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"There are many in this old world of ours who hold that things break about even for all of us. I have observed, for example, that we all get the same amount of ice. The rich get it in the summertime and the poor get it in the winter." -- Bat Masterson

The next morning, Mayer and Lucas were having breakfast earlier than usual. Despite the news about the lawman and the general buzz in town, Lucas had made the official announcement of the poker tournament last night. Or maybe he had considered it to be the best moment. One way or the other, it was finally official. “The First Annual High Stakes Poker Tournament” was about to happen. And there were already some important names on the board:

-I don´t reckon we´d see anyone from out of town, Mayer, he said looking at the chalk board. –I haven´t send word out to anyone. To other gamblers I mean. But the Mayor has tossed his name in, and so has the Registrar Dussaine. Ryan ought to, too. If he finds the money that is. There´re enough folk in Sabbath to make it interesting.

One hundred dollars entrance fee was a hefty sum for most. Still, they were expecting up to twelve participants. Finally, Mayer would have the opportunity to run his first high stakes game. And it was only a few days away.

Hurd woke up early, and left the bed trying not to wake Laura up. He had not slept much. He seldom did when there were important things to do. Or to think about. Now, his head felt dizzy, and his heart empty.

He heard a horse neigh outside, and soon enough Vern walked in.

–Is that coffee I smell in the pot? When he saw Hurd giving him a blank stare, he nodded with his head towards the coffee pot. Hurd had put it there without thinking, or while thinking about other things.

-You ought to get it, Hurd. You don´t want the coffee to boil over, he said smiling. There were only a few things that made Vern smile more than his absentminded friend.

- Oh, dammit. - Hurd quickly removed the pot from the fire, almost getting a finger burnt. At least it woke him up – Tha' was close... Mornin' Vern, how ya doin'. Hope ya hungry, got sum ears o' corn ready. Fresh batch!

Hurd was a more than decent cook and liked to take care of it whenever he could. He'd been preparing a nice breakfast, trying to focus on something and stop musing, with little success.

- Everythin' OK at the range I hope? - Hurd asked, wanting to sound casual and speaking in a lower voice so he didn't wake Laura - Any news from town? I mean from the office, Dusaine...

-Ain´t gonna turn down breakfast, Hurd, Vern said and sat down. He was wearing a nice shirt and clean boots, and he had shaved before he left home. He simply nodded when Hurd asked about the ranch. -I reckon Dussaine has the deeds. Or news about ´em. Yesterday, he sent word that we ought to go and see him.

As the veteran cowboy drank his coffee, he glanced again at his friend. Hurd looked like a man carrying the weight of the world on him, and he sure looked like he hadn´t slept much last night.

-We ought to take the carriage, he said as he stood up and took the dishes to the sink. -The three of us that is.

From the look on Hurd´s face, Vern had a feeling he had forgotten Laura´s name was also on the deed papers.

-No doubt it'll be interesing, friend -I said. Those were some interesting folks to play with, and it'd be my first 'high-stakes' game.  It was a lot of money on the table, but at least I knew the players were not some mexican outlaws who could kill me when they lose sayin' I cheated. 

Anyway, I wasn't that calmed and sure 'bout my life. I knew I was still playin' with fire sleeping with Rossana... And when it all came up, I wasn't sure 'bout Lucas or Bronson's reactions.

- Ah... Errr... That's great. - Hurd didn't seem too excited about it – Ya' reck'n it's... ya know, safe? Goin' to town today?

The possibility of coming across Maddox made him nervous. He didn't like the idea of stumbling upon the lawman before Mr. Bronson had talked to him. He would rather know for sure what to expect. But he could see the look in Vern's eyes; his “this is what I'm gonna do” look. His friend seemed totally unaffected by what was happening. He was doing as he had said: going on with his daily business as he normally would. There was no point in arguing. If Hurd didn't go to town with him, Vern would go alone. And that was simply not going to happen. He sighed.

- OK, sure, I'll go see if Laura's up. Gimme a moment.

The cowboy shrugged his shoulders when Hurd asked about it being safe to go to town. The way he saw it, he didn´t have much of a choice. He started rolling some tobacco, and talked to his friend offering some piece of mind. –This lawman has never seen none of us. He wasn´t in town that night, remember? So even if we happen to come across him, we ought to just walk by. I reckon it´s best to step wide of him though.

Step wide… and go armed.

Vern stepped outside to smoke and to give Hurd and his missus some intimacy. It was a warm and sunny day, no clouds in the sky. A few drops of rain wouldn´t hurt the crop, and the cows. And I ought to get me some new tools too. Maddox was really the least of my worries today, he thought as he inhaled deeply. It was the last bag of tobacco from those he´d gotten from Fort Worth last spring. Time to move on …

Vernon greeted Laura when she came out behind Hurd, and then he sat next to her in the carriage. He felt a bit uncomfortable sitting next to another man´s wife, but it was his carriage after all, and once again he noticed a certain coldness or distance between the two love birds. And Hurd had gotten on his horse a bit too quickly, without saying a word.

-Hmm, yes, interesting..., Lucas replied absentminded. He was looking out the window, to the narrow alley and he caught a glimpse of the main street. Maybe, deep down inside, part of him was hoping to see his old friend walking towards the saloon. Maddox had to know Lucas lived in Sabbath nowadays. But some would do not heal easily, and Lucas knew that wasn't going to happen. Not today.

-There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about for some time, Mayer, he said changing the subject. -It´s a bit delicate, but I've noticed somethin' that concerns me...

-Just tell me -I said. I knew this day would come, and now I wasn't sure what to say. There was no point in tryin' to lie to Lucas, I had to be a man and face the truth, but...

-When you get to a certain age, especially in my profession, you learn to read a man. You learn to value those you can trust. It ain´t easy out here, and too often those close to you betray that trust, Lucas said. He was not looking directly at Mayer, but he noticed a pearl of sweat on his forehead. –You´ve worked for me for many months now. Yet I´ve overlooked somethin´ that concerns you. Your wages, that is.

Lucas paused for a moment. His thoughts were far away, but just for a split second he had a strange feeling. Something about Mayer, something in the way he had reacted… But Lucas shrugged that thought away from his mind and continued: -We agreed that first month you work for free, but the months after that I owe you $50 per month. I can pay the entrance fee for the tournament from those wages if that´s OK with you.

Vernon, Laura and Hurd arrived in Sabbath a few hours before noon. The morning church had already finished, and the businesses were open. As the three walked towards Registrar Dusaine's office from the church and sheriff´s direction, they had to walk pass the hotel, the barber shop, and the narrow street leading to the Lucas´ saloon. Basically, they had to walk the whole main street.

However, they could not see nothing out of the ordinary. People minded their own business. Maybe there were a few mumbled comments or odd silences when they recognized Vernon or Hurd, two of the men on that list the lawman had brought to town. But most of the gossip had to do with preparing Corman's funeral, and what, if anything, was the sheriff Ryan going to do about that.

As they entered Sabbath, Hurd pulled his hat down over his eyes and started looking around with wide, sweeping glances. All seemed normal apparently, though he didn't like the looks and whispers. Hurd was a discreet man and used to avoid drawing attention on him.

He suddenly thought of his shotgun, and for a second regretted not having taken it with him. It had crossed his mind but he didn't want to make a fuss showing up in town armed like he was going to war. At least he got his Peacemaker resting in the holster, locked and loaded. It would have to suffice if things got ugly. Hopefully Vern was right and there would be no trouble.

He rode close to his friend's side of the carriage, adjusting to its slow pace. As they approached Dusaine's office, he tried to redirect his thoughts on what they had come to do. They had been waiting a long time for this. He forced himself to smile to Vern and Laura.

- OK... Let's get business done.

-Thank you, Lucas -I said, grateful-. You know I've been a gambler since the day we first met, and I've always aspired to play in a high-stakes tournament like this one. When you get to a certain age, especially in my profession, you learn to read a man too -I paraphrased him-, and you know gambling with mexicans, outlaws and other scum is dangerous. Sometimes you're even afraid of winning, knowing they can put a bullet in your head at any time. I want to step out of that.

Harvey, Jason and Crowe rode in silence towards Sabbath. Vincent Bronson had been very clear about how he wanted to handle this business with Maddox. Or more precisely, what he did not want to happen. Vincent had told his foreman and his son that Crowe was to do the talking. And that they should step wide of Maddox at all cost.

As they approached the Registrar's office, Laura suddenly stopped. Vern had left the carriage at the back of the Harris General Store, and they were walking. –You two go ahead, she said. –I'll catch up with you later, there is someone I ought to talk to.

They were standing next to the Lucas saloon, the place where Laura used to work. Lucas and Laura knew each other from their times in Canyon City, and apparently they both knew this lawman Maddox.

Before Hurd could say anything, she took his hand to hers and whispered. –It's alright, Hurd. I'll be with you in a moment. Just need to see Lucas…

Again, she closed a door to her past for Hurd.

John Totts was fixing some old boxes in the back alley when he saw Hurd Price and Vernon Adams heading towards the Registrar´s Office. It didn´t occur to him until later that both men were on this list the shop keeper Harris had been talking about in church. He also saw Laura walk into Lucas´s place across the street.

Ah, that girl had been somethin´ special. Pretty as a flower. Totts never really understood what she had seen in Hurd Price…

As he opened his shop, he could see three riders approaching from the distance. He couldn´t make out who they were as the sun was behind them, but he could swear the biggest was Harvey Stenbaugh.