Revenge Requires Two Graves

by George Emery Townsend

  Chapter 42

  The Confrontation

  The marshal stepped out of his office to greet them. “Oh thank heaven you found her,” he said as he walked toward the horses at a fast pace.

  “Mildred, you gave me such a scare. Who did this to you, did they... Mildred? Mildred? Mildred? God no...she’s been shot!” cried the marshal as he reached up and pulled her from Ray’s back, easing her down into his arms.

  “She’s been shot! We need to get her up to the docs,” cried Larry.

  The marshal was already heading across the roadway carrying Mildred with the three of them directly behind him, hollering for the doctor to open up the door.

  The doctor’s door swung open. “Who the hell would shoot a good woman like Mildred Cooper?” asked the doctor as he cleared his examination table so the marshal could lay her down.

  “Now, everyone out! Out!” ordered the doctor as he pushed each of them out of the door and started to close it behind him.

  “But I want to stay here with my ma?” declared Ray.

  “There’s nothin’ you can do right now. Better off getting the hell out of the way,” finished the doctor.

  Ray turned from the door and walked over to Horse. He threw a leg over the saddle and pointed Horse in the direction of the stable.

  The liveryman was throwing hay into a stall when he walked in. “Any horse come in here in the past half hour? One that looked like it had been ridden hard?” Ray inquired, pointing at a black quarter horse over in the corner.

  "Why, yes sir, that black over there came in here like its tail was on fire.”

  “Who was riding it?”

  “Well, it was that new young lady in town. The one everyone is talking about. She lives over to the hotel or at least she did. I hear she bought the Satinga Ranch and was moving out there tomorrow. So I figure she must be...” the liveryman stopped talking when he saw Ray was no longer there.

  Ray trotted Horse over the hitching rail of the Bella Union. After tying Horse off he stepped up onto the boardwalk and walked easy across the lobby floor. A few hotel guests took note of the determined walk of the lone cowboy as he headed for the desk.

  He rang the bell and then rang it again. Ray then picked the bell up and threw it into the back room where the clerk lived.

  “Yes sir, yes sir, how can I help you,” said the clerk, trying to calm Ray. Seeing his eyes, and the fury behind them, he quietly waited for Ray to speak.

  “What room is Miss Foster in?” Ray asked calmly.

  “Sir, I can’t...” the clerk was about to follow his own rules until he saw the look that passed across Ray’s face. “Room 300 sir, you can’t miss it.”

  Ray turned from the desk; he was not in a hurry to do what he had to do. With each step he thought about his family and the mill back in Wisconsin. The evil that had come from this woman had to be stopped. No one else could be hurt at the hands of this beast. Reaching the third floor Ray walked up to the outside of Foster’s door, pausing for a moment.

  “Who’s there?” Samantha could hear the determined steps coming toward her room. “Who’s there?” she demanded again.

  Ray stepped to the front of the door, raised his foot and kicked in the door. It swung wide knocking a pitcher from the stand. Samantha stood on the other side of the room with a small derringer in her hand. She was still dressed in men’s pants and shirt and covered with trail dust. Streaks of sweat were running down her temples.

  “Looks like you’ve been out riding, Samantha,” Ray said calmly as he continued to step toward her.

  “Well. Yes I was. I went for a little ride north of town. Stop! Don’t come any closer,” demanded Samantha, with a touch of fear in her voice, a sound that Ray had never heard from her before.

  “My Ma was shot tonight Samantha. By a no good back shooter,” Ray stepped closer.

  Suddenly a shot fired. The tiny bullet entered low on his right side. Ray continued toward her.

  Samantha began to shake, “I told you I’d shoot. Now stop or I’ll kill you!” cried Samantha.

  “Just like you tried to kill my Ma, tonight?”

  Again another shot fired. This one burned a hole into Ray’s chest and just missing his lung.

  Samantha dropped the empty derringer and grabbed for the rifle propped up against the dresser. Ray moved quicker and grabbed the rifle before she could. He held the weapon in his hand, smelling the chamber, “this rifle’s been shot recently. Is this what you used on Ma tonight?”

  “I didn’t shoot at your mother. Even if you could prove I did, no one would believe you. This town loves me and they love my money. They won’t let anything happen to me. Now get out!” shouted Samantha as she tried to regain her composure.

  “So, you’re sayin’ you did shoot at Ma tonight,” Ray said as he reached down and placed his hand on the butt of his .44.

  Samantha’s eyes darted from his face to his gun and back again. Always accustomed to being in charge she made one last effort. “Listen. Okay, I didn’t do it. But if I did, remember that you killed my Pa, so let’s call it even. You walk out of here and I won’t have you arrested for breaking in here tonight. I promise.”

  The door opened ever so slowly and in stepped the marshal with a gun in his hand. “Miss Foster, you and I need to talk.”

  “No marshal, she’s mine,” Ray said as he started toward her, grabbing the pain in his chest. Apparently the two bullet holes had been draining blood quite profusely. The room spun a few times right before Ray went over. Lying on the floor, unconscious, Samantha moved up over him and smiled, “Marshal, I’m not pressing any charges against this man. Please get him out of my room; he’s bleeding all over my carpet.”

  Larry and John both came rushing into the room after hearing the gunshots.

  “Hold up boys,” said the marshal as he stretched out his arms to catch the two headstrong boys. “Pick him up and get him over to the doc’s office.”

  “Marshal, ain’t you gonna arrest her?” asked Larry.

  “There’s nothing to arrest her for. Ray was pushing it and she shot him in self defense.”

  “Fine. If no one is getting arrested then the three of you get out and take your friend with you. NOW!” demanded Samantha.

  John started toward her. “You damn bitch, I ought to...”

  “John, don’t make me have to arrest you, she’d love that,” ordered the marshal.

  Carrying his arms and legs, John and Larry hustled Ray across the plaza and into the already busy doctor’s office.

  “What the hell is this?” cried the doctor. “Marshal, you need to enforce that gun law before everyone is in here with a bullet hole.”

  “Very funny Doc. Just get the lead out of him and leave the law to me. If I’ve learned anything over my years as a lawman, it’s that you’ll never disarm the outlaws. So, don’t take the guns away from the lawful.”

  “How bad is he Doc?” asked John, watching the doc check Ray’s wounds.

  “He’s lost some blood. It looks as though the bullets went clean through. Hopefully once I get these holes plugged and stitched, he should be all right. Now get out of here and let me do my job.”

  “How’s Mildred?” asked the marshal.

  “She’ll be fine. I got the bullet out and she’s on the mend. Come back in the morning. She maybe awake by then. Now get out!”

  “All right, all right Doc. We’re going,” said the marshal as he escorted Larry and John out of the door and onto the street.

  “You boys gonna be staying in town?” asked the marshal.

  “No,” said John, “We sent our partners on out to the ranch and we need to meet up with them and let them know what’s happened. We’ll be ridin’ back into town later tomorrow ‘cause Coop has a girlfriend staying in town that would kill us if we didn’t tell her he’s here.”

  “All right, but ride carefully, boys. We don’t know who did the shooting tonight and if there’re any others out there waitin’ for you…” cauti
oned the marshal.

  “Thanks for the warning Marshal,” said John as he and Larry swung into their saddles and rode out of town.

  -CKS-

  After several hours of riding west of town Larry and John crested a hill that looked down on their future. In the full moon light, they could see a large single story ranch house set up under several large old oak trees on the north end of the property. About a hundred yards to the left of the big house was another single story house that was about two-thirds the size of the first. Smoke was rising out of its chimney.

  “Looks like Richard and Laurie have taken up housekeepin’ in the house half way up that rise,” smiled Larry.

  “It sure does. Well can you blame them? It’s been a long trip in that damn wagon. Come on. Let’s get down there and check in,” said John.

  John and Larry rode up to the main gate and announced their arrival.

  “Come on in boys. We’ve been waitin’ for you,” called Richard as he stepped out of the large two-story barn on the right side of the main yard.

  “What the hell you doing in the barn Richard? Did Laurie already throw you out?” laughed Larry.

  “No. She decided that I’d stay out in the barn ‘til we’re properly hitched. But that wasn’t the main reason. When we rode in there wasn’t a soul on the property and from what I’ve been able to figure there ain’t no stock around either. I figured I better stay ready in case someone comes a callin’.”

  “Good idea, Richard,” said John. “Guess we’ll have to do some ridin’ in the morning to see where the stock is.”

  “Where’s Ray and his Ma? Laurie and I wanted to meet her,” asked Richard as Laurie came bouncing down the gradual rise from her house.

  “Where’s Ray and Mrs. Cooper?” echoed Laurie.

  “He was about to tell me Laurie. Come on over,” called Richard.

  “It’s a long story. Is there any hot coffee?” requested John.

  “Sure. Come on up to the house and I’ll put some on,” instructed Laurie as she headed out ahead to get the fire hot.

  “This is a really nice house Richard,” said Larry as he made himself comfortable at the kitchen table.

  “Well, we decided to settle in here until we all can sit down and decide where everyone wants to live. I was afraid we were gonna be spendin’ the rest of the summer buildin’ a house or two. Fortunately there are enough houses for each of us.”

  “As far as I’m concerned this house is perfect for you and Laurie,” said John, “Larry and I can move into the two story houses across the yard and Coop and Morgan should have the big house because that’s the way I see it. If it wasn’t for him, there’d be no ranch for any of us.”

  They were in agreement as Laurie brought cups and the coffee pot to the table. As each began to fix their cup of coffee, John laid out the events of the evening.

  “Well, that’s the whole story,” finished John. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going home to catch some shut eye before the sun comes up. I figure we’ll get the lay of the land in the mornin’ and then ride back into town to see Morgan and check on Coop and his Ma.”

  Walking out into the center of the ranch Larry and John stopped and looked at the two houses ready to be occupied. They were nicer houses than either had ever lived in. With the excitement of two small, giggly, boys, Larry and John tossed a coin to decide which house they would take; since they were almost identical it didn’t really matter. The two story structures, more towers than houses, rose on each side of the main gate, giving them a great field of fire at the ranch’s entrance.

  And with that the first night of many nights sitting around the table drinking coffee on the new ranch came to an end.