Vin tipped his hat to a couple of cowboys as he entered the saloon. The dusty sharpshooter paused, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light. When they did, Vin’s brow furrowed curiously. The saloon was strangely quiet. Sitting at a table in the middle of the room were Buck, Josiah, Ezra and J.D. Each man was staring intently at the other. Around the group was a small crowd of curious onlookers.

Vin strode across and stopped beside Nathan who was among the audience. “What’s goin’ on?“

Jackson shook his head with disgust. “Insanity.“

Buck glanced up at Vin. “We‘re waiting to see if Ezra‘s in or out,” the big man whispered with excitement.

Standish pursed his lips thoughtfully, his pensive green eyes on Buck.

“What’s the game?” Vin asked. He could see no cards.

“Now, let me clarify,” Ezra mused. “We each take one in turn and drop off as we need to.”

Vin frowned. It didn’t sound like any card game he’d ever heard of.

The barkeep pushed his way to the table and laid a tray containing four jugs of water, several glasses and more than four dozen red-hot chilli peppers.

“Now what on earth are you crazy bastards up to?” Vin chuckled.

“Chilli eating contest, Vin,” J.D. explained a little nervously. The youth wasn’t sure how he had ended up agreeing to be a part of it. He remembered Buck challenging him and before he knew it, he was laying his money on the table.

“Chilli eating contest?” Vin asked.

“Last man to grab for the water is the winner.”

Tanner glanced at Jackson and shook his head. “They’re kiddin’?”

“Well, Ezra?” Buck prompted.

Standish withdrew a crisp bill from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. Buck smiled. “You haven’t got a chance in hell, Ezra. I’ve only ever lost one chilli-eating contest in my life and that was only because the fella that beat me cheated.”

“Mr Wilmington, I am not in the habit of placing bets when I do not feel the odds are in my favour.”

“How do you figure that? Buck asked.

“Mr. Dunne has never eaten chilli so he will fold quickly.”

“Hey!” J.D. protested. It was true he’d never eaten chillies but he had no intention of folding before Buck.

“Mr. Sanchez has already admitted to not liking the scorching vegetables.”

“Nope, don’t like them. Of course, that’s probably because I was raised on the damn things. Have eaten hundreds of them.” Buck, J.D. and Ezra turned to the big man. A smile the size of Texas spread across the ex-preacher’s face.

“And why didn’t you divulge this essential piece of information before we entered this contest?” Ezra demanded.

“You didn’t ask.” The smile on Josiah’s face got larger, if that was possible. “Hand your money over now, boys. I was practically weened on chillies.”

“You fellas are crazy,” Vin scoffed. “You eat them things whole and your throats will burn like Hell’s furnace. Hell, your toes will probably fall off!”

Buck, J.D., Ezra and Josiah glanced up at the young man, the challenge delivered by their four sets of eyes.

“Ohhhhh no,” Vin cried, shaking his head. “You’re not getting me involved. I got a healthy respect for my taste buds.”

“It’s a test of manhood, Vin,” Buck explained, earnestly.

“It’s nothing more than four fools acting like fools,” Nathan argued.

Buck turned back to his fellow players. His face was solemn. “Nathan, sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do, if he’s to be a man.”

Nathan rolled his eyes.

Vin grinned at his companions. “You’re all crazy.” Tanner sensed the approach of another. He didn‘t need to turn. He knew who it was. “Hey, get a load of this, Chris. These idiots are gonna eat chillies raw.”

Chris stopped next to Vin, his hand coming to rest on his best friend’s shoulder. Larabee stared at the chillies in the middle of the table. “Room for one more?” he asked.

“As long as you have the entry fee,” Ezra stated.

Chris pulled out a chair and took a seat. Nathan Jackson stood blinking. “I can’t believe... Chris, what the hell are you doing?”

“Oh, come on, Larabee. You won’t be able to taste nothin’ for days. I thought you woulda had more brains,” Vin laughed.

“Last chance, Vin,” Buck stated. “Last chance to prove you’re a man.”

“A team of wild horses wouldn’t get me to sit down at that table.”

Ezra glanced up at his friend. “First prize is twenty-five dollars.”

Vin’s eyes widened. “How much?”

The others were nodding. “Five-dollar entry fee.”

“Vin ain’t gonna fall for that,” Nathan argued. They had tried to entice the healer earlier, but had failed. “No amount of money is worth... Vin?”

Tanner had pulled out a chair and dropped into it, rubbing his hands together. “Pass those little red suckers over here. That pot‘s mine.”

“Oh, come on, Vin!” Nathan cried in exasperation.

“Nathan,” Tanner stated, his face reflecting the same earnest expression Buck’s had, not thirty seconds before. “Sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, if he’s to be a man.”

****

The crowd jostled for position. The competitors were ready. Silence had blanketed the room. Each man seated at the table studied his opponents for signs of weakness.

“Everyone understand the rules?” Buck asked.

They nodded, each still scanning the faces of the others.

“This is ridiculous,” Nathan mumbled. Finally, as one, the brave warriors reached for a chilli. J.D. glanced at his companions nervously. He was starting to think this hadn’t been such a good idea. Each of the six men placed his pepper in his mouth. All eyes flicked to J.D. and they weren’t disappointed. The boy’s face went red, then green as he sank his teeth into the small vegetable.

“Holy shit!”

Buck and Josiah burst out laughing. J.D. started gasping and waving his hands in front of his mouth. The other men grinned watching as Dunne grabbed one of the jugs and gulped throat cooling water from it.

“What did I tell you,” Ezra drawled.

J.D. lowered the jug panting. Abruptly, he realized what had happened. He‘d grabbed the water without thinking. “Oh, hell.”

Nathan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Relax. Your body will thank you tomorrow.”

“I... I ain’t never tasted nothing like that in my life.” J.D. opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out as far as he could so he could get a look at it. “I think I’ve damaged it. Has it got any blisters on it, Nathan?”

Buck reached into the centre. “Gentlemen.”

Each of the others took another chilli... and another... and another and another. With each one, the men assessed one another. This was a test of wills. Who would break next?

Ezra peered out through the steady stream of tears running down his cheeks. The inside of his mouth was blazing. “These are not normal chillies,” he stated, his voice hollow.

“Nope. They’re extra hot ones. I ordered them in specially. Ready to concede, Ezra?” Buck asked, his voice slightly slurred from the swelling of his tongue.

“I...” Ezra blinked once... twice and then with a passionate curse, he reached for one of the jugs and tipped it to his mouth. A groan of relief echoed out of him.

“Two down, three to go,” Buck announced.

Standish drew in a breath and then continued swallowing.

Nathan shook his head with true disgust. “I can‘t believe I‘m watching grown men...”

“And again, boys,” Buck interrupted.

Chris, Vin, Josiah and Buck plucked another chilli from the pile. Each hesitated waiting see if anyone else was going to concede. Eyes flicked around the table. Each man started to raise the chilli to his mouth. At the last minute, Josiah’s hand darted out for a jug of water.

“I thought you said you were weened on chillies?” Ezra asked, lowering his own jug.

“I lied,” Josiah panted, before returning to guzzling the water.

“A bluff. I knew it!”

Buck glanced at Vin and Chris. Larabee looked unfazed, but it was obvious Vin didn’t have much more in him. “Lovely, cool refreshing water,” Buck teased.

Tanner’s eyes drifted to the only jug that still held water. Vin licked his burning lips.

“I can just feel it flowing down my throat,” Buck continued. “A river of water cascading over my tongue. So cooling and... and...” Buck dived on the water and began to gulp it down.

The rest of the group burst out laughing. “What happened, Buck?” J.D. asked.

“I convinced myself,” Buck panted.

Chris glanced at Vin and smirked. “Concede, Tanner. You don’t have a hope.”

Vin’s eyes narrowed and defiantly he pushed a chilli into his mouth. Despite the fact his mouth felt numb, the addition of the chilli’s scorching flesh caused him to gasp.

Chris grinned and took his next chilli. He wasn’t even sweating, Vin noted. Tanner’s eyes had started watering.

“Again?” Chris asked.

Vin reached for a chilli. Through the tears, he could see Chris raising his to his mouth. Vin’s got to his lips but his jaw locked. His brained ordered it to release, but his mouth remained closed. Tanner sighed. Common sense finally took purchase. Vin glanced at Chris and shook his head.

“I’ll get you some water,” Nathan offered, noting the jugs were empty.

“Mr Larabee must consume one more chilli to be declared the winner,” Ezra pointed out.

Chris smiled, rose to his feet and looked as if he was reaching his hand out to shake Vin’s. Instead, he stopped his arm short and tapped his sleeve. Instantly, five chillies rolled from it and tumbled across the table in front of Vin. Tanner started at them. It took several seconds for him to realize that...

“YOU CHEATIN’ BASTARD!”

Buck winked at Chris. J.D.’s jaw dropped. Josiah shook his head with amusement and Ezra’s mouth was opening and closing but nothing was coming out.

Chris smiled. “You win. I dropped out five rounds ago.”

Vin was still staring at the chillies. Finally, he dragged his eyes up to Chris. Larabee was grinning from ear to ear. “You no good, double crossin’, cheatin’ bastard! I can’t even feel my damn tongue. Five rounds ago! You‘ve been shoving the things up your sleeve?”

Chris patted Vin’s shoulder. Tanner shook his head. He’d been watching Buck and Ezra in case they tried something like that, but Chris! Before he could react further, Nathan returned with the water and Vin gulped the soothing liquid.

“Drinks, boys?” Buck asked, moving off to the bar.

“Water,” J.D. called after him.

“Five rounds ago?” Ezra spluttered. “Then you dropped out just after Mr. Dunne.”

Chris nodded. “You don’t think I’d be silly enough to do that to myself.”

Vin lowered the jug from his mouth and thrust a finger at Larabee. “You’re a dead man, Chris Larabee.” He took another long gulp of water. “I swear, one day when you least expect it, I‘m gonna...”

Buck dropped a bundle of onions onto the table. “All right boys. You got to eat’ em whole. Last one to cry wins the pot. Two dollars to be in.”

Nathan let out a howl of exasperation. “You aren’t serious?“

“A test of manhood, Nathan,“ Buck explained earnestly as he slipped back into his chair.

“Bullshit. You aren‘t proving anything except the fact that you ain’t got an ounce of common sense between you.”

The men at the table ignored him. They scanned one another. The smiles fell from their faces. They had been presented with yet another a challenge. Who would accept it and who would turn it down? One by one, J.D., Ezra, Josiah, Buck and Chris put their money on the table. Once again, their eyes were narrowed flicking around the table gauging their opposition.

“Vin?” Buck prompted. “Ten-dollar pot.”

“Vin!” Nathan cried, pleading for at least one of his companions to show some semblance of common sense.

Tanner grinned, slapped his coins on the table and took another gulp of water. “Under the condition, he rolls his sleeves up,” he demanded, pointing at Chris.

“I quite agree,” Ezra snapped, indignantly.

Nathan stared at them. He stared at the onions and then back at his companions. With a snort, the healer reached for a chair, dragged it out, sat down and slammed his money on the table. His friends watched him with knowing grins.

“Nathan, what are you doing?” Buck asked.

“Buck,” the healer stated soberly. “Sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, if he’s to be a man.” A wide smile consumed Jackson’s face. “Well, even if I don’t believe a word of that shit, I do believe the old saying if you can’t beat’ em, join ‘em. Deal them onions. That pot‘s mine!”