RICKI
By Chelgi


	Ricki rounded the bend in the road and looked at the dusty 
little town in front of her. She stopped her horse at the edge of 
a small brook and noting that the town seemed to be downstream of  
her, let Jug lower his big head and drink his fill as she looked 
at the town in the distance. She had no idea of the name of the 
town, didn't even rightly know what state she was in. She was 
pretty sure she was out of Texas, but wasn't sure where she was. 
She had just been wandering and following the road for several 
days. She had seen only a few people and had only nodded or said 
"howdy" and rode on by. She didn't really want to talk or 
socialize with anyone in her present mood. 
	She let Jug, short for Juggernaut, drink his fill and raise 
his head on his own before she even thought of what she was going 
to do here in this town. She laughed to herself, "Kinda hard to 
make plans on what to do when you don't even know where you are."  
	"Well, Jug, you ready to go on in and hear all the same 
jokes again? Plow horse, how's the air, and all the sick jokes 
about 'taming that big filly'  She laughed, "Ain't none of them 
smart ass jerks done it yet!"  Ricki had reason enough to be a 
little apprehensive about her welcome, seemed folks always poked 
a bit of fun at her and Juggernaut since he was a huge black 
Percheron and was usually thought of as a draft horse and not a 
saddle horse. But at seven foot four, Ricki didn't feel it would 
be right to plop her huge two hundred ninety five pound frame on 
some skinny little saddle bronc and ride him all day. Poor little 
bastard'd  probably be swayback by sundown if she did. 
	Not that she was afraid of them, her two hundred ninety 
five pounds weren't fat, but solid muscle, she was exceptionally 
quick, and she knew how to fight. She usually finished any fight 
she was in with just one punch, and she was fast enough she could 
outdraw and out shoot any man she'd ever heard of, much less met. 
She just didn't like for folks to always poke fun at her and her 
horse. 
	She had watched all the heads turn and watch as she rode 
slowly into town, but hadn't heard anything but "Wow!" and "God 
Damnnn...!"  until she stopped in front of the saloon and started 
to get off her horse.
	"Mam, I hope you don't intend to go in there. They don't 
allow ladies in the saloon." 
	Leaning forward in the saddle she looked at the man sitting 
on the porch leaned back in a chair with his feet on the rail, 
and said, "Well, thank you sir. Most people don't realize that 
I'm a lady."
	"Well, that does appear to be a skirt you're wearing, and 
I'm not blind yet, you appear to be a very nice looking young 
lady."
	"Well, thank you, sir, a true gentleman, but maybe you had 
better reserve your judgment until I get down off my horse."
	"Dunno what difference that'd make. A beautiful lady is a 
beautiful lady on or off a hor..... OH, my God....!"  This as she 
swung down and stood beside the horse on the ground and was still 
looking down at him sitting on the porch. She had a beautiful if 
muscular figure with large jutting breasts and long strong thighs 
under a short split leather skirt, with long blonde hair 
cascading from beneath the brim of her hat. What at first 
appeared to be a small ladies gun strapped about her trim waist 
was in actuality a large 44 Colt with an enlarged trigger guard 
for easy access to the trigger by her big fingers. 
	"Still think I'm beautiful?"
	"Yes, Mam. A bit bigger than I had thought, but still 
beautiful."
	"You know, I could learn to like a man that thinks like 
that. Can I go into the saloon and get me a drink, sir."
	"Mam, I'd be honored to be allowed to escort you in and buy 
you a drink."
	"Oh, that's not necessary. I can buy my own."
	"Well, since unescorted ladies aren't allowed in the saloon 
by town ordinance, if I go in with you, you aren't unescorted. 
Then I can buy you a drink and everything will be all within the 
law."
	"You make that law up yourself , just so you can 'escort' 
ladies into the bar?"
	"No, Mam, in fact this is the first time I even thought of 
such a thing, but you're just so dang pretty I thought I'd offer, 
since I'd like to go in with you, and I can see that you're going 
to go in anyway."
	"You the sheriff, want to keep everything legal, and don't 
want any trouble?"
	"No, Mam, we don't have a sheriff just now, but I don't 
expect the boys I'm waiting for to be here for a couple hours 
yet, and having a drink with you sure beats sitting here eating 
dust and waiting."
	"Boy, there went all your nice compliments down the drain. 
I'm just barely better than sitting here 'eating dust and 
waiting'?"
	"Now, Mam, that's not what I meant, and you know it. You're 
just twisting my words to make fun of me."
	"Well, dang it! That's what you said." and she was grinning 
as she mocked him. Come on let's have a drink and get your tongue 
all straightened out." and she stepped up on the porch, ducking 
her head to clear the support beam.
	The chair legs banged down and he stared up at her with his 
mouth open for several seconds as he looked from her dust covered 
black boots up to her shimmering blonde hair, stopping for 
several seconds on the massive mounds of her bulging chest. 
	"I -- I -- " In shock and awe, the poor guy couldn't even 
speak as he realized how big she actually was.
	She looked down between her mammoth breasts at him standing 
there in shocked awe, "What's the matter, little bigger than you 
thought?"
	"I -- I -- I don't mean any disrespect, Mam, but....."
	She was enjoying herself now, "But what?"
	It was her turn to laugh as he stuttered out, "I -- I -- I 
ain't never seen anything like that."
	"Here I thought, that you thought, that I was a beautiful 
lady, and now I'm a 'that!'?"
	He was on his feet now and still staring up at her huge 
breasts. "Mam, I don't mean any disrespect, but.... I mean.... 
I....."
	"You mean how tall am I? I'm seven feet four inches tall 
and weigh two hundred ninety five pounds. How'd I get this big? 
Like topsy, I just grew.  I don't know, my parents were both very 
tall, but I just grew bigger than anyone I've ever known. Sorry 
if I surprised you. You don't have to keep your date to have a 
drink with me if you don't want to, but I'm buying. OK shorty!"  
and she laughed because he was a good six feet two or three 
inches tall. 
	"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, it's just 
that...."
	"I know, you've never seen anyone as big as me before."
	"Yes, Mam, but it's not that. You're still a beautiful 
woman, and I'd still be honored to have a drink with you. If I 
haven't offended you and lost the invitation."
	"Come on, shorty, I said I was buying, you haven't lost any 
invitation, I affect most people this way when they first meet 
me. But you reacted better than most, so I'm buying! And don't 
argue with me, it's a losing proposition. I've never lost a 
fight in my life." Her arm went around his shoulders and she 
pulled him toward the saloon door. 
	In response to her arm around his shoulders he reached out 
almost automatically and put his arm around her waist as he 
recovered from the shock at her size.  Then he lost his composure 
once again as he turned to look up at her face, when he started 
to say something, and found his face pressed directly into her 
massive breast. He tried to duck away, but her massive powerful 
arm held him irresistibly tight to her side. He jerked his head 
back and looked down to get out of the embarrassing situation he 
found himself in. She chose a table in the corner and releasing 
her grip on his shoulders slid out a chair and sat down. He 
looked at her for a second and then pulling out another chair sat 
next to her. There were several other men in the bar as they came 
in and they all turned and stared at her, but none made any 
comments as he asked her what she wanted, then ordered two beers 
from the bartender, who was staring intently at Ricki, but not 
saying anything. 
	They got their beers and had barely introduced themselves 
to one another as Ricki and Jim, when with a tremendous racket 
four dusty cowboys came through the doors laughing and pointing 
outside, slapping each other with their hats as they laughed. 
	"Hey, Kelly, did you see the big plow horse out front? 
Who's the idiot clod hopper that put a saddle on a plow horse. I 
gotta meet someone that stupid. Riding a plow horse!" and he 
broke off in a gale of laughter.
	Jim saw Ricki's reaction and put a hand on her arm to calm 
her down. "Easy, Ricki, easy, they're just a bunch of crazy 
cowhands that don't know any better."
	"Well, maybe I should teach them better."
	"Ricki, don't! They're already half liquored up and might 
take a notion to shoot you if you start anything with them."
	"Relax, Jim, I can handle myself, and them too, if need 
be."
	"Ricki, look, I know them and a couple of them are pretty 
good with a gun, you may be big and strong, but they're really 
good shots and fast to boot. Two of them have already killed a 
couple of other guys in shoot outs.. Please don't."
	"Jim, there's a couple of other things you don't know about 
me. Maybe someday I'll tell you. But for right now just stay out 
of my way. 
	That's my horse, sod buster.  I know you couldn't be a real 
cow puncher, cause anyone but a sod buster would know that the 
percheron was bred as a war horse back in the middle ages in 
England, long before you sod busters started making them pull 
plows just because they are big and strong and easily trained."
	"SOD BUSTER? Who called me an ignorant sod buster?" He 
turned and looked at Ricki for a moment then settled his gaze on 
Jim. "You there! Did you call me a sod buster?"
	"No, he didn't! I did!"
	Ricki was sitting low in the chair and in a darker portion 
of the bar and he couldn't see all that well having just come in 
out of the bright sun.
	"Oh, the little lady has spunk! Well, little miss, what are 
you doing, running away from home on papa's plow horse?" 
	"Ricki" Jim whispered urgently.
	"Stay out of this Jim, I've had enough of people making fun 
of me and Juggernaut."
	"Ricki, he'll kill you! He's already killed two good men 
for less than you've already done."
	"Jim, stay out of the way."
	"Juggernaut? That's a funny name for a plow horse, what 
does it mean. Little lady."
	"You really are an ignorant sod buster aren't you? Don't 
even know the meaning of the English language. Ever try looking 
up words in the dictionary? Or can't you read?"
	"Little lady, I don't usually bother ladies, but if you 
keep on pushing I can be persuaded to make an exception for you."
	"Anytime you feel lucky, sod buster, but don't try anything 
until you can see. I realize that you can't see or you wouldn't 
be calling me, 'Little lady'  A lady I am, but you had better 
look again before you call me little."
	"Oh, my goodness, I'm shaking in my boots. I've insulted 
Calamity Jane herself." and he started laughing as he walked 
toward the table where Ricki and Jim sat. "Well Calamity, maybe 
it's time you got a good spanking and quit trying to act like a 
man. 
	"Ricki, please...."
	Both Ricki and the cowpoke spoke together, "Stay out of 
this!"  and Jim slid back away from the table. 
	Ricki waited until the man was right at the table before 
she stood up very quickly. He was non-plused at the size of the 
woman. He stood there in awe, staring up at her with his mouth 
open. She reached out grabbing the front of his shirt and lifting 
him off the ground easily with one hand. Holding him several feet 
off the floor with one hand, she shook him back and forth for 
several seconds, then simply threw him half way across the room. 
He landed in the dirt of the floor sprawling at the feet of his 
companions. 
	"You're going to spank me? Get over here so I can spank 
you, you little sod buster shit head!" 
	Ricki stepped out from behind the table and started toward 
the four men. The three on their feet turned to face her and at 
first put up their fists, then realizing her size began to reach 
down toward their guns. Ricki's enormous fist caught the biggest 
man full in the face flattening his nose in a bloody smear, 
snapping his head back viciously. The force of the blow lifted 
him off the floor and threw him half a dozen feet backwards, 
slamming him into the wall before he ever touched the floor. He 
bounced off the wall and collapsed like a limp wet dishrag to the 
floor. Before the first man hit the wall Ricki grabbed the second 
man by the back of the neck, picked him up with one hand and 
simply threw him, he was in the air and on his way over the bar 
even as the first man slammed into the wall unconscious. Without 
even a noticeable pause from throwing the man over the bar, her 
hand flew back catching the third man in the face knocking him 
over a table and nearly out the door. The original man she had 
thrown across the room rolled to his back and grabbed his gun. 
Before he even had his fingers on the butt Ricki had pulled her 
big 44 and he was looking up the barrel. 
	"DON'T...! I don't want to have to kill you and your 
friends, but don't push it. You've had your fun, and I've had 
mine. There ain't no need for anybody to get killed over a couple 
of jokes and a little ol' fun fight, now is there?"
	I want all three of you to very carefully take your guns 
out with two fingers and give them to Kelly, then take your 
unconscious friend's gun, very carefully, and do the same with 
it. Kelly will give them back to you next time you come in. Right 
Kelly?"
	"Yes, Mam, if you say so."
	"I say so!
	OK, give Kelly your guns and take your friend over to the 
doc so he can fix his nose and whatever else needs to be fixed. 
You do have a doctor here in this burg don't you?"
	"Yeah, we got one, but who's gonna pay him?"
	"I suggest 'sod buster' here pay since he's the one that 
started it." 
	The man on the floor very carefully took his gun from his 
holster with two fingers on the butt like Ricki had said and 
tossed it to the bartender, then nodded to his friends and they 
did the same, very slowly and carefully since Ricki still had her 
gun in her hand, and cocked. 
	The man who had been thrown over the bar and the one she 
had backhanded walked over and picked up the man she had hit in 
the face and pulling his arms over their shoulders carried him 
out the door. 
	Ricki heard the original man who had started the whole 
thing say, "OK, you'all take him on over to Doc's I'll be right 
there." But there was something wrong about the voice, and he 
didn't seem to be moving in the right direction. She had just put 
her gun back in the holster when Jim shouted.
	"Ricki....!"
	Before Jim had finished shouting, everyone in the bar saw 
the original man and the guy Ricki had thrown over the bar 
standing in the door with rifles in their hands. The roar of the 
shots drowned out any other sound; but everyone saw them thrown 
back by the impact of the heavy 44 slugs hitting their chests as 
the rifles fell from their hands. 
	Ricki stood there with her gun in her hand, as she said, 
"Damn... Why couldn't they leave it alone, and take their friend 
to the doctor's like I told them? Shit, a little fight ain't no 
reason to start shooting people. What do we do now, Kelly? I 
understand there ain't no sheriff here."
	"Well, I guess Jim here's more or less the head man around 
here. What do we do Jim?"
	"Don't rightly know. Guess we ought to call doc, and have 
him pronounce them dead, not that there's much question about it, 
and then have the undertaker carry them over to his place till we 
can bury 'em.  I guess everyone here ought to write a note, or 
sign one telling how they came in with rifles pointed at her 
after she whipped 'em in a fist fight, and were going to shoot 
her. You know, that's really pretty damn good gun handling, 
Ricki, two guys with rifles having the drop on you and you got 
both of 'em before they even got a shot off..  Yeah.... that's 
mighty damn good.... or lucky as all hell anyway." 
	"Jim, I told you there were a few things you didn't know 
about me."
	"Hell, I knew that, but damnn....! That fast?"
	"I guess everybody that's big ain't always slow."
	"I guess not....! But G...o...d, damn.....! Are you a 
professional gun fighter?"
	"When I first met you, you said I was a lady, and I agreed 
that I was. I'm a lady, not a gun fighter. I just happen to be 
kinda big, and I can take care of myself pretty well. In fact I 
think I already mentioned that to you."
	Everyone watched as the doctor came up and putting his bag 
down checked the two men lying on the porch. "Hell, why call me? 
With two bullets each in the middle of their chest like that, 
there ain't no way they're alive. Get Jesse and have him take 'em 
over to the funeral parlor and lay 'em out. I'll be over to sign 
the papers later.. What happened?" And what happened to the two 
in my office, they'll be all right, but they the look like they 
ran into a mad bull."
	"No, just an angry lady." Jim grinned and pointed to Ricki.
	"Oh....! She, did that... to 'em?"
	"All four of 'em!"
	"Four?"
	"Yep! All four. She sent them over to your office, but 
these two got their rifles off their horses and came back in to 
settle up with her. Bad mistake....."
	"What'd you guys do? Shoot 'em when they walked in?"
	"Naw," Jim pointed at Ricki again,  "They were pointing 
their rifles at Ricki, here; and we were all standing there with 
our mouth's open like a bunch of jerks. They looked like they 
were about to shoot without asking a lot of questions, when she 
drew and dropped 'em both before they could get off a shot. Never 
saw such shooting in my life." 
	"I guess not, beat the drop against two rifles? Did you 
look at the bullet holes in 'em? 
	"Naw, that's your job, Doc." 
	"Well take a look. Two shots in each, not more'n an inch 
apart. Dead center in their chests." 
	"S -- She shot four times...?"
	"Unless someone else shot too, cause there's four holes in 
'em. Two in each, like I said, dead center."
	"Ricki...?"
	"Yeah."
	"That right, you shot four times?"
	"Yep, don't like to take chances. Two for each one."
	"Kelly, did you realize that she had shot four times."
	"Shit, Jim, I only thought there was one shot. Maybe a 
little long for one shot, but there sure was hell wasn't any time 
for four shots, least I didn't think so. Was too fast for me to 
count. I figured maybe two real fast ones, since they both went 
down, but not four. Least I didn't hear more'n two at the 
most..... I thought."
	Ricki pulled her gun and dumped four empty shells into her 
hand, handed them to Jim and said. "Yep, that's right, four."  
Then she casually reloaded and put the gun back into her holster. 
	Jim and Doc looked at each other for several seconds, then 
nodded apparently in agreement on an unspoken thought.
	Jim, looked up at Ricki, and said, "Were you just passing 
through, or did you intend to stay here for a while?"
	Ricki looked at him for several seconds then replied, 
"Which do you prefer?  I was really just wandering through, no 
place to go, didn't really even know where I was heading. In fact 
I don't even know whenna stay for a short while, till you'all can 
find a real sheriff to take the job. All right?"
	"Done!" shouted Jim, and Doc, in unison.
	"By the way, what's this 'sheriff' job pay?"
	"Ten dollars a month, and like you said, room and board for 
you and your horse."
	"Ten Dollars a month? I'm supposed to risk my life, 
fighting with a bunch of rowdy cowpokes all the time for ten 
dollars a month?"
	Doc said, "Fifteen?" in a questioning voice.
	Ricki stood up and turned toward the door.
	Jim, almost shouted, "Twenty" hesitated for a second, and 
added, "Five!" 
	Ricki turned to look down at him, "Twenty five dollars a 
month, plus room and board for me and Juggernaut. You know we 
both eat a lot? And I do expect good chow."
	"Oh, yes, absolutely the best, and all you could possibly 
want."
	"Well, OK, for a while, I guess. We do have a judge don't 
we?"
	"Oh, sure, the circuit judge comes through here every two 
weeks. In fact he's due Monday or Tuesday next week. He'll sign 
the papers on those two you shot then."
	"Mmm... That'll be great, I can see it now: 'Hi, Judge, I'm 
your new sheriff. How about signing the papers on the two guys I 
shot to get the job?'"
	"Ricki, It's not like that at all."
	"Not? How is it? The only reason you even asked me to take 
the job was because I shot those two guys, now ain't it?"
	 "W-e-e-e-lll....."
	"Well, what? You know damn well, it's the only reason you 
asked."
	"Well, if they hadn't come in with their rifles, it 
wouldn't have come up, and if they had shot you, we wouldn't be 
asking either, but since they did, and you did, I guess we're 
asking you to take the job. There won't be any problem with the 
judge, everyone here saw what happened. And as I recall you told 
them that a little 'fight' wasn't any reason to shoot anyone, and 
that alone shows you have the right attitude for the job." 
	"Some job. But OK, for now."
	Jim grinned and said, "Great! Let me take you over and 
introduce you to Stella, and show you to your new room."
	"How about eating?"
	"Stella usually has dinner for her guests, but we have good 
food here, and anytime you want to eat here, just order anything 
you want and it goes on the town's bill. OK, Kelly?"
	"As long as the town pays their bill promptly. And Mam, 
drinks are on me."
	"That's awfully nice Kelly, but I sense an ulterior 
motive."
	"What's that mean?"
	"That means, you want something out of me in return for the 
free drinks."
	"OH, no, nothing from you."
	"Just the customers I'd bring in as your special 
attraction, right?"
	"Well, I don't think a big, good looking, female sheriff, 
like you, being in here would hurt my business any. A few guys 
just might drop in to look you over. And if they buy a drink in 
the process, I wouldn't mind."
	"Kinda' figured that. But it's OK by me, I've had people 
staring at me all my life so I'm kinda' used to it by now. Just 
so you don't mind the occasional fight, when some yahoo thinks he 
can whip me."
	"Oh, no, I'll cover that as part of the operating costs."
	"I guess I'll be like the Saturday night fights to bring 
business in. Well, Kelly, I hate to disappoint you, but when I 
stand up most people back off kinda quick, so there may not be as 
many fights as you think, to bring business in. Especially when 
the word gets around."
	"I figure the other way. 'Big tough hombres' will be coming 
from all over to prove how tough they are against you. Then when 
they see how big you are, they'll have to have a few drinks to 
get enough courage to challenge you to a fight."
	Ricki laughed, "Sounds like a mistake to me, but I can 
always use the exercise, maybe I should be getting a cut of the 
profits, if you're right."
	Kelly grinned, "Well, maybe we can work out something if it 
works out like I think it might. Let's wait and see what 
happens."
	"Sure, why not?" and Ricki was grinning from ear to ear. 
	Jim looked up at her grinning face. "Ricki, as sheriff 
you're supposed to stop fights not encourage them."
	"Oh, I'll stop them all right. But first we ought to see if 
Kelly's right before we start getting worried, or excited about 
them."
	"Oh, Ricki!" and he put an arm around her waist and looked 
high up into her beautiful face. 
	"By the way, there's a little matter of that town ordinance 
you mentioned that don't let unescorted women into the saloon, 
that's gotta go, you know."
	"Out of effect as of now, and it'll be repealed at the next 
town meeting." said Doc. 
	"And it don't apply to the sheriff anyway," Jim chimed in.
	Kelly walked over to the mirror behind the bar and took a 
metal star from one edge of the mirror, "Here you might want this 
if you're gonna' be the sheriff." and he tossed the sheriff's 
badge to her.
	Ricki, laughed, "That's it, I'm sheriff now?"
	Doc said, "Jim, I think we ought to swear her in."
	"Sure, why not. Raise your right hand. Swear you're not 
wanted anywhere, and you'll uphold the law to the best of your 
ability?"
	"I do."
	"That's great, sheriff! First round of drinks on the 
house," Kelly declared, "It's about time we had a new sheriff 
around here."
	Ricki grinned at Jim, "Come on, little man, you were going 
to take the new sheriff  to her bedroom. Remember?"
	"That's not what I said!"
	"Well, it wasn't the words you used, but it was obvious 
what you really meant."
	Jim turned beet red, then said, "OK, whatever you want, you 
great big beautiful hunk of woman you."  and he turned and headed 
for the door.
	"You can't talk to the sheriff like that!" and she gave him 
a gentle cuff on the back of his head pushing him toward the 
door.
	"Why not? The first thing I established with you was that 
you were a lady. And a beautiful lady at that. And anyone can see 
what a great big woman you are, so I'm perfectly within my rights 
calling you a 'great big beautiful hunk of woman'."
	Jim was grinning and almost purring when Ricki put her arm 
around his shoulders, pulled him against her side and squeezed 
him tightly as they walked out the door.
	Stella took an instant liking to Ricki and gave her the 
best room in the house without any argument, especially when she 
found out that the town was paying her room and board. It was a 
big high ceilinged room overlooking the main street.
	"This will be great for you, Ricki, you can even see the 
street and watch what's going on. This way you can see anything 
that happens and be ready for it when you go out." 
	"That's awfully nice of you, Stella. I don't mean to take 
your best room."
	"Well, look at it this way, since the town's paying, I 
don't need to worry about you leaving me stuck with the bill. 
Even if you walk out with two months rent due, the town will 
still have to pay. 'Course they better not let two months bill 
build up." And she looked pointedly at Jim and Doc. 
	"No, no Stella, in fact I'll get the money over to you 
tomorrow for the first two months rent."
	"That'd be fine, Jim. Not that I don't trust you, but you 
know how these things seem to slip the mind once in a while."
	"Come on Ricki, Let's go on over to your new office."
	"My new office?"
	"Sheriff's office."
	"Oh, I didn't think of that as my new office."
	"Well, you're the sheriff ain't you?"
	"I guess if I took that job, I am. Let's go see my office."
	Stella, laughed, "Better take a cleanin' woman with you. 
Ain't been nobody in that office since they shot the last 
sheriff."
	"Who shot the last sheriff?" Ricki asked quickly.
	"Oh, a couple gunfighters that old man Atkins hired."
	"Who's old man Atkins?"
	Jim muttered, "Oh, don't worry about him. He won't cause 
any more problems."
	Jim found himself with a very large hand holding the front 
of his shirt and his feet waving helplessly in the air. "WHO... 
IS... Old man Atkins?"  Ricki asked him as she held him up with 
one huge hand grasping the front of his shirt.
	"Oh, he's a rancher and mine owner that seems to think that 
he owns the whole area. He's settled down after the last incident 
and won't cause any more trouble."
	"What was the 'LAST INCIDENT?' and why don't you think 
he'll cause any more trouble?"
	"Well, he had a disagreement with the owner of the general 
store over his bill, thought Willie had charged him too much and 
had added a few things he didn't think he had bought onto the 
bill. He rode in with several of his hired hands and a couple of 
hired guns to settle his account."
	"What happened?"
	"He had his boys drag Willie out of the store, then after a 
short, very short argument, Atkins did all the yelling while 
Willie begged him not to kill him, he simply picked up his rifle 
and shot him while the two hired  hands held him. When the 
sheriff came out and started to ask what had happened, Atkins 
told his hired guns to 'get rid of him too.' and they shot him 
before the sheriff even had a chance to defend himself."
	"And you think this guy isn't gonna' cause any more 
trouble? Why in the world would you think that now?"
	"He took over the general store and runs it now himself."
	"Suppose I started to look into the murders?"
	"You don't have to do that. It's all over and done with."
	"He killed the store owner and the sheriff and nothing was 
ever done about it?"
	"I guess not."
	"Why not?"
	"We didn't have any sheriff to do anything about it."
	"How long ago was this?"
	"Last spring."
	"Last spring? That's only three or four months ago!"
	"Yeah, about that."
	"And it's all over and done with?"
	"Sure, we don't hold a grudge around here."
	"You're kidding!
	He shot the sheriff, only three or four months ago, and 
now, I'm taking over as the sheriff. I don't know what you think, 
but I think I'll have to read up in the law books and see what I 
have to do about getting two people killed only a couple of 
months ago and not doing anything about it."
	"Don't start any trouble now. Like I said it's all over and 
done with, let sleeping dogs lie."
	"Jim, do you really believe that?"
	"No, but I don't want you hurt."
	"If I don't do anything now; how long do you think it will 
be until he does something else like that, and I have to do 
something about it."
	"We kinda look the other way when Mr. Atkins does something 
not quite right around here, since he has too many men to fight 
and is the biggest property owner in the area."
	"NOT QUITE RIGHT! He kills the owner of the general store, 
then the sheriff, and it's 'something not quite right?' Jim, I  
know I don't know anything about being a sheriff from the 
standpoint of the law, but I do know that's wrong! And since I'm 
now the sheriff, I'm gonna have to do something about it."
	 "No, Ricki, you'll get yourself killed."
	 "No confidence in your new sheriff? What's the matter? You 
think I can't handle the job, because I'm a woman? Then, how come 
you gave me the job?"
	"Ricki, that's not it, we want you to handle the every day 
things that come up here in town."
	"Like a bunch of rowdy cowhands on Saturday night?"
	"Yeah, and whatever else you have to do as sheriff."
 	"Well, this certainly seems to me like it'd fall under that 
'whatever else, I'd have to do as sheriff,' clause."
	"Not right now, maybe we could let this settle a while, 
till you get the hang of being sheriff."
	"What's that supposed to mean?"
	"I - I guess it means let's let people know that you're the 
sheriff now, and sort of get used to the idea of a woman 
sheriff." 
	"OK, so I hang around town for a week or so, let Atkins 
know how good I am, and he'll just come running in to surrender. 
That what you mean?"
	"Ricki, you're twisting my words again. Let's wait a bit 
and see what happens, before you go running out into a hornet's 
nest. He's got a couple dozen hired hands, and at least three 
professional gunfighters out there."
	"You want me to wait till he comes into town on his own?"
	"That's a good idea, he comes in every week or so and you 
can talk to him then."
	"OK, you're the boss, I guess. I'll wait for him to come to 
town and then arrest him."
	"Yeah, that'd be a lot better, he won't have all of his 
hired hands with him then. That'd work out a lot better. You can 
do it that way."
	"If that's what you want, I'll do it your way. Besides it 
is getting kinda' late today, how about we put my horse up and 
then you buy me that big steak dinner you promised me at the 
saloon. We can sit in the saloon for a while and let people get 
used to their 
'New Sheriff'."
	"Good idea, I'm starting to get a little hungry too. 
Stella, can you get one of your cleaning girls to clean up the 
sheriff's office?"
	"Sure, I'll send one over in the morning."
	"Any of them around can do it now? I've seen this gal work 
and listened to her all afternoon, if we sit in the saloon this 
evening we just might end up using the cells tonight."
	"Ok, but you're gonna have to pay extra for getting it done 
tonight."
	"All right, put it on the tab with Ricki's room and board."
	"I'll send Mary over in a little bit. Door open?"
	"Yeah, and have her clean the cells too. I think they're 
open, if they're not, the keys are behind the sheriff's desk on 
the wall." 
	 "OK, but, sheriff, take it easy and let Mary get the place 
clean before you start arresting people. You'll like it better. 
I'll have her make sure the lamps are full too. I'll have her 
stop by and let you know when it's clean and ready for you." 
	"Thank you, Stella," Ricki said, "I appreciate your looking 
after me. Thanks a lot."
	"Don't worry about it, you just take care of yourself too. 
I'm looking forward to seeing some of the faces around here, when 
you tell them that you're the sheriff. That ought to provide some 
fun." 
	"How about my horse, Jim?"
	"I already told Doc to have Andy pick him up and put him in 
the stable. He should be there in a nice clean stall with lots of 
hay by now."
	"Well, little man, you're all right." and she pulled him 
around to face her and kissed him, squeezing him tightly against 
her huge body.
	"Hey, hey, none of that in here. I run a respectable place 
sheriff." and Stella's grin was almost as wide as Jim's.
	"OOPS, sorry Stella, didn't mean any trouble, but he's a 
kinda nice little guy. I think I like him. Is it all right if he 
visits me here once in a while?"
	"Just so it ain't too often or too late at night."
	"OK, I'll abide by your rules, Mam. But suppose that we 
were planning to get married?" and she laughed as she hugged Jim 
again before letting him go. 
	"Oh, well then that'd be OK, I wouldn't mind him visiting, 
if you were planning to get married. I guess I'd just go on back 
downstairs and leave you too love birds alone." and she closed 
the door behind her as she left them standing in the room. 
	"Hey, I didn't say anything about getting married. I just 
met you a little while ago, I don't have any intentions of 
marrying you." Jim asserted.. 
	"I didn't say you were going to. See, just like Stella and 
so many other people, you jump to conclusions too quickly. 
Listen, what I asked her was 'suppose we were planning on getting 
married?' right? Well some day I plan on getting married. I don't 
have any plans yet, but someday, I'm planning on getting married, 
aren't you?"
	"Well, I hadn't really thought about it, but yeah, I 
suppose that someday I'll get married."
	"OK, see, first I just ask the question 'suppose' now all 
that is, is a question wondering if it would make any difference, 
not stating we, meaning you and I are planning  to get married 
tomorrow or next week, or at all. Just asking if it would make 
any difference. I can't help it if she thinks it means something 
it don't, for that matter the way I worded the question it don't 
even refer to marrying each other. Each of us could be planning 
on marrying some one else sometime in the future. Right?"
	"That's not..... I guess it was what you asked, but it 
meant..... I mean, I thought you meant.... Damn, you're slick. 
You sure you ain't one of them lawyer fellows, they always word 
something so nobody knows what it means."
	"Naw, I ain't no lawyer fella', First off I ain't a fella' 
and second they ain't the only ones that know how to speak the 
English language correctly and what it means."
	"Yeah, but you don't know Stella, she'll have the wedding 
planned, and the preacher waiting for us by the time we get 
downstairs."
	"Maybe we better stay up here for a little while and then 
stage a fight as we go downstairs to cool off any wedding plans."
	"That'd be a good idea, but how about just an argument 
instead of a fight, since I've seen you fight and I don't want 
any part of a fight with you."
	"Chicken!" and she grabbed him, squeezed him tightly 
lifting him off the ground in her big strong arms as she crushed 
her lips against his.
	Even though his arms were crushed tightly to his sides Jim 
managed to get his hands up and hold her sides as he returned the 
passionate kiss, his tongue dueling with the huge sensuous 
writhing  mass of her tongue filling his mouth so sweetly. Her 
huge lips engulfed his completely as they squirmed and writhed 
against him for long minutes as they kissed. Finally when they 
came up for air, they were both smiling and grinning. Jim 
squirmed in her arms and getting his arms loose from the titanic 
grip of her huge arms wrapped them around her massive body 
squeezing against the enormous warm mass of her huge body. Her 
arms returned to lift and squeeze him again. He could barely 
breathe as she squeezed him in a crushing grip, but he didn't 
seem to care as he kissed her again and again while his feet 
dangled in the air. Still holding him in her arms she moved back 
and lay back on the bed pulling him down on top of her enormous 
body. Squirming and writhing against one another they wriggled 
into a comfortable position on the bed and continued kissing and 
hugging for quite some length of time. 
	As their bodies squirmed and writhed Ricki's blouse came 
open and she was moaning as she slid the material back revealing 
one of the biggest breasts Jim had ever seen, firm, round, and 
massive. The nipple was swollen hugely as she squeezed her breast 
lifting it and offering it to Jim as she moaned, "Jim... 
Please.... please...."
	He dropped his head slightly and took the enormous swollen 
nipple into his mouth swirling and licking the huge firm nipple 
with his tongue as he sucked.
	This brought a moan of pleasure from Ricki as she engulfed 
the back of his head with one huge hand and squeezed his face 
tightly into the soft rounded mound of hot flesh as she heaved 
her hips up against him, lifting him easily as she writhed and 
squirmed.
	"Oh, Jim,  you sweet thing, I love you." and she put one 
huge hand on his ass and pulled him tight against her writhing 
heaving hips. 
	"Ricki... " he moaned around her huge hard nipple as he 
licked and sucked. 
	"Jim, lock the door and get undressed, I need you." and she 
pushed him off herself.
	He nearly ran to make sure that the door was locked and he 
slammed the bolt into the door frame to make certain they were 
not interrupted. He turned and saw that Ricki had removed her 
clothes and was lying there on her back nude and waiting for him. 
He stared at her big, beautiful, naked body for long moments as 
he quickly tore off  his clothing. He had never seen such a 
beautiful woman in his life, long powerful legs, with lusciously 
curvaceous calves and massive strongly muscled thighs smooth and 
white, a taut hard stomach with enormous swelling breasts rising 
above it. Wide shoulders and long golden hair spilling over the 
pillow and framing one of  the most beautiful faces he had ever 
seen. He reached the side of the bed and Ricki reached up and 
pulled him down on top of herself again. As their hot bodies met 
she wriggled, and spreading her legs adjusted him to herself. 
	She felt the delicious hardness of him sliding into her and 
moaned as he entered her hungry vagina. She writhed and heaved up 
to meet him as he thrust into her and clutched him to herself 
tightly driving him all the way into her eager cunt. He wriggled 
and sliding out only a tiny bit drove down against her massive 
squirming hips. Once more filling her hunger. He penetrated her 
heavenly cunt as he lay atop her enormous body and he found that 
her huge lusciously ripe breasts were even with his face. He had 
never experienced such fantastic ecstasy as he felt the hot soft 
flesh of her pussy surrounding and engulfing his prick. With his 
prick engulfed so deeply into her and his mouth sucking and 
licking her soft hot breast he was ready to explode in seconds. 
As he pulled back for another stroke she squeezed her love 
muscles on him and dropped away pulling on his prick as she did 
so. He nearly screamed as he exploded over and over again gushing 
fountains of cum into her huge hot cunt as she moaned in ecstatic 
release. He had been with many a woman before but never had he 
experienced such rapturous delight as he had with this gigantic 
amazon. She was rolling and heaving, shuddering and grasping him 
tightly to herself as she wrapped her enormous thighs tightly 
about him and squeezed again and again with a crushing grip.
 	It had all happened entirely too fast, he felt as though he 
had barely gotten started when he had exploded and it was all 
over. He lay atop the vast expanse of her huge body and squirmed 
against her rubbing his body on hers for long minutes. She in 
turn was caressing and squeezing him against herself as she 
slowly came down from the erotic high she had experienced. She 
felt him slowly regain his erection as he squirmed about to 
adjust him to herself again. She spread her massive thighs and 
holding his ass in her hands crushed him against herself almost 
exploding again as she felt his hardness slip into her pussy 
again. 
	Jim couldn't believe how quickly he had recovered and was 
trying to ram his prick back into her when she wriggled about and 
spread her legs adjusting him to the right place. He felt the hot 
softness of her hot slippery flesh engulf his throbbing prick 
again and shuddered in ecstasy as he slowly pressed it deeper and 
deeper into her cavernous cunt until he was all the way into her. 
She squeezed her gargantuan inner muscles on him crushing his 
prick in the hot wet softness inside her huge cunt. He shuddered 
and exploded again then pulling back and thrusting into her again 
exploded again. It seemed like each time he thrust into her he 
orgasmed and exploded in luscious, erotic, ecstasy. This time it 
didn't end so quickly, he continued to thrust into her while she 
writhed and heaved her hips about, tossing him around like a 
feather pillow on top of her huge body as she too came again and 
again in rippling spasms of ecstatic release. This was absolutely 
the most fantastically glorious, wonderfully delightful, the most 
sensuously erotic experience he had ever had. He clung tightly to 
the warm softness of her luscious, massive body, hugging and 
kissing her all over while his hands caressed and fondled the 
gigantic mounds of her breasts as they lingeringly enjoyed the 
sensuous, slowly fading, afterglow of  the most delightful 
experience he had ever had. 
	She in turn was moaning, caressing and fondling his body, 
squeezing him tightly to herself again and again as the 
fantastically sensational feeling slowly receded from her. 
	"Oh, Jim, you're marvelous! You're wonderful, delightful! I 
may change my mind about what I told Stella and let her make the 
arrangements for our marriage. I have never been so in love with 
a man." and she crushed him tightly against the hot soft mass of 
her tremendous body. 
	He squirmed and wriggled delightfully against her hot bare 
flesh enjoying the feel of her enormous body against him. 
"MMmmm.... I feel the same way. I have never been with a woman as 
fantastically luscious as you. I love you and I'd love to marry 
you right this second, but maybe we should get to know each other 
a little better before we do something as drastic as getting 
married. Hell, I don't even know where you're from, or even your 
last name for that matter."
	Ricki rolled back away from him and grinning at him said, 
"are you really sure you want to know about me? There may be some 
things you don't want to know. In fact there might even be a good 
reason that we can't even get married."
	He grabbed her shoulder pushing back and stared up at her, 
"what do you mean, a good reason we can't even get married. Don't 
tell me that you're already married."
	"No it's worse than that! I'm not the same as you."
	"Oh, yeah, I know. You're a big beautiful woman, and I'm an 
ugly little man."
	"No, don't try to make a joke about it. I guess the best 
way to describe it to you is that I'm like a sailor from a 
distant land. I had trouble with my ship and I came ashore here. 
You might say I'm a shipwrecked sailor, and now I'm stuck here, 
wrecked on the shores of a distant land. I look pretty much like 
the natives, but I'm not like the natives. Aside from the fact 
that I'm a lot bigger, there are other differences that you can't 
see, but could make tremendous problems if others found out about 
me."
	"You are absolutely fabulous, a lovely woman! The most 
delightful woman I've ever known. What could ever be so different 
about you that could cause problems? The worst thing could be 
that you'd be considered an illegal alien, and we can take care 
of that without that much trouble."
	"Jim, do you know what stars are?"
	"Certainly, I've seen thousands of them every night of my 
life."
	"No, I mean do you really know what they are?"
	"Oh, you mean like those scientist fellows say, that they 
are suns, just like our sun only  way off in the distance? Sure, 
this is 1895 and I'm fairly well educated, I've heard those 
theories. Don't really believe 'em, but I've heard about them."
	"Well, if I tell you something that'd be really hard to 
believe, and would cause me a lot of problems if anyone else 
found out about it, can you keep it a secret for me?" and she 
caressed his head and pulling him toward herself kissed him 
again, letting her lips linger on his for a long time, swirling 
her tongue in his mouth as they hugged and kissed for long 
minutes. "Well, can you keep a secret for me if I told you 
something that'll really scare the pants off you?"
	"I don't have any pants on! You already pulled 'em off me."
	"Jim, I'm serious, I love you, and I can't love you at the 
same time."
	"What kind of nonsense is that? I love you and I can't love 
you! Either you do or you don't. I know that you're a great big 
beautiful woman and I'm just a little guy to you, but I don't 
know anybody else your size either. And I love you too."
	"Well if you really love me, you're gonna' have to keep 
this a secret and never tell anyone. For the most part they 
wouldn't believe you, they'd think you were crazy and I'd have to 
tell them you are, if you ever tell anybody."
	"OK, I can keep a secret as well as the next guy. What's 
the big secret?"
	"I'm not from here."
	"Hell, I know that. None of us are, I came from North 
Carolina myself. Hell, the town's only been here for a couple of 
years, ain't nobody from here but a couple little babies."
	"I don't mean this town. I mean this world!"
	"What do you mean, this world."
	"I'm not from this world."
	"That's crazy, where else would you be from? Everyone is 
from this world. There ain't no other, unless you mean you're 
from Heaven or Hell."
	"No, that's what I meant when I asked you if you really 
knew what the stars are. The scientist are right. Stars are suns 
just like your own, only a long ways off. In fact they are so far 
off I doubt if any of the scientist would even believe how far 
away they are, much less anyone else."
	"Ricki, honey, don't talk that way. If someone hears you 
they'll lock you up in the crazy house."
	"I told you that you'd have to keep it secret, and no one 
would believe you anyway. I could prove it to you, but it'd scare 
the hell out of you."
	"What are you gonna do, take me home to meet your mother? 
Introduce me to your little green father?"
	"God, I wish I could take you home with me, but I can't 
even get there myself. Remember I said I was a shipwrecked 
sailor. My starship has broken down and crashed, years ago. So 
I'm stuck here with all you little Earthlings."
	"My God, you really are crazy. Do you really believe that 
nonsense, or are you just joshing me?"
	"Jim, it ain't nonsense, I'm telling you the truth. Let me 
demonstrate some things to you. I'll start easy. You remember how 
easily I whipped them four guys?" 
	"Yeah, but then you're eight feet tall and pretty dang 
strong too. I don't think it'd really be too hard for a woman of 
your size to do whip four little guys like them. I mean they 
weren't really little, but compared to you they were."
	She turned, swung her legs over the side of the bed and 
stood up, her naked body towering massively over him, and looked 
around the room for a few seconds. She saw a candle holder made 
from a horse shoe hanging on the wall. Reaching out and taking it 
off the wall she said, "Watch."
	She took the horse shoe in her fingers and without seeming 
to exert any effort at all twisted it easily in her fingers. "I'm 
a little stronger than I seem."
	"Well, you are awfully big, and strong to boot."
	"Jim! Damn it I'm a superwoman here on your little planet. 
I'd crush your gun in one hand but you may not want me to ruin 
your gun. I can bend your iron and steel in my hands like it's 
putty. I could lift a locomotive in my bare hands. You couldn't 
believe how strong I am. I come from a planet where the gravity 
is a lot stronger than it is here."
	"Stronger what?"
	"Oh, come on, Jim, you know what gravity is. It's what 
makes things fall toward the center of the earth." 
	"Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. But stronger gravity? How 
can that be?"
	"My world is bigger and heavier than yours, therefore the 
gravity is stronger."
	"Honey, you lost me, I'm not one of your scientist, I'm 
just a poor cowpuncher from the east." 
	"OK, just being stronger doesn't prove anything to you. I 
also have some other things that are different from your people 
here on this world. I can use my mind to move things and change 
things."
	"What'd you mean use your mind to move things and change 
things?"
	"I mean that just like you reach out and pick up something 
with your hand I can reach out and pick it up with my mind."
	"What'd you mean pick it up with your mind?"
	"Promise you won't run screaming out the door accusing me 
of being a witch?"
	"I won't do that. There ain't no such thing as a witch, I 
ain't no dumb superstitious hick."
	"Well, if you can keep that attitude, after I demonstrate 
my mental powers, we're gonna' get along great. Watch that chair 
over there." and she pointed to a wooden chair sitting in the 
corner of the room. Suddenly as she pointed the chair slowly 
lifted into the air and hung there three feet above the floor. 
	"My God! You are a witch!"
	"No! Not a witch, just a woman from another world with 
powers that the people of your world don't have and can't 
understand."
	Jim slowly backed away from her, "God, damn... I don't know 
what to think about you."
	"Remember your promise not to run away calling me a witch."
	"Yeah, but that was before... I don't know."
	"Jim, I don't want to do this to you, but I can keep you 
here, and will, if you try to run. I can lift you as easily as 
the chair; want me to do that?"
	"You mean with your magic?"
	"Jim, it's not magic. It's a mental power that I have."
	"What's the difference?"
	"MMmm, good question. If someone doesn't understand how 
something is done, it's just considered 'magic.' So I guess what 
I can do would be considered 'magic' since people here don't 
understand it or how it's done. For that matter, I don't 
understand the how of it myself, no more than when you want your 
hand to come up and scratch your nose. You sort of think, you 
don't even have to think it directly and your hand does it and 
you really can't explain how it does it. I can lift and change 
things the same way. It's really no different for me to pick up 
that chair that way, than it would be for you to pick up a glass 
of water in your hand." 
	She pointed to Jim and crooked her finger at him wiggling 
it in a come here motion, he lifted slightly off the floor and 
drifted toward her. He suddenly started squirming and struggling 
but he was helplessly floating through the air toward her. 
	"Ricki...." he screamed, "What are you doing?"
	She said, "Shushhh.... don't wake the neighbors. Or Stella 
either for that matter. I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanted 
you here by me." and she reached out her hand and pulled him into 
the embrace of her big strong arms, squeezing him tightly against 
her huge body.
	As he came against the warm softness of her and her 
powerful arms went around him he ceased his struggles. "Ricki, 
you scare me. Don't do that."
	"Little man, the last thing I want is to have you afraid of 
me. I just wanted to show you what I can do, so that you could 
get over being scared of me."
	"Well, lifting me into the air and making me fly to you 
sure as hell didn't do it. I'm terrified of you. Maybe not really 
you, but your powers, or whatever you call them. I do feel like 
I'm with a witch and you can manipulate me any way you want to."
	She squeezed her huge arms tightly around him and holding 
him off the ground gently rocked him back and forth in her arms. 
"Jim, please, forgive me. I love you, I think you're wonderful. 
Please don't be afraid of me, please, I love you." and she hugged 
him tightly to her massive body.
	"Oh, Ricki, I love you too, but the thought of what you can 
do scares me to death. Are you making me love you with a spell? 
Are you really a human, or are you some monster from hell, or 
another world? I don't really know, and it terrifies me. You feel 
so good when I'm in your arms like this, but is this really you?"
	"Oh, Jim, it's really me. This is what I look like, I could 
change what I look like, but I haven't and won't. And no, I'm not 
making you love me with anything but my love for you, and the 
physical attraction of my body. When I say I'm from another 
world, I don't mean a world like Heaven or Hell, or the spirit 
world. I'm not a ghost or monster, I'm from another world just 
like this, a physical world that goes around another sun just 
like yours goes around your sun. In fact if we go out into the 
open tonight I can actually show you the star that is my world's 
sun. Want to take the chance and go out into the dark with me?"
	"Well, as strong as you are, and with your powers how could 
I resist if you wanted me to go with you?"
	"By just saying no. I won't make you do anything you don't 
want to. I'd love to walk in the open with you out into the quiet 
night, and gaze up into the lovely night sky with you, and show 
you my home world, but if you don't want to go, you can stay here 
or where ever you feel you want to. I won't make you do anything 
you don't want to."
	"Ricki, you're so wonderful. I love you. And I trust you, 
so I'll go anywhere you want me to go with you. If you want to 
take a romantic walk in the moonlight with me tonight, I'll be 
happy to go with you. Maybe if I stay with you a little while, 
you can show me some more of your powers, slowly please, and I 
can get used to you a little bit at a time."
	"Sounds fair enough to me." and she bent her face down to 
engulf his lips in hers again. They kissed for a long while and 
he was hugging and squeezing her as he writhed against the 
massive softness of her body. "Get dressed, Jim, we need to let 
Stella know we aren't doing anything wrong. Remember she's 
probably trying to get the preacher over here to marry us right 
now. And if we stay up here too long she'll know she has to get 
us married right quick like."
	"You know her pretty good. I didn't know that you knew 
her."
	"I don't know her personally, but I've met a lot of 'do 
gooders' like her over the years and know how they operate. Let's 
get out of here while the gettin's good."
	"You betch'a!" and he pulled on his pants and shirt as she 
slipped back into her clothes, and buckled the gunbelt around her 
huge hips. 
	Jim had just finished pulling on his boots as there was a 
loud knock at the room door. He quickly moved to the window and 
leaning against the window frame as though he was looking down at 
the street below motioned Ricki to answer the door. Fully dressed 
she stepped to the door and opened it a little bit to see who was 
there. 
	Stella looked up at the huge woman and pushed her way into 
the room, as though Ricki couldn't have stopped her with an easy 
push of her arm. 
	"Hi, is everything all right? You've been up here for quite 
a while, and I was beginning to worry if everything was all 
right."
	Jim smiled at her and said, "Sure Stella, we were just 
talking about the town. I was telling her about the town and the 
people here. She wanted to make me her deputy, but I'm not sure I 
want to be a deputy sheriff. Especially for a   woman sheriff."
	Ricki almost laughed at the way Jim said 'woman sheriff' so 
emphatically, and Jim grinned as Stella glared at him and then 
looked at Ricki and said in her sharp voice, "and what's wrong 
with a woman sheriff? You think a woman can't do the job? I could 
do as good a job as the last sheriff we had." 
	Jim laughed, "Yeah, I guess so. Anyone can loose a 
gunfight."
	Stella glared at him and stomped her foot. "That's not what 
I mean, and you know it, Jim Daniels!"
	"Thanks, Stella," Ricki said, "he hadn't told me his last 
name yet. Now, mister James Daniels, are you going to be my 
deputy sheriff or not. I'm going to need a good deputy. I think 
you'd do a good job, and I think I can trust you too, which goes 
a long way toward making me want you for my deputy." 
	"Well, like I said before I'm only fair with a gun, but I 
can hold my own in a fight with most guys in the area, so I guess 
if you really want me to be your deputy I'll do it, at least for 
a while."
	Jim grinned at Stella, "If you're so all fired set on 
seeing me as her deputy, I'll do my first job as deputy sheriff 
and tell you to get someone over to the sheriff's office and 
clean it up right now."
	"Jim Daniels, you can't talk to me that way!"
	"Sure I can, Stella, you two just made me deputy sheriff, 
so what I say goes, now git going and get that place cleaned up 
if you have to do it yourself." 
	Stella was miffed at first but when both Jim and Ricki 
started laughing, she recovered her dignity and said, "All right 
mister all-mighty-deputy, I'll send Mary over to get it cleaned 
up." Then she laughed, in fact it should be just about ready now, 
I sent her over when you two first came up here. I looked at the 
way the two of you were looking at each other, and knew she'd 
probably have time to get it clean before you were ready to go 
over and look at it." and she was grinning back at them as if to 
say, 'I know what the two of you were up to, you ain't fooling me 
any!'
	Jim followed Ricki out the door and down the stairs totally 
fascinated with the lovely way her tight leather skirt squeezed 
her massive muscular rear and thighs, as she walked. He was 
completely entranced with her big beautiful body, and could 
barely see anything but her as he followed her out the front door 
of Stella's. 
	"Jim, enough looking at my ass, where's the sheriff's 
office?"
	"Oh, I didn't mean... I mean I wasn't...."
	"The hell you weren't, and if you weren't don't bother now 
'cause you're probably gonna get to see a lot more of it before 
we part ways." She chuckled, "With and without the tight skirt."
	"Ricki!" he gasp, "How could you say something like that?"
	"Real easy, I just open my mouth and tell you what's going 
to happen with us. I love you, and I think you love me. We'll 
probably get to know one another pretty well in the near future." 
	Jim was in seventh heaven as he looked up at the smiling 
face of the huge woman walking so close beside him. "Ricki, I 
love you too, and hope we can be together for a long time to 
come. I know that a while ago you said you didn't have any plans 
to get married anytime soon, but could I change your mind?"
	"What'd you mean?" and she was grinning wider than he was 
as she looked down at him, and put a hand on top of his head, 
petting him like he was her little pet dog. He merely grinned and 
moved closer to her rubbing against her huge body and slipping an 
arm around her waist as they walked. 
	"Well, this isn't exactly the most romantic setting to ask, 
but will you marry me?"
	"MMmm.... I kinda thought you might bring up that subject, 
but I was expecting you to wait until we took that walk in the 
evening. Least I was sure going to try and get you in the mood to 
ask it.. Should I make you wait until you ask it again, in a more 
romantic setting, or should I just jump at the chance to get a 
big handsome man like you, and say yes right away?"
	"Say yes right away!" Jim answered.
	"Yes! right away."
	"Oh, yess..... that's great..." and he turned toward her, 
put his arms up around her neck and pulled her head down till 
their lips met in a lingering kiss right there in the middle of 
the dusty street. "Oh, Ricki, I love you!"
	"I love you too, Jim, but people are staring. Let's get 
into the sheriff's office." and they stepped up on the porch and 
went inside.. 
	Ricki pushed the door shut behind them and reached out 
toward Jim when a noise startled them. They looked up to see a 
woman in a long dark skirt with a can in her hand.
	"Hi, I'm Mary. It's a good thing I brought this kerosene, 
there wasn't a drop in any of the lamps, but they're all full 
now. I'll leave the can here in case you need more before the 
general store opens tomorrow."
	"OK,  thanks, Mary, everything looks neat and clean. Thank 
you."
	"Sure, I'm finished now. Do you want me to come back 
tomorrow and clean it up again?"
	"That'd be a good idea. Can we just put your bill on 
Stela's or should we pay you separately?"
	"I guess you can just put it on Stella's bill."
	"Wait a minute, here, how about a little tip for you doing 
such a good job. Stella doesn't need to know about this either." 
and Ricki pulled out a small gold piece and handed it to her. 
	"Oh, nothing like that!" Mary said in astonishment,  
"That's five dollars!" 
	"I know that, I like the way you cleaned up the place, 
we'll make that your tip for the entire month. Would that be all 
right?"
	Mary could barely contain herself. "Oh, yes! That'd be 
fine." and she was grinning from ear to ear as she went out the 
door. 
	"Tipped a little too much?" Ricki asked Jim.
	"I think you could say that. She don't usually make that 
much for three months work at Stella's." Jim grinned, "but I 
think you have another friend."
	"I hope I don't have to buy all my friends in this town."
	"I don't think so, I think you're gonna have more friends 
than you know what to do with once people get to know you."
	"Well, I sure hope so. I could use a couple of friends 
around here."
	Jim smiled and said, "Giving Mary a tip like that, seems to 
indicate what you said earlier about not needing a job."
	"Well, I told you I didn't need a job."
	"Then why did you make us raise the salary to twenty five 
dollars a month?"
	"Cause, that's what I think the job is worth."
	"All the rest only got ten a month."
	"All the rest are dead or gone."
	"Hard to come up with an answer for that."
	Ricki walked around the office for a few minutes 
acquainting herself with it. She took the keys off the wall from 
behind her desk and closed and locked the cell doors, then opened 
them again. 
	"Jim, I'm gonna need a bigger chair. I don't think this one 
is going to last very long if I start plopping my big ol' ass in 
it on a regular basis." And she pulled out the chair and sat 
gingerly in it. The chair squealed slightly, then there was a 
sharp crack and it collapsed completely dropping her to the floor 
as it disintegrated completely under her. 
	 Jim thought he could feel the whole building shake as she 
hit the floor and said "Oof! Told you I needed a new chair!"
	"Well, you sure do now. I'll see if I can get a nice big 
sturdy one for you. Maybe just a tree stump so you won't break it 
sitting on it."
	"You better be nice to me or I'll sit on you!"
	"I guess that would depend on how you were sitting on me 
whether or not I'd like that."
	"If I sit on you at all, you won't like it."
	"Well I can think of a position or two that I might like to 
have you sitting on me."
	"Watch it little man."
	"I like watching it."
	"Now who's got all the smart answers?"
	About that time they looked out the front window and 
noticed three riders coming slowly down the street, all dressed 
in dark clothing.
	Ricki looked at them for a minute, then asked, "Who are 
they?"
	"Don't know. As far as I know, I've never seen them before, 
but from the way they're looking around, and the way they're 
dressed I don't like their looks. Look like some professional 
gunfighters, to me."
	"Don't suppose word on me had gotten out this quick do 
you."
	"I don't think so, I guess you're just lucky."
	"Lucky?"
	"Sure, if they're what they look like and you can take 
them, your reputation will be made."
	"Why should I take them? And what reputation?"
	"Your reputation as a fast gun."
	"I don't want a reputation as a fast gun."
	"Well, we're on the trail to both Tombstone and Tucson, so 
we get plenty of that type through here, and they usually cause 
trouble before they leave." 
	"In that case, maybe I should go on over to the saloon and 
greet them."
	"That's a good idea. I'm not going to stand right beside 
you, I'll be off to one side so they can't concentrate on both of 
us at once."
	"Stay fairly close, I can cover both of us if I can see you 
and don't have to look around to make sure of where you are."
	"You think you can cover both of us against three 
professional gunslingers?"
	"I think so. There's still a lot you don't know about me."
	"Yeah, and I think that'll be true twenty years from now 
too at the rate we're going."
	"Could be. But after we talk to them I still want to take 
that little stroll out in the desert with you, so I can point out 
my home world star."
	"Ricki, I told you not to talk that way, someone is going 
to think you're crazy and lock you up in the loony bin."
	"If they try that, I may have to break down and really show 
you some 'magic.'
	"They've stopped at Kelly's and are going in. Want to go on 
over?"
	"Sure, might as well go over and see how I'm going to do as 
sheriff around here. After all, I gotta keep the peace. Right?"
	"Right!" and Jim pulled the door closed as he followed 
Ricki out the door and toward the saloon.
	Ricky ducked the beam on the porch and as she walked across 
the wooden porch her boots clomped loudly, echoing on the wood. 
	One of the men at the bar laughed and said, "Hey bartender, 
I think you got a horse coming in for a drink." and all three of 
them started laughing.
	Kelly, looked up for a second then turning to the man said, 
"I think maybe that's our new sheriff, and I don't know if she'd 
take kindly to remarks like that or not."
	"New sheriff? She....? You mean you got a lady sheriff here 
now? What the hell good is a lady sheriff? Who's gonna be afraid 
of a woman?"
	If I were you, I'd look the situation over before I made 
too many smart ass remarks."
	"Yeah.... Right!" He hoisted his beer, laughed and turned 
around with his back to the bar and watched the door.
	Two big hands with long fingers grasp the top of the 
swinging doors and pushed them open and suddenly the entire 
doorway was filled with Ricki's huge body.
	"That's OK, Kelly, I was noticing it'd be hard for me to 
sneak up on anyone with these boots on that damn wooden porch of 
yours. You sure I ain't gonna fall through it? It creaks pretty 
bad when I step on it." 
	The three darkly dressed men looked at Ricki with their 
mouths gaping open in awe as she ducked her head and stepped into 
the saloon.  They were staring at Ricki so intently they didn't 
even notice Jim step out from behind her and walk to the table in 
the corner. Bare headed her blonde hair cascaded all around her 
head she she walked toward the bar. 
	"Kelly, gimme a beer. Sorry fellas, didn't mean to startle 
you.  I'm a little heavy and make a little too much noise with 
these damn hard heeled boots sometimes. But it's just damn hard 
to get any good boots to fit." and she extended her foot so they 
could look at the size of it. 
	"Yeah, I could see where you could have a bit of a problem 
sometimes."
	"Hell, it ain't sometimes, it's everytime I want to buy a 
pair of boots with these big ol' feet. They just don't make 
things big enough for me. But with clothes, I can usually find a 
seamstress to make me clothes that fit, it's just boots that I 
have problems with. Kelly give 'em a drink on me."
	"That's awful nice of you, Mam. So you're the new sheriff?"
	"Yep, just started today. Got the job kinda quick like." 
and she chuckled, looked at Kelly, and winked.  Them guys ever 
come back in for their guns, Kelly?"
	"No, Mam, I don't think it's that important to them right 
now."
	The tallest of the three that had been doing most of the 
talking asked, "This isn't one of those towns that takes 
everybody's guns when they come into town is it?"
	"Naw, we just had a little fight here this afternoon and I 
had Kelly hold their guns till they all cooled down."
	Kelly looked at the tall man and grinned, then said to 
Ricki, well I think two of 'em are pretty cool by now."
	She said, "Yeah, I guess so. Give their guns to their 
friends if they come in for them."
	The tall man looked at Kelly and ask, "That mean what I 
think it does?"
	"If you mean does it mean they're dead? Yep, they sure 
are."
	"Well, guys that play with guns without knowing what 
they're doing often, end up that way. What happened?"
	 "Ricki shot 'em. Man you should've seen it. Four cowpokes 
came in and started a fight with her, and she wiped up the floor 
with 'em. Then she told 'em to go on over to Doc's and get fixed 
up, a little fight ain't nothing to kill someone over."
	"Yeah, that's right, sure ain't." The tall man answered.
	"Well, instead of going to Doc's like Ricki told 'em....."
	"Kelly, don't make too much of it. They just made a 
mistake." Ricki interjected.
	"I'll say, I never saw anyone as fast as that. Going up 
against you was the biggest mistake they ever made."
	"Kelly!"
	"What? It was...."
	"Kelly, what in hell are you doing, planning to start a 
town newspaper? Telling everyone in the territory about 
everything that happens?"
	"Aw,  Hell, Ricki, everyone in town knows about it, why not 
tell these guys." 
	"What 'd you want them to do pass the word on so everyone 
can come in here and drink so they can hear you exaggerate what 
happened?"
	"Ricki, when you're that fast, I don't have to exaggerate."
	The man looked up at Ricki and said, "Most big people 
aren't very fast."
	"I know," Ricki replied, "but once in a while some are."
	"I guess so. How fast are you?"
	"I don't know how you'd measure that. I get by."
	Kelly started in again, "Man, she's so fast, when them two 
guys came back in with rifles pointed at her, she dropped them 
both in their tracks with two rifles pointed at her and they 
never even got off a shot."
	"That right?"
	Ricki just nodded her head slightly. 
	"That's pretty damn fast."
	"I guess."
	"I'm pretty fast, but I don't know that I'd want to go up 
against two guys with rifles pointed at me."
	"It wasn't a question of wanting to. It was pretty obvious 
they were going to shoot me without so much as a 'by your leave.' 
So I figured, it was get them, before they got me."
	"Well, that puts a slightly different light on things. When 
you get in a situation like that, you do what you have to do. 
Guess under those circumstances I'd try it too."
	Ricki replied, "Well, like you said, sometimes you just do 
what you have to do. By the way, you fella's just riding through, 
or staying here?"
	"We got a letter from a fella' named Atkins, wanted to hire 
us on." 
	"Well, you sure don't look like miners, and you don't even 
look much like cowhands either. What kind of work do you do?"
	"We're private investigators."
	"Private investigators? Any thing like bounty hunters?"
	"We've been called that. We prefer private investigators."
	"I don't know why he'd want to hire private investigators. 
I haven't been here long, and haven't really had a chance to talk 
with him, but from what I've heard, I have to talk with him the 
next time he comes to town about a little incident that happened 
last spring."
	"Last spring? Why hasn't anyone talked to him about it 
before now?"
	"Well, seems like the sheriff tried to, and that's why I'm 
the new sheriff."
	The man turned to his two companions and said, "You heard 
what happened, still want to work for Atkins?" 
	The two who had been quietly leaning on the bar and merely 
sipping their drinks and listening, looked Ricki up and down a 
few seconds, then the older of the two said, "Well we've come 
this far, let's see what he has to say. Besides he owes us for 
showing up expences."
	The tall man looked at Ricki for a moment, then said, 
"Yeah, guess we ought to just stay in town tonight and ride on 
out in the morning. Anyplace to stay here?"
	"I guess Stella's place across the street. Anyplace else 
Kelly?"
	"Naw, Stella's is about all there is."
	The man laughed tossed down the remains of his drink 
dropped the money for the drinks on the bar and said, "Well, 
fellows, I guess it's Stella's for us tonight. See you later 
Ricki." 
	"OK, see ya'..." and she turned back to Kelly and pushed 
her glass at him, Come on Kelly, you're supposed to keep me 
supplied, remember."
	"I dunno, you're supposed to earn your keep. How'm I gonna 
make any money, if when three gunslingers come in and you just 
talk real friendly to 'em?"
	"What am I supposed to do, make 'em draw on me here for 
nothing and see if I can beat all three? If something like that's 
what I have to do to earn my drinks, I'll pay for my own."
	"Ricki, I didn't mean anything like that, just seemed so 
obvious what them three was here for and you didn't say a word."
	"I said lots of words, found out a lot about them too."
	"Found out a lot, you didn't ask them hardly any questions 
at all, what'd you find out like that?"
	"Well, I don't know if I should tell you or not. I found 
out that the tall one's the leader of the group, the smaller 
one's very nervous, and they're all very professional and 
carefull. They aren't gonna start anything unless they're getting 
paid for it. And even then they're gonna look the situation over 
very good and make sure that all the conditions are in their 
favor before they do anything. And they are good."
	"Now what makes you think all that from what little you 
said to them, and they said even less to you. They didn't say 
anything to tell you any of that."
	"Kelly, as a bartender, you should be able to read people 
better than that. It wasn't their words I was listening to, it 
was their actions and reactions. I was watching them all very 
closely when you were telling how great I was, and how fast I 
was. They were watching me as close as I was watching them, and 
neither of us was letting on that we were watching each other. 
The only time they gave it away was when they started to leave 
and the silent two looked me over to see how I carried my gun, if 
I was carrying a second, and whether they really thought I was 
that fast."
	"Well what'd you think?"
	"About what?"
	"Can you take 'em?"
	"Depends."
	"Depends on what?" Kelly asked.
	"Depends on whether it's a fair fight or one facing me and 
the other two spread behind cover, which is more the way I figure 
them to try me."
	"Fair fight?"
	"I think so, but don't expect it from them."
	"Just think so?"
	"Well, there appears to be a good chance that I probably 
could, but then there are three of them and they're all 
professionals, and from what I saw pretty cool characters, they 
calculate the odds pretty good before they go into something I 
think. I just have an idea that they'll try to get me to go up 
against some other guy first so they can watch me."
	"How would they do something like that?"
	"Prod some poor dumb cowpoke into drawing on me while 
they're here so they can watch how I react, and see just how fast 
I am. Maybe find some half way fast slob with a gun and tell him 
that they're looking for a fourth, but he has to prove himself 
before they can take him in as a partner."
	"Think anybody'd fall for a dumb story like that?"
	"In a second, there's always young guys that are tired of 
working and think gunfighting is a really great life where you 
make a lot of money and don't have to work hard. And young guys 
like that always think they're the best there ever was, 
particullarly if they are pretty fast, and that'd be the perfect 
stooge for them."
	
                                                                 
***

	Saturday night found Ricki and Jim just finishing up a big 
steak dinner, and Ricki was watching the action as the cowhands 
came in for Saturday night rest and relaxation. One big cowpoke 
was already half drunk and starting to get loud. Since this was 
Ricki's first Saturday night as sheriff and the entire town was 
buzzing to see how she'd do, she figured to start by stopping 
trouble before it started. 
	Ricki walked over to the big loudmouth and quietly said to 
him, "I think you've had about enough and ought to start on 
toward home for the evening."
	"I ain't even started good yet. And I don't take kindly to 
women telling me when to go home." then loudly so everybody could 
hear, "Hey, guys, the lady sheriff wants me to go home early. 
Buzz off ya' big heffer."	
	Ricki stepped up to where he was standing at the bar and 
said loud enough that everyone in the imediate area could hear, 
"I asked you nicely to finish up and go home for the night, and 
you call me names and tell everybody that you're not going to do 
what I asked so nicely for?"
	"That's right, sheriff...." and he drug the word out to 
emphasize his distaste for her as sheriff. I ain't going no 
where! I like it here and ain't no woman gonna send me home like 
a little boy, sheriff or not!" 
	The other men in the area backed up a couple of steps so 
they wouldn't be involved if trouble broke out. Ricki took the 
initiative, reached out with one big hand, grabbed him by the 
front of the shirt, lifted him several feet into the air, and 
simply held him there in mid-air, screaming and struggling trying 
to get her hand off his shirt, while she quietly reached over 
with her other hand and plucked his gun from his holster.
	"Here, Kelly, keep this until he comes back sober 
tomorrow." and she tossed Kelly the man's gun. Then she said so 
everyone in the room could hear it, "Jim, take him over and lock 
him up for the night." Then she lifted the helpless, squirming, 
and struggling man higher and simply tossed him half way across 
the room toward the door. It was an impressive sight to see a two 
hundred pound man flying across the room from an easy, one handed 
toss by Ricki. He landed in a heap at Jim's feet and Jim reached 
down, lifted the stunned man to his feet and walked him out the 
door before he could even realize what had happened to him. It 
was failrly quiet in the bar for quite some time until the noise 
level slowly built back to it's former level. 
	Ricki noticed the three 'bounty hunters' sitting at a table 
in the corner with a fourth man with them, a tall gangly young 
man with a gun slung low. She almost giggled as she realized how 
well she had read the trio of gunmen. She wanted to point out to 
Kelly how right she had been, but since he was busy she left it 
alone, and walked over to the table instead.
	"Hi, Fellows, how's it going. Atkins hire you?"
	"The tall one looked up at her and said, "Yep, paid us our 
show up fee and two months wages for a simple job. This is Bob, 
our new partner. Looks like he'll be traveling with us now."
	"Howdy, Bob, where ya' from?"
	"What's it to ya'? I ain't wanted nowhere. Leave me alone."
	"Sorry, just trying to be friendly, no offence." Ricki 
appologized, realizing what was happening.
	"You're offensive just being here. We didn't ask you to 
come over her to harrass us, go back and show off how strong you 
are some more. You don't impress me any."
	"Bobby boy, I think I need to talk to you."
	"You ain't got no reason to be harassing me, shove off!"
	Ricki stepped around the table, grasp his upper arm in one 
big hand, and lifted him bodily from the chair he was in. "Bobby, 
that ain't no way to talk to a lady, or a sheriff either. Come on 
outside I need to talk to you a bit."
	Unfortunately Ricki was holding his left arm and as she 
lifted him, his right hand darted down and he had his gun in his 
hand coming up toward Ricki, before she noticed what he was 
doing. She noticed the gun coming up at the last second and 
without even a hesitation reached across his body with her left 
hand and caught his hand and the gun in her massive grip. She 
squeezed slightly and easily pulled the gun from his numbed hand. 
She turned and looked at Kelly, who was watching.
	"Here, Kelly, put this one with the rest of 'em." and she 
tossed Kelly the boys gun.
She lifted him to his feet and walked him out the door to the 
street.
	He was struggling and trying to break free of her powerful 
grip as she spoke quietly to him, "Bob, stop fighting me, I'm 
going to save your life."
	"You ain't saving my life, you're ruinning it!" and he took 
a swing at her with his right hand. She ignored the blow and 
since she was too tall for him to hit her in the face like he 
wanted his fist struck the middle of her chest just above her big 
breasts.
	"OW...!" He screamed as his fist hit her hard chest. "Damn 
you, you've broken my hand!"
	"Oh, I don't think you hit me that hard, it's probably just 
a bit numb, it'll be all right in a couple of days. But that's 
good, it'll give you an excuse not to try drawing on me, and 
getting killed. Those guys you're with are trying to get you 
killed, just so they can see how fast I am. They don't give a 
damn about you, and have no intentions to take you on as a 
partner. You're just a dupe so they can watch me in a gunfight, 
and see what they have to do to kill me. Of course if you were to 
get lucky, or if I wasn't as fast as Kelly's bragging said I was, 
and you killed me, they'd be home scott free, and would collect 
their bounty from Atkins for killing me while you went to prison 
for the murder of a sheriff."
	 "That ain't how it is."
	"Then how is it?"
	"They want to see if I'm good enough to ride with them as 
one of them."
	"Right! And you have to shoot me to prove that you're good 
enough to ride with them. Right?"
	"Well, yeah..... but it aint' to test you, it's to test 
me."
	"What, to see if you can kill someone, and if you're fast 
enough to ride with them?"
	"Yeah.... More or less....."
	"What's more or less? That was the deal! Wasn't it? And it 
had to be me so you could prove you're really fast enough for 
them. Right?"
	"Well..... yeah."
	"Bobby, let me show you something. I don't really want you 
telling anyone about this, but I want to show you what would have 
happened if you had tried to shoot me in a gunfight. See that 
bottle over there in the gutter? Pick it up and throw it in the 
air as far and as high as you can. Then when you're ready, slap 
your holster like you were drawing your gun, then fast as you 
can, point your finger at the bottle like you're shooting at it, 
and I'll show you something."
	"What, big woman, that you can hit a bottle in the air? 
Anyone who's half way good can do that."
	"Well, I'm going to give you a little more than just 
hitting the bottle. I'm going to have my back to the bottle and 
watch you when you throw it. I'm not even going to draw, or watch 
where the bottle is until you reach for your 'gun' OK? Then when 
I do shoot, I'm going to hit the bottle, first up around the 
neck, then the bottom half. OK?"
	"You're going to have your back to the bottle watching me, 
and wait until I draw to shoot. Then you're going to hit the 
bottle twice?"
	"That's right, and both times before you can move your hand 
up and point at the bottle."
	"Ain't nobody that good."
	"Throw it when you're ready, then slap your holster and 
point at it like you're shooting it too. When you're ready. OK?"
	"OK!"
	"When you're ready."
	Bobby hesitated several seconds then gave the bottle a hard 
throw high and down the street, hesitated for a second, then 
reached to slap his holster. The roar of gunfire drowned out the 
slap of his hand on the holster, and he watched in shock as he 
saw the top of the bottle explode miliseconds before the bottom 
exploded into a million pieces. His hand was still on the 
holster. 
	"Oh, my God! That's unreal. Ain't nobody that fast, least 
nobody human. Are you real."
	"Bobby, I'm real. Think you'd have had a chance drawing 
against me?"
	"Nobody'd have a chance against that!"
	"Still think you want to try me?"
	"No, Mam. Thank you for not killing me. I know you could 
have without any problem. Thank you."
	"Why don't you get your horse and go on home now, those 
guys aren't any good for you. They'll just get you killed. You 
don't mean a damn thing to them, just someone to draw the fire 
away from them for the split second they need to gain an 
advantage to kill someone else. If you live OK, if not, they 
don't care. They'll just get them another patsy next time they 
need one. You aren't any more valuable to them than a spitoon 
full of spit."
	Ricki gave the boy a little hug around the shoulders, a pat 
on the shoulder and pointing him toward his horse said, "I'll 
have Kelly give you back your gun next time you're in town." 
	"OK, that's fine, and thank you again Mam." and he walked 
off shaking his head.
	Ricki looked up to see a dozen people standing in front of 
the saloon watching her and the boy. 
	One of the men asked, "What happened?"
	"Nothing, just showing Bob how to shoot."
	"What do you mean, showing Bob how to shoot? He's one of 
the best shots in this area."
	"One of, says it all, he's realized it ain't no good if 
he's not the best."
	Ricki walked inside, and over to the table with the three 
gunmen at it. Pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked up at 
Kelly and pointed at the table indicating he should bring her a 
beer. 
	"Hi, fellows, not out front watching?" 
	"We heard the shots, what happened?"
	"Just a little demonstration."
	"Demonstration? Who got shot, Bob?"
	"Nobody got shot. Dissapointed?"
	"No, no. Glad nobody got shot. Where's Bob."
	"Bob, said to send you his regrets, but he remembered some 
chores he needed to do at home. He won't be seeing you again."
	The tall man laughed, "Scared him that bad huh?"
	"I guess you might say that. Now let's get something 
straight between us. Don't try to get any more young fellows to 
do your dirty work for you. If Atkins hired you to kill me, and 
you want to try it, let's go out in the street right now, or 
here, if you want, and finish this business off here and now. If 
you feel like it and want to try, I'll face all three of you at 
once, if  you get me first, you can collect your payment, if I 
get one or two of you, before the others can get me, the others 
will have more in their share. OK?"
	"Now, you seem to have us wrong. We're private 
investigators, not gunfighters, or hired killers."
	"Somehow, I just don't quite believe that. Call it anything 
you want to, but Atkins has hired you to get rid of me. Right?"
	"No, No, that's not right. Mr. Atkins didn't hire anyone to 
kill you."
	"Bull shit! Everybody in town knows what you guys do for a 
living, and I read you like a book the first time we met. If you 
don't believe me, ask Kelly what I told him you were going to try 
to do. I told him that you'd get some young foolish kid, to try 
and goad me into a fight, if he won, great. You'd collect from 
Atkins and not even have to worry about a murder rap. If he 
looses you would have been watching me to see how fast I am and 
how good I shoot, and how I move, that would possibly give you 
the advantage if you have to go up against me. You should have 
gone outside with me and Bobby, I showed him a little target 
practice and he decided he didn't want to go against me. Too bad 
you weren't watching. You might have learned what you wanted to 
learn from Bobby's death. But he won't be dying anytime soon now. 
	 To be continued.