Phooey!” yelled Marshal Udall. “You can tell me down at the office. What about these others, Doc?”
The doctor looked at his future patients, then muttered, “The others need to come down to my place so I can work on them properly. These two men have lost quite a bit of blood, so has Mr. Green.”
“Forrest, you come with me,” ordered Udall with a snarl.
I looked at the men; they may have lost blood, but I know what a cornered skunk can do. “Who’s goin’ to see after this men? Take their testimony?”
Udall had an angry look on his face. He turned to his deputy, “Case, think you can watch over those men?”
Deputy Case was in pain from where my shotgun crashed down on his arm breaking it. He glanced at the men now being carried out and down to the doctor’s office. “I imagine I can handle it.”
“Good!” exclaimed the doctor, as he was escorting Mr. Green to the entry. “Come over here and help me.”
“Doc, my arm’s broke,” he whimpered. “I can’t be helping anyone. It hurts just to take a step.”
The doctor stood with Mr. Green at the entrance waiting for all of us to leave so that Green could lock up his place. “You think it hurts now,” he snapped, “You just wait ’til I start working on it if you don’t get over here and help me.”
I had to bring my hand to my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Here was the tough, boisterous deputy whining. I was just a-waiting for him to break out in tears. But then I looked at his arm beginning to swell. I reckoned it did hurt some.
Marshal Udall was outside with Adams waiting for the place to clear and for me and Elfego to walk out. We were the last to leave. I watched the doctor, along with the deputy and Green stumble over to his office.
“You two come with me!” commanded the Marshal.
“Go on along, we’ll be down shortly,” I told the Marshal.
“I said now,” he almost screamed. He put his hand on the butt of his gun.
When someone, like this belligerent marshal orders me to do something it sort of makes me want to tighten my cinch. I stared at him. “Marshal, that wouldn’t be a good idea. I said we’ll be along shortly.”
His hand stayed on his gun. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to pull it. Some things I don’t have a notion as to why people think the way they do. We were supposed to be on the same side, but if he pulled his pistol, I’d have to pull mine and the results would be ugly.
We continued our staring contest for several more seconds before the marshal moved his hand then pushed Adams toward the jail. “Just don’t be long!”
I allowed him the last word, then turned to Elfego. “Do you know these men?” I asked, my eyes boring into his.
“No, Senor, only that they watch you and they are some of those that pressure the comerciante,” he replied.
I took a step toward the jail, Elfego hesitated. “Come on, the Marshal wants both of us.” I could see fear in his face. That was the first time for he was as cool as a cucumber when the shooting started. “You were pretty slick with my gun,” I mentioned to him as I grabbed him by the shoulder and we started down the street. “How did you learn to shoot so accurately with a pistol?”
He gave a little shrug, then finally answered. “I don’t know. It just comes as, you would say, naturally.”
When we got there Adams was in the cell and Marshal Udall was waiting for us just inside the doorway. Anger was still etched on his face, then he snarled, “Kid, I ought to knock you into next week!”
He raised his arm back ready…