Sabrina's Man (37 page)

As Waco rode away, Sabrina said, “Marshal, I know I should be rejoicing. My sister and I are both safe and LeBeau and his outlaws are gone—but I feel like crying.”

Heck turned and said softly, “Know what you mean, Miss Sabrina. I never saw a man take anything so hard. It's like that bullet that killed that woman hit him right in the heart. I just don't understand it. Waco is a pretty tough man, but this has brought him down. He must have loved her a lot.”

“No, he didn't love her,” Sabrina whispered. She watched as Captain bore his burden out of the tree line then added, “He didn't love her enough.”
He'll never forget her
, she thought,
not after this
.

She turned quickly and went back to stand beside her family. They seemed mystified by what had happened, but no one questioned her.

“Well, we've got to get the bodies and the prisoners back to Fort Smith.” Heck walked to his horse, mounted, and moved forward slowly. The others all got into the saddle, and as they left the clearing, both Sabrina and Marianne turned and gave the cabin a last glance. Sabrina knew that this day would not be easily forgotten—if ever.

As the procession reached the train, Heck waited until Waco halted. Then when the big man simply sat there silently holding the limp form of Callie, he knew what he must do. He dismounted and said, “I'll be right back, Waco.”

Heck moved quickly to the car that ordinarily would have carried mail and gold. He stepped inside and found three of his men sitting around laughing. Heck said roughly, “You fellows clear out.” His words were sharp, and the three left without waiting for any other word.

Heck had remembered that the car held a cot for the use of the mail clerk who traveled for the railroad. He found a clean blanket, laid it carefully over the cot, then moved to the sliding door and opened it. He saw Waco still holding the woman and called, “You can put her in here, son.”

He saw Waco move his shoulders and give him a strange look.

“Hand her up to me,” Heck said, and at this word, Waco spoke to the big stallion, who came to stand at the sliding door. “I can take her,” Heck said, and for a moment he thought that Waco would refuse, but then he nodded and lifted the lifeless woman. Heck took her and said, “Come on in, and I'll put your horse in the cattle car with the other mounts.”

“All right, Heck.” Waco simply stood up in the stirrups, then with an agile move rose and, catching the side of the opening, lifted himself into the car.

“You can put her on that cot,” Heck said. When Waco lifted his arms and took the woman, he said, “I'll take care of your horse, and then we'll be on our way.”

“Thanks, Heck,” Waco said woodenly.

Heck left the car and shut the door. Taking Captain's reins, he walked down the track and loaded the big stallion into the cattle car.

As soon as he closed the door, Sabrina came to ask, “Where did you put her, Marshal?”

“The railroad furnishes a cot for the man who handles the mail. I expect Waco will put her on there.”

“Did he say anything?”

“Not much. Reckon I'll go back and see if everything is all right.”

He moved back, mounted the steps, and entered the mail car. He saw at once that Waco had laid the body of Callie on the cot, had folded her hands over her breast, and was smoothing her hair.

“This okay, Waco?”

“Sure.” Waco finished arranging Callie's hair, then turned suddenly and asked, “Did you ever do a friend a bad turn, Heck?”

Heck Thomas was caught off guard but nodded slowly. “I'm grieved to say that I let my partner down. Ain't ever been about to put it out of my mind, and that was over twenty years ago.”

“What happened?”

“I was in the Texas Rangers then, and my partner was Sollie Bacus. We got jumped by a Kiowa war party. We lit out, but Sollie caught an arrow in his back. He hollered at me to keep going, said he was a goner.”

Heck fell silent then said, “The Kiowas swarmed all over him. I was about to stop and help, but he called out, ‘Get out of here, Heck!' ” A sad expression came into Heck's face, and he said, “I should have gone to him, Waco. I know the hostiles would have gotten both of us, but I've grieved over what I done for twenty years.”

Both men were silent, lost in a deep sadness, and finally Heck said, “No going back, Waco. We both of us got regrets, but all we can do is go on livin'and make sure we never let anybody else down.”

Waco sat beside the body of Callie. Heck came and sat beside him and tried to make him feel better, but Waco would not be comforted.

Finally Heck said, “Well son, one person in this world loved you enough to die for you. That's one more than most folks have.”

As soon as the train pulled to a stop at the station in Fort Smith, Charles Warren stepped down and gave Sabrina and Marianne a helping hand. Caroline had been waiting and rushed forward to embrace both her daughters. She was weeping for joy and could not speak.

Heck saw Judge Parker standing to watch the train and went at once to him. “Well, Judge, we got the whole bunch. All but two of them are dead.”

“What about LeBeau?”

“Dead as a hammer.”

“Who got him, Heck?”

“Well, it's a right sad story, Judge.” He told Parker the story of how the woman Callie had taken a bullet for Waco and how Waco had killed him.

“I'm sorry it didn't work out for Waco, but LeBeau was the kingpin. I'd say we owe Waco Smith something. I hope he'll join up with us.”

Heck shook his head, saying, “Doubt that will happen, Judge. The bullet that killed the woman—it was like Waco took a bullet right in his heart but didn't die.”

“He'll have to get over it.”

“I ain't sure he can ever do that.”

Judge Parker stood before Waco. “I'm sorry for all this Waco, but let me say we have a place for you on the force.”

“Judge, I'm through with all this.”

Parker nodded and said, “Let me take care of your friend.”

“No, I have to do it all, Judge. Who takes care of things like this?”

“I thought so. You need Caleb Felton. His place is right across from the courthouse. He's a good man, and he'll take good care of your friend.”

Waco picked up Callie's body and carried her down the street. He was aware that people were watching but could only think of the loss her death had caused him.

He was met at the door by a tall man with dark blue eyes who said, “I'm Caleb Felton. I heard about your loss.”

“My name is Smith. This is Calandra Montevado. Do your best for her.”

“I'll do my best for the lady. Bring her this way.”

Waco followed Felton down a hall and placed her body on a padded table. He took one look at Callie then walked rapidly away.

“
M
arianne, I've got to talk to you.”

The sound of Frank Morgan's voice had caught Marianne off guard. She had been overwhelmed by the almost hysterical happiness of her mother, and her father seemed unwilling to let her out of his sight. She knew they had been terribly hurt by what had happened to her.

She had been standing in the twilight of the afternoon watching the sun drop beneath the horizon. It made a golden glow, but her emotions were anything but cheerful. Over and over again she went over how foolish she had been to ignore her parents' advice about LeBeau, and then following that was the utter misery thinking how he had used her and abused her. She turned quickly and said, “I can't talk to you now, Frank.”

Morgan moved closer and saw that tears stained her cheeks. “I know you're all upset,” he said, “but I've got some things I need to say to you.”

“Not now, Frank, please!”

Morgan almost turned and walked away, but he set his jaw and shook his head. “I know it's not a good time, but probably it will never be a good time, or at least a better time than right now.” He reached out tentatively, for she had turned away. He turned her around until she was looking up at him.

She studied him with an odd intensity, and then her lips began to tremble and she knew that there was nothing he or anyone else could do to change what had happened.

“We're going to have to talk about this, Marianne.” His voice was gentle, and suddenly she began to sob. Reaching out, Morgan pulled her in and held her. She put her head against his shoulder and for a long time could do nothing but give great gasping sobs. Slowly she began to grow calm, and Frank waited until she was. Taking out his handkerchief, he wiped the tears from her face and said, “I know it's going to take some time, Marianne. What happened to you was terrible, but it's over now.”

“No, it will never be over.” Her voice was tense, and she looked up at him and whispered, “No man could ever forget what's happened to me.”

“Don't be foolish. A good man wouldn't think twice about that. It's not your fault, Marianne. It was against your will.”

“Doesn't matter.”

“It matters to me. You know I've cared for you a long time, and when you were in such trouble, my love seemed to grow. What I want us to do, Marianne, just as quickly as you can do it, both of us together, we'll shut the door on this. I want you to marry me. I know it's too early to talk of that, but we'll spend time together. We'll be going home soon. I'll go back to work, and you'll live in your house. We'll begin doing things together. We'll take rides in the park. We'll go to the zoo. We'll read books together, and all the time God will be giving us both peace.”

“You think that could happen, Frank?” Marianne's tone was wistful, and she felt like a small child as she stood in the encirclement of his arms.

“Of course it can, and it's going to.”

Sighing suddenly, she put her cheek against his chest and savored for a brief moment the strength she felt there. “I'll never forget how you came to fight for me, Frank. That was something I didn't expect.”

“Well, I'm hoping you'll see a lot of things in me you didn't expect.”

The two stood there until the sun suddenly dropped and they were standing in the shadows.

As the sunlight faded, Marianne felt another light begin to dispel some of the darkness in her heart.