Ring of Fire

By Cotton Smith

Subjects:

Description: Ring McCollum headed off the dog and headed for the front, stepping at the edge of the window. Outside is the street were five armed men standing side0by-side. He remembered two from the night before. Marshal Hund Mitchell was in the middle. The marshal fit the mayor's description -- including the star on this confederate general's uniform. He was a short, compact man, reminding Ring of a vicious wild hog. Stringy dark hair dangled from his black hat, down to his long ears. Ring guessed the officer's jacket wasn't his. The man's face was sunburned and his eyes filled with confidence. He held a double-barreled shotgun. Hund had promised his men an easy enjoyable time. Until yesterday that had been true. A man like Hund knew that the key was to keep the townspeople completely intimidated. And one stranger wasn't going to change that.