by Dani Larsen
Jude had left the Hempe Ranch about a month before the Hempes moved to Walla Walla. It was late July when he headed for the town south of La Grande. Jude had been to Baker City a few times, so he knew there was a small hotel there that was pretty cheap. Not the one where Anna and George had stayed for their honeymoon, which was too expensive, but the one where those who couldn't afford that one stayed. I did hate that George Hempe, he thought, and that bitchy wife of his. I am so glad they moved away. Jude slowly walked his horse down the dusty main street of town. It was a warm day and dust devils were swirling in between the stores. He loosened his kerchief as he tied his horse up in front of the hotel. When he asked about a job at the hotel, and told them he had prior experience in Idaho, the man behind the desk hired him immediately. The man said he would get his room free if it worked out, and Jude agreed to stay for at least two months. He was to start work at the desk the next day. After he checked in, he took his horse to the stable to be fed and made arrangements for him to stay there while he was in town. He thought he might be there for a while if his search was productive.
The saloon down the street was similar to Anton's place in La Grande. The place smelled of beer, sweat, and dust. When he sat down at the bar, the smell of cooking chili came from a room behind the bar. He was surprised to see a woman come out of that room and ask him what he wanted to drink. It was rare to see a woman bartender.
"Howdy, ma'am, do you own this place?"
"No, I just work here, mister. Are you new in town?"
"Yes, ma'am, just came in from the east. I was traveling the country for a while. I thought I'd spend a little time in Baker City."
"Welcome, mister. We got a nice little town here. I think you'll like it. Anything else I can get you? Something to eat, maybe? My cook just made a big pot of chili, and some biscuits just went in the oven."
"That sounds good. I don't mind if I do, ma'am."
She drew his beer from the tap, and then went in the back room. The smell of baking bread hit his senses, and his stomach began churning as the enticing aromas swirled around the saloon. The woman returned a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of chili, some freshly buttered biscuits in a tin with a jar of jam, and set them in front of him. She added a knife and spoon next to the bowl.
"There you go, cowboy. Enjoy!"
"Thank you, ma'am. I didn't realize how hungry I was. When you get a minute I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind?"
"You can ask, don't know if I'll know the answer, but you can ask. Give me a few minutes to take care of a couple of things."
He took a big swig of his beer. It tasted sour but he was parched from the long ride, and it quenched his thirst. Then he slathered some jam on the largest biscuit and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. He was surprised at how good it was. The chili was even better; hot and spicy, just the way he liked it. He didn't realize how hungry he was. He had eaten most of the chili and all the biscuits, by the time the woman came back.
"This is mighty good, ma'am."
"Thank you, cowboy. It is my father's recipe, and we are kind of known for that chili. We make a big pot every day and never have any left."
"I can see why. Do you have time for my questions, now?"
"Sure, I have a few minutes before the lunch crowd arrives."
"An old cowboy that I ran into told me there used to be a sheriff here who probably knew my father. I haven't seen the man for a long time. He deserted my ma and me when we were kids. Just thought he might know where my pa is. I don't think the man is the sheriff anymore though. That same fella told me that he was quite a drinker now, and that was what cost him his job. Do you know who he is talking about?"
"Sure do, he comes in here every day. He ought to show his face anytime. The man does odd jobs for people around town to make enough money to drink every day, and then he comes in here, or one of the other saloons, and gets drunker than a skunk."
"What happened to him to turn him into a drunk, ma'am, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I don't mind at all. But I can only tell you what I heard. I wasn't around then, well I was, but I was just a little girl. My pa owns this place, and he told me what happened."
"I'd sure like to hear that story, ma'am. I'm a writer, and I collect stories that I might be able to write about."
"Well, this is the way I heard it, not sure how much is the truth. There was this man named Bane, and he had a gang of thugs that hung out with him. He terrorized Baker City and the surrounding area for quite some time. There was this family that lived outside of town in Pleasant Valley, and he had it in for that woman all the time he was here. He also hated the Chinese people that had settled in this area."
"I can understand that because I don't like them slant eyes either." When he saw the look on her face he knew he had said the wrong thing. "But they have never bothered me any, I guess I shouldn't have said that because I've never really known any Chinese."
"All the Chinese in this town have never bothered anyone. They just mind their own business. One owns a good laundry in town, and a couple others have a great restaurant down the street. Anyway, this guy, Bane, hated them, and he harassed them constantly. This lady in Pleasant Valley was good friends with one of them. His name was Ah Kim. No one knew that he had a mine, or that he and his relatives were working the mine and it was producing a lot of gold. Bane seemed to know about the mine though, but he couldn't find it. Everyone said the sheriff was afraid of Bane and that is why he got away with all the stuff he did. The sheriff didn't lift a finger to help the Chinese when Bane treated them badly. Then one day, Bane found the mine and the Chinese were inside, working it. He tortured and murdered them all. I heard it was a real terrible thing. The torture was so bad that Ah Kim finally talked to save one of the other men from more pain. After he talked, Bane killed him. Bane was trying to get the deed to the land the mine was on. Before he died, the Chinaman told him that his friend, Mary, had the title to the land. Bane went to the ranch and kidnapped their little girl, who was four at the time. I'm not really sure what all happened after that, except it happened at the top of Lookout Mountain, and Bane was killed and she got her little girl back. But when the sheriff saw what that man had done to the Chinese, he felt real bad and thought that none of it would have happened if he would have arrested the man for his earlier crimes. That is all I know about it. I guess he just suffers from guilt and tries to drink away the memories. Oh, here he comes now."
Jude turned around to see a shabby looking man enter the saloon and walk up to the bar. He had a full beard that looked like it hadn't been trimmed for years, and his unkempt hair was dirty and greasy and hung down his back. His clothes were soiled and grimy, and he smelled like garbage. His hands were shaking as he came up to the bar and put a dollar on the counter. The woman poured him a double shot of whiskey and set it in front of him. He took his change, without saying a word and took the drink over to a table in the corner. Jude noticed his face was red and his eyes were bloodshot as he passed by.
Jude said, "Thank you, ma'am. That was a very interesting story! I guess I better go talk to him, before he gets drunk and can't remember anything." He finished his chili and ordered another double shot of whiskey and took it over to the man's table and put it in front of him.
"Howdy, Sheriff!"
"I am not the sheriff, mister."
"But you were once, weren't you? That is mighty impressive, sir."
"It would be, if I was still the sheriff. It isn't now."
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to offend you."
"No offense. But you might want to take the drink back, since you thought you were buying it for the sheriff."
"Oh no, that was for you sir. I heard you were the famous man who brought in the Bane gang. Am I wrong?"
"Well, I arrested what was left of them, after what happened up on Lookout Mountain. Why? What do you know about it?"
"I don't know anything, Sheriff. I just heard you were the hero that stopped
that gang."
The man snorted and drank the rest of the double he had in front of him. Then he grabbed the shot that Jude had bought and dragged it over in front of him and held it with both hands.
"I wasn't the hero at all. Mrs. Troy was the one who shot the bastard, while he was trying to kill her husband. The man had stolen their little girl and took her up to the top of the mountain. He was planning on killing them all to get the deed to the land he'd been after for years. I never saw anything so awful as what was left of those poor Chinese fellers after he got a hold of them, before he went after the Troys."
Jude's ears perked up quick when the man said Troy. It couldn't be, could it?
"Are you talking about the Troys that own a ranch out of Pleasant Valley?"
"Yes, sir, same ones. Nice people, and very brave. I should have helped them out earlier." He picked up the second shot and downed it with one drink.
"Would you like another drink, Sheriff?"
"Sure would, if you are buying."
"I sure am."
Jude motioned to the bartender to bring the man another drink. After it was delivered, Jude took a hold of the drink and held it in his hand, swirling the liquor around in the shot glass in front of the man's face. The old sheriff licked his lips as he longed for the amber liquid.
"That little girl that was kidnapped, do you remember her name?"
"Sure do. Cute as a button that one was. Anna Troy. She got married here in town a few years back at St. Francis Cathedral. I heard she has a passel of kids now."
"Do tell!" Jude started grinning. How could he be so lucky?
"Sheriff, what happened to the rest of the gang? And what happened to the men who got shot, you know their horses, and saddles and such?"
"Well, the four guys who I arrested all went to prison for murder, because they helped him torture and kill those Chinamen. They were tried and convicted and sent to the Oregon State Prison in Salem. I hope they are still there. They should have got hanging for what they did. Don't know how that little girl came out of it as good as she did, or her ma."
"So what happened to the horses and bags? Did they have the gold they stole on them?"
"That was the funny thing. We never did find any gold. I imagine they buried it somewhere. Never could get the gang to talk. They said Bane hadn't divvied it up yet, so he probably buried it and no one will ever find it."
"Did you go through their saddlebags?"
"Well, of course I did. There weren't nothing in them.
"The guys who went to prison got their horses and saddle bags taken over by the lawyers that defended them to pay for their services. I had to sell the horses and saddles of the guys who died and send that money to their families. That took a while to find those people. But Bane, he didn't have any family. He was from England, I think, somewhere over there, so I gave his horse and saddle to Mary. After all, she earned it. That was a beautiful saddle too. Don't know where he got it, but it had his initials embroidered on it in silver. It was a real show piece. Was tempted to keep it myself, but just couldn't do it. If I'd killed him myself, I would have, but it just didn't feel right, when Mary was the one who got rid of him."
"That is a very interesting story, Sheriff. Sounds like exciting times."
The man looked at him like he was crazy. "Are you going to give me that drink, or sit there and play with it for a while longer?"
"Here you go, Sheriff. It's all yours. Thanks very much. Now let's just keep this conversation between us, okay? Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes, I do. Why? Did I tell you something important to you?"
"No. It is just a good story. I'm a writer, sir. I'm looking for some stories to write about. Just don't want you telling others so they can write about it before me."
"Oh, now I get why you were asking. I thought maybe you were looking for that gold."
"No, no, that is the farthest thing from my mind. Thanks for your time."
Jude got up and went back to the bar to pay for his lunch. The woman behind the bar was washing down the top of the bar.
"How much do I owe you for lunch?"
"It'll be seventy five cents with the bread, cowboy. Did he know anything about your father?"
Jude pulled out a dollar and put it on the bar and thought about his answer a minute before speaking.
"No, he didn't seem to remember him. All he talks about is that thing that happened on Lookout Mountain."
"Yeah, the sheriff really seems to have lost it. He often just sits there talking to himself. I don't think he's long for this world. He makes some of the cowboys who come in here real mad. I'm afraid that one of these days they are going to get sick of having him around."
"Do you think someone would hurt him?"
"Wouldn't surprise me, I've seen some of them boot him right out the door, just because he irritates them."
When she gave him his change, he looked at her and thought again that she was a very pretty woman with a busty figure. He was interested for a minute and almost made an off-hand remark. Then he thought about it and realized he might be here for a few days, and he didn't want her to remember him in case that Pinkerton guy showed up. He took his change, thanked her, and went back to his hotel to contemplate his next move.
It made him mad that Anna's mother had been the one to shoot his father, although he thought it was funny that Anna had been kidnapped by him. No wonder she was so afraid of me when I was holding the baby. I wonder if I look like him. Then he remembered her kid saying something about a saddle that day when he had helped them move and had dinner at the Troy Ranch. Anna's sister had interrupted him and shut that kid up real fast. Was that my father's saddle? How can I go up there and find out without anyone recognizing me?
Since he had just agreed to work at the hotel for two months, he decided to stick around and see what he could find out from others in town about the Troys, and the incident that happened on Lookout Mountain. He would carry a notebook and pretend he was a writer, even though his education wasn't that great. His math was good though, as he had learned about money when he had worked at the hotel in Idaho, and Frank had taught him a lot about buying and selling stock and crops, measures, etc. He decided Jude Miller was a good name for a writer, as he had heard that they often used a different name. He had checked into the hotel as J. Burden.
After spending two months in Baker City, not finding out a lot more about the Troys, he decided it was time to head over to Salem. He wanted to visit the gang who lived through that ordeal, to see what he could find out, but he hadn't got their names. He thought he better have another talk with that sheriff. Maybe he can find him on the street so he doesn't draw attention to himself. He had seen the man around town several times and knew that he remembered him.
He gave his notice at the hotel, telling his boss that he had just received a letter saying that his mother was sick and he needed to go and see her before she died. Late that night, he went looking for the sheriff. He walked by the saloon to see if the old man was at his favorite table. Seeing that he wasn't there, he started walking around town looking for him. He found him about half an hour later in an alley behind a restaurant. The smell of rotting garbage overwhelmed him, but he needed to talk to the man, so he started breathing through his mouth, trying to limit the smells from going up his nose.
"What are you looking for, old man?"
The man was startled and fell on his rear end on the hard dirt. He had been facing the back door of the restaurant and didn't hear Jude walk up. As the man stood up, the back door opened and a Chinese man held a full plate of food in his hand.
"Here is dinner for you, Meester Sheriff."
"Thank you, Charlie. Your kindness is much appreciated."
"No problem. We have plenty tonight." The Chinese man looked at Jude as if questioning why he was there, and then he closed the door.
The old sheriff looked at Jude and started eating his food with the chopsticks the man had provided. "I thought I answered all of your
questions a long time ago."
"Yes, you did, but I was kind of interested in your story for my book, and I thought I might go and talk to those fellers who were arrested and sent to prison, but I realized I didn't know their names. Do you remember their names?"
"I sure do. I'll never forget those guys. Billy Hansen and Tom Bender were the two who were caught up by the mountain. The other two were Sam McLoughlin and Phil Johnson. They were all really bad guys. They might want to tell you their stories, if they are still there. Billy Hansen and Sam McLoughlin were young guys at the time. The other two were older, so I don't know if they would still be around. Good luck, mister."
Jude just turned around and left the man sitting on a crate, hungrily shoveling food in his mouth with the two wooden sticks.
The next day; he checked out, carried his gear to the stable, got his horse, and was going to head to Salem, when he saw a couple of wagons being loaded with goods. He decided to find out where the wagons were headed to see if he could tag along.
"Howdy, mister, my name is Jude. Where are you heading with all those supplies, if you don't mind me asking?"
The man looked at him, as if to make sure he didn't have some evil plans in mind for his supplies.
"I'm heading to a couple of towns to deliver these supplies to the stores there before winter sets in. Why do you want to know, sir?"
"I was hoping you might need some help, seeing as how there are two wagons and only two of you. If not, at least I thought I might be able to ride along if you are heading over the Cascade Mountain Military Road. I'm heading toward Salem, and don't want to get stuck on the road somewhere by myself, if a storm comes up."