The Last Run
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Seven
Slim and Jess sat side by side on the porch. It was late afternoon. The stage was in the yard.
They watched as Andy and Jonesy change the stage's horses.
"You never told me why you didn't like the marshal." Slim glanced at Jess.
Jess stopped rocking. "'Bout three years ago, I just finished working for a spread up along the Creek. I had money burning in my pocket. I got in a poker game. I was winning. Marshal Barner came in and joined in the game. Well you ain't never seen any luck change the way mine did. I should have quit, but I kept hoping to win back what I lost. By the time I lost most of my money, I figured out that the marshal was cheating. I knew I couldn't call him on it, not with him being the marshal, and it hadn't been that long since I'd been wanted. I didn't want no more trouble with the law. So I quietly left the town that night, broke. I met up with a man in Medicine Bow weeks later. Name of Trampus. He had the same experience as me."
"I know you might find this hard to believe but Tom Barner was a good man...once."
"Maybe," Jess said. "Or maybe he was always on the edge of the law, but you never saw it."
"Well Andy, ain't this the most pitiful sight you ever seen?" Jonesy asked as he and Andy climbed the steps to the porch. In the distance, the stage rounded the bend heading for Laramie.
Andy shook his head with sorrow, "Jonesy, two grown men sitting in the shade in the middle of day."
Jess and Slim both touched their sore arms.
"We're hurt. Can't expect a fellow to work when he's hurt, can you?" Jess asked.
"Not when you got me and Andy to do all the work for you," Jonesy answered. "Course it's been going on three weeks. I reckon the hurt is healing some wouldn't you say, Andy? Especially when I seen the way them two ate fried chicken at lunch. Didn't seem to bother their arms any lifting all that chicken to their mouths. And they each lifted a might of chicken."
Slim grinned. "Well maybe I could start doing some of the chores."
Jess started to stand, "I'll get-"
"No Jess, you stay," Slim said quickly. "Come on, Andy."
Jonesy waited until Slim and Andy had entered the cabin to speak to Jess. "That arm must be awful sore for you not to be able to work."
Jess's eyes crinkled with amusement. He stretched his arm. "Actually I practiced drawing yesterday. Sure seems all right to me."
Jonesy tilted his hat back as he eyed Jess with confusion. "Then what's all this nonsense about you not being able to work?"
"Well," Jess said thoughtful, "I figure Slim is still feeling a might guilty about not trusting me with the information about that gold shipment arriving. So I thought I'd ease his guilty conscience by resting a few more days and letting him do the work." Jess leaned back in rocker but suddenly he bolted to his feet yelling. "What the-" Water drenched his clothes and his entire body. As droplets of water ran down his face, he wiped his eyes then looked over his shoulder.
With his head through the window, Slim held a bucket. "Just be sure when you tell a secret that the window isn't open."
Jess suddenly laughed. "I guess there won't be no more secrets around this place."
"That's what I'm a thinking," Slim replied. He held out his hand.
Jess warmly shook it.
"Well I'm a thinking," Jonesy said, "as long as you're wet as hen, Jess, why don't you add some soap and-"
"Take a bath?" Jess finished. "But it ain't even Saturday!"
Jonesy sniffed. "Sure wish it was."
Slim laughed loudly. Jonesy joined in with his own laughter. Even Jess cracked a smile.
The sound of horses's hooves made all three watch in the distance, their laughter dying. As the riders approached, Slim joined Jess and Jonesy on the porch.
"Mort," Slim greeted with a smile.
"Slim...Jonesy..." At last Mort's eyes rested on Jess. "Jess, you decide to go swimming with your clothes on?"
Slim laughed but Jess remained sober. "Yeah, something like that," Jess answered.
"This here is Dennis Smith. He's the new marshal in the Territory. He also was the guard for the gold shipment."
Dennis dismounted his horse and held out his hand. "I owe you my life. Mort told me how Tom planned on killing me."
Slim shook Dennis' hand. "Well it's Jess here who you really owe."
Jess shook Dennis' hand as Dennis said, "Thanks." Dennis fiddled with his reins as he added, "I think I also owe you both an apology. You see I'm the reason Tom quit being a marshal. I found out a few weeks ago that he had been stealing money from drifters by cheating them at cards. And I caught Tom stealing money from a bank."
"Tom robbed a bank?"
"He tried. But I caught him in the act. He swore that he had never done anything like that, and he said he had done it because a saloon gal drove him to it. He loved her, and she loved money. So that night I gave him a choice. He could either resign being marshal, or I would arrest him. Either way he would no longer be a lawman. He decided to resign, and I let him do it with dignity. Town even gave a supper and a watch in his honor."
"You caught him stealing from a bank, and you didn't put him in jail?" Jess repeated.
Dennis nodded. "Tom gave me my start as a lawman. I felt I owed him. And he had been a good lawman. You've all heard the stories?"
Slim nodded, but Jess just stared stoically.
Dennis continued, "I never thought Tom would join in with them two. But then I never thought for one moment he'd steal from the stage line. I thought the bank was just a one time mistake. When I found out..well..."
Mort cut in, "Dennis wanted to turn in his badge. He's the marshal now. But it weren't his fault. Tom had us all fooled."
"Well maybe not all of us," Slim said, glancing at Jess.
"Slim, the owner of the mine asked me to give you this," Mort handed Slim several bills.
"A reward?" Slim asked.
"The owner of the mine is mighty grateful. So are the miners. And the bank," Mort explained.
Slim counted the money.
"Looks like you'll be giving it right back," Jess said a smile tugging at his lips. "Just enough to cover your bank note this month."
Slim handed part of the bills to Jess. "Well go on, take it. If anyone earned this reward, you did. Only right you get some of it."
Jess took hold of the money. "Ain't seen this much in-I don't when."
"Mort, you mind giving this to the banker in Laramie and tell him I'll be in town at the end of the week to give him the rest that's due?" Slim handed Mort back all the bills that he held.
Mort put the money in his pocket. "Sure thing, Slim."
"Mort," Jess held out his share of the money, "add this to it. That should cover this month's payment."
Slim touched Jess's arm. "No, you shouldn't! I know you need a new coat and-"
"What I need is to be sure you stay in business." Jess glanced at Jonesy, "Where else am I going find apple pie like Jonesy makes?"
"Speaking of pie," Mort said as he took Jess's money, "you got any left?"
"Oh I think I can round up a slice or two for you and the marshal."
"I heard about your pie all up and down the line when I was guarding that gold shipment. I'm anxious to try some," Dennis said.
"Well come right inside, and I'll cut you a large piece," Jonesy said, his face grinning. "Maybe these hombres here don't compliment me like they should, but it's nice to know I got a reputation of being a good cook."
"Yeah a stage driver by the name of Mose-" Dennis explained as they entered the cabin.
As Mort followed inside, Slim hung back. He stopped Jess from entering the cabin. "I want to thank you. It was going to be hard coming up with the rest of the money to pay this month's mortgage."
"Once you get the herd to Kansas, you shouldn't have to worry for awhile."
"Yeah. And I plan to have you right by my side when I do it."
"Don't know anywhere else I'd rather be," Jess answered with a grin.
Slim and Jess entered the house. But this time, when Jess stepped though the doorway, it felt different. This time it felt as if he really was coming home.
THE END
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