Chapter Forty-one
Everything had been going well over the next three days after Jess and Slim's porch talk. Nothing eventful, just routine ranch and relay work. The family was gathered for breakfast, when Slim came from the bunkroom, carrying his saddlebags.
He tossed the bags onto the couch, took a seat at the table, and joined in the conversation as they ate. "Jonesy, you still got that meeting in town today? The one with the church building committee?"
"Yep. Thought I'd head into town right after the dishes are done. Visit a few friends. Stock up on some supplies." Jonesy poured another cup of coffee. "Meeting's at two o'clock. Should wrap up by no later than four. I'll be home by five-thirty or so. In time to fix supper." He directed that last part of the comment to Jess.
"Whatcha lookin' at me for?"
"You're the one who'd be wondering about food. Slim won't be here. He's off to Pinetown to look into buying that stock and won't be back till day after tomorrow. And Andy doesn't fret over missing a meal."
"I don't fret. And ya oughta just take it as a compliment if I'd miss your cookin', Jonesy."
"Well, you won't be missing it today."
Jess grinned. "Suits me fine."
"Jess, you'll be fixing that weak part of the fence in the high grazeland today?" Slim asked.
"Yup." Jess tore another piece of bacon in two and shoved half of it into his mouth.
Slim turned his attention to his brother. "Andy, you'll be okay here alone all day, right?"
"Of course I will. I can just work on my usual chores. Gathering the eggs, milking, mucking out, soaping harness, and such."
"Good boy. There's only gonna be two stages today. The one at nine and then the four o'clock. I'm sure the drivers won't mind helping you change the teams. Just take good care of the horses coming in."
"Sure, Slim." Andy had trouble hiding a smile. Because this was the day he secretly had been waiting for forever.
All the adults would be gone. Slim and Jonesy in towns, and Jess so far up into the high range he wouldn't be back until suppertime or later. Andy could finally do what he had wanted to do since shortly after Jess got here, but he had never had a chance. There was always someone looking over his shoulder. Today was the day he would get to do what he had longed for. And none of them would ever be the wiser.
"Well, I'd better get going." Slim wiped his chin and stood up. The other three did likewise, Jess draining his third cup of coffee as he rose.
"Have a good trip to Pinetown!" Andy called as he exited through the kitchen door and headed to the barn.
Jess was at the front door, buckling on his holster when Slim retrieved his saddlebags from the couch.
"Hey, Jess, on second thought… let the fence go till tomorrow. It'll keep one more day. By the time you'd get it done, it'd take you until at least six o'clock to make it back down here from that high range. For today, check on strays in the south ranges, near the canyons. That's a lot closer to the house, so you can be back here well before three-thirty and ready to help Andy with the team change. I don't want the driver to have to do that. You don't mind, do ya?"
"'Course not. Be glad to. Driver helpin' is okay for the mornin' team, but not the four o-clock?"
"Yeah, well, I remembered Jenson will be driving this afternoon, and I don't want him to have to help with the team."
"How come?"
"He'll complain to the stage line boss about it. He's carrying a fool grudge against me anyway, and he'd just love a chance to badmouth me."
"Does seem the type." Jess reached for his hat from the peg rack and set it on his head. "What's her name?"
"Her? Who do ya mean?"
Jess grinned. "The reason for the grudge."
Slim scowled. "Does everything with you have to be about women?"
Jess shrugged and slapped Slim on the shoulder. He grabbed the bag Jonesy had prepared for him with a big sandwich, a couple of apples, and some cookies. Then he went to saddle Traveler.
Slim spoke a bit more with Jonesy and then headed for the barn, happy to find Jess also had saddled Alamo for him. As each man mounted, Slim looked over to Jess with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Jess' eyebrows raised with curiosity.
A big smile spread across Slim's lips. "Belinda Sue."
Jess laughed long and loud. "Knew it!"
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Shortly after both ranch owner and ranch hand rode out─one headed north, one headed south─Jonesy left with the buckboard.
Andy rushed through his chores. He broke three eggs in the gathering, scared the chickens throwing their feed as much at them as to them, aggravated the milk cow with his haste to the point she tried to kick him, and did a slipshod job cleaning out the stalls. Jess might take him to task for that this evening, but he didn't care.
Mose helped him with the team change for the nine o'clock, and as soon as the stage pulled out, Andy took care of the horses from the morning run. He decided soaping the harnesses would just have to wait, because he could not wait any longer for his special opportunity. Everything had worked out fine. Even the weather was perfect. It was the chance of a lifetime to do what he had daydreamed about!
Andy saddled Chief. He grabbed his saddlebag from the hook in the barn and hurried into the house. He dropped the bag on the table and stood for a moment staring at the fireplace. Then he made his way to the side of it and grabbed a piece of wood. He knocked the cover off the secret cubby. And removed Jess' gunfighter forty-five.
Slim and Jess didn't know he had secretly watched, peeking out through the slightly opened bunkroom door, on the night Slim showed Jess the hidden compartment and Jess stowed his professional iron in it.
Now, Andy peeled back the old towel it was wrapped in and tossed the cloth onto the table. He stood with the sixgun held in both hands, admiring the gleaming treasure. It was a magnificent weapon. He had never seen anything like it. He hefted it from hand to hand, taking notice of the perfect balance, the custom-molded grip, and the flattened hammer. Oh, man! This was gonna be so great! He couldn't wait!
He rewrapped the gun and put it in his saddlebag. Then he added a box of bullets to the bag. Finally, his stash of five tin cans he'd been saving went in.
He replaced the cover on the fireplace cubby, and with a huge smile Andy ran out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He mounted his horse and rode off.
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Jess checked the position of the sun. Close to noon. He had found a few strays, rounded them up together, and had them ready to drive back to the rest of the herd. But first, he was sure hungry. So he decided to take a break and have that sandwich. As the cows grazed, he dismounted near some trees and took his gloves off, tucking them into his gunbelt. He had just begun to open his saddlebag when he heard it.
A gunshot. As close as it sounded and from the type of echo, Jess knew where to head. He had practiced shooting in that canyon to keep the sound from carrying too far over the countryside. He quickly hop-mounted and rode a little farther south, wondering who he would find firing on Sherman land.
Tying Traveler to a tree and pulling his sidearm, Jess carefully and quietly made his way to the edge of the canyon's rocky entrance. And what he saw out in the grassy interior made him angry. Andy was setting tin cans on the trunk of a fallen tree with his left hand, and holding a sixshooter in his right.
Dadgum twelve-year-old brain. Don't that kid know not to be out here on his own with a handgun? Can't think things through and control himself any better 'n that?
Jess was about to yell out to him when Andy turned around to walk away from the tree. But what he saw then sent a chill down the Texan's spine. His own gunfighter Colt was held loosely in Andy's right hand.
Oh, Lord Almighty, what should I do? Jess didn't want to startle the boy, but he had to get that gun away from him before it went off again. His greatest fear at that moment was that Andy would accidentally shoot himself in the leg or foot.
Jess holstered his iron and stepped out from the shelter of the rocks that were about thirty feet to the right of the boy. He had slipped into the canyon at this point, not knowing who he would find there.
Keeping his voice gentle and low, he simply said, "Hey, Andy."
Andy stopped dead in his tracks and spun to his right. He recognized Jess' voice, but he was still shocked. He had thought Jess to be up in the high grazeland. He stood still, not knowing what to do. What he did know was that he was now in big trouble for taking Jess' gun out of the fireplace cubby and in even worse trouble for sneaking out to shoot it.
Jess saw the fear in the kid's eyes. "It's okay. I ain't mad." He smoothly took one step forward. "Just listen to me. Stay still. I'm coming over to ya."
Andy kept his feet planted. He did stand stock-still for the most part, but in his shame and worry, he began to tremble. Jess noticed the tremors.
"Andy, you gotta be real careful with that iron." Jess slowly took another step, speaking in a calm, friendly voice he hoped would keep the kid steady. "It's got a hair trigger that was rigged just for me. One slight wrong move can make it go off."
Hair trigger, Andy thought. That's why it fired when I wasn't ready. He began to shake even more and clutched the Colt's grip with both hands to more firmly support it.
"Let's just make sure ya don't hurt yourself." Jess kept a soothing tone to his voice and raised his left hand, palm out, as though approaching a skittish, new-broke mustang. "Steady now."
Andy watched him advance.
"You need to point that gun at the ground, partner. Out a ways from your boots. I'm comin' to git it from ya." Jess took another step. "Just keep your finger real still now, off that trigger."
Andy wanted to obey Jess, but his thoughts were a dithery whirlwind, mixing various words Jess had said together. What did he say I should do? Keep my boots still. Get my finger away from the trigger.
But that wasn't what Jess said or meant. He had tried to emphasize to Andy not to move his finger at all, by saying to keep it still. Andy wanted the same thing Jess wanted─to be sure the gun didn't fire. So he tried to pull his finger away from the trigger. But his shaking caused his finger to move against it instead.
The canyon walls reverberated with the deafening sound of the gun discharging again.
Unfortunately, Andy had never pointed the gun at the ground.
It was pointed at Jess.
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"Aarrgh." Jess groaned and dropped to his knees.
Andy's eyes flew open wide. Mouth gaping, he stood frozen in place as he stared in horror at the blood pouring from Jess' left hand.
The gunfighter forty-five slipped from Andy's grasp and lay in the dust. The boy finally came to his senses and ran to his hero, kneeling beside him.
"I'm sorry, Jess! I'm sorry!"
Wincing and breathing hard, Jess cradled his left hand in his right.
"It's all right, Andy. It ain't bad." Jess gritted his teeth. "Just a scratch… 'cross my palm."
Andy thought it sure looked like more than a scratch. Scratches don't gush blood like that.
"Give me… your bandana."
Andy nervously fumbled with his neckerchief and finally got it untied. He pulled it off and held it out to Jess, who grabbed it and wrapped it tightly around his hand.
"I didn't mean to," Andy wailed. "Oh, no, Jess. Your hand!"
"What the heck… were ya thinkin'? Handlin' a revolver… on your own like 'at?" Jess squinted his eyes closed as he pressed firmly on the wound. "Ya coulda blowed your foot off."
"I just wanted to try your gun. I was even gonna clean it and put it back," Andy babbled. "Slim won't ever let me shoot a handgun, only a shotgun or rifle when we're hunting. I just wanted to try yours, just this one time. But I didn't know about the hair trigger. I'm sorry, Jess! I'm so sorry."
Jess was working hard at getting his breathing under control, but he still remained on his knees, not even trying to stand.
Andy hung his head in shame, tears rolling down his cheeks. Sobbing, he repeated his apology yet again and again. "I'm sorry I hurt ya, Jess. So sorry. I'm so sorry!"
Jess saw the tears and knew the remorse was tearing the kid up.
"It's okay, Andy. It was an accident. And… I ain't hurt bad." Jess again paused to gulp air. "I didn't mean t' growl at ya. Settle down now."
Andy tried to pull himself together, gasping and swiping a hand at his tears. "I deserve to be punished for causing this hurt to you." His lips trembled, his chin quivered. "I deserve for Slim to take Chief away and sell him. I'm not worthy of him. I'm bad, Jess. I'm bad!"
As that reminder of Slim's threat came to mind, Jess recalled what Andy had told him when they went fishing.
Oh, he means it all right. Slim always follows through on anything he says. Never breaks his word. If he said it, he'll do it.
Jess raised his eyes from his hand to Andy's face.
"No, ya ain't bad, Andy. Like I said, it was just an accident." Jess pulled in more ragged breaths, as sweat began to bead on his forehead. "Now listen to me. Bring me your canteen." He swallowed hard. "Then you git on Chief and ride for home. Don't say nothin' to nobody 'bout this. Ya hear me?"
"But─"
"Git me that canteen," Jess grunted painfully.
Andy rose, hurried to his horse, and returned with the full canteen. Kneeling again, he held it out toward Jess, who nodded at the ground for Andy to set it down beside him as he still applied pressure to his palm.
"Now git home. And remember, don't say nothin'. I'll be there soon as I can."
Andy didn't move.
"Everything will be okay, Andy."
The boy sat motionless with anguish, staring first at the bloodied hand, then the twitching muscles in Jess' clenched jaws.
Jess knew he had to him out of there. And fast. Talking even and steady wasn't getting through.
"Go on home!" he barked, his voice rough in a throat strangled by pain.
Jolted from his dazed state, Andy flinched. "Yes, sir!" He jumped to his feet and ran to his horse.
Once again Jess was breathing hard and grimacing in extreme pain. His chest and back now saturated with sweat, he began to shiver as he watched the boy until he rode out of sight.
Then, still on his knees in the dirt, he let go of his left hand, resting it, palm up, on his thigh. As much as the hand hurt, it wasn't the source of the worst of his agony, or his concern.
With a quivering right hand, he pulled his vest back to view what he had kept from Andy.
On his side, a bright red splotch was slowly soaking through the bullet hole in his shirt.
