by Nancy Howard
John and Catherine have also heard the gunshots, and have emerged from the bank, to see what all the shooting is about. John sees the same thing as Logan, but he decides to stay back and out of the fray, as he spots her striding toward the man. He's interested in seeing how she handles the situation.
“Hey, you. Drop that gun, and let the girl go.” Logan orders the man, pointing her finger directly at him.
“No! Stand back, you. Or I'll shoot you, and her.” He barks at Logan, through slurred speech.
“What'd she do to you?”
“She said she didn't want a screw me cause I stink so bad, and I'm drunk.”
“Then why don't you believe her? Let her go,” Logan says, again.
“Who the hell are you?” The man, shouts back at Logan.
“Logan Kincaid,” she says, forcefully. “Now again, put the gun down and let the girl go. I ain't gonna warn you again, mister.”
“Yeah, well, I got the drop on you. And I'm gonna be famous today. I'm gonna kill Logan Kincaid, the famous woman bounty hunter.”
Then he points his gun at her, readying to shoot. He’s having trouble steadying the gun because he's so drunk. He's also trying to hold onto the girl at the same time—making it very difficult for him to point the gun.
The saloon girl is squirming and struggling with all her might to get out of his grasp. He readies to shoot, but before he gets off a shot Logan draws and fires. Knocking his gun out of his hand. Surprised at how fast she is, he lets go of the girl and she gets away and runs to safety. He then reaches down on the ground for his gun, with his left hand. Then he hears two more shots ring out. Logan has shot his gun twice—scooting it across the ground and out of his reach. She's now walked to just five feet away from him, and is pointing her gun directly at him.
She says firmly, “Don't reach for it again, because the next time I shoot, it'll be for you.”
The drunk stood up holding his right hand, cussing at Logan. As John and two men come running up and subdue him. The two men haul the drunk off toward the jail, as Logan spins her gun back to it's holster. John is standing right next to her, noticing, and says, “Damn girl, you're fast. Has anyone ever told you how dangerous you are?”
“Yeah, I been told that a couple of times,” she says, nonchalantly.
“I just bet you have.” He said smiling at her. “You're wearing a dress.”
“Yeah, I just bought it. Pretty ain't it?” She says with a smile and spins around to show off her dress to John. “I was trying it on, and got interrupted.”
“I can see that. And yes it is pretty. Listen, Logan, as soon as you get done tryin' on your new dress. Would you come on over to the bank? I have a proposition for you to consider,” he said.
“Sure will,” she said. And then she walks off back to the dress store amid the stares of on-lookers, who have never seen a female handle a six-gun the way she just did. John watches her walk away, too, and smiles shaking his head. Then he turns to go back to the bank and his meeting there.
JUST A FEW MINUTES before the commotion in the street, John and Catherine were in the office of bank president William Chatfield. John, for some time has wanted to buy the two thousand acres on the north side of his property, out by the big mesa. He wants the land to stop cattle rustling in that area of the ranch. But Chatfield tells John and Catherine that the land has already been acquired by Henry Baker. Another rancher in the area, who's Running 'B' ranch is right next to theirs. John wanted the acreage very badly, because the cattle rustling in that area is costing him a lot of money in valuable livestock.
“John you might want to talk to Henry about sharing the responsibility of policing that area, and getting rid of the rustlers,” Chatfield advises.
“How? I never see him, Bill.”
“Well, you might consider paying him a visit, and talk to him about all of this. Just to see if he is having trouble with rustlers, himself.”
“Did he say he's having any trouble with rustlers?”
“No, he didn't say anything specific about having trouble, then again I didn't ask him either. He was here Wednesday to finish a deal, to buy the old Kelsey place.”
“Did he say why he wanted it? The old Kelsey place I mean,” John says.
“No. He just said he wanted it because it has good grazing land. He's very rich, and has several large investors in Great Britain and Europe backing him.”
John shakes his head hearing Chatfield say that. Then asks him, changing the subject, “You and Jane are still comin' out to the ranch, for dinner tonight?”
“Yes we are, we wouldn't miss it.”
LOGAN WALKS BACK INTO the dress shop to retrieve and change back into her clothes. The two clerks watch as she enters, and they say nothing to her. They just watch her walk by, mouths still gaping open as to what they just saw Logan do. When she entered the store a few minutes earlier to look for a dress, they were very rude to her. To them she was just some poor girl, who hadn't bathed or brushed her hair in a while. They saw the gun she was wearing when she first came in, but had no idea then of her ability to use it. They know now.
Done dressing in her regular clothes, Logan leaves the store and as she does she ignores the two clerks who were so rude to her.
She goes back over to the bank as John requested. Opens the door and goes in, carrying a bag with her new dress in it. Logan wonders what Sanderson's proposition is for her. Earlier he made it clear that he didn't like bounty hunters. So Logan wonders what could be on his mind. And why he wants to talk to her?
THE TELLER LOOKS UP and sees Logan enter the bank, he asks her if she'd like some help. She nods, and tells him that she is there to wait for the Sandersons. She looks for a place to set down while she waits. Behind her, next to the door is a straight backed wooden chair, where she sets down. She looks over to the other side of the bank and could see where the Sandersons are setting. They are talking to big bald man in a suit. Logan assumes that the man is a bigwig in the bank.
The Sandersons get up out of their chairs and shake hands with the man, and turn to leave. They see Logan setting by the door, and walked over to her.
“Well, you look more normal,” John says. Seeing Logan setting in the chair, this time with her britches, hat, shirt, and gun on.
Logan stands up, “Yeah, I guess, I do. Mrs. Sanderson,” she says, greeting Catherine politely.
“Hello, again, Logan.” Catherine says, smiling back at the young woman. Who, like John, she is suddenly taken by.
“So, what's on your mind, that you want to talk to me about, Mr. Sanderson?”
“Let's all go outside, Logan, we can talk more freely out there.”
Outside on the wooden walkway, John starts talking. “Girl, I got a question for you. Do you have any other plans. I mean other than goin' out hell bent, and looking for this Bailey Hogg and his gang?”
“No sir, none other than that,” she said. “Then I ain't plannin' on chase em, either, I'd rather set and wait for em to show up. Sometimes it's better to wait for rats to show up for the cheese, rather than chase them all around. Gavin's been chasin' em for four or five months now, and he ain't caught up to em yet. So if you're asking me, if I am going to go off traipsing all over the countryside looking for them? The answer to that is, no.”
“So your plans, are to just stay around here?”
“Yes sir.”
“Well, while you're waitin’ on Hogg and his gang to show up for the cheese. I was wondering if you'd like some steady work? I have a proposition for you—if your interested. I want to ask Sloan, too, when he gets back.”
“Doin' what?”
“I need some help on my ranch, Logan. I've been having trouble with cattle rustlers out on the north side of my property for some time now. That's the reason we came into the bank today. I wanted to buy the land out there, but it seems that my neighbor has beat me to it. I don't have the manpower to keep men out there all the time. Besides, my men are cowpokes, not policemen. Even though they
wear guns, they're not professionals like you and Sloan are.
“And that's where the two of you come in. I'd like to hire you for private security work—if you want it. And again, Sloan, if he wants it, too, to keep rustlers off of my property out there. It's costing me a hell of a lot of money, having my cows stolen like they are.”
“Sir, if you don't mind me asking this. Earlier you said that you didn't have any use for Gavin and me, cause we're bounty hunters? And now, you want to hire us to work for you? What changed your mind aboutd us?”
“Yes, I know what I said, and I still believe it. But I need help catching these damn cattle thieves. And it's only the kind that you and Sloan can provide. Like I said, you're professionals.” He paused looking at her then asked, “So, what's it gonna be Missy? You want the work or not?”
“It'd be steady work that's for sure. So how much does it pay,” Logan asks?
John smiles at her, chuckles, and says, “somehow, I knew those would be the next words out of your mouth. It pays fifty a month including room and board. And since you're a woman, you can stay with Catherine and myself in our ranch house in one of our guest rooms. I don't think it would be such a good idea for you to stay in the bunkhouse, with my ranch hands. So what'll it be?”
Logan looked at him and smiled and paused for a second, then says, “Okay, I'll do it.”
“What about Sloan, you think he might be interested?”
“I don't know for sure, Mr. Sanderson. Like you said you'll have to ask him when he gets back. So when do I start?”
“Right now. Go grab your horse and gear. You can follow us back to the ranch, and it's John and Catherine.”
“Gotcha.” Logan says. And smiles at them both, then goes off to get Warrior.
The Sandersons look at each other and shake their heads, each with a grin on their face, as they watch Logan walk away. Noticing that she has a definite bounce in her step, something they remember about their daughter. It's the way she walked, too.
They also for some unknown reason like this girl, Logan, even though they know she's a bounty hunter and just met her. They seem to connect with her, and she with them. Even though they're all total strangers at this point. Logan notices this, too, because she figured that she'd be talking to the Sanderson's again. She just didn't figure it would be so soon, and that she would be hired by the Sanderson's. She's also going home with them, and will be staying and sleeping in their house.
5
John Sanderson and his wife Catherine are the owners of the biggest ranch in the territory. Big John as he is known to all, is a plain hard-working man in his sixties, as Logan surmised. He has the girth of a man in that age group, but one should not be fooled. He is a tough, firm, and principled man. But the thing that sets John Sanderson apart from all others is his sense of fairness. He treats everyone the same, no matter who they are. And if he likes you he'll remain in your corner as a true and trusted friend for as long as you want him there. He is a good judge of character, and often goes on his gut feeling about someone right away.
He and his only sweetheart Catherine, have been for married for thirty-five years. She is a soft and loving soul, who loves and understands, John. Her round face is dominated by her soft and equally large blue eyes. She is the motherly, grandmotherly type who can spar with anyone that tries to harm John.
They came to this valley from Ohio, and settled this wild country thirty years ago. Buying a parcel of land here and there, and they now have three hundred thousand acres of land for their cattle ranch, which they call Sanderson's Hill. John, and Catherine, have weathered all kinds of hardships, including a still born daughter and then the death of their only daughter, Jennifer, to smallpox four years ago. She was only twenty-two. It was an event that devastated, and changed both of their lives forever. Each having trouble trying to deal with the grief of losing their only child, when she was such a young, vibrant, and beautiful girl.
Sanderson's Hill is called that because the house sets up on a hill, known as a knoll where John and Catherine can practically see all of their ranch. It is to them, the most beautiful spot on earth. With the mountain ranges in the distance, and huge expanses of open range land as far as the eye can see, in all directions. Where the big blue sky seems to reach from one edge of the world to the other, and touch the ranch everywhere the two meet. Sanderson's Hill is a peaceful and beautiful place, the way they intended it to be.
But it has become a big empty place for John and Catherine since they lost Jennifer. There's a big hole at Sanderson's Hill Ranch that needs filling. Now four years later, letting go of Jennifer doesn't get any easier. John and Catherine know that life will never be the same without her. No hardship they ever endured together, prepared them for the loss of their child.
Today they journeyed to Folsom for a meeting at the bank, with bank president Bill Chatfield. John wanted to buy some property on the north side of the ranch, he thinks it will help stop his cattle rustling problem. But John and Catherine found out that the land has already been bought by their neighbor. It was disappointing news and not what they wanted to hear. And while they didn't find what they wanted at the bank, they did find an interesting someone. A young woman, who followed them home this day, as an employee. She's someone that will quickly bring that life back to them, and to their ranch. Something that Sanderson's Hill has lost and so desperately needs, since Jenny's passing. This young woman's impact on the Sandersons will be immediate, just as theirs will be on her.
6
Meanwhile, Gavin, along with Sheriff Case and his posse have arrived at the homesteads of the two families named Tanner, and Blake. The stench of death is everywhere, as the posse arrives. People young and old lying dead on the ground, where they were murdered. Dead livestock are scattered and strewn everywhere. The scene is very grim. Sheriff Case dismounts his horse, along with Gavin and the eight other men in the posse. As they did they just stopped dead in their tracks, each of them standing by their horses. To stunned to move—looking at what they see with somber glassy eyed stares. Some of them kneel and bow their heads in reverence and grief for the dead. They pray, as tears come to their eyes. These are grown, strong men, who cannot believe someone is so vile and mean that they can kill like this. They know renegade Apaches might kill whites in this manner. But they know from what Gavin and Logan told them, they're not looking for Indians.
Shocked and stunned like the others at what he sees, and looking at Gavin, the sheriff clears his throat. Trying to get his composure back. His voice shaking, he asks, “Sloan, does this look like the work of Hogg and his gang?”
“Yeah, I'm sure of it sheriff,” he says quietly. Shaking his head, completely overwhelmed. Gavin has viewed this horror scene before. He is well aware of what Hogg and his vicious cohorts are capable of. But viewing this type of slaughter again, and again, doesn't make it any easier for Gavin. Each time it becomes more and more distressing for him to process. As the images of their evil deeds linger on in his mind for days and months. Some of the images never completely going away, because he never gets used to seeing this kind of brutality.
“Wasn't Apache renegades?” The sheriff asks him again—wanting to make sure.
“No, no, I'm sure of that. This is the work of Hogg and his gang alright. I've seen it too many times now sheriff, not to be sure.”
Then the deputy named Rogers spoke up, shaking his head, “Who is mean enough, just to kill little kids like this?”
“Hogg, that's who,” Gavin says with anger. “Life means nothin' to him, or the four murderers that ride with him.”
“So Sloan, just who the hell are we dealin' with here,” the sheriff asked? “In my twenty-five years as a law officer, I can tell you I've never seen brutality like this.”
“We're dealin' with five of the meanest sonofabitches that has ever drawn a breath, that's who sheriff.”
“How long you and Logan gonna be around?”
“Long as we want too, I know she wants to put down r
oots, so.”
“Well, I for one, can tell you, that you and her can stay around Folsom for as long as you like,” the sheriff said. Looking squarely at Gavin.
The sheriff then immediately turned his attention to the job at hand, and that is burying the dead—the Blakes and Tanners. It would take them all day to accomplish this. The men in the posse worked well into the night, burying the two families. While some of the men piled up and burned the livestock. This was a gruesome task, that saw grown men walking around with tears in their eyes. They buried the little children, a couple as young as five. Both had been shot in the back by a scatter gun at point blank range. One by one they buried them and everyone else. They did this task silently—prayerfully. At the same time they all had a burning anger in their minds. The ones who had perpetrated these evil deeds had to be stopped. But how, and when? They're still out there. Still on the loose where they can and will kill like this again.
The men in the posse also are fearful, wanting to get this done and return home as quickly as possible. They fear for their own families. This could have been them, they could have met the same fate. Because they too are small farmers and ranchers who live in and around Folsom.
What is also disconcerting to them, is who can stop Hogg and his gang? Gavin and Logan? Hopefully. The sheriff and his deputies? He only has two. Are they prepared to stop this kind of violence, if it comes to Folsom? No one knows. Even Gavin and Logan have joined forces to try to stop Hogg, because neither of them was sure they could do it alone. And these two people are professional bounty hunters. They're used to dealing with the worst people in society, but even they're both not sure they could take Hogg alone. This was the talk among the men in the posse as they worked, and completed the gruesome task of cleaning up after Hogg and his murdering gangs monstrous deeds.