Then I started up them steps a-taking two or three of them at a time, ’cept only now and then I missed and stumbled. Once I even fell down, but I ketched myself on a step with my hands. I stood up and went at it again. I felt a gurgling down deep, but I fit it back. I tuck two more steps, and I spun clean around and fell back and landing on my ass a-setting on a step and looking down at ever’one down there in the bar. They was all a-looking at me too. That embarrassed me so much that I knowed I just had to get up and get on with what it was that I was a-doing.
Only thing is, I didn’t really know just what it was that I was a-meaning to do. I was a-headed for ole Red’s room. That was all I knowed. Something in my brain commenced to asking me just what action were I going to take whenever I got there. Was I a-going to kick in the door? Was I a-meaning to shoot ole Churkee? Or ole Red? Or just what the hell did I think I was a-going to do? Well, something come along just then and spared me the everlasting embarrassment a having to find out the answer to them questions.
I was most nearly to the top step whenever I just fell over backwards, and I remember rolling over and over and bouncing my back and my ass and my head on them steps as I was a-making my way back down to the bottom, and then I lit all laid out on my back, and after that I don’t remember nothing more about it.
Chapter 22
I come to just a-laying on my back pretty much like the last thing I remembered on the face a this earth, and for a space there my mind was a blank. It tuck me a while to open my eyes, and whenever I did open them up, it were just a crack on account a the world out there seemed a little too bright for them. Then my mind begun to wake up just a little bit at a time, and then it come right awake, and it come to me that I didn’t have no idee where I was at or what time it was nor nothing. The last thing I remembered was I was a-lying out on the hard floor a the saloon. Coming awake just then, I felt like I was laid out on something more softer than that. I felt of it with my hands, and it sure enough felt like a mattress, but only, not a real plush one like is on a good bed, but a skinnier kind a mattress. I set up fast and opened my eyes on up, and I seed that I was a-setting in a jail cell, and it were a mighty familiarlooking one at that.
I looked through them jail-cell bars, and there set ole Jim Chastain behind his big damn desk just a-looking for all the world as smug as he could manage to look. I jumped up to my two feet and run over to the bars and tuck aholt a one in each hand, and I yelled out madder’n hell, I can tell you.
“Jim Chastain,” I hollered, “you sneaking, lying, damn dirty bastard you. I know you want to kill me, prob’ly by shooting me in the back, but I never thunk you’d do me this dirty. You said you wouldn’t put me back in no jail, and you promised me you wouldn’t be taking advantage a me in my drunkenness. You lied to me, you son of a bitch. You Ook san bastard, you. Damn it all to hell, now if I ever get me another chance I will kill you for the lying snake what you are, and I hope you wake up in hell too. Damn it. I never tuck you for no lying chicken shit.”
I stopped to take me a breath and ’cause my head was a-hurting and all that yelling didn’t help it none.
“You all done, Kid?” Jim said.
“I reckon I said what needed saying.”
“Then come on out and have yourself a cup of coffee,” he said. “The door’s not locked.”
“Huh?”
I stepped over and tried the door, and sure enough, it was unlocked. I swung it wide open and walked out. I went over to the stove, got myself a cup and poured me out some coffee. Then I found me a chair and set down. I tuck me a sip a that hot coffee and like to a blistered my tongue.
“How you feeling, Kid?” Jim asked me.
“I’m all right,” I said, but only I was a-lying to him. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction a knowing that I was suffering so much. “I take back all them things I just now said to you,” I told him. “Hell, waking up in that there jail cell throwed a skeer into me.”
“That’s all right, Kid,” he said. “I understand. I just didn’t know what else to do with you last night.”
“I understand,” I said.
“What were you trying to do anyhow? Did you mean to kill Cherokee or something like that?”
“Naw,” I said. “Hell, no. Churkee, he’s my pardner—like ole Zeb. I just wanted to find out were he having hisself a good enough time. That’s all.”
’Course, I was lying to ole Jim again. I kinda wished he’d ask me something where I could tell him the truth. Really, I wished that I had a easy way a getting up and getting outa there, but then I guessed that he had really did me a favor by loading me onto the cot in that there cell.
“Kid?”
I finished slurping some hot coffee.
“What?” I said.
“What are you planning to do now? Are you going to keep hunting Gish?”
“Aw, hell, Jim,” I said, “I don’t know. I’d surely like to have him gone and outa my life, but it begins to look as if how this damn chase could go on forever. I’m just glad that you know the truth a the matter now. Maybe I’ll just let it go, you know, lessen I happen to chance on him by accident one a these days.”
“It looks like that’s going to have to be my stance on the matter too, Kid,” he said. “I have a town to watch over here. I can’t spend all my time chasing after one outlaw, especially if he rides out of my jurisdiction. Of course, his description will go out to every lawman around. He can’t get away forever. Someone’ll stop him somewhere.”
“Some day?” I said.
“Yeah.”
“Well, listen, Jim,” I said a-standing up outa my chair. “I got a terrible hunger on me. I best go find myself a breakfast. Thanks for what you done for me.”
“Anytime, Kid,” he said, but whenever he said it, I seed that look on his face again, and I sure was glad to get my ass outa there, I can tell you. Well, I walked around for a spell a-looking for ole Zeb or Churkee or even Red, but I never did see none a them, and I was so hungry and my head was still some light and a-hurting some that I couldn’t wait no longer. I went into a eating joint and ordered myself up some food. I et real big too. Most usual, whenever I get too drunk like that, well, the only thing for it is to eat real big first thing the next day. I drunk me aplenty a coffee too, and it did help.
Then I went to the stable, and I found my horse there, but I never found my saddlebags and my blanket roll nor none a my stuff but just only my ole horse and saddle. I guessed that some son of a bitch had come along and robbed me most nearly blind, and I cussed some, but I was glad I had my money in my jeans, so I went back on over to the saloon what also was a hotel, and I got me a room. I thought about having me a bath, but I never went and ordered it up. Instead I just throwed myself down on the bed in my room, and I went right off to sleep again.
Whenever I come awake again, I didn’t have no idea what time a day it was, but I looked out the winder, and the sky looked kinda dim like. I guessed that it was getting on into the evening. I straightened myself up in my dirty and wrinkly clothes the most best I could, and I went on out. I was a-feeling better by then, but I was hungry again. Downstairs I seed Churkee and ole Red, and whenever I was just about to walk past the table where they was a-setting, Red called out to me.
“Kid,” she said, “are you all right?”
I stopped, but I really didn’t want to talk none to them two just then. I kinda looked off to the side so as not to look at neither one of them.
“Sure,” I said, “I’m just fine.”
“You were pretty drunk last night,” ole Churkee said. “And you took a real fall down those stairs.”
“Oh,” I said. “Did I? I don’t really recall that.”
“Well, you did,” said Red. “It looked awful.”
“If you’d been sober,” Churkee said, “it would probably have broken your neck.”
“I’m sure glad you’re all right,” said Red.
“Aw,” I said, “it wouldn’t a bothered you none if I had a
broke my neck.”
Then outa the corner a my left eye I seed Churkee get a kinda look on his face like as if he’d just only then figgered something out. He looked at Red.
“Excuse me,” he said. He stood up and come over to me where I was a-standing. “Where are you headed, Kid?” he asked me.
“I’m just going to find me something to eat,” I said.
“Mind if I go along?”
“Naw. Come on ahead.”
We walked together outa that place and back over to the same eating place where I’d et before, and we got us a table and ordered up some steak and taters. We had us each a cup a coffee and was waiting for our food.
“Kid,” Churkee said, “did I do something last night to offend you?”
“What do you mean?” I said.
“Well, that girl, Red,” he said. “Is she, well, is she something special to you?”
“No, hell,” I said. “I don’t keer nothing about her. I mean, she’s all right. She’s a friend a mine, I guess. Whenever ole Zeb was all beat up that time and I left outa here to get the men what done it, she looked after him for me. And then whenever ole Chastain throwed me and Zeb and Paw in jail, it were Red what sneaked me my Colt so I could get us out, but only Jim, he don’t know that. And—well, she’s been a good friend, is all.”
It come on me of a sudden that I was a-talking too much and too fast about ole Red to be a-talking about someone I didn’t give a shit about, and it come to me at the same time, that ole Churkee likely seed that same thing and knowed I was a-lying to him.
“I didn’t know that, Kid,” he said. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone with her. I’m sorry. I—”
“Aw, hell, Churkee,” I said. “Don’t give it no more thought. I was just drunk last night, is all. Hell, what’s a pardner for, anyhow?”
“You sure of that?” he asked me.
“Damn right, pard,” I said. “Hell, I wouldn’t let no little thing like that come betwixt me and a pardner. After what all we done been through together?”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “Now what do we do about that Gish?”
“We just try to forget him, is all,” I said. “I done talked that out with ole Chastain. There ain’t no telling where the little shit is gone off to, and I can’t spend my whole life a-chasing after him. Jim said he can’t neither. A description a the little runt is being sent out to all the lawmen around, and someone’s bound to ketch up with him. So lessen I run onto him by accident somewheres, I’m a-putting him outa my head.”
Just then the waiter come back with our plates, and we cut out the talking and tuck to eating. Whenever we finished up, we had us a couple more cups a coffee. I pulled out the makings and offered them over to Churkee. He tuck them and rolled hisself a smoke, and then I done the same thing, and so we set there a while a-smoking our cigareets and finishing our coffee.
“I think I’ll ride on out, Kid,” he said, and it tuck me plumb by surprise.
“When?” I said.
“Right now.”
“Well, whyn’t you wait till morning?” I said.
“There’s no sense in putting it off,” he said. “If you were still planning to track down Gish, I’d stick with you, but that’s over with. Remember what I told you about territories and statehood?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I kinda do.”
“Well, I’m a Cherokee, and I’ve got a Cherokee Nation,” he said. “The only thing is, I’ve never been there. I’ve never seen it. Now they’ve included it in a territory, and that means the end of it is in sight. I want to see it while it’s still ours. So long, Kid. It’s been good—partner.”
Well, let me tell you, I sure did hate to see ole Churkee go. Whenever he walked outa that eating place, I felt a real lonesome hole in my middle. I wondered would I ever again see him in my whole life, and I wondered, too, besides ole Zeb, would I ever again find me a pardner as good as what he was. It come near to making me cry, and I was real sorry that I had got so mad over ole Red the night before, but I was glad that I had lied to him about that. I hoped that he had believed my lie.
Well, I had to do something to shake off my sadness, so I got up and left that place and walked on back over to the saloon. Red was still there, and ole Zeb had came in and set down with her. I went over to join them.
“Ole Churkee just went and rid out,” I said.
“Where for?” said Zeb.
“The Churkee Nation,” I said. I tole them what all he had tole me about how come him to want to go there on account a he hadn’t never saw it and it was a-fixing to get stoled away from the Churkees, and then we all three of us set around with long faces for a spell. Zeb, he couldn’t hardly take no more a that, and he went over to the bar and come back a minute later with a bottle and some glasses. I didn’t say nothing whenever he poured me a drink, but then I just let it set there in front a me. I weren’t quite ready yet for another night like the one I’d had the night before.
Well, I was a-setting with my back to the main part a the room and a-facing the back door a the place, but I wasn’t worried none about no one a-coming up behind me, on account a we’d already heard that ole Gish had lit out somewheres, and I figgered that I’d done kilt all the Piggses and Hookses in the whole world, and I didn’t really believe that ole Chastain would shoot me in the back. So anyhow, I was a-setting there a-thinking about taking me a drink a that whiskey whenever I seed Zeb and Red both turn kinda pale and pop open their eyes real wide, and then I heared a real familiar voice from behind me along with the sound of a six-gun a-being cocked for action. I friz.
“You shit stick,” come the voice. “I told you I’d kill you.”
It were him, the damn kid, the other kid, Gish. Red and Zeb pushed back their chairs and got up and spread way out. I knowed I was dead.
“You going to let me get up and face you?” I asked him.
“I’m fixing to shoot you in the back a the head,” he said, “and watch your brains splatter.”
“Ole Jim Chastain’ll get you for sure,” I said. “This here is his town.”
“Not if I get him first,” the kid said.
Just then the back door come open. I was a-looking right at it, and a figger come into the doorway, and I could see that it was a-holding a shotgun. That’s all I could see. I throwed myself facedown on the tabletop, and then come a terrible deafening blast and a stink a black smoke, and I could feel some a them pellets a-scratching my back as they was a-ripping through the air right over me. Ever’thing got real quiet. I set up and I seed that I was a-looking smack in the face a my ole paw who was a-standing there with a smoking greener in his hands. I looked back over my shoulder, and there was that damn Gish laid out on his back with his head damn near blowed clean off. It was a sure sickening sight, I can tell you. I looked back at my old man.
“Paw,” I said. “You ain’t in Texas.”
Ole Paw, he give out with his cackling laugh.
“How could I go to Texas,” he said, “whenever I knowed my own boy was up here in big trouble.”
“You been dogging my trail all this time?” I asked him.
“Sure,” he said. “Now let’s get our ass outa here before that sheriff comes a-running.”
“It’s okay, Paw,” I said. “He ain’t after us no more. It was this here what you just kilt and two old men who done them things he thought was us. He knows it all now, and we ain’t wanted no more.”
“I hope you’re right about that, boy,” he said, “on account a he just come in the door.”
I looked around and seed Chastain a-coming. He come right on back there where we was at, and he looked at Gish there on the floor with only about half a head left on him.
“What happened here?” he said.
Well, Zeb and Red come in on him and the both of them started in to telling him the story all at once, but eventual he understood it all right.
“Well, Kid,” he said, “it’s finally all really over for you. I’m glad.”
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br /> “And you ain’t a-wanting to put us back in jail?” Paw said.
“No, Mr. Parmlee,” Jim said, “I’m not.”
“Well, let’s have us a drink on that,” said Paw, and he set right down at the table without paying no more attention to the mess he had just made. Chastain went to get some help in cleaning it up. Me and Zeb and Red set down with Paw. I tuck me that drink then. I figgered it was all right. Then I got to thinking about going upstairs with ole Red. I had done forgive her for what she done me the night before, and her charms was a-getting to me again, but only I knowed I weren’t fit to get too close to no sweet thing like her. I needed me a bath.
“Paw,” I said, “if I was to give you some money, do you think you could go and pick me out a new set a clothes? I got to go upstairs and get me a bath, and someone done stoled all my stuff outa the stable. I don’t wanta put these nasty things back on when I come outa the bath.”
“Sure, son,” he said. “I can do that.”
I give him a wad a money I had in my pocket, and I asked Red could she have me a bath drawed, and she said she could, and it would be right on up there in her room. Well, that was just what I wanted to hear. I poured me another drink ’cause I knowed it would take a while to get the bath drawed. Paw headed out, and Red went and ordered up my bathwater, and then she come back to the table. I rolled me a cigareet and lit it, and I set there a-smoking and a-drinking and a-feeling better than what I had felt since that day that old Jim Chastain had come up behind me with that there shotgun.
Whenever I finished my smoke and my drink, I got up to go upstairs, and I tuck along my glass and the bottle. Ole Zeb called for another bottle for hisself, and me and Red wrapped our arms around each other and headed up for her room. Whenever we got there, the bath was a-waiting for me all right, and so I stripped my ass off nekkid and clumb in, and it sure did feel good. Red poured me another drink and handed it to me. Then she looked around the room.
A Cold Hard Trail Page 22
