Wanted: A Western Story Collection

by Robert J. Thomas

  “So, what’s it like being a homeowner?” Reedy asked Jess.

  “I’m not living there,” he said. “I plan to sell it to the Roddys and let them keep the land west of the river. I’ll sell off the other land to some of the other ranchers in the area. In the end, I’ll get my investment back and the Roddys will send payments to my bank in Black Creek. Everyone wins except for Malvern, which is exactly how I wanted this to play out.” Reedy looked up at Jess with a comical grin.

  “I think it was a little more than things just playing out by chance,” he said smiling knowingly.

  “I’ll go and let the clerk at the store know about the job tomorrow and meet you two at the livery,” said Jess as he walked out.

  Reedy and Bodine locked up the jail and took their horses to the livery to feed and water them. Jess retrieved his horses and met them there. They climbed up in the saddle and walked their horses down Main Street. Juanita stepped out of the hotel and smiled at Jess.

  “You’re a United States Marshal?” she asked.

  “Yeah, but only when they need me to be,” he told her.

  “So, the law finally caught up with him,” she said smiling.

  “Yeah, and when we dig up Mr. McBee’s body tomorrow, he’ll be charged with two murders,” Reedy told her. “A witness is on the train from Montana where he did the same thing he did here.”

  “Except Jess bought the land before he did,” said Juanita. “It’s a nice thing you’re doing for the Roddy family, allowing them to stay in that beautiful house and graze their sheep on the land. It’s about time they had something good come their way. Am I going to see you again?”

  “Probably not,” Jess told her.

  “Then you need to settle your bill.”

  “What bill?” asked Jess as his head slowly turned to Bodine, who looked straight off in the distance as he tried to hide the guilt on his face.

  “Mr. Bodine stopped in a few times for a piece of pie,” she said.

  “You had to eat pie?” Jess asked him.

  “Well, you ate that last piece on me so I made up for it…twice,” he said, refusing to look directly at him.

  “You little sneak,” chastised Jess.

  “Just pay the lady,” said Bodine, still looking straight away. Jess pitched Juanita a five-dollar gold piece and saw Reedy smiling.

  “Oh, you think this is funny, don’t you?”

  “Actually, I was thinking maybe we should take a whole pie out to the house,” suggested Reedy.

  “I have a whole one that hasn’t been cut yet,” said Juanita. “You’ve paid me enough for three pies.”

  “Okay, but give it to Bodine to carry out to the house,” he told her just before shooting him another harsh look. She brought the pie out wrapped in a large cloth that was knotted so he could handle it easier. He took it and they started walking their horses again.

  “You make good apple pie,” Bodine hollered back to her.

  “Thank you,” she said before she disappeared into the hotel, laughing to herself.

  The next morning Jess, Bodine, Reedy and the Roddys were eating breakfast when the wagon carrying four men with shovels and picks showed up. It took them hours of trenching before they finally found the bones in the shallow grave. They dug it up and when they found the skull, it had a hole in the side of it like Burke had told them. Reedy reached inside and retrieved what looked to be a .38-caliber slug. He looked up at Jess and Reedy.

  “Looks like Burke was telling the truth,” said Reedy.

  “That, along with his testimony and the man from Montana should make for a hanging,” agreed Bodine. Reedy placed the skull on the wagon with the other bones and pocketed the slug.

  “You men take these bones to the undertaker and make sure he doesn’t bury them yet,” Reedy told them. The men threw their shovels and picks into the wagon and headed back to town. Jess, Reedy and Bodine walked back inside the house.

  “So, Malvern murdered Mr. McBee?” asked Buster.

  “It sure looks that way,” said Reedy.

  “Jess, if you’re letting us buy this place from you, I’m selling my old spread to raise some cash to help enlarge my herd,” said Buster.

  “I think there will be an auction on Malvern’s beef after the hanging since he doesn’t have any relatives to leave it to that we know of,” Jess told him. “I’m selling off all the land east of the river, which leaves you with plenty of good grazing land for sheep and cattle.”

  “Things sure worked out well for me and mine,” said Buster as he rubbed Gabriel’s head. “And to think it all started going our way when Gabriel tried to shoot Reid and we met you.”

  “Things have a funny way of working out sometimes,” said Reedy.

  “Yeah, especially when our good friend gets involved,” chuckled Bodine as he patted Jess on the shoulder.

  They spent the rest of the day telling stories and laughing. Jess and Buster made a gentleman’s agreement on the financial matters regarding the house and property. They had a huge celebratory meal before having a few drinks and turning in for the night.

  The morning found Jess, Reedy and Bodine saddling up their horses. When they finished, they walked them out of the barn and to the front of the house, where the Roddys stood waiting to say goodbye. Reedy looked over at Jess.

  “Me and Bodine have to stay in town until the trial is over,” he told him. “You sure you don’t want to hang around and travel up to Stratton with us after it’s over?”

  “Naw, I’ve got a few wanted posters in my pocket that are getting old,” replied Jess.

  “Tillie ain’t gonna wait forever for you,” cautioned Bodine. “And that female bounty hunter you told us about sounds like too much to handle, even for you.”

  “Wildcat was a handful, but she did have her soft side once you got to know her,” he said chuckling. “I hope to run into her again soon.”

  “It sounds like someone gave her the right name,” laughed Bodine.

  Buster walked up and shook hands with Jess. “Thanks for everything you did for us, Jess,” he said.

  Gabriel walked up and hugged him. “I guess it was a good thing I missed Shade Reid,” he said.

  “I guess so,” Jess said as he tousled his hair. Lida gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek.

  “You were our shepherd, Mr. Williams,” she whispered in his ear. “We’ll never forget what you did for us. You’re welcome here anytime.”

  “Thanks, Lida,” he said as the three of them climbed up in the saddle. They rode away toward town and about halfway there, Jess reined in his horses near a trail heading east.

  “This is as far as I go,” Jess told them. They all shook hands and Jess pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it to Reedy.

  “What’s this for?” asked Reedy.

  “That should help feed him for the next week or so,” he said laughing.

  “Oh, ain’t you the funny one, Mr. Moneybags,” carped Bodine.

  Jess gave Reedy a serious look. “I have two thousand dollars in bounty money coming for Butch Engall,” he told Reedy. “I’m sure you’ll find the wanted poster in Burke’s office somewhere. Will you send the money to my bank in Black Creek?”

  “I’ll tend to it, but are you sure you don’t want to change your mind and stay in town with us?” asked Reedy.

  “It’s tempting, but no, I need to get back to the business of getting rid of the bad ones.”

  “That’s his way of telling us he’s going to go and kill some more bad men,” said Bodine.

  “Well, when you get time, come on up to Stratton for a visit,” Reedy told him. “And keep that badge handy. You never know when I’ll send for you.”

  Jess removed the badge and slid it into his front pocket. “I’ll have it handy when you need me to wear it,” he told Reedy. “You two enjoy the hanging.”

  “Never a good thing to watch, even though he deserves it,” admitted Reedy. Jess tipped his hat and headed along the trail going east. Bodine sighe
d as he watched him ride out of sight.

  “I miss that knucklehead already,” he muttered. Reedy smiled at him amusingly.

  “You just miss his money and all the whiskey and food it would buy you,” chuckled Reedy.

  “Hey, you have a hundred dollars and I’m hungry for some more of that apple pie,” Bodine said with a smile on his face. Reedy looked at the trail Jess took.

  “Good hunting, my friend,” he whispered to himself as he turned his horse back toward town, Bodine following right next to him.

  The End

  Read the Entire Series of Jess Williams Westerns (Listed in Order)…

  THE RECKONING

  BROTHER’S KEEPER

  SINS OF THE FATHER

  THE BURNING

  THE DODGE CITY MASSACRE

  HELL HATH NO FURY

  THE RIVER RUNS RED

  DEATH DANCE

  BLOOD TRAIL

  BADGE OF HONOR

  LONG GUNS

  WANTED

  TIN MAN

  RETRIBUTION

  HIRED GUN

  HUNTED

  RESURRECTION

  IN COLD BLOOD

  REAGAN’S RIDERS

  THE BOUNTY

  WAGON TRAIN

  THE KILLING

  HOMBRE

  BODY COUNT

  HUNT DOWN

  FROM THE GRAVE

  BLACK RAVEN

  THE BOUNTY HUNTERS

  TO HELL AND BACK

  MACHETE

  STREETS OF LAREDO

  RIDE OF REVENGE

  COLD JUSTICE

  GOD’S GUN

  DARK CLOUD

  REDEMPTION

  TROUBLE IN NAVARRO

  BLACK HEART

  THE JOURNEY

  THE TRANSPORT

  PAINTED LADIES

  RANGE WAR

  CROSSROADS

  DEATH BY LEAD

  DUNDEE

  A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

  OLD GUNS

  WILD CAT

  COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK IN THE JESS WILLIAMS WESTERN SERIES

  About the Author

  Robert J. Thomas began working at the City of Westland, Michigan, in September of 1970. He continued working there for almost 32 years. In 1990, he was sworn in as the City's full-time Mayor. He won two reelections, serving twelve years before he retired.

  His proudest achievement though, is his western series featuring the character Jess Williams. He has written and published forty books in the series to date on Kindle. He plans on continuing writing as many books as possible. He was also selected as a KDP Select All-Star Author of the month for three months in a row in 2014.

  Amazon Kindle has been a lifesaver for Robert. Without the possibility of Kindle, Robert's publishing career would have went the way of so many other smaller publishers; bankrupt. Kindle has allowed him to continue with the Jess Williams series and all his efforts will be focused on that series alone for the next few years.

  Retired, he now lives in Mississippi, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico with his beautiful wife Jill. At his work table, he has a remarkable view of the ocean while he continues to write more Jess Williams adventures for his readers to enjoy!

  You can find Robert’s books on Amazon.

  http://www.amazon.com/Robert-J.-Thomas/e/B001K91KPO/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

  Hunt-U.S.

  Marshal

  The Vigilante

  By

  WL Cox

  A note from the Author

  The U.S. Marshal Service was formed on September 24, 1789, following the passage of the first Judiciary Act, making the U.S. Marshal Service the oldest or first federal law enforcement agency. President George Washington appointed the first 13 U.S. Marshals. One Marshal was appointed for each of the colonies and was sworn in for a term of four years.

  This book series is dedicated to the hard working, active, and retired U.S. Marshals across the land.

  About The Series

  Hunt-U.S. Marshal is a long running series in the life of Huntley Porter, nicknamed Hunt. Being fired from his job as a Sheriff in Quaker, Tennessee, he turns bounty hunter.

  His search for a runaway slave accused of murder takes him west. The search for the elusive, fugitive slave ends fruitlessly when he comes to the Missouri River as winter is setting in.

  Hunt returns with a criminal that he encountered along the way and meets a U.S. Deputy Marshal. The two become friends, and at the urging of his new found friend, he joins the U.S. Marshal Service and is transferred to Denver.

  Hunt soon proves himself to be an incredible lawman, and in a short time, is promoted to U.S. Marshal of Denver.

  Hunt finally confronts the fugitive slave at a Sioux camp, and the meeting ends with a close friendship that lasts a lifetime.

  These episodes are stories of Hunt and his deputies that travel west in search of criminals, thieves, and murderers.

  Throughout the events, Hunt and the fugitive slave, known by the Indian Nations as Storm Warrior, and as Charles Crawford by the whites, become close friends and often help each other. Their lives intertwine throughout the Hunt-U.S. Marshal series and the Storm Warrior series.

  Both series are a must read for lovers of western books.

  Chapter 1

  The Vigilante

  Hunt was unable to sleep. He got up early and got dressed. His wife, Beth, was still asleep, so he walked out, and prepared a pot of coffee, and then added another log to the glowing embers in the fireplace.

  While the temperatures turned warm during the day, the evenings and early morning hours were chilly. Beth and the children were asleep, and he didn’t want them to wake up to a cold house.

  Hunt poured a cup of coffee as he sat in a chair and thought of his men and the missions they had been on. Yesterday, three men had been hung that his men had brought from Nevada.

  They had robbed a bank in Utah, and his men found them and brought them back to face justice for killing two men and a woman during the robbery.

  Hunt sat his cup down and pulled the revolver from his holster and cleaned it. After reloading the gun, he stood, put on his gun belt, and sat the coffee cup in the kitchen basin.

  Hunt put on his jacket and pulled his hat from the peg on the wall. He walked to the shed and saddled Gunner, his four-year-old stallion.

  The morning air was cold. Hunt rolled a cigarette and lit it, and then he mounted Gunner and walked his horse into town, and stopped in front of the Lawson’s Café, owned by Jack and Marge Lawson, and entered.

  “Howdy, Hunt,” Marge said as she smiled and poured him a cup of coffee.

  “Good morning Jack. Good morning, Marge,” Hunt replied as he sat at a table along the back wall, so he could see who entered the café.

  “You want your usual?” Marge asked as she sat the cup down.

  “Yes, that would be fine.”

  Hunt’s deputies began arriving. Clayton, Ben, and Earl were the first.

  “Good morning, Hunt,” Clayton said as they took a seat at his table.

  “Good morning men. I know you just returned from a rough trip, but we have a serious problem that has to be dealt with.”

  “What’s going on?” Earl asked as Marge brought them coffee and took their orders.

  “We’ll cover it in the meeting.”

  Hunt stood and paid for the meal. “I’ll see you men at the office.”

  Hunt rode Gunner to the office. He lit the lanterns and built a fire in the pot-bellied stove. Hunt prepared a pot of coffee and sat it on the stove.

  After lighting the lantern in his office, he sat down and read the telegram once again.

  He frowned as he thought of the right men to send on this mission. It sounded like the vigilante killer was good with a gun. Ben was fast, but no one was faster than Horse. Hunt read the telegram once again, and thought five men should be able to handle it.

  The men began arriving, and Hunt joined them in the meeting room after filling his coffee cup.

  �
�Gentlemen,” Hunt said as he sat down. “We’ve got four men returning from a mission. They should be back tomorrow. I got a telegram from Sheriff Willard Connors of Pueblo. A fight broke out in a saloon in a small place called La Veta. It ended with a miner being shot.”

  “A brother to the dead man arrived and killed another miner that he thought had killed his brother. But it turned out that he shot the wrong man. Now, friends of the man he killed are out for blood. A stranger rode into town, and the miners mistook him for the man that had killed their friend. They took him out of town and hung him. He turned out to be a rancher that had come to town looking for cattle to buy.”

  “The vigilante killer returned, and when he was confronted by a few angry miners, he drew and killed two men. Now the miners are afraid to face him. Sheriff Connors is afraid to ride there by himself. He’s afraid he’ll be hung or shot. He’s asking us for help.”

  “Ben, I want you, Horse, Ty, Duke, and Bridge to restore law and order in La Veta. The killings have to stop. You’ll need to arrest the vigilante brother and find the man responsible for the first killing that started the whole thing.”

  “This will leave three deputies in Denver. If you need help, send me a telegraph, and I’ll send the others down.”

  “Ah heck, Hunt,” Horse chuckled, “Five of us should be able to handle it.”

  “Okay,” Hunt said, “I hope you’re right. Gather your gear and get to the depot. You will be able to take the train as far as Pueblo, ride to Walsenburg, and then cut southwest to La Veta.”

  “Okay,” Ben said as he stood, “Let’s go, men.”

  Ben collected a map of the area, removed a Henry rifle from the rack, an extra box of shells, his bedroll, saddlebags, and walked out. After the men had packed their gear in the saddlebags, they stopped at the general store and stocked up on canned beans, dried pork, jerky, cigars, tobacco, tobacco paper, and an extra box of stick matches.

  After all the men had placed their purchases into the saddlebags, they mounted up and rode to the depot. Ben used the government voucher and bought tickets for the five men and their horses to Pueblo.