Chapter 13
Tex sat by Luke's side in silent prayer. He had been over and over the room, looking for a loose board or any other way out. He found none and even if he did find away out, Luke was to sick to move.
Tex turn at a quiet sob. Pauline had pulled her knees to her face and was crying quietly against them, rocking gently back and forth. Tex tried to think of something to say but couldn't find the words. So, he just reached out and patted her hand.
Pauline looked up and wiped her eyes on her selves. "I'm sorry. It just seams so... so..."
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this." Tex apologized. "I promise, I will try my hardest to get you out of here. God willing, I'll succeed."
"Thank you. I don't know you well but I trust you. I know you will do your best." Pauline whispered.
"It's my duty as a man and a Christian." Tex answered slightly embarrassed. "You were brave to stop and help my brother. I give you my deepest thanks."
"I knew he was your brother. Other wise I might of run away." Pauline smiled slightly.
"How did you know he's my brother?"
"It wasn't hard. He looks so much like you, he could be no other." Pauline laughed and then looked down at her hands. "I... I wanted to say... I'm sorry for how I acted last night. It wasn't very ladylike."
"It sure didn't help matters but I can't say I blamed you." Tex stood up.
She looked up at him, her blue eyes still wet with tears. "Thank you."
Tex nodded and shifted uncomfortably. Silents gathered over the room. Tex walked to the small slit of a window and looked out. The barn yard was empty.
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"Hello the house!" Tom shouted as they neared the ranch.
A figure appeared in the barn door as Tom, Chuck and Ben trotted their horses into the yard. Mary Parr ran through the yard to the house shouting, "Mama! We got company!"
William walked from the barn chuckling. "Howdy! You boys need something?"
"A few words with you, if you don't mind?" Tom asked.
William frowned. "I know you don't I? You were at the barn raising the other day, right?"
"Yes we were. I'm Thomas Buck. This is my brother Charles and our friend Ben. You probably remember our brother Tex? You talked to him some," Tom answered.
"Yep. Really nice young man. And it's nice to met you too. Unless it's unfriendly talk you bring." William glanced from one to the other.
"We aren't here for trouble." Chuck assured him. "We just want to ask you a few questions."
"All right. I'll answer what I can. Why don't you come on in to the house?"
"All right. Thanks." The three visitors dismounted as one.
Mrs. Parr greeted them at the door. They seated themselves around the table and Mrs. Parr served coffee. Tom caught the questioning glance she gave her husband. "We'll leave you men to talk." She took Mary by the hand and left the room with one worried glance behind her.
"All right. Shoot." William leaned his forearm on the table.
"You knew a man by the name of Jim Locks, am I right?" Tom asked.
William stiffened and paled. "I did. Why do you ask?"
"Do you think he was willing to sell his ranch?" Chuck asked.
William rubbed the handle on his coffee cup nervously. "Why would I know?" He said flatly.
"You worked for him didn't you?" Chuck asked.
"I... Yes, yes I did."
"How long?" Ben asked.
"Why do you want to know? It is none of your business." William answered.
"Parr, it is my business when it involves my brothers and even more my business when a girl is involved. Parr, please. We need information." Tom reasoned.
"I can't tell you anything." William's voice came out in a horse whisper.
"William, this is a life and death mater! Everyone knows you worked for him and knew him well. We need, and I really mean need, information." Chuck said harshly.
William swallowed hard. "All right. I'll tell but you must'n tell anyone who told you. I'm putting my family in danger by telling you anything at all." William spoke in a soft whisper.
"Go on." Tom encouraged.
William glanced nervously around. "I worked as foreman for Jim. I worked over ten years with him. He is a good man and let me have a big cabin to live in with my family. Things were going good. His ranch was big and the best one around these parts. Six months ago, Jim bought a small peace of land to extend his ranch. It was by pure accident that I found the gold.
"I was riding over the land looking it over. I found a real nice stream. As I bent down to refill my canteen with fresh water, I saw something. I picked it up and it was a perfected nugget of gold, a little larger then a silver dollar and as round as any ball! I brought it on back to the ranch.
"Now there was a lad working for Jim that we called Mac. He walked up as I was show'n the nugget to Jim. He got real interested started asking a lot a questions. I thought nothing of it. Who wouldn't be interested? But Jim got all quiet and started saying he didn't figure there would be any more.
"I was really surprised when Jim told me to keep the gold. 'You found it, you keep it.' he told me.
"Well, I bought this place with that gold and the money I had saved up over the years. Jim was disappointed to see me go. 'I shouldn't of let you keep the gold, Will,' he said. 'Your the best foreman I've ever had. I hate to loose you.'
"About three months later I went up to visit Jim. When I rode up he was all in a huff about something and was pacing up and down in the yard. When he seen me he simply nodded at me and went on pacing. 'I shouldn't have trusted him,' he stormed.
"I asked what the mater was. 'Mater? Mac robbed me! That's what the mater. Robbed me and up and left!'"
William shook his head. "I didn't expect that at all. I liked Mac, so did many of the other cowhands. He was a talkative man but he didn't drink or swear. Around us anyways. I thought he was a real up standing man. But it was true. He robbed Jim clean. Took some stock too!
"Jim was worried about what to do. He didn't have the money to pay off his debts and Mac was gone. That's when I thought of the gold. I suggested it to him. He still figured we would find more but I convinced him it was worth a try.
"We headed out. We had reached the stream and did a little digging around and panning. We found a small amount of gold. Not enough to save his ranch but it did lift his hopes of there be'n more.
"Then, out of no where, shots rang through the air. I dropped to the ground. Nothing happened. I turned to look at Jim. He was- he was dead. Never knew what hit him."
Here William stopped. His eyes dropped to the table. He swallowed and continued. "I was so shocked that I just stared. It took me a minuet to get my senses back. By the time I did, four men were coming towards me. They must not of seen me. Or maybe they thought they had killed me too.
"It was Mac and three other men. I later found out they were Billy Mowatt, Foss, and Hank. By..."
"What?!" Tom's shout of surprise cut William off. "Did you say Billy Mowatt?" William nodded.
"Well, well. I had almost forgotten about the Mowatts." He looked at Chuck with raised eyebrows. "Please, go on." Tom urged.
"Well, by the time I got my senses back, they were coming at me. I tried to move out of their line of sight but they saw my movements. Foss raised his rifle to his shoulder. I thought for sure I was a dead man but Mac realized what Foss was doing and jerked down Foss's rifle barrel. 'That's Will! You can't kill him. He's got a family,' Mac yelled.
"'What else are we going to do? He'll tell around what happened.' Foss yelled back.
"'Let me talk to him,' Mac said and called out to me.
"I was scared, I tell you. But I didn't have much of a choice. So, I stood up and walked to them. Mac told me that I could go if I didn't tell a soul what had happened. If I told, they would kill my family and then me.
"You must understand that I really had no choice, so I told them I wouldn't tell. I'm risking my family's safety by telling you all this." William took a gulp of his cold coffee before continuing.
"We went up to the ranch and found the cowhands had gathered in the yard. Mac couldn't be seen. So, he stayed behind while the rest of us went up to the house. On the way to the house, Billy suddenly leaned over and whispered in my ear,'You agree with every thing we say, you understand?' I nodded.
"As we approached, Hank told the hands they weren't needed anymore and could leave.
'''Says who? Where's Jim?' One asked.
"'He sold us the ranch and left the country,' Billy answered.
'''He did what?! I don't believe it. Is that true, Will?' one asked me.
"Billy turned to look at me. His face was away from the others, so they couldn't have seen the look he gave me. I hesitated for a moment before saying, 'He's gone, all right.'
"They didn't believe it until Hank pulled out the deed for the ranch. I'm not sure how they got it. But it was sighed by Jim and that settled it for the cowhands. Everyone left including me. I didn't tell anyone about it because I know about Mac. He'll find out some how."
Everyone sat in silents for some time before William added, "If I had known other peoples lives are in danger, I would have told what happened sooner."
"William, will you go to the Bakers. Tell them what you told us. Then tell them to get a sheriff and meat you here. I want you and them all to wait here until I send you word. Are you willing to do that?" Tom asked. William nodded. "Good. And if your worried about your family send them to Marge's." Tom stood up. "Lets go."
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Luke's fever was high. He was tossing and turning so much, in his sleep, that the blankets wrapped around his legs. Tex untangled him for a second time.
I wish he'd snap out of it! Tex thought.
"They left us here with no water." Tex sighed in frustration. "I've nothing to lower his fever with." He spoke to Pauline who sat by Luke's side, dabbing away the sweat pouring down his face with a corner of the blanket.
Luke rolled from his side over on his back and his eyes blinked open. He asked for a drink and Tex hated to tell him they had no water.
"What's he trying to do? Starve us to death?" Luke asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised at anything he does." Tex answered.
"Why is he trying to get rid of you anyway?" Pauline asked.
Tex shrugged. "I have a guess."
"He wants revenge." Luke tried to push himself on to an elbow. That brought on a sudden dizziness. He groaned and dropped back down. He shut his eyes and whispered. "I heard him say it. He's still mad at Pa."
"About twelve years ago our Pa had to shot his son." Tex explained to Pauline. "Our Pa had no choice. He killed him. Pete Mowatt got mad and attacked him. Our Pa hit him across the head with his pistol. That's how Pete got the scare across his eyebrow. The sheriff was there and broke up the fight.
"Pete got mean. He drank and gambled all his money away until he lost his ranch. He swore he would kill our Pa if it was the last thing he did. He and our Pa got in a fight on the street one day. Pa near killed him and then ran him out of town. We haven't seen hide nor hair of him seance. Until now." Tex looked down at Luke whom again had drifted off to sleep. He raised his eyes to Pauline's. "We've got to get you out of here, Pauline. Pete won't care if your a girl. If he thinks you have anything to do with us, he'll kill you too."
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Tom pull himself forward with his elbows, his rifle gripped in his hands. Ben and Chuck crawled up beside him and the three look a cross the open at the ranch. Someone came out of the ranch house with a pail and canteen. As he glance around Tom leaned closer to the ground. Hopping he wouldn't be seen.
The man in the yard looked around slowly. Then he walk up a hill side to a shed so hidden, Tom hadn't know it was there at first. The man seemed to look through a window before opening the door and handing in the pail and canteen.
Tom motioned for Chuck and Ben to back away. They backed away slowly . Then crouching low they worked their way back to the horses. "Their keeping them in that shed, I'll bet." Chuck stormed.
Ben and Tom nodded. "All right. One of us need to go get the men." Tom instructed.
Ben and Chuck glanced at each other.
"I'll go." Chuck grabbed the saddle horn and placed his foot in the startup.
"Good. Bring them to this spot." Tom instructed, nodding for Ben to follow him.
"Where are you going?" Chuck asked as he pulled himself into the saddle.
"We're going to see how close we can get to that shed. Now get going!"
~The end of Chapter 13
Wow, I can't wait for more! ;)
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