Smith's Monthly #12

by Smith, Dean Wesley

  A random address. There might have been a whale living there. There might have been a human. I didn’t know, but I hoped for a human, and again this time I had been right.

  Tonight I would start another address for this city floating out there on the underground streams of information about whales. Every night, in a different way, I started addresses in major cities around the country.

  The increase in killings of humans thought to be whales was starting to make the national news.

  People were starting to get unhappy.

  Whale killings were starting to drop off.

  So far the deaths were paying off. I would continue until finally enough humans had died to make the hatred and killing stop.

  If nothing else, each human death helped remove a killer of whales from the street if the detectives did their jobs. And as far as I was concerned, that seemed only fair.

  I wondered what the great hunter who had skinned that woman in there was going to think when he discovered she had been one hundred percent human?

  “What are you smiling about?” J.P. asked as he slid in behind the steering wheel and started the car.

  “The piece of cheesecake I’m going to buy you at Audry’s.”

  “Oh, man,” J.P. said, roughly pushing the car forward and into the light traffic I could hear on the road. “I was hoping you were going to say that. Just keep on smiling until I get us there.”

  I thought about the hope for the future whales had. I thought about their hope of living as equals with humans, and it did keep me smiling.

  Right up to the moment that I picked the next random address.

  What Came Before…

  Nineteen-year-old Boston native Jimmy Gray had been traveling with his parents and older brother, Luke, headed west to find a new home and new riches.

  Before even reaching Independence, they were attacked and robbed by Jake Benson and his gang. Jimmy’s parents were killed, his brother wounded.

  In one of the wildest towns in all of American history, Jimmy Gray, a sheltered, educated son of a banker from Boston, suddenly finds himself very, very much alone.

  But then through some luck, he finds other young men about his age and down on their luck who might be able to help him.

  Together, the five of them head west after Benson.

  They end up hunting buffalo as he always dreamed of doing, but then they are hit with a massive flash flood and Jimmy is left alone, his friends more than likely dead.

  Luckily, they all meet up again and are all safe. So they continue west, knowing that Benson is just ahead of them.

  Suddenly they come upon Benson and his men killing a farm family. They manage to get one of the men separated from the others, but in a fall he accidently dies.

  So they scatter to meet up later at a camp. They managed that but found a survivor of the killings. So one of them had to go back with the kid while the others followed Benson.

  The caught him once again terrorizing a small wagon train and managed to scare him and his men off.

  But then they had to cross the forty-mile desert. And right from the start, things started off deadly.

  Then, in the middle of the worst part of the desert, they find a wagon train, horses stolen, water gone, only women and children left to die.

  But what can they do? If they try to take them along, everyone will die.

  They decide they can’t leave them and take them, barely making it to the river. Barely.

  Then, after getting help, they go back into the desert to get the women’s wagons and supplies, again risking their lives. They make it and head to Virginia City looking for Benson.

  THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BUFFALO JIMMY

  Part Thirty-four

  THE SEARCH GOES ON

  JIMMY HAD BEEN stunned at the excitement, the energy, and the feel of Virginia City when they rode in that first day. It was very much like Independence, only with far more drunks and fighting. The mines and mine tailings seemed to be everywhere, bright brown scars on the rough land. The mineshafts riddled the ground right under Main Street.

  Over half of the buildings along the main streets were two story wood structures, and more were going up all around. Clearly, since there were no trees nearby, they were hauling in the lumber from some distance.

  Long had been right to stay out of town. Jimmy soon discovered that a few years earlier, there had been a massive misunderstanding that had led to the building of Fort Churchill by the Army and then the Pyramid Lakes Indian battle. Feelings around town were still running hot on what had happened, so it was better that Long had just stayed on the sidelines.

  There was no sign at all of Benson or his one remaining man.

  They met back up with Long and Truitt, then made camp on a river a few miles upstream from Fort Churchill. The location gave them fresh water and was up against a rock wall that could be defended if for some reason they were attacked. Jimmy had a hunch that they would be using the camp for some time to come. It was going to take time to search for Benson.

  Then, early the next day, with Long and Josh staying in the camp, the rest again went in search of Benson.

  C. J. had suggested that they would cover more ground if they split up, so Jimmy and Truitt went into Virginia City. Zach and C.J headed in the other direction for Carson City.

  Unlike the search in Independence, this time more than Jimmy knew Benson on sight. They also knew who Benson’s riding companion was, and what the men’s two horses and saddles looked like.

  That first day of the search was long and hot, and left Jimmy feeling frustrated. Suppose Benson had gone ahead and stayed on the trail and went on over the mountains to Sacramento. Now, after all the time on the river, he might already have the gold deed registered in his name. That night, Jimmy talked to the rest about his worry and suggested that maybe they should split up, with some of them riding for Sacramento.

  None of them had agreed with Jimmy’s fears. They were all convinced that Benson was still in the area. As C.J. had said, “It’s certain he’s here somewhere.”

  Josh said, “It wouldn’t be in his character to move on. He’s going to drink and spend the money he stole from the women’s company before he leaves here, just as he has done every time before.”

  Jimmy still wasn’t sure, but he felt better that at least they all agreed that staying and searching was the right thing to do.

  So the next day, Jimmy and Zach and C.J. and Truitt stayed together instead of going two different directions. C.J figured it was better that they cover one town per day completely and Jimmy had agreed. They planned to split up in each town.

  As it turned out, it didn’t take long to prove C.J. and Josh correct. Benson had stayed.

  It was in Virginia City, as they rode into town just after dawn, that Jimmy spotted Jake Benson, the man Jimmy hated more than any man alive. Benson’s horse was roped in front of a saloon and the murderer was just walking down the sidewalk as if he had no care in the world.

  “That’s Benson,” Jimmy said to his friends, pointing at Benson’s back.

  “So that’s what the poisoned snake looks like,” Truitt said.

  “Deadly and mean,” Zach said.

  Zach and Truitt had never seen Benson before, since they had been taking the only survivor of Benson’s Goose Creek killings back to Fort Hall when Jimmy and the others saved the wagon train.

  “That’s him,” Jimmy said, not even trying to hide the disgust in his voice.

  They quickly dismounted and tied up their horses in front of a general store.

  “Now what?” Zach asked.

  “We follow him,” Jimmy said. “From now on, he never leaves our sight. Any time of the day or night. We just have to wait for the right moment.”

  The others nodded and they all moved after Benson down the main street.

  Jimmy could barely contain his anger. Right in front of him was the man who had killed his mother and father. And many others along the trail from Independence.
<
br />   Jimmy had to stop Benson, but he had no idea how.

  And it was clear that the others wanted to stop Benson almost as much as Jimmy did, after burying that family on Goose Creek, and those men and women in the desert.

  Benson had left a trail of bodies in his wake and it seemed that Jimmy and his friends had been doing nothing but cleaning up after him and digging graves. If Jimmy had anything to say about it, that was going to stop right here in Virginia City.

  Benson just kept walking, his boots rumbling on the wooden sidewalk like it didn’t matter. He was almost swaggering.

  It was clear to Jimmy that Benson believed no one was after him for all that he had done. That was good. Even after being chased off from that wagon train back on Goose Creek, Benson didn’t feel threatened, which meant they still had surprise on their side.

  “Split up,” Jimmy said. “Truitt, you and Zach pace him down the other side of the street.”

  Truitt and Zach crossed over between two wagons while Jimmy and C.J stayed behind Benson.

  Jimmy had no idea what they would do now that they had found him, but one thing was for certain, they weren’t going to lose sight of him again. They would be on him like a tick on a yard dog until Benson did something that would allow them to act.

  Benson walked most of the length of the booming mining town, going by saloon door after saloon door. The wooden sidewalk ended and he kept on going downhill, out of the main part of town, passing some smaller buildings and a few large tents that housed different businesses.

  Then finally, near the lower south edge of town, Benson turned into a small wooden-planked building that had a painted barber pole hanging on the front wall. The building was no bigger than a shack and had been built up against a rock bluff. It had a tin roof. Jimmy couldn’t imagine how hot that must make it inside the little shack in the middle of the day. Even with the front door standing open, Jimmy doubted Benson would be in there long.

  “Stay here,” Jimmy told C.J. “I’ll be back.

  Then, as if on a mission, he walked past the front of the shack and got a quick look inside, keeping his hat low on his head.

  He then circled around, went back up the other side of the street, and met the others off to one side of the street in the shade, where Benson couldn’t see them.

  “It’s only Benson in there with a barber,” Jimmy said. “Any ideas?”

  Zach shook his head, as did Truitt.

  But C. J. smiled. “I just might have something we could do. But if it fails, we might get shot.”

  “After watching that scum of the earth walk up the street like he had done nothing,” Jimmy said, “I’m willing to take some risks. That man in that building killed my parents.”

  Zach nodded. “And a lot of other innocent people. After seeing how he left those women out in the desert to die, I agree. We have to stop this animal.”

  “All right,” C.J. said, nodding. “But my plan is going to take some rope and a blanket.”

  Jimmy glanced around. There was a general store about a half block back up the street. He had maybe just enough money left for what C.J. needed. “You three stay here,” he said. “How much rope?”

  “Thin and strong and about thirty feet.”

  Jimmy nodded and turned toward the store without even asking C. J. what his plan was.

  “Get a shovel, too,” C.J. called after him. “With a long handle.”

  Part Thirty-five

  THE PLAN

  JIMMY TRUSTED C.J., but he sure hoped this plan would work as he headed for the general store at a fast walk. They had rope on their horses, and blankets and shovels back in their camp, but that would take far too long to get. He was going to have to spend the very last of his father’s money for this. He sure hoped it worked.

  It took him less than five minutes and he was back with what C.J said he needed.

  C.J. took the shovel, gave the blanket to Truitt. Then he quickly explained his idea on how they could capture Benson and maybe get him to the Virginia City Sheriff. After they captured Benson, the boys would have to ride to catch the women in the wagon train. The women could then testify to the Sheriff about what Benson had done to their men. Jimmy was sure the women hadn’t made it too far up into the Sierras yet.

  “This is crazy,” Zach said, smiling at Jimmy. “He has a gun and clearly doesn’t mind killing people.”

  “I know,” Jimmy said. “But we got to try.”

  “I’m not saying we don’t,” Zach said. “I’m just saying that this is crazy.”

  “No argument from me,” Jimmy said, smiling back at his friend.

  “You know,” Truitt said as they headed across the street, “that if this works, we’re going to have to come up with a name for it.”

  “Let’s see if it works, first,” C.J. said, clearly worried, even though it was his idea.

  Near the barbershop, with the rope trailing behind him in the dirt, Jimmy walked past, again keeping his face from being seen clearly.

  Inside the barbershop, he could see Benson still sitting in the chair and the barber working at Benson’s beard and hair. Both were looking away from the door.

  As Jimmy got to the other side of the barbershop and out of sight of Benson and the barber, he stopped and eased the rope right up near the front step up into the small shack.

  On the other end of the rope, Zach pulled tight. To Jimmy, the rope seemed clearly obvious tucked against the bottom of the step, but C.J. had assured them that if they got Benson to come out fast and hard, he wouldn’t notice it.

  Truitt unfolded the dark wool blanket that Jimmy had bought and moved over against the barbershop front wall, his back to the wooden planks, the blanket held in both hands.

  Then, when he was ready, it was C.J’s turn.

  C.J stepped up so he could be seen through the front door of the small shack.

  “You Jake Benson, mister?” C.J. asked, leaning on the shovel like he always stood that way.

  Jimmy was impressed that C.J. sounded so calm, like none of this mattered.

  “Yeah, what’s it to ya, kid?” Benson said from inside.

  Jimmy felt a chill go up his spine. He hadn’t heard that voice since before his parents were killed. He hadn’t liked it then, he didn’t like it now.

  “I was told to come down here and tell you that he’s taking your horse and gear in payment for what you owe him.”

  “Who!” Benson shouted.

  The shout echoed off the tin roof.

  Jimmy could hear from the scraping sounds that Benson had stood up. Both Jimmy and Zach made sure they were braced and ready with the rope.

  “He didn’t give me his name,” C. J. said. “Black beard, brown hat, black mare with a silver braid on the saddle.”

  C.J. had just described Benson’s remaining riding companion.

  With that, C.J. stepped back a few steps into the middle of the street, allowing room for Benson to come straight out of the building.

  “I’ll kill that snake,” Benson shouted as he stormed out of the barbershop, putting his hat on as he came.

  Jimmy and Zach instantly yanked the rope up as Benson stepped for the street. The rope caught him in the shin and Benson went forward hard, face down into the dust.

  Truitt moved faster than Jimmy thought possible, sprawling on Benson from behind with the blanket, covering the killer’s head and arms.

  Zach and Jimmy moved in and quickly wrapped more of the rope around Benson’s legs.

  But Benson was clearly fast and angry. He was bucking Truitt like a wild horse out of control.

  From under the blanket, Benson’s hand and gun came out and he fired once.

  The shot barely missed Jimmy and ricocheted off some rocks down the street.

  “Get his gun!” Zach shouted.

  Jimmy, as hard as he could, smashed his boot down on Benson’s gun hand.

  The gun spun away in the dirt.

  Benson screamed and bucked Truitt even harder under the blanket, but cou
ldn’t stand because Zach has his legs tied up.

  C.J. stepped up, and with a swing of the shovel, hit Benson on the head through the blanket.

  Now Jimmy understood why C.J. had wanted the shovel.

  Suddenly, Truitt was lying on an unmoving pile of man and blanket.

  Jimmy’s heart was beating so fast, he could hardly breathe, and he was sweating like he had never sweated before.

  Truitt pulled the blanket off and stood while Zach wrapped even more rope around Benson’s legs and tied it off like he would a steer.

  They had captured Benson.

  Jimmy couldn’t believe it.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  NOW WHAT?

  “EVERYONE ALL RIGHT?” Jimmy asked.

  “Yeah,” they all said, but it was clear that Truitt was out of breath and more than likely bruised up from his ride on Benson’s back.

  Jimmy moved over and picked up the gun, holding the heavy hunk of metal in his hands.

  More than likely, this was the gun that had killed his parents, shot his mother in the back, killed the family at Goose Creek, and the men in the desert.

  Jimmy looked at the gun, then at the man out cold in the dirt of the street.

  “Shoot him,” C.J. said. “Don’t let him ever kill anyone again.”

  “We wouldn’t blame you,” Truitt said, “after what he did to your parents.”

  “This man do something to you boys?” the barber asked from the door of his shop.

  “Killed my parents,” Jimmy said, his voice surprisingly calm for how his stomach was feeling. “Shot my mother in the back.”

  “Oh,” the barber said.

  “And then he killed a family back on Goose Creek,” Zach said. “And some men in the middle of the desert, leaving women and children to die just so he could steal their money and stock.”

  The barber nodded. “You know, a lot goes on in this street that I just don’t seem to notice.”