Ole Devil and the Caplocks by J.T. Edson Page B

massive scale. Completely bald,
his fat and from a distance (but not when close enough to notice
his hard eyes) jovial face sported an enormous black mustache. He
wore an expensive gray cutaway coat, white shirt with a ruffed
front and Nankeen trousers tucked into riding boots. Evidence of
his prosperity was given by a couple of diamond rings and the pearl
stickpin in his scarlet silk cravat. A good quality
percussion-fired pistol lay close to his big right fist and there
were four stacks of gold coins in front of him. Tossing down his
cards, he let out a thunderous guffaw of laughter and scooped in
the money which had formed the pot in the hand of poker which had
just ended.
    None of the other five
players in the game appeared to find their heavily built host’s
actions amusing. Instead, they scowled at him and one angrily
gathered the cards ready to continue. Ignoring his companions,
Turtle glanced at the newcomers. After one quick look, he neither
moved nor gave any indication of being aware that the trio had
entered. For all that, he felt uneasy.
    One of Charlie Slow-Down’s
functions was to prevent unauthorized visitors from coming in with
such readily accessible weapons as the rifles carried by two of the
new arrivals. Nor had he ever failed in the duty. Yet despite there
being something which seemed vaguely familiar about the tall young
man. Turtle could not remember having met him. Nor, due to the
positions of their hats, could the hotelkeeper identify the other
two.
    Conscious of Turtle’s
scrutiny, brief as it had been, Di wished that she could inform her
companions that this was the man they had come to meet. However,
such was her faith in Ole Devil and Tommy, she felt sure that such
an explanation would not be necessary. She had described Turtle for
their benefit while riding to the town. Men of their ability could
be counted upon to keep their eyes open and wits about them under
such trying conditions. So they were sure to have already seen him
and made a correct identification.
    While the Texian and the
little Oriental were justifying the girl’s faith in their powers of
observation, having noticed that Turtle was present, they were not
devoting their entire attention to him. Instead, once they had seen
and recognized him, they were studying the other occupants of the
room.
    Some of the furnishings of
the barroom, particularly the counter, left much to be desired in
style and elegance and made one fitting seem out of place. Taken
from a wrecked vessel—which had gone aground on a local reef—having
survived the impact and being brought ashore in a small boat, a
large mirror was attached to the wall behind the bar. It was a
fixture regarded with mixed feelings by the customers. However, as
three men had already been killed because their behavior had been
considered a menace to its existence and safety, it was now an
accepted feature of the hotel.
    While crossing the room,
Ole Devil and Tommy were taking advantage of the mirror’s most
controversial and, to some of the clientele’s way of thinking,
objectionable qualities. Looking at the reflections on its surface,
which was cleaned daily even though other parts of the
establishment might not be, they were able to watch the people to
their rear as well as keeping those in front and to either side
under observation. They could tell that their arrival was a source
of considerable interest and speculation, but that was only to have
been expected. Strangers must be even rarer in San Phillipe since
the struggle for independence had commenced than they had been in
more peaceful times.
    However, in spite of their
curiosity, the majority of the customers had no intention of
attempting to satisfy it. Many of them were residents of the town
and most of the remainder had visited the hotel often enough to be
aware of its most stringently enforced rule. Not only did the tall
young man look as mean as hell and might prove dangerous if riled,
but the fact that he and one