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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR A half hour later I was walking back to my rooms to change clothes before heading to the Texas Trail when Doc saw me and cornered me. “You going to let me take a look at you?” he asked. “Or do you want to go on bleeding?” “Doc, I’d rather bleed to...

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE Kitty came into my office a few minutes later, after the crowd had gone. “Matt?” she said. “Yeah, Kitty.” I had a bottle open, and I was gingerly sipping at my glass. The whiskey wasn’t doing my lip any good, but it warmed my middle. There are...

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO  After lunch Shiloh and the kid came back to the jail and cut me loose from watching Stobo and Trevitt. I went straight up to Doc’s. “Hello, Marshal,” said Doc as I came in. He looked tired, but his eyes were bright. I couldn’t tell what that...

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE The next morning I woke at dawn and got dressed. I picked out a shirt that Chester had given me the last time he’d gone shopping. He’d ordered one of his fancy shirts, but when it’d come it’d been too big for him, so he’d given it to me. It was...

CHAPTER THIRTY I rode west on Trevitt’s horse, with my own rope hung over his saddlehorn. I was probably going to need it for Stobo, if he was as big as they said. As I rode, I kept fussing with the rope, and before I knew what I’d done, I’d made a noose. It scared me...

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE I cut straight down to the Arkansas and followed it west. I rode close to the water where I could use the sound of it for my cover. It wasn’t much of a flow here, but there’s something comforting to the sound of running water. Too bad I was in no...

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Riding gives a man lots of time to think. Some men fill up that time with whistling or humming or low singing. Some men talk to themselves, or their horses. I knew a man once who’d recited verses of poetry he’d memorized – Shakespeare and Virgil....