Bat looked at Flaggerty.
“Do it now?” he said hopefully.
“Not here,” Flaggerty said. “We’ll take him for a ride.”
“Give it to me quick,” I said to Bat, “and shoot straight.”
“Sure, bub,” he said, patting my arm. “It won’t hurt.”
7
Flaggery drove; Bat and I sat in the back. “How’s it feel to take your last ride?” Bat asked, looking at me with simple curiosity. “All right,” I said. “I got good nerves.” “You have, at that, bub,” he said admiringly. “But don’t think you’re going to skip out on this. You ain’t.”
“Doesn’t look as if we’ll find out who’s the better man, does it, Bat?” I said after a while.
“I don’t have to find out; I know,” Bat said, grinning. “I can take you any time.”
“Not you,” I said. “I’d rather meet you in a gun fight than a paralysed old lady in mittens.”