until he heard Billy's frantic, "Stop there!"
They stayed poised a long, shattering moment, separated by a hundred feet. Then Willie decided he'd have to take him, or try, no matter what happened. The face ahead of him was still in willow shadows. He could not see his friend's eyes.
"Why did you have to go an' become a big fat sheriff?" Billy asked, a strange grief in his voice. "Didn't punchin' cattle satisfy you?"
Willie shook his head at the inane question. "Drop it, Billy," he demanded, finally raising his Colt. "Let's don't do this." He started again toward Billy, feeling stone in his feet with each slow step.
Billy said tensely, "Don't force me, Willie. Please don't. I can get three shots off while you're tryin' for one. You know that. Let me ride out."
The tall man moved steadily.
Then the back door slammed. Kate suddenly rushed past him to stand in the line of fire. Both men were stunned at the turn of events.
Billy said weakly, "Now that's a silly damn thing to do, Kate"
She stood firm, ten feet from Billy, staring at him.
Willie snapped, "Get out of the way, Kate."
Kate didn't budge.
Willie shouted, "I said move!" Sweat dotted his forehead. His mouth was dry.
Kate movedâdirectly toward Billy. He seemed transfixed as she walked up to him, the .44 pointed at her waist.
"Give it to me, Billy," she said quietly. "Or shoot me. One of the two."
Willie held his breath and watched as she reached out to grasp the gun by the barrel, a dangerous thing to do. He felt limp as Billy carefully eased his finger from the trigger guard, opening his palm from the cocked gun. He heard Billy's defeated murmur, "You've got a helluva deputy here."
Then his breath surged out. "You're still the same, Billy," the sheriff said gratefully, realizing it sounded ridiculous at the moment.
Billy's laugh was hopeless. "You sure ain't, Deacon."
Billy went over to him as Kate, her face pasty in the moonglow, bolted for the house, Billy's .44 still in her hand.
Willie looked at his old friend. He hadn't aged much in two years.
***
WHILE BILLY FINISHED his meal, Willie dug through the kid's saddlebag with his right hand, still holding the Colt in his left, although he wasn't aware of it. He yanked out a mammoth biscuit watch on a gold chain, dangling it. "Why you takin' stuff like this?" he asked in dismay.
Billy swallowed some food and protested, "I could live five years off that jewelry in Durango."
Willie laughed and held up a handful of cash but turned serious again. "I'll ask you about it later, but we saw a corpse out on that mesa. Looked like an overgrown boy."
Billy shook his head in regret. "He threw down on me, Willie. It was me or him."
"That why those other two were chasin' you?"
"Also the money," Billy admitted. "I took all of it when they got cute."
Willie said, "Oh my."
Billy stayed silent a moment, then indicated the gun. "You can put that away, Willie. I'm not goin' anywhere"
Willie laughed. "Kate'd probably stop you if you tried."
"I'm still shaking," she said. "I don't understand either of you."
Willie holstered the gun, sitting down at the table beside Kate, reaching for a slice of beef. "How you like the place now?"
"Great." Billy grinned.
They'd resumed their old relationship, Kate realized. She'd never fully understand it, but it was there.
Billy again wondered what might have happened if Kate hadn't come between them. He kept his eyes on his plate. He said hesitantly, "I saw ... what was out back, Willie. Thanks. Wish I'd had the chance to know him." Tears were in Billy's eyes.
Willie nodded an acknowledgment, and Kate knew they wouldn't discuss it again. This breed of manâand they were both the same in many waysâhad a manner of dismissing death. Perhaps it was best.
Willie changed the subject. "Hope you don't mind me askin' you why you're stoppin' trains. Especially in my county?
Billy grunted. "How did I know? How did I know you were sheriffing? Maybe you ought to pass word
They stayed poised a long, shattering moment, separated by a hundred feet. Then Willie decided he'd have to take him, or try, no matter what happened. The face ahead of him was still in willow shadows. He could not see his friend's eyes.
"Why did you have to go an' become a big fat sheriff?" Billy asked, a strange grief in his voice. "Didn't punchin' cattle satisfy you?"
Willie shook his head at the inane question. "Drop it, Billy," he demanded, finally raising his Colt. "Let's don't do this." He started again toward Billy, feeling stone in his feet with each slow step.
Billy said tensely, "Don't force me, Willie. Please don't. I can get three shots off while you're tryin' for one. You know that. Let me ride out."
The tall man moved steadily.
Then the back door slammed. Kate suddenly rushed past him to stand in the line of fire. Both men were stunned at the turn of events.
Billy said weakly, "Now that's a silly damn thing to do, Kate"
She stood firm, ten feet from Billy, staring at him.
Willie snapped, "Get out of the way, Kate."
Kate didn't budge.
Willie shouted, "I said move!" Sweat dotted his forehead. His mouth was dry.
Kate movedâdirectly toward Billy. He seemed transfixed as she walked up to him, the .44 pointed at her waist.
"Give it to me, Billy," she said quietly. "Or shoot me. One of the two."
Willie held his breath and watched as she reached out to grasp the gun by the barrel, a dangerous thing to do. He felt limp as Billy carefully eased his finger from the trigger guard, opening his palm from the cocked gun. He heard Billy's defeated murmur, "You've got a helluva deputy here."
Then his breath surged out. "You're still the same, Billy," the sheriff said gratefully, realizing it sounded ridiculous at the moment.
Billy's laugh was hopeless. "You sure ain't, Deacon."
Billy went over to him as Kate, her face pasty in the moonglow, bolted for the house, Billy's .44 still in her hand.
Willie looked at his old friend. He hadn't aged much in two years.
***
WHILE BILLY FINISHED his meal, Willie dug through the kid's saddlebag with his right hand, still holding the Colt in his left, although he wasn't aware of it. He yanked out a mammoth biscuit watch on a gold chain, dangling it. "Why you takin' stuff like this?" he asked in dismay.
Billy swallowed some food and protested, "I could live five years off that jewelry in Durango."
Willie laughed and held up a handful of cash but turned serious again. "I'll ask you about it later, but we saw a corpse out on that mesa. Looked like an overgrown boy."
Billy shook his head in regret. "He threw down on me, Willie. It was me or him."
"That why those other two were chasin' you?"
"Also the money," Billy admitted. "I took all of it when they got cute."
Willie said, "Oh my."
Billy stayed silent a moment, then indicated the gun. "You can put that away, Willie. I'm not goin' anywhere"
Willie laughed. "Kate'd probably stop you if you tried."
"I'm still shaking," she said. "I don't understand either of you."
Willie holstered the gun, sitting down at the table beside Kate, reaching for a slice of beef. "How you like the place now?"
"Great." Billy grinned.
They'd resumed their old relationship, Kate realized. She'd never fully understand it, but it was there.
Billy again wondered what might have happened if Kate hadn't come between them. He kept his eyes on his plate. He said hesitantly, "I saw ... what was out back, Willie. Thanks. Wish I'd had the chance to know him." Tears were in Billy's eyes.
Willie nodded an acknowledgment, and Kate knew they wouldn't discuss it again. This breed of manâand they were both the same in many waysâhad a manner of dismissing death. Perhaps it was best.
Willie changed the subject. "Hope you don't mind me askin' you why you're stoppin' trains. Especially in my county?
Billy grunted. "How did I know? How did I know you were sheriffing? Maybe you ought to pass word
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