ndations." Of
course, Steele was not to be seen last night. This morning Blome and his
gang were out pretty early. But they traveled alone. Blome just strolled
up and down by himself. I watched him walk up this street on one side
and then down the other, just a matter of thirty-one times. I counted
them. For all I could see maybe Blome did not take a drink. But his
gang, especially Bo Snecker, sure looked on the red liquor.

"By eleven o'clock everybody in town knew what was coming off. There was
no work or business, except in the saloons. Zimmer and I were together,
and the rest of our crowd in pairs at different places. I reckon it was
about noon when Blome got tired parading up and down. He went in the
Hope So, and the crowd followed. Zimmer stayed outside so to give
Steele a hunch in case he came along. I went in to see the show.

"Wai, it was some curious to me, and I've lived all my life in Texas.
But I never before saw a gunman on the job, so to say. Blome's a
handsome fellow, an' he seemed different from what I expected. Sure, I
thought he'd yell an' prance round like a drunken fool. But he was cool
an' quiet enough. The bio win' an' drinkin' was done by his pals. But
after a little while it got to me that Blome gloried in this situation.
I've seen a man dead-set to kill another, all dark, sullen, restless.
But Blome wasn't that way. He didn't seem at all like a bloody devil. He
was vain, cocksure. He was revelin' in the effect he made. I had him
figured all right.

"Blome sat on the edge of a table an' he faced the door. Of course,
there was a pard outside, ready to pop in an' tell him if Steele was
comin'. But Steele didn't come in that way. He wasn't on the street just
before that time, because Zimmer told me afterward. Steele must have
been in the Hope So somewhere. Any way, just like he dropped from the
clouds he came through the door near the bar. Blome didn't see him come.
But most of the gang did, an' I want to tell you that big room went
pretty quiet.

"'Hello Blome, I hear you're lookin' for me,' called out Steele.

"I don't know if he spoke ordinary or not, but his voice drew me up same
as it did the rest, an' damn me! Blome seemed to turn to stone. He
didn't start or jump. He turned gray. An' I could see that he was tryin'
to think in a moment when thinkin' was hard. Then Blome turned his head.
Sure he expected to look into a six-shooter. But Steele was standin'
back there in his shirt sleeves,