The Way Home

I don�t think many of us got much sleep that night, except maybe Jess. Slim was up and down several times. Ever� time Jess moaned in his sleep, Slim was on his feet. He took the pot back in the kitchen to keep it warm, and was up three or four times changing out the poultice on Jess� chest. I got up myself once to do it. The only time I was able to get in when Slim didn�t beat me to it. I noticed Andy tossin� and turnin� a lot. He finally got some sleep, but not much. Jonesy stuck his head in a couple times that I saw.

Finally, around sun-up, I got up for good. I just couldn�t sleep no more. Slim was in the kitchen rattling around and Andy was still sleepin�. I looked over at Jess while I was pullin� my boots on, and I noticed that his eyes was open. My grin coulda cracked a mirror. I limped over with only one boot on and sat on the side of his bed.

I swear, them were the prettiest blue eyes I ever did see. Not that I usually notice things like that in a man, but I gotta confess, I sure was glad to see �em again. I kept my voice down so as not to wake up Andy. �Hey, Jess. How ya feelin�?�

Jess was lookin� around the room, he seemed a little discombobulated. I guess he wouldn�t know he made it home.

�You�re in your own bed, Jess. You�re home,� I informed him solemnly.

He nodded his head. His voice was dry and scratchy. �Actually, this is Slim�s bed, Macy.� He smiled weakly. My ear-to-ear grin got bigger. He raised up on one arm and coughed a few times real hard. I kinda patted him on the back, but I was glad to hear that coughin�. That�s what brought Slim in too. He bolted around that corner and broke into a big smile when he saw Jess up.

After his coughin� fit he fell back into the bed and breathed hard for a minute. �Bout that time, Andy hit the floor runnin�. He rushed right to Jess and fell on him, huggin� him with all he had. �I�m glad you�re back, Jess. I was so worried.� He sat up and the tears was streamin� down his face. I don�t even want to know what that hug did to them ribs.

�Me too, tiger.� He patted the boy a couple of times, then closed his eyes and breathed deep a few times. His face was whiter�n usual.

�How you feel, Pard?�

�Kinda sore in my chest and ribs.� He opened his eyes and looked at Slim, �but I think I�ll live.�

Jonesy had come in and was standing beside Slim. �You think you can eat something? I�m gonna make my Sunday French toast and sausage and it ain�t even Sunday.� Jonesy was smilin� big and wide. I think he was the kind that told people how much he cared by feedin� �em. I had an Aunt like that once. My daddy�s sister, Aunt Mae, wasn�t much for huggin� and kissin�, but if she liked you, you got special treats from her kitchen, an� lots of �em. My Mama said that�s why I was so big, cause Aunt Mae loved me so much. Mama had lots�a theories on why I got so big. Anyway, that�s how Aunt Mae expressed her love for her family. I think Mister Jonesy�s the same way.

Jess nodded his head, but didn�t say anything. That�s all it took for Jonesy to high-tail it into the kitchen and start rattling pots and pans.

�What day is it?�

I looked to Slim to answer that one �cause I truly didn�t know.

�It�s Wednesday, I think. Uh, right Andy?� He looked to his brother.

Andy nodded vigorously.

�Andy, better go get started on your chores. The chickens and horses want their breakfast too.�

Andy sighed, �Alright, Slim.� He trudged out, resignation written all over his face. At the door he turned back to Jess, �I sure am glad you�re back, Jess.�

�Me too, pard.� Jess gave him a tired smile as Andy shuffled out.

Jess struggled to sit up in the bed. I helped him by pullin� his pillows up behind him and bracing his arm. The mostly dry poultice rolled down and I pulled it off and put it on the table. He made it fine, but it winded him some. �Slim, I gotta go back.�

Slim rushed to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge. �I know what you�re feeling, Jess, but you�re in no shape to be going anywhere just yet.�

Jess wasn�t a fool. He nodded acknowledgement, but the determination was still in his eyes. �They got my horse, Slim.�

Slim stood up, �Yeah, and they almost got you. When you go back, you�re not going alone.�

That pretty much ended that. When breakfast was ready, Jonesy made Jess stay in bed and he brought it in on a tray. I don�t think Jess coulda got up and walked to the table anyways. The fever really sapped his strength. He had a good appetite though and was chowin� down when the rest of us went to the table to eat.

We just made small talk at the table, laughin� and jokin�. We included Jess by talkin� real loud, and Andy got up a couple o� times to go see about him. The last time he came back he sat down and said real soft, �He�s real tired again. About to go to sleep.� We all nodded and kept our voices down.

Slim asked me about the territorial Marshal in Colorado. He�d never had cause to meet him. �I don� t know him either, Slim. Guess that�s the first stop we should make though.�

�Well, I�m going to ride to Laramie and get Mort Corey first. He�s our local sheriff. He�s a pretty smart guy.� Slim stabbed a sausage and bit it hard. �I don�t want Jess going back to Colorado just now, unless we absolutely have to,� he said around his chewin�.

I wiped my mouth and pushed back from the table and patted my stomach. �That sure was mighty fine, Mister Jonesy.� I stood and stretched my back. �I�m gonna go out and say good mornin� to Tuck.�

Slim stopped shoveling food in long enough to venture, �You can put him in the corral if you want.�

�Aw no! He�d scare your stock to death. Most other horses don�t like Tuck too awfully much.�

Slim paused in his eating, �Oh. Yeah, I see what you mean. Well, the paddock in front of the house should be clear. Right, Andy?�

�Yup, no one in it right now.� Andy got up from the table, �C�mon, Macy, I�ll show you.�

�Well thanks, Andy, I�d be obliged.�

Andy started for the door, but Slim stopped him, �You put on your jacket, Andy, it�s nippy out there.�

�Okaaaay.� He headed for his room.

I stepped into Jess� room. He was sound asleep, turned on his side with his back to me. I could tell his breathin� was better and he was restin� good. I picked the tray up off the floor and took it in the kitchen for Jonesy. He had a real surprised look on his face when I handed it to him. I guess he�s not used to havin� folks pick up around here. �Why, thank you, Macy.� He was shakin� his head and mutterin� �my, my� as I left.

Andy came out of his room puttin� on a jacket and we headed out to the barn. He was full of questions about Tuck, and the trail up from Colorado, and the murder and all that. I tried to keep his mind off that by tellin� him all about Tuck and Mike. I think I found a kindred spirit in little Andy. He had a feelin� for animals just like I do.

We led ol� Tuck out to the big corral in front of the house and let him go. Andy wanted to see what it�d be like to ride him, so I hoisted him up and he rode bare-back around the corral a few times. He was beaming.

A rider was comin�. I didn�t hear him, but Tuck did. He stopped in his tracks and pricked up his ears. See what I mean? More dog than horse. I followed his gaze and saw speck of a man on horseback on the eastern horizon.

Andy spoke up, �Rider comin�!� He slid down off Tuck and ran for the house. After a minute, Slim came out, hitchin� on his gun belt. I strolled over to meet him. �You recognize him?�

Slim looked hard for a minute and then relaxed. �Yeah, it�s Mort Corey.� He smiled and put an arm around Andy�s shoulder. �That horse of his throws his left hindquarter. Guess he�s savin� me a ride into town this morning.�

Andy examined the rider again, and nodded his head in agreement. Looked like the sheriff weren�t in much of a hurry, cause he was just lopin� along easy like. It took him a full five minutes to get to us. He pulled up at the front porch hitchin� post and got off his horse.

Slim went up and shook the sheriff�s hand, �What brings you out our way, Mort?�

Mort pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his graying hair. �Business, Slim. But I sure wouldn�t turn down some of Jonesy�s coffee if it were offered.� He smiled, and then looked over at me.

�Oh, Mort, this is Macy Poe.�

I stepped forward and shook the man�s hand, �Proud to know ya, sheriff.�

�Come on inside, Mort. I was comin� to see you this morning anyway. You saved me a trip in.�

We all crowded on the porch and Slim led the way inside. He stepped into Jess� room and quietly closed the door. Mort noticed and cocked his head. Slim lowered his voice, �Jess is sleeping.� Mort looked even more puzzled.

Slim smiled and led him over to the table. As they sat down, Mort said, �What�s wrong with Jess?�

Jonesy came over and put coffee cups and saucers on the table.

�That�s what I was going to come see you about. Macy here just helped Jess escape from jail in Colorado.�

For some reason, Mort didn�t seem too surprised at that news. In fact, his head was nodding up and down.

I sat down next to him, �You knew?�

Mort took a swallow of the hot coffee. �Well, I wasn�t sure, but I had an idea.� He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and threw it on the table. Slim reached over and picked it up.

The scowl on his face deepened as he read. When he finished, he handed it over to me. I don�t read quite as good as Slim, but I got the gist of the telegram. Them two sidewinders in Kane musta gotten the territorial marshal to put out a warrant for Jess. They probably didn�t come after us themselves because they had some searching for money to do.

Mister Corey drank some coffee and then settled back in his chair and took his hat off. �I got that this morning. They mention Jess by name, but they sent this out to every sheriff in two territories. They don�t know he lives here.� He looked over at me. �You wanna tell me what this is all about, Mister Poe?�

�Yessir. I�ll do my best.� I spent the next twenty minutes tellin� the whole story all over agin. As I was talkin� I realized that I had already convinced myself that the sheriff of Kane was involved in a payroll stealin� along with his two deputies. I didn�t have no proof, but it was the only thing that made any sense. The sheriff then told us something that helped more of the pieces fall into place.

�Day before yesterday before I knew anything about all this, I got another telegram bulletin to all sheriffs saying that the payroll for the Western Colorado Mining Company had been stolen and the courier had disappeared. He was wanted for questioning. The courier was one Sheriff Cal Mantle from Kane, Colorado.�

I was nodding. �And I�ll bet his two deputies were riding escort. I don�t know if Cal was in on it with them, or if they just up and killed him for the money, but either way��

�You said that Jess ran into Mantle on the trail? Maybe he can help us.�

�Yeah, but he didn�t remember too much about it. �Course, at that time, he was sick and I think he had a concussion. Maybe he�ll be able to remember more now. When he wakes up that is.�

Mort reached out for the coffee pot and poured himself another cup. �Well, I got nothin� to do but wait.� He sipped his coffee then set it down again. �Slim, I�ve got to let that marshal know Jess is here.� Slim started a bit, but Mort waved him back, �Now don�t go gettin� your dander up. I�m not lettin� anyone take him. Trager doesn�t have any jurisdiction here. He can only get Jess with our cooperation. But we can�t just hide him either, or this will never be settled. I wanna wait and see what Jess has to say, then we�ll decide what to do.�

�Well, I know what Jess wants to do. He wants to go back there and skin him a couple of sidewinders,� Jonesy offered from the kitchen.

Mort chuckled into his cup. �Well, he may get his chance. But he�s not going to do it alone. Slim, you and me, and maybe Poe here are gonna go with him.�

We all smiled and nodded agreement.