by Ralph Hayes
He patted the animal’s muzzle. ‘You’ll be just fine. We’ll both be just fine. Let’s get back to Cimarron.’
CHAPTER NINE
With his shot left shoulder, it was almost impossible to get Guthrie’s body aboard his mount, but finally Sumner got it done. It was almost dusk when he arrived back in town with Guthrie’s mount behind him, and Guthrie’s body slung over its saddle. He reined in at the local marshal’s office and awkwardly dismounted, then went inside.
City Marshal Wylie was just returning from a back room. He looked Sumner over in astonishment. ‘What the hell happened to you, mister?’
Blood had caked onto Sumner’s shirt and vest, and he was obviously in pain. ‘I got into a little gunplay out in the buttes. I’m on my way to your town doctor. But I have a corpse outside for you.’
The marshal frowned. ‘Are you Sumner?’
‘That’s right. And that’s Maynard Guthrie out there on his mount. I just finished doing your job for you. You did know he was wanted by the federal authorities, didn’t you? And you knew he was here in Cimarron.’
A dark look. ‘So what?’
‘Ordinarily that would create some activity on the part of the local law.’
‘You trying to tell me my business, Sumner?’
‘No. I couldn’t care less. But I know there’s $2,000 on him, and I’m putting in my claim for it. You got an affidavit there somewhere?’
The marshal reluctantly accommodated him in the next few minutes, and the business was transacted. Again, Sumner had the sum sent to his Las Animas bank. He was hoping he would have appropriate use for it when he returned to Texas.
When they were finished, the marshal turned to him. ‘That will go off today, Sumner. Now I suggest you get that shoulder looked at.’
‘That’s my next stop,’ Sumner told him.
‘And do me a small favor when you ride out of here.’
Sumner met his eye.
‘Don’t come back.’
Sumner smiled slightly. ‘I’ve always heard of Cimarron’s hospitality.’
He left Guthrie with the marshal, and an hour later he had had a heavy bandage applied to the shoulder and a small one on the arm. There was still an old one on his side. The doctor put a sling on the shoulder and sent him away.
Outside on the street, Sumner felt that relief he had experienced after the Pritchard confrontation, only more profoundly. The dark view he had had of the world had been replaced with something quite different. And a lot of the new feeling centered around his memory of Jane Madison, Corey’s lovely sister back in Texas. He was a man of property now, richer than he had ever expected to be. If his ideas about Jane came to fruition, they would use that money to build up the Madison farm into something special. It would finally give him a purpose in life that did not involve the use of his gun. That would be something completely new to him, something he had never had.
He would be able to put the Peacemaker away, and give up gun fighting forever.
He stayed in Cimarron that night, trying to keep off his shoulder. The doctor had given him laudanum, but it wore off and he had to swig some more just to get through the night.
But by morning the pain was subsiding.
When he checked out, the hotel clerk came around the counter and proffered his hand to Sumner, and Sumner took it.
‘I wanted to thank you, Sumner.’
He was the same clerk who had given Sumner trouble on his arrival in town. ‘What’s that all about?’ Sumner asked.
‘I just found out who you was going after. That lousy bastard accosted my daughter. You done this town a big favor, Sumner. Especially since our law here won’t take any notice.’
‘I appreciate the comments.’
‘We all know who you are now,’ the clerk continued. ‘And we’re proud to have had you here for a while. People in Cimarron will be talking about this for the rest of their lives.’
‘Well. If you’ll excuse me,’ Sumner said.
‘You come back any time,’ the fellow insisted. ‘Just any time.’
‘I’ll remember that.’
Sumner was experiencing something else new, too. He was finding out what it was like to own celebrity. He didn’t like it.
It was a long way from Cimarron back to Blaneyville, Texas. Sumner took his time, cutting riding days short because of his shoulder. At the first town in Texas he found another doctor, who advised him the wound was healing well, with minimal seepage into the double bandage in front and back. Two smaller bandages were applied, and a fresh one along his ribcage. The one on his upper arm was removed, and the shoulder sling was reapplied. He was told he should wear it for at least another week.
Sumner rested up at that town, staying several days and getting extra sleep. When he finally moved on, he had a three days’ ride ahead of him, and the nights were spent in hardship camp on a bedroll, and eating from tins.
At midday on the third day, and almost two weeks out of Cimarron, Sumner rode onto the Madison farm.
Sumner had removed the sling now, and the pain from the shoulder was less every day. As he sat his mount staring at the Madison house, he was wearing just the vest over his shirt, and the Peacemaker on his hip. He removed the dark Stetson and wiped at his brow. The place looked exactly as it had when he had left it those many months ago. He rode on up to the house, tethered the stallion, and walked up onto the porch.
‘Jane!’ he called out.
There was no response. ‘Jane! It’s Sumner!’
In another long moment Jane appeared behind the screen door, wiping her hands on an apron. Her jaw dropped slightly. ‘My God!’
Sumner smiled. She looked beautiful to him. Just like in the many dreams and fantasies he had had about her in recent weeks.
‘I’m back,’ he said, tentatively.
She came out onto the porch, and threw her arms around him. They didn’t speak for a long time. Sumner simply enjoyed the feeling of her against him. When she looked up into his eyes, she was crying.
‘I thought you were dead,’ she blurted out. He made a face when he moved the left arm. ‘Are you hurt?’
‘Not badly,’ he said. ‘The doctors say I won’t even know it happened in another few weeks.’
She kept an arm around him. ‘Come on inside.’ She glanced over toward her bean field for a moment, then led him inside.
When they got into the parlor, Sumner took her into his arms again, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. ‘I just had to do that. You’ve been in my head for quite a while, Jane. You have no idea how I’ve looked forward to this day.’
Jane smiled a lovely smile. ‘I know. Sit down, Wesley. May I call you that?’
‘You can call me anything you want.’ He grinned.
So they seated themselves facing each other, Jane was staring at the different look of him. She was on her sofa, and he on an overstuffed chair.
‘I barely recognized you. You’re more – mature looking. This may sound silly. But maybe a little – dangerous.’
He laughed. ‘Oh, that’s just the clothes. And the Peacemaker. I’ll look a lot different when I get farm work clothes on. I’ll look more like the Sumner that rode out of here a hundred years ago.’
Now Jane was shaking her pretty head. ‘I thought you were dead. I gave up on you.’
He smiled. ‘Don’t think about any of that now. I have plans for us, Jane. I have some money now. You and I can turn this farm into a showplace. Together. Do you know what I’m saying?’
Jane met his gaze with her beautiful eyes, and for the first time he saw something rather sad in them. ‘I waited for you. I waited nearly eight months. You never showed up.’
Sumner frowned. ‘What are you saying, Jane? You knew what I had to do. For Corey. And I figured for you.’
‘And I told you I didn’t want you to go,’ she said. ‘But you did what you thought you had to do. And eventually I did what I figured was best for me.’
Sumner frowned. ‘I don’t know
what you’re saying, Jane.’
Before she could reply, there was a voice calling out to her from the porch outside. ‘Janie, I got that bean row weeded! I’ll be in directly!’ He looked at Sumner. ‘It’s Hank Seger, Wesley. You met him on your trip back here.’
Sumner nodded, and understanding was coming to him. ‘Yes.’
She called back to Seger. ‘Come on in, Hank! We have a visitor!’ Then she caught Sumner’s eye again. ‘We’ve been married almost six months.’
Sumner’s face fell into straight lines as she watched soberly. Before either of them could speak again, Seger strode into the room looking sweaty and big. Sumner rose from his chair.
‘You remember Wesley Sumner, don’t you, Hank?’ Sumner heard her saying, as if her voice were coming from a great distance. ‘You met him when he told us about Corey.’
‘Oh, Sumner!’ Seger yelled at him. ‘Pleasured to see you again! What are you doing back here?’
Sumner thought a moment. ‘Oh, I just stopped by to see how the farm was going,’ he lied. ‘It looks like you have it well under control out there.’
Jane was studying Sumner’s face through that. ‘Hank loves farming,’ she interposed. ‘And he’s good at it.’
‘I got a good girl with me, and that’s for sure,’ Seger belted out. ‘Say, I hope you’re staying the night at least, Sumner. Janie here makes the best rump steak in five counties!’
Sumner took a deep breath in. ‘No, I can’t. I have some business to take care of that won’t wait.’ He paused again. ‘Actually, I wanted to congratulate you both on your marriage, and to make you a small present.’
Seger gave Jane a curious look. ‘Why, that ain’t necessary.’
Sumner pulled out an unused check book on his account in Las Animas, and quickly wrote a check out on a small table. He handed it to Jane.
‘This might help you get some things you need around here. I think Corey would have wanted it.’
Jane looked at the check, and then at Sumner. ‘This is too much.’
‘Take it as a wish for your great success. In business and marriage,’ he said quietly.
Jane’s eyes were tearing up. ‘I wish you’d stay tonight.’
‘I don’t think I could do that,’ Sumner said to her. ‘I think you’ll understand.’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I do.’
It was only five minutes later when Sumner was gone.
He had absolutely no idea where he was going, or what he was going to do. Today or later.
He rode off toward Blaneyville. The place where Corey had had that saloon brawl that landed him behind bars with Sumner and mixed their lives all up together. There was an emptiness in his gut now, where the hope had been for him and Jane. He felt a sense of loneliness, a feeling of drifting in empty space alone.
He hardly knew it when he entered Blaneyville. He reined in at the saloon where Corey had had his brawl, and tethered the stallion outside. When he climbed the steps up to the entrance, he saw a wanted dodger tacked to the wall beside the swinging doors. He sighed, and went over to it and read it.
WANTED FOR MURDER
BILLY DEL RIO a.k.a. THE BRAZOS KID. Murdered entire family in Fort Griffin for jewlery and cash. Also wanted in Cochise County, New Mexico for robbery and rape. Armed and considered very dangerous. Last seen in vicinity of Apache Junction.
REWARD FOR CAPTURE
$5,000
DEAD OR ALIVE
By order of the Governor.
Sumner stood there for a long moment, not moving. Then he tore the poster off the wall, folded it, and stuffed it into a pocket.
He had found a future for himself after all.
And it was something he was well equipped for. In a way, it defined who he was. Who he had become.
He went into the saloon for a much-needed drink.
In the next few years, Sumner would become so good at his trade that outlaws and lawmen alike began calling him ‘Certainty’ Sumner. Because he always brought his man in, and because his man had always breathed his last.
That was the way Sumner liked it best.