heard the shots. Delilah pulled her big tit from the whoreâs mouth and looked around nervously.
âWhat the hellââ Sandusky said.
In minutes the shooting stopped, and there was a banging on the door.
âWhat the hellââ Sandusky said again, grabbing his gun.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Both Clint and Baca cleanly outdrew all nine men. They fired quickly, Clint fanning his gun.
Later many men would say they were there when the Gunsmith and Elfego Baca gunned down twenty men without ever moving from where they stood. That would, of course, be a slight exaggeration, and not as legendary a story as Bacaâs jacal tale.
Between them they had twelve bullets for nine men, and they made them all count.
All nine men were on the floor dead in seconds.
âMadre de Dios,â
someone said.
They quickly ejected their empty shells and reloaded, then walked among the bodies to be sure they were dead. They were.
âThere should be a lawman here soon,â Baca said.
âYou think so?â Clint asked.
âWe had better have a drink,
amigo
,â Baca said. He looked at the bartender.
âDos cervezas
.
â
â
SÃ, señor
,â the bartender said, acting quickly.
Surprisingly, no one had left the cantina. They were still quiet, though, staring down at the bodies of the dead men.
âWell,â Clint said, âweâve got plenty of witnesses here.â
âI am sure we will have no problems,â Marshal Baca said.
âSomething tells me you know the local lawman.â
Baca smiled.
âI did stop in to see him when I first arrived,â the younger man admitted.
âWhen was that?â Clint asked. âAnd why?â
âI arrived several days ago,â Baca said. âI am looking for a man named Steagall.â
âWhatâd he do?â
âMurder,â Baca said. âI was trying to remain unknown, waiting for him to walk in.â
âSorry to ruin it for you,â Clint said. âYou may have been able to get him today.â
âQuien sabe,â
Baca said. âWe will see. There is still time. Why are you here?â
âIâm riding with Charlie Siringo and Tom Horn,â Clint said.
âI have heard of them, but not met them,â Baca said.
âWeâre trailing a man named Harlan Sandusky and his gang.â
âFor what offense?â
âRustling, probably murder.â
âHow many do you seek?â
âTwo men and a woman.â
Baca rubbed his nose.
âWhen did they arrive?â
âNo way of telling, but maybe the past couple of days. Weâre hoping heâs still here.â
Baca drank his beer and set the mug down heavily.
âClint, I believe you are in luck!â
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Sandusky swung the door open and pointed his gun at the man in the hall.
âHey, take it easy!â Anderson said.
âWhatâs goinâ on?â
âWe gotta get outta here. Thereâs been a shootout in the cantina.â
âSiringo?â
âNo,â Anderson said. âThe Gunsmith, and Elfego Baca. And Bacaâs wearinâ a badge.â
Sandusky frowned. âThey may not be here for us, but we better get out of here anyway.â
He turned and looked at Delilah. She was still sniffing around the whore, getting dangerously close to the girlâs pussy.
âDelilah!â he snapped. âGet yer clothes on or Iâll leave ya here!â
âAll right!â Delilah gave one of the girlâs nipples a quick lick and then reached for her clothes.
THIRTY-FOUR
âHere?â Clint asked.
âIn the back,â Baca said. âThey went back with one of the whores.â
âAll of them?â
âAll three,â Baca said. âThe woman is not attractive, but there is something . . . earthy about her. And I just happen to like older women.â
âShow me where they
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