by Chuck Buda
“Mayor Samuels took control. He knew how to talk to folks. Get them together, agreeing on things that they didn’t even want just minutes before he dealt with them. But he did it because he loved the town. The idea of the town. He had a vision, unlike everybody else.”
James stared at the Sheriff. He absorbed the tale with great interest. James was never one for learning but he had to admit that this historical perspective was interesting.
“Anyhow, these friends of Samuels were interested in a parcel a few miles from here, by the creek. But the land was already settled by this farmer. Dodson. Francis Dodson. Went by the name Doddy.”
James settled back in the chair. He got goosebumps thinking about how fascinating this story was.
“So these friends paid Doddy a visit. He wasn’t interested in their offers for him to vacate. This went back and forth a few times until Doddy chased them off with some buckshot. The friends demanded Samuels help them out so he tried to share his vision with Doddy too. Doddy would have none of it. So the Mayor came back with his tail between his legs. And his friends weren’t happy. They demanded he legislate the land to them but he refused. Told them it wasn’t right to take just for takings sake.” The Sheriff paused to crush out his butt on the floor. James leaned forward with impatience.
“And?”
“And the friends waited for Doddy to work his fields. While he was out they burned the place to the ground. Problem was, Doddy’s wife, Martha, and his six-year old daughter, Sally, were in the house. They burned up with the home.”
James dabbed sweat from his upper lip. “That’s awful.”
“Yep. Doddy got the message and then brought one of his own. He rode into town, killed two of the Mayor’s friends. Then he stormed towards the Mayor’s office to finish him off too.”
“Well, he obviously didn’t kill the Mayor. At least not back then. So what happened next?”
“I killed him.” The words sounded so final. The sentence hung in the air. Palpable as James swallowed a lump in his throat.
Sheriff Axl Morgan stared off through the window. He rubbed his graying beard. James detected sorrow in the Sheriff’s expression.
“So the revenge the gunslinger is after is for what happened to his family?”
“I reckon it is.”
“Why is everyone covering it up? Pretending it never happened?”
The Sheriff turned in his chair to face James. “It is the one blemish on this town’s record. Plus, folks didn’t want to think about the horrible things their own fathers and brothers did to the Dodson family. Guilt by association, I figure.”
“And you were left to clean up the Mayor’s mess?”
“It wasn’t the Mayor’s mess. Samuels was against the ploy from the start. They were his friends, sure. But he had nothing to do with the heinous acts. He regretted it for the rest of his life.”
James couldn’t believe that this beautiful town had such a sordid past. He began to wonder which citizens he had served in the general store had relatives that had been involved.
“Which families did this to the Dodsons?”
“I’m not going to point out the evil-doers. Enough blood has been spilled already. Besides, I know for a fact that the survivors struggle to live with their guilty consciences. They bear the burden every day. And they’ll have to answer for it in the next life.”
James sighed. He wanted to know who had been involved. Although, he figured it was best he didn’t know because he would feel obligated to pay them a visit of his own. He felt his blood boiling as he imagined how he would handle the injustices.
“That’s it. The whole story. Now you know what happened and why.” He pulled a bottle of whiskey from under the desk and clunked it on the surface. “Interested in a snort?”
James shook his head. He still felt speechless about the town’s dark history.
“Well, I need one now.”
James got up and circled behind the chair. He scratched his head and watched the Sheriff guzzle two big gulps straight from the bottle. It looked like the Sheriff struggled with the memory. James wasn’t sure if it was because of his own hand in ending Doddy’s life.
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
“Shoot.” The Sheriff whispered through the burn of the alcohol.
“Why noon? Why the shootout?”
Sheriff Morgan leaned his elbows on the desk. “That’s how it went down.”
James raised his eyebrows in confusion.
“I stopped Doddy on his way to the Mayor’s office. He told me to step aside or he would add me to the list. I refused, so he challenged me to a shootout. Said if he won then he would hunt Samuels down unfettered. And if he lost…then he wouldn’t have to live with the loss of his family anymore.”
James listened closely.
“I had to do what I had to do. We were supposed to shoot at high noon. But I shot first. On the eleventh chime.”
“You what?”
“I was scared, James. I knew he would kill me. So I killed him first.”
Chapter 34
James ran over to Doc Stinson’s. He was excited to see Carson. After meeting with Sheriff Morgan, his mother told him that Carson had regained consciousness. Apparently, Carson opened his eyes and asked for James. Sarah wasted little time coming home to inform James.
He swung the door open and trotted to the back of the office. Makeshift cots were set up in between the standard hospital beds. The patient room was chaotic with the injured and their visiting loved ones. James worked his way toward the rear where Carson lie.
James approached the bed and saw that Carson’s eyes were closed. He looked over the heavy bandage covering Carson’s right arm and shoulder. The bandage wound around his neck, down his right side and ended in a puffy ball on his right hand. A dried circle of blood stood out in the center of the bandage on his hand.
“James?”
Carson’s eyes fluttered open and he appeared to be happy to see James.
“Hey buddy. How are you feeling?”
Carson tried to shrug but the pain on his right side caused him to wince. Instead he spoke. “Fine.”
James sat on the bed and rubbed Carson’s leg. “We’ve missed you around here.”
“Did you kill the boogiedman?”
“Bogeyman, not boogiedman. No. He got away again.”
“You left me again.”
James looked away. He felt uncomfortable facing the disappointment he caused. “I know, buddy. But I didn’t want you to get hurt.” As soon as he said it, James rolled his eyes as he realized Carson actually got very hurt.
“You lied to me, James. You lied.” Carson’s eyes filled with tears. He rolled his head away from James. It made it easier for him to speak with Carson but it also kicked in some extra guilt.
“Carson…I don’t know what I would do if you got badly hurt. Or worse. I don’t want to put you in a situation that is too dangerous.”
“But we are supposed to be a team. You said so. All those times in our hiding spot. You said we would fight bad guys together.” Carson’s voice had gotten louder and folks started to look their way. James smiled at them as they shot him dirty looks. He turned back to Carson.
“I know. I did say those things. And I meant it…”
“Then why? Why did you lie?”
Each time Carson accused James of lying, his heart broke. He knew Carson was devastated by his betrayal. But how could he reason with a boy? A boy who struggled to understand the world, no less? James was at his wit’s end trying to figure out how to gently let Carson down.
“Mommy said you were my friend. Like a brother. And you are supposed to take care of me while she is away. I’m going to tell her what you did when she comes home.” Carson whimpered his threat.
James put his head in his hands. He hadn’t even remembered the lie about Carson’s mother. In a flash, James realized that he lied to this sweet kid too many times. He hated himself for it, even if it had all been out of love
. How can he continue to look Carson in the face? Coming clean on one lie wasn’t coming clean enough. Could he risk letting Carson know what really happened to his mother? Would he understand? What if telling him about his mother caused him to get sicker, and not heal properly? Would he ever love James again? He bit the side of his hand as he looked into Carson’s hurt eyes.
Carson stared at him. James waged an internal battle over his allegiance to his pal and his quest to do what was right. It occurred to James that doing what was right wasn’t always the best thing. Look at the situation he found himself in now. He lied to Carson to protect him and shield him from the harsh realities of the world. And in doing so, he damaged the boy’s feelings terribly.
“Your mother is dead…Carson.” It was out before he could stop it.
Carson stared at James as a huge tear ran down his pale cheek. He didn’t say a word. Just stared.
“Crouching Bear killed your mother. Accidentally. That’s why I went after him. Without you.”
“James.” It was more whisper than anything.
“I’m sorry. I…didn’t want you to get hurt. So I kept the truth from you. I guess I have told you lots of lies.” James couldn’t look at Carson. He focused on a snagged stitch on the blanket covering his little friend.
Carson cried hard. He turned his face away from James and cried very hard. People were staring in their direction and James just returned their gaze, without a smile this time. A few people shook their heads in disgust. He played with the snag and kept his head down. He didn’t know what else to say. And he wanted to comfort Carson, but what could he possibly say now?
James put his hand on Carson’s left shoulder. As soon as Carson felt it, he reacted violently.
“Get out! Get out! I never want to see you again!”
James jumped back, startled. The whole room went silent as everyone paused to watch the scene. James’ eyes brimmed with tears.
“Sor…sorry.”
“GET OUT! GET OUT! GO AWAY!” Carson’s cries grew more hysterical.
A nurse ran over and grabbed James by the elbow. She was trying to pull him away but he fought it off.
“Carson. I’m so sorry.”
“You better leave. Now.” The nurse grabbed James’ elbow with both hands this time. She shoved him away from the bed. As he walked across the room he heard Carson’s wails. They cut through his heart. He cried, too, as he left the room.
The nurse closed the door behind James. She didn’t say anything more to him. She didn’t need to. James felt awful and he knew he wasn’t welcome in the hospital. Especially by Carson.
James sat down on the porch and put his hat on his head. He pulled the brim down low to hide his face. He knew if anyone walked by, they would be able to figure out that he was crying. Through blurry eyes he watched each large drop land on his dusty boots below.
Chapter 35
Sarah was talking with a few of the girls in the parlor when James came home. His expression betrayed a deep sadness, which frightened her. She knew he had gone to see Carson and her heart sank as she thought maybe he took a turn for the worse. She excused herself and hustled to catch up with James.
“James? Is everything okay?” She tried to look into his face but he kept his head down.
“Uh-huh.” He kept walking down the hall toward their room. James had his hands stuffed into his pockets. His feet shuffled slowly as if he were dragging a cart of boulders behind him.
James reached the door and opened it. He slumped down on his bed and pushed the brim of his hat over his face. Sarah knew that something was wrong. James was always so full of life and excitement. It had been a long time since she had seen him this down.
“James, is Carson okay?
“Yeah.”
Sarah felt the relief wash over her. At least Carson’s situation hadn’t worsened. She bet herself that Miss Lark had something to do with it. If she did anything to hurt James then she would teach that little lady a thing or two.
“Alright, buster. Spill it.”
“I don’t feel like talking, Mom.”
“I’m sorry. Did I say treat me like rubbish, my King?” Sarah laid the sarcasm on thick. Guilt and sarcasm were her tools of the motherhood trade.
James sighed and lifted the hat to glare at her. He sat up and rested his head in his hands.
Sarah sat down next to him. She rubbed his back gently. When he was a young boy, she would stroke his back to make him feel better after falling down or getting teased by the other children.
“Carson hates me.”
“No, he doesn’t. Why would you say that?”
“He told me to leave and he never wants to see me again.”
Sarah made a face of disbelief. “Oh, why would he say that? He loves you. Your name was the first thing he said when he woke up.”
“I told him about his mother.”
Sarah shot up off the bed. “You what? Why would you do that? And in his fragile state? That’s how you greet him?”
“I can’t do it anymore, dang-it.”
“Watch your mouth, young man. You may be old enough to make your own decisions but you still need to be respectful around me. I’m your mother.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
“Now, why would you go and tell him about her? Sometimes you are as thick-headed as your father.” She wagged a finger in his face.
“I can’t lie to him. I’ve lied so many times to Carson and all it does is hurt him.”
Sarah sighed and sat next to James again. “Oh, honey. Lying to protect him isn’t a bad thing.”
“Tell him that. You should have seen his face when he called me out on it. I feel terrible.”
Sarah understood what he meant. She knew James only had the best of intentions when it came to Carson. She also knew that Carson had trouble understanding the world around him. Even if you explained things to him, he still didn’t always follow along.
“How can I leave now with him all sore at me? I can’t think about anything but making it right with him.”
“He’ll come around. He loves you more than anything.” She pursed her lips. “So how did he take the news about Minnie?”
James laid back down. He stared at the ceiling. “Well, he cried his eyes out. Then he yelled at me some more for hiding it.”
Sarah got up and went to the stove. She placed the tea kettle on it and then struck a match to light the fire.
“I’ll talk to him. He’ll be okay. He’s just going to need some extra comforting. And do you know who the queen of comforting is?”
James just pointed at her from his prone position. She chuckled at his boyish gesture. He’ll always be a boy, she reminded herself.
“You need to get your head on right before you go off to fight this thing. You’ve got a job to do. And I don’t want you coming back to town feet first.” She tried to be comical but it was a mask for her fears. Sarah was trying so hard to let James be grown up and make his own mistakes. But he kept choosing the most dangerous situations to test his luck with. She was extremely anxious about him leaving town. The small consolation was that the Sheriff was accompanying him.
James sat up and wandered to the table. He plopped down on the hard chair and watched Sarah prepare the tea. As she poured two cups she wished it were whiskey instead.
“A lot of folks are counting on you, James. You made a promise and now you have to see it through.” She sipped her tea very quickly to avoid burning her tongue. “I’m counting on you, too. So is Carson.”
James looked as if he didn’t believe her. She thought for a moment and then tried another tack.
“What’s that phrase that Carson always says?”
“You didn’t pay attention.”
“No, that’s not it. Something else.”
James looked out the window. Then he repeated Carson’s famous line.
“Back to square one.”
“That’s it. Back to square one.” She sipped her tea and watched James. His face b
rightened a little. She didn’t know if he got the message or if he were remembering his little buddy and all the good times they shared together.
“Well, I reckon I better get back to work on getting ready. I gotta kill this gunslinger and save this town.” He brushed his hands on his dungarees.
“Yeah, you do that. Meanwhile, I’ll see if I can clean up your messes around here.” She grinned at him. James smiled. It was good to see him act more like himself again. What would he do without his momma to take care of him she thought.
“Thanks, Mom.” He bent and kissed her cheek. She slapped his rear and went back to sipping tea. James got busy stuffing some items in his bag.
Chapter 36
The men rode in silence at first. James’ thoughts were still lingering on Carson and how he had hurt the boy. He figured the Sheriff had been busy replaying the events of the original shootout and the circumstances that led up to it. Either way, they both seemed preoccupied with their thoughts.
“Not sure what we’ll find out there. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen it.”
James glanced over at the Sheriff. He didn’t respond as he searched the horizon. The afternoon sun was waning and it would be dark in a few hours. James hoped they would get there soon so they had some time to look around and set up before nightfall.
“How much longer?”
“Not far now. Just a bit further.” The Sheriff rubbed his horse’s neck. “I’m still surprised your mother let you come.”
James shot the Sheriff a dirty look. “Why wouldn’t she let me come? I’m a man, aren’t I?”
Sheriff Morgan laughed. “I didn’t mean that she gave you permission. I mean just from the standpoint of what we are up against. And she nearly lost your brother.” James looked away when he remembered how they had lied about Carson’s relationship to them. Where did the lies end, he chided himself.
“If I were her, I would have locked you up and not let you out of my sight.”
