Chapter 20 – By the Skin of Your Teeth
"Based on the premise that you can't please all of the people all of the time, I think we did a pretty good job of pleasing enough people by living our lives the way we saw fit. Pappy went his own way and taught us to do the same, and I think we've done a pretty good job of it." That was Bret's assessment of the townsfolk paying for Bart's legal fees; Bart wasn't sure he understood all of it but he got the gist of what Bret was saying.
The brothers and their wives were eating breakfast at Sawyer's on Wednesday morning, preparing to go across the street to the jail for Judge Collin's verdict. A kind of peace had descended on Bart in the last two days, and a calm that Doralice hadn't seen in ages. He'd accepted his fate, whatever it might be, and placed his faith in God and the truth. He was the one that invited Bret and Ginny to come with them. He wanted his brother and sister-in-lawe wanted his britherHe
to be with them when the decision was reached, especially if the judge bound him over for trial. He didn't want Doralice to go home alone. They hadn't gotten to see much of Ginny with three little ones so close together in age, and Bart had especially missed her. He and the ex-Pinkerton detective had been particularly close at one time; they worked well together.
"Remember when we were in St. Louis? That seems so long ago," Ginny remarked.
"That's because it was," Bart laughed.
"I remember what you looked like in that green dress," Bret said between swallows of coffee. "Do you still have that?"
"Yes, sir, and what's more I can still fit in it. We should go to the opera in Claytonville sometime. I can think of a beautiful red dress that Doralice had . . . wouldn't we be a sight?"
"I think that's a fabulous idea. We spend enough time talking gibberish to little people," Doralice added.
"Opera? If that's what I have to do to see that dress again, I'm ready to go tonight."
Bart listened to the banter back and forth and smiled. He hoped everything would turn out alright and it would all be over this morning. No, he prayed that everything would turn out alright. He sighed and squeezed his wife's hand. She deserved so much more than he'd given her. If she wanted to go to the opera, he'd be happy to take her.
Doralice watched his face and saw that he was worrying about her again. She checked his watch and knew it was time to go. Bart reached for the check and Bret snatched it out of his hands. "No, no, little brother, this one is mine. You can get the check when we go to the opera. How about this Friday? I'll get tickets and earplugs and the girls can get dressed up to celebrate."
"Let's go see what Judge Collins has to say before we start making plans, Bret."
His brother got suddenly sober. "Alright, but he's going to set you free."
"I hope so."
The four Mavericks walked across the street and filed into the jail. Judge Collins was already there and seated. Ginny was introduced and seats were taken. The Judge cleared his throat and began.
"A twenty-year-old vendetta is what's brought us here today. There is a preponderance of evidence that Logan Duran was killed in the commission of a robbery. He was not hunted down and murdered, as Marshal Travis Cole would have had us believe. There was no need or reason for the warrant issued in Montana for the arrest of Bart Maverick. Therefore the original warrant is dismissed.
"That brings us to the present matter. There is little doubt that Marshal Cole came to Little Bend, Texas with one thing in mind, and one thing only. And that was to take Mr. Maverick back to Montana so that he could kill him. Whether Marshal Cole was of sound mind or not is debatable, but he did show up at the Maverick's front door and fired first. Therefore I find that the shooting of Travis Cole was in self-defense. No trial is warranted. The shooting of a United States Marshal cannot, however, go unpunished. Therefore I find the defendant guilty of killing a U.S. Marshal, and sentence him to twenty years in federal prison."
Doralice gasped. Ginny began to cry. Bart sat stoically, with his best poker face in place, until Judge Collins finished his sentencing. "Such sentence to be suspended effective immediately."
The judge stood up hastily. "I hope you can forgive me for frightening you, but I cannot let the killing of a U. go unpunished. Even when he's shot in self-defense. That was the only way I could handle the situation."
Bart reached out and touched the judge's sleeve. "Thank you, your honor."
The judge tipped his hat and left. The assemblage remained in their seats for several minutes, deadly still. "By the skin of your teeth, little brother. By the skin of your teeth."
tbc