Duke Mullins
1
It
was a cold winter day, the wind was blowing hard when Duke Mullins rode into
town. He rode down the street lookin’ for a Saloon. Duke saw a Church at the
end of the street, then he saw a sign, a big sign, with a picture of a gal,
she had her dress pulled up a little, she was sayin’ Dokeapill’s Saloon, the
finest Whisky and Beautiful Ladies. Duke
rode his horse up to the hitchin’ he post got off. He tied Ace up, he looked at his
horse, he told Ace, “I’ll be back in a little while boy”.
He looked
up and down the street, saw a café, called The Okra Stalk, a Hotel and a livery
stable. Duke walked up to Dokeapill’s
Saloon, he looked at the swingin’ doors, he saw two bullet holes in them door’s
comin’ from the inside. They looked like there was some more, that was patched
and painted over, ya can’t hide billet holes too well.
Duke
thought about what he saw. He thought, I guess they was from another squabble. Somebody’s
always getting’ mad about somethin’, usually fer no reason, then I have to
kill’em, I sure do hate that, don’t like killin’ folks, makes me sick, but it
happens.
When
he got through the doors, he looked the place over. To his left were two men
sittin’, they was jawin’, then he looked to the right, he saw a poker game, with
five men sittin’ at the table, he looked again, that was all he seen, there
wasn’t no Ladies, I thought that sign said, Beautiful Ladies, it was too early
anyhow. Duke thought no one looked my way, they didn’t notice me, he liked that,
Duke didn’t want any trouble, he just wanted to have a nice quiet drink and ta
be left alone.
Duke
walked to the bar. He leaned against it, he saw a burly lookin’ bartender, who
had a long scar on his right arm and a big belly, he sat a shot glass in front
of Duke, poured it full. The bartender said, “Two bits”. Duke reached in his
pocket, he tossed a quarter on the counter, it rolled off the bar, fell on the
floor. The barkeep started to say somethin’, when he saw Duke’s gun and the way
he wore it. That Bartender, looked at Duke, then bent down, that barkeep picked
it up, turned and walked away not lookin’ at Duke, not saying a thing. When
he saw the way he wore his gun, he knew he was a Shooter, he wondered who he
was. Didn’t make no difference ta Duke, he wasn’t gonna bother nobody. He hoped
they would return the favor.
Duke
slumped over the bar, looking at that whisky glass, he saw it look wavy, he wondered that was causin’ that. Then he saw a gun fight in it, he saw a man get
shot, the man went down, then another, still another. Duke thought, that’s what
happens when ya get a little tight, I need ta quit drinkin’ whisky, I need ta
start drinkin’ coffee, maybe it’ll change me a little, why I might
even-------------------------. Duke was day dreamin’.
Duke
pushed that whisky back across the bar, he straightened up. That’s when he heard man with a big mouth, a loud
man, someone Duke knew had come into the Saloon. Duke didn’t like it, he kept
his head down, maybe just maybe that big mouth old boy will leave.
Duke
recognized the man’s voice, he heard it before. That man was telling everyone
who he was, his name was Buck Smith, a known Shooter, a ruthless killer. Duke’s
body began to get hard as he waited for Buck to come see’em.
Duke
stood at the bar with his back to Buck, he had his arms crossed, his hand close
to his gun, he didn’t turn around, he knew if he did, he have to kill Buck. Duke didn’t
want to have to kill no one. Duke was tired of fightin’, tired a raisin’ hell,
but he knew it was comin’.
Buck
yelled again sayin’ “My name’s Buck Smith, I’m a mean son-of-a-bitch”. Duke’s
body tensed again, he was gettin’ ready to kill Buck Smith, but he didn’t want
too. Buck was one of Duke’s kind, a shooter, he hated to kill a shooter, but
that’s the way he got his reputation.
Buck walked to the card game, he said, “Git outa here”. Them
five old boys didn’t move fast enough, he grabbed the table by the side, gave
it a shove, he turned it over, the players got up, they scattered, those that
could leave, left. Buck looked down the bar, he saw Duke at the bar. He started
walkin’ that way, just walkin slow, headed for Duke.
The
barkeep’s eyes were on Buck, he watched him go toward Duke, he knew there was
gonna be trouble. That bartender had his shotgun down the bar from’em. That
bartender eased toward his shotgun, Duke saw’em, looked at’em, with his cold
gray eyes, that told the bartender to stop, he did.
Duke
could hear his footsteps comin’ closer. The rest of the card players left,
goin’ out the front door. He was going to run this man out of the Saloon too.
Buck wanted the whole damn place to himself, he didn’t think about runnin’ into
Duke Mullins, but he was fixin’ too.
He
walked toward Duke, Buck yelled boy get away from that bar. Duke did nothin’ he
waited for Buck to put his hands on him. Duke could hear Buck getting’ closer,
his muscles tensed, his nerves were on edge.
Buck
walked up to Duke. Duke could hear’em breathin’. Buck leaned over the bar, he
said, “Hey you, Bartender, give me a drink”. The barkeep walked toward his shot
gun, Duke still had his head down so Buck couldn’t see his face. Buck didn’t
know who he was standin’ next too, but he was gonna find out, in just a second.
The
barkeep poured Buck a drink, it spilled a little on the bar, his hand was
shakin”. Buck drank it down, he slammed the shot glass down on the bar, it
broke in a million pieces, cuttin’ Buck’s hand a little. He wiped the blood on
his britches, looked at the back of Duke Mullins”. Buck said, “Boy did you hear me tell you ta get out of this
Saloon”? Duke just stood there, not wantin’ ta turn around, not wantin’ to have
a fight with Buck, he knew he could take’em, but he didn’t want too. Duke was
tired, he didn’t want ta fight no more.
Duke
was left handed, he wore his gun at an angle across his belly, his hand was
never far from it. Buck said, “Boy you better talk ta me or I’m gonna kick ya
ass”. Duke
still didn’t move. Buck grabbed Duke’s shoulder, pulled him a little, he said,
“Boy do ya know who I am”, he jerked Duke hard, it turned Duke around. When he faced
Buck, Duke had his six gun stuck under Buck’s chin, with the hammer cocked.
Duke’s
steel gray eyes looked into the small black eyes of Buck Smith. Duke said, “Boy,
you’re a sorry son-of-a-bitch, ya
want ta die Buck, cause you’re real close to it”. Buck’s eyes were big or as big as he could get them. Buck
looked at Duke. Buck was breathin’ hard, he said, “Don’t do this Duke”. “You’re
a big mouth son-of-a-bitchBuck”.
“Don’t kill me Duke, please”.
Out
of the corner of his eye he saw the barkeep bend down. He reach down under the
bar. Duke looked at the bartender he said, “Boy you want ta die”. The bartender
stood there bent at the waist, with his hand under the bar frozen in that
stance. He said, “No sir, cowboy”.
“Buck said, “Boy do what he says, he’s Duke Mullins”. The
bartender’s eyes got big, his face drained all the blood out of it, he said, “Duke
Mullins”? “That’s what he said Mister Bartender, now Bartender, pick up that
shotgun by the end of the barrel, lay it up on the bar, nice and easy, cause if
ya don’t I’m gonna kill ya both”. Buck
said, “Damn it, do it Bartender, he ain’t lyin’, he’ll kill ya, he’ll kill ya
deader an hell, and me too”. The
bar keep did as he was told. He laid that shotgun up on the bar. Duke said,
“Thank ya”. The barkeep said, “Your welcome”. Buck said, “Duke be careful, that
thing might go off, ya blow my damn head off”.
Duke
looked at that bartender. He said, “Come out form behind that bar, sit down in
a chair out here somewhere, where I can see ya, cause I don’t need none of ya
help or I sure don’t need want none of ya hindrance”. The bartender did as he was told. He walked out form behind the
bar with his hands held up so Duke could see he was unarmed, his face was pale,
his hands were shakin’. He walked to a table, he sat down, he had sweat runnin’
down his face and it was a little cool in that Saloon, then he said, “Is this
alright Mister Mullins”? “It is”.
Duke
said, “Now back ta me and you Buck, your bad breath is makin’ me unhappy, he
took his forty four and hit Buck across the head he pushed him hard. Buck wound up about even
with that shot gun, with blood runnin’ down his face. Duke really tore his face
up. Buck
didn’t show any pain, but he took his hand and wiped the blood away. He said,
“Duke you shouldn’t have done that to me, I can’t see out of my left eye”.
Duke
looked at Bucks cut, he said, “Maybe you’ll quit foolin’ with people, maybe ya
can’t draw no more Buck, that’d make a lot of people happy. Ta be real honest
with ya, ya might not live long enough ta hurt anybody, you sorry son-of-a-bitch”.
Buck stood there. He began to beg Duke not to kill’em. Duke
looked at this pathetic man. He saw a cut on his face that went from his hair line
down across his left eye, then half way down his cheek. Duke thought, that’s
gonna leave a hell of a scar.
Buck
looked hard at Duke out of his right eye. He said, “Ya hurt me bad Duke, I’m bleedin’
like a stuck hog”. Duke looked at that pitiful lookin’ old boy. He said, “It’s
just like you’ve done to a bunch of other people, people that didn’t deserve it,
ya sorry son-of-a-bitch”.
Duke
could see blood drippin’ off Buck’s face. He said, “Buck, you won’t bleed long”.
“Please don’t kill me Duke”? Duke fired his forty four. He shot a piece of
Buck’s ear off. Buck was so scared he grabbed his ear, screamed, dropped to his
knees, holdin’ his ear, still cryin’. He pissed on himself, it made a puddle in
the floor.
The bartender sat there, he said nothin’, he didn’t want ta be
next. Duke said, “Bartender come here, now”! The bartender got up, ran over to
Duke as fast as his big belly would let’em. He said, “Yes sir”. “Take his guns
off, get them out of his back too”. Again the bartender said, “Yes sir”.
He
unbuckled Buck’s gun belt. Duke said, “Give it to me boy”. “Yes sir”. “Now, get
them out of his back”. “Yes sir”. Duke knew Buck carried extra guns. Duke knew
where he carried it. “Hurry up Bartender”. The
bartender lifted Buck’s coat, there were two guns tucked into his belt, he took
them out, laid them on the bar. Buck was thinkin’ if I get out of this mess I’m
in, I’ll gonna kill that Duke Mullins, that son-of-a-bitch.
Duke
said, “Boy get his billfold, see if he’s got a money belt”. Buck thought, that
sorry bastard, but didn’t say anything. The bartender
searched Buck, he said sorry, Mister Smith, got his money belt and
billfold. He had to wrestle him a little ta get that money belt. The bartender
turned to Duke, then handed them to’em.
Duke
took his forty four, he drew back, he hit Buck again across the other side of
his face, it left a hell of a gat in his hide, Buck was still down on his
knees, he cried like a baby, he said, “Please don’t kill me Duke, ain’t ya done
enough to me”.
Duke took his guns, his money then said, “Take him to the
Doctor”. The bartender helped Buck to his feet. Then him and Buck walked out
through them swingin’ doors. Duke took his bandana, he wiped the blood off his
face that had splattered on him when he hit Buck. He thought, I hope I don’t
have to kill that old boy later on, but I probably will.
Duke
emptied Bucks money belt, put it in his shirt, took Bucks guns, his gun belt,
then walked out of the Saloon swingin’ doors, said, “Ya ready ta go Ace. Ace had
stood, patiently waitin’ for Duke. Duke put Bucks guns and billfold in his
saddle bags. He got on his horse, then turned toward the north, he rode toward
the Sheriff’s office going out of town.
When
Duke went by the Sheriff’s office he saw the Sheriff sittin’ in a straight back
chair, leaned back against the wall, just relaxin’. He was wearin’ a his big
coat, he had his hat pulled down low on his eyes. The Sheriff
tipped his hat a little, then that Sheriff thought it’s sure good ta see you leave
town Duke Mullins. Duke smiled at the Sheriff, He tipped his hat to the
Sheriff. He thought, I got a little more money leavin’ town, than I did when he
came in. Duke smiled, he rode off to the north.