Texas Bluff

CHAPTER 19

Now that Butler was on salary, Short offered him a room in the White Elephant, but he declined.

“I like where I am, and now that you’re paying me it’s almost like you’re footing the bill.”

“You’ve got a point,” Short said.

When they finished their meal they walked into the saloon.

“I’ve got to go upstairs and make sure everything is running smooth,” Short said.

“I’ll be around,” Butler said. “I don’t think you need me to be up your ass right now.”

“No,” Short said. “We’ve got Victor on the door. You met Victor, right?”

“Oh, right. He locked up after us. We thought he was asleep, but…”

“That’s Victor,” Short said. “He’s a lot more observant than people give him credit for.”

“How’s he with a gun?”

“Fair,” Short said, “just fair. But you can count on him in a fight.”

“Good to know. Anybody else?”

“I made sure our bartenders were good at more than just pouring drinks. Jerry you met, one of the others is Billy Catlett. Look to either of them if anything goes wrong.”

“Okay,” Butler said. “One more thing. Who’s the law in town?”

“That’d be Jim Courtwright,” Short said. “They call him Long-haired Jim. He and I don’t get along real good, but he seems to do his job.”

Short went up to the casino and Butler walked to the door, where Victor was still sitting like last time he’d seen him.

“I hear you’re on the payroll,” Victor said. “Glad to have ya.”

He put out his hand and Butler shook it.

“Heard you’re pretty good with a deck of cards,” Victor said. “But how about a gun?”

“I get by.”

“That’s good, because ain’t worth shit with a hogleg. Can’t hit the side of a barn.”

“We all have our strengths,” Butler said.

“Yeah, mine’s noticin’ things,” Victor said, “and breakin’ heads.”

“I’ll keep that in mind if I need any heads broken,” Butler said. “What do you know about the sheriff, Jim Courtwright?”

Victor made a face.

“Don’t like ’im, but I don’t get along much with any law, so ya can’t go by me.”

“Let me know when he comes in, will you?” Butler asked. “Or anybody else you think looks a little suspicious.”

“I know most of Ed Cramer’s men,” Victor said. “I see any of them, should I stop ’em?”

“Yes,” Butler said, “and then see if you can find Luke or me.”

“Gotcha,” Victor said. “Good to have you on board, Butler.”

Butler left Victor at the door and made a circuit of the room. He didn’t know what he was looking for, except maybe something out of the ordinary. The penny-ante gamblers were throwing away their money, concentrating half on the game and half on drinking or flirting with the saloon girls.

Butler didn’t have a title, but he figured Short had signed him on as a troubleshooter. When he wasn’t playing in a poker game—like now, when there was no high-stakes game—he figured he’d just keep his eyes open.

At one point he ran into Bill Ward, who also seemed to be walking the floor, making sure everything was going along smoothly.

“Butler.”

“Mr. Ward.”

“Naw, naw,” Ward said. “Since you’re on our payroll now, you can just call me Bill. Seen Luke?”

“Last I saw him he was going upstairs.”

Ward shook his head.

“He loves it up there,” Ward said.

“Looks like you picked the right partner.”

“You and Luke just met, right?” Ward asked.

“That’s right.”

“Heard you had a little blow up with Ed Cramer today. Luke start that?”

“Luke was just sitting at a table talking to Cramer when a fella with a gun came down the stairs.”

“Was he wearing it?”

Butler shook his head.

“Had it in his hand.”

“There was no shooting?”

Was Ward double-checking the facts that Luke Short had given him?

Butler shook his head.

“I took it away from him.”

“Then what?”

“Then Luke warned Cramer to keep his people away from here,” Butler said. “Bill, are you checking to see if my story matches up with Luke’s?”

“No, no,” Ward said. “Well, maybe. Luke’s been known to play fast and loose with the truth when it suits him. He’s done wonders for this place, really brought the gaming part to life, but…”

“Trouble follows him?”

“I’m afraid so,” Ward said, “and I’m afraid Luke doesn’t know how to back away from it.”

“Bill, for men like Luke Short, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp—”

“You?”

“I’m not in that company,” Butler said. “But for men like them, backing away from trouble isn’t an option. They tend to meet it head on.”

“My point exactly,” Ward said. “I think push is going to come to shove between Luke and Ed Cramer, or Luke and Jim Courtwright. I just hope Luke comes out of it okay when it happens.”

“And doesn’t drag you and the White Elephant down?”

“I know that’s the last thing Luke would ever do—” Ward said.

“You’ve got that right.”

“—on purpose.”