«Might your name be Reno?» Slater asked.

«Some folks call me that.»

A sound went through the men in the saloon. As one, they eased backward, giving Reno all the room he might want and then a bit more just to be safe.

The only move Slater made was to nod as though a private guess had just been confirmed.

«Thought so,» he said. «Only a few men can move like that.»

Slater paused, then asked with real interest, «Is the Man from Yuma still hunting you?»

«No.»

«Too bad. Hear he’s fast. Really fast.»

Reno smiled. «You heard right.»

«Did you kill him?» Slater asked. «Is that why he isn’t hunting you anymore?»

«I had no reason to kill him.»

«I do.»

«So I hear. Pity you weren’t with your twin brother, Jed, when he died. Then Wolfe could have made it a clean sweep.»

Slater became very still. «You were the third one there that day. The one with a six-gun.»

Though it wasn’t a question, Reno nodded.

«I was there. Best piece of work I’ve done. Whole lot of folks are sleeping more easy now that Jed and his boys are pushing up daisies.»

Slater’s face went still and hard.

«Lie facedown on the floor, boys,» Reno said calmly. «I’m feeling a mite nervous right now, so don’t do anything to startle me while I take your guns.»

There was a muted surge of motion as the men in the saloon went facedown on the floor. Reno moved among them quickly, gathering guns. As he worked, he kept an eye on Slater, whose right hand was inching toward his belt.

«After I gather up all the loose iron,» Reno said casually, «I’m going to wait outside the door for a while before I ride on. Whenever you feel lucky, you just lift your head and see if I’m still around.»

None of the men seemed in a hurry to take Reno’s offer.

«Slater, I hear you keep a little hideout gun behind your buckle,» Reno continued. «Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. Now, I’d hate to kill an unarmed man, but not as bad as I’d hate to be shot in the back by a coyote who beats women and cheats at cards enough to put Satan to shame.»