CLOSING THE DOOR, Ike Teller said;
“Shut her up, Col.”
With that already in mind, Col Winn charged across the room and landed a hard right on the point of Norrie’s chin. Even though she fell with pain shooting through her body, Norrie still managed to lash out with her feet. She caught Winn on the thigh, knocking him off-balance and staggered to her feet. Then with her head still throbbing and the walls of the room spinning before her eyes, the blouse she had borrowed from Nancy was suddenly ripped from behind.
In a panic, she turned and saw Teller standing there leering at her. Then his hand fastened on her naked breast and Norrie could do nothing but scream.
Winn knocked Teller aside, and without seeming to notice her nakedness, viciously smashed his fist into her face. Pain again shot through Norrie’s head and her screams died as she fell.
When she lay unmoving, Teller eased Winn aside and stood over her, unbuckling his gunbelt. Winn looked on him incredulously, then snarled;
“Dammit, that all you got on your mind, Ike?”
“For the moment,” Teller grinned.
“Forget it,” Winn told him. “You saw that bunch down the street, didn’t you? They’ve found that old-timer and Mitchell. All hell’s gonna break loose and those screams are gonna bring them here.”
Teller looked thoughtfully at Winn, then down on Norrie’s naked back. His face worked as he struggled to get his priorities into line. Growing impatient, Winn said;
“Hell, you can have her anytime, but not here. We got to cut out, and quick.”
Teller swore violently. “But we ain’t goin’ far tonight.”
“Just so we get away from here, dammit.”
Teller turned away from Norrie, walked across the room and opened the door onto the balcony. As people came running down the street with Wilder leading them, a thin smile appeared on his lips.
“Douse the lights then go fetch the hosses. I’ll take her with me.”
Winn regarded him anxiously for a moment, then headed for the door while Teller hefted the half-naked Norrie across his shoulders and followed.
By the time Teller had reached the foot of the back stairway, Winn was already disappearing in the direction of the corrals. Despite the ruckus on the boardwalk in front of the rooming house, Teller, shouldering his unconscious burden, calmly strolled across the yard following in Winn’s footsteps.