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."Thank you, Sarah," Bullock said after she'd set her tray down on the table and stood beside him.Bullock noticed Clete looking her over good and then glanced at me, and I guess he seen I'd been doing about the same thing my pardner still was.Seth Bullock, instead of being mad, though, seemed pleased she interested us so.She turned to go, but Bullock caught her by the wrist and she stopped, just stood there.She took us each in slow, Clete and me, and then looked down, like she was shutting a door on us in her brain.After that, she kept her eyes glued on that silver tray."This is Sarah, gentlemen, my princess," Bullock said, pouring us each a glass of water to go with our whiskey.Reminded me of a man showing off his prize mare.He looked up at her face and then reached behind her and put his hand on the small of her back, but she didn't move when he did it."She lives here in the castle I built for her and never goes outside.Do you, dear?"I waited for her to speak, but after a few seconds it was clear she wasn't going to say nothing.Bullock let his hand slide down her back and it was pretty clear what he was doing there with her, though I couldn't exactly see.Clete noticed too, and he shifted some in his chair."Show the gentlemen your lovely hands, Sarah," Bullock said, and after a time she lifted them from her sides and held them out in front of her, palms down, though her eyes she kept on that silver tray.That girl's hands was something to see, all right, delicate and fine as they was, but I felt uncomfortable looking her parts over, right out in the open like that and she not even paying attention.Some of it was Bullock's way of showing them off, too.Clete glanced at the girl's hands, I saw, but he looked back at Bullock right away.He didn't seem to be enjoying the show no better than me, pretty as it was.That Sarah girl kept her hands held out in front of her, quivering a little, I noticed, and might of kept them there all night, I had the feeling, if Bullock hadn't of told her she could drop them."If you think that's something, look at this." He reached up and unbuttoned the collar of her long blue dress and then worked his way on down the front, unbuttoning those tiny pearl buttons.I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and her standing there so quiet and calm, almost like she was asleep with her eyes open."That's far enough," Clete said.Bullock looked at him real surprised."Why, I was about to offer you a taste of my choicest-""That's enough of that!" Clete yelled, standing up quick and knocking his chair over backwards into the bargain.Bullock looked froze, his hand still on that girl's buttons.After a minute he smiled and waved her away.She went back through that fancy archway as slow as she come out, fastening herself up as she went.I figured it probly wasn't the first time Bullock'd entertained his guests that way, and it probly wouldn't be the last, either.I just wondered how the show ended.I was just curious, you understand, and I felt about as low as a snake for being so."Sit back down, Shannon," Bullock said, that big mustache of his spread out over the lower part of his face, so you couldn't see much what his expression was."You're making too much out of nothing." He laid his hands flat on the table and waited for my pardner to do as he said.But Clete just stood there and glared at him.Chapter Twenty-oneAfter a minute, Clete pulled out his makings and rolled one, taking his time about it.Then he leaned over the lamp to light up, sucked the smoke in deep, and blew a big tobacco cloud across the table toward Bullock."I've had about all the entertainment here I have the stomach for.And I've burned all the time I intend to trying to get your help."Bullock stood up and faced Clete."Of course, Mr.Shannon.Come downstairs and rn see what I can do." I wondered how Sheriff Seth Bullock could just forget about that business with that girl Sarah so quick, but he appeared to close his mind on it like a banker slamming shut a big steel vault.He went to the stairs and we followed him down.At his desk, Bullock pulled a green ledger out of a drawer, flipped the pages 'til he come to the one he wanted and read for a minute."No, no claim registered under DuShane's name, as I expected.He's no miner-or speculator.This record is pretty accurate," he said, rapping the page with with his knuckles, all business."I could send someone around to check the hotel registrations-this week's.And your man here could read the hotels' books from last week and before, going backwards.A woman who works for me goes around every Friday and collects them.The hotel owners complain like hell because they have to keep two sets, but I just let them.I like to know who's come into my town and who's left." He got a tall stack of bigger books from a cabinet and dropped them on his desk."These things aren't exactly what you'd call reliable.Some places do pretty well, but others don't keep very good records–even though I threaten to close them down.Still, it's worth a try.I guess you realize how men drift in and out of here.Women too.It's a gold town, you'll recall.""Yeah, I know," Clete said."Abilene had a lot of saddle tramps, so I know you can't keep track of everyone.""Well, most of them I can," Bullock said, and it didn't sound like bragging."If they stay at a hotel or buy anything, that is." The sheriff put his book away and smiled at Clete."Have you eaten yet, Mr.Shannon?"Clete'd looked a little surprised when it appeared Bullock was going to help us, but being asked to dinner was more than he was set for."If you're buying, I'm eating," he said, sort of testing the water."We'll let the Merchant's Association buy your supper," Bullock said, then got his hat from the rack.He set that hat just so on his head whilst looking in a mirror, such a dandy he was."I will pay for my own meal, however.The President of the Merchant's Association must set a good example, especially if he has an election coming up." He done a little bow then."'ne hand scratches the other, you see? You'll describe the man you're looking for to the merchants and they'll have their clerks keep an eye out for him.Agreed?"Clete nodded."Agreed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]