The Lawman

LUCKY SHOT

“Señor, I am sure you have taken the wrong attitude. We are not bandidos, we are just a little bit down on our luck. We would appreciate it if you could help us out.”

“No.”

Gold Tooth’s face went from amiable to stern.

“Señor, please, you are being insulting.”

“Not yet,” Decker said, “but I’ll be getting there soon if you and your friend don’t ride…now!”

“Ay-yay-yay-yay,” Gold Tooth said, shaking his head at the gringo’s folly.

His compadre was obviously watching Gold Tooth closely, for when the leader made his move for his gun, so did the other man.

Decker never even pulled his sawed-off, cut-down shotgun from its holster. He simply swiveled his holster up and fired that way. The cloud of double-o came out and spread just enough to catch both men. Had they remained side by side he might have missed one, but in moving back the second man had positioned himself not perfectly, but certainly more helpfully, giving the shot pattern time to spread. At the proper distance, a shotgun is simply a devastating weapon that not only kills, but disfigures and dismembers as well.