When he spotted Buckhorn shouldering his way through the crowd, the marshal’s frown fell away. Smiling, he said, “Here’s the man of the hour now. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Joe Buckhorn—not only a hired gun of wide renown, but well on his way to becoming one of the most feared potted-plant-slingers in the West.”
There was actually a smattering of applause from some of those present, thinking the marshal was truly being serious. Most of the others just looked a bit puzzled.
Unruffled by the good-natured rib, Buckhorn came to stand before the marshal and said, “I may quit carrying a six-gun altogether, soon as I’ve perfected a brace of holsters so’s I can pack a potted plant on each hip.”
Dahlquist’s expression turned serious.
“Well, you sure got the job done with one tonight,” he said for everybody to hear. “And you just may have saved my life in the process. For that I’m mighty grateful.”
“Trouble is,” Buckhorn said, gesturing to the shredded Stetson Dahlquist had retrieved from the middle of the street and now stood fidgeting with, “I wasn’t in time to save that fancy hat of yours.”
“This old thing?” Dahlquist said, continuing to worry the Stetson between his hands. “It was a gift from my late wife, just before she passed on. Special ordered from some fancy haberdashery in Dallas.” A lingering sadness touched his face for a moment before he realized it, and he quickly covered it with a wry twist of his mouth. “Anybody could see the blamed thing was a mile too big, but I didn’t have the heart to hurt her feelings by not wearing it. And after she was gone, well, I just kept on wearing it. Reckon I’ve got cause to buy one that fits proper now.”
“Reckon so,” Buckhorn agreed in a somber tone. “The right hat’s a serious thing for a man.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
WILLIAM W. JOHNSTONE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 300 books, including the series Preacher, the First Mountain Man, MacCallister, Luke Jensen, Bounty Hunter, Flintlock, Those Jensen Boys!, Savage Texas, Matt Jensen, the Last Mountain Man, and The Family Jensen. His thrillers include Tyranny, Stand Your Ground, Suicide Mission, and Black Friday.
Visit his website at www.williamjohnstone.net.
Being the all-around assistant, typist, researcher, and fact-checker to one of the most popular western authors of all time, J. A. JOHNSTONE learned from the master, Uncle William W. Johnstone.
The elder Johnstone began tutoring J.A. at an early age. After-school hours were often spent retyping manuscripts or researching his massive American Western History library as well as the more modern wars and conflicts. J.A. worked hard—and learned.
“Every day with Bill was an adventure story in itself. Bill taught me all he could about the art of storytelling. ‘Keep the historical facts accurate,’ he would say. ‘Remember the readers—and as your grandfather once told me, I am telling you now: Be the best J.A. Johnstone you can be.’”
A Reason to Die Page 29
