Free Buchanan Says No by Jonas Ward

fist-fighter something. . . ."
    "Drink this ,” Power said, handing him a tumbler of whisky. "It'll clear your head." Sandoe drained the glass.
    “Now I want yo u to listen," Power went on. "Do we have a deal or don't we? Are you a gunfighter or some punk drifter?"
    "You know what I am ,”
    "Then start acting like one. How much money did you
    Make out of Moose Miller? How much do you think I'm going to pay you to go gunning for Buchanan when there's somethin g more important that I want you to do?"
    S an doe said nothing.
    "A l l right, then!" Power jerked his head to the money sack he had carried inside. "This is the payroll for the crew. Ride it out to Durfee pronto."
    San doe looked at it. "A dime for every dollar they got coming”
    "Right. And it's your job to see they take it and like it.”
    " W hat about the herd?"
    The buyer will take possession when I tell him it's peac eful out there. That's what you're going to tell me."
    “I’ll tell you," Sandoe said, hefting the sack.
    “ I ’ve got a fast bay tied out back," Power said, opening th e door. "Don't spare it getting to Indian Rocks."
    "Give me fifteen minutes for grub."
    “ N o more than that," Power said impatiently. He s ho ved a folded piece of paper into the pocket of Sandoe's shirt. "Show that to Durfee by way of explaining things."
    They l eft the office, Sandoe turning to the rear entrance, Pow er walking toward the front of the place. He found h is partner and Grieve in conversation at the turn of the bar and stopped beside them.
    "Sorry about what happened, Bernie," he said, no sor row evident in his voice. "One of those things that couldn't be avoided."
    "I think it could, Frank," Troy answered.
    Power smiled. "This isn't New York State," he said.
    "No," Troy agreed. "It's Bella. A nice closed town until l ast night.
    "Still closed, Bernie. Right, Marshal?"
    "I hope so," Grieve said, frowning. "Between the two of them, those drifters have cut into the enforcement of any deadline."
    "You'll have Sandoe to side you by nightfall"
    "From what I've heard in here," Grieve said, "I'll take the other one."
    Power's face tightened. "That one's no good to you or to me," he said. "He's what I'd call an undesirable." ·
    "Little Joe doesn't think so. He and his friends bailed him out."
    "Little Joe and his friends count for nothing in this town," Power said. "If that Buchanan character is still in Bella when Sandoe gets back, I want the two of you to r u n him out." Having given one order, he turned his at tention to Bernie Troy. "And next time you see a man betting what isn't his, I'd appreciate your shutting down the game."
    Now Troy smiled. "I didn't know Boyd Weston was as sociated with you in a business way," he said.
    "I'll make it a point to keep you better informed," Power told him, and abruptly moved away from them and out of the place.
    He crossed to Bella House, irritated with his partner, with Grieve, with the almost regular emergence of the nobody named Buchanan into every conversation. In thirty seconds last night, at the door of Ruby's room, he had had as much of Buchanan as he wanted in a lifetime.
    Thinking of Buchanan reminded him of another trou blemaker he had known in the Army. It was some years ago, but this other man ? Lieutenant Hamlin, had Bu chanan's mulish stubbornness when he had hold of some thing he thought was right. Major Power would never forget Hamlin ’s daily carping about the shortages at the quartermaster's depot, the sale of whisky to the goddam Indians, and the charges against Sergeant Major Durfe e th at made old Bill forgo a stinking court-martial and ac cep t a dishonorable discharge.
    Hamlin hadn't had the gall to poke his nose any further mo that business, but word must have got back to Wash ing ton, because he was ordered almost immediately to s up port to Colonel Kearney, at Santa Fe, and that meant com bat duty. Worse, the orders were addressed to Cap tain Power, ignoring the temporary majority he'd been