Soul of a Gunslinger

by Jim Cox

  It hurt but Lefty hobbled to the curtain divider and cut a long strip from its edge with his razor-sharp scabbard knife to wrap around his chest; he also cut a piece to wrap his leg. Then he went back to the table, poured more whiskey on his leg and chest wounds, and proceeded to wrap them. He pulled the chest wrapping so tight it restricted his breathing, but it also lessened the pain. Lefty took another swig of whiskey and then went after coffee which was hanging over the fire only a few feet away. He had intended to eat what was left in the thug’s plates when he got back to the table with his coffee, but due to his moving around, he was tired and needed to rest a bit, so he leaned his head into his left arm that was lying on the table and went to sleep.

  Lefty’s eyes jumped open. Something had woken him. Wondering how long he’d been sleeping, he felt the tin coffee cup that he’d filled with steaming coffee; it was cold. However, daylight was still coming in around the door. He heard another noise outside and was sure it was a horse stomping. Wish I had a gun, he thought. Those horse stomping’s might be coming from thieves or Indians, and I ain’t got a way to defend myself. As quietly as possible, Lefty hobbled to the front door and looked out one of the gun holes; a big smile came. Because standing outside were two horses; Star and John’s horse. I must have hit John with the buffalo gun’s bullet I fired. He ain’t gonna be bothering us anymore. Lefty thoughts went to Suzan, I hope she ain’t worrying about me. They ought to be in San Francisco by now or getting close to it. Maybe, Hide has already turned our gold-rights over to Samuel, and we’re now millionaires.

  He wasn’t able to move around much for the next three days, so he had to make do with what was left in the cabin by the hoodlums. There was food and water, and enough wood to last a few days. And there was the whiskey that he took advantage of. On the third day after he was shot, he started running a fever and fell into unconsciousness for nearly a day. But when he woke, the fever was nearly gone, and he was feeling much better.

  On the fifth day after the shootings, Lefty opened the door and hobbled out, stepping around the four dead bodies as he went looking for the horses. They were standing inside the barn eating the grass. Star came to his whistle, and John’s horse followed. After tying their reins to the hitch rail, he untied their clinch straps and pushed the saddles onto the ground. When he’d finished scratching Star’s forehead, he went to a dead body and removed the gun belt along with its gun from the lifeless, stiff fingers. After filling the gun’s chamber with cartridges from its gun belt, he went back inside, locked the door with a cross plank. Lefty was dead tired and wanted to lie down and sleep, but first, he needed to find something to eat from the hoodlum’s food bags. He wasn’t all that hungry, but he knew it was necessary to eat in order to get his strength back.

  After filling his stomach with hardtack and a couple of pieces of jerky, he soaked the wrappings over his injuries with whiskey, placed three logs on the fire, and laid down on a thug’s bedroll in front of it. Lefty’s eyes had already closed when a thought came, I wonder what Suzan is doing.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Several things had changed since Lefty was shot seven days ago. First and foremost, he was feeling much better. His leg had scabbed-over, and his rib wasn’t hurting nearly as bad. It still had sharp jabs from time-to-time and the area around the bullet holes were red, but the pain was tolerable, and he could get along without his cane and do light jobs.

  After eating breakfast and drinking coffee, Lefty swung his gun belt around him and spun the cylinder; it was full. Sure am glad I found my gun in those thick weeds, he thought. It’s hard to get familiar with a new gun. Lefty put on his sweat-stained hat, swung the door wide, and stepped out into the bright sun to check on the horses. All five were in the corral, including Star and John’s horse, where dried grass and water was plentiful. Later in the day, with the help of Star, he pulled the dead bodies a considerable distance from the cabin, but he didn’t bury them because of his physical condition. He did remove anything of value from their bodies, which wasn’t much, except for their gun belts and guns.

  Lefty was starting to feel depressed, knowing that his friends would be worried over him not showing, so during a noon meal, he thought, it’s time I’m leaving here. It’s been over three weeks since Hide and the crew left me at the foot of the mountain cliff trail, and I was supposed to meet ‘em in Frisco within a week. If I don’t show up soon, Suzan will be worried sick. Lefty took a swallow of coffee and thought on the matter a bit longer. I might as well head out for Sutter’s Fort at first light in the morning; it’ll take me three days to get there.

  Lefty spent the balance of the afternoon, packing his things and getting ready to leave. The hoodlums’ guns and valuables were put in their horses’ saddlebags, and both of the thugs’ food bags were readied and sitting at the door. It was a mite tiring, but Lefty wanted to keep the tradition going, so he carried in five arm-loads of firewood.

  His night’s sleep went fairly well. He did wake up a few times because of being anxious to leave, but all-in-all he felt rested. There were a few red embers the next morning that had kept the coffee hot, so Lefty didn’t add any wood since he’d be leaving shortly. After shaking out and stomping on his boots, he went outside to relieve himself. The sky was clear, displaying bright stars and moon. There was a chill to the air, but the wind was almost dead. It’ll be a good day to travel, he thought, and as he turned, hard jabs of pain from his chest wound caused him to stop and take deep breaths. “I thought I was over sharp pains like that,” he mumbled. The pain left but Lefty didn’t feel quite right. He was light-headed, and his stomach was beginning to feel nauseous. Maybe, if I eat something, I’ll get to feeling better, he reasoned, so he went inside and found pieces of salt pork and biscuits in one of the food bags. After pouring a cup of coffee, he sat down at the table and ate. When his second cup was drunk, Lefty went to the barn and brought the five horses to the cabin’s tie rail. After he saddled them, he made a string of the five horses by tethering one behind the other. Of course, Star was the lead horse and the one he’d be riding. The food bags were hung from the thugs’ saddle horns, and his saddlebags and bedroll were strapped behind Star’s saddle. By then, the new day was getting light, so after a quick look around, Lefty stepped into the stirrup and headed up the mountain.

  He hadn’t gone far when he came upon John’s dead body, or what was left of it. Wild animals had torn it to shreds and eaten most of it; probably a pack of wolves. It was a terrible sight, one that no human should go through even though they were dead, but Lefty couldn’t help from being thankful for John’s demise. Knowing his wife and friends were safe.

  The day lingered on with an ideal temperature and very little wind. Traveling up the mountain’s terrain was a bit of a struggle for the horses, but Lefty followed the easiest path he could map out and made several rest stops. It was his goal to be near the mountain’s crest before he stopped for the night, so he kept to a steady pace.

  Lefty had located a perfect place to set up camp; thick mountain grass growing alongside a fast running mountain stream with plenty of firewood nearby. He kept waking up during the night, causing it to be long. He wasn’t feeling the best, partly because his stomach was churning, but the main reason was because the chest pain had started up again. Lefty assumed his stomach problem was due to the salt pork he’d eaten for all three meals, and the hurting in his chest was because of the jogging and stress in the saddle.

  It was a couple hours before sunrise when Lefty poured his second cup of coffee after eating. The horses were already saddled, tethered, and ready to go as soon as the first light shown.

  After riding a couple of hours, he and his string had gone over the mountaintop and were now descending toward the valley below. Another long day’s ride down the valley would bring him to Sutter’s Fort.

  When he stopped at noon, he was feeling worse. He’d thrown-up his breakfast and had decided it would be best if he didn’t eat his noon meal. He even skipped building
a fire for coffee; instead, he went to the stream and drank several cupped-hands of water. Afterward, he removed his bandanna, dipped it in the water and washed his face and neck. It helped some.

  Lefty’s afternoon trek was miserable. He was throwing up a clear liquid from an empty stomach, his chest was hurting something ferrous, and he was about to freeze to death even though the sun was streaming down its heat beams. I’m having a chill, he thought. I’ll stop when I get to the valley, and after tending the horses, I’ll build a big fire and make a pot of coffee; that should warm me up. But it didn’t.

  When the next morning came, Lefty hadn’t slept a wink because of his pain and being chilled. He was in trouble, and he knew it. The healing process of his chest had backslid for some reason. When he rose from his bedroll, he was dizzy and staggered about, not able to get his balance, so he hunted for, and found a walking stick. He knew he’d be unable to keep anything down, so he passed on breakfast and went to the horses to tether them. Because of his condition, it turned out to be a difficult job. His fingers weren’t working right as he tied the ropes, and he’d lost his balance twice and fell to the ground, but Lefty finally got the horses tethered and somehow climbed aboard Star with his bedroll wrapped around his shoulders for warmth. It was another beautiful day as they traveled throughout the morning. White, fluffy clouds were floating east through the blue sky, and the sun was sending down its heat waves. Eagles were soaring in the high mountain passes, but Lefty wasn’t aware of any of this; he was in a daze, about to freeze, with sharp, hurtful jabs going throughout his body as he held onto the saddle’s horn to keep from falling.

  As the afternoon passed, Lefty’s condition got worse by the hour, but somehow, he stayed in the saddle, slumped over with his arms clenched around Star’s neck. Star seemed to know something was wrong with the man in the saddle, so the big gelding kept on walking mile-after-mile down the valley toward Sutter’s Fort.

  It was well after dark when Bert saw the string of horses coming from the north with the lead horse carrying a man who seemed to be out of it. As they got closer, Bert recognized Star even though it was dark, so he quickly ran to him and saw Lefty slumped in the saddle. Minutes later, Bert had Lefty lying beside his Potbelly stove with covers piled on top of him. He’d seen fresh blood stains on the right side of his shirt, but he’d wait a spell to look at the problem. Right now, he needed to get Lefty warm.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “Good morning, Miss Suzan,” said a crusty looking man with a face full of whiskers who was a regular morning pastry customer. “You’re looking mighty pretty this morning.”

  “Thank you,” Suzan said with sparkling eyes and a wide smile, even though they were fake. “That’s very kind of you.”

  “I’ll take two of them there Bear Claws and a steaming cup of the blackest coffee you have.” Suzan fetched the order and handed it to the man who in turn handed her two-bits. Then the next man in the long line stepped up and gave her another complement as he ordered his pastry and coffee.

  One-by-one the customers placed and received their orders and most men gave Suzan a glowing compliment. She always responded with a smile and eyes of appreciation. When the last man in line received his order and left, Suzan locked the door and went to the kitchen to help Louise wash the pots and pan and clean the kitchen. It wasn’t long until tears started streaming down her face. Louise saw the tears and knew why they were being shed, so she poured two cups of coffee, sat them on the table and called for Suzan to join her. When she sat down, Louise reached across the table for her hands. She started to say something, but Suzan beat her to it through sobs. “It’s been over six weeks since we separated from him, Louise, and he still hasn’t shown. He said he’d be here within a week.” Suzan paused to wipe tears, and Louise remained quiet, so her friend could get her worries out in the open. “We left him there all alone against eight gun-savvy men…he didn’t have a chance. I should have stayed with him; I could have done something.” They both took a swallow of coffee to dissolve the lump in their throats, then Suzan continued, “I should have listened to you, Louise. I should have talked Lefty out of going after his gold. All the gold in the world is not worth a person’s life. I could care less about the gold; it’s my husband I want.”

  “You’re already thinking Lefty has been killed, Suzan. Maybe it has been six weeks since we left him, but it doesn’t mean he’s been killed. There are many reasons why he hasn’t shown; have faith, Suzan.” She nodded and wiped tears. “And another thing,” Louise said rather firmly, “don’t go blaming yourself, no matter how things turn out. You were right to encourage Hide and Lefty to go after their dreams. I was the one in the wrong, trying to hold them back.” The women finished their coffee and then resumed their cleaning duties.

  The next three days were about the same. Pastry sales were good, and the clan remained worried over Lefty. However, the fourth day generated some excitement. The clerk at the mercantile delivered two letters that had come in on the Ocean to Ocean Express Mail Service. The first letter was addressed to Mr. James Hideman from the president of the Western Mining Company of St. Louis, Missouri. Louise read the letter out loud to her husband and Suzan. It was a formal commitment to purchase the gold shipment and the gold strike that Samuel had already agreed to. The letter stated that thirteen and a half million dollars had been placed in escrow at the St. Louis bank waiting for signatures of the transaction before disbursement. Louise read the letter a second time to Hide, who was smiling from ear-to-ear.

  The other letter was addressed to Albert Newman and was from Beth Newman of Pecos, Texas. Suzan had accepted the letter but was hesitant to open it. Partly because her upbringing was against opening people’s mail and partly because it brought to mind the possible demise of her husband. After holding the unopened letter for a few minutes with watery eyes, Louise’s encouragement persuaded her to open it.

  April 3, 1850

  Greetings,

  I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Beth Newman, and I am the wife of your brother who I’m told you call Bub. We were married five months ago on January 5, 1850. I’ve been teaching your brother to read and write but he hasn’t progressed enough to write a letter, so he asked me to write down his words since he thought you should know about your mother’s death. She died in her sleep two weeks ago of an unknown cause. Bub thinks it was because of the cattle being rustled from their range. He thinks more than half of their cattle were stolen over the winter. Bub and your mother abandon the ranch because they couldn’t pay their bills with the reduced cattle sales, and moved to Pecos where Bub accepted a job shoeing horses. He has become depressed and says that’s all he’s fit to do. His old self has changed considerable since I first met and agreed to marry him. I haven’t told him, but I’m pregnant.

  I’m also to tell you that the entire valley between the two mountain ranges where your cabin was located will be sold by the state of Texas by January 1851, to anyone who comes forward, and if no one does, they’ll let homesteaders claim the land. Bub says it encompasses over a hundred thousand acres.

  Sincerely,

  Beth Newman—your brother’s wife.

  Suzan handed the letter to Louise and then went for coffee with a sober expression.

  Most people would be excited if they’d just learned they had over thirteen million dollars in a bank, but not Louise and her household, especially Suzan. Their thoughts were on Lefty, their friend, and husband who had warded off eight gunmen for their safety. Their worries and doubts mounted with every passing day, but they weren’t giving up on his return, not just yet. They kept to their daily routine, cooking and serving pastries along with coffee. Sam and Betty Arnold helped out occasionally, but not on a regular basis. It had now been eight weeks.

  There was a clear early morning sky when Suzan unlocked the door and welcomed the long line of customers. Customer after customer ordered their pastry and coffee but this morning they weren’t given her usual smile, and warm welcomed
which was very noticeable. The morning’s line was finally coming to an end. Only one more customer to serve and then I can lockup, she thought. I wish he’d hurry up and order. The man just stood there with his head down and his out-of-shape, sweat-stained hat pulled low, hiding his face. His clothes were dirty, and his boot heels were run down. Finally, Suzan said rather rudely, “It’s about closing time, mister. Are you going to order something or are you just going to stand there? I have things to do.”

  “Are you always this rude with customers?” The man said as he raised his head and showed his face. It was Lefty. Suzan couldn’t move. She just stood there crying like a baby. Finally, she got control of herself and jumped into his arms, but her crying and sobs didn’t stop. It was a long time before she pulled back and started kissing him lightly over-and-over on his cheeks and neck. Lefty stepped back, put his large hands on each side of her face and drew her mouth to his for a long, long kiss. When he released her, and their eyes met, she pulled him back to her for another long kiss.

  After another kiss or two, Suzan pulled back with scolding eyes and asked, “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick. You said you’d be here in a week and that was eight weeks ago. What happened?”

  “Why don’t you let me say hello to Louise and Hide, and then I’ll explain the whole thing to the three of you.” Suzan nodded, took his hand, and walked behind the curtain into the kitchen where Louise and Hide were sitting at the table with smiling faces.

  “We’ve been wondering when you were going to get through with all that affection you were giving Suzan and come in here to say hello,” Hide said with a big smile. Louise quickly stood, threw her arms around Lefty and shed tears on his shoulder. Hide stood behind, ready to shake his friend’s hand.