Trego. J. D. Oliver
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just takes over.”
He was still grumbling as he enlisted the help of a couple of bystanders to pack the body away. As they picked him up, the mine office door opened. A man in an expensive black suit with matching vest, with a gold watch chain stretched over his abundant belly, said. “That was murder, as mayor of Coolidge I’m placing you under arrest.”
“Well now, first off that was self-defense, he shot at me first. And second off,” I said as I looked at Harold, “is he the elected mayor?”
“No, he just assumed it on his own, no one has the gumption to challenge him, that is so far.”
“Well now, that puts a different slant on things. Now you could try and make a citizen’s arrest, if you have the gumption, but I doubt you do. You’re the kind who would hire his dirty work done, perhaps even at night and in the back.” I squared around flipped my coattails back.
His bluster left him, he stood there quite naked without it. He shrank back, like a viper hunting his hole. I knew it wasn’t over, I’d have to watch my back. I heard steps on the board walk. It was Brie, “Are you alright, I heard the shot’s.” She said, as she came into my arms. We kissed, when we came up, it seemed like the whole town was looking at us. Seems we were the kiss’nst people they had ever seen.
Molly said with an amusing smile, “well now, you’ve only been in town for a day and you’ve already got the prettiest women in Coolidge in love with you?”
“It’s mutual Molly, the first time we laid eyes on each other, we knew. I guess we’re going to have to hunt up a preacher or something and make it legal. I guess you have one in town?”
Harold said, “Yeah, sure, he’s a self-righteous hypocrite, if you don’t mind that, he can do the job.”
“Aren’t they all?” I said. “Say, what was that Hi-Binder’s name?” I added, indicating the mine office.
“Evan Blythe, he’s the manager of the Wise River Mine. He came in last year, from New York, or so they say.” Harold said.
I looked around, “Where did Henry go?” I asked.
Molly said, “When they packed the Marshall’s body away, he went toward the livery.”
“Thanks Molly, are you and Harold going to be alright, or do you need me to ride back to the ranch with you?”
“No, we’ll be alright, especially since you locked those two up. But what about you? Who’s going to make sure those two stay locked up?” Harold said.
I looked at Brie, then I said, “I locked them up, so I guess it’s up to me. But we need to get the rest of the town together and get a mayor and city council and then have them appoint a new marshal.”
Molly said, “We’ll go talk to the shop owners and tell them to get the ball rolling.”
“Brie honey, I’m sorry, but it looks like I’ll have to bunk here in the Marshal’s office till we get a new one. But first I’ll get my horse and take him to your place. Jake will stay with me.” I kissed her again, then I went over to the livery to get my stuff, Jake of course was right at my heels.
I got my plunder and stowed it in the marshal’s office, I used an empty cell. Those two were just waking up. It was getting a little cold, no one had fed the stove, I did so.
“Well boys, how do you feel, are you getting hungry?” They replied with a string of cuss words and what they were going to do to me.
“Now, now, that’s no way to treat the guy that feeds you, or let’s you starve. The fact is, I might just get tired of taking care of you little boys and just shoot you. What do you think?”
The one that I bent my gun barrel over his head spoke up, I don’t think the one with the sore throat could talk all that good. “You know of course you’re a dead man?”
“Well, aren’t we all? When we’re born, we’re already on the road to dieing. It’s just a question of when. Now when it comes to you two, you have a choice. I see that you both fancy yourselves as gun hands. As such you should be aware of others who have a gun rep. Do you want to know who I am?”
“Just who the hell are you?”
“My name is Trego.” I said, they turned a little more pale.
“Yeah, I’m that Trego. I sort of feel sorry for you two, you’re caught between a rock and hard place. You hired out to do the dirty work for the combine. If you don’t do it, they’ll be gunning for you, that’s the hard place. Me? I’m the rock. Now when it comes to the hard place, sometimes you can find a way through it, but when it comes to a rock, it’s pretty solid. But I’m going to let you two think about that for a couple of days. We’ll talk more later, right now I’m going over to the saloon and see if they won’t send over some food for you fools.” I looked down at Jake,
“You stay here, I’ll have them bring enough food for all of us.”
I walked in the saloon, everyone stared at me, then self-consciously went back to what they were doing. I made arrangement’s with the bartender for four servings of food to be brought over to the jail. He was affable, Randy Fuller was still abed, he wasn’t feeling all that good. Before I left, I asked the bartender, “Say what is your name anyway?”
“Bayard Benoit,” He saw that I had a quizzical look on my face, “It’s French. I used to be a fur trader. Now I stay warm and dry.” I thanked him and turned to leave, “Watch your back friend.” He said……
It wasn’t too long after I got back to the jail, before the food arrived. I paid the boy, and gave him a dollar tip. He was overjoyed.
I slipped the plates under each of their cell doors. They ate without saying a word. I heard them talking after they finished. Couldn’t understand what they were saying though.
I went in to get the plates. “Alright, we talked it over, if you’ll let us go, we’ll get our mounts and light a shuck out of here. Even though we have a months wages coming.”
“You’ve got money coming? That’s not fair, tell you what, where does that Evan Blythe live, I’ll go collect your wages, plus your horses. I take it the horses are at the livery. Do you owe the livery or anybody else?”
“He lives back on the hill, the biggest house, you can’t miss it. He’ll have some guns hanging around, he calls them his body guards. Yes, we owe the livery, plus a tab at the bar, that’s all.”
“Alright, that had better be all. Jake, you watch these two, if they try to get out, kill them.” Jake looked at them and growled, they backed away from the cell door.
It wasn’t too hard to get to Evan, after all I had been taught by the best. I had changed out of my boots and put on my knee high moccasins. They were waterproof, so the snow wouldn’t bother me any.
I was standing behind his chair, just waiting till he knew I was there. He started to reach in his desk drawer, I pushed it closed with my foot. He didn’t argue one little bit about paying those two boys their wages. I even took a little bit more to pay for the food they ate.
Before I left, I sat down on the edge of his desk, “Evan, you’ve been a bad boy, and unless you change your ways, Santa is not going to stop by your house. In fact you might not even have a house for him to stop in. Do you get my drift... he must of, because he passed out.
I went by the livery, Henry was just feeding the stock. I paid him what those boys owed. Then taking their horses and tack, I led them to the Jail. Those two fell over themselves getting out of the door, they didn’t even use the stirrups when they mounted up.
“Well Jake, there’s no use for us to stay in this old jail, how would you like to go to Brie’s place?” He thought that was just about