HELL HATH NO FURY (A Jess Williams western novel) (17 page)

             
“They are not taking one cent less than sixteen dollars an ounce,” demanded Jameson. “Otherwise, I’ll call in an assayer from Wichita who will give them a fair offer.”

             
The assayer scribbled down some new figures. “Alright, if I pay you sixteen dollars an ounce, you’ll clear thirty eight thousand and four hundred dollars in total. Is that good enough?”

             
“I’ll tell you what,” said Jess. “You make it sixteen dollars and twenty five cents and I’ll sign the paperwork right now.”

             
The assayer squirmed in his chair as he scribbled down the number again. “Alright, you have a deal, but only if you sign right now.”

             
Jess and Annie signed the paperwork and Mr. Jameson signed it along with the assayer, who left right away before anyone changed their minds.

             
“Jess, I’ll handle all the paperwork from here and deposit the money equally into your two accounts here at the bank,” said Jameson.

             
“That sounds fine with me, but I negotiated that extra twenty five cents for you to take,” replied Jess. “Annie, is that okay with you?”

             
“I don’t see why not?” replied Annie. “Either way, I’m a rich woman now. I will have over nineteen thousand dollars in my account. I’ll be able to have my house built and pay it off. I’m not going to quibble over two-bits now.”

             
“I don’t know how to thank you two,” replied Jameson. “I’ll make six hundred dollars and that is a whole lot of money from one transaction.”

             
“I’ll tell you how to thank us,” replied Jess. “You keep working here at this bank as long as you can because I feel real comfortable with you handling my money.”

             
“Hell, I’ll retire when they carry me out of here. The truth is, I make my own hours and don’t really work all that hard. If you two are going to keep your money in this bank, I can probably afford to hire a part-time clerk to do more of my paperwork.”

             
“I’m keeping all my money and assets right here,” replied Jess.

             
“Me too,” replied Annie.

             
“Well, it might take as long as two weeks to get your money, but I’ll make sure that the carpenters are assured that the bank here will foot the bill for whatever they need to build your house, Annie.”

             
“Thank you, Mr. Jameson. Sara told me about a house over on the next street that she is going to take me to look at. She says it’s perfect for me and if I like it, I’ll have one built just like it. I want to be as close to Jim and Sara’s place as I can.”

             
“You’ll like that house, I took care of all the financing on it and Jess here holds the note on that house as well,” replied Jameson.

             
Annie looked at Jess. “Well, ain’t you just the nicest person.”

             
“I keep trying to tell everyone that,” replied Jess.

             
“Maybe you need to try a little harder.”

             
“I—oh forget it. I don’t want to talk for the next ten minutes about it,” replied Jess.

             
“Is that your way of saying I talk too much again?”

             
Jess got up without saying a word and shook Mr. Jameson’s hand and walked out of the bank and over to Jim and Sara’s house. Annie followed him all the way, yakking the entire time. When they got there, Jess told Jim that he needed to get some more supplies for their trip. He also told Jim to throw in a new coffee pot and ten pounds of his finest coffee and deliver it to the sheriff’s office. After he got everything he needed and packed it up in his saddlebags, the four of them sat down and had some lunch. After lunch, Sara poured everyone a cup of coffee.

             
“So, I guess you two made quite a killing on that gold, eh?” asked Jim.

             
“Yes we did,” replied Annie. “I will soon have over nineteen thousand dollars in the bank.”

             
“Oh my,” exclaimed Sara. “I think that just might make you the richest woman in town excluding some of the wives of the big ranchers outside and around town. That is wonderful news, Annie.”

             
“Yes it is, and Jess here got the same amount, not that he needs it,” replied Jess.

             
Jess looked up from his coffee cup. “Hey, I gave you that money so it was only fair for me to keep my share,” replied Jess.

             
“I guess you’re right. If it weren’t for you, I would still be penniless,” replied Annie.

             
“Thank you,” replied Jess.

             
“You’re welcome,” replied Annie.

             
“I heard that Sheriff Fowler found that Cliff Hunt fellow over in Devil Ridge,” said Jim.

             
Annie shot Jess a glare. “And when were you going to tell me that little bit of news?”

             
“Right after we finished with lunch. I didn’t want it to be on your mind while we ate.”

             
“Well, you can tell me now,” demanded Annie.

             
“Sheriff Fowler says that Cliff Hunt was spotted over in a little town called Devil Ridge and that he raped and killed one of the whores working the saloon there. I plan on us leaving tomorrow morning right after breakfast. I already got all our supplies packed up and ready to ride,” replied Jess.

             
“That will give me enough time to go with Sara and see that house and then hire some carpenters to build one for me,” replied Annie.

             
“Annie, I can take care of all that for you if you want,” said Jim. “I had that house you’re going to look at built and provided almost all the materials.”

             
“That would be mighty nice of you, Jim,” replied Annie.

             
Annie and Sara got up and left to go and see the house. Jim went and retrieved a bottle of fine whiskey and poured him and Jess both a glass of it. “Thought you might need this about now,” said Jim.

             
“You were reading my mind,” replied Jess, as he lifted his glass and took a sip of it.

             
“You know, Jess, you might not want to let that one go. I think she might just be a good woman under all that anger,” said Jim.

             
Jess almost spit the whiskey out of his mouth. “Are you crazy? Do you see how much she talks and talks and she won’t let a thing go until she talks it to death,” replied Jess.

             
“I’m just saying,” replied Jim. The two of them sat in silence for almost an hour, sipping whiskey and chatting occasionally. Jess really enjoyed these moments.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

              Jess and Annie woke at daylight. Sara fixed them another big breakfast and when they were finished eating, Jess and Annie said their goodbyes and headed for the livery. As they were walking toward the livery, two men were riding into town. They rode straight toward them and Jess told Annie to go into the livery and get Tony to help her get the horses ready to ride. The two men rode straight up to Jess and stopped their horses about ten feet from where he was standing. Their names were Hendrix Clausen and Hunt Wilkes and they were looking for Jess Williams for the ten thousand dollars of blood bounty on his head, which they obviously didn’t know had been cancelled due to the untimely death of Henry Stidham.

             
“Is that him?” Clausen asked Wilkes.

             
“Yep, that’s him for sure, I saw him in a gunfight over in Clarence, Kansas once. He’s pretty damn fast though. You sure you still want to do this?” Wilkes asked his partner.

             
“Hell yeah, he’s still only one man,” replied Clausen.

             
“Hey, I’m right here,” said Jess. “State your business with me and get on with it. I ain’t wasting one minute of my time on either of the two of you.” They both dismounted and faced Jess; their hammer straps removed now. Jess already removed his hammer strap at the sight of the two men.

             
“I’ll tell you what our business is regarding you. We plan on collecting the ten thousand dollars in blood bounty placed on your head by a man named Henry Stidham,” replied Clausen.

             
“I’m only going to say this once, the blood bounty has…” Jess didn’t finish the explanation about the blood bounty being cancelled. He was tired of all of it and figured if he killed enough men who were trying to collect the blood bounty on his head that no longer existed, maybe the message would finally get out.

             
“What were you going to say?” asked Wilkes.

             
“It’s not important, just go for those six-shooters whenever you want too, I’m tired of talking about it,” replied Jess.

             
The two men looked at each other and then they both looked at Jess who was glaring at them. They both went for their pistols and Jess slicked his pistol out and put a slug into both Clausen and Wilkes. Before they fell to the ground, Jess fanned two more shots, putting another slug into each of the two men just for good measure. Annie and Tony came out from the livery where they had been watching the whole matter unfold. Annie tried to go outside to help Jess, but Tony, who was holding his Winchester rifle all the time, stopped her from doing so. He told Annie that Jess would be fine. Tony walked over to the two men to check on them, but he knew they were goners before he even took a step toward them.

             
Annie walked over to Jess. “Are you okay?”

             
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I’m really getting tired of this whole blood bounty and Henry Stidham thing. You’d think that by now the message would be out there that the bounty was cancelled,” replied Jess, calming himself down now.

             
“Sometimes the news travels a little slow out here,” replied Annie.

             
“I swear, the next time a man approaches me about the matter, I’m just going to put a couple of slugs in him without even discussing it,” said Jess.

             
“That would be considered murder as far as I know regarding the law,” replied Annie.

             
“Well, what do you think about what these two men just tried to do?”

             
“I’m not saying I don’t agree with your way of thinking, I’m just saying I don’t want you to end up in jail for shooting a man without letting him defend himself.”

             
“Hell, I’ve done it before and I can do it again. I did it right here in town the last time I was here. The law even watched me do it, although they didn’t actually like it.”

             
Annie looked down the street. “Speaking of the law, here they come now,” said Annie.

             
Jess turned around to see Sheriff Fowler and his two deputies walking in his direction. Each one of them was carrying a double barrel. Sheriff Fowler walked up to Jess and the two deputies went over to check on the two dead men.

             
“You just had to kill two more right before you left town, eh?” asked Fowler.

             
“They came at me, I don’t even know either one of them,” retorted Jess.

             
“I know this one,” said Deputy Fadden. “This man is Hendrix Clausen and I think there is a wanted poster on him over at the office in the amount of one hundred dollars.”

             
Sheriff Fowler smiled. “It seems that you can’t stop making money.”

             
“I’ll tell you what, Sheriff, you can keep the money and you can use it for whatever you want; I don’t really care about the money. Also, I told Jim Smythe to deliver you a new coffee pot and ten pounds of his finest coffee to your office today.”

             
“He was delivering it when you were busy killing these two here,” replied Fowler.

             
“Is Hardtack still locked up in the jail?”

             
“You ain’t left town yet, so yes, he is still locked up. At least he’s enjoying some good coffee this morning courtesy of you,” replied Fowler. “Why?”

             
“I want to stop and see him before I leave town,” replied Jess.

             
“Well, come on over and have a taste of that fine coffee then.”

             
Jess and Sheriff Fowler walked over to the jail and Jess poured himself a half cup of coffee and it did taste very good. “Sheriff, that is much better than that old mud you used to make.”