“No M’am, we don’t,” I said, “but we do know where that man is. I reckon Marshal Poteet would be glad to ask him real nice an’ find out.”
She turned to Homer.
“And what if he won’t tell you, Marshal?”
Homer smiled.
“That won’t be a problem, Miz Marie. I can be terrible persuasive when necessary.”
“I believe we have a project, gentlemen,” she said, smilin’ quite a bit.
“Looks to me like we do,” Marion tolt her. “Thank you for the wonderful food and the fine company. We’ll git after it an’ let you know about what progress is being made. It won’t take long to git what information we need. Then we can make some plans.”
“Gentlemen,” she said, standin’ up, “it has been my pleasure to meet you. Together, we can make some wonderful changes in a few hopeless lives. Carlton will show you out.”
Miz Marie left then. Homer spoke up.
Well boys,” he said, “looks like we got us another trail.”
We’d took to horse an’ had rid about a block or so when my curiosity got the best of me.
“What the heck is a Majordomo?” I asked nobody in particular. Homer spoke up.
“Twice the rank of a Minordomo,” he said, then touched his horse into a short lope.
I looked at Marion. He was grinnin’.
“Kinda looks like ol’ Homer is feelin’ some better,” he said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The sun had come out quite a bit. We was all kindly cogitatin’ on everthing Miz Jervis had said to us, I reckon, ‘cause everbody was some quiet for a spell. We was near halfway back to the livery afore Marion spoke up.
“That there is a helluva woman, boys.”
“Is,” Homer said. “She’s damn near got the world by the tail. Plenty a money, big ol’ house, servants all over the place, solid member of the community an’ all the rest a that kinda thing. Once a person has all that, most folks would just lay around in it an’ think about how important they was while they counted all they assets. At her age an’ with her cash, most people would just try to enjoy the years they have left. And here she is, ready to spend a pile a money, bring a mess a strangers into her home, an’ try an give them all a better life. Boys, if we can bring this together for her, near as I can figger, we are tied into prob’ly as good a thing as we have ever did. We do this right, I might just apply to become one a them saints.”
“Now that’s a application I’d like to git a peek at,” Marion kindly snorted. “The first angel that read it would lose near all his feathers from the shock and never be able to git off the ground agin’. Prob’ly be a streak a lightnin’ come out the sky, and me and ol’ Ruben here would have to send your saddle home. Hearin’ terrible news like that would be awful for Miz Suzy. Most likely it would take her a day or two to git over it.”
“I figger a long afternoon would do it,” I said. “Purty as she is, they’d be a line a fellas a quarter of a mile long at yer front porch as soon as the word got out. Week or two later, an’ she wodden even remember yer name.”
Homer didn’t say nothin’, but he did touch his horse into the lead. I speck it was to hide his grin from us.
We was gittin’ near back into the center a town when Homer said we needed to make a stop, an’ turned away from the direction a the stable. Me an’ Marion follerd along, an’ it warn’t more than ten minutes afore he pulled up in front a the Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Hickman was settin’ out on the boardwalk. He got up an’ smiled at us.
“Howdy boys,” he said. “What are you fellers up to this fine day?”
“Mister Rayland Craig home, is he?” Homer asked him.
“He is. He’s also the reason I’m settin’ outside. Got tired a his belly achin’ about how he’s starving to death.”
“How’s his attitude?”
“Bitchin’ an’ moanin’,” Hickman went on, “but he seems to be breakin’ down some. He’s askin’ about as much as he’s demandin’. Hell, he ain’t been here but for a day or two. Keep him for a month, an’ he’ll be cryin’ around the clock. Where you boys been?”
“Over at the Jervis House,” Marion said. “We et brunch with Mrs. Jervis.”
“By God, you fellers is gittin’ some toney. With yer uplift into the world a rich folks, I’m surprised yer even talkin’ to a poor ol’ man like me. Fannie Marie doin’ alright, is she?”
“She come up with an idea,” Marion went on. “She wants to rescue them Chinee girls bein’ held from wherever that Craig shithead bought Lotus.”
“The hell ya say.”
“Yessir. Says she’ll take ‘em into her home, give ‘em a place to live, plus clothes to wear and food to eat. She wants Miss Lotus to come live in her house with ‘em to help
‘em git used to bein’ free an’ teach ‘em how to speak some English an’ such. She’s even been in touch with some of the folks out at the college. They have offered to help after them girls has kindly got they feet under ‘em.”
“To git this done,” Homer said, “we’re gonna need some information from Mister Craig about where he bought Lotus an’ such.”
Sheriff Hickman nodded.
“Only thing he has said about that girl that I know of is that she is his property an’ you boys stole her from him.”
“I reckon it is time for that sonofabitch to sing another tune,” Homer said. “You mind if I visit with him for a few minutes? I promise not to leave any open wounds where somebody might take notice of ‘em.”
Hickman smiled.
“Ain’t no skin offa my knees. He’s a loudmouth, a coward, an’ a child thief. Go ahead on an’ do what you think is necessary. I would appreciate it some if you didn’t kill him.”
Homer grinned. “Yer takin’ most of the fun outa this, ya know,” he said. “Any other prisoners on hand?”
Sheriff Hickman shook his head.
“Nope,” he said. “I turned the last drunk loose early this mornin’.”
“Cells open?”
“All but the one Craig is in.”
“The keys handy?”
“On my desk.”
“Alright,” Homer said. “Believe I’ll go set a spell. Rube, loan me that belt knife a yours, will ya?”
I handed him that big coffin knife that Arliss Hyatt had give to me. He grinned, helt it down low on his left side, an’ walked into the office. Sheriff Hickman shook his head.
“I cain’t be part a this,” he said.
“Everthing is alright,” Marion tolt him. “Homer ain’t gonna cut on him or nothin’ like that.”
“You sure?”
“Yessir. I gonna sneak inside, quiet like, an’ give this a listen.”
“Me too,” I said, tryin’ to control my grin.
“Oh, what the hell,” Hickman said, an’ follerd Marion an me into the office, all of us soft footin’ it as best we could.
I snuck up to the door an’ peeked through the little winda. I couldn’t see Craig, but I had a good view a Homer. He was settin’ in a empty cell grinnin’ at where Craig was an’ wipin’ that big coffin knife on his pantleg. Neither one of ‘em had said a word. It stayed quiet for a spell, then Craig spoke up.
“What do you want,” he said.
“Yer hide tacked up on the west side a that shed out back,” Homer tolt him. He sounded near friendly.
“You can’t do that to me,” Craig said.
“Yer right,” Homer agreed, “I cain’t. I’d lose my job if I skint ya. But here’s the deal. I need some information from ya, Mister Craig, an’ yer gonna give it to me. If’n ya don’t, I’m gonna remove the little finger a yer left hand. Sheriff Hickman’ll git a doctor for ya so you doan bleed out or nothin’. Then I’ll come back the next day an’ ask ya agin’. If ya doan tell me what I need ta know, I’ll cut off the little finger of your right hand. I figger that gives me ten days to git what I want from ya. If I don’t, yer gonna spend the rest a your life not able to even pick up a spoon or bu
tton yer fly.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” Craig said, his voice kindly tremblin’ some.
Homer chuckled.
“That’s what them other fellers said. One ol’ boy down in the Nations lasted for three fingers afore he give up. I wonder how good you’ll do?”
“Goddammit!” Craig near hollerd, “you can’t just cut a man’s fingers off!”
“Not all by myself,” Homer said. “I’ll need both a my pards to hold ya. I kindly like it to tell the truth. Plus, you need to understand that I doan give a damn about you or your problems. You doan mean no more to me than a pile a mule shit by the side of the road.”
Homer thumbed the knife blade an’ grinned.
“A course,” he went on, “they is a upside to this. If I git what I need to know from ya, as soon as this mess is settled up I’ll do what I can to git Sheriff Hickman to just turn you loose. No trial, no conviction, nothin’. You think it over. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need to sharpen the edge a this blade a little bit. I want a good clean cut. It’ll make the doctor’s job easier.”
Homer come outa the cell area then, grinnin’ like a possum. We all went back outside an’ took a set. Sheriff Hickman shook his head an’ looked at Homer.
“Yer about a hard sonofabitch, ain’t ya?” he said.
Homer smiled.
“I shore hope Craig thinks so,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell I’ll do if he calls my bluff.”
We set there for a few minutes, nobody sayin’ too much. After a spell, Homer stood up.
“Boys,” he said, “let’s git this over with. We’ll all go into his cell. You two can hold him while I git ready to take off his finger. I just hope he believes us.”
He did. The four of us went into the cells, an’ me an’ Marion took aholt of him an’ forced his left arm out through the bars a little bit so Sheriff Hickman could git a good grip on his wrist. Craig come to hollerin’ some, then went to beggin’ an cryin’ quite a bit. Homer took good aim on the finger an’ Craig come to near screamin’ that he’d talk an’ tell us anythin’ we wanted to know. Then he fainted. Plumb passed out clean to the floor. We left him there an’ went back outside. Homer grinned at us.
Thank ya, boys,” he said, steppin’ out to his horse. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“Where you goin’?” I asked him.
“Jenson’s Café,” he said. “I figger that ol’ Rayland in there is gonna be some surprised once I bring him back one a them ground beef sandwiches. He’s had a purty tough day.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Me, Marion, an’ Sheriff Hickman all took a set on the boardwalk an’ watched Homer strike off on horseback. The sheriff shook his head an’ made a comment.
“That ol’ boy ain’t over civilized much, is he?”
Marion chuckled.
“I have knowed him for quite a spell and have took to the trail with him on a bunch a occasions. They has been several times I’d seen his ruff come up quite a bit. His conduct used to alarm me some, but he keeps hisself in check purty much. He’s kindly like a feller that’s standin’ next to the edge of a cliff, then steps back just when the earth starts to give away under him. I know that they ain’t none of us without fear, but ol’ Homer is as close to fearless as anybody I have ever run across. He’s saved me and Ruben more than once. And he is a artist with that big ol’ Sharps he carries. He don’t miss. Out to three or four hunnerd yards, ain’t nobody safe.”
“He’s got hisself a fair limp,” Hickman said.
“He does,” Marion went on. “A ol’ boy name a Cleveland Pettigrew shotgunned him in the leg a few years ago. Homer kilt the two sidekicks that was with Pettigrew an’ put one in him, but Pettigrew got away. The doctors tolt him that he warn’t never gonna use his leg agin’ and they needed to cut it off. He wears a brace and, as you can see, has still got both his legs. Homer Poteet is the toughest sonofabitch I have ever knowed.”
“What happened to Pettigrew?” Hickman asked.
“Me and ol’ Ruben here tangled with Pettigrew and his boss, a feller by the name a Clovis Waxler, a little bit after Homer got shot.”
The sheriff smiled.
“Put ‘em in the ground, did ya?” he asked.
“Nope,” Marion said. “We left both of ‘em out to rot on the front porch a Waxler’s place.”
“Didn’t all this come up just a few years back in a mess over in Saint Joe where a couple a whores got kilt?” Hickman asked.
“One got kilt,” I said. “The other one got her face all cut up. Jim and Jack Waxler was the boys that done it. We caught ‘em. Ol’ Ruben here took out five a the Waxler bunch that was on our backtrail trying to ketch us one night.”
Sheriff Hickman’s eyebrows went up.
“I heer’d a that,” he said. “That was you boys?”
“Us and Arkansas Bill Cole,” Marion tolt him.
“Bill Cole got hisself kilt savin’ my life,” I said.
“Wait a minute,” Hickman said. “Warn’t Charlie Redhorse an’ a ol’ boy by the name a Youngblood involved in that mess?”
“They was,” Marion said. “Clovis Waxler sent both of ‘em after Ruben at his place over in Deer Run. They’re in the ground.”
“Godamighty,” Forest said. “You boys been through it, ain’tcha?”
“Little bit,” I tolt him.
“An’ here you are, fixin’ to go out an’ risk yer lives to save some little Chinee girls from a short life in slavery.”
Marion grinned real big.
“We’re a mess, ain’t we?” he said.
“Well I’m right proud to know you fellers. Yer about as close to real heroes as anybody I have ever met.”
“If Homer was here,” Marion went on, “he’d ask ya if you’d care to touch the hem a our garments.”
I come to laughin’ a little bit. All of us did.
The three a us set out on the boardwalk an’ jawed for a spell. Them clouds showed up agin’ an’ the air had begun to smell a little wet about the time Homer come back. He pulled up, put a rein wrap on the rail, lifted a sack offa where it hung from his saddle horn, walked past us without a word, an’ went inside. He come back out in just a minute, took a set with us, looked at the sky, an’ spoke up.
“Might rain,” he said.
“Might not,” Marion tolt him.
The three of us come to chucklin’ then. Sheriff Hickman smiled an’ kindly shook his head.
We all set there for a minute, nobody sayin’ nothin’ until the Sheriff did.
“You feed the prisoner, did ya?”
“I give him a couple a them ground beef sandwiches then left as soon as I could. I could hear him rippin’ at that bag after I come back out. The last thing I wanted ta do was set there an’ watch that shithead stuff his face. I doan believe any man I have ever run across in my life has put me off as much as he does. On the bright side a my journey was my visit over to Jenson’s Café. It has made me some hungry. Miss Lucy said she didn’t see you boys yesterday. She wondered when you was comin’ back. You both got slickers, doncha?”
“Do,” Marion said.
“Take to horse an’ let’s go eat,” Homer went on. “Comin’ with us, Sheriff?”
“Better stay here,” Hickman said. “Make sure that pig we got in the pen doan choke on his slop.”
“You might mention to him that we’ll be back in a spell to have a conversation with him,” Homer said. “I’ll bring him another sandwich. I speck he’s most of the way done with them two I already brung him. He got any money in his possibles?”
“He does,” the sheriff said.
“Just right. I ain’t feedin’ that sonofabitch out a the goodness a my heart. I left a receipt on the desk. I’ll bring another one when we come back.”
We took to horse then an’ headed on our way. I was lookin’ up at the clouds.
“What do ya think, Homer?” I said. “You reckon it is fixin’ to rain, do ya?”
“Oh hel
l,” Homer said, an’ touched his horse into a short lope.
It was the middle a the afternoon when we got to Jenson’s Café. Miss Lucy seen us come in an’ give us a big smile. The place was only about a third full an’ we hadden set down for a minute afore a young fella showed up with a pot a coffee, cups, an’ some biscuits. I was just takin’ my first drink a coffee when Miss Lucy caught my eyes. She helt up three fingers, kindly curious like. I nodded an’ she smiled an’ went back toward the kitchen.
Them ground beef sandwich meals was as good as when I et ‘em for the first time. The apple pie we had was plumb full a sugar an’ cinnamon. I durn near had another piece, but I didn’t wanna founder an’ git cast in my stall. We was near done afore Miss Lucy come over, grinnin’ real big.
“Good to see you gentlemen,” she said. “I was afraid you had run away or something.”
“And leave this food and that smile?” Marion said. “Not hardly.”
Homer spoke up.
“Miss Lucy, we’re gonna need another ground beef meal an’ another piece a pie to take with along. Would you be kind enough to see to that for us?”
“Absolutely, gentlemen,” she said, an’ scooted off toward the kitchen.
Homer shook his head.
“If my little daughter ever comes to look an’ act anything like Miss Lucy, the minute she turns twelve I’m gonna chain her up an’ lock her in a closet.”
Marion chuckled.
“She’s prob’ly gonna look a lot like her momma,” he said. “If that don’t make you nervous, nothin’ will.”
Homer grinned.
“Oh Lord,” he said, “I’m feelin’ a little faint.”
In just a few minutes, Miss Lucy come back with a sack an’ the ticket. Marion thanked her an’ left a five dollar gold piece on the table. We got up then an’ went outside.
“Let’s go feed the pig,” Homer said. “Then we’ll twist his tail some an’ see how loud he can squeal.”
Dakota Trail Page 14
