Outlaws of Mesquite — Louis L'Amour

FACEDOWN!

"Who are you?" Milt Cogar was asked.

"I'm a man ridin' through," Milt said. "Who are you?"

Spencer stiffened. "Dan Spencer's the name, and I run this town."

Milt lifted his eyes insultingly toward the collection of miserable shacks. "Must keep you busy," he said.

"Not too busy but what I could teach you some manners."

Spencer stopped, a dozen feet from Milt, and dropped his hand to his gun butt--then the hand froze where it was, and Dan Spencer's eyes bulged.

He was looking into the muzzle of Cogar's .44 Winchester carbine.

"If you get tough with me," Cogar told him quietly, "I'll kill you."