The Reluctant Bounty Hunter

by S G Read

‘What’s with the flag?’ Crazy Dog asked.

  ‘I didn’t want to get my hair lifted I was sent out to find Duncan Lee by the sheriff.’ The man answered.

  ‘Why did not he come? Does he not like you?’

  ‘I think he is dead he had just been plugged when he sent me out here.’

  ‘What is plugged?’

  ‘Shot, you know bang, bang.’ He mimed shooting with a pistol.

  ‘Follow me.’ Crazy Dog ordered and led the way to the Indian Village.

  Running Wolf came out to meet the man with the flag when Crazy Dog led him up to his tepee.

  ‘He wants to see Duncan Lee.’ Crazy Dog declared. ‘He thinks that white cloth will save him from getting his scalp lifted.’ He added. ‘And they call me crazy! His hair is not worth taking.’

  ‘Little Deer fetch Duncan Lee he will probably be glad to get away from his new son for a while.’ Running Wolf ordered, then changed to English. ‘Come in and have refreshment.’

  The first Duncan knew about it was when Little Deer arrived and he started for the village straight away, leaving Little Deer admiring the baby. He rode into the village and jumped off his horse in front of Running Wolf’s tepee where Small Elk was waiting to take the reins for him. In the tent he found Running Wolf trying out his English on Bart Coulstock from Martinsburg.

  ‘High Bart what brings you out here, risking life and limb.’

  ‘Charlie Newman sent me before he died, well I think he died I didn’t hang round to find out. A group of riders rode into town. One went into the sheriff’s office and asked if he was the sheriff when Charlie said yes the man shot him and walked out again. The deputy went running up to see what was happening and four of them shot him. Altogether they shot six townsfolk who resisted and now they have taken over the town.’ Bart answered.

  ‘Charlie dead; sounds like I need to send a telegram for help.’ Duncan answered.

  The tepee flap opened and Crazy Dog came in followed by Small Elk. ‘We would be quicker than the telegram.’ Crazy Dog insisted.

  ‘That’s as maybe Crazy Dog but I can’t have you in town scalping folk, even if they are bad guys.’ Duncan replied in Pawnee.

  ‘No scalps! Still, we would get to kill white men, a worthwhile reason for going without a scalp.’ Crazy Dog conceded. He spoke in Pawnee so that Bart would not hear what they were talking about.

  ‘And he was hardly worth scalping, he is nearly bald.’ Small Elk added.

  ‘You can take as many men as you like Duncan Lee.’ Running Wolf offered and no one will take scalps.

  ‘How many men were there Bart?’ Duncan asked in English.

  ‘Six altogether and all murderers.’ Bart answered.

  ‘I think the two already offering will do Running Wolf.’ Duncan decided. ‘Come on Bart we are going into town and you can scout the town to find out where they are and then come and tell us.’

  On the way into town Duncan coached Small Elk and Crazy Dog with a little more English; he taught them to say ‘Relax I am with Duncan Lee.’ If they came across someone who they weren’t going to kill.

  They rode in keeping to the shadows and behind the buildings as far as the sheriff’s office but it was deserted. Duncan went inside through the back door and collected a shotgun in case they came after him in a group.

  ‘Go and see where they are Bart.’ Duncan ordered.

  ‘We will go with him and one of us will come and tell you.’ Crazy Dog offered and the three left to find the men.

  Duncan sat in the sheriff’s office and waited while Bart walked into the saloon for a drink and information. He recognised two of the men sitting in there, one of them was the man who shot the sheriff. He listened for a while then downed his drink and walked out.

  ‘Two in there.’ Bart whispered and both Indians appeared from the gloom. ‘But Mr Lee will want to shoot them his self as one of them was the bastard who shot Charlie. We’ll try the cat house. ’

  ‘What is a cat house?’ Small Elk asked.

  ‘Where men go to get a woman.’ Bart answered.

  ‘What to keep?’ Small Elk asked.

  ‘No they pay the woman for sex, you know to get laid.’ Bart tried to imitate the action to help his description.

  ‘They pay for that?’ Crazy Dog exclaimed.

  ‘Them that don’t have a woman do.’ Bart explained.

  Small Elk shook his head.

  ‘They’ll be distracted.’ Bart exclaimed and Small Elk smiled.

  They walked down to the cat house and Bart walked inside leaving the two Indians outside. Inside the woman who ran the cat house walked over to greet him.

  ‘What are you townsfolk doing about these bastards? The one upstairs has had three of my girls already and he won’t pay a cent. He shot Percy my factotum dead and just comes down and picks another girl when he is fed up with the one he’s got!’

  ‘Just one in here then Molly?’ Bart concluded.

  ‘Two and I’d go bankrupt!’

  ‘We are all set to sort them out but we need to know where they all are before we start.’ Bart explained. ‘So keep this one here somehow even if you have to take a turn.’

  ‘He already turned me down, the little bastard said I was too old but he will be here when you come back.’

  Bart walked to the door.

  ‘One was going to take a bath down at the Chinese washroom.’ Molly called after him.

  ‘Thanks Molly I’ll take a look see.’

  ‘Who’s taking over from the sheriff while he’s unfit?’ She called again but quieter.

  ‘He aint dead?’

  ‘No we have him hid upstairs and the doc is operating to get the bullet out.’ She answered even more quietly.

  Bart slipped out the door.

  ‘The washroom next.’ He said quietly, although he could see no one.

  He walked down to the other end of town as far as the washroom and walked inside.

  ‘No bathe.’ The man who ran it said sternly and ushered him outside again. ‘Man say no one else come in or he will rape daughter.’

  ‘Okay keep your hair on.’ Bart exclaimed and walked away.

  In front he saw two men walking and recognised them as the other two men.

  ‘What are you doing walking about at this time of night?’ One asked when they saw Bart.

  ‘Came down for a bath but your mate wants it all to his self so I’m going back to the saloon to drown my sorrows.’

  ‘If I see you about again I’ll shoot first and ask questions later!’ The man who had stopped him replied.

  ‘In that case I’ll go home.’

  ‘A wise move.’ The man answered and let Bart go on.

  Small Elk relaxed the strength of his pull on the bow he was carrying with the arrow pointed at the man who stopped Bart. Crazy Dog did the same but his was aimed at the other man. They turned to go and came face to face with another man. The man went to shout and Small Elk smothered his cry.

  ‘Relax I am with Duncan Lee.’ He said in his best English.

  When he let go of the man’s mouth, the man did not shout but said. ‘You are? Are you going to sort out these bastards?’

  ‘We are, so keep quiet and keep out of the way.’

  The man hurried away and the two Indians continued to shadow Bart all the way back to the sheriff’s office. Bart slipped in through the back door to where Duncan was waiting.

  ‘The sheriff is still alive, the doc is operating to get the bullet out as we speak. He is in the cat house. Two are in the saloon and one of them is the man who shot the sheriff. Two are walking about the town making sure no one is out and about after dark, one is in the cat house making up for lost time and one is having a bath.’

  ‘What, in the Chinese washroom?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Small Elk.’

  Small Elk slipped into the room.

  ‘You and Crazy Dog can kill the two walking about and the one in the washroom and the one in the cat house. Leave the other t
wo to me but let me know when it is done!’

  They did not answer but slipped away Bart followed and they stopped after a few yards.

  ‘Why you come?’ Crazy Dog asked.

  ‘I reckon if those two jokers see me they’ll want to come and send me on to the happy hunting ground and it should make your job a little easier.’ Bart replied. ‘Besides I want to do my bit.’

  ‘Come then.’

  They walked on and when they spotted their quarry, Small Elk pointed to them and Bart went into action.

  ‘Did you fellers say before dark or just after dark?’ He called across to them from close to the shadows.

  ‘Before and you are a dead man you old idiot.’ One answered but Bart slipped back into the shadows before they could fire.

  They both drew their pistols and walked over to shoot this old man. They knew there was nowhere he could go from where he was, without them seeing enough of him to shoot but they were unaware of the danger that lurked in those shadows. One went one side of the building and one went the other. One did not make it very far. Crazy Dog was standing in the shadows as he walked round the corner and after two paces he was already dead but just did not know it. He fell after the fourth pace his pistol falling lifeless from his hand. Crazy Dog dragged him out of sight of the main street and crept round the corner in time to come face to face with the second man. The man saw Crazy Dog but before he could react Small Elk was on him and his knife flashed just once.

  ‘That’s two.’ Bart declared. ‘Come on the washhouse is next.’

  Crazy Dog and Small Elk followed Bart to the washhouse where the Chinese owner lay outside.

  ‘He lie.’ The stricken man declared. ‘He say he rape daughter anyway.’

  Bart drew his pistol and walked inside, there was one gunshot and Bart walked back out again.

  ‘He won’t now Chi Li and your daughter is still beautiful and intact.’ He said as he holstered his pistol. ‘Now at least it feels like I have done something toward getting rid of this vermin.’

  ‘What is vermin?’ Crazy Dog asked.

  ‘Rats, only the two legged variety.’ Bart explained. ‘Now I’ll show you the back entrance to the cat house.’

  The used the shadows to walk up to the cat house and Bart showed them the back door. Both went in as they both wanted to see the inside of a cat house. The first person they met was a scantily clad girl. By now Crazy Dog was getting better in white relations and put his finger to his lips to keep her quiet.

  ‘Relax we are with Duncan Lee.’ He added when she did not scream.

  ‘Fourth door on the left.’ She answered and to help faced away from both Indians and held out her left hand with four fingers raised.

  ‘Thank you.’ Crazy Dog replied and walked past her noting her perfume.

  She watched them both go looking at them not as Indians but as men and big strong men at that. No portly bellies hanging out over the trouser line if they had trousers on and not the breechclouts.

  ‘Be careful.’ She whispered after them.

  Both turned to look at her in surprise, it was the first time a white woman had told them to be careful.

  They opened the door and she heard the man inside say ‘what the hell.’ And then there was silence and the two braves walked back past her one with a bloody tomahawk.

  ‘You’re quick.’ She declared.

  ‘Only when I have to be.’ Small Elk answered. ‘I would show you what I mean but we have more men to kill.’

  ‘No Duncan wants to kill these.’ Crazy Dog reminded him.

  ‘But we can help if he has trouble doing it.’ Small Elk replied.

  Crazy Dog nodded and they went out the door. They kept to the shadows and arrived at the back of the sheriff’s office.

  ‘Four down.’ Bart declared.

  ‘Good. Walk down to the saloon and warn them the marshal just rode in Bart but don’t hang about outside, unless your want a hole in you.’ Duncan replied.

  ‘On my way Marshal.’

  Duncan pinned on his star in plain sight and walked out into the street. Crazy Dog and Small Elk slipped into the shadows as Duncan started down the street. He left the light on in the sheriff’s office which meant he could be seen but as he drew away from the office he merely became a shadow and would stay that way until he came to the next light. The saloon was well lit and he would see the men if they came out the front. He thought that they had no need to come out the back, as they had no idea that the rest of their group were dead.

  Bart walked down to the saloon and looked in over the batwing doors, where the two men were sitting playing cards with three other men. He knew the three other men, they were rich men and they were being forced to play cards and forced to lose.

  ‘The local marshal has just ridden into town and he wants a word with you two.’ Bart called into them and darted out of sight. As he darted out of sight a bullet whined through the doorway; Bart did not stop but kept moving, to get far enough away so that he did not become a target. He stopped at a safe distance and took up what he thought was a good vantage point to watch from.

  ‘If Duncan misses you will be shot.’ Small Elk warned from behind.

  Bart knew he was right and changed position, he moved to where he would be unlucky to be shot. He could not thank Small Elk as he was already gone.

  The two men walked outside.

  ‘Do I call Shadrack, Blue and the others?’ The older man asked.

  ‘Hell there is only one of them.’ The younger man scoffed.

  ‘But it is Duncan Lee.’ The bartender warned from the door way.

  ‘Shadrack, Blue, Cotton and Smiley come a running we have a lawman to kill.’ The older man called loud enough for them to hear.

  They stood waiting in front of the saloon for and answer but none came.

  ‘Where the hell are they? Cotton put your manhood away and get out here.’ The older man shouted.

  A window opened and a girl’s head appeared. ‘He says he’s too busy to come, I’m sorry he just can’t get enough of me.’ She called over and slammed the window again.

  ‘Come on we can take him.’ The younger man urged and started up the street toward the approaching Duncan.

  The older man started to follow. ‘I am going to kick their asses when we have killed us a marshal,’ he complained.

  They started toward Duncan who slowed his pace to let them be silhouetted by the lights behind; they walked merely to get in range. Either side Crazy Dog, Small Elk and Bart moved to be able to take a hand in the proceedings. Duncan prepared for the immanent showdown by turning slightly to give himself a slight edge. Before they were in proper range both men drew and moved apart firing as they did so. A bullet plucked at Duncan’s sleeve, another one flew past his ear. Duncan drew his pistol, aimed, with both hands holding the pistol and shot the younger man; he turned the gun toward the other man as a bullet from the older man’s pistol nicked his ear and shot him. With both men down he kept the pistol out and approached them. The younger man was still alive but unable to lift his weapon and Duncan pointed the pistol at his head.

  ‘You wouldn’t shoot and injured man.’ The younger man begged.

  ‘Well the friend of the sheriff part of me wants to shoot you dead but the marshal part of me wants to see you hang.’

  The Marshal part prevailed and he holstered his pistol. Bart appeared from the shadows to help.

  ‘Take him to the jail and lock him up.’ Duncan ordered.

  ‘What about him?’ Bart asked. ‘He is still breathing as well.’

  ‘Oh yes we’ll hang him if he stays alive long enough when is the circuit judge due in town.’

  ‘Tomorrow, he’ll be in tomorrow.’ Bart answered. ‘A god job they are out of the way or they would have had fun with him, if they found out who he was.’

  ‘Not a good idea, with the likes of these men.’ Duncan replied.

  Crazy Dog and Small Elk appeared and picked up the older man and Duncan and Bart did the same w
ith the younger man and they were both locked in the jail. The doctor had his hands full keeping the sheriff alive. That meant it would be some time before he would be looking in on the prisoners but no one cared. If they lived long enough they would hang, if not they would just be buried. With the villains locked up and the rest dead Duncan went to find out how the sheriff was getting on. The doctor walked out of the room the sheriff was in as Duncan walked into the cat house.

  ‘How is he Doc?’ Molly asked.

  ‘Alive Molly you can tell it wasn’t Duncan Lee who shot him.’ He answered looking straight at Duncan.

  ‘Funny you should say that doc there are two bad guys locked up in the jail who could do with patching up so’s we can hang them.’ Duncan declared.

  ‘Be a while before I get to them.’ The doctor replied.

  ‘They’ll wait, is he up to visitors?’

  ‘Not yet, let the girls mother him for a few days. Until then you look like you are the law in town.’

  ‘Looks that way; I’ll send a telegram about these six and see what is going on.’ Duncan replied.

  ‘They’ll have to fix the telegraph and find someone to work it, they shot Luke.’

  ‘We’ll get by Doc.’

  Duncan spent the next day walking about town to show people the law was there and the killers were no longer in charge. The telegraph poles which had been pulled over were stood upright again and the wires reconnected, so that they could send telegraphs to find out about these men. Duncan sent telegraphs, asking for information from Marshal Taylor about the six men. The judge arrived on the stage and set up court in the saloon which closed for the time the court was open. The two men were still alive and they were tried, with a queue of townsfolk willing to testify against them, not willing to stand against them while they took over the town but willing to hang them now they were subdued. The judge kept order and the trial moved to its only possible outcome. The judge sentenced the two men to hang, preferably before they died of their wounds. The hangings were set for the following morning and Duncan made the preparations. New gallows were erected in the middle of town, especially to hang them but they had to draw straws to choose the man who pulled the lever, as a lot of the townsfolk wanted to do it, including several women. In the end the judge mounted the steps and prepared to pull the lever but they had to wait for the sheriff to be carried out on a stretcher so that he could see them hang.