Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 38

BY THE TIME we get the Mayor out, half the crowd is angry, the other half is laughin' their asses off, but all are thirsty. We head back into my saloon and do a banner night, till someone gets the idea in their head to organize a posse. Someone else tells 'em he's done posse work before and it was a big waste of time. They come to the conclusion there's more to be gained by whorin' and drinkin', which is music to any saloon keeper's ears.

But someone else has been thinkin' things through and remembers me firin' two shots a few hours ago, while Bose was still under my care. I notice Rose is on the balcony, lookin' down on the proceedin's. Gentry's standin' next to her, lookin' very nervous.

Ben Dover stands up on his chair to publicly confront me. When he speaks, the crowd quiets down.

"What about them rats, Emmett?"

"What rats?"

"The ones Gentry claims you shot a few hours ago. From behind the closed door of the kitchen."

"What about 'em?"

"You have the carcasses?"

I grin. "Not on me!"

Some of the men chuckle. But not many.

"Well, I ain't accusin' you of shootin' your prisoner," Ben says, "but I'd like to see them carcasses. Wouldn't the rest of you?"

Some would and some don't care. Rose says, "I was there when he shot them. It's true."

Ben removes his hat and says, "Well, pretty lady, I'd never call you a liar, but that seems awful convenient, since I never saw you before in my life, and think I'd remember you if I had."

"She's a close friend," I say.

Ben smiles. "All the more reason for suspicion. No offense, Ma'am."

"The rats are in the garbage bucket," Rose says. "I put them there myself."

"And did you dump the garbage bucket somewhere?"

"It's still in the kitchen, by the door, far as I know," she says.

"Well, if there's a bullet hole in each of 'em, I guess we can get back to drinkin' soon enough," Ben says. "Someone fetch the garbage bucket."

I look up at Rose. I know she had two rats, and know that Bose shot at them. But his gun misfired both times. If they produce two rats with no bullet holes, I'm gonna have some problems.

Rose's face gives nothin' away, so I'm lookin' around, to see if there's a way for me to make a break for it.

There's not. The whole room is crowded.

Wing Ding brings the garbage box into the center of the room, pokes around in it, and holds up two gunshot rats.

"Sorry to question, you, Sheriff," Ben says. "Please forgive me."

He hands me back the cloth badge, and I put it in my pocket and say, "I'm just sorry he managed to claw his way out of my jail hole. I think I need to build a wooden frame around it before we toss the next prisoner in there."

"I'll be glad to help you!" Ben says, and hoists a glass. "To the Sheriff!" he yells.

Everyone toasts me. While that's happenin', I look up at Rose, and notice she's got a serious look on her face. Before I can work my way to the steps, I hear a scream from the other side of the room, and see Constance sittin' on the floor, with seventeen-year-old Charlie Stallings's head in her lap. He looks unconscious.

"What happened?" I shout.

"He poked the bear!"

"Is he dead?"

"No, but he's unconscious."

"What happened?"

"Someone dared him."

I frown. Charlie Stallings must be a chuckle head. First, one-eyed Mary Burns kicks his ass. Now Rudy. I look out over the crowd and yell, "Who dared him?"

Everyone looks around. Finally three men at a card table feebly raise their hands.

"That's a three dollar fine," I say.

"There's no sign about a fine!" One of 'em says.

I frown. "Constance?"

"Yes sir?"

"Post a sign that says no one can dare anyone to make music or poke the bear."

"How much is the fine?"

"Ten dollars!"

The crowd gasps.

"I'm serious!" I yell. "Don't poke the bear! And don't dare anyone else to!"

Then I climb the stairs to see what's got Rose lookin' so serious.