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shooting with our six-guns, and he was hit several times. Final, he dropped down dead on the boardwalk. Two more come a-running out from somewheres then and headed for their horses.
    I seen a arm poke outta one of the windows in my office and fire a shot, and one a’ the bastards dropped off a’ his horse. Then Sly come out onto the boardwalk and leveled his deadly Colt at the last one what was riding hard outta town, and he shot him right outta the saddle. We walked on down and checked all a’ the bodies. They was all dead. We never had no time to not kill them. “Butcher,” I said, “go find Bones and tell him to clean up the street.”
    Butcher tuck off in a run. Sly walked over to me. “You showed up in the nick of time, Barjack,” he said.
    â€œHell, four of them come down to the Hooch House to get me,” I told him.
    â€œThat makes eight,” Sly said. “Chugwater’s serious about this.”
    â€œIt’s his baby brother we got in a cell in there,” Isaid. “And if we keep him there till the judge shows up, he’ll damn sure hang.”
    â€œI think I could use a drink,” Sly said.
    Well, that surprised me. I hadn’t never heared ole Sly actual call for a drink. “There’s a bottle in my desk,” I said. “Come on.”
    We went in, and I got the bottle and some glasses outta my desk drawer. I poured drinks all around, and ever’one tuck a chair till I run out. “That’s all right,” Miller, the Churkee, said. “We’ll sit in here.” He tuck his sweetie by her arm and led her into the unused jail cell, where they set down on the cot and went to sipping on their whiskey. Sly slugged his down real fast and held the glass out to me.
    â€œI believe one more is called for,” he said.
    â€œYou goddamn right,” I said, and I poured his glass full a second time. He tuck a sip, and then he said, “Barjack, don’t you think it’s time we made some plans?”
    â€œI sure do, Widdamaker,” I said. “But let’s wait for Butcher to get back, so we don’t have to go all over it again.”
    Just about then, Butcher did come back. There weren’t no more chairs, so I told him to set on the edge a’ my desk, and I poured him a drink. He perched his ass down.
    â€œAll right,” I said, “ever’one listen up. We got us a serious situation here. Chugwater hit us with eight men, and it didn’t work. Next time, he’ll use a larger force. We got to be ready for it. Happy, you and Butcher take turns a-setting on the roof. I think you can see from up there if anyone’s a-coming into town from the direction a’ Chugwater’sranch. I want one a’ the two a’ you up there all the time.”
    â€œYes, sir,” said Happy. Butcher nodded.
    â€œPistol.”
    â€œRight here,” she said from inside the cell.
    â€œI want you to set out here with a shotgun and keep it trained on Owl Shit all the time.”
    â€œWhen do I shoot him?” she asked me.
    â€œAny time Chugwater’s boys gets inside a’ the office. I don’t want them setting him free. I want him dead first.”
    â€œI’ll do it,” she said, looking straight at Owl Shit through the bars. I ain’t for sure, but I think that Owl Shit was a-trembling then.
    â€œSly, Miller, and me will just hang around in here most a’ the time. We’ll let one a’ the three of us go out at a time to eat a meal or get a drink or whatever. But just one at a time. That means at least three of us will be in here all the time.”
    â€œAnd one on the roof,” said Butcher.
    â€œThat’s right,” I said, “and one on the roof.”
    â€œNow, don’t no one let no one else in here, ’cept only the rest of us. That’s all. And if you’re out and come back, holler out and identify yourself before you come