I'm taking your guns." Eagle wouldn't comply, and Cole quickly tired


of chasing him. He let out a sigh, grabbed hold of the gunslinger by


his collar, and slammed his fist into his jaw, knocking him


unconscious. He continued to hold him up until he'd removed his gun,


then let him drop to the ground.




Gripping the scruff of his neck, he dragged him to Norton.




The sheriff was beaming at the two marshals from the boardwalk. "Guess


I'll have to go get the doc to patch them two up, " he remarked.




"Guess so, " Cole replied.




The sheriff rushed back inside, snatched his keys off the desktop, and


hurried on to unlock two cells. A moment later, the gunfighters were


pushed inside.




There wasn't time for the sheriff's congratulations, for no sooner had


the cell door slammed shut than Ryan was called outside by the


telegraph clerk. When Cole joined him on the boardwalk, one look at


the marshal told Cole something bad had happened. He was surprised


when Ryan handed the wire to him.




Cole read the contents while Ryan gave the news to Sheriff Norton.




"There's been another robbery." His voice was flat.




Norton shook his head. "How many dead this time? " "Seven. will


"Where did it happen? " Norton asked.




"Rockford Falls."




"That ain't far from here. I can tell you how to get there."




"How far is it? " "About forty miles over some rough terrain."




"You might want to keep your eyes open in case any of them pass through


here again. I doubt they will, " Ryan added. "They've already hit


this bank. Cole, are you riding with me? " He shook his head and


handed the wire back to Ryan. "It's not my problem." Ryan said


nothing. Squinting against the sunlight, his eyes narrowed and his


brow wrinkled into a frown. Suddenly he grabbed hold of Cole's vest


and shoved him backward off his feet. Before Cole could recover and


retaliate his fingers were flexing into a fist Ryan stole his thunder


by apologizing.




"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I let my temper get the upper


hand. Look, you're right. You didn't ask for any of this, and the


robberies aren't your problem. They're mine. I just thought . . .


hoped, anyway . . . that you would want to help. I won't accept your


resignation, though. You're going to have to ride to the regional


office and surrender your badge to the marshal there. Sheriff Norton


will give you the directions. I've got to get going to Rockford Falls


before the trail grows cold. No hard feelings? " he asked as he put


his hand out.




Cole shrugged and shook Ryan's hand. "No hard feelings." Ryan headed


for the stable at a run. Cole watched him leave and then followed the


sheriff inside the jail to find out where in tarnation the regional


office was located.




"If it isn't close-by, I'm sending the badge back, " he told the


sheriff.




Norton sat down heavily behind his desk and stacked his hands on top of


his papers. "I don't think Marshal Ryan will cotton to that idea.




Those badges are considered sacred, son. I wouldn't get him riled up


if I was you. He went to considerable trouble getting you appointed,


and it sure seems peculiar to me that he didn't want to argue with you


a little more. He gave up easy, didn't he? " "I don't know Ryan well


enough to judge, " he replied.




"You sure you want to give the badge up? " "I'm sure. I'm not cut out


to be a lawman."




"You thinking you ought to be a gunslinger? Some folks think there


ain't no difference at all between a marshal and a gunman."




"I'm just a rancher, nothing more."




"Then why are so many gunslingers coming after you? Like it or not,


you got yourself a reputation for being fast. Those boys ain't gonna


quit chasing after glory. It seems to me the only way you can change


your future is to hold on to that badge. Some gunslingers will think


twice before taking on a U. S. marshal."




"Some won't, " Cole argued. "Are you going to tell me where the


regional office is or not? " Norton ignored the question. "I'm gonna


tell the facts to you plain and simple is what I'm gonna do. Marshal


Ryan didn't nag you into doing the right thing, so I guess I ought to,


and you're gonna have to be polite and listen to me because I'm old


enough to be your father and age gives me the advantage. We got us a


terrible problem with this Blackwater gang running over our territory,


and since you happen to live inside the boundaries, I'd say it was your


problem too. Not too long ago our little bank got robbed and we lost


us some good friends. They were decent, law-abiding folks who just had


the bad luck of being inside the bank at the time. Every one of them


was killed like a dog. We had us a witness too. His name was Luke


MacFarland, but he didn't last long.




" "Sheriff, I'm sorry about what happened, but I don't" Norton cut him


off. "Luke got shot up when the robbery was going on, and he wasn't


even inside the bank at the time. He was just passing by on the


boardwalk, which was another piece of bad luck all right. Still, the


doc had him mending. He would have recovered the doc said so and he


did see a couple of faces through the crack in the shades of the


bank.




He would have made a good witness when those no-good bastards got


caught."




"What happened to him? " "Luke got his neck sliced like a bow tie,


that's what happened to him.




His wife got cut too. They were both sleeping in their bed, but I


think maybe one of them woke up. You should have seen that room,


son.




There was more blood than paint on those walls. I ain't never gonna


forget it.




Their little boys saw it too. The oldest, just ten last month,


found them. He ain't never gonna be the same." The story struck a


nerve deep inside Cole. He leaned against the side of the desk, his


gaze directed outside, as he thought about the children. What a hell


of a nightmare for a child to see. What would happen to that little


boy now) Or the other ones? Who would take care of them? How would


they survive? Would they be split up and shipped to various relatives,


or would they take to the streets, the way he had when he was a


youngster? Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ryan on a black


horse riding at a gallop down the main street. He hoped the marshal


would catch the monsters who had made those children orphans. In one


night, their lives had been changed forever.




He turned back when the sheriff spoke again. "There was no call to


kill those two, no call at all. You know what Ryan said? " "No,


what's that? " Cole asked.




"That it was a miracle they didn't kill those little boys. If one of


them had come into the room while they were butchering, they would have


killed him for sure . . . the others too."




"What's going to happen to them? " "The boys? " The sheriff looked


bleak, disheartened. "My Josey and me offered to take them all, but


the relatives back east said they'd give them a home. I think they're


gonna farm them out between them. That doesn't seem right to me.




Brothers ought to stay together.




" Cole agreed with a pensive nod.




"I got my own opinion why they killed Luke's wife. Want to hear it? "


"Sure."




"I think they were sending folks a message." His voice dropped to a


whisper of confidentiality as he continued. "Word gets around fast,


and anyone who might see something or hear something in the future is


gonna think long and hard before stepping forward.




Witnesses don't survive.




That's the message."




"They're bound to make a mistake one of these days."




"Son, that's what everyone is hoping will happen. I'm praying it


happens soon, cause a lot of good people have died, and not just men,


but women and children too. Those men are gonna burn in hell for what


they've done."




"They've killed children? " "I heard about one little girl that got


killed. She was in the bank with her mama. Of course it could just be


speculation. I asked Ryan about it, but he got a real strange look in


his eyes and went out the door without answering me, so I don't know if


it's true or not. The marshal sure has his hands full, " he concluded


with a shake of his head.




"Are you thinking about heading back to your ranch? " "Right now I'm


headed for Texas to bring some steers back. The regional office better


be on the way orţ" Norton wouldn't let him finish. "I got a little


favor to ask you." He put his hand up to ward off any interruption and


hastily added, "I know I don't have the right, since I went and knocked


you over the head.




Still, I'm compelled to ask."




"What is it you want? " "Hold on to your badge until tomorrow before


you make up your mind.




It's already going on dusk, so you don't have to wait long. In the


morning, if you're still determined to give the badge back, then I'll


be happy to tell you the fastest way to get to the regional office.




With that fancy compass, you won't have any trouble finding it. Now,


don't shake your head at me. At least consider it, and while you're at


it, answer another question for me."




"What? " Cole asked with a bit more surliness than he intended.