"You'd better hope n.o.body shoots him in the back," Luke said. "If they do, the sheriff will come after you."

Blade whipped around, directing a malevolent glare at Luke.

"It's going to be all over the county before nightfall," Luke said. "Everybody's going to know that Blade Royal was afraid to face that man."

"He was lying!" Blade shouted. "I never had to shoot anybody from behind. Billy can tell you" He stopped, apparently remembering that he'd already admitted what he'd done to Luke. "It'll be my word against his," Blade said. "n.o.body will believe him."

Luke didn't say anything. They'd reached the ranch house. Lantz had seen his son ride up holding his arm, blood visible on his hand. He came roaring out of the house like a bull after a wolf.

"What happened?" he demanded. He didn't spare more than a fleeting glance for Billy Mason.

"Your son ran into a little trouble," Luke said when n.o.body answered.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Somebody faster than he was."

"Was it rustlers? By G.o.d, I'll hire more gunfighters. I'll hire a hundred if I have to."

"It wasn't rustlers," Luke said, "and he wasn't on his own land. You ordered him to run off the Spring Water riding stock." Together Luke and Lantz got Blade out of the saddle and up the steps. The other men had taken advantage of the chance to disappear by taking the horses back to the corral.

"Then who was it? Is there some gang operating in the area?"

"Let's get Blade inside," Luke said. "He's got to be feeling pretty bad. I'll tell you all about it while we clean him up."

"I want to know now," Lantz said as he helped his son into the house and over to the large sofa that was the centerpiece of the enormous living room. "Do you know who it was?"

"Yes."

"How many of them were there?"

"One."

Lantz stopped long enough to yell for the cook to bring hot water, bandages, and plenty of whiskey. "I don't believe it. One man couldn't take both Blade and Billy."

"I saw it. So did the rest of the boys. They'll tell you the same thing."

The cook hurried in. He must have seen them ride up because he'd already laid out bandages. Blade reached for the whiskey bottle and took a big swallow.

"Go easy on that, boy," Lantz said. "I want to know what happened."

"Let your hired killer tell you," Blade said, his expression surly as he took a second swallow.

Lantz looked from his son to Luke and back again. "What's going on here?"

"Blade tried to kill Bob Jordan's older boy. A man from the Spring Water stopped him."

"I wasn't going to kill him," Blade said. "I was just trying to teach him a lesson."

"The boy was down on the ground with your bullet in him when I rode up," Luke said. "You were taunting him, trying to force him to draw. Are you telling me you wouldn't have shot him if he had drawn?"

Blade took refuge in another swallow of whiskey.

"Blade wouldn't do that," Lantz said. "That boy's only fourteen."

"I'm telling you what I saw," Luke said.

"And Billy?"

"The man called them both liars. Blade and Billy drew at the same time. The other guy drew faster."

"I don't believe it. n.o.body can beat Blade."

"I can."

"But you're a gunfighter."

"Maybe this man is, too."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know." It was a lie, but the truth could get both Chet and him killed.

"Where is he?"

"I imagine he's at the Jordan ranch. He took the boy home."

"See to him," Lantz ordered the cook. "Come with me. I'll get the boys. We'll go after him right now."

"There's a little bit more you ought to hear."

"Later."

"Now."

Lantz stopped and turned, an ugly look on his face. "You ordering me?"

"Let's say I'm offering some advice you'd be wise to take."

Lantz turned back to his son. "What the h.e.l.l is this all about?"

But Blade was sinking into an alcohol- and pain-induced oblivion. He didn't even look at his father.

"Okay, spill it fast. I'm worried about Melody. No telling what a man like that would do."

"You'd better start worrying about things closer to home."

Lantz didn't like that. "What do you mean? And you'd better tell me everything this time."

"A few days ago, Blade and Billy met a man riding across your range. He was riding a Jordan horse, so they stopped him. He said his horse was worn out, that he'd borrowed one at the Jordan ranch. Blade let him start down the trail, then shot him from behind."

"You're lying," Lantz said. He started to swing at Luke. He stopped when he saw the gun in Luke's hand. "n.o.body works for me who's ever pulled a gun on me."

"I don't like fighting," Luke said. "This saves a lot of trouble."

"You called my son a back-shooter."

"I found that man," Luke said. "Shortly afterward Melody Jordan drove up. The horse had returned home and she'd come to see what happened. When I found him, Blade admitted doing it."

Lantz frowned. "Why would Blade shoot him if he was just riding through?"

"For fun, the same way he was taunting that Jordan boy."

"What was that kid doing out there?"

"Trying to get the man who'd killed Tom Neland."

Lantz looked really startled now. "The h.e.l.l you say! Who killed Neland?"

"Blade." "I don't believe you."

"Wasn't he supposed to when he ran off the Jordan horses?"

"h.e.l.l, no. I just wanted to put some more pressure on Melody. Tom Neland is a good man."

"Was a good man. Blade set up an ambush and killed him. If Tom hadn't gone in ahead by himself, a lot of others would have been killed."

"I don't believe you."

"Ask the boys."

"I will."

Lantz stormed out of the room. Luke looked over at Blade. "How bad is it?" he asked the cook. Blade was snoring.

"It went through his shoulder. That guy came close to killing him."

"That man can put a hole in a nickel. If he'd wanted to kill Blade, he'd be dead."

The cook regarded Luke suspiciously. "You said you didn't know him."

"I've heard about him. He's deadly."

"Does the boss know he's that good?"

"He soon will."

"I'm not going to be here when he finds out," the cook said. He looked back at Blade. "He's a bad one. It would have broken his mother's heart to see what he's become."

"Maybe he'd have been different if she had lived."

The man shook his head. "She never had any say. It was always Mr. Royal." The cook gathered his bandages and picked up the basin of water. "Always wanted him to be tough, just like him. They say people get what they ask for." He shook his head again and left the room.

Luke rolled a cigarette and smoked it. He was rubbing out the stub in the fireplace when Lantz came back into the house.

"I never meant for Blade to kill anybody," he said, "but that's not going to stop me from going after that man. I've told the boys to saddle up. I want you with me."

"Maybe you'd better think about a few things first."

"That man shot my son. I'm going after him."

"Are you prepared for a b.l.o.o.d.y fight? He saved the Jordan boy's life. I doubt they'll be willing to hand him over to you."

"Belle Jordan wouldn't"He stopped.

"You're getting ready to kill a man just because he wouldn't let Blade kill Sydney in cold blood. After he'd already killed Tom Neland. Don't you think Belle and her crew might want to get even? And what about this man? He's obviously a gunfighter. Have you considered that he might be working for the Spring Water?"

"She wouldn't."

"Why not?"

"She's a woman."

Luke didn't bother to tell Lantz that in his experience, women were a lot more vengeful than men. "Then consider this. Blade shot this man from behind. He stole the Jordans' horses, set up an ambush, killed Tom Neland, and nearly killed the Jordan boy. You can't deny it. There are too many witnesses. If Belle or that man manage to get him into a court of law, he'll hang. People don't take back-shooting kindly. They're even less happy about killing boys. And Neland's killing was the same as murder."

"None of the boys will testify against him. n.o.body would believe a stranger." "Don't be too sure, especially since he risked his life to go after that boy. Then there's Melody Jordan."

"She's only a woman."

"I told her what that man told me when I found him. I'd almost certainly be called to testify."

"But you work for me."

"You hired my gun. Nothing more."

"Then you kill him. You don't have to do it at the ranch. Wait until he leaves if you want, but kill him."

"There are two reasons why I shouldn't do that. First, Blade has tried to kill this man twice. If he's killed, everybody's going to know either you or Blade is responsible. You'd be arrested."

"The sheriff wouldn't dare."

"If the Jordan ladies demanded it, he wouldn't have any choice."

"What's your other reason?"

"I'm a hired gun, not an a.s.sa.s.sin."

"I don't see the difference."