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being exchanged, the argument had begun when the two conceived a desire for the same woman.
    One of the men, a short, broad-shouldered Cajun who sported a red rooster’s feather in his black slouch hat, backed into Blake and nearly fell. “Watchit!” His snarl was as threatening as a mad dog’s. “Whaddaya doin’ here?”
    Part of Blake’s mind registered the smell of alcohol on the short man’s breath even as his hand clamped down on his sword cane. Should he back away from the combatants? Or would that be perceived as cowardice and end with his receiving a bullet between his shoulder blades? Should he try to be a calming voice in the quarrel between the two men? Or would they then join forces and attack him?
    The irony of the situation did not escape him. He was finally beginning to see his dream come true. Would he die this afternoon, the accidental victim of chance?
    “Excuse me, gentlemen. I was wondering if either of you knows the way to the Silver Nickel? I’m meeting a client there in a few minutes.” He hoped his bogus question would take the attention off him. As far as he knew, there was no such place in Natchez.
    The taller combatant dropped his fists and scowled. “What? Silver Nickel? I ain’t never heard of it. How ’bout you, Pierre?”
    Pierre’s shoulders lowered slightly. He looked from one man to the other and scratched at his head, almost dislodging his hat. “Never heared of it neither.”
    “Oh well, thank you, gentlemen.” Blake took a step past them, watching for any sudden movements toward a gun or knife. “I guess I’ll continue my search.”
    The two men resumed their argument. Blake reached a corner, breathing a sigh of relief when he knew he was out of their line of sight. They were too drunk and belligerent to come looking for him. All he had to do was make sure he didn’t bump into them again. Even though his current route would take a few extra minutes, the safety it brought was worth it.
    He arrived at the saloon and stopped a minute to check for an ambush. When a big prize was at stake, it was prudent to be extra careful. Seeing nothing suspicious, he stepped inside and looked around for Jean Luc Champney. Several patrons perched at the bar, but he didn’t see any sign of the man he was supposed to meet. Deciding it was too early to be concerned, he sat at an empty table and ordered a cup of coffee from a frowsy-headed waitress.
    She put one hand on her hip. “Don’t ya want anything stronger?”
    Blake used his most winning smile. “No, thanks. Coffee will be fine. Tell me, have you seen a young gentleman in here this afternoon?”
    “Well of course, honey. I seen lots of men in here. That’s why they call it a saloon.”
    “I’m looking for one in particular. A little shorter than me. Good looking with expensive clothes.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “No. But give it a few minutes. I’m sure he’ll be right in.” She flounced off, her long skirt dragging across the dirty floor.
    The saloon grew more crowded as time wore on, but still Blake saw no sign of Jean Luc. If he didn’t show up soon, Blake was going to have to go in search of him. At least he knew the young man’s last name. It shouldn’t be too hard to discover his whereabouts.
    The next time the waitress came to check on him, Blake showed her a gold coin. “I need some information.”
    Her eyes watched the coin as she nodded. “I’ll be glad to help ya.”
    “I need to know where the Champney family lives.”
    She wrinkled her nose before answering him. “I don’t rightly know, but I can ask my boss.”
    He nodded, but when she reached a hand out to take the coin, Blake shook his head. “Information first.”
    She huffed and walked away. He watched as she talked to the bartender. He nodded and pointed toward the roof. Then more gestures as he apparently described the exact location of the Champney home.
    Blake had the coin ready when she came back. “Well?”
    She repeated the