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sure, but I’m smart enough to know that on my own I’ll never earn it.” She looked at Moose and then at Rooster and finally at Fargo. “But with your help I can lay claim to part of it. Enough that me and mine won’t ever again have empty bellies. Enough that my kids can get some learnin’ and make somethin’ of themselves.” She wheeled on Rooster. “So don’t you sit there and accuse me of not bein’ a good ma, you old goat. I’m the best mother I can be, gettin’ by the best I know how.”
    Cecelia fell silent and returned to her chair.
    â€œThat was a good talk,” Moose said, and awkwardly patted her shoulder.
    Rooster frowned and fidgeted and coughed and then said gruffly, “I take it back. But I still say you’re taking a big chance.”
    â€œDo you think I don’t know that?” Cecelia said quietly. “It’s why we came to you and your friend.”
    Fargo understood. “The more of us there are, the better we can protect your kids.”
    Cecelia nodded. “Four might be enough but five would be better. Besides, any more than that and the shares wouldn’t be worth the risk.”
    â€œI’ll be damned,” Rooster said.
    â€œI was against it at first too,” Moose said. “I told her no and that was final but she wouldn’t take final for an answer. So here we are.”
    â€œWe can head out at first light if you agree,” Cecelia said. “Me and mine travel light. And we wouldn’t need much in the way of grub and stuff.”
    â€œThere’s still the matter of the fifth hunter,” Rooster said. “Who did you have in mind?”
    Cecelia shrugged. “We ain’t given it much thought. You have any idea who might be worth a damn?”
    The batwings creaked and into the saloon strolled Wendolyn Channing Mayal, his elephant gun, as he called it, in the crook of his elbow.
    â€œI think I do,” Fargo said.
    Â 
    They didn’t get to leave at first light as they wanted. Word spread that the mayor had called for a meeting of all the bear hunters the next day at noon. Since there wasn’t a building big enough to hold all of them, the meeting was to take place in the middle of the street.
    Fargo remembered the mayor saying there were about fifty but the mayor underestimated by thirty to forty. The street was jammed with as diverse a group of humanity as he’d ever seen.
    The clerk with his squirrel gun, some Swedish immigrants and their wives, a man in a stovepipe hat who claimed to be a chimney sweep, of all things.
    Mayor Petty had a crate placed at one end of the street. Carefully climbing on, he flailed his arms to get everyone’s attention. Gradually the hubbub quieted. Clearing his throat, he began.
    â€œAll of you are probably wondering why I’ve called this gathering. The reason is simple. Gold Creek is fit to burst at the seams and you are the cause.”
    Someone in the crowd hollered, “What did we do?”
    â€œYou showed up,” the mayor replied. “More of you than we ever reckoned would.”
    â€œIf you didn’t want anyone to come, you shouldn’t have posted a bounty,” someone shouted.
    â€œI’m not assigning blame,” Petty said indignantly. “I’m merely pointing out that you have strained our meager resources to the breaking point.”
    â€œYour what?” a man yelled.
    â€œSince we only have one hotel and a handful of boardinghouses, most of you are camping on the outskirts,” Petty said. “You’re planting yourselves where you please. You’ve trampled gardens. Killed poultry that doesn’t belong to you. One of you even stole wash from a clothesline.”
    There was laughter.
    â€œIt’s not funny. Not even a little bit,” Petty said. “We will have order or all of you will leave.”
    A man in a derby cupped a hand to his mouth. “I’d