Vin had returned from his jaunt into the wilds and was seated at a table with Josiah and J.D. Strangely, it was Tanner who appeared to be doing most of the talking; the youngest man in the group hanging on his every word. Larabee was at his corner table alone, which was far from unusual. Nathan was standing at the bar laughing with the bar keep and Buck was entertaining no less than three saloon girls. All was as it should be.

The batwing doors of the saloon swung open abruptly. A group of men ploughed in and moved directly to the bar demanding to be served. Only a handful of people showed any interest in their arrival. Vin Tanner stopped talking and glanced at the enigma in black. Ezra looked up from his game but could see that the Seven’s leader had the situation covered.

“Just hang on there, darlin’,” Buck whispered. He needed to be alert until he knew if the newcomers were gong to be trouble.

One of the five filthy, sweaty men stepped into the middle of the room. “I’m looking for Ezra Standish.”

Larabee flicked his eyes across to Vin and nodded. Tanner whispered something to Josiah and J.D. Both men adjusted their chairs slightly so that they had a clear view of the potential threat to their colleague.

Chris made eye contact with Buck. The scoundrel’s head bobbed once as his hand lowered to his holstered gun. He had the clearest shot if it was needed.

Several patrons turned to look at Ezra.

The tall man standing in the centre of the room noted this fact. “You Standish?” the hard-looking thug demanded, striding up to the well-dressed gambler.

“And you would be?” From the way the other was dressed and groomed he was a miner, in which case, Ezra was pretty certain why the other man was looking for him.

“I’m George Redford. I own the Redford/Hewitt mine.”

“No, you used to own the Redford/Hewitt mine. Now, I own it,” Ezra stated without looking up. “I’ll take two and if lady luck is smiling on me, they will be a couple of queens,” the gambler stated casually to the dealer as he discarded a pair.

Redford slammed his fist into the table an inch from Ezra’s hand. “Hewitt had no right to bet my mine!” The occupants of the saloon were gradually becoming aware of the confrontation.

“That may well be true,” Standish announced, looking up at the hostile man for the first time, “but I’m afraid it has naught to do with me. I suggest you take up your grievance with Mr. Hewitt.”

Redford’s entire body began to tremble as rage consumed him. “Either you hand over the deed to my mine or I’ll tear you apart!”

“Threats of physical violence would be an error on your part.”

Redford’s hand shot out for Ezra’s throat. Before his fingers reached his target, he found himself staring into the business end of a derringer - the small gun popping out of his opponent’s sleeve.

Ezra accosted the incensed miner with his intense green eyes. “Now, Mr. Redford. I suggest that you leave this municipality and seek out Mr. Hewitt. It would seem to me that it is he who owes you half a mine, not I.”

“It’s my mine!” Redford’s four friends now made their move. The group stepped forward.

“That pretty little gun of yours only has two bullets,” one stated.

“Then you had best discuss among yourselves, which of you is to die,” Ezra growled. Standish knew that his fellow regulators were ready to step in the moment it looked like he couldn’t handle the situation.

Buck, Nathan, Josiah, J.D. and Vin’s eyes were riveted to the confrontation. Chris was surveying the rest of the room, just in case Redford had other friends who had not identified themselves.

“It’s my mine!” the enraged man screamed.

“It ’was’ your mine,” Ezra repeated.

Redford appeared about to snap, but one of his companions gripped his shoulder. “Come on, George. It ain’t worth this. We’ll find another way.”

“This ain’t over, Standish. That’s my mine.”

Redford and his colleagues exited the saloon.

Ezra released a relieved breath. He glanced around at his fellow regulators. Nathan had returned to his discussion with the barkeep. Buck was whispering sweet-nothings into the ear of one his attentive audience. Chris was moving toward the door - obviously off to ensure that Redford and his boys left town.

Vin made eye contact with the gambler and invited Ezra to his table.

Moments later, Ezra pulled out a chair and joined his companions. “Well, that was an unfortunate incident.”

“So this the mine I’m investing in?” Josiah asked.

“You are investing in the Standish mine. I have already made the appropriate legal changes.”

“You ain’t asked me to invest in your mine,” Vin commented.

“My dear, Mr. Tanner, you rarely have more than five dollars at any one time. I am looking for a minimum of twenty dollars.

“See I told you, Vin,” J.D. stated unhappily.

“I got nine dollars,” Tanner insisted. “J.D.’s got twelve; together we’ve got enough.”

Standish’s face lit up with satisfaction. “That you do, my friends.”

“So you mean I can have a share?” J.D. cried.

“You and Mr. Tanner can share one. And as for the details, just leave that in my very capable hands.”

J.D. was grinning from ear to hear. He knew that investing in Ezra’s latest venture was the last thing that interested Vin, but then money meant little to the tracker - just so long as he had enough to keep himself and his horse fed Tanner was satisfied.

“Thanks, Vin.” Tanner raised his glass and then downed the contents before climbing to his feet and going to check on Larabee.

**********

“Stage has just arrived,” the barkeep announced to his patrons. Few, if any moved.

Some minutes later, Nathan shouldered through the batwing doors, his eyes searching the room for... “Hey, Buck. You expecting a package?” Buck glanced at J.D., Josiah and Ezra whom he was seated with and then looked back at Nathan shaking his head.

“I am expecting some documents,” Ezra stated. “Some very important documents relating to my mine.”

“Nope, no documents. But there’s a package for Buck.”

“Who’d be sending you a package, Buck?”

Buck Wilmington shrugged. “Let’s go and take a look. Maybe one of my many admirers.”

“You ain’t got no admirers, Buck,” J.D. giggled. Buck flicked the hat off J.D.’s head as he, Josiah, Nathan and Ezra headed for the post office to investigate the mysterious parcel.

“Ah, Mr. Wilmington. I was going to come looking for you. You have a package,” Terry, the postmaster, stated passing a small foot square box to Buck as he and his companions entered the tiny room.

“Who’s it from?” J.D. demanded eagerly. Buck scanned the package but found no sign of the sender’s name.

“Maybe it will be inside,” Ezra suggested.

“Come on, Buck. Open it,” Josiah urged.

Buck’s face lit up with anticipation. “Maybe it’s for my birthday,” he muttered.

“Is it your birthday?” Ezra inquired.

“No.”

As Buck pulled the top leaf of the package away he found a short note.

Something for you, Buck. Love Jane.

“Who’s Jane?”

Buck Wilmington’s face creased with concentration. “I knew a Jane in Warner. Oh, and there was a Jane in Peter’s Gap. Come to think of it, it could have been that little filly I spent some time with in Summit Springs. I think her name was Jane.”

“You are incorrigible, Mr. Wilmington.”

Buck smiled and bounced his eyebrows and then began digging into the carefully packed box. Under the close inspection of his companions, Buck withdrew the contents.

“It’s a pot.”

“It’s an ugly pot,” Buck muttered examining the small brown vessel from various angles.

“Looks like it’s made of clay,” Josiah commented.

“Now why would Jane be sending me an ugly brown clay pot?” Buck mused.

“You don’t even know who Jane is.”

“Maybe there’s something in it.”

Buck pulled the lid off the pot. “Some sort of orange powder,” he grumbled with disappointment. “A small ugly brown pot filled with orange powder.”

“Maybe it’s a family heirloom,” Ezra offered. “It looks quite old.”

As the men stood discussing Buck’s gift, Vin entered the room carrying a box. “Terry, this came on the stage for...” Without warning, the box slipped from Tanner’s hands. His friends turned to look at him curiously. Vin was staring at the pot in Buck’s hands with a look of such shock that Nathan stepped up to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Vin?”

“Vin?” J.D. inquired, noting how intensely the tracker was staring at the ugly brown pot.

“Mr. Tanner, do you know something of this unusual gift?”

“Put it down, Buck,” Vin whispered.

“Huh?”

“Just put it down,” Vin repeated.

Buck turned to the counter and placed the clay pot in front of Terry. “Vin?” Buck asked, his voice high with apprehension. The big scoundrel was now eyeing his gift with real concern.

Tanner’s eyes had not left the seemingly innocent jar.

“Vin, you okay?” Nathan pressed.

“Huh? Yeah.” Vin appeared to shake off his momentary shock and bent to pick up the box. “Sorry about this, Terry.”

“Mr. Tanner, you can’t just leave it there. What is it about Buck’s pot that caused such a powerful reaction from you?”

Vin ignored Ezra as he scooped up the contents that had spilled over the floor. Buck, Josiah, Nathan, Ezra and J.D. exchanged puzzled glances. They had never seen Vin react in such a way. He was always in charge of his emotions.

“Vin?” Buck asked as the tracker stood. The younger man glanced at his friend and then his eyes were drawn back to the pot.

“Have you seen a pot like that before, brother?”

“Yeah. Where’d you get it, Buck?”

Buck shrugged. “A gift.”

“From a memorable acquaintance,” Ezra remarked sarcastically.

Buck gave the gambler a cutting look. “I’ll have you know that Jane and I were very close. True, I’m not sure which Jane, but I’m certain we were very close.”

Vin glanced at his friend. “Well, you made an impression on her.”

The other men studied Vin‘s face. He looked edgy and uneasy... more edgy and uneasy than usual. “Just make sure you look after it and whatever you do, don’t break it.” Without further explanation, Vin lowered the box he held to the ground. “I’ll leave this here for you, Terry.” The tracker eyed the pot again, skirted around the counter, giving it a wide berth, and then left the room.

His companions watched him go and then burst out laughing. “Now what the hell was that all about?” Josiah asked.

“I have no idea,” Buck stated, regaining his composure.

“Vin don’t usually act like that.”

“He almost seemed afraid,” Nathan remarked seriously.

“Hell, I saw Vin face down a wolf last week and he didn’t flinch. And he picked up a snake in his bare hands and broke its neck in one movement. Why would he be scared of a little brown pot full of orange powder?

“Vin has always struck me as a rational man,” Josiah muttered thoughtfully.

“You better take good care of the pot, Mr. Wilmington, otherwise our resident tracker may very well have a heart attack,” Ezra chuckled. The other men bust out laughing.

**********

Chris and Vin sat quietly in the corner of the saloon. The two had been playing cards all evening, yet not a word had passed between them in over an hour. Such a fact intrigued their fellow regulators and left the rest of the town’s citizens wary of these two aloof men. As for Vin and Chris themselves, they didn’t need words to enjoy one another’s company. Theirs was a friendship of complete understanding. Neither made demands on the other. Neither stuck his nose into the other’s business... unless it was an issue of safety and then the hounds of hell wouldn’t hold them back.

Shadows hung around the room allowing those who did not wish to be seen to hide. Despite the hour, the occupants where still lively and restless.

“I said ‘no’, Ezra! I’m not going to change my mind.” Nathan’s voice wafted across to the silent poker players.

Vin smirked at Chris. You gotta admire Ezra’s persistence.

Once he gets an idea in his head, there isn’t anything stopping him.

“So have you invested?” Vin asked.

Larabee sighed and nodded. “The man could sell horse manure to a horse.”

Tanner laughed. It was a genuine belly rollicking expression of amusement.

“What the hell do you find so funny? I hear he’s got nine dollars of yours,” Chris chuckled.

Vin grinned. “J.D. only had twelve.”

You know J.D.

A noise from the street drew both men’s attention. It was getting late. The crowd had gradually thinned as people headed off for their respective beds.

“Damn it, Buck!” J.D. exclaimed from somewhere across the room.

“Now, boy, I’m tellin’ you this for your own good!” Buck bellowed.

Larabee shook his head with amusement. The world according to Buck Wilmington.

“Reckon I might turn in,” Vin stated, tossing his cards down. Larabee nodded, knowing his friend had no intention of going to bed. Tanner would walk the town and check the livery before making his way to his wagon where he would sit up for several hours before finally allowing himself the luxury of sleep.

Vin rose to his feet and headed for the door. He tipped his hat to his fellow regulators, who had all paused and glanced in his direction, and then the young tracker disappeared out into the night.

Chris threw his own cards down and looked up at the clock on the wall - twenty to twelve.

“Buck, you’re full of shit,” J.D. insisted. Again, Chris smiled. He considered joining the pair, but decided against it. He glanced over at Josiah who was seated alone reading some enormous leather bound book.

“STANDISH!” The voice echoed from the street. All eyes turned toward the batwing doors. George Redford shouldered into the room followed by a half dozen equally angry men - a half dozen equally armed men.

Ezra flicked his eyes to Larabee. Chris consciously made eye contact with each of his men. They did not share an uncanny telepathy with their leader, but every one of them understood ‘that’ look. They were ready to act of Larabee’s signal. The gunfighter turned back to the gambler and nodded.

Redford spotted Ezra and strode toward him, his rough-looking companions following. “Standish, either you hand over the deed to my mine or I’m gonna drill you full of holes, you good for nothing thief.”

“Mr. Redford. I thought we had established that your grievance is with... “

“Stop blowing air. Just hand over my deed!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Ezra stated calmly. The gambler placed the cards he held down on the table and then nodded to the two men seated with him. Both vacated their seats quickly. Standish knew that if the bullets started to fly, he had to get all of the civilians out of the way.

“You had better do it, or I swear by the time we finishing firing there won’t be anything left of you.”

“If it were just myself, I assure you I would immediately hand over the deed to the mine in question,” Ezra informed the other man earnestly. “Unfortunately, I have sold shares in the mine and I’m afraid my investors would not be impressed if I were to relinquish ownership of their mine.”

“You let us worry about them,” the disgruntled miner growled.

A huge amused grin danced onto Ezra’s face. “As you wish.” On Ezra’s signal, Josiah, Nathan, J.D. and Buck rose to their feet - their faces hard, their hands resting on their holsters. “Mr. Redford, allow me to introduce four of my investors.”

The miner and his friends began to fidget uncomfortably. These men weren’t just cowhands. Clearly, they knew how to use the guns hanging at their sides.

There was a click behind the group of unhappy visitors. Vin Tanner appeared in the doorway, his mare’s leg raised, his face as hard as the other regulators.

“Ahh, another of my investors,” Ezra announced spotting Vin.

“Look, we don’t want no trouble with you fellas, but we aren’t leaving without the deed to our mine,” Redford stated. He sounded far less sure of himself then he had only moments before.

There was a low growl from the back of the room. The scraping of a chair. A collective gasp from the scattered occupants of the saloon. Redford and his companions searched for the cause - they found it in the form of Chris Larabee rising to his feet like some resident of hell. Redford’s eyes enlarged. He didn’t know who Larabee was, but there was no mistaking the fact that the man in black was a professional gunfighter.

“No one is leaving here with the deed.” The words were soft and dangerous.

“Mister, we just want what belongs to us. That fancy gambler has the deed to my mine and...”

“And he won it in a fair poker match,” Buck rumbled.

“Reckon you boys should be leavin‘,” Vin stated softly.

Larabee moved across the room and stood beside Ezra. “This is finished. I don’t want to see you or your friends in town again. Understand?” The last word was forced out between Larabee’s tightly clenched teeth.

Redford swallowed and looked nervously at his companions. The other men began backing away. None of them wanted to upset the man in black. Finally, the miner dropped his head resigning himself to the loss of his mine.

“I’ll show you fellas the way out of town,” Vin offered.

“Reckon we’ll come with you,” Buck stated as he and J.D. stepped forward.

Ezra watched as the miners were led from the room.

Larabee glanced down at the seated gambler. “This mine better be worth it.”

“I assure you, my friend, if everything is as I suspect, we shall end up being very, very rich.”