The Fast Gun Series - Books 1-3

By Terence Newnes

Books 1-3 in the Fast Gun Series of westerns by Terence Newnes, now available in one volume!

The Waco Kid: At fourteen, Rhys Morgan avenged the murder of his family and earned a reputation that drew every glory-seeking gunslinger his way. Seeking peace, Rhys heads to Arizona and trades his six-shooter for a plow, but when his mentor is gunned down by men from the Rocking P ranch, Rhys has no choice but to return to the life he tried to leave behind.

The Desert Born: Raised hard and trained by the Apache, Matt Walker is faster, smarter, and deadlier than most men alive. When he rides into the dusty town of Joshua, he's not looking for trouble. But trouble finds him anyway. Caught in a range war, Matt doesn’t want to stay... but some fights won’t let a man walk away.

To Tame a Town: Chance Mallory has worn many hats, and brought peace to many a town as a lawman. Now, he wants a quiet life on his own ranch. But the frontier town of Placerville is brimming with danger, and Mallory finds himself drawn to a woman he wants to settle down with. To claim his future, he’ll have to tame a town for one last time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Next Chapter
• Release date: Oct 28, 2025

Book preview

The Fast Gun Series

BOOKS 1-3

TERENCE NEWNES

Contents

The Waco Kid

1. Death of a Marshal

2. Atticus Flint

3. Rhys Morgan

4. The Waco Kid

5. A New Start

6. The Offer

7. The Harrisons

8. The New Marshal

9. Attackers

10. For Atticus

11. Interlude

12. Black Pete

13. Will Fischer

14. Red Wolf

15. Sniper

16. The Bar W

17. Rustlers

18. Gunslingers

19. Garth Patterson

20. Interlude

21. Defending the Town

22. The Raid

23. Blood and Mayhem

24. The Showdown

The Desert Born

1. The Man from the Desert

2. The Double O

3. Matt Walker

4. The Gold Thieves

5. A Scout for the Army

6. Joshua Town

7. The New Marshal

8. Bounty

9. The Fast Draw

10. Roscoe and Luka

11. Dixie

12. Love and Gold

13. The Manhunter

14. To Kill a Man

15. To Clean a Town

16. Showdown in Joshua

17. Gunfire at Dawn

18. Tracking a Hunter

19. The Death of a Manhunter

20. Interlude

21. Hunting for Gold

22. Defensive Measures

23. Roscoe’s Fury

24. The Plan

25. The Final Showdown

To Tame a Town

1. Gunfight in South Pass

2. Bitterroot Valley

3. Prospecting

4. Chance Mallory

5. Pebble Creek

6. The Town of Red Rock

7. Chance Draws a Deuce

8. Town Marshal

9. The Missed Count

10. Placerville

11. Huck and Lou

12. Unfinished Business

13. The Calm

14. Lucy and Chance

15. Rowdy Higgs

16. To Ship the Gold

17. Dan Carter

18. Riding Shotgun

19. End of the Line

20. The Law

21. The Marshal

22. To Tame a Town

23. Jake Rumsfeld

24. Preemptive Strike

25. The Higgs Brothers

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2025 Terence Newnes

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2025 by Next Chapter

Published 2025 by Next Chapter

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

The Waco Kid

THE FAST GUN SERIES BOOK 1

This one is for Mercedes Ann Newnes-Lethbridge.

My sister, who has a droll sense of humor and a heart of gold!

Chapter 1

Death of a Marshal

They were waiting for him in the Bullhorn Saloon, and they were spread out. Cole West and Beau Gage were the gunslingers from the Rocking P Ranch, and they had shot a farmer in town. The town Marshal, Atticus Flint, walked into the saloon with his shotgun in his hand. He stopped just inside the batwing doors and said, I want the two of you to surrender your guns and come with me. Cole West told him mockingly, We ain’t done nothin’ wrong, Mr. Marshal! It was a fair fight because Vince drew on us first. Atticus told him, There will be an inquiry, and if it was a fair fight you will walk free. But until then I need to lock you boys up. Beau Gage gave him a leering smile and said, You sure are a brave man, Marshal! Walking in here with that there shotgun, all loaded for bear! We heard about you, Marshal, and how you favor that there shotgun. Cole West said, You keep pointing that at me and I’m liable to figure that you intend to kill me. Beau Gage chimed in, If you intend to just kill us instead of taking us in, Marshal, then I reckon we got the right to protect ourselves.

Atticus had his finger on the trigger and he said grimly, You either drop those guns right now or I squeeze this trigger – I ain’t much of a talker! There were two men, Ringo and Brody, also from the Rocking P, sitting at the back of the room. Brody stood up and said loudly, I seen the fight, Marshal, and it was fair! Atticus turned his head to look, and then cursed himself – he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. His last thought was, I’m getting old! They had planned it well – the second Atticus glanced at Brody, Beau and Cole palmed their guns and shot him to doll rags! The shotgun roared, but Atticus was falling back under the impact of the bullets, and the blast went over Cole’s head. As soon as he hit the ground, Atticus dropped the shotgun and drew his six-gun. He fired two shots at Cole and Beau. The first one missed Cole, but the second bullet hit Beau in the left arm. Atticus’ mind was clouding over and he was looking through a mist, but he rolled over and triggered two more shots at Ringo and Brody. Ringo took one in his shoulder and the second bullet hit Brody in his chest. But Cole and Beau were still shooting, and the last two bullets hit Atticus close to his heart and the gun dropped from his hand. Beau grunted, Let’s get out of here! Damn the old man, he got me in the arm! All four ran out of the saloon, with Ringo supporting Brody, who was staggering. They mounted their horses and rode to the Rocking P Ranch.

The barkeep, Ellis, was a working partner in the Bullhorn Saloon – his partner, the man who put up the money for the business, was Garth Patterson, owner of the Rocking P Ranch. The sound of gunfire and the roar of the shotgun brought the townsfolk running to the saloon. Doc Heath, who was the town’s doctor and the only doctor for miles around, was the first on the scene. He knelt down by Atticus and began examining him. Atticus opened his eyes wide and said clearly, It was a setup, Doc, and like a fool I walked right into it! His eyes closed again and his breathing began to falter. Doc Heath counted six bullet holes – a bullet in the thigh, one in the shoulder, two in the stomach, and two in the chest – and he knew that there wasn’t anything he could do for his friend. Suddenly Atticus’ eyes opened wide again and he reached up and gripped Doc Heath’s hand. Very slowly and clearly he said, Doc, pin the star on Rhys! Tell him I said that the time has come for him to strap on his guns again. His eyes closed, his hand fell away, and Atticus Flint – the veteran lawman of a dozen towns – died near the door of the Bullhorn Saloon in a small town under the Mogollon Rim.

Justin Harris and Pedro Ramirez came running up. They were members of the town council that appointed the town’s Marshal. Justin stared at Atticus’ body and said grimly, Let’s see what Ellis has to say about this! But Doc Heath raised his hand and said, Don’t bother, Justin – don’t waste your time. I saw Cole, Beau, and two others ride away as I came running, and some of them were wounded. Ellis will just say what his partner tells him to say! Pedro said, I’ll send my men to take him to my place and I’ll bury him. Doc said, You do that, Pedro, and then call the town council together. We need to talk! He looked at the body and remarked, He was a tough man and he didn’t die easy. Six bullets in him – and he still got some bullets into them.

Justin declared, I’m still going to ask Ellis his version of what happened. We need to know just how far he will go to side with Garth! Doc shrugged and Justin walked into the saloon. Before he could say anything, Ellis told him, "A hell of a thing to happen in my saloon! The boys were just having a drink when the Marshal walked in with that shotgun in his hands. He just said, ‘You killed Vince!’ and then he squeezed the trigger. I reckon Cole was faster by just a fraction of a second, but that fraction saved his life because the shotgun blast went high! He pointed to the holes in the wall near the ceiling and said, The blast went right over Cole’s head! I can’t figure what the Marshal thought he was doing. The boys told me they were here because they were waiting for the Marshal to take them in until the inquiry was done. They swore that Vince had drawn iron on them first. Justin asked him grimly, You going to stand by that statement? Ellis had an innocent look on his face as he replied, Of course I am, because that’s just the way it happened!"

The town council met at the bank, which was owned and run by Sebastian Lopez. Justin Harris owned the Chase Eatery and Pedro Ramirez owned the Tonto Hotel – he was also the town’s undertaker. He was fond of saying, ‘I put them to rest when they’re tired and I put them to rest when they’re dead.’ Joe Faulkner was the owner of the Toilers Saloon and Dick Halsey owned the hardware and grocery stores in town. Pedro told the others, My boys are getting the body ready. I thought we’d have the funeral tomorrow morning? Sebastian Lopez asked Doc Heath, Anyone we should inform, Doc? Any relatives or friends? Doc shrugged and replied, He had a lot of friends, but I doubt there are any close relatives, so we can go ahead and bury him. Justin said, You were right, Doc, Atticus didn’t go easy. I had a look around inside and there were trails of blood – three trails, so he shot at least three of them. Doc nodded and remarked, He was a veteran and he was tough!

Chapter 2

Atticus Flint

Atticus Flint had been a cowboy on a ranch in West Texas and he had always been good on a trail and handy with a gun. When outlaws started rustling cattle, Atticus took to their trail and found them with the cattle. The rustlers spotted him, and in the ensuing gunfight, Atticus killed three of them. The remaining two took off running and Atticus brought back the cattle. The town, at that time, had a lot of the rough crowd and there was a killing almost every week. The town council appointed Atticus the town Marshal and he immediately deputized ten tough cowboys and they rounded up the rough crowd. Atticus did not challenge anyone to a gunfight – he and his deputies walked into saloons and eateries armed with shotguns and rifles. Atticus told the rough element, You got a choice – you can shoot your way out against these shotguns and rifles or you can drop your guns and ride out of town. Was I you, I’d ride, but you do what you want to do!

Most of the rough crowd left, but a few of them came back and camped outside the town. They vowed to kill the Marshal and his deputies. When Atticus heard about it, he took his deputies and they surrounded the camp. Atticus stood close to a tree and called out, You men made a mistake by coming back so now I got to lock you up. Drop your guns and raise your hands high! The men were tough – but stupid – and they started shooting. Atticus ducked behind the tree and his deputies opened up with their shotguns and rifles. There were twenty men in the camp – only two made it to the lockup. The word spread and the rough element stayed away from Atticus’ town. After a year, Atticus moved on and took the job of Marshal in another town, and then another. He found that he liked being the law in a town, making it safe for the ordinary citizen to go about his business without lead flying around all the time.

Fifteen years had passed since Atticus had first pinned on the star, and now he was the Marshal in the town of Willow Springs just below the Mogollon Rim. The town served two ranches and four farms in the area, and everything had been peaceful up until a year ago. Atticus had come to the town three years ago when the town Marshal was retiring. Old Abe, as he was called, was past sixty and he told the town council that he was retiring. He was going to Virginia where he had family, and he intended to spend his last years there. He told them that he would get them a good Marshal as his replacement. He had known Atticus for many years and he sent word to him. Atticus was the Marshal in Waco at the time, but he also had a reason to move to a remote area and he accepted Old Abe’s offer.

He rode into the town of Willow Springs with a fifteen-year-old lad. Atticus pinned on the badge, and the young lad who rode in with him started a small farm in a valley near the cliffs. Except for the usual trouble in any frontier town, things had been peaceful. But then there had been a year of drought and a bad winter, and water sources were drying up. The two ranches were the Bar W and the Rocking P. The Bar W was owned by Bret Wallace and he was a canny rancher who had been born on a ranch in Texas. He had dug wells and built dams on his range, so he was able to carry on during the dry season. He was also smart enough not to overcrowd his range with cattle.

Garth Patterson of the Rocking P was another story. He was a tall, solidly built man, with flat features and a square jaw. He had blond hair which was always cut very short, and his eyes were an expressionless blue-gray. He claimed to be from South Dakota and he had started his ranch about four years ago. He had a hard-bitten crew who seemed to know more about guns and fighting than about cattle. No one really knew much about Garth Patterson except that he hailed from South Dakota. What everyone did know was that Garth wasn’t cut out to be a rancher. He dug no wells, he built no dams, and he overcrowded his range with a large herd. The year of drought hit him hard, and with his water sources drying up, his cattle suffered. That was when he started eyeing the perennial streams that ran across two farms and the Bar W range. The two farms were large ones – one was owned by Vince Hughes and the other by Joshua Harrison.

Vince Hughes was a square man, almost as broad as he was tall, with a firm square jaw and broad features. He was single and lived alone in his small farmhouse. He had four hired hands to run the farm, and was known to be a smart farmer with a love for the land. But he was also known to be stubborn and taciturn. Joshua Harrison was from the hills of Kentucky, and he was lean and tall, with angular features and sharp blue eyes. His wife had died during an Indian attack when they were on their way to settle down in Arizona. He had three sons and a daughter and they ran the large farm with just two hired hands. Besides fields of corn and beans, Joshua had an orchard of carefully cultivated fruit trees including peaches and pears. He also cultivated a large vegetable patch and had a small herd of dairy cows. Joshua’s eldest son was Harlan, who was nineteen years old, and had plans to start a small cattle ranch next to the farm. The second boy was Ansel, who was eighteen years old and had a love for the land like his father. Gideon, at fourteen, was the youngest child and the third son. Joshua’s daughter, Wynona, at sixteen, was a slim but tough girl who worked hard on the farm. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and everyone in town declared that she was the most beautiful thing under the Mogollon Rim.

Joshua and his children, including his daughter, were sharpshooters with their rifles – which was quite natural since they were from the hills of Kentucky and learned how to shoot as soon as they could hold a gun. The sons, including Gideon, were fast on the draw and accurate when using their six-guns. The family kept to themselves, but they were always pleasant and courteous when dealing with others. When Garth decided that he should have the farmland to gain control of their water source, he came to town when he knew Joshua would be there buying supplies. He waited on the boardwalk with his men until Joshua stepped out of the store and then told him, I’m offering to buy your place and you can name your price! Joshua was with Harlan and Ansel, and as soon as the boys saw Garth and his men, they casually spread out. They loaded the sacks of supplies into their small wagon, and then took up positions behind the wagon with their new Winchester rifles pointing in the general direction of the Rocking P crew. Gideon was on the wagon seat and he already had his rifle resting on his knees and pointing straight at Garth.

Joshua stared at Garth for a long moment and then said laconically, Ain’t for sale. Garth said, I told you that you can name your price – any price! Joshua hefted the sack in his left hand – his right hand held his rifle – and he moved toward the wagon without answering. Garth said heatedly, Don’t you walk away when I’m talking to you! Joshua looked at him, and his blue eyes were cold as a deep winter snowfall. He said shortly, You heard me! Garth’s hand dropped to his gun, but one of his men whispered to him; he hesitated, and then turned abruptly and walked away. A week later he accosted Vince in town and made him the same offer. Vince told him, You’re joking of course! Why would I want to sell my farm when it’s just starting to pay off?

From then on, riders from the Rocking P were always in town when Vince or Joshua came in to sell their produce or buy supplies, and they began passing remarks about sodbusters and hayseeds. Vince complained to Atticus and the Marshal told him to just ignore the comments. They want you to react, he told Vince. Then they’ll force a fight on you. Vince said, I’ll fight them if that’s what they want. But Atticus told him, I know you’re handy with your fists, Vince, but they’ll use guns. Just ignore them and I’ll be around to see that it don’t go further. Atticus made it a point to be around when Vince and Joshua came to town, and one day when Cole and Beau tried to get too personal in their comments, he warned them, I know what you boys are trying to do, and if you take it too far, I’ll just put you in the lockup until the farmers leave town.

Things were quiet then for some months, until the day when Atticus was out of town. One of the cowboys from the Rocking P came to town and told Atticus, A drifter just told me that there was a body lying near that bald butte two miles west of here. You know that small butte that has nothing on it? Atticus rode out to look for the body and Vince rode into town. Cole and Beau were waiting for him, and as he got down from the wagon seat they crowded him and began to heckle him. Cole told him, You should have taken the boss’ offer and sold your farm, hayseed! Beau gave him a push and said, We don’t like farmers because you plow up the land that the cattle need! Vince swung out at him and Beau palmed his gun and shot him just once – right through the heart. Vince staggered and dropped to the ground and Cole immediately bent down, took out Vince’s six-gun, and placed it next to his hand. Dick Halsey came running out of the store and Beau told him, He just went crazy! We were just funnin’ him and he goes and draws on me! We’re in a hurry now, but we’ll be in tomorrow to see the Marshal. They rode out of town before Atticus returned. When Dick told him what had happened, Atticus said, I’ll lock them up when they come to town and then we’ll hold an inquiry.

Chapter 3

Rhys Morgan

Justin Harris asked Doc Heath, You called this meeting to talk about a new Marshal? Joe Faulkner said, There’s trouble brewing and the Rocking P wants a free hand to drive out the farmers. I figure that’s the reason why they killed Atticus. Dick Halsey said, We gotta get a Marshal, but no one from around here will take up the job, so it’ll take time to get someone from outside. Anyone got any suggestions? Doc Heath said, That’s why I called this meeting. Just before he died, Atticus told me that it was a setup and he walked right into it. Then he told me to pin the star on Rhys Morgan. Dick Halsey exclaimed, Rhys! The kid who has that small farm? He comes in from time to time to buy some supplies and I’ve spoken to him. He must be hardly more than eighteen if you ask me! He’s soft-spoken and doesn’t talk much.

Suddenly he held up a hand and said, Wait! Wait just a sec! He frowned for a moment and then exclaimed, I’m sure he doesn’t even wear a gun! Doc Heath said mildly, He doesn’t. The others were all looking confused now and Justin asked Doc, Are you sure, Doc? Why would Atticus recommend a boy who doesn’t even wear a gun? And besides, it was Cole who challenged Rhys and he backed down. Joe Faulkner said, That’s right! I remember that incident – it happened a year after Atticus became the Marshal and Rhys started his farm.

Rhys Morgan used to come to town about once every two months to buy supplies, and he always paid in cash. One day the Rocking P crew was in town and they cornered Rhys as he was coming out of the store. Beau told him, You’re a small-time sodbuster but it’s said that you always pay cash for your supplies. You haven’t yet sold any crop so I’m wondering where you get the money from. Cole said sardonically, Maybe you rustle a few head of cattle whenever you need some money. Rhys ignored them and placed the two small sacks of supplies behind his saddle. Cole walked up to him and said, When I talk to you, don’t you dare ignore me! He pushed Rhys – or rather, he tried to – but as soon as his hand touched Rhys’ shoulder, Rhys caught his hand and bent his fingers back until Cole cried out. Beau drew his gun and Rhys said sharply, I ain’t armed!

Cole was holding his fingers and Ringo charged Rhys, swinging his fist. Rhys swayed his body and Ringo’s fist sailed over his shoulder. Then Rhys planted his fist solidly in the pit of Ringo’s stomach and he folded in half, gasping for air. The others started to surround Rhys and Atticus came running up. He ordered the Rocking P men, Stand down! If you have a beef with this young lad, face him one on one. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, ganging up on a kid who doesn’t carry a gun! Cole was still massaging his fingers and he told Rhys, You get yourself a gun and face me right here in town. The next time I see you, I’ll shoot you on sight! Atticus told Cole, You do that and I’ll hang you for murder! Shooting down an unarmed man is murder in anyone’s book! Rhys swung into his saddle without speaking and rode out of town. When he didn’t return for the next two months, and he still did not carry a gun, Cole and the others spread the story of the yellow-bellied sodbuster.

When Justin and Joe brought up the incident now, Pedro was looking thoughtful, and now he said, I’ve met the young man and I agree that he’s soft-spoken and quiet. But I think there’s fire in that boy – just below the surface. I for one wouldn’t want to make him angry! Joe Faulkner said slowly, Now that I think of it, I’ve met the lad and I think I agree with Pedro. Rhys is a young man, but he has confidence and there’s a kind of sureness and smoothness about his movements – I know I’m not making sense, but it’s like a mountain lion on the prowl!

Doc Heath told them, You may remember that when Atticus first rode into town he was accompanied by young Rhys Morgan. He paused and then asked, Any of you ever wondered why a man like Atticus, who was the Marshal in Waco, Texas, would up and come here to this remote corner of the world to take up this job? Justin frowned and said, Now that you mention it… Doc Heath said, I asked him and he told me the story. Sebastian Lopez said, That’s a story I’d like to hear. Doc Heath stated, Back in Texas, young Morgan is also known as the Waco Kid! Sebastian Lopez rubbed his chin and said softly, I have heard about this Waco Kid. My friends in Texas and New Mexico tell me he’s a young man who’s one of the fastest guns alive. He paused in thought and then said, But I also heard that he had disappeared from Texas. He looked at Doc Heath and said, Now you say that he is here. Yes, I would definitely like to hear that story! So Doc Heath told them.

Gareth Morgan owned a farm about ten miles from the town of Waco, Texas. He had three big sons, Aaron, Abel, and Rhys. At the time of the trouble with the rancher, Aaron was the eldest at 20, Abel was 17, and Rhys was fourteen. The rancher was Clint Brooks who was a tough man from Kansas. He had fought for the Union and he had fought in battles in Texas during the Civil War. When the war ended, he stayed on in Texas and took over a ranch near Waco. The owner of the ranch had died in the war, and with the help of the Reconstruction men, Brooks got ownership of the land. Before the war Clint Brooks had been a gunman, and he had taken part in the fights that broke out in Kansas between the abolitionists and the proslavery groups. He was a brutal man who would let nothing stop him in achieving his objective. During the fights in Kansas he had killed two families, including the women, because they were slave owners who had beaten back an attack by his group. He had lost three men in that attack, and in retaliation, he had burned the farm buildings to the ground and left no one alive.

When the Civil War broke out, he first joined up with a group of irregulars who attacked isolated farmhouses in Missouri and raided deep into Arkansas. After two years, he joined the regular Union army and was a Captain at the end of the war. By 1866, the idea of taking cattle herds to Kansas for sale to the beef-starved East had caught on in Texas. Clint Brooks began to buy cattle from wherever he could find them to build a large herd to sell in Kansas. But his range wasn’t sufficient to support a large herd of cattle, so he bought out two small farms that adjoined his land boundaries. The farmers at first refused to sell, but Clint had a tough crew of gunmen and others who had been with him in the irregulars. They beat up the farmers, molested their women, and forced them to sign a bill of sale. The Reconstruction men turned a blind eye to what was happening, but anger built up in the local populace and they brought in Atticus to be the town Marshal. The leading citizens told the Reconstruction men bluntly, Either allow the town Marshal to maintain law and order or face another rebellion! Most of the Union officers stationed there had never been in battle, and their experienced noncommissioned officers told them that if there was an uprising then the troops would be outnumbered.

The Colonel in charge of the troops decided that a local uprising would be viewed as his failure by the higher-ups in Washington, and he ordered his troops to stand down. He told the leading citizens that a duly elected and appointed town Marshal would have the backing of the troops. Atticus took charge, and for a while things went back to normal. But Clint Brooks had been eyeing the Morgan farm which was a large landholding and he plotted on killing the family. He had not offered to buy the farm, not only because he knew that Gareth Morgan would have refused, but also because he did not want it known that he intended to take over the land. He planned on killing the family in a gunfight, but if the town knew that he wanted the land, then there would be trouble with the new Marshal.

His men kept a watch on the Morgan family, because for Clint’s plan to work, they would have to catch the entire family together. A day came when Gareth and his sons set out to town to sell their produce. The man on watch rode fast to the ranch and informed Clint, who asked him, You sure that all the sons are coming to town? The man said, I saw the whole lot of them start down the trail. Clint was a fast gun himself and he had two gunmen on his payroll who had big reputations. Shawn Younger and Jay Ward had been outlaws before the war, and they had joined the irregular unit that Clint had been part of. They remained as irregulars for longer than Clint because they liked the killing and the easy money that came from the looting. It was only during the last year of the war that Clint got them to join the regular army and they stayed with him when the war ended. They were fast on the draw and they were ruthless killers. Clint sent the two of them to town along with five more gunmen. His only orders were, Make sure you kill the lot of them! Take no prisoners!

The watcher had seen the entire Morgan family start for town and he had taken off fast to get to the ranch. But two miles down the trail, Rhys’ horse started limping and his father frowned and told him, That horse won’t make it to town, son. The farm is closer, so you best go back and check out that leg. I reckon there’s a shoe or a nail come loose. So Rhys walked back to the farm and Gareth and his other sons went on to town. They sold their produce, and since Rhys wasn’t with them, they stepped into the Wagon Train Saloon for a drink. Shawn Younger, Jay Ward, and the other men were watching, and they walked into the saloon after the Morgans. The five gunmen spread out inside the room while Shawn and Jay walked up to the bar. Shawn stood next to Aaron and ordered a drink while talking to Jay. He picked up his drink and willfully jostled Aaron. His drink spilled and he swore, Damn these sodbusters!

He gave Aaron a violent push and then palmed his gun and shot him. Gareth and Abel were taken by surprise but they swung up their rifles to shoot. Before they could squeeze the triggers, the five men spread out in the room opened fire and Shawn and Jay joined in. The three Morgans were shot to doll rags when Atticus walked in with his shotgun. The seven gunmen told him that Aaron had picked a fight with Shawn and Gareth and Abel had joined in. Shawn said, I figured the youngster was feeling his oats and I took him on. The others stayed out of it until those two swung up their rifles to shoot me. It was self defense, Marshal! There were only two other men in the saloon at the time besides the barkeep, and they wanted no trouble with Clint Brooks or the Reconstruction soldiers. They told Atticus that they couldn’t say who had started the gunplay because it had happened suddenly and they were more concerned with staying out of the line of fire.

There was nothing that Atticus could do and he arranged for the bodies to be buried. He knew that there was another son, but he did not say anything in front of Shawn and his men. Two hours later, he rode to the farm and told Rhys what had happened. He said, You can stay on here and work the farm, kid, and I’ll do my best to protect you. I’m sorry that I can’t arrest those men, but they claim that it was a fair shooting. There ain’t no witnesses except for the barkeep and those two men, and it’s obvious that they don’t want to get involved. Rhys stared at him for a long moment until Atticus felt uncomfortable under that steady gaze. Then Rhys said softly, I’ll kill them in a fair fight – I promise you that. Just stay out of my way.

Atticus looked at the fourteen-year-old lad and he realized that Rhys stood just two inches under six feet and he was well built with broad shoulders. He looked at the gun on Rhys’ thigh and said, Kid, Shawn Younger and Jay Ward are known killers, and they’re very fast on the draw. Rhys shrugged and just said, It’ll be a fair fight. Atticus was going to say more, but he looked into Rhys’ cold gray eyes and sighed. I’ll be in town, he said and mounted his horse. You want me to bury them here or in town? he asked Rhys. The youngster shrugged and told him, I’ll be in town tomorrow morning. I reckon we can bury them there if it’s all the same to you. Atticus nodded and rode back to town.

Clint Brooks was furious when he discovered that Rhys was still alive. He told one of his men, Find out when they’re burying the bodies! That kid has to come in for that and then we’ll get him. The man told him, They’re burying them tomorrow morning and the kid will be there. Clint said grimly, Looks like if I want a job done well, I gotta do it myself. He told Shawn, You, Jay, and me will go to town tomorrow – just the three of us and no one else. That Marshal won’t be able to accuse me of anything if I ride in without the entire crew. I’ll say that I came in to offer my condolences on this unfortunate happening. He paused and then said, I’ll find a way to rile that kid so that he goes for his gun – then I’ll kill him!

Chapter 4

The Waco Kid

The next morning they buried Gareth and his two sons while Rhys stood watching with a stony look on his face. Everyone went back to town except for Atticus, who stood there with Rhys. He asked him, What you planning on doing, kid? You going to run that farm? If you are, I’ll get you some good men and you can come to me if ever you need anything. Rhys looked over the Marshal’s shoulder and saw Clint and the others coming up the slope. He told Atticus, I need something now. Atticus immediately said, Anything, kid; just tell me. Rhys said softly, I need you to walk away right now and head to town without looking back. Just do that and do it now. Atticus looked over his shoulder and saw the men approaching. He sighed and said, I can’t do that, kid. I’m the Law here and I got to stop trouble before it starts. Rhys told him bluntly, You couldn’t save my family, but you want to save their killers. Atticus was surprised and he said, "I wasn’t talking about saving them! Rhys nodded and told him, Then just walk away and trust me. This is something I gotta do and I know that you can understand." Atticus looked at the cold eyes and the hard face that suddenly seemed to be carved out of stone, and he sighed again and walked away.

Clint, Shawn, and Jay came up to Rhys and Clint said, Well, at least you buried them. If you don’t want to join them… That was as far as he got because Rhys said, I’m going to kill you! Clint, Shawn, and Jay went for their guns – Shawn was the fastest and his gun cleared leather ahead of Clint and Jay. But Rhys was way faster and his gun was spitting fire before Shawn’s gun was aligned. Rhys had his priorities right, and his first bullet took Shawn right in the middle of his forehead. His gun moved slightly and he triggered four more shots. Jay took one in the chest and the next bullet hit Clint in the stomach. Jay took another to the chest and the last one split open Clint’s heart. The last bullet to hit Jay Ward went through his lung and he fell to the ground with blood spewing out of his mouth with each breath he tried to take. Rhys watched him dispassionately until he stopped breathing, then he reloaded his gun and walked away.

For two months Rhys stayed at the farm and buried himself in work, but it would be a long time before the ache in his heart went away. Everywhere he looked there were reminders of his father and brothers. His mother had died during an attack by a band of roving Comanche when Rhys was seven years old, and it was Aaron who brought him up and taught him all he knew. When he turned ten, Aaron bought him a gun belt and taught him how to draw and shoot just by pointing the gun. He told him, When you point your finger at something, you’re usually dead center – so you gotta learn to point your gun like you’re pointing your finger. That’s the secret behind this idea of a fast draw, because you don’t take that extra second to aim your gun. Drawing your gun fast is only the first step, because if your first bullet misses, then having the fastest draw in the world won’t stop you from ending up dead! Aaron and Abel were fast on the draw, but Aaron soon realized that Rhys was exceptional. By the time Rhys was twelve years old he could draw and hit his target dead center ten times out of ten – he was also a dead shot with a rifle, as was the entire family.

Rhys paid his first visit to the town at the end of two months because he was out of supplies and couldn’t live only on game that he hunted and wild edible plants. Atticus had visited the boy twice in those two months, but then had held off because he knew that each time Rhys saw him, the memory of his family’s burial came back. It was just before noon when Rhys rode into town, but Atticus did not see him because he was in his office catching up on some paperwork. Rhys went straight to the general store and bought his supplies. The owner, Walt Morrison, offered his condolences again and said, You buy whatever you need, kid. You can pay me whenever you can. Rhys thanked him but said, Pa never believed in credit and he left enough behind to see me through until the next harvest. Walt packed his purchases and then hesitated before handing over the sack. Rhys asked him, Something wrong? Walt asked him, Have you seen Atticus? Rhys shrugged and replied, He came over a few times, but if you’re asking about today – no, I haven’t seen him.

Walt sighed and said, Past two weeks there have been strangers riding in asking about the Waco Kid. That gunfight you had with Clint and his gunslingers has traveled down the trails. Atticus spread the word that no one is to say anything about you, so we just say that we don’t know. But Atticus is worried that they might find out where you live. Rhys asked him, Atticus figures that they want to brace me? Walt sighed and told him, "Kid, in these times, when someone is fast with a gun, there’re always men who want to see if they’re faster. These are mostly men who