The Unknown
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Six
Slim never expected Mort to still be in the cabin when he and Andy at last returned.
“Slim, you two all right?” Mort asked, his face drawn with worry.
Slim nodded but he couldn’t speak. And he couldn’t hide the embarrassment from his face. There was no denying that his eyes were red from weeping.
“Andy, why don’t you go to bed now?” Jonesy asked, his own eyes misty.
“What about Jess?” Andy asked.
Mort glanced with uncertainly at Jonesy. “I’ve told you all that I know. The Sheriff said he’d
send along the items that Jess had with him.”
Andy fought back his tears as he explained, “I mean....well we got to bury him.”
“Oh,” Mort said, again glancing with uncertainly at Jonesy. “I reckon they’ll bury him in Carter Springs.”
“That’s where it happened?” Slim asked.
“Right outside,” Mort informed.
“You know that, sheriff?” Slim questioned.
Mort shook his head no.
“Jess belongs here,” Andy stated. “Along side Ma and Pa.”
Slim looked taken aback. “Andy, I don’t-”
“He’s right, Slim,” Jonesy cut in. “I hate to think of Jess lying in some unmarked grave in some boot hill. We need to bring him home to rest. Maybe not in our plot-”
“Jonesy!” Andy criticized angrily.
“‘Cause I’m thinking,” Jonesy said, paying no attention to Andy’s outburst, “that Jess always favored that springs, you know the one, Slim. Up by the canyon. He’d go there sometimes just to sit and fish. I bet he’d like to be buried there, under one of them trees that I’d catch him napping under when he was suppose to be working.”
Slim glanced at Mort. “Mort, when you get back to Laramie could you wire the sheriff and tell him that we’ll bury Jess here?”
“Be glad to.”
Slim pulled from his pocket a couple of bills.
“No Slim,” Mort said with a shake of his head. “Jess was my friend too. I’ll pay for the telegram. It’s the least I can do for him. I’m just glad you’re bringing him home.”
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