Untitled Chapter

His pistol had cleared half an inch when Jack's boot struck his knee. The joint broke. The man went down screaming. Jack drew. The first shot shattered Half Ear's right hand. The second cut through the tall hat's brim and burned across his scalp, freezing him where he stood. The third shot was not for the porch. It was for the upstairs window. Glass burst. The hidden rifleman pitched out and hit the ground in front of the store, his weapon skidding three feet away. The man from the stable finally rushed out. Jack did not turn. He swept the Winchester backward one-handed. The stock crushed the man's nose. Blood sprayed the trough. The whole fight lasted less than ten seconds. Four bounty men were down.