Protection

Chapter 3

　I did a little updating to the prologue, so you can check it out if you want. Nothing major, though:)

　

　

　

　

　

{Chapter 3}

Clint groaned at the town of Plateau, Arizona. He had no idea what he was doing here or why he was even trying to figure it out. Something had driven him to come to this town and Sherman Cooper, but he had no idea what.

Clint didn’t like not knowing.

He needed to make it out to the Dottie Belle Ranch as quick as possible. He shook his head when he thought of that name. What masculine man in his right mind would name his ranch that? Maybe he let his little girl name it. That was what Clint chose to believe.

Pulling up in front of a store where two old men sat playing checkers, Clint leaned down from where he sat atop his horse.

“Can one of you direct me to the Dottie Belle Ranch?” Clint asked.

One old man pushed his spectacles farther up his nose and glared at him. “The Dottie Belle, you say?”

Clint nodded.

“The what?” the other man asked, nearly yelling.

“The Dottie Belle Ranch!” the first old man said to him loudly.

“Oh-h,” the second man drew out the word. “I see.”

“You head south out of town and in about three day’s time, you’ll run into it,” the first man explained.

Clint sighed. He’d ridden father.

“Three days, you say?” he asked.

“Wha-a-t?” The second man bellowed.

“He asked if it was a three days’ ride!” the first yelled in an answered.

“Oh-h.”

“This here’s Clint Slade, that gunfighter I was tellin’ ya about!” the first man told the second.

“Oh-h.”

The first man looked back up at Clint. “Just keep followin’ the trail south and you’ll run into it. Well, maybe you turn by Susannah’s Butte. Lemme ask Clark.”

Clint shook his head.

“Hey, Clark! Do you turn by Susannah’s Butte on the way out to the Dottie Belle?” the man’s yelling was beginning to get on Clint’s already worn nerves.

When people began to get on his nerves, his hand got twitchy, and Clint would hate to have to go to jail for shooting two old coots.

“The Dottie Belle?” Clark asked loudly.

“Yes, the Dottie Belle Ranch!” the first man answered.

“Well, Sam, all you gots to do is head south until you come to those twin buttes then head west. You’ll run into the Dottie Belle Ranch thatta way.” Clark nodded slowly as he spoke.

Sam, who Clint assumed to be Clark’s checkers opponent, turned to Clint. “You heard him. You head south until you come to the Twin Buttes and then head west. It’s as easy as… as… Well, flitter fire! I done forgot the old sayin’.”

Clint put his gloved hand up. “Thank you. I’ll be on my way now.”

“What’d he say?” Clark hollered.