Protecting Hickok by Bill Brooks

Author:Bill Brooks [Bill Brooks]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061748257
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Pretty soon he came back to the tent, beads of sweat riveted to his forehead and a cool wind starting to chase after the shadows.

“I know something bad’s going on with you, Bill,” Alice said. “What is it?”

“I got married, Alice. But it ain’t a bad thing, I reckon.”

He could see it took her breath away, and he offered her a bucket to sit on and said, “No use getting all melancholy on me. It’s done and can’t be undone.”

“Who’d you marry, Bill?”

“Agnes Lake—the circus lady.”

Alice ran it through her mind, that name, tried to put a face with it. The only one she could see was one that was plain and older by several years than Bill.

“That doughty widow came to Abilene that time with lions and horses and trick shot artists?”

“Now I’ll take your description of her as just a case of simple jealousy, Alice. I know you aren’t in your right thinking so I’ll overlook it this once.”

Alice began to shed tears, but Bill knew them to be of the crocodile variety for he’d seen them shed before.

“You’ve not been in your right head since you shot Phil Coe that night,” she sobbed.

“Phil Coe didn’t have nothing to do with it.”

“Yes it did, Bill. Yes it did.”

Alice grew inconsolable, as she always did when drunk. Bill figured to let her air out, get sober again and get in her right mind. Instead of running her off like he knew he oughter, he told her she could put her valise and herself in the tent for that night but come the next day she’d have to find new quarters. He tried to pass it off that Charley would not care much to find a woman in his tent when he returned. Of course, Charley would probably be delighted to find a female in his tent, and especially one as bosomy as Alice. Bill wandered into town feeling lower than the run-down boot heels of a Texas cowboy. A good poker game was what would cure his mood. He headed for the Gold Room.

Teddy had stayed off a little ways and seen the whole thing. He didn’t want to be underfoot of Bill but rather to gain his confidence slowly while maintaining an aura of casualness. He saw the woman talking to Bill, saw Bill walk off toward the trees then return, and saw them talking some more before Bill meandered off toward town looking less noble than he usually looked.

He angled in from his position of observation and fell in step with Hickok.

“I was just on my way over to your camp to see if you wanted to join me for supper.”

“That’s a good idea,” Bill said. “I don’t suppose you could stake me to some poker money after?”

“Yes, I could stake you say twenty dollars.”

“Twenty oughter do it. I’ll have it doubled in half an hour.”

Charley had not mentioned Bill’s skill with the picture cards, but Teddy figured it must not be very good for he was always getting Charley or someone other to stake him to a game.

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