CHAPTER 2
He was awakened the next morning by the sound of Billy in the barn below him scolding the chickens for their lack of production. Having forgotten that his Uncle John was sleeping in the hayloft above him, Billy was informing the lazy hens of their disappointing lack of effort. And he was using some rather colorful adjectives in describing their performance on an occasion when there was a special guest for breakfast. John pulled his boots on and rolled up his bedroll. He strapped on his gun belt, then went to the ladder and dropped his saddlebags down to the barn below. They landed with a solid thump. “Mornin’,” John said as he slid down the ladder to land behind a startled Billy in time to grab the egg basket he almost dropped when he jumped.
“Son of a bitch!” Billy blurted before he could catch himself. “I forgot you was gonna sleep in the hayloft!”
“Sorry I startled you,” John said. “Is your pa up?”
“He’s gettin’ up,” Billy answered. “Ma’s cookin’ breakfast and she needs these eggs.”
“Then we’d best take ’em in the house,” John said and led him out the front door of the barn. When they walked into the kitchen, Warren was sitting at the table drinking coffee.
“Good morning,” Kitty said, working at the stove. “Pour yourself a cup of coffee and I’ll have you some breakfast in a few minutes.” She slid a tray of cornbread into the oven. “You still plannin’ to leave us this morning?”
“Yep, I figured I’d give you the pleasure of my company for breakfast, and then I’ll hit the road.”
“Still aimin’ to head up toward Stephenville?” Warren asked.
“Yep,” John answered. He didn’t confess that he was going that way only because he knew where the road to Stephenville was and it seemed to be heading in the right general direction. Maybe things might have changed since he was in prison, but there used to be some small cattle ranches in that area. At the present time, catching on at a cattle ranch was his only prospect. He had a little money to carry him for a while, since he had saved every cent he could of the salary Judge Wick paid him, but he hoped he could pick up some wages somewhere.
“I don’t understand,” Kitty said. “Why are you going to Stephenville?”
“I ain’t goin’ to Stephenville,” John tried to explain again. “It’s just a town on the way I’m headin’. Like I said last night, I’ll know where I’m goin’ when I get there.”
“I don’t see why you don’t just stay here until you do know where you want to go,” Kitty insisted. She was satisfied that he didn’t plan to stay with them permanently, but she didn’t understand why he was in such a hurry to leave.
He found himself running out of patience and when he glanced at the grinning face of his brother, it only added to his discomfort. “Because,” he told her, “there’s a very good chance that Judge Raymond Grant will have his way and I’ll be a wanted outlaw overnight. And this is the first place they’ll come lookin’ for me, so I damn sure don’t wanna be here when they do.”
She shrugged and made a face. “I see your point,” she said as she placed his breakfast on the table. “You’re gonna have to settle for bacon this morning, unless you want deer jerky with your eggs.”
* * *
He lingered over breakfast longer than he had originally intended, but he wasn’t sure how long it would be when he might see his family again, if ever. It was close to mid-morning when he finally struck the road to Stephenville, a small settlement almost one hundred miles away. There was a sense of sadness about leaving Warren, Kitty, and the boys again, but there was also a feeling of freedom as he struck out to the west. After three and a half days of uneventful travel, he rode into the little town of Stephenville at noontime on the fourth day. Ready to spend a little of his money for a decent dinner, he rode the length of the short main street, hoping to find a hotel or a café, but there was none. There were two saloons, however, and he wondered if one of them might serve meals. He saw that there was a sheriff’s office, so he figured that would be a good place to ask. It struck him as ironic that he would ask the sheriff, but he felt very little risk that he was a wanted man yet.
Deputy Jerry Stubs looked up from his desk when the door of the sheriff’s office was suddenly filled with the intimidating figure of John Bannack. A slight young man, Stubs was not sure if he was in trouble or not. He pushed his chair back, almost tipping it over, in his haste to get to his feet, only to find himself still straining to look the somber stranger in the eye. “You lookin’ for the sheriff?” Stubs squeaked.
“Not particularly,” Bannack replied, “I’m just passin’ through town. Never been to Stephenville before and I thought this would be a good place to ask if there’s a decent place to get a good meal.” When Stubs didn’t respond at first, other than a not-so-subtle sigh of relief, Bannack asked, “Are you the sheriff?”
“No, sir, I’m not. I’m Deputy Sheriff Jerry Stubs. There ain’t no sheriff, and I’m tryin’ to kinda watch over things since Sheriff Boswell left. As far as a place to get some dinner, the place to go is the Oasis saloon. They’ve got a good cook there, and that’s where most folks eat.”
“Much obliged,” Bannack said. “I’ll go see what they’re cookin’ today.”
“Chicken and dumplings,” Stubs said, “I just came from there not five minutes ago. That’s what Pearl cooked up today and they were mighty good.” I’d still have been there if Ace Parker and two more of that crew from The Bar-W hadn’t come in the saloon, he thought. They like to aggravate a man wearing a badge, so there weren’t no use in me giving them the chance.
Bannack walked out of the sheriff’s office and looked down the street to spot The Oasis, only a little way down on the other side. He led his horses over and tied them at the rail with three other horses. As a precaution, he pulled his rifle out of the saddle scabbard, not willing to risk the rifle leaving while he was inside eating. Moe Price, the bartender, glanced up to see the solemn-looking stranger push through the batwing doors, and his first thought was, Here comes trouble. Unfortunately, this was often the first impression for most people upon meeting the peaceful man from Waco, so Moe studied him carefully as he approached the bar. “Whaddle it be, stranger?” Moe asked.
“Howdy,” Bannack offered. “Deputy over at the jail said I could buy some dinner here.”
“You sure can,” Moe declared in relief. “We’ve got a fine cook and a special section for folks who just want to eat. We do a good business with the local folks who want to get a good meal while they’re in town.” He pointed toward the back of the saloon. “See those four tables in the back corner? They’re reserved for our food business. There’s even a back door to the outside for folks that don’t wanna walk through the saloon. There’s a customer who came in the back door eatin’ dinner right now. See that young woman and her little boy? That’s Emily Green. Her daddy owns the Rocking-G Ranch.”
“I don’t like to leave my rifle on my saddle when I can’t keep an eye on it,” Bannack said, “so I brought it in with me. Some saloons don’t like you to bring a rifle in. You want me to let you keep it behind the bar till I leave?”
“No, we don’t have no rule against totin’ guns in here,” Moe said. “Them three fellers right over there are wearin’ guns.” Bannack turned and saw three men who looked like cowhands get up from a table in the saloon and walk back to one of the four tables Moe had pointed out. They stared brazenly at the young woman.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a drink of whiskey,” Bannack decided. “I think I’ll have one drink before I eat.”
“What’s your pleasure?” Moe asked.
“Just whatever you’re pourin’ will be all right,” Bannack answered. “I ain’t much of a drinker.” He watched Moe pour it, then he sipped a taste before he tossed it back. “You know those three fellows?”
“Yeah, I know ’em,” Moe replied. As they watched, one of the men went over and sat down at the table where the young woman and her son were eating. “That big one that sat down with Emily is Ace Parker. I ain’t surprised he’d make trouble. Doggone it, Jerry Stubs was just in here a few minutes ago, too.”
“So you’re pretty sure Emily didn’t invite him to join her?”
“I’m pretty sure of that,” Moe said, and I’m gonna go see if I can do something about it.”
“Looks to me like you’re outnumbered,” Bannack said. “Why don’t you let me take care of Mr. Parker and you keep his two friends from shootin’ me in the back?”
“Mister, you’ve got a deal, because I wasn’t too confident of how I was gonna do any good.”
“All right, “Bannack said, “I’m goin’ to eat dinner.” He left a coin on the bar and walked to the four tables in the back. As he approached the young lady’s table, he heard her asking her uninvited guest to leave her and her son alone.
Ace favored her with a devilish grin and declared, “I like a woman with a little bite in her. It’s like breakin’ a buckin’ horse.” He was surprised to see her looking up past him in alarm. He turned to see Bannack behind him, like a mighty oak tree that wasn’t there a few seconds before.
“I’m sorry I’m a little late, Mrs. Green,” Bannack said. “I stopped at the bar for a drink before we ate. Did you invite this fellow to join us for dinner?”
He waited to see if she realized he was trying to help, but she was still confused. “I didn’t invite anyone to join Peter and me, and I’ve just asked this man to leave us alone.”
“That’s what I figured,” Bannack said before she had a chance to include him. “I told your daddy I wouldn’t let you out of my sight till I brought you home. I hope you ain’t gonna tell him I stopped to have a drink.” He looked directly at Ace, who was speechless in his confusion. “Glad I could stop you from makin’ a big mistake, cowboy. You can go on back and join your friends now. No harm done.”
“No harm done?” Ace’s brain suddenly started working again and he flared up. “Who the hell are you?”
“Now, don’t let your mouth get you in trouble,” Bannack scolded calmly. “I’m the fellow who was sent to look after Mrs. Green and her boy. My mistake for runnin’ a little late, Mrs. Green.” He glanced toward the kitchen door then to see a woman standing in the doorway, stopped on her way out. Remembering the name mentioned by Moe, Bannack said, “I’ll be eating dinner, too, Pearl, and I’d like coffee with it.” Back to Ace then, he asked, “Are you a little hard of hearing? If you are, I apologize. You can go back to your table now and Pearl can fix you up with something to eat. Like I said, no harm done.”
Like Ace Parker, Emily Green was too confused to make sense of what was happening, but she gradually began to see that the stranger was acting on her behalf. Consequently, she remained silent while Ace got up from the chair. Standing tall, he found he still had to look up to cast his stare of defiance at the stranger. “She shoulda said she was meetin’ somebody,” was all Ace could think of to say before he went back to join his friends, who were waiting to hassle him about his attempted conquest. When he left, Bannack sat down at the table with Emily.
“I hope you don’t mind if I sit down with you, ma’am, but if I don’t, I’m afraid he’s gonna know I was lyin’ and he might be back to bother you.”
“No, mister, please join Peter and me for dinner,” she said. “How did you know my name?”
“The bartender told me,” Bannack answered. He could see that she was still shaking from the encounter.
She waited until Pearl placed his plate and coffee on the table before asking, “Do you work for one of the ranches around here?”
“No, ma’am, I’m just passing through town on my way west.”
“You’re just passing through town and saw that I was having some trouble, so you decided to rescue Peter and me,” she stated. He shrugged as if anyone else would have done the same and took a sip of his coffee. “What is your name?” She asked then.
“John,” he said, thinking it best not to tell her his last name, since he wasn’t sure if anyone might come looking for him.
“John what?” She asked. “What is your last name?”
“John Cochran,” he replied at once, that being the only name that came to mind right away. It was his late mother’s maiden name.
“Well, John Cochran, I want to remember that name. I want to tell you how much I appreciate your stepping in to save Peter and me from what might have been something I would rather his four-year-old eyes didn’t see. Something like this has never happened to me before, and I’ve been in to eat here a couple of times since Mr. Rainey made this little section into a café. Of course, my husband was with me before. He couldn’t come today. He’s the foreman at the Rocking-G Ranch and they’re moving a big part of the herd to some new grazing.” She reached over and playfully ruffled up her son’s hair. “But today’s Peter’s birthday and we promised him he could come into town and spend his birthday money.” She smiled at her son. “So that’s what we did, isn’t it, Peter? And we met a nice man in the process.” Then she stole a glance in the direction of the table where the three cowhands were sitting. “I’m afraid those three are going to cause you trouble, though. Did you know he had two friends when you came to help us?”
“Yeah, I knew,” Bannack replied, “but the bartender said he would watch my back, if the other two started to get involved.”
“Moe Price?” Emily responded. “I’m not sure you should put much faith in Moe’s help, if you really get in trouble. I’m sure he means well, but my husband, Rex, says Moe has little control over what happens in this saloon.”
“Sounds like it might be a better idea if you waited next time until your husband could come with you again,” he commented.
“There’s no doubt about that,” she agreed. “I don’t think I’ll ever even come to town again without my husband.”
“How far do you have to go to get home?” He asked and she said that it was three and a half miles from town. “I think it might be a good idea if I rode along with you when you go back.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” she protested, hoping with all her heart that he would. “I’ve already interrupted your trip more than enough.”
“No trouble a-tall,” he told her. “I’m not in a particular hurry to get where I’m goin’, so a few miles outta the way ain’t gonna make much difference. And it’d kinda set a little easier on my mind to see you get home safely.” He paused. “You and old man Peter there.” She hesitated, wanting to tell him yes. “What about if I do it as a favor for your husband?” he suggested.
“All right,” she said, “I know he would appreciate it.”
“Good,” he responded. “When will you be ready to go?”
“As soon as we finish eating,” she answered. That suited him. He had been glancing at the table where the three men were eating and every time he did, he met Ace Parker’s eyes concentrated on them. It was difficult to tell if Ace was zeroing on him or Emily. Either way, it meant trouble for him.
They finished their dinner, and Emily went to the kitchen door to compliment Pearl on her chicken and dumplings and tried to pay for all three dinners, but Bannack insisted on paying for his. “If I was a perfect gentleman, I’d pay for yours and Pete’s,” he told her.
“If you were any more perfect, you might be sprouting a pair of wings,” Emily said. “My buggy’s out back, so Peter and I will go out the back door. I assume your horse is tied in front of the saloon, so we’ll meet you on the street.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Bannack replied and walked back through the saloon and said, “So long” to Moe as he walked past the bar. Outside, he slipped his rifle back in the scabbard, untied his horses, and climbed aboard the buckskin. He wheeled away from the hitching rail and waited in the middle of the street for Emily to come from behind the saloon in her buggy. When she pulled out of the alley beside the saloon and headed north on the main street, Bannack pulled his horse up beside her.
Behind them in the saloon, Ace Parker walked up to the front window and watched their departure. He went back to the table where Short and Scully were still eating. “I’m telling you, that lyin’ dog weren’t supposed to meet that woman here. He’s ridin’ a horse and leadin’ a packhorse, and she had a buggy behind the saloon. He didn’t come to town with her. The two of them just made a fool outta me.”
“Shoot, Ace,” Short responded, “when it comes to fools about women, you already have all the parts to make one. Don’t take much for anybody to put ’em together to make a first class fool. Ain’t that right, Scully?”
Scully chuckled in response. “I can’t argue with that. And that feller was bigger and uglier than you, Ace, and she still picked him.”
“He mighta thought he was pretty smart,” Ace responded, “but he ain’t seen the last of me. I don’t stand for anybody trying to make a fool outta me.”
“Looks to me like he’s already finished that little job,” Short said, egging him on. “He’s done rode off with her, most likely seein’ her and her young’un home.”
“That mighta been his biggest mistake,” Ace declared. “He mighta been better off if he’da just rode on his way and let her go on home by herself.” He stormed back to the bar to confront Moe Price. “Who was that woman?” Ace demanded.
“She’s just some woman who lives around here somewhere,” a startled Moe Price answered. “I don’t remember what her name is.” Ace drew his six-shooter and pointed it directly at Moe’s nose. “Emily Green, Rocking-G Ranch!” Moe blurted immediately.
Ace holstered his six-gun. “Rocking-G, I know where that is. I’m goin’ after him.” He looked at Short and Scully. “You goin’ with me?” He started for the door without waiting for an answer.
“What you got in mind when you catch him?” Scully asked, as he and Short followed him outside.
“What the hell do you think?” Ace replied. “I’m gonna shoot the son of a bitch!” He stopped abruptly and did an about face. “Are you comin’ with me or not?”
“That depends,” Scully replied. “You talkin’ about followin’ them right up to the ranch house and takin’ on however many happen to be there? ’Cause that don’t make no sense to me a-tall. We might as well just shoot each other right here and save ourselves a ride.”
Ace hesitated when he realized he hadn’t taken that into consideration. “’Course I ain’t talkin’ about ridin’ into the ranch. You think I’m that dumb? I don’t think he ever saw that woman before, so he’s most likely gonna ride along with her till she gets home. Then he’s gonna turn around and start back to wherever he was headed before he decided to stick his nose in my business. So are you comin’?” he asked again.
Short looked at Scully and they both shrugged. “Might as well,” Scully said, “and take a look at what he’s haulin’ on that packhorse.” He looked at Short for his confirmation, and Short made a face that said why not? So they climbed on their horses and rode out the north end of town, going about half a mile before taking the trail that led to the Rocking-G.