RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME: And it Came to Pass ( Volume 7 )

RIDE THE HIGH LONESOME: And it Came to Pass ( Volume 7 )

Jep set his gaze solely upon Ferd. All eyes of the TeaCup crew were now on Jeptha. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that, recompense was about to fall. WHY? As were alluded to previous, win or lose, the Ezra Cole Outfit was all well aware of Jep’s bravery. Jeptha (Jep) B. (Bartholomew) Searls were all that, and more. That is why the room fell silent when Jep was challenged. Jeptha reservedly stood up from his chair. He loosed the flour sack apron strings from about his waist. With deliberating resolve he systematically folded the tight-spun, cotton garment. He methodically placed it upon the tabletop. He cast a composed and transient look to Ezra Cole… then over toward Emmett, Ira, and Randall. “Ezra, borrow me your shooter.” Calamitous reverberations spontaneously filled the atmosphere as chair legs skid gratingly across a rough-sawn, wood floor… everyone hurriedly scrambling from his or her seat… and out of the line of fire. The room remained thunderously quiet. WHY? The challenge had been laid. Finality hung in the air. Ezra straightaway unbuckled his gunbelt. He began to pass it along. But before the ‘baton ’ could be manifested.....