Prudence

by Caroline Clemmons

  She sank onto the mattress. “First, I need the chamber pot. I was so afraid I’d soil my nice chair. Another half hour and I would have.”

  “Can you manage alone?”

  She sobbed and shook her head. “I can’t even stand by myself.”

  “Don’t worry, Mrs. Murphy. Remember I’m your doctor. I can help you.”

  She shook her head. “If you’ll get Lola Ramirez, I can wait for her. Hurry.”

  “Adam will get you a drink of water while I get Señora Ramirez in here to help you.”

  With the Ramirez couple looking after Mrs. Murphy, Adam ordered Riley. “I’ll go out the back and look for tracks. Go to the church and don’t wait for Grady to finish his sermon. You catch up with me.”

  Riley ran all the way. He rushed in and held up his hand to Grady. “Sorry, Preacher. Lydia Harrison and Prudence Lynch have been kidnapped.”

  Voices rose throughout the sanctuary.

  He continued, “We need men to help find them. Adam’s looking for tracks now. They went out the garden’s back gate. We can catch up with him.”

  Grady held up his hands. “Men, I suggest some of you go to your horses if you rode them.”

  Men left and split into two groups. Those with their horses tied at church followed Riley. Others went home or to the livery to saddle their mounts.

  Even though he wore his church suit, Grady joined Riley. They rushed toward the edge of town about where they thought Adam would be tracking the two women and their kidnappers.

  Fabian Dubicki was on a horse and shouted. “There’s Adam.” He rode toward where he’d pointed.

  Riley spotted Adam walking with his head down. There was no road the way he headed, but a rough trail led around the edge of the mountain to the Brazos River three miles from town. They met Adam a few minutes later.

  Deputy Stanton asked, “Where you think they’re headed?”

  “Looks like that old cave we call Robber’s Roost. Be careful, men. They have the women and we can’t risk them being shot. We need a plan.”

  ***

  Prudence was exhausted. She’d worked her hands loose, but her feet were still tied and there was still a rope around her neck. She held the bonds that had tied her hands so the brothers wouldn’t know she’d gotten that much loose.

  Lydia was in no better shape than Prudence. Tillie had been woken and made to make breakfast for the men, as if they couldn’t open their own cans. Then they’d tied her back and Otto dug out dynamite sticks and fuse.

  “Reckon I’ll make me a little surprise ’n case that sheriff comes snoopin ’round here after I’ve brought Prudence back from the bank.”

  Icy fear clawed at Prudence’s insides. “What kind of surprise, Otto? What do you have planned?”

  “Never you mind, Miz High ’n Mighty Prudence. You and your friend just mind your own business.”

  Lydia wriggled her ropes. “You know, I have quite a lot of money in the bank. If you let us go, I would reward you.”

  Otto and Maynard exchanged wary looks. Otto gestured for his brother to go to Lydia.

  Maynard came up to her. “Just what do you have in mind, Lady?”

  “Well, if all three of us women were to be turned loose, I could get the bank to give you more than Prudence’s gold is worth.”

  “And how’d you do that without us getting’ caught?”

  “I could give you a bank draft. Or, I could go to the bank and then give you the money in cash. But, only if all three of us were free.”

  “If’n you got that kind of money, what makes you think we won’t make you give it to us ’n then keep you here?”

  Without blinking an eye, even though she must be terrified, Lydia said, “Because that’s the way business is handled. You give me what I want and I give you something you want. I want all three of us women free and you want lots of money.”

  Maynard scratched his chin. “Somethin’ in what she says, Otto. I’d like even more than Prudence’s gold, wouldn’t you?”

  Otto spat and continued unrolling fuse. “You ain’t got the brains of a flea, Maynard. If she has all that much money, why didn’t we find nothin’ about it in her house? Did you see a receipt for money like we found in Prudence’s room? No, you did not.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes. “I don’t have a receipt. There’s too much money for one piece of paper. I have a ledger with all the entries. Surely you saw that in my office.”

  Maynard asked, “What’s a ledger?”

  “A book that contains an entry every time you receive or pay money. Mine is a green leather-bound book about a foot wide and a foot- and-a-half tall.”

  Maynard walked over to his brother. “I seen a book like that on that big desk. Reckon she really has money?”

  “Naw, I tell you we didn’t find no bank receipt.”

  Lydia asked, “How do you think I built the house and pay my housekeeper and gardener?”

  Maynard nodded. “She’s got you there, Otto. That house cost a barrel of money. Probably more ’n all the houses at home added up.”

  “Shut your yap. Get over here and help me rig this here trap.”

  Maynard walked near his brother. “What’re you gonna do?”

  “See, I’m putting this dynamite under the rocks at the entrance to the cave. When we get our gold, bang, we set this off and hightail it outta here. Lawmen will be wonderin’ where the women are, see, and will be so busy lookin’ for ’em they won’t come after us ’til they find ’em. By then, we’ll be on the train gettin’ away.”

  Alarm locked a steel band around Prudence’s chest. “Otto Jensen, how can you plan on leaving us here to die? Your mama would whop you up side of the head if she heard you say that.”

  “She ain’t gonna hear me, though, ’cause I ain’t never going back there. Don’t see why I should. Me ’n Maynard are gonna be livin’ it up in Denver. Might even go to San Fran-cis-co. I heard a lot about that place.”

  Prudence asked, “Maynard, are you sure your brother won’t get rid of you just like he plans on doing to Tillie and us?”

  Maynard narrowed his eyes and peered at Otto. “Naw, he said we was going together and live it up in Denver.”

  “He told Tillie he’d give her a reward for helping him. I suspect he has the same sort of reward in store for you.”

  Otto stood and took a step toward Prudence. “Look here, you stop that right now. I know what you’re tryin’ to do, but Maynard is loyal to me. We’re a team, ain’t we, Maynard?”

  Maynard nodded, but his expression lacked conviction. “Yeah, you said we are.”

  “I said it and it’s so. You quit listenin’ to Prudence. She ain’t nothin’ but a witch brewin’ up all ’em things she sells to people.”

  Prudence wished she could stomp her foot. “I’m not a witch. I’m a healer. Haven’t Granny and I helped your family enough to prove that?”

  “They did, Otto, they helped Mama and Pa. And ’member when Olive had croup and Prudence cured her? And her granny done delivered us and all our sisters and brothers. They both done helped a lot of folks. I don’t believe Prudence is a witch. If she is, she’s a good witch.”

  Otto pointed his knife at his brother. “Whichever kind she is has gold so don’t lose sight of that fact. That’s why we’re here. I knowed all along she had gold in spite of what she said. She lied to us. That dummy Ricky wouldn’t talk ’til I thought to threaten to kill that pony.”

  Maynard laughed and slapped his knee. “Whew, he come up cryin’ and beggin’ you to leave that horse alone if he told.”

  Otto spat in the dirt. “Should a killed the pony for all the aggravation Ricky caused us. Dummy could of saved us weeks.”

  Prudence rejoiced that at least her sweet pony, Sunny, was safe. Poor Ricky must have been frightened half out of his mind, though.

  Maynard frowned and scratched his stomach. “Naw, Otto, that’s a nice horse. I like it. Wouldn’t mind havin’ me a cart and horse like that.”

  “You craz
y? We’ll have a carriage and a matched pair of horses to pull the thing.”

  “You mean it?” Maynard pretended to drive a rig. “I sure would like that. We could ride all over Denver.”

  Prudence saw the promise of horses and a buggy had lost Maynard’s attention with anything she could say. She wondered if their absence from church sent Adam to inquire at the house. Would he have thought to check on Mrs. Murphy? She prayed he would and that he and his posse were following their trail.

  The brothers strung a fuse along the front of the cave.

  Prudence stared at the two men and spoke to Lydia low enough the captors couldn’t hear. “You know the second they have the gold they’re going to bring me back here, blow that dynamite, and seal us inside this cave like a tomb.”

  Lydia said, “By now, Adam is on his way here. He’s good at tracking and we left an easy trail to follow.”

  “I pray you’re right. I’m not ready to die and I’m sure you’re not either.”

  Otto handed Maynard the roll of fuse. “Take this outside and hide it behind those bushes. I’ll get the dynamite placed where I want it. Tomorrow when we have the gold, I’ll say to ‘go ahead’ and you light the fuse. You understand?”

  “Sure’nuff. When you say ‘go ahead’ then I light the fuse.” Maynard walked away carrying what was left of the fuse roll.

  Otto finished placing the dynamite along the cave opening. Looking pleased, he stood and brushed his filthy hands together.

  Lydia said, “You should consider my offer. I have a lot of money to offer you for our freedom.”

  Otto sneered at them. “I don’t believe you.”

  Prudence had to try again. “You’re making a big mistake, Otto. You could get a lot more money if you accepted my friend’s offer and let all three of us go.”

  “You lied to me about the gold, so don’t waste your breath. I ain’t listenin’ to none of you no more.”

  Tillie sobbed, “Don’t kill us. When you get the money, just go and leave us alone.”

  Otto turned to look at her. “You want to whine, cry baby, then you go right ahead.”

  Maynard was by the brush when Otto said the signal words “go ahead”. Maynard struck a match and lit the fuse.

  Meanwhile, Otto had walked back into the cave. “We’ll go first thing in the mornin’. You ain’t gonna give me any trouble, neither, Prudence, or I’ll shoot everyone in the bank.”

  Prudence watched the fuse burn toward them. “Otto, the fuse, Maynard lit the fuse.”

  “Maynard, you idiot!” Otto made a dive for the sparking fuse as if to stop the burning. Before he reached it, the dynamite charges exploded.

  ***

  Riley followed Adam. Men on horseback were not much better off with such a narrow trail between river and mountain. No wonder robbers were able to use this spot.

  Suddenly a loud explosion shot dust and rocks into the air.

  Riley and Adam took off running. Whether the others were right behind, Riley didn’t know. All he could think of was Prudence—explosion.

  Dear Lord, please keep Prudence safe.

  When they arrived at the cave, a million rocks blocked the opening.

  An odd-looking man ran back and forth keening, “He said go ahead but I done killed my brother. He said go ahead but I done killed my brother.”

  Adam grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. “Where are the women? And you better not tell me they’re in there.”

  The man pinched his lips and stared bug-eyed.

  Adam shook the man. “Answer me before I rip your head off.”

  He whimpered, “You said I better not say the women are inside that there cave.”

  Riley had known Adam for years but he’d never seen him lose control. The sheriff complained and made threats, but was efficient and fair. Now he threw the strange man to the ground and appeared ready to kick him into the next county.

  Riley figured whatever Adam did was too good for the creature in the filthiest clothes he’d seen. For himself, he’d like to beat the man to a pulp for playing a part in the explosion.

  Deputy Stanton bent down and cuffed the man. “Adam, I’d better take charge of him before you do something you’d regret later.”

  The deputy dragged the man over to sit on a large boulder. “You move before I tell you, and I’ll shoot you. You understand?”

  The odd man nodded.

  Adam gasped with fists clenched. “Right now I’m not sure I’d ever regret anything I did to this yellow-bellied sidewinder.”

  ***

  Dust threatened to choke Prudence. Gradually as she coughed and coughed, the dust settled enough that she could see. She was several feet from where she’d been before the explosion. With her arms free, she loosened all her bindings. Nearby, Lydia and Tillie had been thrown several feet and lay unmoving.

  She rushed to Lydia and untied her, then listened to her chest. She was alive. “Lydia, wake up. Can you hear me?”

  When she received no response, she moved to Tillie, who also was breathing but unconscious. When she’d freed Tillie, she returned to Lydia. Upon examination, her friend must have been struck by a flying rock. Blood trickled from a gash on her forehead near her hairline.

  Wait. The explosion blew out the lantern so how could she see? Peering upward, she saw a tiny hole of light no bigger than her fist at the top of the rubble. Air. At least they had air and light.

  She pulled up her skirt and tucked it out the way into her waistband. Then, she fought her way up the rock heap, pushing rocks out of her way as she went. At the top, she threw rocks aside, careful not to toss them where her friends lay. Soon, she heard sounds from outside.

  “We’re in here! Help!” Her skirt had come untucked, and she shoved it out of the way of her feet.

  “Prudence?” She recognized Riley’s voice.

  “Please get us out. Lydia and Tillie are unconscious.”

  Rocks moving from outside were like the finest symphony. Inside, she continued pushing rocks aside with no thought to the damage to her hands. Soon she saw faces and the opening enlarged. Adam and Riley pulled her out into the glorious fresh air.

  As soon as she was out, Adam crawled inside. “Lydia, honey, I’m coming.”

  Riley helped Prudence down the slippery rubble. At the bottom, he held her. “Are you hurt? Oh, my precious love, look at your hands, your wrists, your neck. I’ll kill that polecat.”

  “Just take me home, please. No, wait. Lydia has a gash on her head and she’ll need your care. Poor Tillie needs lots of attention. She’s been their prisoner for weeks.”

  “Who’s Tillie?”

  She was too tired to deal with this now. “A woman I met in Richmond. The one who told me about Lydia’s interview.”

  Then she spotted Maynard, cuffed and seated on a rock. Anger chased her exhaustion. In spite of her throbbing hands, she pummeled the worthless man.

  “Maynard Jensen, you nearly killed me and my friends. Look at my dress, you incompetent imbecile.”

  Maynard weaved in effort to dodge her blows. “I never know what you’re talkin’ about ’cause you use all ’em big words.”

  “I mean you are a worthless fool. This is the nicest dress anyone ever, ever had. It was made in Paris. That’s in France, since you probably don’t remember after all the school you skipped.”

  Wailing, Maynard tried to dodge her punches. “I done killed my brother and now you’re beatin’ up on me.”

  She continued hitting Maynard. “Otto’s dead? Fine, that saves me the trouble of taking his gun and shooting him.”

  Riley caught her around the waist. “You have every right to be angry, but you need to calm down.”

  She fought to get free so she could punch Maynard again. “Look at my beautiful dress. It’s ruined. And my feet are so sore I can hardly walk because we had to hike for miles in these flimsy evening slippers.”

  “Honey, I’ll buy you another dress no matter how much it costs and slippers to match.”

/>   She glanced back at Maynard and pointed at the worthless man. “Hanging is too good for him. Nothing you can do to him is severe enough.”

  Adam emerged carrying Lydia.

  “Prudence sweetheart, I need to see about Lydia now. If I let you go, will you sit right there and wait for me?”

  Grady took her arm. “Why don’t I help you to this large rock over here, Prudence?”

  Fabian Dubicki handed over the reins to his horse. “You can ride him back to town. He’s gentle and will let you sit sidesaddle with your knee over the pommel.”

  She gathered what little dignity she could muster. “Thank you, Grady. Thank you, Mr. Dubicki.”

  Buck McCartney approached Adam. “If you want to climb on my horse, I’ll hand Miss Lydia up to you.”

  Riley stood. “That’d be best. She needs to have that head wound stitched but I imagine she’d rather that happen at her home. I’d better check the other woman.”

  Blacksmith Hamish McAdams carried Tillie as if she were a feather. “Lady’s been treated real bad. Want I should take her to your office, Doc?”

  After a preliminary examination, Riley stood. “Hand her up to someone on horseback, Hamish. Better take the three to Lydia’s so I can treat them at the same time. Mrs. Murphy is there and she was injured, too. Plus, Lydia has more room than I do until the new part of the house is finished.”

  Riley walked to Prudence. He turned to Fabian. “You care if I ride your horse with her in front of me?”

  The livery owner grinned. “Not at all. I notice her dress is made out of slippery fabric. She might slide off if you don’t hold her real tight.”

  Prudence ignored the sarcasm. Besides, she wanted Riley to hold her and never let go. When Riley was in the saddle, Fabian lifted her in front of him.

  Riley spoke to Vic Marshall. “Vic, you mind stopping by my place and letting my mother know what’s happened? Ask her to gather my medical bag and supplies and take them to Lydia’s?”

  “I’m already on my way.” He climbed on his horse and took off.

  Riley pulled Prudence gently against him. “If I go too fast and it hurts you, just tell me.” He clicked his tongue and urged the horse into a walk.