right to sit in a rocking chair for a while.â
âA fella canât make a living sitting in a rocking chair,â Billy replied.
âI guess youâre right about that,â Falcon agreed.
Falcon stared down at the bodies. All three had their arms folded across their chests. Only Buddy Taylor had both eyes open, and Curly Latham had both eyes closed, his eyelid muscles having been destroyed by the bullet that hit him right between the eyes.
Another man came up to stand near Falcon and Billy Puckett. This man was also wearing a badge. He was younger, taller, and slimmer than Billy. He was wearing a big, black handlebar moustache.
âFalcon, this here is my deputy, Walter Merrill,â Billy said.
Falcon and the deputy nodded at each other.
âWalterâs been with me for five years now. Heâs goinâ to make a good sheriff someday. Fact is, heâd be a good sheriff now if Iâd step out of the way.â
Merrill shook his head. âI ainât ready for you to step out of the way yet, Sheriff,â he said. âIâm still learninâ a lot from you.â
âSee why I like this man?â Billy teased. âHe knows how to suck up.â
Falcon and Merril both laughed.
Sheriff Billy Puckett lit a cigar and took several puffs before he spoke again.
âFalcon, folks are talkinâ about the big man, a passenger on the train, who took these outlaws on. Iâve got a strong feelinâ you are the one they are talking about.â
âI reckon I am,â Falcon replied.
âI understand they got away with the money.â
âNot they. One man,â Falcon said.
Hearing a sound, Falcon looked toward the stock car and saw that they were leading a big, black horse down a ramp.
âExcuse me, Iâve got to see to my horse.â
âThatâs yours?â
âYes.â
âHeâs a good-looking horse.â
âDiablo is a good horse,â Falcon said. âHeâll probably live longer than I will.â
Puckett chuckled. âYes, well, to be honest with you, Falcon, from all Iâve heard, I donât know how the hell youâve stayed alive this long,â he said.
âLucky, I guess,â Falcon said.
âUh-huh. Listen, Judge Heckemeyer is in town. Just to be on the safe side, why donât you come on down to my office so we can get an official ruling of justifiable homicide on these three? Thereâs no sense in taking a chance on getting some more bad paper out there.â
âHeckemeyer? Did you say Judge Heckemeyer?â
âYes, why? Do you know him?â
âNo, I donât think Iâve ever met him,â Falcon said. âBut the name seems familiar to me.â
âYou will come talk to him, though?â
âAll right. But if you donât mind, can I come down after breakfast?â Falcon asked. âIâm a little hungry.â
âSure, no hurry,â Puckett said. âIâve got to figure out what to do about these three anyway.â He sighed. âDamn, Falcon, I invited you up to do a little elk hunting, not cause me all this paperwork,â he said.
Falcon chuckled. âSorry âbout that. Whereâs a good place for breakfast?â
âIâd say the Dunn Hotel is about as good as anyplace,â Puckett answered.
Falconâs saddle was unloaded as well and, taking his leave of the sheriff, Falcon saddled Diablo, threw his bags across, sheathed his long gun, then mounted his horse and rode down the street looking for the Dunn Hotel.
* * *
Falcon ate so many of his meals out on the range that when he did have the chance to eat in town, he ate well. Breakfast this morning consisted of a stack of pancakes, two eggs, fried potatoes, an oversized piece of ham, and half-a-dozen biscuits. He was just washing it all down with a second cup of coffee when Sheriff Puckett came in.
âJoin me for a cup of coffee, Billy?â