horses until the sun was almost directly overhead. The wind stiffened up to blow all the summer heat down on top of them. The ponies trooped steadily through the grass and pale-leafed trees until they reached the gentle slope McGregor had seen in Wihio’s strange dream.
Bill dismounted along with the two reds and marshalled his courage. “I’m telling you now, I don’t know what I’m doing. I just got a couple of ideas.” His voice was holding steady, even if his heart wasn’t. “I’m going to try to get the Devil into a card game. I’ll need something to bet with and his coin is people. I’ll need something I can use as chips so I can bet you. Both of you.”
Fallen Star did not hesitate. He handed over his long-stemmed pipe. McGregor turned to the brave. Long Nose gave him his necklace of red beads.
“You know I got a good chance of losing.” McGregor tucked the tokens into his coat pockets.
“We know,” said Fallen Star. “We also know you are going to do your best. You are now on a war trail.”
McGregor turned his back to the reds. He wondered if Fallen Star would have said the same thing if he knew all that Bill’s sketchy plan entailed. Bill brought up the memory of Ned’s corpse and of Standing-in-the-West on the rooftop. He squared his shoulders.
“Nick Scratch!” he called into the wind. “I’ve got some business with you!”
The thin stranger stood in front of him, fire glowing hot behind his black eyes.
“I tried to warn you, Bill.” The Devil shook his head.
“I’m not saying you didn’t.” McGregor tightened all the fibers in his wrists to keep his hands from shaking. The air had gone warm and thick around him. His ears felt stopped up and his heart beat slow and sluggish.
“You can still go, Bill,” the Devil breathed to him. “No hard feelings. Go on.”
Bill teetered. “I’m not leaving, just yet.”
“Neither am I,” the Devil replied evenly.
“Care to bet on that?”
A hot wind blew hard and sudden. McGregor clamped his hand on his hat and clenched his teeth. The Devil remained silent, watching him.
“I’ll play you a game of faro,” McGregor said. “’Til one of us is cleaned out. If I win, you clear out and never come near anyone here or their land or their family again.”
The Devil arched his delicate eyebrows. “And what do you have to put up in such a game, Bill?”
“How about them?” McGregor nodded towards the unmoving Cheyenne.
The Devil fingered his chin. “Mmmm. Fallen Star, now he would be a prize. They all you got?”
McGregor’s hand curled around the scrap of fur in his pocket. “No.”
“Well, well. All right, then.” The Devil nodded. “I haven’t much time though, Bill. One game, ’til one of us is cleaned out. I’ll deal.”
Nick Scratch didn’t even blink. The faro table from the Nugget appeared in the waving grass between him and Bill. At his left hand stood the owner of the Denver House with his eyes wide and his skull split open where the bullet passed through him.
“My casekeeper,” Nick Scratch gestured a fine hand at the dead man and the abacus that kept track of the cards played.
“Strange,” said Wihio’s voice in his head and Bill jumped half-way out of his skin. “I was expecting Standing-in-the-West. Why has he not claimed him yet?” Wihio paused and it seemed to Bill the invisible presence was watching him shudder. “Well, Gambler, don’t tell me you are afraid of shadows and voices.”
The Devil’s eyes sparkled. “Wihio? You here? Which of these fools is your champion, Dog-of-a-Mystery?”
The laughter left Wihio’s voice. “You have secrets behind your fire and when I learn them, you will need to look to your skin.”
The Devil’s eyes glowed red. “Oh, yes. I will look to my skin. See that you do the same when I have the People for my own.”
“Let’s get to it.” Bill plunked himself down in the chair that had appeared on his side of the table and tried to settle his mind on the game. It was just a faro game. He knew this game like the back of his hand. He could play this. Didn’t matter who was dealing. He took out the beads and the pipe. In his hand they turned to a pile of five dollar coins. Bill set them down on the table like they might bite. Just a faro game. And he was feeling lucky today. That shook him, but he felt Wihio hovering around