"Well, what is it you know?"
"I don't know much, all I know is what's right and what's wrong," I stated. Jack sent me out on patrol with Leone. Jack insisted I patrol the ranch while he tried to talk sense in to the Hardin Brothers. Leone, who sat all too proudly on his horse with his new Winchester repeater on his back, plucked out a small metal container which held a line of cigarettes neatly stood waiting to be smoked.
"What them boys done to my girl ain't right. That I know." I shook my head, and scratched at my chin, picking a cigarette from Leones extended fingers and sticking it in between my lips.
"They're a rough lot," he lit a match, lit his cigarette and passed it to me.
"You don't need to tell me that," I said, inhaling. We walked on for a few minutes in silence until Leone sighed and said:
"It is at least a four man job takin' 'em down,"
"Is that what I'm supposed to tell Mr. Marston?"
"I ain't sure what you're supposed to tell Marston."
"Well you're supposed to be his friend, ain't ya?"
"Ah, shucks no, he's alright but we ain't good friends," smoke poured out of his mouth as he spoke. His body swayed with the waddle of the horse, "I'm here with my boy James Brooks on a social call, Jack and James Brooks met a couple months ago playin' a game of Poker down at Theives Landing. Big competition on this month and James Brooks ain't one to miss a big competition," he took another drag and looked at me, gesturing with the cigarette in-between the fingers of his left hand, "what you gone tell him then?"
"If he's anything like his father, from what I've heard he sure as hell can handle it."
"Well there's your problem, Ma'am, he ain't nothin' like his father, least he never used to be. He's angry at the world now, he's lost, he's confused he ain't go no Mother nor Father, he's a lost boy. He don't know what to do."
I sighed, "Guess he's in need of a little guidance then,"
Leone flicked his cigarette onto the ground and squinted at me, "You ain't really gon' let him do this, are you Ma'am?"
I hung my head, "No, I don't spose I am."

Leone and I completed the patrol and rode back to the barn. Leone helped me dismount and took the horses from me, removing their saddles as I took off their bridles.
"Colt will see to them, come on now Ma'am," he offered his arm as I hobbled back to the ranch, James Brooks tittered and joined us. Leone clapped James Brooks on the back and began joking as I readied myself to tell Jack what my revenge truly entailed.

As we entered, Leone nodded and Colt rose from his seat to attend to the horses. Jack smiled at me, looking up from his book, his feet on the couch. A pang of guilt smacked me in the stomach. I sat down in the arm chair closest to him, Leone sat by the fireplace. James Brooks walked to the kitchen.
"Jack," I said softly as he placed his book on the coffee table and his feet firmly on the ground, "I can't let ya go after these men,"
"Why's that, Miss Scarlet?" It was clear his father's blood had cooled since the argument with Crook Hardin, of the Hardin Brothers, and lay dormant in his veins as his eyes wondered over a thick, leather bound book.
I scratched my chin and looked at him from beneath my hat, "they are a ruthless bunch. They will shoot us dead as soon as we so much look at them,"
Jack nodded, his reasoning ticking over in his mind, "two men cannot take on an entire gang,"
"Precisely," I did not know much, all I knew was the chances of this panning out started to look slimmer by the second.
Jack stood up, his novel in his hands, and his father's hat off the coffee table, he called to Crook Hardin of the Hardin Brothers as he placed the book back into its slot in a lengthy bookshelf that stood solemnly in the corner of his ranch. Crook Hardin, of the Hardin Brothers scuffled along the floor, hauling himself into the living room, his face blackened from gunpowder and oil. He was wiping his hands down with a dirtied rag,
"Yes Marston?"
Jack placed the thick, rich leather hat onto his head, "Fetch Colt and James Brooks, I have a proposition for you,"
Jack began pacing, quietly, slowly.
"Who is it you're after, Miss?"
"Mo Von Barr of the Walton Gang," I grimaced and leant forward on my knees, resting my chin in my hand, looking up towards the young Jack Marston.
"And how many gang members are there, roughly?"
"Eight, exactly," I said, "their leader's dead but they're still functionin' as far as I'm aware."
"The bounty," he looked up from his pacing, his index finger leaving his chin and resting on his holster, "how much?"
I sat upright, the Hardin Brothers walked in looking worse for wear, a slightly inebriated looking James Brooks following close behind, I looked back up to Jack.
"Collectively over $800."

"Crook Hardin, of the Hardin brothers," Jack spoke loudly, his once childish voice deepening began to maintain a grit, "how much is your bounty?"
Crook Hardin of the Hardin Brothers shifted from one foot to the other, "You..you ain't gon' hand us in now are ya, Jack?" he seemed to be contemplating violence or cowardice. Shooting or running seemed to be the only two options running through his head.
"Nah Crook, I ain't doin' nothing like that,"

Leone removed his tan hat and scratched his forehead. He pulled out his cigarette tin. Jack clicked his fingers at Leone and continued, "could I have a cigarette, partner?"
Leone looked up at Jack, his blue eyes seemed bemused and taken a back, he placed a cigarette in his mouth and muttered "course Jack," he picked a ready rolled one and threw it to Jack who caught it in a clap. He struck a match, lighting Jacks then his, before tossing it into the fire.
"Thanks," Jack took a long seductive drag and held it between his fingers as he spoke, "how much is your bounty?"
Colt perked up, "$190. Each."
Jack laughed a thoaty laugh into the smoke.
"I think I know what you're up to, Jack Marston," Leone said with a grin.

"We chase after these outlaws gentlemen, we can pay off your bounty in one swift payment. We got the guns, we got the horses, all we need is a plan, which is why we need you Miss,"
"So you's tellin' me...you's gonna pay off an outlaws bounty with another outlaws bounty?"
Jack opened his arms and grinned, "Welcome to the West, where the lyin' cheatin' degenerate prospers," he nodded and inhaled, "my Pa taught me that."
Leone and James Brooks looked besides themselves, lost for words. They chuckled, astonished at the sudden turn of cunning Jack Marston encompassed.
"Well what of my money in this? I asked for your help so I'll split it fair but I expect a fair share Jack Marston, I am to see to it that this man is slain for his crimes, as long as I get a pretty penny out of it I do not care which way."
"Do not worry about it, you will have your share. Now, where is it this gang hides out Miss?" He looked sideways at me from beneath his fathers hat, resting his hand on his belt of bullets.

"Now I'm no fool Jack Marston, I want a 60% share of the bounty."
"35."
"40"
"Deal," he extended his hand. I smiled and shook it.

"Last time they were seen was Armadillo. Rumour has it they are lodging there while a new sheriff is appointed, tryin' to intimidate some of the locals I imagine."

He stood, absorbing the information. "Good. We'll make it in one journey, one smooth sweep." He gestured, cigarette in hand. "Right, this is what we're gonna do..."

*

We decided to ride the railroad and out to maintain the element of surprise. Jack would telegraph an old associate at Armadillo, Leigh Johnson for any new information on the gang. Finally the discussion closed, and the Hardin Brothers were to join Jack, Leone, James Brooks and I on the second day of our venture to tie up any loose ends at the ranch before bringing fresh supplies, clothes and a new batch of horses. Until then, I had at least another week at Marstons family ranch, Beechers Hope, and while that week passed, I looked forward to sleeping well, knowing the murderous bunch would be bought to justice. And with that sweet thought in mind, I slept long and hard for a good eight hours.

A knuckle rapped at my door. I rose slowly, stretching, I called softly:
"I'll be just a minute."
I was late for my ranch work.
"Are you decent?" Leone's gritty voice asked in a lowered tone, a lowered tone oozing with curiosity.
"I er," I threw myself out of bed recklessly stumbling on my swollen foot, bashing into the bed side table, "I'll just be a minute," I hobbled hurriedly to the dress of draws, throwing my hands out in front of me as I lost my balance. I landed with a soft thud on the dresser. "Damn!" I cursed. A soft chuckle eminated from behind the door.
"You er, you've said that twice now Ma'am,"

"Have a little patience," I muttered to myself as I pulled out my faithful dark green blouse and brown skirt, walking backwards to the bed, sitting on the edge and slipping the skirt over my undergarments.
"Say, Ma'am,"
"Please, call me Scar," I looked around for my belt.
"Say," he paused, "say Ma'am," as if he couldn't muster one syllable, "where is it you come from?"
"Why, I come from Fort Smith," pausing, I pulled the strings on my corset a little tighter before pulling the green blouse over my head and slipping on my brown leather boots. "Where is it you come from?"
"I come from Austin, Texas, Ma'am,"
"I see," I brushed out my curls in the mirror, and secured my hair back with a single yellow ribbon into a neat ponytail, "that explains your unfathomable fortitude."
"You ain't seen none of my unfathomable fortitude yet," I leant on the dresser and looked in the mirror. I laughed to myself. Straightening up and brushing down my clothes I walked to the door as best I could without hobbling. As I yanked open the door, a cigarette free, tan Leone leant against the frame, his one leg tucked behind his ankle, leaning entirely to his left, the brim of his hat touching the wood of the door frame.
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" I smiled, looking him straight in the eyes. Laughing he swung away from the door frame and walked me towards the kitchen of the ranch, stroking his moustache before speaking, "say, Ma'am,"
"Say, I have a feelin' I know where this conversation is goin'," I chuckled as I entered the kitchen, he swaggered in before, pulling out my chair and sitting next to me, shuffling forward, closer to me.

"Say, you ever been huntin'?"
"Sure," Colt and Crook Hardin walked in gruffly, shortly followed by a chuckling James Brooks and Jack Marston.

"Well good afternoon sunshine," Crook looked down at me. Jack coughed at Crooks remark as James Brooks sat opposite me, when Crook sat down and shut up Jack continued to stir whatever lay in his big black cooking pot.

I dismissed him by turning back to Leone, who continued unaffected, "ever been bear huntin'?"

"Once or twice, why? What you gettin' at?"

Jack tapped the ladle against the pot and began serving up our lunch.
Leone looked down and chortled, removing his hat, shifting his chair to face inwards and placing it under the table, "'Cos word at Manzanita Hut is there's a sudden uprise and wantin' for bear skin, and just as it happens, we're all in need of extra cash."

At that moment Jack placed a bowl of soup, consisting of heaven knows what in front of me,
"Thank you, Jack, do forgive me for sleepin' in, rest assured I shall make it up to you."
"Do not worry about it Miss," he trundled back and forth a couple of times, serving the boys, "I imagine you were just catchin' up on what you needed, you sleep well?"
"Very well, thank you, I'll be up and ready for my duties Monday mornin',"
"Okay Miss." Jack settled down at the opposite end of the table, "let us say grace."

Colt spoke surprisingly softly, "Bless this food to our use, and us to thy service, and make us ever mindful of the needs of others. Amen."
"Amen," everyone chanted, the Hardin brothers eagerly digging in despite its rustic taste, "Jack?"
I spoke up, ignored by the Hardin brothers but acknowleged by all others, "if you don't mind me askin', what's in this?"
"Er," he chewed, "carrots, corn and the last of the beef."
I nodded and took another spoonful, continuing conversation with Leone, "So, bear huntin'?"
"Yurp, bear huntin' this Wednesday ain't we, Jack?"
Jack nodded, apparently too hungry to talk.

"Well, if you would consider huntin' down a goat I'd make you boys some mutton and vegetable stew? Seen as I can't do much work around here, I gotta make myself useful somehow."
"That'd be great Scar," James Brooks chirped, the only male of the bunch unafraid to call me by my nickname, "really would help ol' Jack here out."
"Sure." I smiled and continued to eat, receiving a grateful smile off James Brooks and Leone in reference to a stubborn Jack Marston's pride to ask for help .