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The Culpeppers saw, and laughed.
«Hey, old man. She don’t want your dirty paws on her,» one of them said. «How about mine, darlin’? I washed ’em just last week.»
«Your hands ain’t no cleaner than mine, Beau,» said another Culpepper.
«Shut up, Clim,» Beau said. «Go find your own rag doll to fondle. I done found mine. Ain’t I, darlin’?»
Sha
But Whip could tell that she heard each word clearly. She was standing straighter than ever, and the generous lines of her mouth were drawn flat in fear or distaste.
I hope those boys have better ma
Murphy bit the ring again, grunted, and tucked it into the pocket of his greasy fla
«Your husband must’ve cleaned out his claims if this is all the gold you got left,» Murphy said.
«Ask him,» said Sha
Murphy grunted and the Culpeppers hooted.
«The bit of supplies your ring fetches won’t see you through a fortnight, much less a whole summer,» Murphy said.
«My husband is a fine shot, no matter what the game.»
Sha
Nor did she have to. The Culpeppers looked among themselves uneasily. Then Beau smiled like a Comanchero.
«Yeah, I keep hearing about what a fine shot your husband is,» Beau said. «But I ain’t neverseenhim shoot. Come to think on it, I ain’t never seen Silent John a’tall, and we been comin’ and goin’ from here nigh onto two years.»
As Whip made the co
«Silent John’s not sociable,» Sha
Her voice was thin, almost brittle. Not once had she turned to face the Culpeppers. It was as though she already knew who they were.
And what.
«Flour and salt,» she repeated to Murphy. «I would appreciate your getting them now that I’ve paid. It’s a long ride back to the cabin.»
«Sure enough is, especially on that old mule your husband fancies,» Murphy said indifferently. «Soon as I take care of that big stranger and the Culpeppers, I’ll see to your order.»
«I’m in no hurry,» Whip said. «See to the lady. She was here first.»
Murphy grunted, unimpressed by the stranger’s logic. The storekeeper looked at Sha
«You want to throw in a little something to sweeten the pot,» Murphy said to Sha
«My husband would be very disappointed in you.»
«So would I,» Whip said.
Murphy didn’t miss the warning. He bent beneath the counter, pulled out a shotgun, and slapped it on the scarred wooden countertop. The muzzle was pointed away from everyone, but Murphy’s hand wasn’t far from the trigger guard.
Whip smiled grimly. Murphy wasn’t the first man to mistake Whip for a wandering teamster and think a shotgun was faster than a bullwhip. That kind of misunderstanding was fine with Whip. Surprise would help to even the odds a bit.
But Whip still hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight. Four to one was about three too many as far as any careful man was concerned.
«Just fill the lady’s order,» Whip said calmly. «If those boys are in such an almighty rush, I’ll go to the back of the line.»
A quick flash of sapphire came as Sha
«Thank you,» she said.
«My pleasure, ma’am,» Whip said, touching the brim of his hat with a graceful motion.
Despite Whip’s politeness, Sha
Whip was startled by the disappointment he felt. Listening to Sha
«Hey, darlin’,» Beau said.
Sha
«Nice of her to show me the shape of her butt,» Beau said to no one in particular. «A mite narrow, but still enough to grab hold of so as not to get bucked off when the going gets rough.»
The Culpepper boys laughed as though Beau had said something fu
Sha
«Does Silent John do it to you that way, darlin’?» Beau asked. «Or does he bend you over the back of a chair and have at you like the randy old goat he is?»
Sha
Neither did Whip. He simply watched Beau, measuring the distance between Sha
Maybe the two of them will only add up to one man in a fight, Whip thought hopefully. In any case, I’ll start on the others first and leave those boys for last.
Murphy moved through the room as though wading in chest-deep mud, slowly putting together Sha
«Now, was it me,» Beau said, «I’d pull down those ragged trousers and grab a handful of —»
«Murphy!» Whip said clearly, cutting across Beau’s words. «No need to measure the salt a grain at a time. I want to be out of here before sundown.»
Beau gave Whip a hard look.
Whip smiled. Beneath his golden mustache the curve of his mouth was cold rather than reassuring, but Murphy was too far away to notice and the Culpeppers were looking only at Sha
«Don’t git yer water hot,» Murphy said from the other end of the room. «I’m movin’ fast as I can.»
«Move faster. The lady is in a hurry.»
Something in Whip’s voice made the Culpeppers turn and look at the fair-haired stranger.
Nothing had changed. He was still a big, easy-moving man with a bullwhip riding his right shoulder, a tolerant smile, and neither rifle nor revolver in sight. The Culpeppers each had belt guns, and no reluctance to use them.
«You better take Murphy’s advice, boy,» Beau drawled to Whip, «and don’t get your water hot for nothin’.»
As Beau spoke, his hand settled on his belt, just above the scarred wooden handle of his revolver.
«You’re big enough for two,» Clim said, «but we’re four to your one, we ain’t exactly tiny, and we’re packing guns.»
«I can see that,» Whip said.
It was all he said.
The Culpeppers muttered among themselves. They must have decided that the stranger was suitably cowed, because they began baiting Sha
«Why don’t you turn yourself around, darlin’?» Beau said. «As pretty as your butt is, I’d a damn sight rather look at your teats.»
«Yeah,» Clim said. «We been wonderin’ all winter what you’d look like without them men’s rags you always wear. Are your teats dark like old Betsy’s, or are they red like Clementine’s?»
«Clementine rouges hers,» muttered one of the Culpeppers. «And thet ain’t the only place she greases.»
«Hell you say, Darcy,» Clim retorted. «I done left enough tooth marks on them teats to know what’s real and what’s rouge.»
A small shudder went through Sha
Only Whip noticed, for only he was looking for a reaction from the silent girl.
Beau gets it first. Definitely. That boy’s ma
Whip took a step forward.
«No,» Sha
The Culpeppers didn’t hear Sha