Fast Gun

A short story I wrote a while ago. I drift to a western genre now and then.

Dust blew down the main street of Dead Colt. It was only May and the days were already becoming unbearably hot. Ranchers would be lucky if any grass grew at all this year and would certainly take some work to keep the cattle cool. There would be a lot of loss this year. There was no doubt about that.

     “Ben Colter.” A voice called from the street. “Colter, I’m callin’ you out.”

     Ben sat on the porch in front of the saloon with his chair tilted back, his long willowy legs stretched out with his feet up on the railing, his hat tipped forward to keep the noon sun out of his eyes. He ignored the voice.

     “Ben Colter, you come down into this street and show me if you’re as fast as they say you are.”

     Ben pushed back on the large brim of his hat and took a look at the source of the disturbance. It wasn’t anyone from around town, or at least not anyone that he knew. The man was young, greasy black hair hung almost to his shoulders. His face was smooth without even a hint of stubble; this man was just a kid.

     Ben pulled a tobacco plug from the pocket of his brown leather vest and took a pull. “What’s the name of the man callin’ me out?”

     “The name’s Tucker Riley and I’ve rode all the way in from Deadwood to see if you’re as fast as I heard.”

     “That’s a long ride just to come see me draw a gun.” Ben chuckled. “I’m flattered.”

     “I rode all that way, now show me what you got Colter, or maybe it’s all just rumor. Maybe you got nothing at all.”

     Ben pulled his feet off the porch railing and drew is gun. Before the front legs of his chair touched down on the dirty boards beneath them he had fired.

     Tucker Riley stood frozen in the middle of the street, dust swirling around him. Ben had shot the holster clean off of his belt before his hand had even touched the gun. Apparently satisfied and out of things to say Tucker turned around, picked up his gun, and walked away.

     Lord it was hot Ben thought. He better go into the saloon and have a beer before his thirst catches up with him.

     He slid his pistol back into the holster at his left hip, stood and went back into the bar. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face. Lord it was hot.

     Three tables along the back wall of the saloon held poker games and a long table to the side ran a pharaoh game. Working girls strolled their way from table to table, occasionally congratulating one of the men when he won a hand.  The dust from the road had apparently needed to come in out of the heat as well since it covered just about everything in the old saloon. 

     “Hey Ben, is it getting hot enough out there for ya?” The tall, clean-cut bartender was smiling as usual. “Can I get ya a beer?”

     Ben leaned up against the bar. “Yes, and yes please.” He threw a nickel up on the bar and turned around to watch the card games in the back.

     The tables held mostly the usual boys throwing away their hard earned money, except for one, a well-dressed man running the table in the corner. Ben watched the man carefully as a new hand was dealt, he had a couple of tells, but they were almost imperceptible, unless you knew what you were looking for. Ben had become quite adept at spotting a gambler’s tells, the little quirks most people had that would tell whether or not their hand was any good. Sometimes they were rather amusing. Not actually ever having held a job, this talent came in handy for him.

     “Hi Ben, you comin’ up to see me tonight?” Virginia Larson stood at the other end of the bar flashing that sinful little grin of hers.

     “I don’t know Ginny, depends if I get in a game or not. ‘Course if it don’t cool down some it’ll be to hot for that anyway.”

     She stuck her lower lip out in a mock pout. “Oh it’s never to hot for a little fun. Whatta you want to play cards with these same ol’ guys anyway?”

     Ben slid down to the end of the bar next to Ginny. “Say, do you know anything about the suit over there playin’ cards?”

     Ginny grinned again and finished her beer. “I might.”

     He cast a sideways glance her way and fished another nickel out of his pocket and tossed it at the bartender. “John, you wanna get Ginny another beer?”

     Just as John had set the fresh beer on the bar the front doors swung open. Another face Ben could not recall seeing around town, that’s three today. Dead Colt seemed to be attracting people for some reason.

     The gentlemen that had just come in went straight to the back of the room and joined the poker game with the well-dressed man. If Ben was going to join this game he better make his move, there was only one chair left. He didn’t like joining a game with out watching the players first, but he wanted to see how deep the pockets were on that suit.

     “Okay Gin let’s hear it. What have you heard on this guy?”

     Gin sipped at her beer. “Okay, but just for you.” She smiled unabashedly at Ben. “So you’ve noticed there are quite a few new faces in town?”

     “Yea, what’s that got to do with this guy?”

     “Well, all the new people are following the railroad, you know, looking for work, and this guy is apparently some big shot with the railroad.”

     “The railroad huh?” That would eventually bring trouble he thought. “Those pockets may be deeper than I first thought.”

     Gin smiled again. “I tried to find out for ya hun, but apparently he doesn’t like blondes.”

     Ben didn’t even acknowledge the last statement. Another hand had just ended and he took the chance to step in. He finished off his beer and walked over to the poker table. They all glanced at him as he stepped up to the empty chair.

     “I was wondering when you were gonna come over Colter.”

     The man who addressed him was Red Skogen, a local rancher. An older man with thick gray hair and beard, but he could outwork men half his age. He was a decent poker player but had a tell for just about every kind of hand there was. Ben took Red’s greeting as an invitation and sat down in the empty chair.

     The suit was looking at him quizzically. “Colter, Ben Colter?”

     Well, this man seemed to know him. “That’s me.”

     “Ah, where are my manners, the names Jacob White.” The man introduced himself with a nod. “I hear you have a pretty quick hand.”

     “I’ve been known to play a hand or two of poker.” Ben said as pulled a few bills from his pocket.

     Jacob chuckled. “I meant with a gun Mr. Colter.”

     “That’s just people talkin’. Now, who’s dealin’.”

     Red shuffled the cards and dealt out a hand. Ben looked his over not liking the whole hand but it was playable. They said every hand of poker had the possibility to be a winner. Ben tried his hardest to make that a fact, but there were precautions to be taken during a poker game as well. Precautions ignored by a few that usually ended up getting them into trouble. You never joined a new game with a winning streak. You could either get thrown from the game or even killed that way. Never win more than a few hands at a time, same results. Win enough to grow the size of your winnings, don’t be greedy.

     Poker players, especially the ones on a losing streak were always looking for a cheater. It took another player away from the table, usually a winning one, and improved your odds. The only problem with that logic was that if you didn’t know how to play poker well, removing someone who does isn’t going to improve your ability.

     Ben currently held two aces, the three of hearts, the seven of clubs, and the nine of clubs. The obvious play was to keep the aces and replace the other three. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the chance of winning his first hand. The man to his right, Tommy Hanson, scratched at his thumb. He had something but wasn’t sure what to do with it, but finally threw two cards. Ben could tell by the exhale of air he didn’t get what he wanted.

     Ben decided to throw the aces and the three of hearts. He kept his breathing steady and his eyes on the cards as he picked up his three new cards, so much for throwing his first hand. For some reason lady luck had decided to deal him the eight, ten, and jack of clubs, a straight flush.

     To his left Red threw two cards. Red had been rubbing his jaw line, which usually meant he didn’t have much to go with.

     Jacob White was last to play. He was constantly adjusting his small round spectacles. Ben hadn’t watched him for long and hadn’t seen him do this before, he couldn’t be sure if this was a tell or not. He would have to play this one by ear unless he got lucky and Mr. White folded.

     “Ben, you playin’ or what?”  Tommy was nudging him out of his thoughts. He hadn’t even been paying attention to what everyone else’s bets had been.

     The pot was sizeable. There was either a lot of confidence at the table, or a lot of bull. He threw in three dollars.

     Jacob raised an eyebrow. “Three dollars Mr. Colter, I would hate to take that much money from you.”

     This Jacob seemed to be a smart poker player. He was trying to fish information or some kind of tell out of him, nice try. “I was hoping to lose it to Red here, he needs the money.”

     Red chuckled. “Gee thanks Ben, but not this hand.” Red folded.

     Jacob looked at his cards and fingered his stack of bills. “Well, I think I’ll turn up the heat a little.” He pulled half the stack of bills, Ben counted ten dollars, and threw it on the pot.

     The man to Jacobs’s left, the man who had come in while he had been talking to Gin, spread his hand out and then matched Jacob’s bet. Tommy folded. 

     “I guess that leaves it up to me.” With that kind of money in the pot he was trying hard not to get excited. “I’ll match, and I’ll call.”

     “Well, it’s to me then is it? I’ve got two pair.” Jacob laid down a pair of sevens and a pair of kings.

     The man to his left grinned. “Not bad old man, but not good neither. Say hello to my three ladies.” Three queens beat out Jacobs’s two pair.

     “It looks like I’ll get to keep my money and add to it as well.” Ben laid down his straight flush.

     In a blink the man seated next to Jacob was on his feet. “You cheated, there was no way you got a straight flush after dumping three cards.” The man wasn’t tall, dirty yes, but not tall. He wore a dusty black hat and long gray duster and had a face that hadn’t seen a razor in a very long time. He pointed at Ben. “I heard about you Colter, you’re good at separatin’ folks from their money. I says you’re a cheater.”     

     He didn’t know this man and wasn’t sure how everyone knew who he was but he was sure this was going to come to trouble.

     The hand the man had been pointing with dropped to his hip. Ben’s chair launched from beneath him as he stood and drew his pistol in one motion. The end of the barrel hovered inches in front of the other man’s nose. The other man’s gun hadn’t even cleared the holster yet but his hand remained on the grip.

     Ben’s eyes never wandered from the man’s face. “Now just lay that gun on the table and take a walk.”

     “I aint leavin’ my gun with you.”

     “And I’m not gonna have you shoot me in the back as you’re leavin’. I’ll leave your gun with the bartender and you can get it in the morning. I think you’re done playin’ cards for tonight.” He cocked the hammer back on his pistol for emphasis.

     The saloon had gone silent and all attention was on Ben. The man on the other side of his gun barrel finally thought better of picking a fight and dropped his gun on the table and shuffled out.

     After the doors swung shut behind the dirty man Ben holstered his gun and retrieved his seat. It only took a minute for the saloons activities to resume to normal.

     The rest of the game was rather uneventful. Both Jacob and he had grown their stacks considerably and once the others started running low the table emptied.

     Ben went back up to the bar for a beer and talked with Gin. The air hadn’t cooled of a single bit with the setting sun and he had turned down Gin’s advances several times since his poker game had ended. He wasn’t a complete weasel though as he had bought her another beer and gave her a few dollars for her time.

     Jacob came up to stand next to him. “Mr. Colter, it seems what I’ve heard is true.”

     “Ben.”

     Jacob looked confused. “What’s that?”

     “Call me Ben, no one calls me Mr.”

     Jacob smiled. “Sure thing Ben. Say, I have a proposition for you.”

     Gin burst out laughing on the other side of Ben. “Honey, I been propositioning him all night and he hasn’t accepted yet.”

     Jacob smiled politely. “Well, ma’am this is a business proposition.”

     “Go on.” Ben raised an eyebrow in interest.

     “I need a fast gun.”

     “You need to see the shopkeeper then, not me.” Ben said and went back to his beer.

     “No, I need a fast gun, a hired man, a bodyguard.”

     Now Ben straightened and looked directly at Jacob. “You need a fall guy and a killer. Again, that’s not me.”

     “That’s not what I’m looking for at all Ben. There have been attempts on my life before. I need someone to keep me from getting killed.”

     Ben just grunted and finished his beer.

     “I’ll pay you a hundred dollars a month.”

     Ben choked almost wasting a perfectly good swallow of beer. “A hundred dollars, you must be joking.”

     “I don’t joke about money.”

     Now Ben seriously considered. A hundred dollars a month was a lot of money, but then again being shot at was worth a lot of money and poker wasn’t always a good paying job. “As long as you understand I am not your assistant or your gopher.”

     Jacob chuckled. “I already have a gopher, it’s just he’s just no good with a gun.” He fished the wallet out of his jacket and laid a stack of bills on the bar. “It’s a deal then, here’s your first months pay.”

     “Well, I have to tell ya…”

     Ben was cut off as the saloon doors flew open with a crash. “There you are you stinking, land stealing, no good pig.” The man who had come into the saloon went straight for Jacob and grabbed the front of his shirt. “You’ll never steal land from honest folk again.”

     Before Ben knew exactly what was going on the man had pulled a knife from his belt with the intent on sticking it into Jacob White. What the man didn’t know was that Ben had just been paid to prevent this kind of thing. With his long legs he easily stepped past Jacob and seized the man’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. Grabbing the back of the man’s head with his free hand he slammed his face into the bar with a crunch.

     Ben released the man and when he straightened up blood was running down his face from his newly broken nose.

     The man stumbled backwards a couple of steps. “You shouldn’t get in my way friend. I can take care of you if that’s what it takes to get rid of him.”

     Ben tried to remain calm but this fellow was dangerously upset. “Come on now, just let it go.”

     “You’re no better then he is.” The man drew his gun and raised the barrel straight at Ben.

     Before the man could pull the hammer back on the single action revolver Ben had drawn and fired.

     The man never did get the hammer pulled back. Now his raised arm dropped back to his side and the hand let go of the gun and it clattered to the floor. No more words came from the man’s mouth and no more wild thoughts swirled in his mind. His eyes glazed over and he dropped to the floor dead.

     It was ironic that before the man had come barging into the saloon Ben had just started telling Jacob that he had never actually killed a man before. He had always managed to avoid it and then let rumor and reputation take over after that. He had always tried to imagine what it would be like after taking a life. There was no comparison to his imaginings and the feelings he felt now. He watched the blood ooze out from underneath the dead body and etch its way through the dust on the floor. The sight of it sickened him. He felt real pity for this man that was only trying to protect his livelihood. He didn’t know if this man had a family or what kind of man he truly was. He just pulled the trigger and snuffed out his life.

     Jacob had barely been shaken by the confrontation. “Excellent work, it looks like I hired the right man.”

     Ben laid the hundred dollars back down on the bar in front of Jacob and laid his six-shooter on top of the stack of bills. “No, no you didn’t.” Lord it was hot he thought as he walked out of the bar.

     He walked straight in to the street and climbed into the saddle on his horse.

     Virginia came rushing out of the bar. “Ben, where’re you going?” He noticed she had his pistol in her hand.

     He pulled his hat down to shade his eyes. “It’s time to go Gin. Time to move on, I’ve had enough of this town.”

     “What, I suppose you were just going to leave without sayin’ goodbye or buy me a drink or nothing, huh?” She looked hurt but he knew it was only because he had been her best customer.

     “Sorry Gin. I just gotta move on.” He pulled the reins tight and was about to give his horse a kick when Gin grabbed the reins.

     “Here,” She slipped his six-shooter back into the holster on his belt. “At least take your gun with you.”

     She let go of the reins and without another word he kicked his horse into motion. It was funny what life dealt you. He had come into Cody with nothing and he was leaving Cody with nothing.