Doc Holliday Must Die

 

The play continued into the night. Lady Luck ladled her charms from one player to the next. Which was not unusual as it seemed that they were evenly matched. In time quality will tell and the drover busted on a pair of sixes.  Mike Williams was the next to drop out as he had to walk the town  for the final patrol of the night. Since he had lost a fair amount nobody protested. That left the gunmen at the table. Hickok, Hardin, Doc and Ben Thompson made for a deadly game. Polite and soft spoken but deadly none the less. The only rub was the Thompson continually tried to goad Hardin into a conflict with the Marshal. He was subtle. Maybe too subtle because Hardin while a being a hot head did not bite at any of his provocations.

“Take two please” said Doc as he tried to match up a pair of deuces. He drew an Ace and a Queen. He looked up and saw a new girl walk down the stairs with a customer. She looked very familiar. Tall and pleasingly plump she had two proud breasts prominently displayed in low cut frock. As big and proud as they were they were nothing as compared to her regal proboscis. Her Regal Roman Nose gave her a strong and bold countenance. She seemed to him to be someone he knew from long ago. Where did he know her from?

He turned back to the table the play was to him and he had been raised five dollars so he folded. Thompson took the hand. Again. If he kept that up he might be the one to have a problem with Hardin. Men plan and God laughs.

While Hickok was shuffling the deck the girl came up to stand behind Thompson and put her hand on his shoulder. She looked over at Doc and smiled demurely. Well as demure as a woman with cum stains on her dress might be. “Helloooo sir” she purred in a strange accent. Suddenly Doc remembered. That was Russian. No Hungarian. “Hello Mrs. Melvin. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Mrs. Melvin? Who the hell is that?” Marshall Hickok chuckled. “This here is Big Nose Kate that Ben was telling you about young Mr. Hardin.” “Pleased to make your acquaintance Ma’am” Hardin murmured politely as he stared at his cards. The game required his concentration and he wasn’t going to get sidetracked. There was time to fuck. Time to play cards. He liked to do them one at a time.

Doc looked at the young woman’s face and saw the plea in her eyes. “I must be mistaken Ma’am pardon me for my clumsiness. You remind me of someone I knew back in Missouri. I beg your pardon for my confusion.” “Yes I am sorry but I do not know you sir” she said in a soft Hungarian accent. “But I would like to.” She smiled at him and walked away.

“Looks like she likes you Holliday” said Thompson. “Course she likes most anybody with a dollar and a dick but still she seems to taken a fancy to you. Maybe she has a bad tooth.”

Doc looked up from his cards and squinted at Thompson. The free flowing tension  in the air had seemed to turn its attention to him. He would play it smooth. No need from trouble. He couldn’t shoot his landlord before he even moved in.

“That‘s possible Ben. Once I set up my office I will be able to accommodate her. In whatever her needs may be.” “Can we play cards” snapped Hardin. He had lost the last four hands and was getting increasingly out of sorts. “The deal is to you Holliday.” “Yes it seems that it is” said Doc. He smoothly gathered up the cards and started his shuffle. It might be a good idea to stack the deck so the young gunman could win a hand or two. Otherwise it might come to a cartridge affair when it need not.

There was a commotion at the bar. Two disreputable patrons pushed each other. One of them reached out and grabbed Big Nose Kate's breast and pulled it out of her dress. She hauled off and slugged him. Right in the eye. He slugged her right back and knocked her to the floor and drew back his leg to kick her. The other miscreant grabbed him to stop him and they struggled against the bar.

 

All the players had risen from their seats. Thompson started to walk over but Hickok put out his hand to stop him. “This is my play Ben” he said. He hustled over to interpose himself between the two drunks and the girl. Doc was right behind him and helped the soiled dove to her feet. She was beside herself. So much so that she didn’t notice that her teat was still outstanding. Although most of the men in the bar noticed. They all thought it was outstanding.

“I told you before McCall that I wasn’t going to put up with your shit. Abusing the whores is no way for a man to act. Let’s go I am taken’ you in.” “Fuck you Hickok she deserved it. She’s just a fuckin’ whore and whores deserve what they get.” “McCall I can’t believe you would talk such. What would your mother say?” “Why would she care?” “Why she would be upset that you were denigrating her profession.”

McCall was dumb so it took him a minute to understand the insult. Being as he was also stupid he decided to go for his gun. Unfortunately for him his piece was a dog leg pistol as big as a horses cock. He kept it in his belt because it made him feel like a big man. He took the gigantic single action gat out and brought it up so slowly you could time it with a sundial. When he had it half way up Hickok palmed his left hand Colt and shot him dead.

“Damn it Hickok why did you have to kill the dummy” said Phil Coe who had rushed out of the office when he heard the shot. "You can't go shooting my custom." “He had it coming Phil” said Thompson. “He was abusing the whores and he drew first. The Marshal saved me the trouble.” “No trouble Ben. Stepping on a bug. That’s my job.”

Deputy Williams burst in through the doors leveling a shotgun at the crowd. “Calm down Mike all the festivities are over. Get a couple of these fellas and take McCall down to corpse tenders. Gentlemen I guess we will call it a night. I reckon a killing always puts a damper on an evening.”

The players all agreed and took their money from the table. Hickok nodded at them and walked away. Hardin and Holliday watched him as he strode away.

“Damn he was fast” said Hardin. He shook his head with a sense of admiration and not a little envy. “He did that right slick. Couldn’t have done any better my ownself.” “Something to think about John Wesley” said Doc. “Something to consider when somebody is pushing you into something you might not be planning to do.” Hardin gave Doc the side eye. “You caught that too. Ben seems to think he can get me to draw on Hickok. It ain’t gonna happen. Not in this life. Why look for trouble when there is no need. Besides it looks like Coe is first in line.” “He might be at that” said Hickok. “Goodnight John Wesley.” “Same to you John. I think I will have a last drink and make the acquaintance of one these fine ladies. The night is young.”

As Doc walked toward the door he glanced over to Kate. She had repaired her dress and looked at him. She nodded. Barely. Doc winked at her and headed out into the night. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

 

He might even have to pull a tooth.