Texas Bluff

CHAPTER 49

Spills, Randolph, and Dennis had no other place to pick up Butler except at the White Elephant. They did not, however, get there in time to see him leave in the morning with Luke Short. So they were all surprised when they saw Butler and Luke Short come walking back in later in the day. Short was easy to recognize because of his hat and cane—and, in fact, Dennis had seen him before. Butler they recognized because he was with Short, and from the description Sutherland had given them.

“Okay, so now he’s back inside,” Randolph said to the other two. “What do we do now?”

“We could go in,” Spills said, “start an argument, gun ’im and get out.”

“Too much chance someone else will get involved,” Dennis said to them. “We gotta get ’im outside, when he’s alone.”

“He might be right,” Randolph said. “He’s gotta have friends in there.”

They were across the street and Dennis said, “We’ve got to wait in front of the place. We don’t wanna have to run across the street when he comes out.”

“Okay,” Randolph said, “let’s get over there. Me and Spills can stand on one side of the door, and you on the other.

Dennis had heard the stories about these guys doing everything together.

“That’s fine,” Dennis said. “Just don’t start firing until I do.”

He thought he might get an argument from the two of them, but they seemed perfectly satisfied with being told what to do.

As they crossed the street, though, Randolph did have one question.

“Whatta we do if he doesn’t come out tonight?”

“We’ll just have to deal with that if it happens,” Dennis said. “Right now let’s stick to this plan.”

“Okay,” Randolph said, “whatever ya say.”

“This is the damn part I hate again,” Short said, when he and Butler got inside.

“What part’s that?” Butler asked.

“The waiting.”

They were at the bar, each with a beer in front of them, but neither of them was really interested.

“I know what you mean, Luke,” Butler said. “It’s especially hard when you’re waiting to hear from somebody you don’t trust.”

“You didn’t buy what he was selling, either?”

“Not for a minute,” Butler said. “The man is a terrible liar, just like he’s a terrible bluffer at the table.”

“So why are we waiting?”

“Either way,” Butler said, “something’s going to happen. Either he’ll set Sutherland up, or he’ll try to set us up, or Sutherland will just come here for us.”

“I think I’d prefer the last,” Short said. “I like being on home ground.”

“Well, this is certainly your home, and downtown is Sutherland’s home ground.”

“So where’s your home ground?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have one,” Butler said. “For the time being, maybe I can just borrow yours.”