by Kit Morgan
Sadie almost felt sorry for the man. Almost.
“Now just go on home!” The Sheriff, a tall, middle aged, kindly looking man told the gathered crowd. “We’ll let you good folks know just as soon as we find out anything.”
“Find out if thems the ones that stole my cows!” A voice yelled.
“And mine!” Yelled another.
“What about the stage robbery?” Came yet another.
“Now folks, we just got back. Me and the boys need a rest. Then we gotta find out if this fella is connected to any of your missing livestock.”
“You mean you’re not going to do anything?” Mrs. Dunnigan huffed as she shoved her way forward.
The Sheriff visibly cringed and eyed her hatchet warily. “Afternoon, Mrs. Dunnigan.”
“Don’t you afternoon me, is this one of the outlaws or not?”
“Well now, Mrs. Dunnigan, we need to question him. Then we need to gather some evidence.”
“Evidence? What evidence? There are only so many people in town! I would think process of elimination would be sufficient enough!”
“Mrs. Dunnigan, be reasonable. We still need proof, ma'am. You can’t go accusing folks in town of being the outlaws without proof.”
“What about a witness?” Harrison called out as he pulled Sadie through the crowd.
“Just who do you have there, Harrison?” The Sheriff asked.
“The passenger the outlaws kidnapped when they robbed the stage.”
Mrs. Dunnigan gasped and dropped the hatchet. The rest of the crowd whispered amongst themselves as two figures silently backed away from the crowd and slipped out of sight. Because if the so-called witness could identify the captured outlaw, she could identify them as well.
Eight
“Kidnapped?” The Sheriff exclaimed. “This is the missing passenger? But I thought she made her way into town on her own. One of the boys told me when they brought us supplies a week ago.”
Harrison pulled Sadie against him. Mrs. Dunnigan let go a disgusted snort at the action. Harrison ignored her. “No sir. I left to go meet the stage on account of the mail I was expecting. When the stage didn’t show up, I went looking for it. After discovering it had been robbed, I took care of the wounded driver, and then followed the outlaw’s trail to a cabin north of the first ridge. Never would have found it if it hadn’t snowed the night before.”
He looked to Sadie with the same look of concern as before. Her insides melted like fresh churned butter. “Thank the Lord it started to snow during our escape. It made it much harder for them to track us.”
The Sheriff stood open mouthed and looked from Sadie, to Harrison, and back again. “Is this true?”
“Yes sir. The stage was held up where the road forks. There were four of them. They took the strongbox, the mailbag, and me. We rode for hours, and finally came to a cabin, just as Harrison said.”
The Sheriff took off his hat and slapped his leg with it. “I’ll be horn swallowed. How did you manage to get away?”
Harrison went silent. Sadie looked to him and noticed the man blushed.
“Well?” The Sheriff urged.
Harrison sighed. “I performed a few animal calls.”
“Animal calls?”
Raucous laughter erupted from several men in the crowd. “Did you scare them off with your imitation of a hoot owl?” a man shouted.
Harrison rolled his eyes. “It was a wolf howl, actually.” He looked down at Sadie. “I know it’s a silly thing to be good at. But I’ve been able to imitate animal sounds since I was a child.”
Sadie smiled back. So that’s how he’d been able to do it. She’d been so busy taking care of her mother and recovering from her own injury she’d not thought to ask him more about her rescue.
“Well, don’t much matter if it was a hoot owl, a wolf, or one of Harrison’s pigs, it got the job done! Come inside young lady. We need to talk.” The Sheriff turned and went into his office.
Harrison and Sadie began to follow. Mrs. Dunnigan grabbed her other arm before she could cross the threshold. “You mean to tell me you were taken by those outlaws and hold up in a cabin with them? Why the disgrace! No doubt they took their pleasure with you!” She turned to the crowd. “And she nary bats at an eye at the ordeal!”
Several men in the crowd suddenly looked at Sadie like she was a freshly baked pie just taken out of the oven. Mrs. Dunnigan gave a little triumphant smirk as Harrison backed out of the door and gently pushed Sadie past him and through it. He closed the door, shutting Sadie and the Sheriff inside. “For your information, Mrs. Dunnigan, I rescued Miss Jones before any such debauchery occurred which accounts for her surviving the ordeal so admirably. And the only debauchery involved seems to be in your own mind. Kindly keep your wicked thoughts to yourself from now on.” He turned to go back inside.
“Or what?”
Harrison stopped up short. “I cannot speak it to a lady.” He turned back to her. “Oh, but then I’m not speaking to a lady, am I?” He turned back to the door and opened it.
Mrs. Dunnigan was about to comment but never got the chance. The Sheriff’s voice cracked with excitement as he spoke. “Man alive! You mean your daddy owns the Big J? He’ll be riding in here any day now with guns blaring if he’s anything like folks tell about!” He pushed Harrison out of the way and hurried out of the office. “Charlie, Tommy! Get some food and fresh horses. I got a message for you to deliver!”
He spun on his heel to go back inside. Harrison stopped him. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Nothing son! You done rescued the daughter of one of the biggest cattleman in three territories! In these parts that makes her like royalty!” He hurried back inside and slammed the door closed behind him.
Harrison stood in openmouthed shock for a moment. He stole a glance at Mrs. Dunnigan and wondered whose mouth hung wider. He snapped his shut. “Well, Mrs. Dunnigan. It seems we have the daughter of a King in our midst. A Princess.”
The woman’s mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out. The men in the crowd leaned forward and watched the spectacle. They’d never seen her at a loss for words before. After her face turned a few shades of red she scooped up her hatchet and stomped off toward the mercantile. The men in the crowd broke out in riotous laughter again as she made her retreat. For once, Mrs. Dunnigan had nothing to say.
* * *
“It’s all right. He can’t hurt you locked up in there.” Harrison whispered into her ear from behind. “Is this one of them?”
His voice calmed her and Sadie had to force herself to look at the man sitting in the jail cell. He wasn't wearing a hat and no bandana covered his face. How could she tell if he had been one of her kidnappers? “I’m not sure.”
The man in the cell smirked. If he recognized her he certainly gave no indication.
This was terrible. Everyone was counting on her to identify him. Sadie turned to Harrison and the Sheriff. She looked from one determined face to the other and thought a moment. “Make him say something,” she whispered.
“What for?” the Sheriff whispered back.
“I couldn’t see their faces while I was with them. But they talked in front of me a lot. I might recognize his voice.”
The Sheriff eyed the outlaw who eyed him back just before he spit. “I don’t suppose we can let our new prisoner starve. You hungry?”
The outlaw’s entire demeanor changed. “Now Sheriff ya’all knows I haven’t had a thing today! I can't hardly see straight I’m so hungry!”
Sadie’s eyes lit with recognition. She looked quickly to Harrison and whispered, “I think his name is Cain.”
The Sheriff again eyed him. “I’ll see we get you something.”
“Much oblige, Sheriff. I’m not worth being accused of anything on a empty stomach.”
All three stared at the man who hadn’t a clue he’d just been found out. Harrison took Sadie by the hand and led her to the front office of the jail. The Sheriff followed. Once he’
d closed the door to the cell area, he sighed in relief. “I can’t thank you enough, Miss Jones. I’ve been after this gang for a long time now. What else can you tell me?”
“I’m pretty sure his name is Cain. There was another man, Jeb. I think he was the leader. The other two were never called by name.”
“Well this is a mighty big help Miss Jones. A couple dozen missing cattle probably don’t seem like much to you, but around here it can be life changing. Folks will be happy to know we caught one of that thieving bunch. Only a matter of time before we catch up with the rest. I sure hope it’s only one gang. Still might be another.”
“Be it one or two different gangs, let us hope they don’t leave the area before you have a chance to apprehend them, Sheriff.” Harrison commented.
“You could be right. As soon as me and the boys have a rest, we’ll set out again. The sooner we round up the rest of those no good outlaws the better. Your daddy’s gonna be mighty proud of you, Miss Jones.”
Sadie slumped slightly at the mention of her father.
“I sent word to him. He oughta be here within a week if not sooner. All depends on where he is now. I’m sure he’s already set out to look for you”
Sadie had to sit. She certainly wouldn’t have to worry about Harrison escorting her across the prairie now. Instead all she had to do was avoid the Englishman until her father arrived. And in Clear Creek, that was easier said than done.
* * *
Mr. Mulligan poured two shots of whiskey. “Looks like your little brother’s a hero.”
Jack and Sam Cooke grabbed their shots and slugged them back. Sam spit into a nearby spittoon and slammed his glass on the counter. “Worthless whelp. Now we know why he’s been coming into town so much.”
“Sneaky cuss. Wait until Pa finds out.” Jack added.
“Pa ain’t gonna find out!” Sam snapped. “Last thing we need is fer Pa to ease up on him. Then we might have to do some of the work. And that don’t sit with me.”
Mr. Mulligan laughed and poured them each another shot. He then moved down the counter to serve his other customers. Jack leaned into the bar, head low, his voice lower. “Jeb’s gonna kill us.”
Sam glanced around before he spoke in the same low tone. “We ain’t done nothing wrong.”
“But was Harrison took her from us! What if she recognizes Cain and tells the Sheriff? You know that’s what’s going on across the street right now!”
“Shut up. I can't think when you’re babbling.”
“And what happens if’n she sees one or both of us?”
Sam grabbed him by the collar. “I said shut up. We’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t see us, you got that?”
Jack slapped Sam’s hand away. “If Jeb finds out she’s here he might cut us out of our deal.”
“He won’t cut us out of our deal.”
“If’n he gets mad enough he will.”
Sam slapped Jack upside the head. “He gets mad it ain’t our deal he’ll be cutting. He’ll cut ourhearts out before cutting us out of any deal.”
Jack cringed, grabbed his shot and slugged it back.
Sam stared at his own drink and watched the amber liquid swirl about as he moved the glass this way and that. “Unless we carve the lady’s heart out first.”
Jack began to laugh as Sam swallowed his drink. Finished, he set the glass on the counter. “Best we figure out a way to get her off by herself.”
Jack glanced around. Mr. Mulligan was still at the other end of the bar talking and laughing with several men from the posse. “What about Harrison? He’s always in town now. Probably been seeing her the whole time!”
“We’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t get in the way. I’m sure there’s all kinds of work Pa wants that boy to do over the next few days.”
“He’s already done all the work there is to do.”
“Not if we make sure he has to do it again.” Sam said as he signaled to Mr. Mulligan to pour them another round.
Jack and Sam both laughed as Mr. Mulligan headed down the bar, whiskey bottle in hand.
Nine
“What do you mean keep an eye out?” Sadie exclaimed. “Surely the rest of the outlaws wouldn’t come into town, would they?”
“They might wish to free their comrade, in which case now that he’s seenyou, could well put you in danger.” Harrison explained.
“I wouldn’t want to risk it,” the Sheriff added. “It’s best we have someone look after you until your daddy gets here. He’d probably try to hang the whole lot of us if something ever happened to his only daughter.”
“But I’m already staying with the Waller's. I’m never alone.”
“We all love Doc and Grandma, make no mistake. But they’re both get’n on in years and neither would be much protection during a shootout. No, I’ll have one of my men watch the house.”
“I’d like to volunteer Sheriff. I can see to it Miss Jones is kept safe.”
Sadie’s eyes widened.
“That’s mighty kind of you Harrison. Can you spare the time away from your farm?”
“I’ll make the time. I have no doubt if the outlaws find Miss Jones is here and has identified their man, they’ll either make a run for it or come after him. In which case they’re sure to come after her.” He looked down at Sadie who still sat after identifying the man in the other room. “I can’t have that. I’ll not see you put in harm’s way.”
Did he have to look so handsome when he said it? Did he? And his voice dropped in pitch, his eyes looking like hot dark cocoa. A pure luxury out in these parts.He was becoming a pure luxury. His insistence to protect her didn't help.
Harrison pulled her up from the chair and turned to the Sheriff. “We must be going. Doc and Grandma have prepared supper for us and are waiting.”
“Sure, you go on. I’ll finish up here and drop by later this evening if that’s all right, Miss Jones?”
Sadie could only nod. Harrison had already wrapped her arm around one of his and was heading for the door. How did she manage to go fromSurely I can avoid the man for the next week or soto Harrison being her self-appointed protector? Albeit he volunteered for the job, the Sheriff certainly didn’t put up any fuss over it. The man didn’t even blink an eye. Wasn’t it improper for Harrison to be glued to her side? She was sure Mrs. Dunnigan would have something to say about it.
Harrison pulled her along as they went back to the house. “I’ll find out who is to take the first watch and how often they plan to change.”
“Change?”
“The Sheriff won’t allow just one man to do the job. They’ve been out looking for the outlaws for days. They’re tired and hungry. These men are only good to stand watch a few hours at a time. I’ll take a watch myself to ensure you’re safe for tonight. At some point I’ll head back to the farm and take care of a few things. Tomorrow we’ll come up with a definite plan for the rest of the week.”
Sadie gave him a half smile before she looked away. He looked exceedingly pleased about something. She couldn’t say what it was. An hour ago he couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Now he couldn’t stand the thought of letting her out of his sight. Maybe protecting her from the outlaws made it easier for him to protect her from himself.
They reached the house and went inside. Sadie was delighted to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table with Doc and Grandma. “You’re up! Do you feel strong enough to eat with us?”
Teresa took in the sight of Sadie still on Harrison’s arm and smiled. “It’s why I came down. I’m stronger every day thanks to you. I only needed a little rest before supper.”
Sadie detached herself from Harrison and gave her mother a hug. “I’m glad you’re feeling strong enough to join us.”
Teresa smiled, took one of Sadie’s hands and gave it a light squeeze. Grandma got up and began to pull linens from a sideboard. “I’ll just go set the table then. We’ll eat in the dining room. This is a special occasion! Sadie, you’d best take those pies of yours out
of the oven.”
“Allow me to help you, Grandma.” Harrison offered and followed her into the dining room.
Sadie watched him go. The Waller’s house was small. A simple dining room and parlor separated by the center hallway and stairs with the kitchen in the back, the only two bedrooms upstairs. Even though it was so much smaller than her father’s ranch house, she loved the little home and wondered what it would be like to have one of her own some day. Not to mention if it came with a husband, a family. Harrison...
Sadie shook herself, dislodging the thoughts, and set about taking her pies out of the oven. She placed them to one side to cool before checking the stew. While Grandma and Harrison finished setting the table she sliced the bread.
Soon the table was ready and the meal laid upon it. Doc and Grandma beamed as they looked at each of their guests. “We’ve not used this table in a long while. Kitchen table has been good enough for us. But this is much nicer.” Doc said. “Harrison, you say the blessing.”
Harrison sat at one end of the table, Doc at the other. Sadie and her mother sat side by side, Grandma opposite them. When Harrison held both his hands out Sadie stiffened. She was going to have to hold his hand for the blessing.
She slowly took her mother’s in one of her own and stared at the one Harrison offered. He waited, that same warm smile on his face. Sadie’s mouth went suddenly dry as heat seeped into her bones from some unseen source. It seemed to start in the pit of her stomach and spread out to the end of her fingers and toes. She gritted her teeth and took his hand.
The heat positively exploded.
“Dear Lord, we thank you for this day and those in it. We also thank you for helping our Sheriff apprehend one of the outlaws and pray the others will be taken into custody soon. And I thank you for the safety of everyone here. For what we are about to receive may we be truly thankful.” He gave her hand a squeeze then looked her right in the eye. Sadie thought she was going to slide from her chair and land in a puddle. His eyes had a look she’d never seen before. A determined look. A strong look. One that said he would not be letting her out of his sight any time soon.