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as the calluses at the tips of his fingers singed。
He went through the back door and onto the porch。 The flat scrubland was at his back now； flatly denying the town that crouched against its huge haunch。 Three men hustled around the corner； with large betrayer grins on their faces。 They saw him； saw him seeing them； and the grins curdled in the second before he mowed them down。 A woman had followed them； howling。 She was large and fat and known to the patrons of Sheb's as Aunt Mill。 The gunslinger blew her backwards and she landed in a whorish sprawl； her skirt kinked up between her thighs。
He went down the steps and walked backwards into the desert； ten paces； twenty。 The back door of the barber shop flew open and they boiled out He caught a glimpse of Sylvia Pittston。 He opened up。 They fell in squats； they fell backwards； they tumbled over the railing into the dust。 They cast no shadows in the deathless purple light of the day。 He realized he was screaming。 He had been scream ing all along。 His eyes felt like cracked ball bearings。 His balls had drawn up against his belly。 His legs were wood。 His ears were iron。
The guns were empty and they boiled at him； transmogrified into an Eye and a Hand； and he stood； scream ing and reloading； his mind far away and absent； letting his hands do their reloading trick。 Could he hold up a hand； tell them he had spent twentyfive years learning this trick and others； tell them of the guns and the blood that had blessed them？ Not with his mouth。 But his hands could speak their own tale。
They were in throwing range as he finished reloading； and a stick struck him on the forehead and brought blood in abraded drops。 In two seconds they would be in gripping distance。 In the forefront he saw Kennerly； Kennerly's younger daughter； perhaps eleven； Soobie； two male barflies； a female barfly named Amy Feldon。 He let them all have it； and the ones behind them。 Their bodies thumped like scarecrows。 Blood and brains flew in streamers。
They halted for a moment； startled； the mob face shivering into individual； bewildered faces。 A man ran in a large； screaming circle。 A woman with blisters on her hands turned her head up and cackled feverishly at the sky。 The man whom he had first seen sitting gravely on the steps of the mercantile store made a sudden and amazing load in his pants。
He had time to reload one gun。
Then it was Sylvia Pittston； running at him； waving a wooden cross in each hand。 〃DEVIL！ DEVIL！ DEVIL！ CHILD…KILLER！ MONSTER！ DESTROY HIM； BROTHERS AND SISTERS！ DESTROY THE CHILD…KILLING INTERLOPER！〃
He put a shot into each of the crosspieces； blowing the roods to splinters； and four more into the woman's head。 She seemed to accordian into herself and waver like a shimmer of heat。
They all stared at her for a moment in tableau； while the gunslinger's fingers did their reloading trick。 The tips of his fingers sizzled and burned。 Neat circles were branded into the tips of each one。
There were less of them； now； he had run through them like a mower's scythe。 He thought they would break with the woman dead； but someone threw a knife。 The hilt struck him squarely between the eyes and knocked him over。 They ran at him in a reaching； vicious clot。 He fired his guns empty again； lying in his own spent shells。 His head hurt and he saw large brown circles in front of his 'eyes。 He missed one shot； downed eleven。
But they were on him； the ones that were left He fired the four shells he had reloaded； and then they were beating him； stabbing him。 He threw a pair of them off his left arm and rolled away。 His hands began doing their infallible trick。 He was stabbed in the shoulder。 He was stabbed in the back。 He was hit across the ribs。 He was stabbed in the ass。 A small boy squirmed at him and made the only deep cut； across the bulge of his calf。 The gunslinger blew his head off。
They were scattering and he let them have it again。 The ones left began to retreat toward the sandcolored； pitted buildings； and still the hands did their trick； like overeager dogs that want to do their rollingover trick for you not once or twice but all night； and the hands were cutting them down as they ran。 The last one made it as far as the steps of the barber shop's back porch； and then the gunslinger's bullet took him in the back of the head。
Silence came back in； filling jagged spaces。
The gunslinger was bleeding from perhaps twenty different wounds； all of them shallow except for the cut across his calf。 He bound it with a strip of shirt and then straightened and examined his kill。
They trailed in a twisted； zigzagging path from the back door of the barber shop to where he stood。 They lay in all positions。 None of them seemed to be sleeping。
He followed them back； counting as he went。 In the general store one man lay with his arms wrapped lovingly around the cracked candy jar he had dragged down with him。
He ended up where he had started； in the middle of the deserted main street He had shot and killed thirtynine men； fourteen women； and five children。 He had shot and killed everyone in Tull。
A sickishsweet odor came to him on the first of the dry； stirring wind。 He followed it； then looked up and nodded。 The decaying body of Nort was spread…eagled atop the plank roof of Sheb's； crucified with wooden pegs。 Mouth and eyes were open。 A large and purple cloven hoof had been pressed into the skin of his grimy forehead。
He walked out of town。 His mule was standing in a clump of weed about forty yards out along the remnant of the coach road。 The gunslinger led it back to Kennerly's 。 stable。 Outside； the wind was playing a ragtime tune。 He put the mule up and went back to Sheb's。 He found a ladder in the back shed； went up to the roof； and cut Nort down。 The body was lighter than a bag of sticks。 He tumbled it down to join the mon people。 Then he went back inside； ate hamburgers and drank three beers while the light failed and the sand began to fly。 That night he slept in the bed where he and Allie had lain。 He had no dreams。 The next morning the wind was gone and the sun was its usual bright and forgetful self。 The bodies had gone south like tumble…weeds with the wind。 At midmorning； after he had bound all his cuts； he moved on as well。
XVIII
He thought Brown had fallen asleep。 The fire was down to a spark and the bird； Zoltan； had put his head under his wing。
Just as he was about to get up and spread a pallet in the corner； Brown said； 〃There。 You've told it。 Do you feel better？〃
The gunslinger started。 〃Why would I feel bad？〃
〃You're human； you said。 No demon。 Or did you lie？〃
〃I didn't lie。〃 He felt the grudging admittance in him： he liked Brown。 Honestly did。 And he hadn't lied to the dweller in any way。 〃Who are you； Brown？ Really； I mean。 〃
〃Just me；〃 he said； unperturbed。 〃Why do you have to think you're such a mystery？〃
The gunslinger lit a smoke without replying。
〃I think you're very close to your man in black；〃 Brown said。 〃Is he desperate？〃
〃I don't know。 〃
〃Are you？〃
〃Not yet；〃 the gunslinger said。 He looked at Brown with a shade of defiance。 〃I do what I have to do。〃
〃That's good then；〃 Brown said and turned over and went to sleep。
XIX
In the morning Brown fed him a