at his reflection in the Pioneer's big mirror. The whiskers on his face had grown shaggy, and his blue eyes were dulled by the whiskey, but he still looked the same. He still looked normal.
"Goddammit, Boots!" he yelled, looking around. The bartender was nowhere to be seen, but a group of miners playing cards glanced over at him. He slammed his empty glass down and staggered his way up the back stairs. They led him to a hallway with doors along both walls. Door after door revealed nothing but storage rooms or empty bedrooms. He slammed the last one shut, roared another curse, and turned back toward the stairs.
Boots was standing in the hallway, his hands clasped in front of his apron.
Wash cursed in surprise as he tripped over his own boots. Sprawled out face-down on the wooden floor, he let out a groan. He opened his eyes to see the bartender's polished boots standing above him.
"Perhaps I have made the wrong choice," Boots said.
The gunman pulled himself up onto his knees. "No, sir, I assure you you ain't. I'm your man."
A grin flickered across the round face. "We shall see."
The polished boots thumped past him. Wash turned to see Boots opening the door he had just slammed. The bartender looked over his shoulder and motioned for the gunfighter to follow. Wash pulled himself to his feet and reeled for a moment before following his host into the darkened room.
"Close the door," Boots said. Wash obeyed, then stood in the semi-dark, his hands fidgeting with the rivets on his pants. The room was empty save for a few large wooden crates. Sunlight seeped in between the cracks of the boards covering the two windows, catching on the floating dust. The bartender stood in the shadows, watching Wash sway.
"Sit down before you fall down," Boots said, pointing to one of the boxes.
Wash stumbled over and sat where the bartender pointed. "What's this about?"
"I sense that you grow impatient with my offer," Boots said.
"With an offer like that, what'd you expect?"
"More self-restraint, for one." Boots stepped closer to the gunman. "This is not a decision I make lightly."
"Me neither," Wash said, "but somebody's got to put that bitch in her place."
"Quite so," Boots said. "However, you are not yet ready to face her."
"I sure am," Wash protested, pulling his gun. "You just point me at her and I'll lay her low."
"Yes, like you did last time." Boots smirked, shaking his head. "No, Mr Jones, you will need more power. Power that only I can give you. But first, you must prove yourself worthy of that power."
"How's that?"
"A simple task," the bartender said. "All I need is for you to retrieve something for me and bring it here. Are you familiar with the Harcourt mine?"
"No."
"It is a large mining interest located north of Leadville. A British lord owns it, though he seldom deigns to visit."
"OK," Wash said. He couldn't care less who owned it. "So what you want me to get?"
"Inside the mine, deep in one of its many caverns, there is a coffin."
"What's inside?"
"Nothing that concerns you yet," Boots replied. "All you need to do is bring that coffin to this room."
"What for?"
"Because it is in danger." Boots closed his eyes for a moment. Wash thought he saw the bartender's form start to fade, but before he could be sure, Boots opened his eyes again. "Yes, she is in the adjacent tunnel, though I don't believe she knows of the coffin's existence."
"She? You mean Cora Oglesby?"
Boots nodded, his eyes glinting in the shadows. "Yes. If she manages to find the coffin before you do, I won't be able to fulfill my end of the bargain, leaving you weak and mortal should your path cross hers again."
Wash rose to his feet, holstering his gun. "All right, so where do I go?"
"Ride north from here, following the railroad. A few miles out, you will come to a fork in the road, and there you will turn west. This road will lead you to the mine."
"Seems simple enough."
"The British aren't known for their love of complexity," Boots said.
"Right," Wash said. "Where do I find the coffin?"
"Follow the first set of mine car tracks into the mountain. You will find it hidden behind a row of large boulders near the end of the rails."
Wash nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Boot said. "You may encounter some objects blocking the tunnel on your way in. Please make sure to dispose of them before you leave."