The Shotgun Proposal

by Barbara Goss

  Rance paid the lawyer another two dollars, but walked out onto the street feeling good about it. He crossed the street to where he’d tied his horse, mounted, and turned onto the road that led to his ranch a good three miles away.

  It was a beautiful spring day, he’d changed his will, and the ranch was protected. The only unfinished business was finding Ernst. The constable had told him they have a few leads from some of the residents in Victoria, who thought one of their neighbors was hiding him.

  As he trotted along, his thoughts drifted to Elsa. She’d been a surprise. He'd married her to keep her away from her father’s beatings and ended up being in love—so much in love that he could hardly wait to get home to her. She felt so good in his arms, and she was beautiful, inside and out. He never imagined he’d feel that way about a woman, especially one he’d been forced to marry, or one who didn’t speak English, but they made their own language each night, and she was an enthusiastic student—the shy, meek woman was a spitfire when it came to romancing.

  Just as he was planning how he’d greet her when he got home, two figures stepped out from behind a large clump of bushes. One of them had a shotgun aimed at him. “Drop your gun,” one of them said.

  Rance turned in his saddle to see it was none other than Ernst Schuster and Henry, his interpreter.

  “Out of my way, Schuster,” Rance said.

  Everything they said had to be interpreted to each of them by Henry.

  “Now, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Balcomb. You’d be surprised what a man will do when he’s hungry. I’ve shot at you twice and failed each time. I’m sad that my daughter got the brunt of the last one. Is she all right?”

  “The condition of my wife is none of your concern, but I’ll give you a few coins for food, if that’s what you need,” Rance offered.

  “I want it all. Your ranch, your horses, and my family back.”

  “Your wife and daughters are on their way back to their homeland.”

  “You still have Elsa, and if you die, she gets everything. I’m sure I can use the back of my hand to persuade her.”

  Rance looked into the man’s eyes and shivered—he was crazy and had a good motive to kill him. He glanced around to see how he could either escape or overtake the men, but they’d picked the a perfect spot in which to waylay him—desolate and with nothing around.

  “I said to drop your gun,” Henry said for Schuster.

  Rance hated to part with it, but he did as instructed, since he had Ernst’s shotgun in his face.

  “Now, slowly get off of your horse.”

  What choice did he have? He rued the day he met Ernst Schuster. He knew he was a dead man if he didn’t act, but with a shotgun pointed at him, what could he possibly do? Schuster had a crazed look about him that gave Rance the chills, but Henry seemed unsure and less aggressive. Maybe Henry was his only chance.

  “Whatever he promised you, Henry, I’ll double it,” Rance said.

  Ernst nudged Henry—wanting to know what Rance had just said, no doubt—and Henry translated. He didn’t know if Henry had told him the truth or not. Henry’s face had seemed to have lit up a bit when he’d offered him double what Ernst had agreed to pay him.

  Ernst and Henry seem to be chattering quite a bit between themselves, so Rance glanced around, trying to plan an escape route.

  Henry turned to Rance and said, “He’s decided he can’t kill you yet because we don’t know if you've changed your will, leaving everything to Elsa yet. Have you?”

  “I changed it when we married, but when she left me I changed it back. Now that we’re back together, I haven’t had a chance to redo it. So if I die, my brother inherits everything,” Rance lied.

  Once again, Henry and Ernst spoke back and forth and Rance had no idea what they were saying.

  “Get back on your horse,” Henry said, taking the reins of Rance’s horse and handing them to Ernst. “You’re coming with us.”

  They led Rance to the other side of the clump of bushes, where Henry and Ernst’s horses were tied. They led him all the way to Victoria and into a barn he guessed belonged to Henry, because it wasn’t the barn by Ernst’s house. Henry tied him to a support pole by wrapping a thick rope around his chest and waist and tying it in the back of the post. He put a handkerchief over his mouth while Ernst pointed the gun at him.

  Ernst and Henry chatted some more and then Henry said, “We’ll find a lawyer and draw up another will, and after you sign it…” his hand made a gun and he pointed it at Rance, “bang.”

  Elsa sat on the porch with her eyes staring down the path leading to the house from the main road. She saw no one approaching, but she couldn’t stop watching. The sun was going down and still Rance hadn’t returned. Manny had been looking for him, too, and had commented on how unusual it was for Rance to neglect his favorite horse that was due to drop a foal at any minute. Manny had agreed to stay and keep his eye on her.

  Elsa perked up. A rider was approaching their lane on the main road. Could it be Rance? When he turned down the path leading to the house, her heart shifted in her chest. Rance! But as he drew closer, her smile faded. It was Wade. Maybe he'd brought news. She waited for him to dismount and approach the porch.

  They exchanged greetings and then Wade asked, “Is Rance around?”

  “No,” she said. “Wait.” She held up her index finger. She turned and ran inside to get Clara, who was having tea in the kitchen with Marta. They both hurried out when Elsa told them Wade was outside.

  Wade smiled at Clara and Marta. Marta blushed and smiled back.

  “Your timing isn’t good, Wade,” Clara said. “He’s been gone all day.”

  Elsa pointed to herself and said, “Worried.”

  “Yes,” Clara said. “We’re worried about him. He’s never been away this long without letting us know.”

  Elsa couldn’t hold back her tears when she heard that even Clara was concerned. “My father,” she cried. “My father.”

  Clara explained to Wade. “Elsa and Marta’s father might be set on doing Rance harm in order to take Elsa’s inheritance, should something happen to him.”

  Elsa watched Wade’s eyes widen and she knew Clara had explained the situation and the danger Rance was in.

  “I’ll ride into town and have a look around,” he said. “I’ll come back and let you know what I find out.” He mounted his horse and galloped down the path to the main road. Elsa watched him until he'd disappeared from view.

  “Come inside, Elsa,” Clara urged. “It’s getting chilly out here and you won’t be able to see him in the dark, anyway. Let’s go in and pray. Rance belongs to God and God will protect him.”

  Elsa begrudgingly followed Marta and Clara into the house.

  By morning, they all knew Rance was in trouble somewhere and maybe even dead. Elsa wouldn’t eat. All she did was to lay on their bed where she felt close to her husband, and cried.

  Clara came in with a tray around noon. “You have to eat something. If your husband needs you, you need to be strong and healthy.”

  Elsa sat up. “I’ll eat a little, then.”

  “Wade came by and told them there was no trace of Rance on the road between here and town,” Clara said. “It got too dark to do a thing last night, but he’s riding all the way to Victoria today, and he’s taking the constable with him. They think someone there may be hiding your father. Do you have any idea who might be hiding him?”

  Elsa thought a moment and then said with certainty, “Yes. Henry. He was in on the plan to trap Rance, as well. He and my father are friends and my father pays him either with money or something else, like favors.”

  “We’ll find him, don’t worry. At least no bodies have been found. Alois wants you to get back to your studies—Marta took the lesson alone this morning,” Clara said.

  Elsa took a bite of the stew Clara had brought her. “I couldn’t concentrate, Clara.”

  “It will keep your mind off of things for a while. Please?” Clara asked
.

  Rance gazed around the dark barn. He pulled his body forward to see how tightly the ropes had been tied—they were so tight he could barely bend at all. He sighed. There was a window on his left, but he was at least six feet away from it. He could see Victoria's main street from his vantage point, and he was able to watch carriages and riders passing down the street. He heard hammering somewhere, and a dog barking. Other than that, he was all alone.

  It grew dark outside, and he knew Elsa would be worried, and Clara as well. He doubted anyone would think to look in Victoria for him. They hadn’t tied his feet, but there wasn’t much he could do with them. If he got an itch he wouldn’t even be able to scratch it, that’s how bound his arms were.

  He was finally able to fall asleep, and he awoke to the sound of roosters crowing. He was hungry, his bladder was full, and he wanted to go home. He prayed like he’d never prayed before. He’d always been a faithful believer and churchgoer, so he felt that no matter what happened, it was God’s will, and he’d have to accept it. He thanked God for all the things he possessed and had experienced in life thus far, especially the love of his beautiful wife.

  Thankfully, before his bladder had exploded, Henry and Ernst walked in. Henry untied him while Ernst held the shotgun pointed at him. Henry walked him behind the barn and Ernst followed. As Rance relieved himself, Henry whispered, “How much are you willing to pay me if I find a way to free you?”

  “What’s he paying you?” Rance whispered.

  “He’s giving me the two horses he bought from you. He’s says they're worth a hundred dollars each,” Henry said.

  “I’ll give you five horses even better than his, or the monetary equivalent,” Rance said.

  Rance rebuttoned his pants and was led back inside, where Henry handed him a sandwich.

  Rance gobbled it down and then asked for a drink.

  “I’ll give you a small amount of water, but since we won’t be back until tonight, I wouldn’t drink too much,” Henry said.

  Henry walked outside and brought in a canteen of water. “I’ll give you the whole thing, but if you don’t want to sit in a puddle, I’d suggest you take just a small amount.”

  After he’d taken a few sips of water, Henry tied him back up. Ernst tested the ropes as if he didn’t trust Henry’s ability to tie them tightly enough.

  Rance sat and mostly gazed out of the window for the rest of the day. What else was there to do? They’d left him the canteen but with his hands tied, he couldn’t pick it up to drink. His heart did a double beat when he spotted a rider coming toward the barn that he recognized—Wade! He had a gag on his mouth, but he could still make a bit of a sound, which he did, as loudly as possible. He waited tensely, and then felt disappointment when Wade rode away. Wade was looking for something, and Rance knew it was him. Rance watched as Wade stopped to talk to a few people, but then he rode off and out of his vision.

  He doubted Ernst and Henry would find a lawyer who would agree to draw up a will without meeting the person for whom it was intended, which meant Ernst wouldn’t get a will and perhaps he’d let him go. Then he remembered the evil he’d seen in Ernst’s eyes and doubted he’d be freed.

  Rance wriggled and realized there was no escape.

  That evening, Henry and Ernst came to give him food and let him relieve himself again, then they tied him back up and left for the night. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he jerked awake when he heard the door open, and Henry slipped in and closed the door behind him.

  “Shh,” Henry warned. “If I let you escape, what did you say you’d give me?”

  “I’ll give you six prime horses and five hundred dollars.”

  Henry nodded. “That’s a good deal. I just have to figure out a way to do it so that Ernst doesn’t find out I had anything to do with your escape.”

  “Untie me now. By the time he realizes I’m gone—”

  “Can’t do that. He’d know it was me. I’m the only other one who knows you’re here,” Henry said.

  “I know—ride to Hays and let the constable know. He can rescue me.”

  Henry considered his idea. “Might work if I can get the constable to say it was a random search.”

  “Yes,” Rance said anxiously.

  “Let me think on it. It’s hard to ride to Hays since Ernst won’t leave me alone long enough. I was able to sneak out here because he’s asleep, but he could awaken at any moment. I’m going back to my house. I’ll think about it,” Henry said as he walked to the door, opened it, slipped out, and closed it behind him.

  Chapter 14

  Elsa paced the front porch, wondering where her husband could be. Thankfully, according to the sheriff, no bodies had turned up. What would Ernst do with him? She kept pacing and thought about all of his connections in Victoria. Henry had been his favorite interpreter, and she often wondered why he'd have helped Ernst to trap Rance. What had been in it for him?

  Wade had promised to return and fill her in on what they’d done so far and what else they had planned. Her constant worry was that it might be too late, no matter what they thought to do.

  Clara came out onto the porch. “Sit down, Elsa, you’ll wear out the porch floor.”

  “We need to try to speak more English,” Elsa said. “I want to be ready for when Rance returns home.”

  “All right,” Clara said, settling into a rocking chair. “Let’s talk in English. Alois said you’ve been an excellent student with a remarkable memory.”

  “I want to go to Victoria,” Elsa said in somewhat halted English. “I to find my husband.”

  “I want to find my husband,” Clara corrected.

  “I sometimes forget a word.”

  “You’re doing well and Rance will be proud, but it’s much too dangerous for you to go to Victoria. What if you run into your father there?” Clara asked.

  “I want my husband home,” Elsa said. She looked up to see Wade galloping down the lane. She waved and he waved back.

  After he’d dismounted, he approached the porch. “Good morning, fair ladies,” he greeted.

  “Wade,” Elsa said slowly, “please, take me to Victoria. Ernst take him there.”

  “Sure. I rode out yesterday and searched around but no one has seen him or Ernst. Then, again, few could understand me,” he said, “so maybe it would be a good idea for you to come with me. I think we should take Clara, too. That way we have interpreters on both sides.”

  Marta must have heard them talking because she came out onto the porch and smiled at Wade.

  “Hello, Marta,” Wade greeted.

  “Good morning, Wade,” she said in English.

  Wade looked impressed with her words and smiled. “Should we bring Marta along?”

  Elsa liked Wade and thought he’d be a good match for Marta, but she was still only sixteen, and she thought it important to mention.

  “She’s only sixteen, Wade, and someone needs to stay here on the odd chance Rance finds his way home,” Elsa said. “I’ll have Manny hitch up the buggy.”

  Once Wade, Clara and Elsa had reached Victoria, Elsa pointed out Henry’s large two-story home. “There,” she said.

  Wade tied the buggy and helped Elsa and Clara down. He went to the door and knocked while the women stood by the buggy.

  Henry opened the door and said, “What can I do for you?” in German, which Wade didn’t understand.

  Wade motioned for Clara and Elsa followed.

  “What does this young man want?” Henry said to Clara.

  “We’re looking for Rance Balcomb,” Clara said.

  Henry visibly paled, looked behind him, and said, “I have no idea where he might be.”

  “Who is it?” Elsa heard her father’s unmistakable bellow from somewhere behind Henry.

  Henry yelled to Ernst that it was someone looking for Rance Balcomb.

  “We saw him yesterday with Emil,” Ernst said loud enough for all to hear.

  Henry was about to relay that to Clara, but she waved his wor
ds away. “I heard.”

  Emil! Elsa was puzzled. Emil was angry he’d lost her, but there was no way that small, thin, man would be able to force Rance to go anywhere with him. She doubted he even owned a gun. She thought her father must be lying.

  “Where did you see them?” Elsa asked Henry.

  “They were riding out of town to the south.”

  There was no more they could do there, Elsa shrugged and made her way back to the buggy, but something bothered her. She stood by the buggy and gazed around. If they were holding Rance captive, where might they hide him? She gazed at the barn and the huge padlock on the door.

  “Clara, tell Wade to look at the barn and the padlocked door,” Elsa said.

  After Clara had asked him, he walked over, checked the padlock, and strolled toward the window.

  “Stop! That’s private property,” Ernst yelled out the door, a shotgun aimed straight at Wade.

  Wade shrugged and walked back to the buggy. “Get in,” he said to the ladies.

  As they rode away, Clara asked, “Elsa wants to know why we’re leaving when she's sure Rance is being kept in that barn.”

  “I’m going to report this to the sheriff. You’d think Victoria would have some type of lawman here. Now we have to lose time going all the way back to Hays,” Wade said.

  “One of us could stay and watch to be sure they don’t move him somewhere else,” Clara said.

  “I’ll stay and watch the barn. Can you and Elsa drive the buggy to Hays to report this to the sheriff?” Wade asked Clara.

  Elsa was able to pick up enough of their words to know what they were saying.

  Of course I can,” Clara said.

  “I’ll drive until we're no longer in sight of the town and then walk back while you two continue on to Hays.”

  Rance yawned and wriggled in his ropes again. Even though he knew he was tightly bound, every so often he’d try them, although he didn’t know why. Needing to relieve himself was merely one of his discomforts—he was hungry, bored, and homesick, too. He also worried about what might happen to him next. Would he ever see his ranch again, or his new wife?