Summary:\u00a0 An old friend requests the Cartwrights’ help when vengeance comes calling<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 T<\/p>\n
Word Count:\u00a0 4748<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hoss dug through his mid-day plate of beans, looking for the ones soft enough to eat.\u00a0 The drive couldn\u2019t end soon enough as he\u2019d been plagued by a toothache, grown tired of Adam\u2019s singing, and had nearly lost his enjoyment of food because the cook alternated between burned and undercooked meals.\u00a0 Hoss could do without another piece of charred bacon, unlike his older brother who was the happiest of them all every morning when he got his breakfast from the chuckwagon.<\/p>\n
\u201cDadburnit!\u201d\u00a0 Hoss winced and pressed a hand to his cheek.<\/p>\n
Dropping his fork onto his plate, Joe glared at his biggest brother.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll fix that tooth if you don\u2019t quit moaning about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAin\u2019t no need for that, Joe.\u00a0 This toothache is a misery and these here beans don\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ben and Adam approached with their plates.\u00a0 Adam squatted and sighed before tucking into his lunch.<\/p>\n
\u201cDrive ends tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 Ben pointed at his largest son with his fork.\u00a0 \u201cYou get that tooth pulled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYessir,\u201d muttered Hoss.<\/p>\n
Adam hummed between mouthfuls of beans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sick near to death of hearin\u2019 that tune,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
Adam scraped his fork across the metal plate and hummed louder.<\/p>\n
Hoss tapped the top of older brother\u2019s hat.\u00a0 \u201cSweet Betsy from Pike ain\u2019t so sweet anymore.\u00a0 Even the steers are tired of hearin\u2019 it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d said Joe, \u201call that musical knowledge in your head and you can\u2019t think of something else to sing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam stood and stretched his back.\u00a0 He raised an eyebrow and said, \u201cNeither of you complained when my singing last night kept the cattle from stampeding with that panther prowling around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss returned his attention to his plate.\u00a0 He bit down on a still hard bean and yelped.\u00a0 He pressed a hand against his cheek and muttered, \u201cThat cat caterwauled because it didn\u2019t like your singin\u2019, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam knocked the plate from Hoss\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll doctor you up if you don\u2019t quit bellyaching,\u201d he said through a tight-lipped smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoys,\u201d said Ben in tone his sons knew well.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ain\u2019t no doctor,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 He pushed Adam, causing his older brother to stagger and nearly fall down.<\/p>\n
Joe, eager to be the \u201cgood one\u201d for once, got between his brothers and tried to be the peacemaker.\u00a0 It was bad timing as Adam\u2019s swing connected with Joe\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d Ben grabbed Joe by the shoulders and swung him away from Adam and Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d added Adam, eyes downcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t \u2018sorry, Pa\u2019 me.\u00a0 This has been a miserable drive and the three of you at each other\u2019s throats is rubbing off on everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pounding hooves mingled with shouts for \u201cBoss.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anger and toothache forgotten, the four Cartwrights took in the panic-stricken face of a boy who couldn\u2019t have been more than eight.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoy says he\u2019s got a message,\u201d said Dave, a Ponderosa hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSheriff Beecher says to come quick.\u201d\u00a0 The boy swallowed hard and scrunched his eyelids as if he were trying to recall the exact words he\u2019d been told to say.\u00a0 \u201cA Cartwright never turns down a friend who needs helping.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tad Beecher had been a Ponderosa hand, one of the best, but the man had had a nose for trouble.\u00a0 Despite that, the man was slick enough to talk his way out of most situations.\u00a0 Except when Tad and Joe got into a fight at the Silver Dollar in Virginia City and Tad shot a man who Tad said had drawn and aimed for Joe.\u00a0 Hoss believed Tad because Tad had shot to wound, not kill.\u00a0 Hadn\u2019t mattered to Pa \u2013 he sent Tad on his way with an extra month\u2019s wages.\u00a0 Since then, Tad had become a respectable lawman and settled down.<\/p>\n
Ben addressed the boy.\u00a0 \u201cI have to get these cattle to Fort Churchill day after tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed at the boy\u2019s crestfallen expression.\u00a0 \u201cI can spare two of my sons.\u201d\u00a0 He fished around in his vest pocket then turned his back to everyone as he prepared the matches.\u00a0 Extending his fist to his sons, he said, \u201cLong ones go to Washoe City.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hoss wiped a hand on his vest.\u00a0 He wanted to be free of the aching tooth but Tad was a friend.\u00a0 He picked his match and held it close, waiting to see what his brothers got.<\/p>\n
Joe and Adam drew and held their matches forth between thumb and forefinger.\u00a0 Hoss felt the disappointment coming off his older brother.\u00a0 Running his tongue over the offending tooth, Hoss silently promised not to gripe about his misery.<\/p>\n
Hoss patted the boy\u2019s thigh.\u00a0 \u201cYou go on back and tell the sheriff me and my brother will be there shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n
~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
Arriving in Washoe City, Hoss couldn\u2019t help but think it looked to be a deserted town.\u00a0 An old-timer or two usually occupied the bench outside the mercantile, watching the comings and goings of people sunrise to sunset. No tinny piano music drifted out of the Golden Cur Saloon.<\/p>\n
Hoss brushed a palm against the back of his neck \u2013 the fine hairs were standing on end.\u00a0 Pa called that a sixth sense but Mama Marie had had a French word for it.<\/p>\n
Adam looked up and saw the glint of a rifle barrel.\u00a0 \u201cMen are on the roofs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tad Beecher stepped out of a house midway down the street.\u00a0 The tin badge on his vest gleamed in the late afternoon sun.\u00a0 He casually held a rifle, barrel pointed to the street.<\/p>\n
Hoss and Adam dismounted and settled their horses over to the hitching rail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sure am glad to see you boys,\u201d the lawman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look like you haven\u2019t slept in a month,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cFeels that long.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go inside and you\u2019ll see why I asked you to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three men stepped into the small house.\u00a0 Hoss and Adam doffed their hats as they greeted Tad\u2019s wife, Lupita, who was setting the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should be resting,\u201d said Tad to his heavily pregnant wife.<\/p>\n
Lupita smiled at her husband. \u201cWho will cook and clean, mi amor?\u201d\u00a0 She extended her hands to greet Hoss and Adam; Hoss kissed her cheek while Adam kissed her hand.\u00a0 Niceties out of the way, she said, \u201cI\u2019ll make more tortillas,\u201d then waddled for the kitchen, a hand pressed against her lower back.<\/p>\n
Hoss took a long whiff of the aromas drifting from the kitchen.\u00a0 Woman-cooked beans were bound to be far better than what they\u2019d had on the drive.<\/p>\n
Tad extended a hand towards the table.\u00a0 \u201cTake a seat, boys, I\u2019ll tell you the whole miserable tale.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo weeks ago, Saturday, there was an all-out brawl in the Golden Cur.\u00a0 When men come to town to get drunk the littlest thing can set someone off.\u00a0 A man ran into my office, said Irv, the bartender at the Cur, sent him to fetch me to come break up a fight.\u00a0 I figured Irv had tried everything he knew without success so he thought folks would respect the badge.\u00a0 You boys know me \u2013 I try talking first.\u00a0 I stepped in the saloon and a chair hit the wall too close for comfort.\u201d\u00a0 One corner of Tad\u2019s mouth turned up as he snorted.\u00a0 \u201cReminded me of that time Little Joe and I busted up the Silver Dollar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTalking didn\u2019t work?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n
Tad shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI fired a shot into the ceiling and got everyone\u2019s attention.\u00a0 Then the bickering started.\u00a0 Several men claimed Jack Greenwood, the meanest drunk I ever saw, started it when he slapped Greta McAllen for not paying near enough attention to him, said she was no better than a whore to dally with every man who bought her a drink.\u00a0 Every man but him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMcAllen?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n
\u201cKin to Fritz?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, the same man wanted for robbery and murder on both sides of the Sierra Nevada,\u201d Tad said softly before taking a sip of water.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe Jack started the ruckus, maybe he didn\u2019t, but everyone was itching to beat the stuffing out of Jack and his slapping Greta was as good a reason as any.\u00a0 I figured it made the most sense to lock up Jack for the night, let him sleep it off while everyone else cooled down.\u00a0 But Jack didn\u2019t see it that way.\u00a0 I thought I could haul him off without slapping cuffs on him if I dazed him with a tap upside the head with my pistol.\u00a0 That was my mistake.\u201d\u00a0 Tad\u2019s lips pursed as he blew out a breath.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t know how much he\u2019d drank but the liquor had made him as ornery as a bronc new to the saddle.\u00a0 I wrapped my arms around Jack but he twisted and turned and stomped at my boots.\u00a0 Next thing he got an arm free and tried clawing the pistol from my hand.\u00a0 Gun went off and a woman fell to the floor screaming.\u00a0 Greta. I let go of Jack and went to her. I tried staunching the blood coming from her belly but it wouldn\u2019t stop.\u00a0 Jack shouted everyone was a witness, it was my bullet that killed her if she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lupita set two extra plates on the table then rested her hands on her husband\u2019s shoulders.\u00a0 Tad reached up and covered one of her hands with his.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone fetched the doc.\u00a0 He said only thing he could do was ease the pain of dying.\u00a0 Poor girl lingered for two days.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were doing your job,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI know that sounds cold but it wasn\u2019t your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tad continued. \u201cJack must have thought he could save his hide if got to McAllen first and told them I killed Greta, not him.\u00a0 A horse walked into town this morning with Jack tied in the saddle.\u00a0 Jack was wearing a duster too big for him and a death threat was pinned to the back of it.\u201d\u00a0 He pulled the piece of paper from his vest pocket and set it in front of Adam and Hoss.\u00a0 The note said \u2018a woman for a woman\u2019.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the doc and I took that duster off Jack it looked like five men had emptied their pistols into him.\u201d\u00a0 Tad took a deep breath and squeezed his wife\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat why nobody was on the street when we rode in?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband told people they should leave but no one would go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFolks figure if Lupita stays, they ought to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the way, how\u2019d you know our whereabouts?\u201d asked Hoss.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple days ago, a few boys ignored their chores to go fishing.\u00a0 They came back talking about a cattle drive and how someday they wanted to be giving orders like the fellah in the green jacket on the paint.\u00a0 I know only one man who wears a green jacket and rides a paint.\u00a0 Billy was one of those boys, so I sent him with orders to look for the dust cloud and find Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPa an\u2019 Little Joe are finishing the drive so looks like you\u2019re stuck with us,\u201d said Hoss with a wink for Lupita.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I can trust you both to protect my wife. And our baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCouldn\u2019t help but notice men on roofs as we came in,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 \u201cThey want to keep their town safe, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tad looked Adam square in the eye. \u201cI know<\/em> you won\u2019t scare easy when the lead starts flying.\u201d<\/p>\n Lupita gasped then smiled down at her husband as he looked up at her with worry on his face.\u00a0 She pressed a hand to her swollen belly.\u00a0 \u201cYour son kicks like a mule.\u201d\u00a0 She placed a gentle kiss against Tad\u2019s forehead then said, \u201cI\u2019ll get supper on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d be right pleased to help, ma\u2019am,\u201d said Hoss as he followed Lupita to the kitchen.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n After supper was eaten Hoss helped Lupita with the cleaning up despite her insistence he relax with another cup of coffee.\u00a0 Adam, accompanied by Tad, led Sport and Chubb to the livery.\u00a0 Afterwards, the two men walked the town, in the pastel glow of the sunset.\u00a0 Adam noted the layout of the streets and the alleys where darkness could swallow up a man.<\/p>\n \u201cI know McAllen and his men are out there, biding their time.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam gave Tad\u2019s belly a pat with the back of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cYou get some sleep tonight.\u00a0 Hoss and I will keep watch.\u00a0 Tell me where you want me to walk or if I should just sit in your office.\u201d<\/p>\n Tad shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve told everyone to stay inside after dark.\u00a0 I\u2019ll sleep easier with an extra pair of eyes watching the street.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pot of coffee will do and any cookies if Lupita has any made. \u00a0Hoss finds night watch hungry work.\u201d<\/p>\n Both men chuckled as they headed back for the Beecher\u2019s house.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Adam padded into the sitting room, wiping sleep from his eyes.\u00a0 He yawned and said, \u201cFigure it\u2019s about time to relieve you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss swallowed the last of his coffee and left his hand of Solitaire unfinished.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll feel right good to lay on a soft bed, even if you\u2019ve already been in it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam noticed a small bottle on the table and picked it up.\u00a0 He read the label by the dim light of the lamp.\u00a0 \u201cTeething medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Lupita put it up for the baby.\u00a0 She figured I oughta dose my toothache with it.\u00a0 Works sure enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou better sleep like a baby.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t want your snoring to wake the whole town.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss stretched out his arms as his mouth gaped open in a yawn.\u00a0 \u201cPot on the stove is nearly empty.\u201d\u00a0 He headed off to the spare bed, rubbing the back of his neck.\u00a0 Sleep didn\u2019t come easy once he settled into the mattress.\u00a0 He pictured the house\u2019s rooms and judged which corners would offer the most safety for Lupita when the shooting started. The dining table would make a sturdy barricade.\u00a0 He and Adam would need to be in sight of the front and back doors but have a window to fire through.\u00a0 \u201cSure wish Pa and Little Joe were here,\u201d he mumbled before he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Hoss awoke to breakfast smells.\u00a0 He ambled into the living room like a still-groggy bear leaving its den after hibernation.\u00a0 Neither Adam nor Tad was at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you sleep well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2019m.\u00a0 A fellah couldn\u2019t ask for a softer bed after weeks of sleepin\u2019 on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n She poured steaming coffee and added a splash of milk without asking if that was how her guest took it.\u00a0 \u201cYou believe those men will come, verdad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure do, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Men like that live on anger and revenge.\u201d\u00a0 He gently laid a hand on her arm.\u00a0 \u201cMe and my brother are gonna make sure nothing happens to you or the baby.\u00a0 You have my word.\u201d<\/p>\n Lupita drew in a ragged breath.\u00a0 \u201cWords are easily forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019am, a Cartwright\u2019s word is a binding oath.\u201d\u00a0 He gave her arm a light squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cNow let me show you how I like my bacon.\u201d<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Hoss was on his fourth biscuit when the front door opened and Adam poked his head in.\u00a0 The large man excused himself from the table and went out to the front porch, biscuit in hand.<\/p>\n Adam, wearing his yellow coat to stave off the morning chill, scratched at his cheek then leaned against the porch rail.\u00a0 Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out a box of bullets and handed it over. \u201cWe cleaned out the store this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n After a look over Hoss\u2019s shoulder, Adam lowered his voice.\u00a0 \u201cMen who watched from the rooftops yesterday are refusing to support Tad.\u00a0 One man said Tad should just hand Lupita over \u2018cause McAllen won\u2019t hurt her when he sees her condition.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss snorted and shook his head.\u00a0 He took in the red clouds streaking across the morning sky and recalled Pa\u2019s oft-said \u2018sailor take warning\u2019 on days like this.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that word Mama Marie used to say when she had a feeling of spiders crawling up her spine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrisson.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what I got.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam plucked the remainder of the biscuit from Hoss\u2019s fingers and popped it in his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cLupita will be safer in the jail.\u00a0 Masonry walls stop bullets better than wood.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss frowned at the crumbs speckling his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cReckon so.\u00a0 Front windows and two doors.\u201d<\/p>\n A groan caught their attention and they went in the house.\u00a0 Lupita leaned against the table, a hand pressed to her lower belly.<\/p>\n \u201cNot now, mijo,\u201d she said as the color faded from her cheeks.<\/p>\n Hoss took her by the shoulders.\u00a0 \u201cOur little brother, Joe, was the same way, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Mighty eager to get into the world but not so impressed with it when he arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n Lupita laughed before her body tensed again.<\/p>\n \u201cYou come with us, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 We\u2019re taking you over to the jail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be safer there,\u201d said Adam.\u00a0 He caught Hoss\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n \u201cMa\u2019am? \u201cWe\u2019re gonna do everything we can to make sure nothing happens to you or the baby.\u00a0 Or Tad.\u201d<\/p>\n Lupita wiped the heel of a hand below each eye and drew herself up to her full height of five foot nothing.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t have my baby born in a jail.\u00a0 Would you have him grow up to be like those men who want to kill me?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss reached for her arm, determined to take her to the jail by force, but she slapped his hand away.<\/p>\n Adam blew a hard breath from his nose and asked, \u201cWhen have you ever won an argument with a woman?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head and muttered under his breath as he left the room.\u00a0 He returned moments later with the mattress from Lupita\u2019s bed.\u00a0 Jamming it against the living area wall, he said \u201cYou come on and get settled.\u201d\u00a0 He held tight to her hands as he lowered her onto the moss-stuffed bedding, her back supported against the wall.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get this table turned over,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n They put the table on its side, a crude shield to protect their friend\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll replace the windowpanes, ma\u2019am,\u201d said Hoss as he busted them out of the front windows with the rifle barrel.\u00a0 Despite his best attempt to shield his face, warm trickles oozed down his unshaved cheeks.<\/p>\n Adam pulled a book from a slender shelf, nestled into the corner by the window, and tried to read.\u00a0 Hoss noticed his brother hadn\u2019t made any progress after five minutes.<\/p>\n Lupita moaned and panted.\u00a0 Hoss squatted down between the gap in the wall and table.\u00a0 \u201cMa\u2019am, if you can at all, try your best to be silent.\u201d\u00a0 He flinched at her glare, a blazing look that made the room feel a mite hotter.\u00a0 She moaned again and pressed both hands against her belly, as if she could will her body to refuse to birth her baby.<\/p>\n There\u2019ll be death and birth this day<\/em>, thought Hoss as he got to his feet.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n An hour had passed without so much as a mouse in the street.\u00a0 The air was still, the house growing hotter despite the open windows.\u00a0 Lupita\u2019s moans hadn\u2019t subsided but Hoss knew babies could take hours or more than a day once a woman\u2019s labor came on.<\/p>\n Adam slouched by the window but had given up on the book.\u00a0 Instead, he rolled the cylinder of his pistol back and forth across one knee. He\u2019d shed his jacket and it was crumpled nearby on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Tad?\u201d Lupita asked for the fourth time.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s where he needs to be,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n Silence descended again but was broken shortly by Lupita\u2019s groans and gasps as her labor pains grew more intense.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t mean to worry you none, Miss Lupita, but sometimes a mare thinks it\u2019s time for her foal to come but it\u2019s just a false start.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss didn\u2019t understand her words but he got the gist of what Lupita said.<\/p>\n \u201cI suggest you don\u2019t compare her to a horse again,\u201d said Adam, unsuccessfully hiding his smirk.<\/p>\n A group of eight men, guns in hand, trotted their mounts down the street.\u00a0 One man stood apart from the rest.\u00a0 Fritz McAllen, dressed in a black frock coat and white shirt, looked more akin to a modest preacher but his rig, studded in silver, belied his ill-gotten wealth.<\/p>\n \u201cHand over the woman!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTad,\u201d said Lupita in a tone of combined hope and relief.<\/p>\n Neither Hoss nor Adam had a clear view of the entire street length and they didn\u2019t know where Tad was holed up.<\/p>\n \u201cYou give her to us or we burn her out.\u201d<\/p>\n A strangled gasp escaped Lupita\u2019s throat.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be all right, ma\u2019am,\u201d whispered Hoss.<\/p>\n A bullet slammed into the window frame, splintering fine pieces of wood into projectiles.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s hand took the brunt of it.<\/p>\n \u201cYou okay?\u201d asked Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had worse bee stings,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cFifteen minutes, your choice.\u201d\u00a0 McAllen and his men galloped out of town.<\/p>\n Lupita\u2019s sobs gave way to moans.<\/p>\n Hoss tossed his brother\u2019s coat over the table.\u00a0 \u201cYou bite down hard on that when the pains get strong.\u201d\u00a0 He merely shrugged a shoulder in response to the question on his brother\u2019s face.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Hoss checked the mantle clock for the tenth time in thirteen minutes.\u00a0 \u201cThink McAllen is all bluff?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shook his head.<\/p>\n Both men looked up at the sound of boots on the roof.\u00a0 Adam cocked his head, listening, then aimed his rifle at the ceiling.<\/p>\n Lupita stifled a scream at the noise within the room.<\/p>\n They were rewarded with a voice yelling out curses and the sound of a body hitting the ground out back.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you and Joe thought it a waste all those times I played billiards,\u201d said Adam, a smile lighting up his face.<\/p>\n \u201cGood to know figurin\u2019 angles is good for something,\u201d said Hoss as a barrage of bullets slammed into the front door.<\/p>\n Hoss and Adam returned fire, shooting blindly where they figured McAllen and his men had to be.<\/p>\n At a lull in the gunfire, Hoss crawled on hands and knees over to Lupita\u2019s hiding place, ignoring the glass fragments grinding into his palms.\u00a0 Her eyes were scrunched in concentration as she bit the sleeve of Adam\u2019s coat.\u00a0 Hoss figured her labor pains hadn\u2019t changed since the intensity of her moans hadn\u2019t increased.<\/p>\n Adam hissed as a bullet smacked into the back wall.\u00a0 Hoss crawled back to his station and asked, \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust a bit of hide,\u201d said Adam as he pulled his bandana from his back pocket and wound it around his forearm.<\/p>\n A man stepped far enough out of the shadows and Hoss drew a bead on him.\u00a0 \u201cI may not shoot as fancy but I hit my mark,\u201d said Hoss as the man fell, blood on his chest blossoming like fresh-opened rose petals.<\/p>\n Adam chuckled and waited for the next opportunity.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Silence had fallen again.\u00a0 Adam laid out what remained of their ammunition on the floor between them.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s stomach rumbled, accustomed to being filled on schedule.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather have a belly full of steak than lead,\u201d he muttered while watching the street.<\/p>\n Lupita\u2019s moans had subsided, so Hoss hoped the baby wasn\u2019t on the way after all.<\/p>\n A gunshot tore through the still air.\u00a0 One of McAllen\u2019s men dragged Tad into the street and let him fall into the dirt.\u00a0 Tad rolled onto his side and drew his knees up.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t hand her over!\u201d<\/p>\n The man who\u2019d shot Tad kicked him in the back; the lawman cried out.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s dead, isn\u2019t he?\u201d Lupita asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, ma\u2019am, he ain\u2019t,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n Adam absently stroked his pistol\u2019s hammer with his thumb.\u00a0 \u201cTwo against six.\u00a0 Odds have been worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shook the shells out of the cylinder and plucked up three bullets from the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got \u2018til the count of ten,\u201d Fritz ordered.\u00a0 \u201cOne.\u00a0 Two.\u00a0 Three.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss rested his arm on the windowsill.<\/p>\n \u201cFour.\u00a0 Five.\u00a0 Six.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go,\u201d Lupita said in a shaky voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNo need,\u201d said Hoss as pulled back his pistol\u2019s hammer.<\/p>\n \u201cSeven.\u00a0 Eight.\u201d<\/p>\n Flame belched from Hoss\u2019s pistol. Fritz\u2019s head snapped back as a bullet plowed through his forehead and he crumpled to the ground.\u00a0 \u201cHere you thought I never paid attention when you were at the billiards table.\u201d<\/p>\n With Fritz down, townsmen emerged from their houses, willing to take on the beast now that its head had been chopped off.<\/p>\n Lupita screamed, \u201cTad.\u201d Hoss crawled over to her hiding place.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll have to take care of things out there,\u201d he said over his shoulder to Adam as he moved the table.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t object.<\/p>\n ~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n Hoss stepped out into the late afternoon sun, wiping his hands with Lupita\u2019s apron.\u00a0 The baby had a head-full of black hair and a healthy squall. He noted the red clouds had returned but pa always said it meant all was well at the end of the day.<\/p>\n Adam ambled up the street, a white sling in stark contrast to his black shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cDoc said the damage is more than hide.\u00a0 Told me not to work it for a couple weeks.\u201d\u00a0 Adam elbowed Hoss in the ribs.\u00a0 \u201cAs good an excuse as any to make Joe take over my chores.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 He wiped sweat from his forehead with his bloodied bandana.\u00a0 \u201cHow are Lupita and the baby?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust fine,\u201d said Hoss.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s eager to see Tad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoc said the bullet went right through Tad\u2019s leg, didn\u2019t hit anything vital.\u00a0 Tad will be fine as long as he stays in bed until he\u2019s healed up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking of fine,\u201d said Hoss.<\/p>\n Tad struggled up the street on crutches so Hoss leant a hand by hoisting the man up with an arm around the waist.\u00a0 \u201cI can walk just fine,\u201d the lawman protested.<\/p>\n \u201cA newborn foal walks better than you,\u201d said Hoss as he hauled his friend through the door.<\/p>\n Adam sat on the porch rail, politely greeting passersby.\u00a0 Hoss returned to the porch, glowing with pride at bringing a new life into the world.<\/p>\n Hoofbeats caught their attention.\u00a0 The cavalry had arrived too late.<\/p>\n Hoss rubbed teething medicine along the gum over the offending tooth then stashed the bottle in his vest pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cHad a bit of trouble?\u201d Ben asked, taking in Adam\u2019s sling, the dried blood on Hoss\u2019s hands, and the splintered wood of the Beecher\u2019s front door and windows.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing we couldn\u2019t handle,\u201d said Adam.<\/p>\n A baby\u2019s cry drifted out of the house.\u00a0 Hoss\u2019s face lit up and he said, \u201cCome greet your namesake,\u201d with a jerk of his head at the door.<\/p>\n Ben dismounted, his chest puffed up with pride.<\/p>\n Hoss led Ben and Joe to the Beecher\u2019s spare bedroom as the mattress to their bed remained on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is the table on its side?\u201d asked Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t matter,\u201d said Hoss as he gently rapped against the door, awaiting permission to enter.<\/p>\n Lupita cradled the baby as Tad cooed over their child.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m honored you named your son for me,\u201d said Ben.<\/p>\n \u201cDaughter.\u00a0 And not just you,\u201d said Tad.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pleased for you to meet Cartwright Beecher.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a terrible name for a girl,\u201d said Joe, making a face at Hoss that suggested the Beechers must be out of their minds.<\/p>\n \u201cA strong name for a strong child,\u201d Lupita said with a warm smile at Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re gonna need this,\u201d Hoss said as he set the teething medicine on the dresser.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did I tell you about getting that tooth pulled?\u201d said Ben as he and his sons made their way back to the porch.<\/p>\n Hoss didn\u2019t care about the tooth, not just because the medicine had dulled the pain.\u00a0 The day was coming to a close and he was safe within the harbor created by his family.\u00a0 A new life had entered the world amid the ugliness of vengeance masquerading as love.\u00a0 Cartwright Beecher need not ever know her life could have ended on her birthday; only important thing was her parents\u2019 love for her.\u00a0 No, a strong right hook would be far more important – kids were bound to tease her about her name.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d asked Hoss brought out of his thoughts by a slap to the shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get some supper,\u201d said Joe.<\/p>\n \u201cYou go on ahead.\u00a0 I want to watch the sunset a mite longer.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author\u2019s Note:<\/p>\n Written for the 2021 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament.\u00a0\u00a0 The game was Five Card Draw and the words and\/or phrases I was dealt were:<\/p>\n Dally
\nDeserted town
\nToothache
\nBe silent
\nGet drunk<\/p>\n