Hello, Crescent! When did you leave the Horseshoe outfit, and when are you going back? asked ___?___.
Im going back when I get good and ready, and not before, replied the outlaw.
___?___said, in his quiet way, Crescent, I am marshal here. Dont let the setting sun find you on this town site.
Ill be here after the sun goes down, all right, the outlaw answered.
Dont do it, Crescent, thats all, ___?___ warned.
That night ___?___ and I strolled down an avenue between two rows of tents, toward the Buckhorn, a saloon and dance-hall under canvas, lighted by six large coal-oil lamps. As we neared it Crescent Sam stepped out of its door holding a six-shooter.
He fired twice at the moon and wailed: Im a wild wolf and its my night to howl! If theres a hombre in this mans town can send me home till Im ready to go, Id like to see the color of his hair.
At that moment he spied ___?___, and for a second or two they stood and eyed each other, ___?___ with a six-shooter in his hand, ready, and the outlaw with his.
Crescent fired first, from the hip. ___?___ fired so soon after that the two reports sounded almost like one. The outlaw fell. ___?___ blew the smoke from the barrel of his gun, shoved in another cartridge, raised his left arm and examined a whole where the bullet from Crescents gun had gone through both coat and shirt, and then stepped over to where the dead bandit lay.
He looked down at him and said, Poor fool! He belonged to a day that is passing. Today a new Oklahoma was born, and the day is coming when it will be a crime to even carry a gun.
(From The Bad Man of the West by George Hendricks)
