The town proved not as busy as he had expected. True, there were people around, shops open, the livery stable and merchandise stores doing a brisk trade, but there was something missing. Friendliness, warmth, call it what you will, these things did not feature in the downcast and unhappy faces of the populace. At its heart, there was a tangible indifference, an acceptance of their lot. This was not a happy place.
There were two men sitting outside the first saloon Cole came to, hats pulled down over their faces, legs, encased in knee-high riding boots, stretched out, their tied down guns declaring to the world exactly who they were. Swallowing down his rising anger, Cole got down from his horse and tied the reins to the hitching post. This was a little like stepping back in time. The lawl
