Chapter 20

           Onreceivingthealcoholicdouche,Calhounhadclutchedhissix-shooter,anddrawnitfromitsholster.Heonlywaitedtogetthewhiskyoutofhiseyesbeforeadvancinguponhisadversary.

           Themustanger,anticipatingthisaction,hadarmedhimselfwithasimilarweapon,andstoodreadytoreturnthefireofhisantagonist—shotforshot.

           Themoretimidofthespectatorshadalreadycommencedmakingtheirescapeoutofdoorstumblingoveroneanother,intheirhastetogetoutofharm’sway.

           Afewstayedinthesaloonfromsheerirresolution;afewothers,ofcoolercourage,fromchoice;or,perhaps,actuatedbyamoreastuteinstinct,whichtoldthemthatinattemptingtoescapetheymightgetabulletintheback.

           Therewasaninterval—somesixseconds—ofsilence,duringwhichapinmighthavebeenheardfallinguponthefloor.Itwasbuttheinterludethatoftenoccursbetweenresolutionandaction;whenthemindhascompleteditstask,andthebodyhasyettobegin.

           Itmighthavebeenmorebriefwithotheractorsonthescene.Twoordinarymenwouldhaveblazedawayatonce,andwithoutreflection.Butthetwonowconfrontingeachotherwerenotofthecommonkind.Bothhadseenstreetfightingbefore—hadtakenpartinit—andknewthedisadvantageofanidleshot.Eachwasdeterminedtotakesureaimontheother.Itwasthisthatprolongedtheintervalofinaction.

           Tothoseoutside,whodarednotevenlookthroughthedoors,thesuspensewasalmostpainful.