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men.  It only took her a moment to know she was right in her assumption. She recognized them. They belonged to Butch.
    “Elroy says that one of your men shot five of his.”  He turned and looked over his shoulder at Elroy who dropped his sneer and tried looking innocent.  Gus shook his head and turned back to her.  “Is it true?”
    “No,” she said glaring at Elroy who was back to sneering at her.  His eyes ran down her front and inside she shivered. She was perspiring and the neck of her gown was damp. “They ran our help out weeks ago.” She pointed to the burned down bunkhouse just past the barn.
    “You can’t prove that!”
    “Shut up Elroy!” Gus shot over his shoulder.
    “ That’s him there!” exclaimed Elroy in a high pitched squeal while pointing past Josie.
    Everyone turned to look at him over the unusual tone he displayed. Their expressions ranged from quizzical to surprise.
    “What?” Elroy looked around at the men not knowing why he was suddenly the center of attention. “Look what he did to me!” he further explained while holding up his bandaged left hand.  He shot an accusing look to the approaching stranger. Truth was, Elroy never did get a look at the man that shot him, but he did see a lone gunman when he was escaping the scene.  He was a big man, just like the one approaching them now. He had no fear in his expression despite being outnumbered.
    Josie saw that there was old blood on the cloth wrapped around Elroy’s hand and it took everything in her power not to smile.  She supposed that hurt like the dickens.
    Gus didn’t hear Elroy after he spotted what he was pointing at. “Holy mother of Jesus,” he mumbled seeing the size of the man that just emerged from the open barn doors.  His hand slid to the gun strapped to his hip.
    “That’s not necessary Gus. Unless you gang up on a helpless man, he’s harmless,” Josie accused with her eyes on Elroy not turning to look behind her.  She knew that Cogan’s size was unusual and the way he looked would frighten any man.  He wasn’t unattractive. He just looked hard—angry. As for the harmless statement, she didn’t believe it even though she said it.  Nothing about Cogan was harmless unless it was to do with an animal.
    He sure as hell didn’t look harmless , thought Gus watching the man warily. Gus’s eyes went to her, and trusting her words, he nodded and released his gun.  “What happened then?”
    “He saved Ryker’s life when Elroy and his gang tried to hang him.”
    “That’s not true!” blurted Elroy. “We were gonna let him go.  We were only funnin’.”
    Josie could hear Cogan’s footsteps as he closed the gap behind her.  She could see the mixed looks of awe and fear on the faces of the men and actually had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
    “It’s true,” came Cogan’s deep voice. “If you like, you can go have a look at the rope burn around his neck. It near took his head off.”
    Gus sized the outsider up.  This was definitely a man that was no stranger to a gunfight.  Just the way he stood stated he wasn’t frightened easily. Then there was the way he stared fearlessly at the four of them with dark frightening eyes.  He didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable or worried whereas Gus was beginning to feel it a bit under that cold stare. He already knew he wasn’t going to pursue this complaint Elroy had. Josie’s word was worth all three of the men sitting behind him. He also didn’t doubt the stranger’s words about the rope burn.  Butch had something about threatening to hang people like he was the town’s judge and jury. Furthermore, if this man took down five of Butch’s men, he sure as hell wasn’t going to challenge him.  “Did you kill five men?”
    “Yes,” he admitted easily. “I rode out early this morning and gave them a respectable burial.”
    Josie turned and looked up at him over her shoulder thinking that was more than what they deserved.   She wanted