The Way Home

It was a strange, unusually long night. Mister Jonesy was up all night like a mother hen. Slim and Andy slept together in Jess� room and I sat up by the fire most of the night. I kept the fire goin� and drank coffee. I couldn�t sleep so Mister Jonesy and I talked some. Sometimes we just sat in silence.

Mister Jonesy told me about Slim and Andy�s folks. Then he told me about when Jess came, an� how he didn�t really trust him much at first. But then later on, Jess proved himself worthy of Slim�s friendship and they�d become like brothers ever� since. I could tell by the way he said it, that Mister Jonesy approved. He also said how Andy would be lost without Jess. At first he�d been real worried that Jess would break Andy�s heart by up an� leavin�, then he realized that Jess was just as attached himself, and needed them more than he knew. Mister Jonesy has come to trust Jess just as much as Slim an� said he can�t remember what it was like before Jess was in their lives.

By mornin�, Jess hadn�t batted an eyelash, an� even when the doctor showed up bright an� early, he never budged. The doc changed his bandage and pronounced it good, gave Mister Jonesy some more instructions and promised to be back again the next day. It was more�n another day before Jess finally woke up good. I think he was embarrassed that ever�one was so worried about him, an� he was more worried about Slim.

Slim�s throat had healed just fine and his voice was almost back to normal. He took Andy out to help him with chores to keep him busy and keep him out of Mister Jonesy�s hair. I did chores with them too, and spent time with Andy an� Tuck. Andy was so taken with Tuck that I was afraid I was gonna hafta leave Tuck here when I left to keep from breakin� the boy�s heart.

Leavin� was something I was thinkin� more an� more about. Not that I wanted to leave, but more like I needed to find my own place in the world. I hadn�t really done that yet. Not like Jess had done. Somewhere to really belong and put down roots.

I stayed for a few weeks until Jess was back on his feet. Sheriff Corey had written back an� forth with the law in Colorado Territory, and Jess was cleared on everything. Jake had been extradited to Kane for trial. The territorial marshal had come up from Colorado to fetch him, an� brought Jess� horse with him, too. When he came to the ranch, Jess was more happy to see that horse than he was relieved that he was cleared of legal problems in Colorado.

Along with Jess� horse, Marshal Trager also brought along some news. The people of Kane had got together and petitioned the marshal to offer me the job of Sheriff of Kane County. I didn�t quite know how to respond to that. I never considered myself smart enough to hold a position of any kind of authority. The marshal said, �Good is better than smarts any day�. I guess if a smart man like him, and the good people in Kane County wanted me to do it, then I would not disappoint them. I made plans for me and Tuck to head back at the end of the month.