“I need to tell you something about your daddy,” Sam said. “I never knew him. I never even met him. But I can tell you something about him. He was a good man, who did the best he could for you and your mom. He built up this homestead of yours into something good and productive. Don’t you ever fault him for that. Don’t you ever turn your back on what he taught you.”
“But what’d he teach me? To just roll over and play dead?”
“I know he didn’t die a coward’s death. I know he faced King Petty’s gun as a man, with bravery and courage. That’s not something you get from a gun. As to what he taught you . . . son, you may not know that for many years. As you grow, you’ll remember some of the things he said and the way he lived, and you’ll use them. Then you’ll know.”
Sam let go of the boy. He looked up at Sam with a curious look.
“And how do you know so much about it?”
“I lost my own father, many years ago. I know he died as a brave man, because I saw him die. I could do nothing about it, because I made a promise to him . . . a promise that I am now keeping, and will keep until I die. Sometimes I wonder what I learned from him, since the life I’m now living is so much different than how I started out.”
“I don’t understand,” Tommy said.
“The point is you have to honor your father and his wishes . . . even as you follow your own path. And you need to remember there are all kinds of bravery and heroism, and none of them come from the barrel of a gun. Men like King Petty may get their way through force and mistake that for courage. Don’t you ever make that mistake.”
Tommy gulped. “All right. Sam. I’ll remember.”
“I also don’t want to hear any more bad talk about your daddy.”
“I’ll do what you say, Sam. But I will want to know . . . will you teach me to shoot?”
“We’ll talk to your mom about it.” From the house came Lilly’s voice, calling Sam and the boy to breakfast. “After breakfast.”
It was an informal meeting of the town council at Charlie Hacker’s restaurant because it was still not safe to do much with King Petty’s knowledge and approval. The group met early, before normal business hours, and hoped that nobody noticed the lights on earlier than usual.
“I’m willing to approach them with the offer,” Charlie said. “As long as they’re sticking around, they ought to have the power of the law on their side.”
“Sam or Matt?” Lester asked. Though he and Derrell weren’t actually citizens in the town of Snake Creek, they were considered friends of the blood brothers, so their opinions were valued.
“Either one would do.”
Henry Ponder spoke up. “I suggest approaching Matt. From what little I know, I suspect he would be the more likely to take the job. Sam seems to be taking a more personal interest in the situation.”
“Either way, we’re playing with fire just talking about this,” Charlie said. “If Petty found out, he might just shoot each of us for the fun of it. Or worse. Who knows what he might do if we actually fire Holt? And appoint Matt?”
“I think we’re all just about dead, anyway.” Ponder protested. “The longer Petty’s allowed free rein, the more harm he’s going to do. He’s killed lots of people in the past, but murdering Jack Brandom was just too much. Jack always minded his own business. He was a family man. He had no enemies that I know about. Think about it. If Petty can kill him in cold blood and get away with it, the rest of us could be next no matter what we do. Petty just keeps getting meaner, crazier, and getting more and more men working with him. If we don’t stop him now, there never will be any stopping him.”
The others nodded their heads in agreement.
Charlie took a deep breath and said, “So it’s decided. We’ll fire Holt and hire Matt. As soon as he agrees to take the job.”
“Now, the question is who has the guts to find Matt and offer him the job.”
“I’ll volunteer,” Derrell said. The others looked at him curiously. “I’ve seen Matt in action. Don’t forget my first introduction to him was fighting him! I have a lot of respect for him, but I’m not afraid of him. I’ll talk with him.”
“I’ll go along,” Lester said. “He’s already offered to help us get our cattle back. If we can talk him into pinning on a badge, maybe it’s increase the odds slightly in his favor.”
“Or make him a target, like the others before him,” Charlie said.
“Matt’s not like the others,” Ponder said. “He’s not likely to allow himself to get shot in the back or bought off. And I’d lay odds that not even King Petty can outdraw him. I can’t see Matt Bodine being buried in boot hill.”
“Derrell, you’re the man,” Ponder said. “We are authorizing you to offer the position of City Marshal to Matthew Bodine, effective immediately upon his acceptance. Once he takes office, we’ll not question his judgment or try to tell him how to do his job. We’ll give him free rein to do the job, no matter what it takes.”
Derrell stood, and put on his hat.
Charlie added, “And tell him if he takes the job, he can have as many meals here as he wants . . . on the house!”
Chapter Twelve
Matt held Lilly’s hand in his as he showed her how to hold the revolver. The experience was pleasant enough, for her hand was long, slender, very feminine. Matt, however, kept his mind on the business at hand.
“Don’t hold the gun so tightly,” Matt explained. “It’s not going to run away from you. And it’s not going to turn on you. Just relax a little. Hold it securely, not stiffly.”
“Like this?” Lilly asked, loosening her grip slightly.
“Yes. You’re a fast learner. Now, give it a shot.”
Lilly’s gun was an older model .38, but it would do the job at close range. Matt had cleaned it up and adjusted it for her. Now all she needed was a little more coaching and some practice. She fired at a tin can across the yard. The bullets kicked up puffs of dirt, but did not get anywhere near the can.
“You’re getting the idea. Now, when you shoot, you squeeze the trigger . . .”
Across the yard, Sam was working with Tommy. He was using his father’s old revolver and was enthusiastically shooting at another tin can. Though he had never worked with a gun before, he took to it naturally. Sam had only to show him a technique once for him to learn it and start to practice it.
The can was already riddled with bullet holes, and they had been working for only an hour.
“Very good,” Sam said as Tommy scored another hit. “But keep in mind that anybody attacking you will not be like a tin can. He won’t be standing still. And quite likely he’ll be trying to kill you. That’s a lot different. Don’t be getting any false courage because you’ve had some early success.”
“I understand, Sam.”
“Good. Let’s progress to a moving target.” Sam had a stack of cans at hand. He picked up one and threw it. “Take a shot, Tommy.”
The boy raised his gun and fired, missing the can by a good yard. He looked disappointed.
“What happened? I was doing so good!”
“Remember what I said about not getting too cocky? Take it a step at a time. In a situation like this, you need to kind of track the movement and anticipate where it will be by the time you shoot and the bullet arrives. Here, let me show you.”
Sam picked up a can and threw it into the air. He drew his Colt and fired three times, each time sending the can zigzagging in a different direction.
“Wow!”
“Show off,” Matt said.
“You made it look easy,” Tommy said.
“That was the result of years of work,” Sam said. “What you should have noticed was the way I directed my gun not at the can, but at where it would be . . .”
Across the yard, Lilly suddenly figured out what she was doing wrong. She fired three times, and her can went flying through the air with three neat holes in it. She screamed in delight, hugged Matt and then ran over and picked up her son and swung him aroun
d.
“Mom!” he said, but Lilly ignored him.
“This is wonderful,” Lilly said. “I can actually hit the target!”
“Doing better,” Matt agreed. “Wish there was time for more practice. That’s what’s needed now.”
“We’ll do what we can,” Lilly promised. “Can you show us some more?”
Sam pulled some more bullets from his bags and passed them out to the woman and boy, then watched as they carefully reloaded their weapons.
Derrell got worried when he heard the shots. He paused as he listened, trying to figure out where they were coming from. Derrell was guessing that since Matt and Sam were not in town, they were probably at Lilly’s since she seemed to be at the center of the current problems. Her place was in the general direction of where the shooting was taking place.
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Derrell said.
“I doubt that’s anything to worry about,” Lester said, stretching in the saddle to hear better. “There’s only two guns, and the shots are two steady. It doesn’t sound like a fight.”
“Maybe. But considering how dangerous Petty is, I don’t want to take any chances.”
“You’re right. Don’t go running blindly into the situation, son. Scout it out a little before you lose your temper. Getting yourself killed won’t do anybody any good. Especially the widow Brandom.”
Derrell started on again at a faster pace with Lester beside him.
“I can’t imagine Jack being dead,” Derrell said. “We were never friends or anything, but he was always around.”
“And always in your way when it came to Lilly,” Lester said. “I knew you were courting her for a while. You never told me what happened.”
“Not much to tell. I think the main problem was that I was out on the range a lot, looking after the cattle. Jack was closer to home, working for that little place of his. Guess Jack was more what she wanted. Or maybe he was just around more than me .”
“A lot has changed in the past few years,” Lester said. “Up until Petty stole the livestock, we had a pretty good operation started. We’re still not broke. And if Matt helps us get our cows back, you’ll be in good shape. Maybe you can be more what Lilly’s looking for now.”
Derrell shook his head. “It’ll take her a long time to get over Jack.”
“Maybe. But you’ve been waiting a long time for her. And there’ll be a time when she starts looking around again. Trust your old man. He’s seen it happen. You might consider following your heart—if that’s what you want—and kind of pave the way for the future.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“I wouldn’t think too long if I were you, I wouldn’t even consider trying to replace Jack. Lilly won’t be able to keep this place up on her own, and if there’s any spark left, you might be able to fan it into something hotter.”
When Lilly’s place came into view, Derrell recognized Matt, Sam, Lilly and Tommy in the front yard. Sam suddenly threw a tin can, drew his Colt, and fired several quick shots, sending the tin can zigzagging through the air.
“Looks like a little target practice,” Lester said. “It’s a good idea.”
Derrell’s heart sank a little when he saw how close Matt was standing to Lilly, helping her with the revolver. Maybe his father was right, and he’d have to start making his interest in the woman known soon. Or was he already too late?
Derrell called out, “Hello, at the house!”
The shooting stopped as the figures in the front yard turned to face them. Derrell watched Lilly closely. She took a half-step away from Matt. She smiled as she greeted the Browns. Derrell wondered if the smile was for him or was left over from Matt. He had never been very good around women and wasn’t sure what to think.
“Come on in!” Lilly said. “Matt and Sam are helping us learn how to protect ourselves a little better.”
“Couldn’t hurt,” Derrell agreed. “I’d hate to see either of you two hurt.”
“Watch this!” Tommy said, and peppered an already battered tin can with bullets. It bounced in the dirt as if it were alive.
Lester chuckled. “I think the boy’s a natural!”
“Don’t fill his head with ideas,” Lilly warned, though her face showed she was actually proud of her son.
Marshal Holt, Hardesty, and Cooper also heard the shooting in the distance. Holt stopped his horse and acted as if he were going to turn back to town.
“There’s been too many bullets flying to suit me,” Holt said. “Maybe we’ll make this visit another time.”
Cooper moved his horse to block the path.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “King wanted us to make this visit. We’ve already been on the receiving end of his craziness. I don’t intend to give him any other opportunities.”
Hardesty rubbed the sore spots on his body and groaned slightly. “Maybe you’d like to be the one to tell King we failed again. Not me.”
“I suppose not.” A few minutes later the Brandom homestead could be seen, and Holt moaned slightly at all the figures in the front yard. “Damn! They have an army down there! And Two-Wolves is among them. How could I ride into that bunch . . . it would be suicide.”
“Going back to King and telling him you failed might be slow torture and suicide,” Cooper reminded the marshal.
“Don’t worry,” Hardesty said. “Here’s the plan. Holt, you go on down there with your official badge and your official shovel and inform them the law requires their cooperation. Cooper and I will position ourselves so that when Two-Wolves and the others come up to stop you, we can open fire on them. This time we’ll succeed. It shouldn’t take more than a few well-placed bullets to even things up with those two.”
“One thing wrong with that plan,” Holt protested. “I’ll be out there in the open like a sitting duck. I’ll be the one risking my neck while you guys are up here, nice and hidden and out of the line of fire.”
Cooper shrugged. “One of the hazards of your job.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“So who asked you?” Hardesty pointed to the grave on the hill. “That’s where Brandom is buried. You go on down and we’ll get ourselves ready.”
Hold hitched up his pants as best he could while still sitting in the saddle and started down the hill toward the house.
Sam reloaded his gun and glanced up at the Browns. “What brings you out this way?”
“Wish we could say it was to cook up another batch of fish,” Lester joked. “But none of us have had much spare time recently!”
Sam laughed. “You could say that again!”
Derrell stepped down from his horse, approached Matt, and said, “Actually, we’re here representing the town of Snake Creek. Maybe you didn’t know it, but Charlie and Henry are members of the town council. They called a special meeting this morning.”
“I don’t think I like the sound of the,” Matt said.
“Just hear the man out,” Sam suggested.
“Anyway, the council decided to ask you to take the job of marshal,” Derrell continued. “Holt will be fired as soon as you say you’ll do it.”
“Sorry. Not interested.”
“Why not? We all need you. You’ve already indicated you’ll help in the fight against Petty. This will just give you the power of the law.”
“I’ve served as a Texas Ranger, along with a lot of other jobs. But to be honest, I don’t like working for others. The minute you accept somebody else’s money, you have to start following their way of doing things. I don’t like being penned in that way.”
“They told me that you would have free rein to do whatever you felt needed to be done. Nobody would interfere with you.”
“I won’t back away from the fight. But I’ll not accept your offer. You can tell the council thanks, but no thanks.”
“Charlie even said that if you take the job, you can have unlimited meals at his place . . . on the house!”
Sam laughed and said, “By golly, they mus
t be desperate, to make that offer after seeing the way he put the food away yesterday!”
“If I were convinced I would be more help as marshal than as a private citizen, I would take the job,” Matt said. “Especially considering Charlie’s generous offer! But I just don’t feel comfortable with it at this time.”
Derrell should his head. “Well, at least we tried.” He turned to Lilly. “Are you getting pretty good at this shooting, too?”
“Better than I expected.”
Derrell pulled his rifle. “How about if I show you a few tricks, as well?”
“That’s be just fine!” Lilly said.
Derrell approached the woman and placed her hands in the proper position. Matt noticed that Lilly gave Derrell a smile that had a sparkle in it that was missing when he had been helping her. He grinned at Sam and stepped out of the way.
“A better man than you?” Sam joked in a soft voice.
“A different kind of man. I wasn’t making a play for her, anyway. She wasn’t my type.”
“Right. She has a little too much class!”
Matt pretended to punch Sam on the shoulder, but stopped when he saw Marshal Holt come into sight near Jack’s grave on the hill.
“This is becoming a popular place,” Matt said. “Looks like we have another visitor.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I know I don’t like this,” Matt said, watching Holt ride over the hill near Jack Brandom’s grave.
“Holt by himself isn’t a problem,” Sam said, “but if he’s here, some of King’s other men probably aren’t too far behind.”
“Lilly doesn’t need this.”
“Can’t say I’m real enthused about it, myself.”
Matt looked over at Derrell and Lilly, who were still working with the rifle and talking among themselves. “We’ve got company,” Matt said. “We’re going up to check it out.”
Derrell took his rifle back from Lilly. “Remember what I showed you. I’m going with Matt and Sam. Dad will stay here with you and Tommy.”
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