GALE STOOD UPRIGHT IN THE WAGON. Burt Ashton was bringing more folks into town. Micah, Sean and Claw Of The Eagle were on horseback next to her.
“By golly, looks like everyone is here,” Micah said.
Gail turned to the crowd that had gathered in front of her. “Thank you all for coming to support Jasper. We have to get moving because we don’t know where things stand with his trial.” She looked back into the bed of the wagon. “Are you ready, Mr. Dolan?”
“I am, Mrs. Lee. Ready to avenge my daughter.”
Gale sat down and looked at Jessica Dolan sitting next to her. “You ready, Jessica?”
Jessica nodded. “More than ready.”
Gale looked at Megan, Brenden and Abbey standing with Rain Water and knew her children would be safe until her return. She hoped she could say the same for her husband. “Children, you behave for Rain Water.”
“We will, Ma,” Megan replied with authority.
“Thank you Rain Water.”
“Go Gale. Use your fire to bring my son home.”
“I want to make sure we are all on the same sheet of music when the trial resumes tomorrow,” the governor said. “I want the trial to start the first thing in the morning and I want it over in time to hang Lee before dinner.”
Jeremy Sykes, the prosecutor, cleared his throat. “With Harwick out of the picture things should go smoothly.”
“I’ll make that determination, Jeremy,” Judge Iverson said. Cornell noticed a bit of curtness in the judge’s reply. “Since Harwick was involved there is a record being made. It has to be plausible.”
“He’s no longer involved,” the governor said flatly.
“That may be true,” the judge said, “but he was a lawyer and a graduate of Harvard. Even if he’s just missing, someone may look into it.”
“All right. I don’t care what you have to do, just meet my time table. Don’t worry too much about the trial. People may not like the process, but they always love a good hanging.”
A knock at the back door interrupted the governor. He motioned to Lock to check it out.
Lock carefully opened the door and Bart Moore burst in.
“Where the hell have you been?!” the governor roared.
“Layin’ low.”
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Dead.”
Cornell grabbed Bart by the front of his shirt. “Don’t tell me you screwed this up too! What happened?”
“W...w...we had them. I know Reece and Carlos are dead... I...I saw them drop, but before I could make sure the marshal was dead we got attacked by Indians!”
“Indians? What in the hell are you talking about? There are no hostile Indians in this area!”
“Well, they sure as hell were hostile to us!”
“Are you telling me that marshal is still alive?”
“No, I ain’t sayin’ that. He was hit. I saw the blood on him. He’s probably dead, I just ain’t as sure about him as I am about Reece and Carlos.”
“Goddamn it!” Cornell shoved his nephew and Bart banged hard against the wall. “I should’ve known better than to trust you to get the job done.”
Bart rubbed at the back of his head and glared at his Uncle. “It wasn’t my fault. We set a good ambush and had ‘em, but those damn Indians came out of nowhere.”
Norris could see his nephew was telling the truth about that. He wasn’t so sure about the rest.
“With Reece and Carlos dead the marshal don’t have any evidence even if he did live, Governor. Maybe this ain’t as bad as it looks,” Lock’s meek intrusion only made Cornell more angry.
The governor seemed to deflate and he collapsed into his chair. “We’re going to have to be very careful for a while. We need to get this trial over with and lay quiet until all of this blows over.”
Jasper sat on the bunk in his cell. He knew things would come to a head tomorrow or the next day and he had to be ready. He stood and walked to the cell door. No one was around.
He sat back down and lifted the fringed leather flap around the top of his left moccasin. He removed a .41 Remington double barrel derringer from the pocket and checked the loaded rounds. Satisfied they were in good shape he put the gun back in his moccasin.
The right moccasin held his dirk. He ran the blade lightly over the top of his hand, shaving hair. It was razor sharp. He put it back into its sheath.
Jasper leaned back against the wall and thought of Gale. He wished he could hold her and tell her how much he loved her. He was playing a close game that he just might lose.
He didn’t know just when he would make his move. He would only get one chance. Things needed to come together just right.
Bart Moore and the governor had to be within gun range and he needed a horse for his escape.
His thoughts turned to Willis. If he didn’t show tomorrow he was likely dead. Jasper hoped not. He was getting to like the little guy.
The sun was setting when Stan and his group met Claw Of The Eagle leading a group of riders and wagons about two miles from Kentville.
“Stan Barstow, this is my sister, Gale Lee,” the warrior said. “Gale, Stan Barstow is the United States Marshal.”
Stan tipped his hat. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lee.”
She held out her hand and gave him a firmer handshake than he expected. “Nice to meet you, too, Marshal. We’re here to get Jasper and take him home.” Gale Lee sat with her back straight as an arrow, her jaw set firm under flashing, defiant eyes.
“I’m sure you are, Mrs. Lee.”
Stan turned to the group that spread across the road and took up a quarter of the field. “Folks, we’re dealing with very dangerous people. How many here are armed?” Everyone, including the women, raised their hand. “All right, I have federal warrants for the arrest of Governor Cornell Norris and his gang, but we have to approach the situation carefully.”
He turned to Captain Anthony. “Captain could you and your men take these folks to an encampment until morning? We don’t want to arouse suspicion with this group getting there all together.”
“We’ll take care of it, Marshal.”
“Folks, I want you to follow the soldiers to a place where you can camp for the night. I expect they’re going to try to hang Jasper tomorrow or the next day. When they move him to the gallows we’ll move in and arrest them all as they should all be there. Black Feather, Wind Runner and Claw Of The Eagle are my deputies…follow their directions.”
Claw Of The Eagle looked from Stan to Black Feather to Wind Runner and back again.
Wind Runner showed him the badge on his chest.
“I need to swear you in as a deputy U.S. Marshal.” Stan handed the warrior his commission papers. “Raise your right hand.”
The clan members with the party murmured excitedly.
Claw Of The Eagle nudged his mount to Stan who swore him in as the clan members looked on with beaming faces.
“Marshal,” Gale Lee said after the swearing in was complete, “you should know that my husband is the Sheriff of Cassidy County.”
“What?”
Al Dolan sat up in the bed of the wagon Gale was driving. “Marshal, my name is Al Dolan. Claire Dolan, my daughter, was raped and murdered by Bart Moore and his men. We appointed Jasper sheriff so he could go after them as a lawman.”
“How come he didn’t tell me that in Lowell Town?”
“He doesn’t know it yet.”
Stan laughed. “There sure is a lot of appointing going on without the appointee knowing about it. Well, this is going to make things even more interesting.”
“Marshal, the man in the litter is Harry Wells. He used to ride with Bart Moore, he has evidence,” Claw Of The Eagle said.
Stan dismounted and walked over to Harry. “You know something about Moore, Mr. Wells?”
“I do. I heard him braggin’ about killin’ Jasper’s kin and the Dolan girl. I don’t want to say everything he told me in front of the girl’s kin. He also allowed how his uncle, the governor, was goin’ to solve his problems, includin’ gettin’ rid of Jasper.”
“Will you testify to that?”
“Yes, sir, Marshal. I surely will.”
Stan got back on his horse. “Okay folks let’s get moving.”
It was after nightfall when Stan and his deputies brought Willis to Doctor Scoville’s house. Stan knocked on the door and after some time Doctor Scoville answered.
“What is it?” He held a lantern high enough to shine in Stan’s eyes.
“US Marshal, Doctor. Sorry to disturb you, but I have Willis Harwick in that litter. He’s been shot in the head.”
“Lord, I warned him not to go,” the doctor hurried to the litter. He held the lantern over Willis’ head and moved the bandages. “We need to get him inside.”
Stan and Wind Runner carried Willis into the house.
“This way please.” Dr. Scoville led them to the back of the house to his clinic room. They lifted Willis from the litter and laid him on the examination table. In the light of the room Stan could see the doctor was taken aback by Wind Runner’s size and fierce visage.
“Doctor, my name is Stan Barstow and this man is one of my deputies, Wind Runner.”
The doctor nodded and turned to Stan. “Marshal, the rumor is you’re dead.”
“Almost doctor, but thanks to my new deputies I survived the attack.”
Scoville waved smelling salts under Willis’ nose and the young lawyer jerked to consciousness.
“Willis, it’s me, Amos.”
Willis looked around until his eyes focused on the doctor. “Amos, it’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Willis, as I thought I might never see you again.”
Willis squeezed his eyes shut. “Oooh, my head!”
The doctor went to a cabinet and took out a bottle of pills. He cut one in half and crushed one of the halves into a powder. He gave the other half to Willis with a glass of water poured from a pitcher next to the examination table.
“Here Willis, swallow this. It will make your headache fade in a few minutes.”
“What is it?”
“Opium.”
The doctor poured water into the tiniest saucer Stan had ever seen then brought it and the opium powder back to the table. He dipped the end of his index finger in the water, pressed it into the powder then gently rubbed the opium onto Willis’ wound. Either the pressure of the doctor’s finger or the sting of the opium caused Willis to take a sharp breath.
“Sorry,” the doctor said, “but the pain will stop shortly.”
The doctor finished applying the opium. “How’s that?”
Willis made a crooked smile “Feels better.”
“Good. Now I can clean and treat the wound. It may still hurt some.”
Willis took a deep breath. “Go ahead.”
When Doctor Scoville finished, Stan approached him.
“Doctor, I imagine you have a feel for the townsfolk here.”
“Yes, Marshal, I think I do.”
“What do they think about the governor and his friends?”
“They’re all basically despised. Unfortunately, the governor seems to be able to get the votes…or at least get the ballot boxes stuffed.”
“I think I can solve that problem but I need some help. Do you have folks here you can trust?”
“Absolutely. Most people in this town are decent and law abiding. They want things to change but objecting in public can result in a short life span.”
“The kind of help I need right now is not the public kind. I need people who can move around and in the courthouse so they can watch what’s going on and report what they see to me.”
“I know several good men who would be willing to do that.”
“And I know several good women who would help also.” Mrs. Scoville approached. “I’m one of them.”
“Doris! What are you saying? I can’t allow you to endanger yourself!”
Doris straightened her back and raised her chin defiantly. “Amos, this is a fight for what’s right and that makes it everyone’s fight.”
“Ma’am, I must tell you as I will tell everyone. Eventually you may have to testify in court.”
“I’m well aware of that, Marshal. I’ll be a very good witness.”
Stan smiled. “I’m sure you will.”
Dr. Scoville put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Marshal, tell us what you need done.”
Stan and Amos stood together in the darkness watching the last of the town volunteers disappear into the night. The moon was a sliver and a thick carpet of stars in the clear sky blanketed the earth in soft starlight. Stan hoped it was a good omen.
“Well, Marshal, how do you feel about our volunteers?”
“Good people, Doctor.
“Call me Amos. I think we’ve come to trust one another enough to be on a first name basis.”
“Thank you, Amos. That’s fine with me. I’m Stan. I think we’ll have enough evidence to put these scum in prison for a very long time and hopefully even hang a few.”
“I hope so, it’s long overdue.” Amos looked around. “Where’s your deputy?”
“Working.”
“I never heard of Indians being US Marshals before.”
“Well they’re mine and they all consider themselves brothers of Jasper Lee.”
“Jasper Lee?! Now there’s a complicated man for you.”
“So I’m beginning to figure out. Quite frankly, I don’t think I could’ve found three better men. They’re fearless, smart and know their field craft. I’m damn lucky they came along when they did.”
“Well, I know I wouldn’t want Wind Runner looking for me!”
“And that, Amos, is exactly what I want everyone to think.”
Amos nodded his head. “Stan, I think this territory is very lucky to have you as our United States Marshal.”
“Thank you. I’ll always try to live up to your confidence. I also need to talk to you about the Norton family you told President Grant about.”
“There’s not much to tell. They disappeared and Norris claims he bought their ranch and they went back East. I know that’s poppycock. The Norton’s would never have sold their place.”
“They didn’t. They were shot.”
Amos’ eyes grew wide. “How do you know?”
“One of Norris’ men is turning prosecution witness. He was there.”
Amos leaned hard against the porch rail. “God as my witness, Stan. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring those despicable men to justice!”
Wind Runner eased next to Black Feather as he stood in the shadows of the building across from the saloon.
Black Feather pointed to it. “They are in there. Their sign showed they reported to the sheriff first. I think they are deputies.”
Wind Runner’s jaw tightened. “Stan has a good plan working. Many people here are helping. He wants us to find Bart Moore and Governor Norris and make sure they do not leave when he makes his move.”