THE DODGE CITY MASSACRE (A Jess Williams Novel.) (18 page)

             
“Oh, don’t worry about that, Jess. He’ll hang for sure, but only after a fair trial.”

             
“That’s not acceptable to me, Sheriff,” retorted Jess, as he took the badge off his shirt and handed it to Sheriff Fowler. “Here,” he said to Hammer, as he handed Hammer’s pistol back to him. “Now get up and holster that pistol and face me like a man for once you coward.”

             
“I ain’t no damned coward!” exclaimed Hammer.

             
“Only a coward would do what you just did, coming into town and trying to kill all these good people. Now take several steps back and finally act like a man—
coward.

             
Hammer holstered his pistol and took several steps back. “Jess, you know we don’t allow gunfights in town, so stop what you’re doing,” demanded Sheriff Fowler.

             
Jess shot him a glare that could kill as he holstered his pistol. “What the hell do you think was happening over the last thirty minutes or so? A whole lot of gun fighting and I’m just saying that there is no reason that it can’t last for one more minute. Besides, I like to finish what I start. I’ll make a deal with you, Sheriff.”

             
“And just what might that be?” asked Sheriff Fowler.

             
“You let me finish this one and I promise not to go over to the jail and plug those two you have locked up.”

             
“What makes you think I’d allow that?”

             
Jess stared deep into Sheriff Fowler’s eyes. “Because you know that you don’t want to kill me and that’s exactly what you’d have to do to stop me from going over to the jail and shoot those two like the dogs they are, and you know that I mean to do it,” replied Jess.

             
Sheriff Fowler knew Jess was telling the truth. Not one man who was standing in the street right now would ever try to shoot Jess. He had been too good to the town and had probably saved dozens of townsfolk today. “Alright, but only this one time and you have to give me your word you won’t kill the two men I’ve got locked up in the jail.”

             
“You have my word on it, Sheriff,” replied Jess.

             
Jess turned to Doug Hammer who was listening to all of this banter between the sheriff and Jess. He was standing still since there were no less than a dozen guns pointed at him at the moment; each one of them with an itchy trigger. He had thought about drawing and shooting Jess when he was talking to the sheriff, but he knew he would be full of lead if he even moved his right hand toward his pistol. Jess stared at Hammer and then he smiled at him.

             
“What the hell are you smiling about?” asked Hammer.

             
“I’m smiling because you’re going to be dead in a few more seconds and that makes me a happy man,” replied Jess. “Now, go for that pistol whenever you feel like it. Jess kept staring at Hammer’s eyes watching for that telltale sign most men revealed just before they reached for their pistol. He had seen it all too often before and he just saw it again in Doug Hammer’s eyes.

             
Hammer went for his pistol and he got his hand on the butt of it and started to draw it, but he never got it out of its holster before Jess fanned four slugs into Hammer’s chest and one more straight between Hammer’s eyes. Hammer fell straight backward like a stiff board and fell flat with a loud thud, some dust from the dirt street flying up in the air. Jess reloaded his five spent cartridges.

             
Sheriff Fowler walked over to Hammer’s body and looked over at Jess. “So, you didn’t think the first four slugs to his chest were enough? You had to plug him in the head too?” asked the sheriff.

             
“I just wanted to make sure he never breathed the same air I do for one more second, Sheriff.”

             
“Well, I think you accomplished that,” replied the sheriff. “Jess, you, Bodine and Parks can keep your weapons until you leave town, but remember what I said. No gun fighting in town. This deal you’ve made with that one there will have to happen outside of town after you leave, do you both understand me?” demanded the sheriff.

             
Both Parks and Jess nodded in agreement along with John. Then, the three of them walked over to Andy’s Saloon and Jess told Andy to get his best bottle of whiskey out of the back and get four glasses. Andy went into the back and returned with a very fine bottle of whiskey and poured four glasses and sat down with Jess, John and Jeff.

             
“I’ve been saving this for a special occasion and I figure that this would qualify, but you’re still paying for it along with a new screen door and a new broom like you said,” replied Andy.

             
Jess looked at Andy. “It’s nice to know that you still worry about the more important things in life.”

             
“Hey, I’m just saying,” replied Andy, as he took a sip of the fine whiskey. Mayor Smythe walked into the bar along with Sheriff Fowler.

             
“Are you checking up on me and Parks here, Sheriff?” asked Jess.

             
“No, you gave me your word and that’s good enough for me. I just needed a drink and to let you know that five of the townsfolk were killed in the attack, including one little girl who was only eight years old. I guess I’m glad I let you finish off that last man and I’m real close to letting you go over to the jail and finish off those two who I got locked up, especially after seeing that poor dead child,” said the sheriff.

             
“You just say the word, Sheriff, I’ll even let them have their guns and make it a fair fight if you want,” replied Jess.

             
The sheriff took a long drink of the whiskey Andy had poured him. “No, there’s been enough killing for one day. Those two will hang for certain since the little girl those men killed happened to be the judge’s daughter. I don’t think their trials will last more than five minutes and the judge will take those two out to a tree and hang them immediately.”

             
“Well, that’s still too good for those two,” replied Jess. “Mayor, is Sara okay?”

             
“She is just fine, Jess, I stayed in her room with a Winchester and two shotguns. If any of those thugs even touched the door handle I would have let both barrels go off at once and grab the second one. Actually, she was able to get out of bed and she is in the kitchen right now cooking up some grub for supper and you are all invited.”

             
They all smiled at the thought of a good home cooked meal from Sara, who was considered one of the best cook in town. They sat there in the saloon and relaxed as they finished up the bottle of fine whiskey. When the bottle was empty, Andy looked over at Jess. “That will be five dollars, Mr. Williams.”

             
Jess dug in his pockets and threw a five dollar gold piece on the table. “Like I said, I’m sure glad you worry about the important things in life.”

             
“Yeah, and I’ll be giving your banker a bill for my new screen door too,” replied Andy.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

              Jess, John and Jeff walked out of the saloon and headed for Mayor Smythe’s original General Store where Jim and Sara had their living quarters, along with a very big kitchen and two cooking stoves. Before they got there, Jeff turned to Jess and smiled.

             
“Mr.” Williams,” said Parks, “I’ve changed my mind about collecting that blood money on your head.” Jess and John stopped in middle of the street. Jess looked at Jeff, somewhat confused.

             
“What changed your mind about it? I mean, fifteen thousand dollars is a whole lot of money to walk away from,” replied Jess.

             
“Well, after watching what you did in the street when you were spinning around in circles and shooting two six guns and hitting two men and how fast you drew down against that man in the street today, I pretty much made up my mind I wouldn’t be walking away from anything,” replied Jeff. “I think I’d be lucky if you even took the time to bury me proper.”

             
“I’m glad you changed your mind and you are right about the burying thing. After all, the vultures have to eat too,” replied Jess.

             
“Damn it,” said Bodine.

             
“What are you upset about, he just said he wasn’t going to go up against me,” replied Jess.

             
“I heard him, but I was really looking forward to getting that holster and pistol of his It’s really nice.”

             
“You mean you really wouldn’t bury me proper,” complained Parks.

             
“Nope,” replied Jess.

             
“Damn that is just plain mean,” replied Parks, “especially now that I agreed not to try to collect the bounty on your head.”

             
“Yeah, but you asked me about the burying part after you told me you weren’t going to face me in a gunfight, so it doesn’t matter.”

             
Jess, Bodine and Parks finally walked into the large kitchen and the food, whatever it was, smelled wonderful. Sara walked over to Jess and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. There was already a bowl of huge biscuits and a big slab of butter on a plate. They removed their hats, except Jess, since he hadn’t bought another new one yet. Mayor Smythe introduced John and Jeff to Sara. Sara had a big wooden spoon in her hand that she was getting ready to use to whip up another batch of biscuits. As soon as she was introduced to Jeff, she whacked him hard on the top of his head with the wooden spoon, which took everyone by surprise.

             
“Ouch, what the heck was that for?” asked Jeff.

             
“That was for the notion you had about trying to kill my boy here,” Sara retorted.

             
Jeff was rubbing his head and a knot was beginning to form on the top of it now. “This is your mother, Jess?” asked Parks.

             
Yeah, kind of, she’s not my birth mother, but I guess these two kind of adopted me after I lost my family to a bunch of murderers,” said Jess, laughing at Parks, who was still rubbing his head. Jess quit laughing when Sara reached across the table and whacked Jess on the top of his head, too.

             
“Damn Sara, what the hell was that for?” asked Jess, totally taken aback.

             
“You were going to pay this one here five thousand dollars of your own money to try to kill you. That was just plain stupid and that’s why I whacked you in the head. I’m trying to knock some sense into it,” replied Sara.

             
“Sheriff, ain’t you going to arrest her for assault?” Jess looked to Sheriff Fowler and asked, not really meaning it.

             
“Hell no, you both deserved it and besides, who’s going to finish cooking this fine meal.”

             
“Keep laughing now,” said Parks, still rubbing the knot on his head.

             
“You keep quiet or I’ll whack you again,” Sara said to Parks, who quickly shut his mouth.

             
“Are you done with the whacking thing because I’d like to grab one of these biscuits here and I don’t want to get whacked again?” asked Jess.

             
“Go on and grab a biscuit. I’m done whacking you two. I just had to get it out of my system,” replied Sara, as she started whipping up another batch of biscuits.

             
They all grabbed biscuits and slathered them with lots of butter and began devouring them. They were delicious.

             
“Man,” said Parks, “these biscuits alone were worth the whacking.”

             
“I agree,” replied Jess, eating the biscuit with his right hand and rubbing his head with his left hand.

             
Sara brought out some steamed carrots and mashed potatoes and placed them on the table. Then she placed a huge platter of fried chicken on the table and brought over a large bowl of gravy. They all dug in and ate until they couldn’t eat any more. When they were finished, Jess helped Sara with clearing the table. Jim had returned from the store with a good bottle of whiskey. Andy, who had been completely silent up to now, finally spoke up.

             
“Mayor, make sure you charge that whiskey to Mr. Money-Bags there along with the new screen door and broom you have to order for me, one of them real expensive ones,” said Andy.

             
Sheriff Fowler looked over at Andy with a funny look. “He saved the town today and maybe saved your life and you still want to charge him for the door and the broom?” asked Sheriff Fowler.

             
“Why not, he’s five thousand dollars richer now since Parks there ain’t going to challenge Jess to a gunfight now,” replied Andy.