A Frontier Christmas by William W. Johnstone

right. “Damn. I near forgot ’bout that. What do you think we ought to do for Christmas?”
    â€œWhat do you want to do? Go to church? Go carolin’? Decorate a Christmas tree?” Jesse asked with a snarl. “I swear, sometimes, T. Bob, you can say the damndest things. Are you sure there wasn’t somebody else that got into Ma’s pants before you was whelped? You sure as hell ain’t got none of Pa in you.”
    â€œYou ought not to say things like that,” T. Bob complained.
    â€œWhy don’t you fry us up some bacon?” Jesse suggested.
    â€œAll right,” T. Bob agreed sullenly.
    â€œJust bacon? That’s a hell of a breakfast, ain’t it? You know what I’d like? I’d like some bacon and eggs, and maybe a couple o’ biscuits. And some butter and blackberry jam,” Sunset said.
    â€œWe ain’t got none of those things. I reckon if you was in hell, you’d be complainin’ that you was wantin’ ice water,” Jesse said. “I tell you what, Sunset, if you don’t want any bacon, don’t eat it. Me an’ T. Bob will eat your part.”
    â€œDidn’t say I wasn’t goin’ to eat it. I was just sayin’ what I would like to have.”

C HAPTER E LEVEN
    Unseen by the men in the cabin, Duff had crawled up onto the roof. He took his hat off and put it over the chimney opening, blocking the smoke from escaping. He held it for a moment, then, when he heard coughing coming from inside, he knew he had accomplished his objective.
    Standing, he moved carefully down to the edge of the roof, which was covered with snow—he tried not to slip and slide in the ice—and pulled his pistol.
    The three men came rushing out of the cabin, coughing and wheezing.
    â€œWhat the hell caused that?” one of them asked.
    â€œI caused it,” Duff said.
    Jesse and the others looked up in surprise. “Who are you?”
    â€œI’m the one who will be taking you three murdering rapists back to Rawhide Buttes to hang.”
    â€œThe hell you are!” Sunset shouted as he pulled his gun and squeezed off a shot. There was a return shot, and Moss fell back with a hole oozing blood in the middle of his forehead.
    â€œSunset!” one of the two remaining men shouted.
    â€œIf that was Sunset, then you two must be Jesse and T. Bob Cave. Unfasten your gun belts and drop them.” Duff kept his gun pointed at them.
    â€œWhat makes you think we’re goin’ to do that?” Jesse shouted.
    There was another gunshot and the bullet hit the ground right between Jesse’s feet, then ricocheted up between his legs and whined out over the open prairie.
    â€œJust so you know I didn’t miss, I’ll be for taking out your kneecap with this shot,” Duff said, aiming at Jesse’s knee.
    â€œNo, no!” Jesse dropped his gun and raised his hands. “We give up! We give up!”
    T. Bob dropped his gun as well.
    â€œThat’s more like it.” Duff tossed down two pair of handcuffs. “Would you lads be so kind as to put these on, for me?”
    â€œWho the hell are you, mister?” Jesse said.
    â€œThe name is MacCallister. Duff MacCallister.”
    â€œDamn! You’re the one kilt all them men down in Chugwater a while back, ain’t you?” T. Bob asked.
    â€œAye, but they needed killing.”
    â€œWhat’d you come after us for? You ain’t the law. If you are, I sure don’t see no badge.” Jesse squinted up at Duff.
    Duff held up the Scottish Lion brooch. “This is all the badge I need.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œIt’s the brooch one of you gave to a woman named Lydia, back in Millersburgh. That is, after you took it off the body of a fourteen year-old girl named Suzie.”
    â€œThat ain’t true,” T. Bob protested.
    Duff raised his rifle and fired. Blood, and tiny bits of flesh flew from T. Bob’s left