looked down at the cards in his hand with a chuckle. “And I guess it’s done struck me.”
“I’m in need of an extra mount,” Casey told him. “How about a little wager that bets yours against mine?”
Hearing that, Damian hissed at Casey, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting you a horse, so just go along with this, will you?” Casey whispered back.
The man was asking, “And where’s yers?”
“Across the street in front of the hotel. Take a look. You’ll never see finer.”
The fellow got up to do just that and, standing in front of the swinging entrance doors, gave a soft whistle. “Now that’s some horse.” He turned back to Casey, definitely interested. “What’s the bet?”
“The tenderfoot here is going to drop a coin in front of himself. I’m betting I can shoot it out from between his legs before it hits the floor—making sure I don’t hit nothing of his, of course.”
There were some chuckles, but only because Damian was beet red—whether in embarrassment or anger, it was hard to say. But the bearded fellow scoffed, “I’ve seen that trick before. It ain’t so hard.”
“Did I mention I’d be drawing to make the shot?” Casey added.
The fellow raised a bushy brow. “Drawing, huh? But still, them are long legs he’s got, witha lotta leeway. If you miss, you just lose a horse.”
“You think that isn’t enough consequence?”
Obviously not, because he said, “How ’bout shooting it out of his hand instead—from the draw?”
Damian stiffened. Casey whispered aside to him, “Well, I guess some sore fingers is a small price to pay for getting us on our way.”
“As long as it’s sore fingers and not bloody fingers,” he grouched.
The kid grinned at him. “I’d say make sure it’s not your gun hand that you use, just to be safe, but you don’t have a gun hand, so it don’t rightly matter, does it?”
He did not appreciate Casey’s humor, but he wasn’t really all that worried. He’d seen what the kid could do with a gun. However, he did start to worry when a dime was tossed to Casey with the order, “Use that un,” and Casey eyed the thing as if he couldn’t see it very clearly, which brought on more laughter from the saloon patrons.
But Casey did relieve his mind immensely when he handed over the coin with the whisper “Relax, tenderfoot. I’ve done this more times than I can count.”
He turned to move down to the end of the bar before he said to the others in the room, “Ten feet distant okay with you fellas—seeing as how there isn’t that much more room in here to spread out?”
“Ten feet’s fine—just get to it,” the gambler said with a grin. “I’m eager for a ride on my new horse.”
Casey nodded and lifted his poncho out of the way, waiting for Damian to hold the coin out. Damian couldn’t believe he was actually going to let this demonstration of marksmanship continue when it was his hand that was going to suffer for it if anything went wrong. But Casey’s confidence was reassuring. The kid knew he wouldn’t miss.
And then he fired and missed. The coin was still held between Damian’s thumb and forefinger. And Casey…Damian had never seen such a look of complete devastation on anyone before.
He’d gambled and lost his horse, and he hadn’t expected that to be the end result here. While the bearded fellow was being congratulated by his friends, Casey actually ran from the saloon in embarrassment. Damian wasn’t sure, but it had looked like there were tears in those golden eyes.
“Here, now, he’s not going to take off on my new horse, is he?” the winner demanded.
“I seriously doubt that,” Damian replied, staring at the swinging doors. “He’s honorable—if not quite the marksman he thought he was.”
Chapter 14
D amian didn’t follow immediately after his young friend. If the kid had been crying like he suspected, he’d probably prefer that no one was around to witness it. So Damian had a few
“I’m in need of an extra mount,” Casey told him. “How about a little wager that bets yours against mine?”
Hearing that, Damian hissed at Casey, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Getting you a horse, so just go along with this, will you?” Casey whispered back.
The man was asking, “And where’s yers?”
“Across the street in front of the hotel. Take a look. You’ll never see finer.”
The fellow got up to do just that and, standing in front of the swinging entrance doors, gave a soft whistle. “Now that’s some horse.” He turned back to Casey, definitely interested. “What’s the bet?”
“The tenderfoot here is going to drop a coin in front of himself. I’m betting I can shoot it out from between his legs before it hits the floor—making sure I don’t hit nothing of his, of course.”
There were some chuckles, but only because Damian was beet red—whether in embarrassment or anger, it was hard to say. But the bearded fellow scoffed, “I’ve seen that trick before. It ain’t so hard.”
“Did I mention I’d be drawing to make the shot?” Casey added.
The fellow raised a bushy brow. “Drawing, huh? But still, them are long legs he’s got, witha lotta leeway. If you miss, you just lose a horse.”
“You think that isn’t enough consequence?”
Obviously not, because he said, “How ’bout shooting it out of his hand instead—from the draw?”
Damian stiffened. Casey whispered aside to him, “Well, I guess some sore fingers is a small price to pay for getting us on our way.”
“As long as it’s sore fingers and not bloody fingers,” he grouched.
The kid grinned at him. “I’d say make sure it’s not your gun hand that you use, just to be safe, but you don’t have a gun hand, so it don’t rightly matter, does it?”
He did not appreciate Casey’s humor, but he wasn’t really all that worried. He’d seen what the kid could do with a gun. However, he did start to worry when a dime was tossed to Casey with the order, “Use that un,” and Casey eyed the thing as if he couldn’t see it very clearly, which brought on more laughter from the saloon patrons.
But Casey did relieve his mind immensely when he handed over the coin with the whisper “Relax, tenderfoot. I’ve done this more times than I can count.”
He turned to move down to the end of the bar before he said to the others in the room, “Ten feet distant okay with you fellas—seeing as how there isn’t that much more room in here to spread out?”
“Ten feet’s fine—just get to it,” the gambler said with a grin. “I’m eager for a ride on my new horse.”
Casey nodded and lifted his poncho out of the way, waiting for Damian to hold the coin out. Damian couldn’t believe he was actually going to let this demonstration of marksmanship continue when it was his hand that was going to suffer for it if anything went wrong. But Casey’s confidence was reassuring. The kid knew he wouldn’t miss.
And then he fired and missed. The coin was still held between Damian’s thumb and forefinger. And Casey…Damian had never seen such a look of complete devastation on anyone before.
He’d gambled and lost his horse, and he hadn’t expected that to be the end result here. While the bearded fellow was being congratulated by his friends, Casey actually ran from the saloon in embarrassment. Damian wasn’t sure, but it had looked like there were tears in those golden eyes.
“Here, now, he’s not going to take off on my new horse, is he?” the winner demanded.
“I seriously doubt that,” Damian replied, staring at the swinging doors. “He’s honorable—if not quite the marksman he thought he was.”
Chapter 14
D amian didn’t follow immediately after his young friend. If the kid had been crying like he suspected, he’d probably prefer that no one was around to witness it. So Damian had a few
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