I had to think of something, and it better be fast. Why me? I was the only one besides Maxwell that still had a weapon.
"What about the money, Red? Don't you want the money?" I asked, desperate to distract him.
A grin suddenly lit up his face. "Oh, yeah. The money. Let's have it, Parish." Instead of continuing to back away, as he had been, Red took a step forward and extended his hand. Hugh pulled what money he had from his coat pocket and handed it over to Maxwell. The outlaw examined what the sheriff gave him and then complained. "This ain't a thousand dollars."
"No, it's not," I answered him. "I've got the rest." I pulled the remaining funds and the derringer from my coat pocket, where they both resided, and offered the bills, carefully concealing the gun, to Red. As he reached for the bills I pulled the trigger on the Remington and hit him in the palm of his left hand. He let out a howl and shot as I fired the second round, putting the bullet into his chest. It took me a minute to realize I'd been hit. By that time Red was down and the sheriff had grabbed his gun. There was no need to hurry; I was close enough when I shot the second time for the missile to have done its damage. Maxwell was on the ground, gasping for air and rapidly bleeding to death.
The next few minutes were a jumble. Somebody took the cell door keys from Red and freed Harper; she went straight into Danny's arms. Once Hugh Parish was sure that the outlaw was dead he turned his attention to my arm, which Red's bullet had grazed. He wrapped a handkerchief around it and finally looked me in the eyes. "I don't know how or why, but thanks."
Harper pulled away from Danny and ran to her father. "Are you alright, girl?"
She nodded and hugged her Pa. "Is he dead?"
"Thanks to Bart." The sheriff held on to his daughter, his little girl, and there was a look of relief on his face.
I felt pressure on my shoulder and turned around. It was Danny, extending his hand to shake mine. "Thanks, Mr. Maverick." Almost as soon as he let go, Harper had wrapped herself in my good arm.
"See? I told ya you was smart." She stood on tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek, then touched the same spot. "And quick. Thanks." And just that fast she was back in the boy's arms.
"I guess I better get used to that," I heard the sheriff say.
"Looks like it," I remarked.
XXXXXXXX
It took us an extra day to get back to Wilsons Corners. We were haulin' Red Maxwell's body, and my arm started to stiffen up. Harper and Hugh did a lot of talking on the trip back; he had a lot to explain to her. When they weren't deep in conversation she spent her time with Danny. He looked happier than I'd seen him since the day he opened the door to the cabin at the prison.
When we got back to town I took a room at the hotel and went to see the doctor. He told me it would take about a week for the arm to feel normal again, and I was in no hurry to move on. The sheriff had informed me there was a reward of some sort on Red and I was content to spend my time resting, reading, and waiting.
Harper moved back into her father's house. It was her idea, but it pleased him no end. He and Harper talked about sending for Esme over the summer, and the older daughter was so excited she could hardly wait. But the biggest surprise of all was Danny. The former 'outlaw' went to work as a deputy for Hugh Parish.
Danny began courting Harper properly, all the while learning to be a suitable beau. She went back to work for Henry at the livery, and he offered to bring her into the business if she would invest with him. When I heard that I knew exactly what I was gonna do. Four days later Hugh Parish and I were eating breakfast at Bonnie's when he told me the news: "The reward for Red Maxwell is one thousand dollars."
I almost dropped my coffee. "That much?" I asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yep, got the wire yesterday afternoon. The money'll be available day after tomorrow. There's some people in Texas awful happy that Red Maxwell is no more. And several of 'em here in Wilsons Corners, too."
"I assume I'm eatin' breakfast with one of 'em."
"That you are. For the first time in a lotta years, I'm not worried about what's around the next corner. It's a good feelin', Bart."
"I'd imagine it is. You talked to Harper about her buyin' into the livery?" I was curious to see what her father's take on the whole matter was.
"No, but I talked to Henry. He's really willing to give her a start on her wantin' to work with horses. I know she's got some money saved . . . "
"Had some money saved, Hugh. That's what she paid me with."
It was evident he didn't know that. "Oh. That puts a different light on things."
We finished breakfast and parted company. I wandered down to the livery, where Harper was already hard at work mucking out stalls. "Miss Harper, I need a word with you."
"Uh – oh. What did I do now?"
"Tell me about Henry's offer."
She shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head. Once again I was reminded of spun gold. "Nothin' special," she remarked.
"That's not what I hear."
"Well, I can't do it, so it don't matter anyway." She looked at me defiantly. "My money was well spent."
"I don't know about that," I chuckled. "Sure you don't regret it, considerin' the way things worked out?"
"Not at all. Danny's back, and he's safe, and me and Pa got a better understandin', and I've got another friend."
"Who, me?" I asked her.
"Yeah, you, old man. Who else?" She threw a pitchfork full of hay at me.
"You know I'm leavin' town in a couple days." Just as soon as I got the reward money, as a matter of fact. I'd already been here far longer than I intended to be.
"Don't matter, you're still my friend. Ain't ya?"
I couldn't help it. I laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am."
XXXXXXXX
Two days later we were all in the sheriff's office when the reward money arrived with the bank president. He counted out one thousand dollars and handed it to Hugh Parish, who counted it out again and handed it to me. I peeled off four hundred dollars and passed it along, into Harper's hands. She seemed stunned.
"What is this?" she asked me.
"The money you need to invest with Henry," I told her.
"But that's yours. That's what I paid you to go after Danny with me."
I nodded. "That's right. And now I'm givin' it back to you."
"But why?"
I'd been wondering what kind of a reason I was gonna give her, but in an instant it came to me. "Because that's what friends do for friends."
She threw her arms around me and kissed me, and this time it wasn't on the cheek. And Danny never even flinched.
The End