Clint was impressed the speed with which the brothers worked. Before long, they had a proper grave dug, and still no sign of Stoll’s disciples.
“All right,” Clint said, “let’s lower the casket in.”
With the four of them, it was not an arduous task, and in minutes Aggie Kimball was in her grave.
“All right,” Clint said, “let’s get her covered.”
Hoping to avoid being interrupted, Clint and Tully also picked up shovels and began dumping dirt into the grave. They were almost done as a crowd began to gather and people realized what was happening. Then, when there was a stir in the crowd, Clint looked down the hill and saw the men approaching.
“Here they come,” he announced, pointing.
Tully looked down the hill. The brothers patted the dirt onto the grave before also looking.
“Uh-oh,” Lem said.
“What?” Clint asked. “Oh, I see.”
In front of the five disciples came Mr. Stoll, himself. His men were armed, but he wasn’t.
“Clint—” Tully said, touching the gun on his belt.
“Don’t touch that gun, Tully,” Clint said. “Leave this to me. Step aside with Sam and Lem.”
The three men obeyed and stepped to one side.
Stoll had his men push through the crowd, and then they all ascended to the new gravesite.
“You there!” Stoll called. “Dig that women up, right now.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Clint said.
“You men,” Stoll said. “Dig it up!”
“Sorry, Mr. Stoll,” Tully said. “These men are in my employ, and my work is putting bodies in the ground, not digging them up.”
Stoll looked at Clint.
“I suppose you must be Clint Adams.”
“I am,” Clint said. “And you’re Mr. Stoll?”
“I’m called Father Stoll,” the man replied.
“Not by me.”
“Father,” Erskine said, “do you want us to kill ’im?”
Clint kept his eyes on Stoll, let his hand drop down near his gun.
“If they draw on me you’ll be sorry,” he said.
“You think you can outdraw five men?” Stoll asked.
“Maybe not,” Clint said, “but I’ll kill you first and you’ll never know the answer to that question.”
That stopped Stoll in his tracks.
“Stop!” a voice rang out.
They all turned to see Father Paul, standing just at the head of the grave, where a headstone would go.
“What do you want, Priest?” Stoll asked.
“This body cannot be dug up after being buried,” Paul said. “This is sacred ground.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Stoll said.
“I’ve blessed it myself,” Father Paul said. “If you want to dig this grave up you’ll have to kill me, not the Gunsmith.”
Clint could see Stoll’s mind working. He could probably justify killing Clint Adams. But would he be able to justify killing a priest?
“All right. That’s enough,” another voice called out.
This time it was Sheriff Gaines walking up the hill. Someone had obviously gone to fetch him.
“There won’t be any shootin’ here,” he announced. “You men back down the hill.”
The disciples looked at Stoll to see if they should obey.
Now Stoll was thinking whether or not he could get away with having the town lawman killed. In the end, his decision was probably based upon the fact that he didn’t have that much power—not yet, anyway.
Stoll waved his men back, and they retreated down the hill. Father Paul stood tall at the gravesite, his hands clasped in front of him. From what Clint could see, the priest was clean-shaven and sober.
“You two can go,” Gaines said to Sam and Lem.
“I’ll pay you boys later,” Clint said, “don’t worry.”
“We ain’t worried, Mr. Adams.” They shouldered their shovels and went down the hill.
That left Clint, Tully, Father Paul, the sheriff and Stoll on boot hill.
“Well,” Stoll said to Clint, “I suppose you’ve got what you wanted.”
“Yes,” Clint said, “I wanted this woman buried, but I also want to know who hanged her.”
“I’d like to know that, too,” Sheriff Gaines said.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Stoll said.
“Of course you do,” Clint said. “Everybody in town knows you ordered it. I just need to find the men who actually did it. Undoubtedly some of your disciples.”
“That’s gossip,” Stoll said. “The sheriff knows he can’t act on gossip.”
“He’s got me there, Adams,” Gaines said.
“Well then,” Clint said, “you might as well tell that crowd to get on with their day. There’s nothing you can do here.”
“And you?” Gaines asked.
“Don’t worry,” Clint said, “I’m not going to kill him. I don’t kill unarmed men.”
Gaines nodded, turned and went down the hill.
“You men think you can defy me,” Stoll said. “The three of you are all that stand between me and ... ”
“And what, Mr. Stoll,” Father Paul asked. “You’re Kingdom?”
“I won’t waste my breath on you,” Stoll said. He pointed. “And that abomination will not remain. It will be dug up, eventually.”
“Not while I’m here it won’t,” Clint said.
“This is far from over.” Stoll turned and walked back down the hill.