by Alan Black
Grace said, “I think the question of whether you hold them or not is up to the judge, not you.”
Rawlins laughed. “She has you there, Sheriff.”
The man nodded. He pointed at one of the men. “Who is that?”
Grace said, “That is Thomas Ransom Braunawall, alias Trance.” She pulled a sheaf of papers from the stack. “These are the statements of witnesses and affidavits of evidence on his murdering of Clayton Grissom and Fletcher Hoffman, his attempted murder of Art Hazkit, his felonious jail break, and attempted bank robbery.”
Grace and LillieBeth had argued about listing the various rapes Trance was known to have committed. Grace won out with the argument that they could not hang him more than once for two murders. The rape would only embarrass the women further.
The sheriff said, “Who hit him?”
Grace said, “I did-”
“I hit him first,” LillieBeth interrupted, “when he was trying to rob the bank.”
Grace said, “Yes, but I hit him harder.”
LillieBeth snorted, “Sure, but I shot his ear off first.”
The sheriff waved his hands, “Stop. That’s enough. What about this man?” He pointed at Zeke.
Grace handed him another stack of documents. “That is Ezekiel Braunawall.”
The sheriff said, “Is he related to this other fellow?”
“Uncle. I arrested him for felony jail break and helping Trance murder Sheriff Grissom, as well as attempted arson of the sheriff’s office in Oasis.”
LillieBeth said, “And the dress shop.”
The sheriff said, “He tried to burn down the dress shop?”
Grace said, “Not really, it was just next to the sheriff’s office and it caught fire too.”
The sheriff said, “Is that all? You didn’t arrest him for spitting on the sidewalk.”
Grace said, “I didn’t witness him spitting, but there are some other smaller charges in there.” She tapped the stack of papers. “It’s all in there.”
The sheriff said, “And this other fellow? I assume there is a reason for the gag in his mouth.”
LillieBeth said, “His language was something awful and not fit for young ears like mine.”
Grace handed the sheriff the last part of the papers. “He is Abraham Braunawall.”
“Brother?”
Grace said, “No, he is Trance’s cousin and Zeke’s son. We arrested him for felony jailbreak, helping murder Sheriff Grissom and for the torture and lynching of Odie Washington of Oasis.”
The sheriff looked surprised. “I hadn’t heard that Odie had been lynched. He was a good hand with horses; traded me for a good one a while back. I’m not sure how far the judge will go with that, but I’ll pass it on to him.”
Rawlins said, “The judge is a fair man. He’ll do right.”
The sheriff said, “So that’s it? Did you bring in all of the Braunawalls?”
LillieBeth said, “No sir, we tried to bring in Daniel and Isaac, but they died first. They were-”
“No!” the sheriff interrupted waving his hands in surrender. “I don’t want to know.”
Grace pulled a key from a hidden compartment under the wagon’s front seat. “This is the key to their manacles and chains. Can you manage them from here or do you need help getting them to their cells?”
The sheriff snorted. “You already did the hard work. I can call in a deputy of my own if I can’t manage from here.”
Grace nodded, “Thank you. I do have business with the county clerk.”
The sheriff shook his head, “Maybe I should warn him first that you’re coming to ruin his day.”
SUNDAY – BEFORE SERVICES
Grace felt rested and refreshed, more so than at any time since Clayton had been killed. She slept late after arriving home well after dark from Galena and from dropping LillieBeth at her home. She had eaten a good breakfast and taken a thorough wash.
She went to the barn to saddle one of her horses for the ride to church, but Delilah was already saddled and waiting for her. There wasn’t anyone in sight and she knew that she had not saddled her horse. Solomon, David, and Jezebel had been brushed down and let out into the near paddock. She knew she had not done that.
She looked around. The firewood around the side of the house was cut and stacked. That was a never-ending job, but it was done. The broken hinge on the barn’s backdoor was reset and screwed in tight. It was a job Clayton never seemed to find time to get done.
She grabbed her bible and rode past the cabin Reverend James was staying in. She hardly recognized the place. It no longer looked like a small cabin in the woods, but more like a fit home for an ordained preacher.
Grace sat high in Delilah’s saddle as she rode into the churchyard. The first person she saw in the churchyard was LillieBeth riding in on Fletch. The horse flowed across the knob at a ground-eating pace. LillieBeth reined her horse straight for her. Even though the young woman sat astride a huge stallion, she sat like a lady with her hair up in her Sunday best.
“Art and Clare coming?” Grace asked. The two women rode side by side to a shady area and dismounted tying their horses to posts sunk there for just that purpose. Grace managed to turn Delilah so the huge horse was between her and the church, so if an ankle were to show, Delilah’s bulk would block the view.
“Of course, they would not miss church anymore than they would skip a meal if they could avoid it. Fletch and I rode ahead since he has not developed the habit of walking as slow as our mule team.”
Grace laughed, “Fletch or you?”
LillieBeth laughed with her. “It is maybe a little bit of both of us.” She reached deep into her pocket and pulled out her deputy badge. She handed it to Grace. “I do not think I am going to need this for a while.”
Grace nodded, but she waved the badge off, pushing it back into LillieBeth’s hand. She was not sure she wanted to be sheriff, but she had asked for the job and now she would have to try. It would be a comfort to her to know she could call on her young friend if she ever needed help again.
Grace saw LillieBeth’s young man hurrying over to them.
LillieBeth said, “Grace Grissom, do you remember Roy Turner? Roy, this is Mrs. Grissom.”
Roy smiled. “Of course, I remember. LillieBeth I wanted to talk to you about what you’ve been doing. It’s just too dangerous. I can’t have my girlfriend running all over the county shooting at-”
“What do you mean your girlfriend?” LillieBeth interrupted. “Who said I was going to be your-”
Grace walked away, letting the youngsters argue behind her. She grinned. She and Clayton used to fight like that all of the time. Their arguments continued well after their marriage and many times ran well into the night. She and Clayton both enjoyed a good scrap. She was pretty sure LillieBeth liked a good argument as much as Roy Turner did. The making up was so much fun.
She was swamped with friends hugging her, offering prayers and giving her God’s blessings. She spotted Joe Carver standing off by himself. She was surprised, as last Sunday the man had offered to help with Reverend James cabin, but then his plan was to go home.
She walked up to the man. “Mr. Carver. I’m surprised to see you here again.”
The man said, “We couldn’t quite go home with all the rain and such. I hope you won’t take offence but the boys and me stayed in your barn. We didn’t hurt or take nothing and we did a few chores around the place.”
Grace said, “You saddled my horse this morning?”
Carver shook his head. “Not me, Mrs. Grissom. We lit out when you came back. We didn’t want to disturb you considering all you done for us and what we did to you. But George, well, he rode back this morning and saddled one of those grays for you.”
“Did you and your boys find work around here?”
Carver said, “No, ma’am. There doesn’t seem to be work much at all for one man, much less three of us.” He glanced around at his boys standing with the younger congregants. “We wanted t
o hear services first. Your Reverend James is a wonderment. But, after his words we’re going to head for home. My wife and daughter can go stay with her sister for a while. The boys and I are going to head up north to see if we can find work: Springfield, Kansas City, or maybe as far away as St. Louis. I don’t want to leave my women behind, but what else can we do?”
Grace said, “Well, Mr. Carver. I need help.”
“Yes’m, why that place is fine land. It would support us all, even though it’s getting late for some planting.”
Grace said, “How about one of your boys works my place with me? Just one.”
Carver said, “We already splitting up the family, Mrs. Grissom. I sure was hoping to keep the boys together.”
Grace said, “I need just one man to help me around my place, but I’m also a partner in the stable in town. I could use a man to help me there. And if you’re up for the job, I need another man to be a deputy sheriff in Oasis. You want to be a lawman?”
Carver looked shocked. “You can hire us all?”
Grace said, “We can try. I’m not sure how much I can pay, but I’m sure we can work something out. I’ll have to talk to the mayor about the deputy pay. I imagine I can get you around fifty dollars a month for full time if you don’t mind working for a woman boss.”
Carver said, “With that kind of money, I can bring my wife and daughter up here. I’ll tell my boys.” The man scurried off, grinning from ear to ear, obviously without a care about working for a woman.
Grace noticed a small rock garden at the corner of the church. It was centered on the chief cornerstone of the building. She felt a hand slide into hers. She looked down into Susanne Harbowe’s face.
Susanne said, “The school children wanted to set up a rock garden. Some wanted to do it because of Reverend James’ teaching last Sunday on God as our rock. I think some of the children just like the pretty rocks. But some folks have had heaviness on their hearts. They told me they put a rock in the little garden to help them symbolize giving the weight of their cares to The Heaviest Rock. They say they have felt God taking the weight off their shoulders.”
Grace shook her head. “I’m not sure why having something solid would give a person much help in seeing God’s deliverance in their life.”
“Joe Carver and his boys placed a rock in the garden this very morning. He told me it was for a prayer to God for keeping his family together.” The teacher smiled up at Grace. “I overheard your conversation with him. Strange who God uses to do His work, isn’t it?”
Grace said, “It’s just a coincidence. There isn’t any magic in rocks.”
Susanne said, “Of course there’s nothing special in the rocks. It just helps a person feel his relationship with God. It gives him or her a point to help focus their prayers and to symbolize lightening their load.”
Grace said, “Why would someone need help to see God or to get a weight off their shoulders?”
Susanne laughed, “Not everyone has strong shoulders like you and Clayton. Some of us need help from time to time. The rocks aren’t magic; they just help us with our prayers and supplications. Like the Howerbachs who put a rock in there together yesterday morning. They prayed for God to help Rail avoid certain temptations. And yesterday afternoon we heard Mrs. Samson decided to close her place, take all of her girls and move up to Kansas City, leaving Oasis for good.”
Grace pointed at LillieBeth with her chin. The young woman had knelt down and was placing an irregular chunk of rock in the garden.
Susanne said, “I recognize that rock.”
Grace nodded, “I’ve seen it a few times myself. It was her granite heart.”
THE END
Glossary (for books one through three)
Return to Table of Contents
AIRTIGHTS – tin cans of food or jars of homemade goods, such as preserves, vegetables and canned meats
BALD KNOBBER – northern sympathizers after the Civil War
BAZOO - mouth
CALIFORNIA PRAYER BOOK – deck of cards
CALIFORNIA WIDOW – a woman separated from her husband when he went west, but not divorced
CHIPPIE – woman of loose morals (see floozie)
COME CALLING – to court, to sit on the porch and get to know one another
COTTONWOOD BLOSSOMS – a man hung from a tree limb
CROSS GRAINED – rough and splintered
COURTING – to come calling with the intention of developing a marriage relationship
DEVIL’S BREW – alcohol (see moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
DOXOLOGY FACTORY - church
EQUALIZER - handgun
FILL A BLANKET – roll a handmade cigarette
FIRE FACTORY – hell, the underworld (see old scratch’s own lair)
FISH GEAR – rain coats and rain hats
FIVE BEANS IN THE WHEEL – five cartridges in a six shot revolver
FLOOZIE – woman of loose morals (see chippie)
FOO-FORAH – extravagant silliness
GIRLS OF THE LINE – prostitutes who work in a brothel (see painted lady, soiled doves)
GRAND HURRAH – hazing the new guy
GRASS WIDOW - divorcee
GREAT WAR TO END ALL WARS – World War I
HOBBLE YOUR LIP – shut your mouth
HOG LEG – large revolver
HOLLOW – a small shallow valley
HURRAH – a good natured brawl
IRONS - handguns
JUMPED THE BROOM – get married by holding hands and jumping over a broomstick
KIN – relative, either distant or close
KLAN – a group started as southern sympathizers after the Civil War protecting people from the carpetbagger’s excesses.
LEAD PUSHER – any gun
MOONSHINE – homemade corn whiskey (see devil’s brew, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
MUDSILL – uneducated low-life and a disreputable person
OLD SCRATCH – the devil
OLD SCRATCH’S OWN LAIR – hell, the underworld (see fire factory)
OUTHOUSE – a small building built over a deep hole in the ground used as a toilet
PAINTED LADY - prostitute (see girls of the line, soiled doves)
PIE EATER – uneducated country boy
PIE HOLE - mouth
PIECE OF CALICO – fancy girlfriend
POLECAT - skunk
POP SKULL – moonshine, whiskey (see devil’s brew, moonshine, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
POSSIBLES BAG – saddlebags
POX PASSER - penis
QUILTING BEE – a social gathering designed around the sewing and manufacturing of a quilt
RED DISTURBANCE – alcohol (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, scamper juice, scorpion juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
ROAD APPLES – horse manure
ROOSTERED – drunk and rowdy, strutting with self-importance
SCAMP – a worthless fellow
SCAMPER JUICE – alcohol (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scorpion juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
SCORPION JUICE – alcohol (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, shine, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
SCUT – someone who performs monotonous menial tasks
SHINE – moonshine (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, squeezin’s, who-hit-john)
SICK OF A MORNING - sick in the mornings
SOILED DOVES - prostitutes (see girls of the line, painted lady)
SPOONING – hugging and kissing
SQUEEZIN’S – corn liquor (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, shine, who-hit-john)
SUNRISE DOOR – eastern door
SUNSET DOOR – western door
THUNDER MUG – chamber pot, a container with a lid for using as a toilet in a bedchamber on cold or rainy nights
TIN – tin can
TRACE – not a regular road, but a path or track
UNION SUITS – long underwear
VICTUALS – food stuffs
WE’UNS – all of us together
WHEEL GUN - revolver
WHO-HIT-JOHN – moonshine, whiskey (see devil’s brew, moonshine, pop scull, red disturbance, scamper juice, scorpion juice, squeezins’, shine)
WIGGLE ON – hurry
Praise for other books by Alan Black
THE FRIENDSHIP STONES
(BOOK ONE OF AN OZARK MOUNTAIN SERIES)
A Heartwarming and Innocent Look at Life
Settle in and get ready to read a heartwarming coming of age story for a young and innocent young girl living in an isolated and poverty-stricken area of the Ozark Mountains in the 1920s. LillieBeth has only known the most basic and simple pleasures of life, food on the table, the love of family, and her unfailing belief in the teachings of God, her teacher and her Sunday Services. She is twelve years old, an age where she starts to notice boys, starts to fantasize of being married, but only in the most innocent of ways. She is still able to enjoy playing outdoors when there is time, but as her life progresses, her responsibilities grow and she becomes determined to do what God would want and share her time with those who are the least likely to have anyone to be their friend, because they need love the most.
LillieBeth attempts to befriend a bitter old soldier who trusts no one and makes no bones about not wanting her on his property. Determined, she returns over and over, in spite of a horrendous experience that could have ruined her, had she not been so emotionally strong. When her world comes crashing down and her family is forced to move out of their run down home, perhaps all of the good she has always tried to spread will come back to her through God’s mysterious ways.
The Friendship Stones by Alan Black is one of the most beautifully written tales I have ever read, part historical fiction, part inspirational reading, part coming of age, told through the mind and heart of a twelve-year-old girl, the innocence of youth and the times shines through like a glittering diamond. Alan Black took me to a time and place I have never been to and yet, I could see it plainly in my mind, the simple joys of life and giving and being happy with what one has, while struggling to survive. Let go of your mind’s control and you will experience the dusty roads, the rocky fields and poverty that is all these people have known. There is no fast action, no great adventure, no thunderous preaching, just a journey that can be savored and reveled in through the eyes and heart of young LillieBeth.