he added, "Sometimes even shooting."
"Thank you. It was very close inside," she said quietly, and "I wanted a breath of air."
"Yes, it must be stuffy inside. I think there's ..." He hesitated again. "I think there's a storm . . . change in the weather." He lifted his hat. "I am Jackson Huddy, ma'am. You take your walk, and if you are bothered ... if anyone stops you, tell them I am near."
"Thank you, Mr. Huddy."
He bowed and stepped aside, and she walked on. He had seemed embarrassed, almost frightened by her, and her curiosity was aroused. She remembered hearing the waitress mention Jackson Huddy as a man who was a leader among the Munsons.
Jackson Huddy and Ev Munson were in Indianola, and the herd was due to arrive tonight, she was thinking. Tappan Duvarney might be coming up that road at any time.
She walked on to the end of the street, then crossed over, holding her skirts up a little to keep them from the dust. Far down the street she could see Jackson Huddy, and she was about to start back when she heard the muffled footfalls of a horse walking in the dust.
She stood very still listening. There was more than one horse, and they were coming up an alleyway between the buildings.
When they appeared at the edge of the line of buildings they drew rein, and she could see their heads thrust out to peer down the street.
Then one of them spoke. "Too quiet. I don't like it, Major."
"Where's the hotel where Brunswick will be staying?" It was Tappan's voice.
She stepped forward and said quietly, just loud enough for them to hear, "He is at my hotel, Tappan."
The heads jerked around, and Tap Duvarney said, "Jessica! Is that you, or am I going crazy?"
She walked toward them. "Yes, Tappan, I am here. ... Be careful, Tappan. Huddy and Ev Munson are still in town, and they know you're bringing in some cattle."
"Now, how the dev-?" Tap began, then went on, "How did you know that?"
"I met Mady Coppinger, and she told me. I think she also told them. She was on the street, standing very close to Ev Munson, and I think she was whispering to him."
"How long have you been in town, Jessica?"
"Several hours," she said.
"And you know all that? And you know who Ev Munson is?"
She smiled brightly. "I also know who Jackson Huddy is, and if I don't keep moving he will be up here to see what's wrong. He told me that if anybody bothered me, to mention that he was near."
"Jackson Huddy?" Tap was incredulous.
"He's like that about womenfolks," Spicer said. "He's almighty respectful to them, and I think a mite scared of them."
"Do you want to see Mr. Brunswick?" Jessica asked. "I heard him named at the hotel, and if you want me to, I could speak to him and arrange it. When I came out he was reading a newspaper in the lobby."
"Could you do that? We'll be at the corral. No," Duvarney said, changing his mind.
"Ask him to go to his room. I'll see him there. Welt, you and Bean stay off the streets."
"We'll wait in the barn, yonder. You watch your step, Major. That Jackson Huddy is pure poison, and Ev Munson is hell on wheels with a six-gun. He's killed eight or nine men I know of."
"Jessica," Tap warned, "you be careful."
"You too. I can't wait to have a talk with you. Later, at the hotel?"
"If I can. This is touch and go."
She walked away, taking her time, and when she passed Jackson Huddy he looked at her, then looked away quickly.
"Good night, Mr. Huddy," she said. "And thank you."
"Yes-yes, ma'am." He spoke so quickly he almost stuttered.
When Jessica got back to the hotel, Bob Brunswick was no longer in the lobby. She stopped at the desk to get her key, and as the clerk was not around, she glanced at the register. Brunswick was only three rooms down the hall from her own. She went up the stairs, opened the door of her room, and put down her key. Then she walked down the hall and tapped lightly on Brunswick's door. He opened it slightly, then wider.
He was a large, portly man with a black walrus mustache. He was in his
"Thank you. It was very close inside," she said quietly, and "I wanted a breath of air."
"Yes, it must be stuffy inside. I think there's ..." He hesitated again. "I think there's a storm . . . change in the weather." He lifted his hat. "I am Jackson Huddy, ma'am. You take your walk, and if you are bothered ... if anyone stops you, tell them I am near."
"Thank you, Mr. Huddy."
He bowed and stepped aside, and she walked on. He had seemed embarrassed, almost frightened by her, and her curiosity was aroused. She remembered hearing the waitress mention Jackson Huddy as a man who was a leader among the Munsons.
Jackson Huddy and Ev Munson were in Indianola, and the herd was due to arrive tonight, she was thinking. Tappan Duvarney might be coming up that road at any time.
She walked on to the end of the street, then crossed over, holding her skirts up a little to keep them from the dust. Far down the street she could see Jackson Huddy, and she was about to start back when she heard the muffled footfalls of a horse walking in the dust.
She stood very still listening. There was more than one horse, and they were coming up an alleyway between the buildings.
When they appeared at the edge of the line of buildings they drew rein, and she could see their heads thrust out to peer down the street.
Then one of them spoke. "Too quiet. I don't like it, Major."
"Where's the hotel where Brunswick will be staying?" It was Tappan's voice.
She stepped forward and said quietly, just loud enough for them to hear, "He is at my hotel, Tappan."
The heads jerked around, and Tap Duvarney said, "Jessica! Is that you, or am I going crazy?"
She walked toward them. "Yes, Tappan, I am here. ... Be careful, Tappan. Huddy and Ev Munson are still in town, and they know you're bringing in some cattle."
"Now, how the dev-?" Tap began, then went on, "How did you know that?"
"I met Mady Coppinger, and she told me. I think she also told them. She was on the street, standing very close to Ev Munson, and I think she was whispering to him."
"How long have you been in town, Jessica?"
"Several hours," she said.
"And you know all that? And you know who Ev Munson is?"
She smiled brightly. "I also know who Jackson Huddy is, and if I don't keep moving he will be up here to see what's wrong. He told me that if anybody bothered me, to mention that he was near."
"Jackson Huddy?" Tap was incredulous.
"He's like that about womenfolks," Spicer said. "He's almighty respectful to them, and I think a mite scared of them."
"Do you want to see Mr. Brunswick?" Jessica asked. "I heard him named at the hotel, and if you want me to, I could speak to him and arrange it. When I came out he was reading a newspaper in the lobby."
"Could you do that? We'll be at the corral. No," Duvarney said, changing his mind.
"Ask him to go to his room. I'll see him there. Welt, you and Bean stay off the streets."
"We'll wait in the barn, yonder. You watch your step, Major. That Jackson Huddy is pure poison, and Ev Munson is hell on wheels with a six-gun. He's killed eight or nine men I know of."
"Jessica," Tap warned, "you be careful."
"You too. I can't wait to have a talk with you. Later, at the hotel?"
"If I can. This is touch and go."
She walked away, taking her time, and when she passed Jackson Huddy he looked at her, then looked away quickly.
"Good night, Mr. Huddy," she said. "And thank you."
"Yes-yes, ma'am." He spoke so quickly he almost stuttered.
When Jessica got back to the hotel, Bob Brunswick was no longer in the lobby. She stopped at the desk to get her key, and as the clerk was not around, she glanced at the register. Brunswick was only three rooms down the hall from her own. She went up the stairs, opened the door of her room, and put down her key. Then she walked down the hall and tapped lightly on Brunswick's door. He opened it slightly, then wider.
He was a large, portly man with a black walrus mustache. He was in his
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