A Zack Terell Tale

By Ed Baranosky 

            Zack was standing in the street with his feet apart facing Lon Quade in front of the Old Santa Fe Mission. The thumb of his left hand tucked in his gun belt. His right hand just a bit away from the butt of his holstered Colt.    

           “I’ve been on your trail since you left Cheyenne a month ago you dry gulchin’ back-shooter. If I said I was glad to see you I’d be lying.”  

           Lon standing about 50 feet away was almost a mirror image of Zack. Lon was left handed and it was his right thumb hooked on his gun belt. Lon snickered saying” I thought I saw the last of you when I parted your hair with the barrel of my .44 back in Cheyenne. I thought I gave you the slip when I doubled back in that wagon the greenhorn was driving over the Raton pass.” 

          Zack not being in a hurry to get shot or for that matter to do the same to Lon said “It did take me a while to figure that out when I didn’t pick up your trail. I just played a hunch and headed for Santa Fe.” 

         Lon chuckled and said “do you recall the pretty Senorita with the dark hair and green eyes who had her arms   around my neck?”

         “Yeah.” 

        “When she was close to me she told me about Calico at the top of the stairs in the saloon about to put a bullet in you. What did you do to make that Mex bushwhacker want your scalp?” 

         “We were up in the Palace saloon in Denver where they take your guns before they let you in to play poker. I caught him slipping a card from his sleeve. If I had my gun I would have shot him. The best I could do is bust his nose with a chair.”

            Zack said “let’s get down to why we’re here. Your telling me you saved me from getting shot in the back?” 

            “Yep.” 

            “Why didn’t you plug him?” 

            “This may to be hard for you to believe but I liked that Senorita a lot more than I like you. I wasn’t about to to let her get hit by stray lead. Besides it wasn’t my fight. The only thing I could think of was to cold-cock you and  get you out of there and I did. A couple of guys and I carried you to the Doc’s. I thought I better leave town.” 

           “The only thing I remember was waking up in the Doc’s office. He was stitching my scalp. He told me what had happened.  I was madder a hornet in a nest being poked with a stick. When I found out who hit me I came looking for you.” 

           “Well you did save my life that must be worth a couple of shots of tequila.”  

           The tension passed. Both of them walked toward the cantina.

             At the swinging doors Zack asked “what was the name of the Senorita ? “

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