein’ generous, seein’ as how it’s our plan.”
“What is this plan of yours?” Fargo asked.
“It’s a good one,” Cecelia said. “This Brain Eater ain’t like most bears. He’s tricky and smart and no one can find him. So we don’t bother tryin’. Instead, we make him come to us.”
“How?”
“Simple. We do what hunters do all the time. They set out bait. So we set out bait of our own. Bait Brain Eater can’t resist.”
“You’re talking nonsense, lady,” Rooster said. “What would you use? A cow? Some sheep? It won’t work. Brain Eater likes to kill people.”
“So we give him some.”
“Eh?”
“The bait,” Cecelia said, “is me and my kids.”
8
Rooster took the words right out of Fargo’s head by saying, “Lady, I’ve heard some dumb notions in my day but that takes the cake.”
“Don’t talk mean to her,” Moose said.
“Was this harebrained idea yours?” Rooster rejoined. “If it was you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Both Moose and Cecelia said at the same time, “Why?”
Rooster turned to Fargo. “Do you want to spell it out for them or should I?”
“Brain Eater kills people,” Fargo said, thinking that would be enough.
“So?” Moose said.
“He wouldn’t have a high bounty on his head if he didn’t,” Cecelia said.
“He’s killed kids as well as adults,” Fargo reminded them.
“What’s your point?”
Fargo stared at her. “Don’t tell me you don’t savvy. The
“They’re my kids,” Cecelia said. “I’ve already talked it over with them and they don’t mind.”
“They’re too young to know better,” Fargo said.
“We need them,” Cecelia insisted. “Me alone wouldn’t be enough. We need the kids runnin’ around and playin’ and makin’ a lot of noise. The griz is bound to notice.”
“What kind of mother are you, lady?” Rooster said. “You’d put their hides in danger for money?”
Cecelia came out of her chair as if fired from a cannon. She was around the table in long strides and slapped Rooster across the cheek.
Rooster’s head rocked but he was more surprised than hurt. “What the hell was that for?”
“Insultin’ me,” Cecelia declared. “By suggestin’ I don’t care about my young’uns.”
“You’re the one who wants to treat them like worms,” Rooster said.
“You listen here,” Cecelia said, jabbing him with a finger. “This is my one and maybe only chance to get ahead in this life. You have no idea how hard it is for a woman alone.”
“Maybe so,” Rooster said. “But it’s no excuse for draggin’ your young’uns up into the mountains to be ate.”
“You call love an excuse?” Cecelia shot back. “Because that’s why I’m doin’ it.” She gazed at her children and
