Vengeance Trail (27 page)

“Henry?”

The lawman nodded.

“Henry. What the hell took you so long?”

The man walked his horse into the river and crossed over.

They hitched the dun to the wagon and made their way to Mormon Springs. Five survivors who drew the stares and curiosity of
the locals. Five survivors who didn’t mind so much.

Sister McKnight and Billy Bear Killer bid a fond farewell to Katie, Pete, and Henry Dollar. And after their hugs and kisses
and handshakes, Sister made each of them take a bottle of her Sorrowful Plains Elixir for their continued good health.

Sitting in a physician’s office waiting for their wounds to be attended to, Henry said: “We look a sight.”

“Wouldn’t hardly know that we are the ones that came out ahead, looking at the two of us,” said Pete.

“We need to talk, Pete.”

“What about, Henry?”

“About the lady.”

“If you already know, what’s there to talk about.”

“What’re you planning on doing about her? About yourself?”

“I’m not taking her to Ft. Smith, Henry.”

“Well, it’s your call, son. You’ve thought this thing through?”

“As through as I can. The way I figure it, Henry, is
that she saved my life a couple of times. That ought to be worth some consideration.”

“We could both testify in her behalf if she does decide to stand trial. I reckon if we both testified, that might carry some
weight. If not, we could bust her out of jail.”

“You think Texas boys would stand a tinker’s chance in an Arkansas court?”

“Might. You could always ask her what it is she wants.”

“I have a pretty good idea already. She’s a righteous woman, in spite of everything.”

“Then maybe you ought to let her do what she thinks is best for herself.”

“I do that, and old Judge Parker is liable to hang her. I can’t see it that way.”

“There comes a time in each of us when we have to do what we think is best for ourselves. You go to influencing that gal with
what it is you want for her—well, it seems from the story you told me, that’s the sort of thing she had with Johnny Montana.”

“You think I ought to take her to Arkansas if that is what she wants?”

“I’m sure it’s not what she wants,” said Henry. “But, it might be what she feels she needs to do in order to live with herself.”

“I reckon I need to have a talk with her then.”

“I reckon it might not hurt, Pete.”

“And if she decides to go to trial?”

“Then we’ll all catch the stage and go back together. I’ll wire the Captain and tell him the story. Maybe he could throw his
hat in the ring with us
if it comes to having to testify for your young lady.”

“Then I’ll go talk to her.”

Judge Isaac Parker had a face that looked like Judgement Day: a broad flat forehead, eyes like bullets, a mouth as grim as
perdition.

“Young lady,” he announced in a stentorious voice. “Upon hearing the testimony of these Texas Rangers and that given by your
own hand, and in light of the facts as they are now known, and furthermore, in consideration of your role in saving the life
of one of these officers, I find that putting you behind bars would serve this court and its jurisdiction no good purpose.
I hereby find you innocent of the charges filed against you in the slaying of State’s Senator Willard Gray.”

The jurist paused to mop his brow with a large blue silk kerchief.

“This weather is an abomination,” he declared. “Miss Swensen, you are free to go. But, I must caution you, that not everyone
in this territory may agree with my decision. Therefore it is my advice that you take your leave of this territory as soon
as is convenient for you to do so.” He tapped the gavel twice and dismissed his presence from the courtroom.

Pete and Katie and Henry walked outside.

“Well,” said Henry. “I’d just as soon get back across the river and into Texas. What are your plans?”

“We’ve not discussed it fully,” said Pete. “But, I believe we’ll be getting married. After that, I always
favored the country up around Smiley, over in Gonzales County. It’d be a good place to run a few head of cows. Something Katie
and me could handle together.”

“First, I want us to go and visit my papa back in Alabama,” said Katie. “I have things I need to tell him, things I need to
apologize for.”

“I hope you’re planning on inviting me and the Captain to the wedding,” said Henry. “The Captain’ll have your skin if you
went ahead and took a bride without his being there.”

“You’ll let him know, Henry?”

“Yeah, when I get back myself.”

“Trouble?”

“No, I’ve just got some unfinished business to take care of back up around Tascosa. I need to see a lady there. I reckon that’s
where I am bound soon’s I can pick up a good saddle horse.”

“You could catch a stage or one of the trains.”

“Could, but I’d rather sit a horse. I’ll have a chance to stop where I want, rest where I want, and have all the privacy I
want. It’ll take me longer, but I reckon I can use the time to think out what I need to.”

They shook hands. Henry said, “I’d like to drop by on occasion after you get that spread of yours going—you know, just to
look in on you ever now and then.”

“I’d consider it an insult if you didn’t, Henry.”

“And so would I,” said Katie.

“Well then, this is so long for now. I’ll see you back in Texas sometime soon.”

Two hours later, as they waited for the stage to arrive, Pete Winter and Katie Swensen saw Henry Dollar riding out of Ft.
Smith on a big buckskin. In spite
of his injuries, he rode tall and straight, without a slump. Another thing they noticed was the fancy saddle and rig he had
bought for the horse.

The saddle may have been fancy but the rider was not.

A LEISURE BOOK®

January 2009

Published by special arrangement with Golden West Literary Agency.

Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.

200 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

Copyright © 1993 by Bill Brooks

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have
been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this
text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information
storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented,
without the express written permission of the publisher.

E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0643-5

The name “Leisure Books” and the stylized “L” with design are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Visit us on the web at
www.dorchesterpub.com
.