I picked
up my gun and eased it over the sill of the window and got a good bead.
"Jack turned in his saddle--"
There was a faint groan from Elizabeth Cornish. All eyes focused on her
in amazement. She mustered a smile. The story went on.
"When Jack turned to blaze away at them that was piling out around the
corner of the street, I let the gun go, and I drilled him clean. Great
sensation, gents, to have a life under your trigger. Just beckon one mite
of an inch and a life goes scooting up to heaven or down to hell. I never
got over seeing Hollis spill sidewise out of that saddle. There he was a
minute before better'n any five men when it come to fighting. And now he
wasn't nothing but a lot of trouble to bury. Just so many pounds of
flesh. You see? Well, sir, the price on Black Jack set me up in life and
gimme my start. After that I sort of specialized in manhunting, and I've
kept on ever since."
Terry leaned across the table, his left arm outstretched to call the
sheriff's attention.
"I didn't catch that last name, sheriff," he said.
The talk was already beginning to bubble up at the end of the sheriff's
tale.
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