The Last Run
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Four
Mose was the first one out of the cabin, with Slim close on his heels. "Mose, next time you be on time or-"
"Slim, I can't help it if at the last relay station, they ain't as quick as you."
"Or maybe they served pie too."
"Aw, Slim." Mose spit on the ground. His saliva curled in the dust.
"Where's the marshal?" Jess asked, opening the stage door.
"Didn't think you'd want to see him," Slim answered.
"I'm just wanting him to get on his way, that's all," Jess fired back.
Mose chuckled. "Now don't get on Jess's case too, Slim. He changed the horses real quick. Fastest I've seen him move yet."
"Reckon you are in a hurry to get the marshal out of here," Slim observed. "Though I haven't yet figured out why,"
Jonesy suddenly stood in the cabin doorway. "Slim, can you come in here?"
"Something wrong?"
Jonesy glanced over his shoulder before replying, "The marshal's taken sick."
"Sick?" Jess repeated.
Slim ran awkwardly in his boots. Jess sighed as Slim shut the cabin door.
"Let's hope he's not so sick that he can't leave."
Mose glanced at the cabin. "Jess, you don't think it's the pie? I ate me three pieces."
"If you get sick, it's not from what you ate but how much."
Mose started to answer,but Slim's voice cut into his reply. Both Jess and Mose turned back towards the cabin.
"Mose," Slim stood in the doorway. "You're going to have to go on. The marshal is too sick to travel."
"You want me to send a doctor back from Laramie?" Mose asked.
"No!" Slim said quickly, then added slowly, "He should be fine in the morning. Just got a headache all of a sudden. Reckon the dust and the heat got to him. You can pick him up on your next run."
"But I won't be here until tomorrow afternoon. This is the last run of the day."
"That'll be fine. We got room."
Jess moaned with anger. "I should have known," he whispered to himself.
Mose nudged Jess with his shoulder. "Come on, Jess, help me get his luggage down."
"Jess, I want you in here. I need your help." Slim disappeared from the doorway.
"I swear, Mose, just when you think it won't get worse. It does. Never fails."
Jess climbed to the top of the stage. He threw the one bag down hard on the ground causing dust to fly.
Mose laughed out loud as he climbed up to the stage seat. "You be sure to tell me sometime why you don't like that marshall. In this territory, he's considered a hero to most."
Slim reappeared in the doorway. "Jess! I said get in here!"
"I'm getting his luggage," Jess yelled back.
"Well be quick about it."
Mose chuckled. "Jess, I'd be more worried about Slim's mood than that marshal is staying. Slim sure has been touchy lately."
"Like living with a rattlesnake." Jess jumped down from the top of the stage. Like a natural born athlete, he landed gracefully on his feet.
Chortling, Mose slapped the reins against the horses' rumps, and the stage lunged forward. Jess waved a farewell. In a cloud of dust, the stage was gone.
"Jess! The marshal needs his bag! Got medicine in it."
Jess glanced over his shoulder, but Slim had again disappeared into the cabin. Jess picked up the bag and walked slowly towards the cabin. He entered the cabin. Jess's eyes quickly surveyed the marshal. He stood between Andy and Jonesy "Here's his bag with his medicine. What's wrong with the marshal? He don't look-"
The words died in his throat as Jess felt the gun to his back.
"Easy," the voice said slowly. "Now get your hands where I can see them."
The bag hit the floor with a thump. Jess raised his hands shoulder high.
"That's right. I don't want no trouble," the man's voice cooed. Jess should have known something was wrong. The marshal, Slim, Jonesy, and Andy had been standing in a line staring at him when he entered.
"Sorry, Jess," Slim apologized. "I had no choice."
Jess felt his gun being taken from his holster. As soon as the weapon was removed, Jess was pushed forward. "Get over there with them." Jess moved quietly to the others. He turned to face his captor.
The man who held the gun on the them was a scrawny looking man. His beard was stubbly as if he hadn't shaved in a couple of days. Heads turned as a second man entered through the kitchen door. "I got our horses put up and-"
Jess said with surprise, "Ben?"
"Well as I live and breath," the man said with a grin. "Jess Harper." He held out his hand.
Jess moved forward and shook the offered hand.
Ben laughed, "Boy, I never figured on seeing you again. I thought you'd still be in Cheyenne. I guess that little saloon gal didn't get you to settle down the way she planned. She sure had her claws in you though. I would have bet a month's wages that she was going to get you to say 'I do'."
Jess grinned. "I came close," he admitted.
"What are you doing here? Can't be waiting for the stage, it just left."
"No. I work here now. Slim Sherman is my boss," Jess nodded towards Slim.
"Do tell." Ben shook his head with amazement. "Never figured you for a ranch hand."
"Ben, explain to me what this is all about." Jess hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his pants.
"Gold."
"Gold? We ain't got no-"
Ben glanced at Slim. "I guess your boss here didn't tell you."
"Tell me what?" Jess looked at Slim. "Slim, what's he talking about?"
Slim said nothing. He only stared back at Jess.
"You want me to tell Jess?" Ben asked sounding as if he was amused.
Slim still didn't answer.
Jess glanced back at Ben with a look that demanded him to speak.
Ben replied, "The last stage on today's run-"
"The last run of the day just left," Jess cut in.
Ben shook his head. "Nope. There's one more coming. Late this afternoon. And it's carrying a gold shipment."
"What?" Surprise molded on Jess's face. Quickly Jess swung his head, staring at Slim. "You know about this?"
Slim gave a quick nod, his brown eyes refusing to meet Jess' blue eyes.
Surprise turned to shock on Jess's face. "But you never told me!"
"Maybe he just don't trust you, Jess," Ben said, his grin growing bigger on his face.
"It's not that," Slim said quickly.
"Then what?" Jess demanded.
Slim explained, "Jess, the stage line didn't want anyone to know about that
run."
"I didn't know either, Jess," Jonesy stated.
"But there's a difference, Jonesy. Slim wanted me away from the cabin to do
the branding. Isn't that right, Slim? Isn't that why you were so all fired anxious to get to the branding? What were you going to do? Make an excuse to ride back here, leaving me there. Keeping me away from that run? I thought you trusted me, Slim."
"I do! If it had been up to me but the stage superintendent asked me not to
tell any-"
The scrawny man cut in, "You going to let these two jaw all day or what?"
"Easy, Dawson," Ben said. "Didn't mean to bring you any trouble, Jess. Just didn't know that you hired on here."
Turning away from Slim, Jess asked, "Why here? You could have picked that stage off any place along the run."
"This seemed like the best place. I checked a couple of months back. Only him, the boy, and an old man."
"Old!" Jonesy bristled with anger.
"You hush up, old man, or you might find yourself not getting any older," Dawson warned as he pointed the gun straight at Jonesy's heart.
Though Jess's head never moved, his eyes peeked at Dawson before returning to Ben's face.
Ben added, "The other relays had at least one hired man working for them. Sherman didn't. This seemed like a piece of cake to hit the stage here."
"Slim just hired me on a month ago," Jess informed.
"I sure never thought you'd settle down. Not to this kind of life at least. Don't sound like the Jess Harper I know. Always figured you'd end up on the hoot owl trail. At least that's where you were heading when we parted. You must have been dirt broke to take on a job like this."
Jess shrugged.
Ben pushed his hat back, studying Jess. "Say, Jess, I could use some help. What do you say? We team up again."
Andy cried out angrily, "Jess wouldn't team up with a polecat like you."
"Andy!" Slim warned putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.
Ben laughed. "The boy's got spunk. Reminds me of you, Jess. What do you say? Earn more money than you got to be making here."
"Wait a minute, Ben!" Dawson protested. "Why should we share the gold?"
"Because we could use Jess' help. Stage driver will be used to seeing him around here. Having Jess on our side will be real handy to us," Ben explained. "So what do you say, Jess? Sherman here can't be paying you much. You'd make a whole lot of money for a little bit of work. Be like old times."
"Those days are long behind Jess," Slim answered for him. "He's put up his gun."
"That true, Jess?" Ben asked.
Jess turned with fury. He marched to Slim as if on a mission. Without warning, Jess pulled back his fist, then struck, hitting Slim hard on the jaw. Slim fell back against the table. Blood trickled down Slim's chin.
"Jess!" Andy cried out with shock.
Ben laughed. "Maybe you haven't changed, Jess."
"He's been leaning on me for weeks now," Jess explained turning back to face Ben "And the money he pays me-" Jess shook his head with disgust. "I reckon I'm in, Ben. How much gold you talking about?"
Jonesy bent down by Slim. "Jess, I think you hurt Slim bad."
Jess shrugged. "Payback for all the lectures I've been getting. Like the one I got today from him about trust. Seems he ain't been trusting me."
"I'm all right, Jonesy. Let me be." Slim rubbed his chin. It hurt. His lip was cracked and bleeding. A bruise was forming quickly on his jaw. Red streaks across his skin would soon turn to black and blue. Slim looked up at Jess as if seeing a stranger.
"Jess Harper, I hope they put you in jail and throw away the key for doing this," Andy said as he helped Slim stand.
Slim felt a wave of dizziness rush over him. He had to lean back against the table.
"Boy, you all right?" Jonesy asked concerned . "Jess, you sure hit him hard!"
"He's all right," Ben answered.
"You worry too much, Jonesy," Jess added.
Jonesy said nothing but his expression spoke volumes of the anger he felt towards Jess.
"Leave him be," Ben commanded Jonesy and Andy. His eyes slid to Jess as he laughed. "I know you can pack a wallop. Remember that bar fight we were in? You hit me by mistake. Boy oh boy!" Ben touched his own cheek.
But Jess didn't join in his laughter. He didn't even smile. "How much gold?" Jess again asked.
"Enough that you won't mind splitting it with us," Ben said. "Three months of miners' pay."
Jess let out a slow whisper. "That much."
"I don't like it, Ben," Dawson complained eyeing Jess. "I don't like including him. We had a plan."
"And now the plan's better," Ben argued. "You just let me do the thinking, and we'll all come out all right on this."
"I just don't like cutting him in," Dawson disagreed.
"Maybe you and I should settle this right now," Jess faced Dawson.
"You challenging me to a fight?" Dawson pushed himself away from the wall.
"Maybe you ain't as fast as you pretend to be with that gun" Jess taunted. "Why don't you give me a gun and let's find out?"
"Now wait a minute, boys!" Ben stepped between them. "I don't want no trouble between us. We got to stay together if we're going to make out all right on this. There'll be no fighting. Jess, you want to fight someone, you hit that boss of yours again 'cause I won't tolerate no trouble among us."
Jess glanced at Slim. Slim's body tightened, his hands forming into fists. But Jess only looked back at Ben, saying, "Reckon, I've already brought Slim down a peg or two. Don't think he could take much more of me hitting him. And we want to keep him nice and pretty for the stage. But I got to tell you after that stage leaves, I want just two minutes with him. It'll give me pleasure to whup him after all them lectures I've had from him. Him acting so high and mighty."
"Why you-"
"Slim!" Tom grabbed Slim's arm, pulling him back. "Easy, boy. You can't win in this fight."
Slim eyed Jess with disdain.
"I told you not to trust him, Slim," Tom whispered loudly. "I could tell this boy's a hard case. My guess, he's been wanted a time or two."
Jess moved towards Tom, his hand raised ready to strike.
"Easy, Jess," Ben said quickly, grabbing Jess's arm. "I forgot about that hair trigger of yours."
"That temper just might get us in trouble," Dawson complained, his face creased into a frown.
Jess again faced Dawson with fury outlining his rugged face.
Ben said quickly, "Dawson, you don't have to worry about Jess. Him and me worked together for awhile on a spread outside of El Paso. Even fought a range war. And won it too, didn't we, boy?"
Jess nodded.
Ben added, "If Jess says he's in, you can trust him to ride for the brand."
Dawson's face formed a bigger scowl. "Ben, it was just supposed to be us and-"
"I'm telling you, Dawson, it'll be easier with Jess. When the next stage comes, Jess will greet it like usual. Driver and guard won't think nothing about it. This way we'll have someone with Sherman. Just in case Sherman's thinking that he'll signal the guard."
Though he tried to hide it, the look on Slim's face betrayed that this had been his thought.
Jess's voice was menacing as he added, "And if Slim here gives us trouble, I'll have a gun on him ready to use it."
"You polecat!" Andy hissed. "You lowdown dirty-"
"Andy," Slim said quickly.
Jess looked at the boy. "I made no secret that I know the hoot owl trail." He glanced at Ben. "I'm going to need my gun back."
Dawson had placed Jess's gun in his waistband. His hand dropped and rubbed the butt as if it was a precious metal. "Ben, you ain't going to-"
"I rode with Jess through lots of trouble," Ben said, his eyes glued to Jess's face. "I ain't never known Jess to lie. But Jess, you don't need a gun."
"If we're going to be partners again," Jess argued, "then you got to trust me. 'Sides I'll need one if trouble breaks out. And I'm aiming my first bullet right at Slim. We don't want him causing trouble out there, do we?"
"I reckon that's true. But I'm thinking with us having the boy here, Sherman ain't going to risk any trouble."
"I thought we were partners. I thought you trusted me," Jess snarled.
Ben nodded his head. "Oh I do trust you. Much more than Sherman here trusted you," Ben laughed then his voice suddenly changed to a threatening tone, "And we both know if you try to go against me that I'll kill you. Friend or no friend. But-" Ben again smiled. "I think for the time being I'll keep your gun. When the stage gets here, there will be time enough to give you a gun."
Jess protested, "But I got a stake in this and-"
"Jess," Ben's voice purred, "you got to trust me too. I mean what's friendship without trust?"
Jess glanced at Slim. Slim had not taken his eyes off of Jess but was studying him as if seeing a stranger. Jess stated, "I reckon you're the only one I can trust in this bunch."
Slim's eyes darkened more with anger.
