“The rifle will even the odds.”
“I hope so unless they decide to set fire to the cabin to get us out.”
“I think that idiot Eli is too dumb to think of that, but I wouldn’t doubt Bert is capable of anything,” Henrietta said.
Both women startled at the sound of a man’s voice filtering into the cabin.
“You in the cabin. Come out with your hands up,” Tim shouted.
Molly grabbed the rifle and opened the shutter just far enough to push the end of the rifle through the opening.
She shouted back, “Get away. I have a rifle, and I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”
Tim answered, “Miss Molly is that you?”
Molly looked at Henrietta who walked up next to her. She whispered, “Why didn’t Eli and Bert just bust in the door?”
Henrietta shrugged.
“Who’s out there?” Molly shouted.
“Tim Carbore.” The answer confused her.
“Mr. Carbore? How do I know it’s you? What game are you playing, Bert or is it you, Eli?” Molly shouted training the rifle in the direction of the voice.
“Neither, it’s Tim from town. You know me, Miss Molly. First, how would I know it’s you in there and not Mrs. Morey. Second, I wish you’d drop into Underwood’s and play Buffalo Gals once more. It’s my favorite.”
Molly sighed and said to Henrietta. “It’s Tim. Neither Bert or Eli would know about my name or the song.”
“Still be careful,” Henrietta whispered back.
Molly nodded and called out, “Okay, I think it’s you, but I need to be sure. Can you step out so I can see you?”
Tim took a deep breath praying Molly was in there alone and stepped out into the moonlight.
Molly pulled the door open, “Mr. Carbore, I’m very happy to see you.” Henrietta stood behind her.
Tim hurried up to the door followed by Louis and Joseph. Molly smiled, “Mr. Masters and Joseph. All of you came to find us?”
“Of course,” Louis answered. “The sheriff, Giles, and Roy are after the men. We’re here to take you home. Widow Biggs, I’m glad to see you. Are you both all right?”
“Yes, just hungry and cold,” Henrietta explained.
Tim said, “We can get you back to town in the wagon. Are there any blankets inside to bundle up with? It’s getting colder.”
“Yes,” Molly said handing the rifle to Henrietta. “I’ll get them.” She turned and hurried back into the cabin. She put out the fire and gathered up the blankets. When she returned, Henrietta was sitting in the back of the wagon, and Joseph was harnessing his horse.
Molly settled herself next to Henrietta, and Joseph asked, “Are you both ready?”
They answered “yes” at the same time. They felt the wagon lurch and begin it’s ride home.
Louis suggested he remain behind to watch for the men if they return, but Tim insisted he’d stay. “I’ll ride down past the edge of the woods and watch the cabin. If they return, they may ride past since the wagon won’t be out front. I’ll do my best to either follow or get a good description. If the sheriff gets back before sunup, let him know where I am. I’ll wait for someone from town to ride out.”
Louis nodded, “Be careful.”
Henrietta said to Molly, “This certainly was an interesting but distressing day. All I wanted was a few new dresses. Now, I only hope Callahan’s is still open. I need something hot to eat and then sleep. Thank you for helping me. I am sure they would have killed me if not for you.” She reached for Molly’s hand and squeezed it.”
“I couldn’t let them hurt you. We were fortunate they didn’t know what Sarah looks like and I could fool them. Will you be all right going home alone tonight? You are welcome to stay with me.”
“Thank you, but I will be all right. I must apologize again for treating you the way I did. You are a kind soul, my dear,” Henrietta admitted.
Molly hugged her, and they snuggled together under the blanket to keep warm. The ride back to town was more comfortable but slower. Joseph didn’t take the chance he would drive the wagon off the track. Henrietta and Molly were both pleased when they saw the lights still on inside Callahan’s.
They heard the train whistle as the train headed out of town. Henrietta said, “We have an hour. Joseph, please take us to Callahan’s.”
Joseph stopped the wagon and helped the women out. They walked into Callahan’s and were immediately wrapped in the warm air like a new woolen mitten on a winter’s day and welcomed by a loud squeal from Nell. “You’re safe. You’re both safe. Cal come quickly, they’re here and safe.”
Cal hurried into the dining room when he heard his wife’s voice. “Let me get Sarah,” he said and disappeared back to the kitchen area.
A few moments later Sarah burst into the dining room.
“Molly, Mrs. Biggs, they found you. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? I’ve never been so happy to see you,” she wrapped her arms around both women. “Come and sit down. I can feel how cold you are.”
“No,” Molly insisted. “We’re both all right. We’re hungry and cold, but all right. They didn’t hurt us. Henrietta hurt Eli worse than they hurt us when she beat him with her parasol.”
Sarah asked, “Who’s Eli?”
Molly shrugged, “Not sure, but the two men called each other Eli and Bert. No last name. Eli said they’re brothers. They grabbed us and answered to someone they called ‘the boss’, but we never saw him. They left us alone to meet him and get the money. We got out of our bonds and started a fire in the small stove. We had some coffee, and I found a rifle. I was going to shoot them if they returned, but Mr. Carbore arrived first along with Mr. Masters and Joseph.”
Cal set cups and saucers on the table along with the teapot. “I still have beef stew and fresh bread left. Would you each like a bowl?”
“Yes, please,” Molly said, and Henrietta nodded.
Before Cal could return with their meals, Della and Rachel rushed in. “Oh,” Della exclaimed. “You were right, Rachel. They were in the back of Joseph’s wagon.”
Molly looked up, “How did you know we were here?”
Rachel said, “We’ve been watching out my front window. We saw Mr. Masters ride up to the livery, and when I stepped out onto my porch and looked down the street, I saw a wagon in front of Callahan’s. I knew God answered our prayers, and it was the two of you coming home.”
She plopped into a chair next to the table that Henrietta, Molly, Sarah, and Nell occupied.
“Are you all right? You weren’t hurt. Do you need Doc Winters?” Della asked her questions in one breath.
Molly smiled, “We’re all right, Della, please sit down. We’re going to have dinner and some tea. I think you could use a cup of tea also.”
“Yes, and something to eat. Rachel and I were too nervous to eat supper.”
Nell popped to her feet, “Two more bowls of stew coming up.” She passed Cal as he walked out with Molly and Henrietta’s supper.
He served their bowls and saw Nell return with two more. She placed them on the table and said, “Be right back with bread and butter or would you like jam?”
Rachel answered, “Butter will be good.” Della nodded already chewing her first bite of the hearty stew.
Everyone was eating, talking, and laughing when the door opened again, and Minnie Masters and Grace entered. “Oh thank the Lord,” Minnie gasped. “Louis said they found you. I had to see you were all right for myself.” She stood and fought back relieved tears.
Cal spoke, “Minnie, sit. Let me get you and Grace a cup of tea and a piece of pie.”
“Is everyone here now?” Nell laughed. “This is better than a party. Everyone was worried.”
“Oh, my,” Henrietta said. “What about Eloise? Did she hear about this?”
“Yes, she and Celia were in this afternoon looking for you. We told them,” Nell answered. “Celia said she would take Eloise to her home, and they would wait for news there. Someone needs to tell them.”<
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“Joseph said he would take me home when I’m ready,” Henrietta explained. “I’ll leave now. The stew was excellent, and I am getting tired.”
Cal instructed, “Mrs. Biggs, please stay at Celia’s with them tonight. We don’t know yet if they caught the men who abducted you. You will be safer with your friends.”
“I’ll do that, thank you. Thank all of you for everything.”
Molly rose and hurried to Henrietta’s side and hugged her new friend. “Be careful and get some rest. Do you want to take the rifle with you? I left it in the back of the wagon.” She winked at Henrietta.
“I might do that, I am a good shot, but I don’t know if Celia has a weapon at her home. I’m sure she does since her father enjoyed hunting, but I’ll take the rifle just the same.” She hugged Molly back and left.
At Cal’s insistence, Molly and Sarah would stay with him and Nell that night and Della would stay with Rachel and Pastor Reynold’s. He didn’t want any of the women to be alone. Everyone agreed, and Rachel and Della left with Minnie and Grace. At the mercantile, Louis walked with Della and Rachel until they reached Rachel’s home.
Louis agreed with Cal. “Until those men are caught, please don’t stay alone or walk around alone. As safe as this town is, all it takes are a few lowlifes to bring danger into town. Who knows what they might do if they don’t get their money or realize the women are gone. Until they are caught, please be extra cautious.”
Rachel and Della promised and as soon as Louis saw they were safely inside, he walked back home.
Chapter 16
Eli and Bert rode to a stand of trees about halfway between the cabin and the falls.
“We’ll camp here and head for the money just before sunup,” Bert said.
“Why don’t we get it now and head out of here,” Eli asked tying his horse to the nearby tree.
“We have our orders. The note told the lawyer to leave the money before sunup. We can’t go too early, or they might see us,” Bert explained while he started a small fire.
“Won’t they see a fire?” Eli questioned. “They’ll find us.”
“Will you lay back and sleep a bit. You’re going to shoot yourself if you don’t relax. The boss has everything worked out,” Bert insisted.
Eli sat on a broken log near the fire warming his hands while waiting for the coffee. He poured a cup, drank it, and said, “I can’t wait until morning. What if the women got away? What if someone found them? Before I go after that money, I have to know they’re still there.”
Bert did his best to argue with him, but Eli wouldn’t listen and rode off back toward the cabin. A little over an hour later he returned and shouted, “They aren’t there. Someone must have found them. The wagon’s gone, and the stove was still warm. I saw wagon tracks leading back to town and a lot of hoof prints. They’ll be waiting at the falls and kill us. Let’s get out of here.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Bert growled. “The lawyer is not going to tell anyone about this. He knows we’ll kill his lady now or later if he does. The boss said he’d make sure no one would come after us.”
Eli countered, “Listen, Bert, we have enough money to buy us a spread now. We can do without the extra cattle that money will give us. Let’s get out of here.”
“No.”
“I’m going. I’ll wait for you for two days where we planned. If you’re not there by then, I’m taking the money and heading for Colorado. I’ll buy a ranch. When you get out of prison, look for me because they’ll get you if you’re not careful. I’m not going to spend most of my life in prison, Bert. I’m not. Come with me. We can make a new start,” Eli pleaded.
“No.”
Eli took a long look at his older brother, kicked his horse, and rode off toward the west.
By the time Bert scrambled to his feet, all he could see in the darkness was the shadowed figure of his brother riding off.
“Fool kid, I’ll kill him when I catch up to him,” he spat and sat back down next to the fire to warm his hands.
Eli rode as fast as safety would allow. He could see in the filtered moonlight, but didn’t want his horse to stumble into a hole. The sun peeked over the horizon behind him as Eli made it to the track leading away from Gentle Falls. With the light and track easing his way, he kicked his horse into a gallop and put as much distance between him and the town that he could.
At the same time, Sheriff Clay motioned to the other men. “Look at that oak just this side of the rise. There’s a figure on horseback. Whoever it is must be watching. He isn’t moving and is too far away for me to make out who it is. I can’t tell if it’s male or female.”
Roy agreed, “All I can tell is it’s a rider. Do you suppose he’s the one picking up the money or a lookout?”
The sheriff shrugged. “We’ll find out soon.”
The three men heard the sound of hoof beats hurrying in their direction. They watched as a rider slowed as he neared the rock and saddle bags.
Bert reached down to grab them and the sheriff shouted, “Don’t move. You’re surrounded.”
A shot rang out, and the sheriff groaned in pain before returning fire. Bert fell to the ground before he reached the saddle bags. When the sheriff looked for the lone figure near the oak, he was gone.
Roy asked, “Sheriff, did you get hit?”
Sheriff Clay grumbled, “It’s just a flesh wound, but he ruined my new coat.”
“What about the rider who took off?”
The sheriff replied, “We’ll never catch him now. The horses are too far away, and he’ll head to the track leading away from town. This was well planned even if they didn’t count on us waiting here for them. Once I identify this man, we may have an idea who we’re looking for. We need to find the women; they can tell us more. Then I’ll send telegrams to the sheriff up the train line. He has to show up somewhere, and they’ll catch him.”
Roy said, “I’ll go get the horses. I can bring them around the edge of the trees, so we don’t have to drag his body through the woods.”
The sheriff nodded.
“What now? We have to find Molly and Widow Biggs. If they realize Molly isn’t Sarah, they’ll kill them both,” Giles said.
“The others may have found them. They had a clear path to follow. Whoever took them isn’t very bright. We’ll go back to town and drop the body at Doc’s and then I’ll look through my wanted posters. You check with Tim when you drop your horse at the livery. Then come to my office and let me know if we have word. If we don’t, we’ll get fresh horses and start another search.”
Giles stood and watched the sun rise. He nodded, but his mind screamed that they needed to look for the women now, but where? Sheriff Clay was right. They needed to go back to town. The only way to search would be from where the tracks start. He’d follow the tracks the others were following until they found them. How could he expect Sarah to love him if he was responsible for her friend’s death? The men grabbed Molly because they thought she was Sarah and they wanted Sarah because he loved her and had money. He clenched his fists and turned to give the sheriff a hand slinging the man’s body over his horse.
~ * ~
Giles rode up to the livery, and Tim walked out from the back. “You returned quickly. We found the women. They’re okay. Miss Molly is at Cal’s with Mrs. Morey. Widow Biggs went to Widow Mudd’s. We found ‘em in a cabin a little over an hour outside town. They were hungry and cold but safe. They ate at Cal’s, and then Louis escorted Widow Biggs home. Did you catch your men?”
“One and there might have been another. Someone watched from a ways out. He got away. The other one’s dead. The sheriff took him to Doc’s, and then I guess Joseph will bury him. I need to find Miss Molly, and she can identify him. I don’t know what shape Widow Biggs is in,” Giles explained.
“For an old lady, she seemed to be better than I expected. She and Miss Molly managed to get out of their restraints and found a rifle. They were ready to fight when we found the cabin.” He replie
d. “I’ll never underestimate the strength of a woman again. Miss Molly could take on a small army, I think.”
“Thanks, Tim. I’ll let the sheriff know,” Giles tipped his head and headed toward the sheriff’s office.
“Hey, the women are safe,” Giles addressed Sheriff Clay when he walked into the office. “Have you any idea who that man is?”
“Not yet, I’ve gone through several of my wanted posters and have a couple that might be him. Some of the pictures are bad, and a few have vague descriptions. Do you know where Miss Molly is?”
“Yeah, she’s at Cal’s. She spent the night so she and Sarah wouldn’t be alone in case the men discovered they escaped. I’m heading over there now,” Giles said moving toward the door.
“I’ll come along. I need to question her.”
The two men knocked on the back door of Callahan’s, and Cal opened the door allowing them entry. “Good morning. I guess you heard the women are safe. Did you get your man or men?”
“One’s dead. I need to speak to Miss Molly to see if she knows anything,” Sheriff Clay said.
“I’ll get her,” Cal said. He walked upstairs, and a few minutes later, Molly walked downstairs into the kitchen.
“Sheriff, Mr. Bowen, I’m happy to see you. Did you get them?”
“Them? There was more than one?” Sheriff Clay asked.
“Two that we saw and someone they called the ‘boss’ that never came into the cabin. One’s name was Bert and the other Eli. At least that’s what they called each other.”
“Hmm,” the sheriff said. “What color hair did the man called Bert have?”
“Black and dark brown eyes,” Molly said looking down at her feet.
“What about the other one?”
“Dirty blonde almost brown hair. His eyes were brown, too,” Molly said barely above a whisper.
The sheriff took a step forward asking quietly, “Did he hurt you, Miss Molly?”
“No, nothing bad. They pushed us around and into the wagon then tied us up before they left, but that was all. I was thinking about how mean Bert was. He would’ve killed us without thinking twice if he didn’t think I was Sarah. He frightened me.” She shuddered involuntarily.
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