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gunfight held right at the ranch,” Hollister said.
    Adair said, smiling for the first time, “And I’m willing to pay you two thousand dollars to deliver the two men to my place tomorrow night. I’m talking about Frank Evans and Ben Rittenauer, Mr. Guild. And you can tell them for me that the winner gets ten thousand dollars in good Yankee cash. Now how does that sound, Mr. Guild?”
    â€œNot interested,” Guild said.
    â€œNot interested?” Hollister said. “In two thousand dollars?”
    â€œThat’s right. Not interested.”
    And with that he stood up.
    â€œI appreciate the drinks, gentlemen.”
    â€œYou’re actually going to turn down two thousand dollars?” Adair asked.
    â€œI am,” Guild said.
    â€œYou don’t have to take part in any of it, Mr. Guild. All you have to do is deliver them,” Hollister said.
    â€œI realize that.”
    â€œAnd you still won’t do it?”
    â€œThat’s right,” Guild said, taking a certain pleasure in frustrating two men as sure of themselves as these two. “I won’t do it.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be damned,” Adair said. “A bounty hunter with scruples.”
    Guild touched his hat in a farewell salute and left.

Chapter Six
    Ben Rittenauer stood in the street across from the hotel and looked up at the fourth floor window, the one where the desk clerk said Beth and Frank Evans were staying. A kerosene lamp burned beyond the gauzy white curtains, and once or twice he’d glimpsed the silhouette of a woman passing quickly by the window. He’d felt sick and exhilarated alike. Twice a uniformed policeman walked by the comer where Rittenauer stood, taking suspicious note of the stranger standing there.
    It was getting late now. Everything but a few saloons was closed up. Fog in silver tatters floated down the streets. Inside the fog you could hear footsteps on the board sidewalks, and the occasional sounds of lovers laughing about something to each other. A huge clock mounted on a pole outside the jeweler’s chimed loudly at midnight. Far away a single surrey worked its way home, the hoofslaps of its one horse lonely in the silver gloom. The fog made everything dreamy and unreal. Rittenauer stood there staring up at the fourth floor window, having absolutely no idea what to do with not only this evening but with his entire life. Being heartsick made him like this, crazed and frantic in a quiet way.
    The third time he passed by, the policeman said, “You got business here?”
    â€œI’m just getting some air.”
    â€œYou keep looking up at the hotel.”
    â€œI suppose I do.”
    â€œI’d like to know why.”
    Rittenauer sighed. “There’s a woman up there.”
    â€œOh?”
    â€œA woman I know.”
    â€œWhy don’t you go up and see her then?”
    â€œI can’t.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œShe’s with somebody.”
    The policeman raised his eyes to the fourth floor, third window from the right. The silhouette was there again. Beth.
    â€œYeah, she might complain,” the policeman said.
    â€œComplain?”
    â€œLook down and see you standing here and complain. You’ve been here a long time. She’s apt to get frightened.”
    The policeman, who had a belly beneath his blue uniform with the smart gold buttons, wore a wide creaking holster and a pair of stylish fawn-pink gloves. He tugged the gloves on tighter now, as if he were going to punch Rittenauer. “You don’t take a hint very well, do you?”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œI’m asking you to move on.”
    â€œOh.”
    The policeman stared at him. “Now.”
    â€œOh. Right.”
    Rittenauer took one more look up at the window. He felt sick to his stomach. She was so close. In a minute or two he could be at her room. He had so many things to say. Soft and loving things, hard and bitter things. He wanted