Lonely Dove
He even liked it that she lived above the
saloon, since it meant a game was handy if he felt like playing.
Since the Hat Creek outfit had been gathering cattle and getting ready for their drive, games were handier than they had
been for a while. Several cowboys drifted into Lonesome Dove, looking for work; some of them had enough snap left at
night to wander in and cut the cards. A tall cowboy named Needle Nelson showed up from north of San Antonio, and a
cheerful cowboy from Brownsville named Bert Borum.
At first Xavier was cheered by all the new customers, until it occurred to him that they would only be there for a week or