it's true or not. The marshal sure has his hands full, " he concluded
with a shake of his head.
"Are you thinking about heading back to your ranch? " "Right now I'm
headed for Texas to bring some steers back. The regional office better
be on the way orţ" Norton wouldn't let him finish. "I got a little
favor to ask you." He put his hand up to ward off any interruption and
hastily added, "I know I don't have the right, since I went and knocked
you over the head.
Still, I'm compelled to ask."
"What is it you want? " "Hold on to your badge until tomorrow before
you make up your mind.
It's already going on dusk, so you don't have to wait long. In the
morning, if you're still determined to give the badge back, then I'll
be happy to tell you the fastest way to get to the regional office.
With that fancy compass, you won't have any trouble finding it. Now,
don't shake your head at me. At least consider it, and while you're at
it, answer another question for me."
"What? " Cole asked with a bit more surliness than he intended.
"Why do you suppose Ryan went and shoved you the way he did before he
took off? " "Frustration, " Cole answered.
The sheriff grinned like a big cat sitting in a tub of cream. "You
wanted to hit him, didn't you? I saw you make a fist, andţyes, son, I
didţand I saw something else happening too, but never you mind about
that. You showed considerable restraint, " he added. "And Marshal
Ryan did apologizeţI heard it with my own earsţbut now I'm wondering to
myself if he was apologizing for shoving you or maybe something else
he'd done." Before Cole could ask him to explain what he was
chattering on about, the sheriff pushed the topic around to the badge
again.
"Will you stay on tonight? I'll treat you and Josey to supper at
Frieda's fancy restaurant, and if you ride out now, you won't get far
before dark hits. If I were you, I'd want to spend one more night
sleeping between clean sheets before I headed out on such a long
trip.
Come morning, I'll give you the directions you're wanting and you can
be on your way lickety-split. Course you'll probably want to go on
over to Rockford Falls first. It ain't too far away from here." Cole
raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to go to Rockford Falls? "
Norton chuckled. "To get your compass back." The town of Rockford
Falls was reeling with shock. In the past two days, they had lost
eight of their finest citizens and one who wasn't quite so fine but who
mattered to all of them just the same.
Influenza was responsible for two deaths. The epidemic had been
gathering strength during the past week, striking down half the
population. The old and the young were hit hardest, Adelaide Westcott,
a spry seventy-eight-year-old spinster who still had all of her own
teeth and who never had a cranky word to say about anyone, and sweet
little eight-month-old Tobias Dollen, who had inherited his father's
big ears and his mother's smile, both died within an hour of one