The Widow of Hallam County, page 4
McGregor stared back at him for a moment then a grin cracked his face, ‘I like that. Wheesht! Maybe there’s fire in your pizzle after all. Come on here, have a glass with me.’
Robert Lee shook his head, ‘Thank you but no.’
McGregor imperiously pushed aside a few of the cowboys behind him and leaned back on one elbow against the bar, ‘Well then, what have we here? A reprobate that refuses my hand of friendship, can’t say I approve of that.’
‘You can do what you will,’ said Robert Lee, turning to go.
‘I intend to do that, young man. Boys, bring that wee scoundrel over here.’
Before he could make a move four of the nearest IX cowboys set on him and hoisting him from his feet carried the struggling Robert Lee over to confront the Scotsman.
McGregor nodded sadly, ‘You’re a timerous beastie and you should be the one learning your manners before your betters, not me.’
With that he looped his bunched fist away from the bar top and delivered a hard roundhouse sock to Robert Lee’s chin. Robert Lee’s head rocketed back and his eyes went wide. He tried desperately to release himself but the grinning cowhands held him fast.
‘How’s that for a wee touch of reprimand,’ said McGregor, smashing in another fist to Robert Lee’s forehead. ‘I am a fighting man, as y’see,’ he continued whilst he set about delivering another few battering body blows to Robert Lee’s unprotected ribs. ‘And in my country, we’re all fighting man. Wheesh! But you’re indeed all a weak and sorry lot over here.’
Robert Lee sagged dizzily unable to defend himself and resist the beating.
‘Ach!’ cried McGregor in disgust. ‘Throw this weakling in the street; I’ve no time for the trite beggar any more. Bartender! Pass me that bottle.’ With arms spread wide and with the bottle held aloft in one hand he did a turn and cried proudly, ‘Have ye ever seen the like? I am the McGregor, a man amongst men. Drinks are on me, bartender, come one come all and share McGregor’s bounty.’
As a roar of approval from the saloon followed this promise, Robert Lee was carried bodily through the swing doors and tossed into the dust of the street. He lay there a moment shaking the dizziness from his head. With a trembling hand he wiped the blood from his lips and gingerly rubbed his face.
Something clicked and a sudden thought of recognition entered his head. One of those that grabbed him, surely, it could not be? As Robert Lee climbed unsteadily to his feet, he searched his mind to recall the features of the man who had held him.
It was one of the brothers.
He was sure of it now.
Abe Coln!
The third eldest of the Coln brothers, the younger brother had been Joshua and he had been left in Broughton tied to a hitching rail. That left: Aaron, Abe and Zack and finally the eldest and meanest of the bunch Cy Coln.
Robert Lee pulled his revolver from his holster. He flipped the cap and on half cock spun the cylinder. The cartridges gleamed back at him all in place - he was fully loaded.
It was crazy - half of him knew it. He was dizzy and aching from the beating and in no shape for confrontation but the other half of him was driven with a proud fire he could not contain. It raged through him and brushed aside all thought of caution. He stood to his full height and drew a deep breath then he stepped up onto the boardwalk and slammed back the saloon doors.
Chapter Five
The same loud babble of conversation met him inside and Robert Lee stood in the doorway the light from the sun outside shading him into a dark silhouette. There was a scurrying as the feral cats ran away to hide in corners and a slow hush came over the crowd as they noticed the dusty figure in the doorway.
Someone prodded McGregor who was still at the bar and he looked over his shoulder at Robert Lee.
McGregor furrowed his brows. ‘Ach! Will you look at that?’ he barked. ‘There’s a stupid man for you; he’s come back for more. Away with you, fellow.’
‘Shut your mouth, McGregor. I’m not here for you.’
‘You’re not now? Well, there’s a thing.’
Robert Lee’s shaded eyes were glittering in the shadows as he searched the packed barroom looking for his prey.
‘Abe Coln!’ he called. ‘Come on out, you and I have things to settle.’
There was a collective mumble of conversation.
‘Where are you, you skunk?’ urged Robert Lee. ‘Come on here and face me.’
The crowd parted and Abe stepped forward.
‘Robert Lee Stanes, I wondered if it was you,’ he sneered. ‘Why all the noise, do you think I’m a-feared of you?’
Abe was not a snappy dresser, his leather waistcoat was run down and hair sprouted from under his hat in an untidy manner but the gun at his waist was well oiled and plain to see all too often put to use.
‘You’re brother is,’ snapped Robert Lee.
‘My brother! And which one might that be?’
‘Joshua, residing now in the Broughton County jail.’
Abe’s eyes widened, ‘And you put him there?’
‘Drop your gun belt,’ ordered Robert Lee.
‘What the devil’s going on here?’ asked McGregor curiously.
‘I told you once to keep quiet,’ snapped Robert Lee, the tension rising in him but his eyes staying fixed on Abe. ‘I just as soon put one in your ugly face as this sonofabitch in front of me.’
‘That a fact?’ snorted McGregor indifferently. ‘Well, it’s your bowl of trouble, my wee laddie, and I’m not a one to interfere in another’s problems. Although, I have to say I don’t much like your style.’
McGregor watched the two of them closely as the crowd gave way and moved from Abe’s back.
‘You need some help there, Abe?’ McGregor asked.
‘Not against this little snot,’ growled Abe.
‘Lower the belt,’ Robert Lee ordered again. ‘You and me is going down to the sheriff’s office.’
‘The hell you say,’ grinned Abe, the smile curling one corner of his mouth.
‘I don’t want to kill you, Abe, but I aim to make you pay for what you did.’
Both stood facing each other not more than fifteen feet apart, their gun hands hanging by their sides and the atmosphere in the saloon growing quietly tense as the crowd waited to see how it would pan out.
‘Well, you keep prodding me and I’ll sure as hell kill you, you ass,’ promised Abe.
‘Go on, boy,’ urged McGregor, a malevolent gleam of malice coming into his eye. ‘Fifty dollars if you bring him down.’
The questionable interference caused Robert Lee to start and he swiveled his angry attention towards McGregor for a brief second. Abe took his chance and went for his pistol but Robert Lee saw the movement from the corner of his eye. He was slower than Abe but the Coln brother was cocky and too sure of himself, he was convinced he could bring down Robert Lee. He fired and in haste he missed, the bullet winging past Robert Lee’s head and out through the swing doors.
Robert Lee was steady and slick on his draw, with a grim face and clenched jaw he let loose with his Colt. Once, then twice and three times he fired, the smoke and loud boom of the revolver filling the room. Abe bucked under the impact of lead, the three bullets stitching holes in his shirtfront and sending dust flying from the cloth. Abe looked down at his front in surprise as he staggered backwards, then with a gaggled gasp of disbelief his eyes rolled up and he dropped face down and lifeless to the floor.
Robert Lee moved slowly forward, the smoking gun held before him. He stood over the dead man for a moment then he remembered McGregor’s malicious offering. Robert Lee spun around and leveled the Colt at McGregor’s red face.
‘You think Scotland’s so great?’ he asked through gritted teeth. ‘Well, I’m sending you back there in a box.’
Robert Lee cocked back the hammer with his thumb and then, quite suddenly everything went black for him.
When Robert Lee came around, Lady Jane was staring at him through the bars, her body stiff and hands clasped tightly before her.
Robert Lee’s head felt bone-thick like a solid block of wood and uncomfortably he swung his legs over the side of the bunk and rubbed the egg-shaped knot under his hair.
Behind Lady Jane, stood a tall, handsome looking fellow in a tan vest with a silver star pinned to the breast.
‘What were you thinking, Robert Lee?’ asked Lady Jane.
‘Sorry I had to cold-cock you, Mister Stanes,’ said the sheriff. ‘I reckon you would have done something you would have regretted had I let you go on.’
‘Who’re you?’ mumbled Robert Lee, letting his sore head drop to his chest.
‘Tank Durham, town sheriff and deputy marshal for Hallam County.’
‘Why?’ asked Lady Jane. ‘What brought it on? You killed that man, Robert Lee.’
‘It’s okay, Mrs. Street,’ said the sheriff, moving her aside and rattling the key in the cell door. ‘We have witnesses. Seems the other guy drew first, it was justified. Mister Stanes was only defending himself and he’s free to go.’
‘McGregor?’ asked Robert Lee.
‘Yes,’ sighed the sheriff. ‘A troublesome man and I’m afraid he doesn’t take too kindly to you but he ain’t pressing any charges.’
‘He stirred it up,’ said Robert Lee weakly. ‘Had me beat up and then offered reward to Abe to shoot me down.’
‘Abe Coln, you know him? There’s a reward out for him, burglary and robbery on the highway. Up for killing three people down in El Paso too.’
‘I was trying to bring him in,’ muttered Robert Lee.
‘Well you’ve got a fifty dollar reward coming to you as he’s wanted dead or alive,’ said the sheriff, helping Robert Lee to his feet.
Robert Lee shook his head and then wished he had not, ‘I don’t want it, just make sure it’s on record that he raided the bank at Millstone City.’
‘That so, I don’t reckon I know of that one. I’ll check it out. What do you want done with the reward money then, Mister Stanes?’
Robert Lee drew himself up and felt the rack of pain running through his aching body, ‘Give it to the church or whoever you please.’
Lady Jane was looking at him cautiously, ‘You want to come back to the ranch, Robert Lee?’
There was a doubt in her face and he could see she was troubled but exactly by what he was not sure.
‘Sure, I’ll come along.’
‘Only Adam’s in the buckboard and he’s hurting some from the dentist. I’d like to get him home.’
‘Okay, is it all right, sheriff?’
‘Sure is, step into the office and I’ll give you back your pistol and belt.’
‘All right,’ said Robert Lee and to Lady Jane, ‘I’ll see you outside.’
‘I think I’d better do the driving, you don’t look in a good enough state.’
Robert Lee followed Sheriff Durham as Lady Jane made her way out through the office door. The sheriff opened a drawer in his desk and took out the rolled gun belt, ‘Here you are,’ he said, offering the weapon.
‘Obliged.’
‘One thing before you go,’ said the sheriff quietly. ‘A little bird told me Coln’s baby brother was here in town, young fella called Aaron. Been sitting with Abe out at the McGregor place. Seems he was a mite upset at his brother’s demise, made haste to the telegraph office and then left town in a hurry.’
‘Oh Lord!’ groaned Robert Lee. ‘That means they’ll all be coming.’
‘Who, the Coln’s?’
Robert Lee nodded, ‘Yes, the brothers. There’s three of them left now.’
‘Well, they’d better not start anything here.’
‘I sure hope not,’ agreed Robert Lee doubtfully.
A disconsolate looking Adam sat in the back of the buckboard a cumbersome bandage tied under his chin and over the top of his head.
‘That hurt?’ asked Robert Lee, stepping up into the driving seat.
‘Sure does,’ agreed Adam.
‘Well, buster, you and me is in the same boat.’
‘You look like you got beat up,’ observed Adam.
‘And then some.’
Lady Jane slapped the reins and hurried the pony on.
‘What happened here?’ she hissed. ‘I don’t like gun fighting amongst my men, is that what you do, Robert Lee? Are you a gunfighter?’
‘Not from choice, ma’am,’ sighed Robert Lee.
‘Is that how it was, as you said in there. McGregor stirred it up and the other fellow tried to kill you?’
‘Like I said,’ Robert Lee answered sullenly, he was not in the mood for any discussion.
‘Well, then I suppose you could not have done anything else.’
‘That’s a fact,’ agreed Robert Lee.
‘We’ll get on home and might be you need some cleaning up when we get there.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
Right now Robert Lee would have agreed to anything he was that tired and sore.
‘That McGregor,’ Lady Jane spat. ‘He’s a mean devil all right. Been nothing but trouble since he came here.’
‘He’s a blowhard. Can’t do a thing without his men behind him.’
‘You’re in a pickle, Robert Lee, he’ll only intend you harm from now on.’
Robert Lee leaned back in seat, every jolt of the buckboard was running a river of pain through his body, ‘I’ll pack my gear when we get back. Best I don’t bring any more trouble on your head.’
‘I think not,’ said Lady Jane decisively. ‘It’s not your fault and I don’t see why you should run because that bully has it in for you.’
‘It ain’t you he’ll be after, it’s me but you may have to take some damage on the side and I won’t have that.’
‘It’s simple logistics, Robert Lee. I’m a man down and I need you on the ranch, I can’t afford to let another workhand go.’
‘As you like,’ Robert Lee agreed tiredly but his thoughts were more with the Coln brothers than McGregor. One of them he perceived as merely a pain in the ass but the other bunch were more than a whole tornado of trouble.
They arrived back at the Lazy Z to see Raoul waiting on the porch with a weepy-eyed Susan Allen in his arms.
Lady Jane tied off the reins and was quickly down from the buckboard, ‘What is it. What’s up, honey child?’ she said, rushing to take the girl from Raoul.
Raoul was soulful, ‘It’s Napper,’ he explained.
His look spoke volumes and it told them quite clearly what had happened.
‘He’s a goner?’ asked Robert Lee.
Raoul nodded confirmation; ‘The other fellows are preparing a box right now.’
‘That’s too bad.’
Robert Lee turned and lifted Adam down from the flat bed, ‘Sad times, buddy,’ he said. ‘But did you get your rock candy?’
‘I did,’ murmured Adam, pulling the striped candy stick from his pocket. ‘Just don’t feel like eating it right now.’
‘Best thing, wait until that tooth has settled down.’
Lady Jane was carrying Susan Allen up the house steps, ‘Come on, Adam. I need you to help get supper ready, the men will need to eat.’
Slowly, Adam followed her with a glance over his shoulder at Robert Lee.
‘Go on, get along,’ urged Robert Lee. ‘Go help your ma.’
There was the distant sound of sawing and hammering and Raoul looked at Robert Lee with a shrug, ‘He just went off easy as pie, not a sound and was gone.’
Robert Lee nodded thoughtfully.
‘What happened to you? Looks like you was busted up some.’
‘Little altercation in the saloon and then the sheriff dropped one on my noddle.’
‘Ouch!’ blew Raoul. ‘Hope the other fellow looks as bad.’
‘Oh, he looks a whole lot worse, believe me.’
Robert Lee turned away and started downhill towards the bunkhouse.
‘You going to make it for supper?’ Raoul called after him.
‘Make my apologies, will you? I’m plain tuckered out.’
Alone at last in the bunkhouse Robert Lee lay back on his bunk and let the events of the day run through him. He liked Lady Jane Street, he had to admit it, true she had a hard streak running through her but that was okay, she probably had a hard time of it with no husband, two kids and a ranch to run. But there was something about the way she looked at him, something in the tone of her voice that altered slightly when she spoke with him. It threw him and he could not quite get a handle on it but somehow it pleased him.
Half asleep and in a dreamy state he revisited the confrontation with McGregor and Abe Coln in the saloon, again he felt his Colt bucking in his hand and Abe falling away from him. It was an entry back into that day long ago in the Millstone City Bank. Wreaths of cordite filling the air with a bitter tang and broken only by the screams and cries of the shot and wounded. He saw again the blood splashed in a line along the tiled floor of the bank and smelt the hint of Lilly’s perfume as clear as if she were in the room with him now. He could almost taste it and see again her curling hair flecked with gold and her gray-blue eyes, so intense with color that they seemed to imitate the deep sea. There was always a spark of amusement in those eyes and that had been the thing to save him when he returned home from the war. Haunted and broken, his mind emptied of anything imitating pity he had staggered home in his torn and filthy uniform to stand at her door. So many, he knew, were ruined by what they had seen and done throughout the ghastly conflict but she had gently brought him back from that abyss with her soft humor.
No, the Coln’s did not deserve to die as easy as Abe had, Robert Lee thought bitterly. A few bullets and it was over? No, they deserved the long haul of punishment, a lifetime in a prison cell or the rough tightness of a rope around their necks.
He buried his face into the pillow and promised - they will pay, all of them will pay. And if they were coming here for him rather than he having to hunt them down across the country, then so be it. He would be ready.
With that commitment made, he slept.
