the state had decided Austin would be the capital, not Houston. Sam Houston had fought hard to move the state offices to his namesake. From the early counts it looked like Houston Town had lost. The folks in Austin celebrated throughout the night. If Wolf were a betting man, he’d guess half the population was drunk right now.
The sound of gunfire suddenly echoed down the street from the direction of Molly’s place. The shots came in rapid fire, the way only a gunslinger knew how to fan a weapon. Wolf was out the door and running toward the drugstore before the other rangers could lift their Colts from the pegs by the door.
The men sounded like a herd of buffalo storming a canyon as they thundered down the street with Wolf in the lead.
The drunken gunslinger outside Molly’s store never saw the mountain of muscle coming. Wolf was airborne when he plowed into the man like a fully steamed train without brakes.
One round of gunfire, aimed skyward, resounded off the buildings as both men hit the dirt at full force.
Only one got up. Wolf.
Josh Weston was a few steps behind Wolf and almost tripped over the men before he could stop. He glanced at the gunfighter, then at his captain. “What happened?”
“Arrest him.” Wolf shoved his toe against the man’s side. “When he wakes up, charge him with disturbing the peace. I’ll check on Molly and Callie Ann.”
Josh nodded as he grabbed the criminal’s arm and lifted him over one shoulder. It was too early in the morning to argue with the captain, but he tried. “This drunk will be out by noon on such a minor charge. If we made everyone in town serve time in jail for firing a weapon in the city limits we wouldn’t have room for all the criminals.”
Wolf showed no sign of listening as he dusted himself off.
Josh gave it another try. “And drinking is hardly unusual in Austin. The city fathers back in eighteen fifty had to pass an ordinance requiring their policemen to stay sober on the job.”
Wolf never looked back as he stepped onto the walk in front of the drugstore. “Molly!” he shouted in a voice that would have awakened anyone who slept through the gunfire.
When she didn’t answer, he jerked the door open. Callie Ann jumped into his arms and scrambled to his shoulder like an organ grinder’s monkey. “The man was shooting at us,” she cried. “He tried tokill us all.”
Wolf held her tightly. In her cotton gown, she looked even smaller than she had yesterday. “It’s going to be all right, Princess.”
Molly stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair was in a long braid, and she wore only a nightgown. She held herself as calmly and regally as a queen.
“I think the man was shooting at the bottles,” she said without emotion, slowly lowering the Navy Colt in her hand. “He wasn’t trying to harm us.”
Wolf glanced at the shattered glass scattered across the floor. He carried Callie Ann to the stairs and set her on the third step. “Run up there and get some shoes on,” he ordered. “The trouble’s over for now.”
Callie Ann began hopping up each step like a rabbit. “I’ll wash and comb my hair like I’m supposed to do before I come back down to breakfast.”
She disappeared around the landing. Wolf turned to Molly. “You’ll need shoes, too,” he teased.
When Molly turned her gaze toward him, all laughter died in his throat. Terror seemed to drown her where she stood.
“What is it?” he demanded.
She bolted suddenly, running across the glass-cluttered floor. “I have to check on Ephraim! Something’s wrong. He’s always ready with the rifle when there’s trouble.”
She didn’t have to say that Ephraim should have been there. Wolf had the feeling the old soldier had been present in every crisis of her life. His absence now seemed to suck the air from the room.
“Ephraim?” she called as she reached the curtain. “Ephraim, are you all right?”
Wolf pulled the curtain aside and glanced around. The tiny
The sound of gunfire suddenly echoed down the street from the direction of Molly’s place. The shots came in rapid fire, the way only a gunslinger knew how to fan a weapon. Wolf was out the door and running toward the drugstore before the other rangers could lift their Colts from the pegs by the door.
The men sounded like a herd of buffalo storming a canyon as they thundered down the street with Wolf in the lead.
The drunken gunslinger outside Molly’s store never saw the mountain of muscle coming. Wolf was airborne when he plowed into the man like a fully steamed train without brakes.
One round of gunfire, aimed skyward, resounded off the buildings as both men hit the dirt at full force.
Only one got up. Wolf.
Josh Weston was a few steps behind Wolf and almost tripped over the men before he could stop. He glanced at the gunfighter, then at his captain. “What happened?”
“Arrest him.” Wolf shoved his toe against the man’s side. “When he wakes up, charge him with disturbing the peace. I’ll check on Molly and Callie Ann.”
Josh nodded as he grabbed the criminal’s arm and lifted him over one shoulder. It was too early in the morning to argue with the captain, but he tried. “This drunk will be out by noon on such a minor charge. If we made everyone in town serve time in jail for firing a weapon in the city limits we wouldn’t have room for all the criminals.”
Wolf showed no sign of listening as he dusted himself off.
Josh gave it another try. “And drinking is hardly unusual in Austin. The city fathers back in eighteen fifty had to pass an ordinance requiring their policemen to stay sober on the job.”
Wolf never looked back as he stepped onto the walk in front of the drugstore. “Molly!” he shouted in a voice that would have awakened anyone who slept through the gunfire.
When she didn’t answer, he jerked the door open. Callie Ann jumped into his arms and scrambled to his shoulder like an organ grinder’s monkey. “The man was shooting at us,” she cried. “He tried tokill us all.”
Wolf held her tightly. In her cotton gown, she looked even smaller than she had yesterday. “It’s going to be all right, Princess.”
Molly stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair was in a long braid, and she wore only a nightgown. She held herself as calmly and regally as a queen.
“I think the man was shooting at the bottles,” she said without emotion, slowly lowering the Navy Colt in her hand. “He wasn’t trying to harm us.”
Wolf glanced at the shattered glass scattered across the floor. He carried Callie Ann to the stairs and set her on the third step. “Run up there and get some shoes on,” he ordered. “The trouble’s over for now.”
Callie Ann began hopping up each step like a rabbit. “I’ll wash and comb my hair like I’m supposed to do before I come back down to breakfast.”
She disappeared around the landing. Wolf turned to Molly. “You’ll need shoes, too,” he teased.
When Molly turned her gaze toward him, all laughter died in his throat. Terror seemed to drown her where she stood.
“What is it?” he demanded.
She bolted suddenly, running across the glass-cluttered floor. “I have to check on Ephraim! Something’s wrong. He’s always ready with the rifle when there’s trouble.”
She didn’t have to say that Ephraim should have been there. Wolf had the feeling the old soldier had been present in every crisis of her life. His absence now seemed to suck the air from the room.
“Ephraim?” she called as she reached the curtain. “Ephraim, are you all right?”
Wolf pulled the curtain aside and glanced around. The tiny
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