THE BOUNTY: Twentieth in a Series of Jess Williams Westerns (A Jess Williams Western Book 20)

by Robert J. Thomas

  “That’s Rubin all right,” she said nervously. “I think they aim to kill him to keep him quiet.”

  “What was your first clue?” he asked smartly. She shot him a harsh look.

  Jess put the spyglass away and chambered a round into his Sharps buffalo rifle and raised the sights up. He picked up some sand and threw it down off the hillside to see which way the wind was blowing. He figured the distance to be about three hundred yards, but he also had gravity on his side. He put Gilpin in his sights and waited.

  ***

  Back down at the shallow grave, Rubin had worked up a heavy sweat digging in the heat of the afternoon sun. Gilpin figured the hole was about three feet deep and he finally looked at Lauter, who threw the cigarette on the ground and crushed it out with his boot. Lefty pulled his .44 Navy Colt out of its holster.

  “Alright, that’s deep enough,” said Gilpin threateningly. Rubin threw the shovel on the ground and sighed.

  “Now stand at this end of the hole so you fall in just right,” demanded Gilpin.

  “A man shouldn’t have to go out like this,” complained Rubin, fear washing over his face.

  “Well, take your complaint to the devil when you see him,” suggested Gilpin as he raised up his .44 and began to thumb the hammer back when a loud thunderous noise came from the top of the ridge and dirt kicked up at Gilpin’s feet, throwing some sand in his eyes.

  “What the hell…” exclaimed Gilpin. Lauter pulled one of his Colts out and was looking up at the top of the ridge. Jess had already chambered another shell into his buffalo rifle and was aiming at Gilpin again.

  “Who’s up there!” hollered Lauter.

  “It’s Jess Williams, and if you try to kill Rubin, I’ll plug both your sorry asses and you know I can do it with this buffalo rifle!” Jess hollered back.

  “Son-of-a-bitch!” hollered Gilpin, still trying to rub the sand out of his eyes.

  “I thought you weren’t hunting the woman!” Lauter hollered at Jess.

  “I don’t have to, she’s right here with me!” Jess hollered back. Gilpin glared at his partner.

  “I knew that sumbitch had the woman all along,” snapped Gilpin angrily.

  “Well, if you’ve got the woman, take her to Mercer and collect the twenty-five thousand dollars!” hollered Gilpin. “Leave us alone so we can finally make some damn money!”

  “I need Rubin Fisher alive so he can tell Walt Mercer what really happened!”

  “Walt Mercer don’t give a shit about what really happened!” growled Lauter.

  “I can see that!”

  “So now what?” barked Gilpin.

  “You boys unbuckle those gun belts and let them drop to the ground!” Gilpin looked at Lauter and frowned.

  “We’d better do as he says,” groused Gilpin. “He’s pretty damn good with that long gun of his.” Gilpin holstered his .44 and unbuckled his gun belt and let it fall to the ground and Lauter did the same.

  “Now take ten steps away from those guns!” Jess hollered down. “Rubin, get Lauter’s sawed off and keep them covered, but don’t shoot them unless you have to!”

  “Alright!” hollered Rubin as he walked over and pulled Lauter’s sawed out from the short sheath tied to the back of Lauter’s saddle and pointed it straight at the two men.

  “Maybe we should start digging a second grave,” snapped Rubin defiantly. Jess turned to Jane and handed her one of his cut-down shotguns.

  “Take this and go down there while I keep them covered from up here,” he told her. “Stay back at least ten feet from those two.” She took the cut-down shotgun from him and walked down to the horses and she climbed up on Sharps and rode down and around the hill. When Lauter and Gilpin saw her, they both lowered their heads and frowned.

  “Twenty-five thousand dollars right there in front of us and we can’t collect one damn red cent of it,” groused Gilpin.

  Jane dismounted and held the short shotgun in her right hand and she stood about ten feet from the two men. Rubin was still pointing the sawed off at them. He glanced over at Jane with a sympathetic look.

  “I’m really sorry, Ms. Lacey,” offered Rubin. “I had to run and you can see why now.”

  “Oh shut the hell up Rubin,” she barked angrily. “You should have stopped Jethro in the first place.”

  “I suppose so, looking back on it now, but I was afraid of Jethro,” complained Rubin. “He was always threatening to cut me with that damn boot knife he kept.”

  “Why don’t the two of you shut the hell up,” complained Lauter.

  “You shut the hell up,” Rubin barked angrily.

  The four of them heard the beating of hoofs pounding the ground and Lauter and Gilpin turned around to see Jess riding straight toward them. He reined up and slid down from the saddle and slid his large bore shotgun out and walked over to Jane. He looked at Rubin first.

  “Rubin, hand that sawed off to Jane,” ordered Jess. Jane walked over to Rubin and took the gun away from him. Jess scowled at Lauter and Gilpin, who were both glaring back at Jess.

  “You just cost us ten thousand dollars,” griped Gilpin.

  “That’s what Mercer was paying you two to kill Rubin there?” asked Jess.

  “That’s right, five thousand apiece,” complained Lauter.

  “Well, I’m taking Rubin back to talk to Walt Mercer.”

  “Walt Mercer don’t give two shits about what Rubin has to say,” carped Gilpin. “Did you miss the part about him paying the two of us ten thousand dollars to keep him quiet?”

  “No, I didn’t miss it, I just don’t care about it,” Jess said bluntly.

  “So what are you gonna do now, shoot the both of us?” protested Lauter. Jess looked at the shallow grave and then back to the two of them.

  “Well, it seems we have two choices,” offered Jess smiling.

  “Okay, I’ll bite,” grumbled Gilpin. “What are they?”

  “First, we can work together and take Jane and Rubin back to Defiance to talk with Mercer and I’ll make sure you get your five thousand dollars each, even if I have to pay it out of my own pocket,” explained Jess. Gilpin and Lauter exchanged glances with one another.

  “So, what is the second choice?” asked Lauter. Jess walked over and hooked his left toe under the little shovel and kicked it toward the two of them. The shovel landed in front of Gilpin and Jess cocked his head a little and grinned an evil grin.

  “You can start digging another grave,” implied Jess.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “You’re gonna pay each of us five thousand dollars?” asked a skeptical Gilpin.

  “I give you my word on it,” Jess said bluntly. Gilpin looked at Lauter and shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

  “I guess it don’t matter who pays us, so long as we get paid,” suggested Gilpin to his partner. “And his word is good enough for me.”

  “Alright, I’m in, too,” agreed Lauter.

  “I’ll give you my word on one more thing,” Jess said promisingly.

  “And what is that?” asked Gilpin in a cynical tone.

  “Either of you two pull anything along the way, and I give you my solemn oath to hunt you down and kill the both of you and it won’t be a quick death either,” warned Jess.

  “Hey, what about the fact that they were gonna kill me and bury me in this damn grave,” complained Rubin angrily.

  “Don’t take it personal, Rubin,” replied Gilpin sarcastically. “It was just business.”

  “Business my ass,” muttered Rubin.

  “Alright, you two put your guns back on and don’t forget the warning I gave you because you’re not going to get another one,” Jess said scathingly.

  The five of them left the still open and empty shallow grave, Lauter and Gilpin in the lead at Jess’ insistence, followed by Rubin, Jane and Jess. Jane rode up next to Jess.

  “Do you think we can trust those two bounty hunters?” asked Jane apprehensively.

  “I never trust anyone fully, but they
want the ten thousand dollars pretty badly, so I think they’ll go along for the money,” answered Jess.

  “What about Rubin?” she asked. He gave her a comforting smile.

  “Hell, he ain’t going anywhere,” claimed Jess. “He knows if he does, I’ll let Lauter and Gilpin finish what they started back there.”

  The five of them rode until the fiery orb was making its way downward to the western side, coloring the clouds a reddish-orange hue. Jess finally pointed to a small stand of oak trees.

  “I say we camp inside those trees over there,” suggested Jess.

  “Looks like as good a spot as any,” agreed Gilpin. The five of them rode inside the trees until they came to a small clearing. Lauter took care of the horses while Jane and Rubin gathered up firewood. Jess walked into the woods with his Winchester and shot two big jackrabbits. When he came back to the camp, the fire was going and Jane was getting ready to do the cooking. Gilpin was sitting on his ass, watching Jane closely and Jess could tell she was somewhat uncomfortable about it. Jess gave Gilpin a harsh look.

  “Don’t even think about it,” warned Jess. Gilpin shot him a look.

  “Maybe that should be up to the woman,” argued Gilpin. Jane glared at Gilpin.

  “You’d have to kill me first,” snapped Jane angrily.

  “That could be arranged,” snarled Gilpin mockingly.

  Jess dropped the two rabbits and moved his rifle to his left hand and deftly slipped his hammer strap off. He walked around in front of Gilpin and looked him straight in the eyes. Then, in one quick blurring movement, he slicked his pistol out and shot Gilpin in his left foot. The slug traveled clean through just above his toes and buried itself in the dirt.

  Gilpin screamed loudly and Lauter turned around and started to reach for his Colt out of pure reflex, but the look on Jess’ face made him think twice and he relaxed a little. Gilpin kept screaming from the pain and cursing something that no one understood and Jess took his rifle and flipped it around in his left hand and whacked him on the head with the butt of it, knocking him out cold. Everyone was dumbfounded and speechless. Jess glared at Lauter.

  “I said I wasn’t going to warn you two again and I meant it,” said Jess matter-of-factly. “Now, if you’ve got a problem with it, grab one of those smoke wagons you’re wearing and let’s dance with the devil right now.” The look of resolve in Jess’ eyes unnerved Lauter completely. It was a look he’d only seen once before in his life, and he knew what it meant; keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told.

  “You’ll have no problem with me,” offered Lauter cautiously.

  “Good, now go and skin these rabbits for supper,” ordered Jess. Lauter walked over and picked up the two rabbits and headed for the small creek they had crossed outside the wooded area. Jess looked at Jane, who was still holding a skillet in her hands; her mouth slack-jawed as she looked at Lefty Gilpin lying flat on the ground, blood covering his boot now. Rubin was smiling a surprised smile.

  “Serves him right,” claimed Rubin. “That other one shot my uncle in the foot this morning.”

  By the time Lauter got back with the rabbits, Gilpin was beginning to come around. He finally opened his eyes and was looking up at the treetops. He blinked a few times and then the pain in his left foot hit him again and he started moaning. He sat up and looked at the hole in his boot where the slug had traveled straight through his foot.

  “You shot me you son-of-a-bitch!” hollered Gilpin. Jess looked at him and slipped his hammer strap off again and smiled.

  “You start screaming again and the next one will be right between your eyes,” threatened Jess. “I warned you both already.”

  “But you shot me!” hollered Gilpin again. “You just can’t go around shootin’ someone just for looking at a woman!”

  “And yet, there you are with a hole in your foot,” examined Jess.

  “Well, this ain’t the end of this, oh no, and you’re gonna buy me a new pair of boots, too!” exclaimed Gilpin, taking his left boot off to examine the hole. “This ain’t right you doing this to me damn it!”

  Lauter walked over behind Gilpin, pulled one of his Colts out and cracked Gilpin on his head. Gilpin’s eyes rolled up into the back of his head again and he fell backward out cold for a second time. Lauter holstered his Colt and looked at Jess.

  “That outta shut him up for a while,” exclaimed Lauter, going back to cutting the rabbits up into pieces for the skillet. Rubin sat there smiling again.

  The four of them were eating rabbit and beans with salt pork when Gilpin started to come around for the second time. He moved his hands up to his head and mumbled something unintelligible. He finally sat up slowly and looked at the four of them eating.

  “Well ain’t that just peachy,” quipped Gilpin. “I get shot and the four of you are eating like nothing even happened. And you just left me here on the ground like a cow chip.” Lauter looked at his partner and swallowed his rabbit.

  “Lefty, if you don’t shut that yap of yours, I swear, I’ll knock you out again.” Gilpin gave his partner an indignant look.

  “It was you what cracked me on the head the second time?” he asked incredulously.

  “Yep, and I’ll do it again if I have to,” implied Lauter. “I ain’t losing my five thousand dollars because you can’t keep that pecker of yours locked down.”

  “I thought we was friends,” complained Gilpin.

  “We are, but like you said earlier, this is just business,” groused Lauter. Rubin started laughing softly to himself. Gilpin glared at him.

  “What’s so damn funny, Rubin?” Rubin swallowed the rabbit he was chewing on.

  “Your first name is Lefty?” Rubin asked chuckling.

  “That’s right,” snarled Gilpin. “I got that nickname ‘cause I’m left-handed.” Rubin laughed some more and even Lauter and Jess started smiling. Gilpin gave them all a look on indignation.

  “Why do you all think that’s so damn funny?” barked Gilpin.

  “You really don’t see it?” laughed Rubin.

  “I see a damn hole in my foot, that’s what I see,” snapped Gilpin. Rubin pointed to Gilpin’s left foot and laughed some more.

  “Well, now they have another reason for calling you Lefty,” exclaimed Rubin. Gilpin looked at the hole in his left foot and glowered.

  “Oh, you think that’s funny?” carped Gilpin. “I’ll come over there and…,” Gilpin didn’t finish what he was about to say because Jess pulled his pistol out and cocked it again. Gilpin put his two hands up in the air a little.

  “Alright, I get it,” said Gilpin. “Now is there any rabbit left?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  After supper, Lauter helped Gilpin clean and wrap up the bullet wound in his left foot. It had swollen up too much to put his boot back on though, so he put two socks on. Rubin and Jane walked out to the little creek and cleaned up all the pans. Jane eyed Rubin warily for a while.

  “So, back at my place, the day that Jethro raped me, you didn’t…,” she couldn’t force herself to finish the question. Rubin gave her a strange look.

  “No, I didn’t,” replied Rubin. “I’ll be honest with you. I kind of wanted to at first, but when Jethro was done; I didn’t like the idea anymore. You know, it’s one thing to think about doing something and quite another to actually go through with it.”

  “Do you think Jethro would have killed me if I hadn’t of stabbed him with that pitchfork first?” she asked him nervously.

  “He would’ve done it for sure,” implied Rubin. “His father would’ve written him out of his will and banished him if he really found out he raped a woman. Walt Mercer is a mean ruthless and shrewd businessman, but he doesn’t cotton to things like raping or even hitting a woman. I think that’s why he sent those two back there to get rid of me. He doesn’t really want to believe that his son could’ve done such a thing. I know you can never forgive me, but I truly am sorry for what happened.” Jane finished and stood up and looked at Rubin.

>   “You’re right about never forgiving you, Rubin, but at least we can move on and hopefully Walt Mercer will listen to what you have to say.”

  “Well, I’ll tell it to him straight; but after that, I’m taking the train out east and disappearing forever.”

  “Might not be a bad idea.”

  The two of them walked back to the camp and Gilpin was finishing up the last piece of rabbit. They all got their bedrolls out and Jess, Rubin and Lauter took turns at watch, leaving Gilpin to rest up for the night due to his unforeseen collision with a bullet.

  In the morning, Jess already had a pot of Arbuckle’s coffee brewing and Gilpin got up and used his rifle as a crutch to help himself walk behind a tree to relieve himself. He stepped on a rock with his left foot and let out a howl of pain and cursed. When he finished, he limped back to the camp and sat down on a log looking at his bandaged left foot. He muttered something to himself again, but only he could hear it. After they ate and broke camp, the five of them rode out of the wooded area. Jess looked around a little and then observed Gilpin’s bloody bandaged foot.

  “Well, Kendall is a half-day’s ride from here,” suggested Jess. “I guess we might want to let Gilpin get his foot looked at and bandaged up proper before infection sets in.” Gilpin forced a pained smile at Jess.

  “Ain’t that reeeeal nice of you, since you’re the one who shot me,” complained Gilpin.

  “Don’t start your bitchin’ again,” warned Lauter.

  “That’s easy for you to say,” snapped Gilpin. “You ain’t the one what got shot.” Jess just shook his head and waved them on and Lauter and Gilpin took the lead again. They rode for four hours and got to within two miles of Kendall when Jess reined up his horse.

  “Lauter, you and Lefty go into town and see the doctor,” suggested Jess, as he rode up next to Lauter and handed him a piece of paper with a list of supplies and a twenty dollar gold piece. “That should cover the doctor’s fees and the supplies.”

  “You ain’t coming with us?” asked Lauter.