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"A Fistful of Thorns"
Excerpts
"Allen had put his brag out and now it was his move. He saw that Doc wasn't armed. Encouraged but with less certainty in his voice than on the previous day.
‘I told you what I'd do if I caught your raggedy ass in here again,' he repeated his threat. As he said this, he slipped his left hand into a right inside pocket and withdrew his pistol. Then inexplicably hesitated for a split second. Without saying a word, Doc had already moved a half step to his right, bent slightly, grabbed his own Colt Lightning from behind the front bar where Mannie Hyman had placed it. Mentally his old self, calm, deliberate and committed, Doc was in total control of his emotions. His cough was in abeyance. His hand was as steady as if reaching for a dental drill. He raised his pistol just enough to clear the bar and fired one shot which slammed into Allen's upper left arm. The .38 cal slug drilled upward through the Biceps, split the Humerus, nicked the Brachial artery midway between his elbow and shoulder and ripped a tumbling, ragged exit through the Triceps."
"Now on the move toward his assailant, Doc quickly fired another round as Allen collapsed to his knees clutching the wounded arm with his right hand. The second shot narrowly missed the bleeding coward and buried itself in the door jam next to his head. Holliday was again the ferocious, deadly adversary of the past. Merciless and fierce, he closed on his would-be killer who was now squirming in agony on the floor trying to staunch the flow of blood. Doc raised his Lightning to deliver the coup de grace."
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