Man of Justice

Chapter Thirty

Jarrod rode his horse through town with McCall by his side. Tom had sent McCall into town to get supplies. The foreman was happy for the break and asked if he could take Jarrod along. He hoped he could reacquaint his boss' son to the place where Jarrod had been born. Now, McCall stood on the side of the street wondering if it had been such a smart idea, when as a bucket full of water fell from the roof. The bucket narrowly missed Jarrod, but the water didn't.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Lyman hurried down the ladder, stepped inside and grabbed a towel; actually, more like a rag and handed it to Jarrod. "I bumped into the bucket by accident and it fell before I could grab it!"

Jarrod doubted the story as the man might have been offering an apology with his words, but his eyes were fighting laughter.

It didn't sit right with McCall either. "That was no accident! There's no reason to harass him; he hasn't done anything to you!"

Lyman simply restated his rather poor apology and quickly disappeared into the building, when it looked like McCall was going to haul off and punch him!

"Well, come on." McCall shook his head. "We'll have to get you a new shirt; that one is soaked." He was surprised, but not shocked, when Jarrod shook his head. "Don't worry," explained McCall, "I know where we can get another buckskin shirt." McCall led him in the directions of a nearby store where a friend of his worked. Unfortunely, before they reached the store a couple of men walked around the corner.

Their turned down noses and smirks spoke louder than they did. "Well, well, the Barkley's papoose has found his way home! Looks like you're still part injun to me, boy. What did they do? Put their blood into you?" The heavier set one, though he wasn't all that big, poked Jarrod in the shoulder only to find McCall's fist in his stomach and gasping for breath. The other man went for Jarrod only to be shocked when Jarrod grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder.

About that time, McCall's friend hurried out of his store."Leave them be!" Robert Taylor barked at the men harassing his friend and the Barkley's oldest son. The men might not have listened, but there was something in Jarrod's eyes as he glared at them that scared them right out of their slimy shells. It was as if he was begging them to fight him. That being the case, the two men slithered away as fast as they could.

"Come on in," Robert said as he waved for them to follow him, "I will take it that you at least need something for the lad to wear. I mean, for something to replace that wet shirt." Truth was, Robert had seen the water incident and was prepared.

"As long as they're buckskin, we do." McCall answered as they entered the man's store.

Robert didn't understand, but he didn't argue either. "Hang the shirt in my back room and try this on." He reached up to the top shelf and pulled down a simple brown buckskin shirt. "There you go." He handed Jarrod the shirt, but refused the money McCall offered him.

"I haven't seen him in town before, but I've heard plenty." Robert said as Jarrod stepped into the back and made the exchange. It wasn't long before Jarrod and McCall were again going about their business. Both were relieved when the most they got were stares and whispers during the rest of their time in town.

0000

Tom and Victoria were sitting in the front room talking while Audra and Eugene had both been laid down for an afternoon nap. When McCall and Jarrod walked through the door, the fact something had happened in town to upset their son was as clear as the cloudless sky. Jarrod's face which had begun softening up over the last week was again back to being completely unreadable.

Wanting to find out what happened without upsetting his son, Tom stood up and looked at Jarrod. "Nick is in the stable doing what he can to clean the stalls. Please, go help him, son." He had to inwardly shake his head as Jarrod only nodded and then turned around and left the house. Once he was gone, Tom demanded an explanation.

McCall replayed the incident and then added, "Maybe, I shouldn't have taken him, only…" he paused as he glanced towards the door and then continued, "he can't hide here on the ranch the rest of his life. But, as long as he continues to choose to act and dress that way, he's going to have problems."

As much as it hurt to hear McCall say it, they both knew it to be true. Tom dismissed McCall and then turned around to face his wife. It upset him to see the tears in her eyes; the ones which wanted to come but hadn't succeeded in coming yet. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. He's been home for months now! He should be talking English, not just Shoshone to his horse or one of the other animals. He shouldn't still be acting as if he is Shoshone!" the frustration and anger Tom felt spilled out in his voice.

Victoria understood her husband frustration and anger, but being around their children more, her level of frustration and anger was not as deep. "He's making progress, Tom. Nick is constantly by his side as they work together and, while it's in the Shoshone language, the two boys are starting to communicate. Who knows, maybe once Nick has learned the language he will succeed in finding out why Jarrod is being so stubborn about all of this. I mean, about his clothes, the language and his name. I mean, no one forced him to come ba..." she cut off her words and Tom stiffened slightly. "Tom, he did choose to come back, didn't he?" She was horrified to think her own son might not want to be with them at all.

"Yes, he chose to come on his own, though I admit," Tom sighed, "I talked hard to convince him to come back." The two fell into silence as Tom's heart broke as he realized he only had two choices he could really make...get some sort of help for Jarrod or take him back to his Shoshone father.