Now Playing: One Arm Lightning
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Episode Two concluded with:
“Well, Pete, I was born a cripple. You became
one on your own. Never earned nothin’ in your whole life. As a kid, you
lorded over ever one because your daddy was rich. You had the ranch handed to
you when he died. You think you’re a big man, but that’s cause you’re crippled
in the head.”
A rush of anger overwhelmed Franklin’s good
sense. He went for his gun. The rancher had barely touched iron when a bullet
speared through his forehead.
A few of the saloon girls screamed and then a
tense silence fell over the Shooting Star Saloon. One Arm Lightning had just
shot down the richest, most powerful man in town. If he’d kill Pete Franklin,
he’d kill anyone. No man who had bullied Wes Torveen was safe.
Episode Three
Sheriff
Rob Laverty ran through the bat wings into the saloon. “What’s going on here?”
Wes
Torveen smiled benignly at the lawman. “A class reunion. Welcome Sheriff, good
to see you again.”
Laverty’s
face went pale and a tremor ran through his body as he looked upon the horror
that lay on the floor of the saloon. The corpse’s face was masked in red, but
that had to be Pete Franklin.
A
finger poked at Rob’s chest. “A fine man use ta wear that badge. Last time I
was in town, Allen Hodge was still sheriff and you were his deputy. Understand
Allen retired and moved away. He was a good man.”
Rob
Laverty was now staring directly into the eyes of the gunfighter called One Arm
Lightning. The anger he had displayed when he barged into the saloon was
replaced by fear. He spoke through a dry mouth. “Allen was a fine man. Fine
man.”
Torveen
continued to smile as he nodded his head in agreement. That didn’t make the
sheriff feel any better. “Yeah, Robbie, I can remember a few occasions when
Sheriff Hodge stopped you and a bunch of other fellas from gangin’ up on me.
One time, he gave you guys quite a lecture. But you didn’t listen none.”
Torveen’s smile broadened, “Are you sorry you didn’t pay more attention, Rob?”
A
jumble of words came out of the sheriff’s mouth.
The
gunfighter cut him off. “I’m glad you’re the law in these parts now. You see,
when I was here about a year ago, I started a job. But Sheriff Hodge didn’t
cotton much to what I was doin’. Said he was gonna stop me. I couldn’t kill
Allen Hodge, the only decent man in town. But I could kill you, Rob. Hey,
what’s a gunfight between two old school chums, huh?”
Tomorrow: Episode Four of One Arm
Lightning
