The Reluctant Bounty Hunter

by S G Read

  Chapter 7

  The sun rose on Bluegrass and it was already busy. Several men were making extra gallows as there were men to hang after they were sentenced. The dead had to be buried; the dead from the town on boot hill with a service by the lay preacher and the dead from the attacking army just behind boot hill, unceremoniously dumped into the hole dug for them.

  The colonel already had pride of place on the gallows despite being dead. He had been strung up as soon as the ranch hands brought him back. The judge was preparing for trials for the living and the marshals were helping out wherever they could.

  The trials began and all worked stopped so that they could all squeeze into the court house to hear what went on. Each man was asked for a plea and each one pleaded not guilty. Then witnesses came forward to say what they saw concerning the man on trial at that time, they were all found guilty and hanged. Not at first light but immediately. That caused a problem for the people who wanted to listen to the trials and watch the hangings, as the guilty were marched out and hanged while the next man was tried. Some spent the time following the condemned man to the gallows only to hurry back to listen to the next trial, if they could get back into the court house.

  The grave digger was digging furiously and complaining every time the trapdoor in the gallows was sprung even though, he was being paid for each grave he dug.

  Not all were hanged a few were sent to Yuma prison for a number of years for being part of the army, as there was no proof that they had actually killed anyone, although several were for hanging them anyway. The judge was sticking to the law, as he understood it and the fact that they might have killed, raped and maimed in Carson’s Rock was not evidence.

  One reason they were upset was what happened to Elias and the people on the stage, they were all found dead on the outskirts of town and they guessed that they had not just killed the women by their state of undress. Elias would not bring the stage in on time ever again. The preacher was among the dead piled outside of town and they learned from one of the army that it had been him who produced a pistol when they did not expect it and fired it into the air to try to warn the town of trouble. He was buried by his church with a plaque on the wall, so that everyone could read of his selfless devotion to the town.

  Duncan stayed in town until the last man was sent off to prison and the hangings had all been taken care of, before he returned to his valley with several Indians joining him as soon as he left town. He was pleased to see Morning Sun and he was even pleased to hear Duncan Wolf Lee, who still had a good pair of lungs.

  Sarah, Becky and Priscilla sat talking in a corner of the playground, although it was called the playground, not much playing was ever seen, as it was unladylike! Cynthia Bracewell walked over flanked by three helpers and stood in front of Sarah but the three just carried on talking.

  ‘It is rude to ignore someone.’ Cynthia declared.

  ‘It is ruder to interrupt someone who is in conversation.’ Sarah countered.

  ‘I want your pocket money and her’s.’ Cynthia answered ignoring Sarah’s reply.

  ‘Why?’ Sarah asked. ‘I can look after my own money thank you.’

  ‘Miss Brody told me too.’ Cynthia answered immediately.

  ‘Why is she hard up?’ Becky asked which caused a ripple of laughter.

  ‘No, it is because we are not allowed to have money on us, as it is unladylike.’ Cynthia explained.

  ‘What if we want to buy something?’ Becky asked, feeling brave as Sarah and Priscilla were there.

  ‘Then you have to ask her for some and she either says you can or can not buy whatever it is.’ Cynthia answered, very patiently for her.

  The three girls stood up and walked inside.

  ‘You could have said that Prissy.’ Sarah declared and walked to her little cupboard. ‘I can not see me wanting to buy anything while I am here anyway. She pulled out her money which was a wad of notes and gave them to Cynthia. ‘It better had arrive or I will be coming to see you.’ She added.

  ‘I can not spend any either Sarah, so it would not do me any good keeping it.’ Cynthia replied.

  Becky handed over her money, not a lot but to her a fortune and Cynthia left.

  ‘So that is why she takes the money?’ Pricilla declared. ‘She could have told me! It would have saved me from getting punched!’

  ‘Sorry about that but I didn’t know either.’ Sarah replied.

  ‘Did not know!’ Becky corrected.

  ‘Oh yes, dreadfully sorry old girl.’ Sarah replied.

  Everyone had expected a fight between Cynthia and Sarah but as there was none, speculation as to who would have won was rife but Sarah was not looking for trouble, she just refused to back away from it, should she come face to face with it, which she proved three weeks later.

  They were in bed and supposed to be asleep. They heard a crash downstairs and raised voices. They were soon beside the door to their dormitory with it opened a little way. Below Ms. Brody was arguing with four men who held a pistol to her face. Despite the pistol she was still arguing, trying to protect her girls. They heard Priscilla’s name and her heart froze, they were here to take her, probably as a hostage.

  ‘What shall I do?’ Priscilla asked in terror.

  ‘We go back to bed and wait for them to come to us, hopefully two will go to the other dorm while one keeps the Ms. Brody from going for help and one will come in here.’ Sarah explained.

  ‘Why?’ Priscilla asked.

  ‘Because I have a plan Prissy, do you trust me?’ Sarah replied.

  ‘Yes.’ Priscilla answered.

  ‘Then back to bed and Becky, when he asks which one is Prissy you put your hand up but don’t get out of bed whatever he threatens.’

  ‘I’m game!’ Becky declared.

  The girls all hurried back to their beds as the men came up the stairs. The door to the dormitory opened and a man walked in. He wore a pistol at his hip but did not have it out to threaten anyone. He turned up the lamp before he spoke.

  ‘Which of you sleeping beauties is Priscilla Wainthrop?’ He asked loud enough to wake them.

  Heads rose of their pillows and Becky waved to him.

  ‘That would be me.’ She announced.

  ‘Get some clothes on and come with me!’ The man ordered.

  ‘I am not allowed to go with strange men especially in the middle of the night.’ Becky replied haughtily.

  ‘Do as I tell you or I will paddle you.’ The man warned.

  ‘I certainly will not, I am not a canoe!’ Becky declared, starting to enjoy the role.

  ‘The rest of you stay in bed or I will be forced to put a slug in you!’ The man warned and walked over to where Becky lay but now he had his pistol in his hand.

  He walked between the two beds where the girl in the next bed looked to be still asleep and threw Becky’s covers off her. Seconds later he crumpled into a heap as Sarah his him with a chamber pot.

  ‘Oh shoot I broke it!’ She declared when she was left holding just the handle. She threw the handle onto the floor but heard shouts from below.

  ‘Some else is coming.’ The girl near the door warned.

  ‘Quick get him on top of Becky.’ Sarah hissed. ‘And I need more ammo.’

  The man was thrown on top of the protesting Becky and they were covered leaving just their heads showing.

  ‘Well move about then.’ Sarah ordered as Priscilla slid another chamber pot over to her.

  ‘Like what?’ Becky asked.

  Sarah demonstrated and it made some girls snigger, she had just time to dive into bed when the second man came into the room.

  ‘Help her.’ The girl by the door wailed. ‘He is raping her!’

  The man looked to where she pointed. ‘Get of her Bodine we need her in one piece until the ransom is paid, then you can have her!’

  Bodine ignored him and continued with his up and down movement and the man drew his pistol then walked up to where he lay. Sarah hit him with the replacement c
hamber pot and that broke as well.

  ‘Two down.’ She declared as the man fell to the floor. ‘And I mean the potties.’

  ‘Get him off me!’ Becky cried in despair. ‘I can’t breathe.’

  ‘I can not breathe.’ Priscilla corrected but helped Sarah pull the man onto the floor.

  ‘Roseanne, the next one is yours. Be ready with a potty while we distract him.’ Sarah called.

  Distract him they did. When he walked in they lifted their night dresses in a very unladylike manner. Roseanne did the rest and two other girls dragged him out of the way so that they could close the door.

  ‘There is still one down there and he has a pistol to Ms. Brody’s head.’ Roseanne hissed while she was peering through a crack in the door. ‘What do we do now?’

  ‘Time for a confrontation.’ Sarah declared. ‘It is either that or let him take Prissy.’

  ‘No I’ll go.’ Priscilla argued. ‘It is me he wants.’

  ‘Can you shoot this?’ Sarah asked picking up the second man’s fallen pistol.

  ‘Well no.’ Priscilla admitted.

  ‘Well I can.’ She slipped the gun into her dressing gown with the barrel pointing forward. ‘As soon as I can hit him without hitting Ms. Brody, he is dead meat.’ She declared. ‘If they wake up hit them again.’

  She walked slowly down the stairs toward the waiting gunman.

  ‘I hear you want me.’ She said as she walked down.

  ‘Just keep coming or I will put a bullet in your teacher’s head.’ The man warned.

  ‘She is not a teacher, she is the headmistress.’ Sarah pointed out as she walked down.

  At the bottom step she paused and the man waved her forward with his pistol. She continued until she was sure she could hit him. She had her hand on the pistol ready to fire it. She smiled at him and fired. The surprised look on his face was plain to see as he crumpled in a heap on the floor.

  ‘Now be a good man and do not bleed on the rug.’ She ordered while Ms. Brody stood there in disbelief. ‘Shall I go for help Ms. Brody?’

  ‘No that will not be necessary Sarah but as you seem able to shoot that pistol I would ask you to fire a few more shots but outside, that will summon aid.’ Ms. Brody answered regaining her usual composure.

  Sarah did just that firing four times into the air just out of the door. Immediately she could here shouts down the street and lamps came on.

  ‘Now you should make yourself decent as the police will be here directly. They will want to ask you and the other girls some questions.’ Ms. Brody ordered.

  She watched Sarah walk up the stairs.

  ‘Sarah?’

  ‘Yes Ms. Brody?’

  ‘What did you do with the other men?’

  ‘They were rendered unconscious with the use of chamber pots Ms. Brody but I must confess I broke two doing it.’

  ‘We have spare chamber pots Sarah, so I do not think it will matter, besides some of them were getting old and cracked.’

  ‘Yes Ms. Brody, thank you Ms. Brody.’

  ‘I think I should be thanking you, now up to the dormitory as men are approaching.’

  By the time the men woke the police had them handcuffed. The girls were now dressed and answered questions when asked. It was an hour later that they could finally undress and go back to bed. Ms. Brody was there to wish them goodnight as she always did, before she herself went back to bed. Outside two well armed men stood guard in case anyone else came to try to take Priscilla.

  Three weeks later Priscilla’s parents arrived to take her away but she was having none of it. She demanded to be able to stay and they acceded to her demands. There was a large bunch of flowers for Becky, foreign sweets for Sarah as well as a letter which was given to Ms.. Brody. The Wainthrops left in the early afternoon after taking Priscilla on a shopping trip and that night after Ms. Brody had retired, after wishing them all a good night, they had a midnight feast with the sweets. It was the first time Priscilla had stood up to her parents and it was the first time she thought she belonged somewhere, for her it was a turning point in her life.

  Zeke was tired of his office chair and when the chance to ride out and find Duncan came he took it. A difficult job had arisen which sounded like it was up Duncan’s particular street. It was a decision which he regretted on the second day of his journey. As he crossed a stream and rode up on the other side he saw a war party of Sioux. What was worse they saw him! He spurred his horse into action and rode toward the area where Duncan lived. The Sioux charged after him with their usual whooping calls when they thought they were going to kill someone and it was soon obvious that outrunning them was not going to be an option. It was just a matter of whose horse faded first and as there were eight of them the odds were that it would be his, even if others faded some would still be after him when it happened. He reached some scrubland, with a few trees on either side and rode for his life but noticed a group of Indians to his left who were in hiding. A glance to his right found more and he recognised Little Buck amongst them. They were ready to ambush the Sioux so he rode on slowing a little as if the horse was running out of steam until he heard the fighting behind him, then he turned with his pistol drawn and joined in.

  With the element of surprise on their side the smaller party of Sioux were wiped out in what seemed to be a very short space of time. When the last Sioux was dead and scalped Little Buck rode up to Zeke.

  ‘Hello marshal Zeke are you looking for Duncan Lee?’ He asked in fair English.

  ‘I am Little Buck and thank you for your help.’

  ‘They killed some of our braves when they were hunting so we were looking for them to take revenge so thank you for your help in drawing them to us. Come, they will take you to the meeting place and I will fetch Duncan Lee.’

  They rode on with Zeke feeling that he was lucky to be alive. In earlier days both parties of Indians would have killed and scalped him, things had certainly changed since Duncan Lee had arrived. Little Buck left them to ride on and rode into the Valley, making sure no one was watching. Duncan heard him coming and walked out to meet him.

  ‘Hello Little Buck, I can see you caught the Sioux you were after.’ He said eying the scalps that swung of his belt.

  ‘They were foolish and tried to kill marshal Zeke when he was looking for you and we were able to ambush them. Marshal Zeke is at the meeting ground waiting for you.

  ‘I will come now but it is a bad time for me. Sarah will be coming home for her holiday in a week and I have to collect her from the water stop.’ Duncan answered.

  ‘I will ask my father to meet her if you have to go away. I think he likes Hannah’s daughter.’

  ‘If I have to go I would trust your father to meet her.’ Duncan admitted as he saddled his horse.

  ‘As long as she does not try to shoot him again.’ Little Buck replied.

  ‘I think she knows who he is now Little Buck.’

  They rode out of the valley and headed for the meeting place. It was a short ride, down to the cross trails, left along the trail that led to the Indian village and then left before the Indian village on to the plain with its one lone tree in the middle.

  ‘Morning Zeke.’ Duncan greeted when he rode up.

  ‘Morning Dunc, I have a nasty job for you.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Keeping folks in their town for a while.’

  ‘Cholera?’

  ‘Yep cholera. We need to bottle up both ends where there is passage through the mountains as it is in a valley. You can have as many men as I can spare.’

  ‘And just how many is that?’ Duncan asked warily.

  ‘Five including you, folks don’t cotton to cholera much.’

  ‘You don’t say. I might be able to get some help from my father in law but they will shoot first and ask questions if the person is still alive, they don’t like cholera either.’ Duncan replied. ‘Where is it?’

  ‘Andersonsville. I have seven men there at the moment but they were on their way
to another problem which is getting mighty volatile.’

  ‘Send your men to meet me in cotton canyon that should make them there the same time as me.’

  ‘They will be there.’

  ‘Any trouble getting here Zeke?’

  ‘A mite but luckily I reached Pawnee territory before the Sioux could cut my hair for me.’

  ‘Well just be careful going back I don’t want to end up behind that desk again.’ Duncan warned and the meeting was over.

  Duncan rode to see Running Wolf and explained what he was being asked to do and that Sarah would need collecting from the water stop in a week’s time.

  ‘I will only ask for anyone willing to go, we were hit by Cholera once and it killed a lot of my people.’ Running Wolf announced. ‘I will be there with an escort to bring Sarah from the water stop back to the valley.’

  ‘I will go to Morning Sun and leave in the morning, that way I should meet the four other marshals where I want.’

  ‘If anyone will go with you they will be waiting in the morning.’ Running Wolf replied. ‘Why do you go?’

  ‘If the folks in Andersonsville go walk about and have the disease it could soon end up in Harpersville and then out to here. To keep them in the town seems cold hearted but it is what we must do.’

  ‘I hear what you say Duncan Lee.’

  Duncan rode home for and evening and night of passion with Morning Sun with Duncan Wolf Lee behaving himself and sleeping through the night, which is something Morning Sun and Duncan did not. It might be some time before Duncan returned and then Sarah would be there.

  When the sun was up, so was Duncan, he was used to going without sleep in the war and rode out to meet Little Buck and another Indian he knew as Tall Grass waiting outside. Tall Grass was Crazy Dog’s brother.

  ‘My father did not want me to go and he has said I must stay away until I know I have not brought back the plague to my people before I return to the village but I have a debt which I will honor.’ Little Buck declared.