it?â
âI suppose it is,â Sam replied.
âOh,â said Rattler, âI also need to warn you thereâs already a couple of bad eggs blew in off the desert, asking around about you.â
Sam looked at him.
âThey call themselves the Derby Brothers,â he said, âbut thatâs not their name, and they are no kin that I can figure out.â He gave a shrug. âWho knows why these knot-heads do what they doâidiots, is all I can come up with.â
âTheyâre still in town, these two?â Sam asked.
âThey might be. Thatâs why I bring it up,â said the sheriff. âI had no real cause to boot them out of there. I had no idea you was coming, else I would have made up a reason. I still can as far as that goes.â
âNo,â Sam said. âIf theyâre out to collect the bounty, itâs best I know where they are.â
âLike as not theyâre gone on by now,â said Rattler, the two of them turning to the door. âTheir kind donât stick long. They most likely have bounty of their own to worry about.â
Rifles in hand, the two turned, walked out the door and followed a double line of walk planks along the edge of the crowed street. But before they had gone thirty yards, Sam saw Adele Simpson running toward them from the direction of the Number Five Saloon, recklessly forcing her way along the middle of the street through a tangle of wagon, buggy, horseback and foot traffic.
âRanger! Go back!â she cried out, seeing Sam and the sheriff walking toward her.
âWhat theâ?â Sheriff Rattler said, stopping, his hand darting to the gun holstered on his hip.
Sam ran forward, seeing the frightened look on Adeleâs face. When he reached her, she steadied herself against him, winded, struggling to catch her breath.
âGo back, Ranger Burrack!â she warned. âThereâs men back there waiting to kill you!â
âEasy, maâam,â Sam said, looking past her shoulder in the direction of the big wooden beer mug hanging overhead. âWhat are you talking about?â
âTwo gunmen . . . in derby hats, Ranger,â she said, gasping for breath. âTheyâre in the alley . . . right before the saloon. They found out youâre here. Theyâre waiting for you.â
Derby hats? The Derby Brothers . . .
Passing onlookers gazed at them curiously, seeing the badge on the Rangerâs chest. Looking toward the Number Five, Sam saw the thick crowd begin to part. Wagons veered off to the side of the street, horses and buggies hastily turned off into alleys. Pedestrians disappeared quickly into shops and businesses.
âAll right, Adele,â Sam said. âTake it easy. Take a breath.â
She settled herself a little and looked back over her shoulder in fear.
âNow, then, tell me what you can,â Sam said in a calm, even tone of voice.
âI came back from the depot . . . to get some things before my train arrives this evening. The clerk at the mercantile store overheard these men talking outside the open window. Theyâre waiting there for you.â
âIt looks like theyâre not waiting now,â Sam said, noting the street traffic changing before their eyes.
âRanger Sam Burrack!â a voice called out from beyond the stirring crowd.
The Ranger didnât reply.
âIâI had to warn you,â Adele said. âI couldnât let you walk into an ambush.â
âRanger Burrack!â the same voice called out.
The Ranger still didnât reply.
âHere, letâs get you off the street, maâam,â he said to Adele. Looking toward the sound of the voice, he guided her off to the side of the quickly vacating street.
âWhatâwhat are you going to do?â she asked, a fearful look in her eyes.
Sam didnât answer her. Instead he looked at the two men walking
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