Range War Along the Pecos, by John Theron Crow

Range War Along the Pecos

CHAPTER TWENTY

 
Jesse Logan did not go with the rest of the men to lunch, opting rather to go on over to one of the town's other major saloons, "The Miner's Paradise" in order to see if he could gather any more information as to who might have taken a shot at him the previous night. He drank little, but spent a couple of hours gambling at the faro table and managed to double what he had come in with. However, he was unable to gain any further information, so he decided to go on over to the Boar's Head.
As Jesse was heading over to the Boar's Head, he suddenly stopped and inwardly cursed himself for a fool. Why hadn't he checked Bucktooth Wilson's boots to see if the heel was missing on the left one? He'd had ample opportunity, but the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He immediately changed course and headed for the undertaker's, then stopped again, and decided to ask Charley to accompany him. He entered Ma Cunningham's Cafe and thanked his good fortune that it was empty of customers. Emily and Charlene were both busy in the kitchen preparing things for the supper hour.
"Charley, Ma, could you two do me a big favor and close the place down for a few minutes and come with me?" Logan asked.
"Why I don't know, we've got to get things ready for the supper crowd. It gets pretty hectic come supper time." Emily Cunningham replied.
"I'll come with you Jesse." Charlene piped up, eager to escape the drudgery of the kitchen.
"I need you both right now, its important." Jesse said gravely.
Emily at last acquiesced and hung up the "closed" sign as the trio headed over to the undertaker's parlor.
The undertaker was a small wizened man in his early fifties named Jaime Vasquez. He was a happy man at the moment, due to the fact that his business had picked up considerably of late, and the rumor had it that there would be much more to come in the weeks ahead-- if not days.
Jesse spoke to him is Spanish, asking if he had removed the clothing from Wilson's body. The undertaker informed him that he had not planned to remove the clothing and had left the man untouched except for measuring him out for a coffin which he was working on at that moment. Jesse then asked if they could view the body.
Emily Cunningham objected saying, "Heavens no. I don't want to see any dead men. I might faint."
Jesse said, "Don't worry Ma, I'll catch you if you do. Seriously though, I need you to do this for me. I need you as a witness." She nervously agreed and the three went in to where Vasquez had the body laid out.
True to her word, Emily Cunningham fainted. Jesse hadn't thought about the damage his pistol had done to the back of the man's head, and Jaime Vasquez had not bothered to clean it up much yet. However, it was the empty socket where the bullet had entered where there had once been an eye staring her in the face that had precipitated her fainting spell. Charlene had Jaime fetch some water and Logan placed a towel over Wilson's lifeless head. They soon revived Emily Cunningham and after she had steadied herself, Logan pointed out the boots. Indeed, there was a missing heel on the left boot.
"What does that mean?" Charlene asked puzzled.
Logan then explained and asked, "Charley, would you please go get Sheriff Orr for me? Ma, you stay here with me."
Charley left to get the sheriff, and Logan noticed Jaime Vasquez getting his hat and preparing to leave.
"Hold on Senor Vasquez, you stay here too." Logan said sternly. The little man began to complain that it was past lunch-time and that he was going home where his wife would have dinner waiting for him. "Your dinner can keep for a few more minutes amigo. I want you right here where I can see you." Logan said.
Logan knew that the little Mexican had overheard all that he had told the women, and that although unlikely, he might tell someone else. Logan did not want anyone fooling around the area where Wilson had met with the man who had attempted to kill him. Although Tanner had left town, it was possible that Vasquez might tell any number of men who were sympathetic to Tanner, in hopes of a small reward for the information.
Charlene soon returned with Sheriff Orr reluctantly in tow. "What's the meanin' of this, Logan?" the sheriff asked.
Logan gestured toward the body of Wilson then said, "I want you to take a good look at these boots before I take em off."
"Take 'em off, what the hell for?" Sheriff Orr asked incredulously.
Logan then explained the previous nights events, careful to leave Wyler and Conchita out of it, along with his examination of the evidence outside the window of the saloon earlier that morning.
Orr was getting more nervous by the moment but then said stubbornly, "You expect me to take your word for it Logan?"
"Why hell no, Sheriff, I'm gonna show you personally, with Charley as a witness." Logan said.
Charlene Lancer was having difficulty restraining a smile at Sheriff Orr's nervousness.
"Come here, Senor Vasquez, and give me a hand with these boots." Logan said.
Vasquez complied and they finally succeeded in removing the boots from the dead man's feet which were already becoming stiff with rigor-mortis. "Sheriff, let's you, me and Miss Lancer take a walk. Emily, you can come along or head on back to the cafe. I'm sorry I had to put you through this, but I hope you can understand." Logan said.
By now, Emily Cunningham's curiosity had gotten the better of her and she decided to go along with them. Logan went over the area exactly as he had a few hours earlier, explaining in detail what he had found. He had even left the spent Sharps fifty cartridge where he had found it, and thus far, as luck would have it, the area had been untouched since he'd left it. When they reached the boot prints, both Logan and Orr matched the right and left boots to them finding that they matched up perfectly.
"Well how about that, Sheriff? What do YOU make of it?" Logan asked pointedly. "Oh, by the way, here's another piece of evidence to prove I'm not making this up." Logan said as he removed his hat and allowed Sheriff Orr to examine his wound.
"I don't know that this proves that Tanner had anything to do with it Logan." Orr said stubbornly.
"What the hell's the matter with you, Sheriff. Somebody cut off yer balls, or were ya just born without any?" Charlene said heatedly, hands on her hips, staring the sheriff directly in the eyes.
Continuing, she said, "Any fool with a brain as big as a jackrabbit turd could see that Wilson ain't got the sense ta set up somethin' like that. When are YOU going to grow a set of BALLS, and do something about it? Or, are ya afraid of Morgan Tanner? If you are, ya ain't got no business bein' sheriff, and ought ta resign and take up the rockin' chair where it's safe!"
Logan almost burst out laughing at Charlene's vulgar, albeit honest outburst while Emily was almost in shock. The sheriff, had turned beet red and stammered something to the effect that he would talk to Tanner about it.
Inside, he was boiling, but afraid as well. Charlene Lancer's words had hit the mark. He WAS afraid of Tanner, or at least, Tanner's gunmen, especially that Jake Barlow. The little gunman reminded him of a reptile. Cold and seemingly lifeless, yet deadly as any rattlesnake. The thought of facing him turned Orr's blood to ice water, which was what he figured ran through the gunman's veins anyhow.
"Right now Sheriff, we're goin' to amble on over to your office and you are going to swear out affidavits for each of us to the effect that we have witnessed what we just witnessed. When we are done, you can go over and have Jaime Vasquez sign one to the effect that the boots we removed from the deceased were the same ones he was carried in with." Logan commanded.
"Hold on a minute here, are you trying to tell me my job?" Orr objected.
"Nope, just remindin' ya, and makin' sure nothin' gets mixed up or forgotten. We do want things nice and legal don't we?" Logan asked innocently. The sheriff agreed and they went to his office and signed the affidavits.
"Well, Sheriff, you'd better talk to Tanner soon. I'm going to have Miss Cunningham take care of these boots here. Now if anything happens to these boots, or Miss Cunningham, and I think you either had something to do with it, or didn't try very hard to keep it from happenin', I'm gonna be mighty upset. And if you are by any chance, afraid of Tanner or his men, you'd better be more afraid of me. So help me Sheriff, I'll shoot you down where I find you should anything bad happen to Emily here."
Logan's steely eyes seemed to have turned a shade gray, and pierced right to the heart of Sheriff Orr. Orr was by now, nearly petrified. He could see the anger building inside the gunman, and although he wanted to protest, dared not do so. Regaining his composure he said, "You don't have to threaten me Logan, I'll look into the matter, and I swear, I'd never lay a hand on Miss Emily."
"Fair enough Sheriff. You've seen the evidence, and so have these ladies here. If they don't stay safe, you don't either. If you want to resign, that's fine. But if and when I decide to press charges, don't try to leave town. If you do, I'll follow you, and believe me, I'll find you. Comprende?" Logan asked.
"I understand, Logan. You don't have to put it in triplicate." Orr said sullenly.
The sheriff returned to his office and the women to the cafe. Emily Cunningham had had enough to last her several months and was shaken by what she had seen and heard, although not so shaken that she was unable to reprimand Charlene for her language. Logan could hear her scolding Charlene as they walked away, "In all my born days girl, I never heard such talk coming out of a lady's mouth. I'm perfectly scandalized! What will people think if they hear you talking like that?"
Charlene apparently attempted some sort of explanation but their voices faded as they walked on, and Jesse was unable to hear. Nevertheless, he broke out in laughter. "Hellfire, I love that girl." Logan said to himself aloud. Still chuckling to himself, he decided to head over to the Boar's Head for a cool beer. Finally, it looked as if he was getting somewhere.
As he was talking to Bill Wyler, and joking with Conchita, nine dangerous looking men, walked through the batwing doors. Jesse was about to find out that fate had thrown a wrench in the spokes of the drama that was being played out in and around Olsen's Falls, not only for the Murdoch clan, but for the Tanner faction as well.

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