Quinlan told him, “I know how to drive them off, I’ve done it before.” The mayor’s face lit up like a child’s. Quinlan went on, “But it’s a great risk to me and my posse.” The mayor, so excited about salvation, said that the town would pay us whatever we thought fair. Quinlan said, “You’ll pay us one hundred thousand now and another hundred after we send them running.” The mayor had not expected such a large sum to be named and his mouth hung open for a bit before he asked if it could be less. “No,” Quinlan said. “That’s what it costs for us to turn them. Last time I lost seven men.”
“Good men,” I added for effect. And so the mayor called a meeting, got us the money and paid us the half up front.
So that night we playacted just what you’d expect—the Indians came out of the plains and at
