A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Forty-Sixth in a Series of Jess Williams Westerns (A Jess Williams Western Book 46)

by Robert J. Thomas

  “Go on, give that a try,” threatened Jess, as his finger tightened on the trigger.

  “No, don’t kill him,” cried Jacob who was running up to where Jess was.

  “Jacob, get back to the horses,” demanded Jess without turning around. Jacob reached him, grabbed his coat and yanked on it.

  “I don’t want you to kill him,” he begged.

  “But he’s a murderer and the law wants him dead or alive,” explained Jess as he kept the rifle trained on Spence, who was laughing now.

  “Then take him to the next town and turn him into the law,” pleaded Jacob.

  “That’s not how I do things.”

  “Please, do it for me.”

  “He robbed you of all your belongings.”

  “But we got them back.”

  “Only because I happened to be trailing him.”

  “No, I think someone sent you to help us.” Spence was still laughing, even though he was holding his bloody arm. Jess gave him a cold stare.

  “You keep laughing and I know right where to put the next slug,” he told him with meaning, as Woodson came running up to Jacob.

  “Don’t interfere with the man, Jacob,” he advised. “You’re going to get yourself hurt or worse getting between these two.”

  “I just didn’t want him to kill him.”

  “He’s got a job to do and it’s not our business,” argued Woodson. “We should be thankful we got out things back.” Jess glared at Spence and he tightened his finger on the trigger again, but for some reason he didn’t quite understand, he moved his finger from the trigger and frowned.

  “Woodson, go take his pistol out of his holster and tie his hands up tight,” said Jess reluctantly, not sure why he was even telling him that. It felt as if something or someone was making him do the opposite of what he wanted to do. He kept the rifle aimed at Spence until Woodson had his hands tied with some rope. Jess looked at Spence.

  “Get down from that wagon and walk toward me,” he ordered. Spence crawled out of the wagon and over to Jess.

  “Come on, I’m going to tie you down to my packhorse,” he said as he moved behind him and shoved him forward with the rifle barrel.

  Spence took two steps and whirled around, knocking the barrel away from him, but Jess brought the buttstock up hard and it crashed into his jaw. He fell to the ground on his side, out cold. Woodson and Jacob walked over and looked down at him.

  “He ain’t dead, is he?” asked Jacob.

  “No, he’s just out cold,” replied Jess. “Woodson, keep an eye on him and wrap something around his arm while I get my horses. And check his pockets for any money he took off you.” Jess handed the rifle to Woodson and went to get his horses. When he returned, Spence was sitting up, spitting blood out of his mouth. A white cloth was tied around his bloody arm and both of his pockets were turned inside out.

  “You knocked out two of my teeth,” complained Spence.

  “Count yourself lucky. If it weren’t for the boy here, you’d be dead already,” Jess told him as he looked at Jacob. “Now, get on my packhorse.”

  Spence climbed up in the saddle. Jess used some rawhide strips to tie his hands to the saddle horn and then tied his feet together under Sharps’ belly. Jess looked at the boots with the spurs on them. He pulled them off and handed them to Woodson.

  “These look like they’ll fit you,” he told him.

  “You’re stealing my boots?”

  “You ain’t raking my horse with those spurs,” elaborated Jess. “And you won’t be needing them where you’re going.” Woodson removed the spurs and threw them into the dirt. He took off his old boots, pulled Spence’s on and smiled.

  “They fit perfectly.”

  Jess stepped up into the saddle and waited for Woodson and Jacob to climb onto the front seat of the wagon. As Jacob put his foot on one of the spokes, he heard barking. He stepped back down and saw Blacky appear out of the wind-driven dust. Jacob leaned over and rubbed his head. His tail was wagging and his tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth. He was panting as he tried to catch his breath.

  “You’d better give him some water,” Jess told him.

  Jacob used a bucket to water him and then helped him climb into the back of the wagon. Before Jess turned his horses around, he saw Blacky’s head pop out between Woodson and Jacob. Jess shook his head and turned his horses back along the trail, with Spence muttering something under his breath.

  “Great, now I have a murderer who’s still breathing, an old man and a kid who’s all righteous and a dog that won’t leave,” whispered Jess to himself as he put Gray and Sharps into a moderate pace that the wagon could keep up with.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The odd-looking group rode into Brandon, Texas later that day. Jess headed straight for the jail. A man wearing a tin star walked out and looked at Spence tied up in the saddle. The sheriff recognized both Spence and Jess.

  “Since when do you bring ‘em in alive?” he asked Jess with a comical grin on his face.

  “Since I have a young boy riding with me who doesn’t want me to kill him,” he replied as he nodded at the wagon.

  “That doesn’t seem to fit right either,” advised the sheriff. “You got paper on Spence?” Jess pulled the wanted poster out and handed it over.

  “All right, but I won’t have your three thousand until tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s fine,” said Jess. “It’s going to be dark in less than an hour and my horses need some rest and good feed.”

  “Livery is over there and that’s Mabel’s Boarding House,” he said pointing in two directions.

  “Thanks,” said Jess as he untied the straps from Spence and helped him out of the saddle.

  The sheriff grabbed Spence by the collar and walked him up the steps to the jail. Jess started to walk his horses to the livery, with the wagon following behind him. When they got there, Jacob and Woodson got down from the wagon.

  “We’ll sleep in the wagon behind the livery,” said Woodson.

  “No need. We can get two rooms at the boarding house,” Jess told him.

  “What little money I have in my pockets can’t be spent on luxuries like a room.”

  “I can pay for it; I’m making three thousand dollars tomorrow for bringing in Spence.”

  “You mean you get paid that much money for bringing in wanted men?” inquired Jacob.

  “Yeah, but most of the time, they ain’t breathing when I do.”

  “Do you get paid more for bringing them in dead?”

  “No, it pays the same.”

  “Then why kill them?”

  “Because the men I hunt are very bad men,” Jess told him. “As a matter of fact, it’s a miracle Spence didn’t kill the both of you.”

  Woodson grunted. “He said the only reason he didn’t is that he only had two shells in his pistol. My rifle was plumb empty.”

  Jacob looked back and forth the between Woodson and Jess. “You don’t really think he was gonna kill us, do you?” he asked Jess.

  “I’d bet the three thousand dollars I’ll collect tomorrow that he’d have shot both of you down like dogs,” Jess told him bluntly. “Now, let’s get a room and some grub in our bellies.”

  Jess paid the livery man to take care of all the horses and the wagon. They got rooms and ate at a café in town before retiring for the night. In the morning, they were eating breakfast in the same café when the sheriff came walking in with an envelope holding the bounty money on Spence in it. Jess counted out two hundred and handed it to the sheriff, who gladly accepted it.

  “Whew, with this money it looks like my kids will get a nice Christmas after all,” he said as he shook hands with Jess. “I can get the missus that new dress and hat she’s been wanting and maybe I can get my son that sled he’s been begging for.” He thanked Jess again and walked out, whistling a tune. Jess stuffed the envelope in the inside pocket of his jacket.

  “Wow, I ain’t never seen that much money in my whole life,” a
cknowledged Jacob.

  “And I haven’t made that much in all the years of making and selling toys,” admitted Woodson as he shook his head. Jess patted his jacket and felt the money as he thought about what the sheriff had said about the sled. Then, the idea hit him like someone had dropped a sack of flour on his head. He looked at Woodson and Jacob with a sly smile crossing his lips.

  “Why are you looking at us like that?” queried Jacob.

  “Do you have a sled in that wagon?”

  “Why, yeah,” muttered Woodson. “Oh, I should go and catch up with the sheriff and try to sell him one for his son.” Woodson started to stand up, but Jess stopped him.

  “I think I have a better idea,” he told them both. Woodson sat back down, looking confused.

  “What idea?” he asked Jess.

  “First, where were you two headed in the long run?”

  “Well, we was making our way up through that small patch of Oklahoma Territory to Kansas,” replied Woodson. “Figured we’d sell what we could, use the money and find a larger town to settle down in. Maybe get a job and keep making toys to sell to people for birthdays and holidays. Christmas is coming up real soon, so I was hoping to sell a few extra, but those small towns we were riding around were poor and folks didn’t have much money to spare on toys.”

  “How much do you think all the toys in your wagon are worth?” Woodson lowered his head in thought and counted on his fingers.

  “Without taking inventory of all I have, I’d guess about a hundred dollars or so,” replied Woodson.

  “I’ll pay you two hundred dollars for all the toys you have in that wagon.”

  “That’s way more than I could take from you,” he said somewhat embarrassed because the thought of making two hundred dollars enticed him thoroughly.

  “Maybe, but I need you to deliver the toys to my hometown of Black Creek, Kansas, and you should be paid for your time, both of you.” Jacob looked at Woodson expectantly.

  “This sounds like a good idea to me,” submitted Jacob. “Maybe we could settle down in Black Creek.”

  “It’s a thriving town and I guarantee you’ll have a place to stay.”

  “Really, you can guarantee it?”

  “Yes, I own some of the homes there and my banker sells them or rents them out,” he explained. “I can find you one to stay in and you can pay me whatever you can each month.”

  Woodson’s eyes filled with excitement and became slightly watery. “Well, it sure sounds like a great opportunity for us,” he said as he put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder.

  “What are you going to do with all the toys though?” asked Jacob.

  “We’re going to give them away to the poorer families around Black Creek, so that everyone has a good Christmas.

  “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” Jacob told Woodson. “And I want to give all the toys away personally.” Jess paid Woodson two hundred dollars, which he took with a thankful expression on his face.

  “All right, now that it’s settled, let’s get two more horses for that wagon so it can move faster,” said Jess.

  He stood up, left money on the table for the food and followed them out and over to the livery. The wagon was rigged and Jacob helped Blacky up inside. Jess stopped by the boarding house and retrieved his things. Woodson steered the wagon to the jail and the sheriff walked out.

  “Leaving town?” he asked.

  “Yes, but did you say you wanted a sled for your son for Christmas?” queried Jess.

  “I did, but I haven’t gone to the general store to order it yet. Hopefully it will get here in time for Christmas.” Jacob stood up in the wagon and reached inside it. He pulled out a handmade sled with bright red and white paint on it.

  “Here, you can have this one,” said Jacob.

  “How much are you asking for it?” Jacob glanced at Jess and then at Woodson before turning back to the sheriff.

  “Not a penny. Merry Christmas to you and your family,” Jacob beamed proudly as he leaned over Woodson to hand it to the sheriff.

  “Why, I don’t exactly know what to say,” stammered the sheriff.

  “I do,” said Jacob.

  “What?”

  “Say you’ll buy a toy or gift of some kind for one of the poorer kids in town,” he told the sheriff, who smiled widely as he saw the excitement dancing like firelight in Jacob’s eyes.

  “I’ll do just that. I know exactly who I’m going to pick out already,” exclaimed the sheriff. “And Merry Christmas to you and yours.”

  “Well, we need to get moving,” Jess said as the sheriff gave him a curious look. He watched the wagon disappear around the corner as he stood there dumbfounded.

  “Jess Williams giving out gifts for Christmas and bringing a wanted man in alive,” he whispered to himself. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next few days on the trail went pretty uneventfully. Blacky’s wound was healing nicely and Jacob seemed to be bonding with the dog. They even slept together under the wagon and Blacky kept Jacob warmer. They had crossed through Oklahoma Territory and were close to the border of Kansas when Jess saw the outline of a small town. He turned in the saddle and called out to Woodson.

  “We’ll stop in that town and resupply.”

  “Okay, I’m getting hungry anyway,” said Woodson.

  When they rode into Wabash, a few people were strolling around. It was early in the afternoon and Jess headed for the livery to get the horses fed and watered. After that, the three of them went to the café for a hot meal. They walked in, leaving Blacky outside. Jess noticed a man sitting at a table. He wore a tin star and was talking to another man who seemed upset about something. Jess nodded to him as he passed by, heading for the last table in the back. They ordered their meals and filled their bellies. Then Jacob took some leftovers to Blacky. The sheriff stood up and shook hands with the other man, who walked outside. The sheriff turned and walked toward Jess’s table. He removed his hat and spun it around in his hands.

  “What brings you to my little town, Mr. Williams?” he asked.

  “I’m just passing through on my way to Black Creek, Kansas.”

  “And you’re hauling an old man, a young boy and a dog along with you?”

  “Who you calling old?” argued Woodson as Jacob came back to the table.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense/ It’s just that it seems odd is all, given his reputation,” explained the sheriff.

  “That man you were talking to seemed a bit upset,” Jess mentioned as he took another sip of his coffee.

  “He’s my brother, Zachary, and I can’t blame him for being upset,” he explained. “His wife had a clothing store in town selling mostly children’s clothing. My brother made shoes and boots for children. The bank finally had to call in the note and they lost the store. He said they’re heading to Kansas to look for another place to live. I tried to help him, but he’s a proud and stubborn man.” Just then a covered wagon rolled by the front of the café with a man and woman in the front seat. The man waved at the café and the sheriff waved back at him.

  “So, what did they do with all the merchandise in the store?” queried Jess.

  “Oh, they kept all of that,” he replied. “That wagon is full of trunks filled with clothing, shoes and boots. The bank let them keep the sewing machines and tools.

  “Why didn’t they set up shop in their house?” asked Woodson.

  “Bank took that a week after they took the store,” he replied. “My brother punched the banker when he informed him about the house, so there’s no love lost between him and my brother. That’s really why he’s leaving town. He knows he’ll never be able to borrow money from that banker again. Well, gotta do my rounds. Try not shooting someone before you leave.”

  “He won’t be shooting anyone,” announced Jacob as he gave Jess a firm smile. The sheriff looked at Jacob and then back to Jess.

  “I guess
you’d better listen to the boy,” he chuckled as he donned his hat and strolled out. Jess sat there staring into his coffee cup for a long moment.

  “You got that same look in your eyes again, so what are you thinking about now?” queried Woodson. Jess took another sip and set his cup down.

  “Well, those people are heading to Kansas to set up shop somewhere and I think I know exactly where they can do it,” he answered. “Let’s go to the general store, get some supplies and head out.”

  The three of them strolled over to the store. Jess started telling the man what he wanted and the shopkeeper ran around collecting everything. He had boxes on the counter and sacks on the floor. Woodson and Jacob looked confused.

  “Why are you getting so much stuff?” inquired Woodson “We don’t need it.”

  Jess turned around and smiled at him. “Do you have enough room in your wagon for all these supplies?”

  “Yeah, sure I do.”

  “Then go get it and bring it over here and load everything up.”

  Woodson and Jacob headed out of the store and returned with the wagon. They loaded all the boxes and bags and climbed up in the front seat while Jess retrieved his horses. He climbed into the saddle and rode to the wagon.

  “All right, let’s go and find that couple who just left town,” said Jess.

  “What for?” queried Woodson.

  “Those people are looking for a new town to set up in and Black Creek is the perfect place for them,” explained Jess. “Plus, they have what I need for the town at Christmas.”

  Woodson looked confused for a bit and then it came to him. He lifted his head and smiled. “Oh, all those clothes, boots and shoes for the childre,” he said. “Exactly what every kid needs, especially when it’s cold outside.”

  “I knew you’d catch on sooner or later,” Jess told him as he nudged Gray into a walk until they reached the end of the street. When they did, Jess pulled out his spyglass and saw the wagon almost out of view. He put the spyglass away and rode back to Woodson and Jacob. He pulled out a box of cartridges for Woodson’s rifle and handed it to him.