Devil's Canyon by Ralph Compton Page B

blow himself up.”
    â€œI reckon Collins and me can handle it,” Faro said. “We’ll need to save the dynamite for Utes and outlaws.”
    The others laughed, but Durham did not, and Faro didn’t like the look in the gambler’s eyes. After supper, Collins broke open a wooden case of dynamite, and with Faro helping, they capped and fused the explosive. Collins dug into the first wagon and came out with the oilskin. With his knife, he cut a section of it into two-foot squares, and in these, sticks of capped and fused dynamite were wrapped. The teamsters watched approvingly, for it was a tactic that might well save their lives. Durham had already taken to his blankets in preparation for the second watch, while Odessa McCutcheon hunkered with the rest of the teamsters, drinking coffee. While Mamie stayed with the first watch, Odessa had remained with the second, if for no other reason than because her continual presence irritated Hal Durham. While the two appeared to hate each other’s guts, Faro Duval was not convinced. Odessa had begun spending most of the watch with Levi Collins, and Collins had done nothing to discourage her. In fact, he seemed to relish her attention, and began returning it, with interest. One evening aftersupper, before the first watch began, Faro took his suspicions to Mamie McCutcheon.
    â€œMamie,” Faro said, “I need a woman’s advice, and I must ask you not to repeat anything I’m about to say.”
    â€œI am flattered, Mr. Duval,” said Mamie, “and I just love secrets. I presume it somehow involves Odessa and her…ah…activities on the second watch.”
    â€œIt does,” Faro said. “Not so much what she’s doing, as her reasons for doing it. Am I wrong to doubt that Odessa and Durham don’t actually hate each other?”
    Mamie laughed. “You are a strange man, Faro Duval. To answer your question, I’d have to say no. I fear Odessa is as much attracted to Durham as ever, and is perhaps using Mr. Collins in an attempt to revive Durham’s interest in her.”
    â€œDamn,” said Faro. “Do you think she can?”
    â€œFrankly, I don’t know,” Mamie replied. “From what I’ve seen of Durham, I doubt it. To support my reasoning, I’d have to tell you some unflattering things about Odessa and myself.”
    â€œI won’t ask you to do that,” said Faro. “You’re entitled to your private lives.”
    â€œThat’s kind of you,” Mamie said, “but when one’s life touches that of a two-legged skunk like Durham, something always gets lost in the stink. There are some women who, although they don’t realize it, find a flawed, low-down man most appealing. If they lose one, they’ll find another. Odessa and me, if there was any hope for us, should have been married before the war. When it ended, the few men who came home were crippled, sick, and bitter. The last thing any ofthem seemed to want was a twenty-five-year-old woman whose best years were behind her. Is it any wonder that a slick-talking, fancy-dressed varmint like Durham could turn a woman’s head?”
    â€œOne of you, I can understand,” Faro said, “but how…?”
    Mamie laughed. “Oh, he spent a week with Odessa, before he came after me.”
    â€œYou gave in to him, knowing he’d taken advantage of your sister?”
    â€œHe didn’t explain it that way,” said Mamie. “He sort of…accused her of taking unfair advantage of
him
.”
    It was Faro’s turn to laugh, and Mamie blushed.
    â€œSorry,” Faro said. “What did Odessa do?”
    â€œShe jumped on me,” said Mamie. “She called me a whore, and some other words that I didn’t know
she
knew.”
    â€œIf she blamed you,” Faro said, “then why did she come after Durham with fire in her eye and a Winchester in her