The Last Hand

I stopped at the door of the saloon to see what was in front of us.  There were a couple of cowboys at a table on the left. McMasters went to join them.  Three vaqueros from my ranch were seated behind them.  Juan glanced up and caught my eye. He nodded. 

On the right was a poker game that seemed to be very tense. It had the dealer, a whiskey drummer,  Bill White from the Double W and what looked like a corpse. A corpse that kept coughing into a soiled lace handkerchief.  That must be Earp's partner. Doc Holiday. Some people called him a gunfighter.  A pistolero.  But when you looked in his eye you saw one thing. Death. He was a killer. Pure and simple.

Earp was at the bar. Burly and dark with a bushy mustache and a soiled suit. He looked like what he was. Crooked. Greedy. A pimp.  Well worse than a pimp. A politician. 

We eased into the saloon. Tell went to sit opposite the game and Cap hung by the door. Everyone looked up as we walked in and I am sure as hell that they all noticed the scatter gun that Cap held low at his hip. Sometimes you don't have to say much when it is right plain out there for you to see.

"Evening Marshal" drawled Earp. He seemed awful arrogant for a man in my town. No matter how many guns he might have, he would always be outgunned in a Sackett town. It might call for him to step a little lightly. But that was not what the man would do. You see he was an asshole. "Sorry I didn't go to your office but I thought we might make this friendly if we could. Less official so to speak."

I walked over to the bar. "I think official might be the way we might best handle this Earp. I heard about the doings down Tombstone these past months. So I have no use for a personal vendetta here in my town.  If you have warrants to serve you can serve them. But no gun play where an innocent could get hurt. You hear me son."

"Whose to say whose an innocent Sackett? You?" 

"Everybody is an innocent until the jury convicts them Earp. I ain't  planning to let you gun down Curley Bill or Ike or even Ringo. Not that any of them are in town. Or have been seen here in New Mexico in months.  Nobody is gonna get gunned unless it is me doing it.  Sabe amigo?"

Suddenly there was a commotion at the poker table. Holiday had started hacking and wheezing and spitting and carrying on. I couldn't tell if he was coughing or laughing or dying. It turned out he was laughing.

"I guess you can't buffalo Tyrel Sackett the way you always do Wyatt.....ha, ha,ha....you might have to do it legal this time."

A gleam of amusement sparked in Earp's eye.  "I always keep it legal Doc. Or legal enough. No problem sheriff.  We will just stay the night and load up some supplies and be on our way in the morning. Thank you for your consideration."

"Consideration you can have just realize there ain't no slack in the reigns.  Have a good night. Gentlemen."

I turned and walked out of the saloon.  Cap followed but William Tell stayed behind to keep an eye on situation.  I knew it wouldn't be so simple.

The Last Hand

We were sitting in the  office having a cup of coffee that Cap had just brewed. It  was a quiet night in Mora. I was thinking about getting ready to ride out to the ranch when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said as Cap and Tell positioned themselves to bracket the door. You never who would be coming in and you want to ready if they come in guns a blazing.

A long rawboned  drover covered in dust walked in. He looked at us and saw how Cap and Tell had moved to bracket the entrance and realized he was covered three ways from Sunday. But I don't think he was looking for trouble.

"Marshall Sackett, my name is Sherman McMasters and I am here with a posse. Marshal Earp is in the Lucky Lady and he asks if he might palaver with you for a spell."

"Marshal Earp. Would that be Wyatt  Earp?"

"Yessir. He is on the trail of some miscreants out of Tombstone in Arizona Territory. The Clantons, Curly Bill and such. Has warrants on all of them.”

"Don't say" piped up my brother William Tell from the corner where he was rolling a smoke with that Vigginy tobacco he favored. " I knew Curly Bill. Rode with him. He was a hell raiser but no more than most. What kind of warrant does Earp have on him?"

"Murder. For the murder of Morgan Earp."

"So it's personal" I said as I stood up from behind the desk. "I don't reckon I want personal grudges to be settled on my streets. That's not how it works. Your friend Earp is riding high by summoning me like the clerk in the haberdashery. But I always heard his was a high hatted son of a bitch."

"Don't get riled now Tyrel" cautioned Cap who is always the voice of reason. "Earp wrangled a badge so he must have some politicians behind him.  You need to be calm."

"No worries Cap. I am as calm as can be. Lets go down and talk to him. I want to get on home to Drusilla."