“I wouldn’t spend too much time on the street,” said Sheriff Barnes. “Trouble with the Winters has never gone this far before, so I can’t predict what they might do. They might climb up on a roof and bushwhack you.”
“I don’t believe in putting off something that must be done,” Danielle said. “I’ll go on and face them, and be done with it.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” said Sheriff Barnes, “to be sure it’s a fair fight.”
Herb Sellers had heard the sheriff at Danielle’s door, and had waited in the hall.
“I’m going along, too.” Herb said.
Sheriff Barnes nodded, and the trio left the hotel. The walk to the carpenter shop was short, and Jubal and Ebeau Winters were there standing beside a wagon, arguing with someone from the carpenter shop. As Sheriff Barnes and his companions drew near, Winters spoke.
“Sheriff, this varmint’s expecting me to pay ten dollars for Elmo’s coffin, and I ain’t gonna do it. I didn’t ask him to build it.”
“I did,” said Sheriff Barnes, “and I’ll pay the ten dollars. Now you and Ebeau get out of town. I want no more trouble.”
“We ain’t goin’ nowhere until we take care of the bastard that killed Elmo,” Winters said.
“That would be me,” said Danielle.
Sheriff Barnes and Herb moved out of the line of fire. Ebeau walked toward Danielle.
“Jubal,” Sheriff Barnes said, “this is going to be fair, just between the two of them. If you pull iron, I’ll shoot you myself.”
Danielle waited, thumbs hooked in her gun belt. Her green eyes bored into Ebeau’s, and he halted a dozen yards away.
“Draw, damn you,” Ebeau shouted.
Danielle continued to wait, while Ebeau cursed. Then Danielle turned and began walking away, and that’s when Ebeau Winters went for his gun.
“Daniel!” Herb shouted.
Danielle hit the ground and rolled, coming up with her right-hand Colt blazing. Ebeau had fired twice, but there was no third shot. Ebeau had died on his feet.
Chapter 13
As Ebeau Winters slumped to the ground, Jubal bawled like a fresh-cut bull and went for his gun. But Sheriff Barnes had been expecting that.
“Don’t do it, Jubal,” Barnes warned.
Jubal fought the urge to draw, finally dropping his shaking hands to his sides. His old face a mask of grief, he stared at the body of his second son.
“I’ll help you get him in the wagon, Jubal,” said Sheriff Barnes. “Then I’ll ride out and help you bury them.”
“I don’t need no help from the likes of you,” Jubal said.
But he couldn’t handle Ebeau’s body by himself, and he didn’t object when Barnes lent a hand in getting Ebeau into the wagon beside Elmo’s coffin. Wordlessly, Jubal climbed to the wagon seat, took the reins, and clucked to the team. Sheriff Barnes mounted his horse and followed the wagon.
“God, he took it hard,” said Herb Sellers. “I thought you’d likely have to shoot him.”
“I didn’t want to shoot either of them,” Danielle said.
“You didn’t have any choice,” said Herb. “He’d have shot you if he could. I reckon it’s the curse of a man carryin’ a gun. You got to shoot a man, just so’s he don’t shoot you.”
“Let’s get on back to the hotel,” Danielle said. “I want to say adios to Jesse before I ride out.”
“There’s a storm comin’,” said Herb. “Why don’t you wait until tomorrow?”
“I don’t want to have to shoot Jubal Winters,” Danielle said.
But it was already early afternoon, and dark clouds hid the sun. The wind coming out of the southwest had begun to rise. Herb and Danielle had barely reached the hotel when the first drops of rain kicked up puffs of dust in the street.
“It’s gonna blow long and hard,” said Herb. “You’d better reconsider and lay over.”
“I reckon you’re right,” Danielle said. “I’ll likely spend enough time soaked to the hide, so I’d better enjoy a roof over my head while I can.”
Suppertime was two hours away. When Danielle and Herb returned to the room that he shared with Jesse Burris, they found him awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed except for his boots and hat.
“Where in tarnation do you think you’re goin’?” Herb demanded.
“Out of this bed, and out of this hotel,” said Jesse.
“I don’t think so,” Herb said. “The doc says you need a week to heal, and you ain’t had any fever yet.”
“No matter,” said Jesse. “I was the cause of that shootin’ in the saloon, and I reckon if that hombre that was shot has kin, they’ll be ridin’ in to settle up with somebody.”
“You didn’t shoot anybody,” Danielle said. “I did.”
“Elmo’s pa and brother rode in looking for trouble earlier,” said Herb, “and Daniel had to shoot Ebeau. Sheriff Barnes followed Jubal Winters home to help bury Elmo and Ebeau.”
“All this over a damn poker game,” Jesse said. “I wish I’d stayed out of it.”
“You don’t feel any worse than I do,” said Danielle, “but some men have no business at a poker table, and Elmo Winters was one of them. I’m sorry for his pa’s sake.”
“There should be a newspaper out today,” Herb said. “I’ll go to the lobby for one. I’d like to see what’s been written about that shooting at the Kansas-Pacific offices.”
“What shooting?” Jesse asked.
“Tell him about it, Daniel, while I go for the paper,” said Herb.
Quickly, Danielle explained what had happened. By then, Herb had returned with the day’s edition of the newspaper. He read the front page account aloud while Danielle and Jesse listened.
“At least they didn’t print the rest of the names on your death list,” Jesse said.
“No,” said Danielle, “but they figured out the connection between Chancy Burke and Gaddis and Byler. Now the three of them know their names are on my list.”
“Alan Steele died for nothing,” Herb said. “If he had told Daniel the straight of it, he’d have saved the railroad any bad publicity. Now the very thing he tried to hide is printed in the newspaper for everybody to read.”
“Some good may come of that,” said Danielle. “While they printed only the names of Gaddis, Byler, and Burke, that may warn the rest of them they’re being hunted. If I can’t find them, maybe they’ll find me.”
“You’ll need somebody to watch your back,” Jesse said, “and I’m beholden’ to you. If you can wait until the doc lets me get out of this bed, Herb and me can ride with you.”
“I’m obliged,” said Danielle, “but I aim to ride out in the morning, as soon as the storm blows itself out.”
“There won’t be any trail,” Jesse said. “Where do you aim to start?”
“I reckon I’ll ride back through Wichita, and from there into Indian Territory,” said Danielle. “I figure that’s the only place Chancy Burke will feel safe, with a bounty on his head and a murder on his back-trail.”
“It’s a hell of a place for one man to ride alone,” Herb said.
“I have no choice,” said Danielle, “and I have no right to ask you and Jesse to risk your lives for a cause that will gain you nothing but a bullet in the back.”
Sheriff Barnes showed up at the hotel, water dripping off his slicker. He knocked on Danielle’s door.
“Who is it?”
“The sheriff,” Barnes said.
Danielle unlocked and opened the door, allowing the sheriff to enter.
“Remove your slicker and sit down,” Danielle invited.
“I won’t be here that long,” said Barnes. “I just want to know how long you aim to stay in town.”
“Until the storm blows itself out,” Danielle said. “Why?”