to Tame a Land (1955) by Louis L'amour

worry wasn't making her forget her hospitality. "W e haven't much, but "
    "He won't be stayin'," the big man said abruptly. "W e got business to talk. Nothin' for strangers to hear."
    Before she could speak up, I took the issue by th e quickest handle. "Heard some talk of selling cattle," I said.
    "I'm buying. How many and how much?"
    The big man had heavy shoulders and a blunt, powerful jaw. There was a cross-eyed man and one m a gra y shirt. They didn't like it. They didn't like me.
    "You heard wrong." The big man did the talking.
    "We're selling in San Antone."
    Ignoring him, I looked at the young woman. Her eye s were wary, but hopeful. "I take it you're the owner. I'l l buy the cattle here and save you the drive. I'm buying fo r Bennett, and he's the only one buying in San Anton e now."
    From an easy steal it was beginning to look to the thre e men like a total loss. The big man was getting red aroun d the gills and the others were showing their anger. So I t ook the play right away from them.
    "Ma'am, coming in like I did, I couldn't help overhearing some of the talk. Seems you hired these men to roun d up the cattle, to pay them when the cows were sold.
    That right?"
    "It is. "
    "Now you look here!" The big man stepped toward me , his lips thinned down.
    "I'll buy your cattle," I said to the young woman.
    "I'll buy them as they stand according to your tally. I'l l pay cash."
    "I'll sell."
    I swung one foot just enough to face all three of them.
    "The cattle are sold to me," I said. "You're fired."
    "You-"
    "Shut up!" I took an easy step toward the big man.
    "I'm paying you off right now. You worked for wages , and I'm paying your wages. Want to make something ou t of that?"
    It had them flat-footed. I was no defenseless woman , and while I might look young, that gun on my hip wa s as old as his.
    "We got no argument with you. You didn't hire us, yo u can't fire us."
    My eyes stayed right where they were, on him. But I s poke to her. "Ma'am, will you sell me those cows?"
    "You just bought them," she said quietly.
    "The price," I said, "will be mutually agreeable."
    The man in the gray shirt was inching his hand down.
    Some signal seemed to pass between them and the bi g man started to move. So I shucked my gun and laid th e barrel across the side of his jaw. He went down as if he' d been hit with an ax, and my gun muzzle dropped on th e other two.
    "The fewer there are," I said, "the fewer I have t o pay."
    They wanted to try me. They wanted it so bad the y could taste it. Maybe if they both tried, they might tak e me, but somebody had to make a move-and nobody wa s anxious to die. And there is something about a man wh o knows what he intends to do, who knows what he ca n do. Burdette had seen it in me, and Logan Pollard ha d seen it long ago. These men could see it now, and the y hesitated.
    The man on the floor groaned. Slowly the gray-shirre d man let his hand relax.
    "Pick him up," I said, "and get out."
    The man in the gray shirt hesitated. "What about ou r money?" he asked.
    "They were to get thirty a month," the young woma n said. "They worked about three weeks."
    With my free hand I counted out twenty-five dollar s per man. "Pick it up, and if one of you feels lucky, star t something."
    They could see I was young, but this was John Wesle y Hardin's country, and he had killed twenty men by th e time he was my age. They didn't like it, but I was to o ready, so they picked up their money and got out.
    I followed them to the door and watched them get thei r horses.
    "Don't get any ideas about those cattle," I said. "I f anything happens to them, or to any part of them , hunt down all three of you and kill you where I fin d you."
    Waiting in the doorway, I listened to them move dow n the road, then went back inside.
    The two women were putting food on the table. Th e young woman turned on me. "Thanks," she said. "Thank s very much."
    It embarrassed me, the way they were looking at me , so I said "Seven dollars a