Read Online Leaving Epitaph by Robert J. Randisi - Free Book Online

thought he was talking to him.
    “I didn’t push you, friend,” he said. “I just put out my hand to keep you from fallin’, is all.”
    “No, I didn’t mean—” Pat started, but Tim pulled him out of the way so he could face Matthew, who now became his focus.
    “You think your badge scares me?” he demanded. “Or your size? My pal Lou, here, could eat you for breakfast.”
    Matthew looked at Lou, who puffed out his chest and smiled. Lou Scales was in his thirties, a full ten or twelve years older than Matthew. He was roughly the same height, but clearly outweighed the younger man by thirty pounds or more—most of it around his middle.
    “My brother could handle your friend with no problem,” James shot back.
    Thomas could see the situation getting out of hand. It had switched from the girls to who was bigger or badder, Matthew or this fella Lou.
    “Now look, fellas,” he said, “nobody wants any trouble—”
    “Your badges don’t mean nothin’ here!” Tim snapped.
    “You’re right about that,” Thomas said, still trying to defuse the situation.
    “We could kick the crap out of the three of you and nobody could do anything about it.”
    “Well,” Thomas said, “that’s not quite true. Imean, we’d have to try and do somethin’ about it—”
    “Me and my brothers can handle six saddle tramps like you!” James spat.
    “Oh yeah?” Tim asked.
    Thomas knew he couldn’t be sucked into this, that he had to do something before somebody went for a gun. They had become the center of attention in the saloon, which had suddenly become crowded. Now, as if sensing that gunplay was in the offing, everyone shrank away from them, hugging the walls and giving them room.
    In that single moment the action could have gone in many directions.

20
    Thomas was wracking his brain, trying to find a way to avoid trouble, when James spoke up.
    “You know,” the younger brother said, “this really wouldn’t be fair, six against three. We got enough witnesses here who would say it wasn’t a fair fight.”
    That seemed to stop Tim and his friends for a moment.
    “My brother’s right,” Thomas said. “There’s a way to resolve this without anybody gettin’ in trouble, or gettin’ hurt.”
    “Resolve?” Tim asked, frowning.
    “Settle it,” Thomas said, “there’s a way to settle this.”
    The six ranch hands seemed to need a way to settle it, since Thomas had already offered them the girls.
    “Howzat?” Tim asked.
    Tim looked at James to see if he had anything to say, but the younger brother simply shrugged.It was up to Thomas to come up with a clever solution.
    Since Matthew and Lou were still eyeing each other, Thomas said, “We each pick one man, and the two of them go at it.”
    Tim frowned. “Go at it how? Guns?”
    “No,” Thomas said, “no guns. I don’t think the situation calls for guns, do you? After all, somebody could end up getting killed, and over what? A couple of girls?”
    “Hey!” Dora said, but the men ignored her.
    “Well,” Tim said, “maybe not…”
    “Knives?” one of the other ranch hands offered.
    “Somebody still gets hurt, or killed,” James said.
    “Or arrested,” Thomas said.
    “A fight, then,” Tim said. “Our big man against yours.”
    Thomas looked at Matthew, who was still exchanging hostile glances with Lou. He remembered what had happened when his brother started to whomp the sheriff in Vernon. Getting into a barfight would constitute getting into trouble as far as Dan Shaye was concerned, and he would be held responsible.
    “Arm wrestling!” James suddenly said.
    “What?” Tim asked.
    “That’s a good idea,” Thomas said. “We’ll have an arm wrestling match. My brother Matthew against your man Lou.” Thomas slapped his brother on the back.
    “What are the stakes?” Tim asked.
    “The winners get the girls,” Thomas said.
    “And the losers have to buy the drinks,” James added.
    “That suits me,” Matthew said.
    Tim turned and