HONORABLE INTENTIONS

CHAPTER SIX

Inside it was awful quiet, the fire burned low in the hearth and I looked around the room half expectin' Slim to be outta bed and sittin' at the table sippin' coffee. But there was no sign of him, and that told me he really was hurtin' and more'n likely got slipped somethin' by Daisy to keep him down.

Mike's school books were spread across the table. I figured Daisy had him workin' on 'em seeing as how he wasn't in school today. Guess I interrupted when I rode in.

"Tiger, you supposed to be doin' some book learnin'?" I nodded towards the table.

He looked between me and the books, and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. I guess so. But now that you're home, ain't you gonna need me to help you do your chores?"

"Not right now, I gotta talk to Slim first." I didn't want him listenin' in on my conversation.

"Aw, Jess…"

"Go on." I said. "Aunt Daisy's gonna expect ya to have that work done by the time she gets home."

He slinked off to the table, giving me one last sullen look before sittin' down and reachin' for his pencil. I made my way to the bedroom.

Slim was propped up on a pile of pillows, his left arm supported by another one across his belly. He was still sleeping but it didn't look to me like it was none too peaceful. His skin was mighty pale and he was sweatin' up a river, too. I didn't like the way his mouth was set all tight, neither. It sure made me think twice about wakin' him.

Beside the bed was a pitcher of water and an empty cup. I picked up the cup and sniffed, and sure enough, there was no mistakin' the bitter smell of laudanum and I wondered if I'd get any sense from him even if he did wake up.

"Slim." I grabbed a hold of his right foot and shook. "Slim." I said, a bit louder. He stirred some, grimacing, then mumbled quietly but his eyes stayed shut.

"Slim, wake up, will ya?" I shook his foot again and this time he opened his eyes, staring at me blankly 'fore finally figurin' out who it was standin' by his bed.

"Jess? Whatta you doin' here?" He pushed the pillow off his belly and tried to sit, but it was pretty clear to me it was hurtin' him to make the effort.

"Easy, Slim." I said getting my hand under his arm and helpin' him up. He shuffled back against the bed head and I stuffed another pillow behind him.

A quick scrub of his face with his good hand, followed by a sweep of hair off his forehead had him lookin' like he might be able to start listenin'.

"Slim, we need to talk." I said, straightenin' up.

But instead of payin' me the attention I was wantin' he reached for the empty cup on the bedside table and looked inside. Runnin' his tongue over his lips, he made a shaky effort to grab at the pitcher.

"Now don't go tryin' to do it all yerself," I said, takin' the jug of water and pourin' him a drink. I wasn't gettin' a feelin' like he was gonna be much help. "How ya doin', Pard?"

When he'd downed the whole cup of water he put it back on the side table, closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

I waited.

"Slim? You awake?"

Nothing.

"Slim!" I was losin' patience. Wasn't no good him fallin' asleep again. "Wake up!"

"Jess?"

Dadgum, we was just goin' around in circles.

"Slim, I gotta talk to you. 'Bout Daisy and Mike. It's important."

Eyes still half droopy with laudanum, Slim rolled his head to the side, blinking once or twice 'fore finally fixin' his gaze on me. "What happened to you?" He asked, screwing up his face and starin' hard at that graze on my cheek. Not a whole lot different to the way Mike was eye-ballin' me earlier.

"If ya think you can stay awake long enough, I'll tell ya." I said, easing myself down to sit on the end of his bed, keeping all them hurt parts of mine as still as possible. Scrubbing at my eyes, gritty with road dust and not near enough sleep, I launched into the sorry tale of what happened with the Morgans. I wasn't ready to share how I was treated back in town, how them folks weren't thinkin' none too kindly of me. Had to admit, if only to myself, it didn't sit real well how quick they turned.

Didn't think there was much point tellin' Slim how I hurt my hand, not yet anyway. In fact, didn't think it would be much good tellin' him it was hurt at all. Once I explained what Tip had said, and how Deevy was wantin' to make trouble by getting' at Daisy and Mike… well… that was gonna be enough for Slim to deal with without concernin' himself on my account.

Slim lay quiet, listening while I told him about the threats, the shots fired at me on the way home, the rabbit in the barn. I laid it all out for him and then suggested Mike and Daisy head to town for a few days.

"Where is Mike?" He asked, finally showing a sign some of what I was sayin' was sinkin' in.

"Out there," I nodded towards the main room, "working on his school books. Figured Daisy'd want his homework done by the time she got back."

"Did you say Deevy's…the one you thought was…behind those threats that fella in town was making? Hal Deevy?"

"Weren't no 'thought' come into, it, Slim. And yeah, Deevy, and that no good friend of his, Tip. Don't know his last name, but they're set on makin' trouble for me. And they think getting at Daisy or Mike's the way to do it."

Slim's eyes slid shut again. Just when I thought he'd drifted off he licked his lips and said, "You don't wanna be worrying about Deevy, Jess. He's about as…yella…as…" Slim faded out, his eyes closing briefly before opening again looking up at me all dazed and only about half concentratin'. "Jess…?"

"Darn it, Slim. I was just talkin' to you…'bout Daisy and Mike. Don't ya remember?" This was gettin'me nowhere fast.

"Sure…Sure Jess...but you don't need to be worryin'…'bout Deevy. He hasn't got the brains…to mastermind an attack on you, or Mike or Daisy."

"It don't take brains to pull a trigger. And I told ya he's already tried it once."

"Did you see him? Did you see anyone?" Slim blinked, a slow steady movement and squinted at me, like he wasn't seein' too good.

"I didn't't have to." I said, watchin' Slim and tryin' to figure out where he was goin' with this. "I know it was Deevy or one of them sidewinders he runs with. Who else would a been taking pot shots at me?"

"Coulda…coulda been any number of people, Jess."

"What's that s'posed to mean?"

"Now, don't go getting your britches…all…twisted up. I only meant you didn't actually see Deevy shootin' at you. Coulda been…someone huntin'rabbits for food." He paused again, lookin' around the room, like it was too hard to concentrate on any one thing for too long. "That'd explain what…what you found in the barn."

"It don't explain nothin'. Told ya, that rabbit was hangin' in the barn with a rope round its neck. Somebody had to put it there!"

"Yeah…that is disturbing."

"Well, don't that tell ya something? Last I heard, rabbits don't just up and hang themselves."

"I dunno, Jess. Kids maybe? Those Jamieson boys are always…always playing tricks on folks. Remember how they're forever getting a laugh tying that donkey to our sign? They reckon it's a big…big joke. Wouldn't…wouldn't put it past them to be foolin' round in the barn."

I stood there dumbfounded. I was tryin' real hard to make allowances for the laudanum messin' with his brain, but now Slim was just actin' plain loco. And I couldn't figure why he was all fired ready to argue everythin' I was tellin' him.

"And think about it, Jess, whoever was shooting had plenty of chances to hit you. Seems to me it was more'n likely what I said. Hunters, and not… not real good ones at that."

"One shot maybe I'd be willin' to agree with ya, but they fired twice at me and that was only the ones I counted." I could feel my temper risin'. My hand was throbbing, my knee felt like someone'd set a match to it and this wasn't what I was expectin' from Slim when I woke him up.

"That's what I'm sayin' Jess, if they'd wanted to hit you, they had plenty of chances. Seems…seems to me they weren't too careful, but that doesn't mean they were aimin' at you."

"Don't it seem strange right after Tip threatened me I was shot at? Ain't ya concerned for Mike and Daisy at all? I come in here expectin' your help, not to have ya try and talk me outta what I know to be right."

"Now hold on there. Tip doesn't seem the type of fella to go round makin' threats. Are you sure you weren't just imaginin' things? "

"Imaginin'…? I told ya what he said. Mort was there…he heard it, too."

"Then why didn't he arrest him?" Slim's voice was escalatin' with his awareness and I was ready to give it right back to him.

"You know darn well why! You've worked with Mort enough to know he can't arrest a man for makin' talk. You don't think I didn't try to get him to do somethin'? His hands are tied without proof. But I don't intend to stand around and wait till Daisy and Mike become that proof. Now are ya gonna help me or not?"

"Jess, you know…you know if I thought for one minute that Mike and Daisy were in danger I'd bundle 'em straight into town…"

"Well I'm tellin' ya, ain't my word good enough?" I got to my feet in a fit of rage, but the sudden movement sent my head spinnin' so as I staggered a few steps 'fore I could get a hold of the bureau to steady up some.

"Jess? You okay?" Slim leaned forward, grimacing and frownin' and breathing through a hiss. I knew he was hurtin' but he was makin' me madder 'n a peeled rattler with all his questions.

"No, I ain't." I yelled, pushing away from the chest once the dizziness quit. "I've been shot at, throwed from my horse and I'm worried sick about Mike and Daisy and you're makin' out like I'm loco. Slim…I'm askin' for yer help. I know you ain't in no condition to be fightin' if there's trouble, but you can convince Daisy to take Mike to town. She'll listen to you."

I stood by Slim's bed, chest heaving and my belly tight, hoping he'd have the sense to see reason.

"Seems to me you're jumpin' to some mighty big conclusions, Jess. I know you believe what you think you heard, but I know Deevy, he's not the kind to do his own dirty work. You told me yourself the Morgans are dead. Deevy's full of hot hair, he's not likely to go out on his own...you got yourself all worked up, Pard. Take a breath and think it through."

I started to pace, ignoring the scrape of torn flesh against the shredded denim of my pants. Think it through? What in blazes did he think I'd been doin' since I left town? I know what I heard. I know them shots fired at me weren't no rabbit hunters. Deevy was playin' some kind of game. And no one seemed to be takin' what Tip said seriously.

I paced some more, headed to the window and leaned against the pane starin' out into the yard. It didn't make no sense to me why Slim wasn't willin' to believe me. Takin' his advice I drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinkin' back to what was said in front of Mort's office. Weren't no mistakin' what Tip meant. But maybe it was like Slim was sayin'. Deevy was all fired ready to get at me while them Morgans were around, but truth be told I wasn't all that certain he did have the guts to do his own dirty work. Could it all've just been coincidence? The shots? That dead rabbit in the barn? They sure didn't follow through when they had the chance, and Tip knew my gun hand wasn't working. My head was achin' with all them thoughts whirlin' through it and my stomach was growlin' with a need for food.

"Do ya really think I could a been wrong about Tip, Slim?" I asked, moving back to sit at the end of his bed.

Slim'd let his eyes slide shut but he opened them again when I spoke. "Yeah, Jess. Those kind are good at makin' noise, but they're not the type to carry out their threats, least not unless someone is pullin' their strings. You've been through…you've been through a lot the last two days, it's not hard to understand why you're all riled up the way you are."

"Yeah. Maybe you're right." I leaned my left elbow on my thigh and rested my head in my hand, rubbin' at that ache behind my eyes. I wanted to believe Slim, but he didn't see that look in Tip's eyes. Sly, menacing, like he knew somethin' I didn't.

"You'll see, Pard. You just need to let it go. You got the Morgans. It's over, Jess." He leaned back against the pillows, closing his eyes again. I guess he figured we were done talkin'.

"Slim?"

"Uh huh."

"What time did Daisy leave?"

He opened his eyes, frowning slightly. "She's not back?"

"No. And I ain't likin' her being out on the road all by herself. Not with Dee…not with them fellas huntin' out there and not too particular about what they shoot at."

"I dunno Jess. She was here when the morning Stage came through. Guess she left not long after. Mose helped her hitch up the buckboard. What's the time now?"

"I dunno exactly, around four I reckon."

"Afternoon stage should be in soon." Slim said, more to himself than to me. He rubbed his hand over his jaw, thinking. Then throwing the quilt off he made a move to get out of bed, before somethin' musta grabbed in his shoulder and he froze, grimacing and breathing heavy.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked, getting to my feet.

Slim laid back against the pillows. "To help…change…the team."

"Yeah, sure, Pard. You just stay where you are. Me and Mike can handle it."

"I guess I'm not gonna be much use to you like this."

"No, I reckon not. Can I get ya anything?"

"No, I think I'll just sleep some more."

"Sure."

He leaned his head back, right arm cradling his trussed up left, still looking tense and in pain. I left him to sleep while I limped my way to the kitchen in search of somethin' to eat.

Continued in chapter 7