Free A Frontier Christmas by William W. Johnstone Page B

with twelve men and three other women.
    The men paid their way by rustling cattle or holding up stagecoaches and robbing stores. The women paid their way by providing their services to the men.
    Bad Eye Sal leaned over the table. “Dingo, I want to leave this place.”
    â€œWhere would you go if you left?”
    â€œI’d probably go to St. Louis. I have a sister there.”
    â€œDoes she know you’ve been whorin’?”
    â€œI expect she does. But I’m her sister, so that won’t make any difference.”
    Dingo grinned. “You’re right about that. It won’t make any difference, ’cause you ain’t goin’ nowhere, woman. You ain’t leavin’ Sidewinder Gorge.”
    â€œI promise you, I’ll not tell anyone about this place. I’ll go far away, where nobody has ever heard of you.”
    â€œI told you, you ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
    Bad Eye Sal frowned. “You can’t keep me here against my will.”
    â€œThe hell I can’t. You belong to me. All four of you belong to me, bought and paid for.”
    â€œWe might be for your pleasure, but we ain’t bought and paid for. What’s to keep us from just walkin’ out of here?”
    â€œWhat’s to keep you from walkin’ out? A bullet in the head ought to do a pretty good job of it,” Dingo said with an evil laugh.
    Rawhide Buttes
    The large convoy made quite a stir when it arrived in town late that afternoon. Marshal Craig had wired ahead to Marshal Worley, advising him as to how many would be arriving, so the citizens of Rawhide Buttes had set up a wagon park to accommodate the wheeled vehicles. Room had been made in the livery stable to receive all the horses.
    There was not enough hotel space to provide rooms for all the arrivals, so the citizens of the town opened up their homes to the visitors. Mark Worley, the town marshal, hosted Duff, while Meagan was hosted by Cora Ensor, who also owned a dress shop.
    â€œIt will be a sad Christmas for Rawhide Buttes,” Marshal Worley told Duff that evening. “John and his whole family had many friends in town.”
    â€œDo you have any leads on where the ones who did it might have gone?” Duff asked.
    â€œI heard that they may have been seen up in Millersburgh, but that don’t seem all that likely to me.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œIt’s too close to Rawhide Buttes. I’d think they would want to get farther away.”
    â€œPerhaps they don’t realize that we know they’re the ones who did it,” Duff suggested.
    â€œI’m sure they know by now. Their names have been in just about every newspaper in the entire state.”
    â€œNevertheless, after the funeral tomorrow, I think I’ll ride up to Millersburgh and see if I can get a lead on them.”
    â€œI would offer to deputize you,” Marshal Worley said, “but I’ve got no authority up there, so me deputizin’ you wouldn’t do any good.”
    â€œNo need,” Duff said. “I contacted Sheriff John Martin down in Cheyenne. He is going to send a warrant, by telegram, for me to be sworn in as a deputy sheriff. That will give me the all the authority I need.”

    â€œYou have a very nice dress shop here, Cora,” Meagan said after Cora had shown her around.
    â€œNothing like yours,” Cora replied.
    â€œYes, but you’re just getting started. It takes a while to get it just the way you want.”
    â€œI had counted on Christmas helping me get started this year, but with this business about Mr. Guthrie and his whole family getting killed, I don’t know.”
    â€œChristmas may be just what people need to help them get through this,” Meagan said. “I’ve got an idea. Suppose after the funeral, I go back home, gather up a lot of dresses, then come back and help you get your store ready for Christmas?”
    â€œYou would do