the Gentleman Gunfighter, C. F. Allison [best e reader for android .txt] 📗

was in the bag.

When they had all finished eating and Jack was cleaning up the campsite, Clay called Mario over to him and began to work with him on his handgun skills. Much to Clay’s surprise there wasn’t much that needed to be taught to the young man. What he and Jack hadn’t told Clay was that he and Jack served in the war as Buffalo Soldiers.

The Buffalo Soldier’s were a regiment of black men that had been recruited by the Union Army during the war to fight for their side. They were kept apart from the white soldiers, but had the best of training in warfare. These soldiers were known as the ‘Can do! Will do!’ Units of the northern fighters. After finding this out Clay knew that all Mario needed was a little tuning up on his quick draw skill. “Speed aint nothing if you shoot your toe off while yanking your pistol out.” He told Mario. Not telling him that he had personal experience in that particular area.

After everything was loaded into the wagon and they made sure the campfire was put out properly they began working their way down the fence line once again looking for more rotten post or downed barbed wire.

It turned nightfall and they hadn’t found any more breaches in the fence so they decided to set up camp and get a fresh start in the morning. As Jack got a fire going and supper started, Clay worked with Mario some more on his fast draw. Mario was getting to be a fair draw already and Clay thought to himself the boy was a natural.

Morning came and the cowboys had broken camp. They had been riding for about four hours and were getting ready for a lunch break when they came up on a fairly good size opening in the fence. There were downed post and cut barbed wire, and it stretched as far as the eye could see. Clay rode along the breach to find a clue as to what may have caused the breach. He already had a feeling but he needed to verify it before sending Mario for reinforcements. He had ridden about a hundred yards when he crossed trails with several hoof prints. He turned his horse around and galloped back to where Mario and Jack were waiting. “Looks like about a dozen riders came in here. Rustlers most likely.” He said. “Mario. You grab a horse and go back to the ranch house and get Mr. McNulty to send for the law. Then bring him back here with a few more hands to help round these cattle thieves up. I’m going to track ‘em and I’ll meet everyone back here. Be sure to hurry up about it. I think they’re still on the property. I didn’t see any tracks going out and the tracks look fresh.” Mario rushed to saddle a horse as Clay started out tracking the trespassers. Mario rode out toward the ranch house like he was told to do and Jack Took up watch station on the fence line from behind some nearby woods.

It was almost dark when Mario arrived at the ranch house and alerted Mr. McNulty of what was happening. He relayed Clay’s message just like Clay had told him. The he and Mr. McNulty went over the bunkhouse to alert the foreman. When they arrived at the bunkhouse it didn’t take long to locate Donny and tell him what was going on. Donny called out. “Ok boys, Clay thinks we got rustlers on the ranch. Get your guns and gear. We mount up and ride in five minutes to go meet with him and track ‘em down.”

Clay and Jack were running a cold camp when Mario returned to them with Donny and the other ranch hands. Clay filled the boss in on what he had found and let him know he had lost the trail in the dark. He told him he was planning to scout the trail out again first thing come sun up and see about finding the trespassers then. “They shouldn’t be too hard to catch up too if they’re driving a herd.” Donny called out to a couple of the men to stand watch and ordered some others to relieve them every two hours. “The rest of us need to rest up in case something happens.” He said.

Morning came and when Donny woke up he saw that Clay had already left along with Jack. The two of them had left when the sunrise first began to peek over the ridge. They had picked up the trail they sought after early that morning and had been trailing the trespassers ever since then. It was mid afternoon when they caught up to the crew that had been rounding up cattle to rustle all that day and the day before.

Jack and Clay slid back from their vantage point trying to be careful not to be detected and Clay instructed Jack to ride back and get the others while he kept a watchful eye on the rustlers. Jack rode hard and fast back to the rest of the ranch hands to report and show them a shortcut to where Clay was. “It looks like rustlers alright.” He told Donny. “They got themselves a pretty good size herd rounded up and they’re already changing the brands on the critters.”

It hadn’t been very long when Jack, Mario and the rest of the crew caught up with Clay. Clay caught Donny up on the activities of the camp below and suggested a plan for approaching the cattle thieves. Donny liked Clay’s plan for capturing the crooks so he gathered all the ranch hands together to set it into motion.

One third of them went to the north side of the camp. One third went to the southeast, and the final third to the southwest. All three groups spread out into twenty five foot intervals and tightened the circle until the thieves were trapped and couldn’t escape. They had them surrounded. The plan came off without a hitch and the ranch hands managed to capture the entire gang without firing a shot.

Donny sent one of the ranch hands off to meet Mr. McNulty and to bring back four wagons. He had all the would be rustlers disarmed and tied up by then and all they had to do was guard them and wait for the ranch owner to give the order to hang them. “These scoundrels aint going no where.” He said. Then he ordered two men to stand guard on the prisoners while the rest of them made camp. He added, “Might be morning before the boss gets here with the sheriff.”

Mr. McNulty arrived the next morning with the four wagons that Donny had told the trail hand to bring back. It was shortly after breakfast and Clay and Donny met him with a cup of coffee in their hands. They talked for a few minutes and then walked with him over to look the captured gang over. He recognized two or three of them. “These here used to work for me. I don’t recollect ever seeing any of the rest of them.” He said. “Well boss, you want us to take ‘em into town or hang ‘em here?” Donny asked. “Hang ‘em here.” The older boss man said. “And let the wolves feed on their carcasses. I’ll go into town and make a report of this to the marshal so it’ll be legal. Don have some of the men start making nooses, and trim some of the branches on those trees over there in that grove to make room for the ropes.

When that had been done, Donny told the ranch hands to allow the gang to make peace with God and to grant them a last request as long as it was with in reason while they waited for Mr. McNulty to return with the judge’s order. An older man among the crew asked to see the boss to make his final wish.

Early afternoon had come and the thieves had all almost finished eating their lunch and making their various requests. Some riders were approaching from the direction of town. It was Mr. McNulty, Marshal Earp, and the town Judge. There were three other riders and not very far behind them was a lone rider. The lone rider turned out to be Doc Holiday. ‘We’ll I’ll be damn.’ Clay thought to himself. ‘I didn’t think he ever left town.’

When all the riders had arrived at the campsite, Donny called Mr. McNulty over to speak with the old rustler and hear his last request. Mr. McNulty had a reputation of being a man of conscience and principle. He was known for his fairness in everything he did. The old rustler had prayed earnestly the Mr. McNulty would grant his last request.

“I appreciate you hearing me before I hang sir.” The old man started. “I’ve done a lot of things in my lifetime I’m not proud of and I’ve been praying to the Lord All Mighty to help me be man enough to do something right before I leave this world for Hell. My last request is not for myself Mr. McNulty. It’s for my Grandsons over there. I want to request you let them go sir. The only reason they’re here is because I am. One of them is thirteen and the other one if fourteen. They’re way too young to hang. They have their whole lives ahead of them and I think when they see us hang, it will be a law abiding one. Please sir, have mercy on them boys, and let them go. It’s the right thing to do.”

The old man had finished pleading his request to Mr. McNulty and was again praying for mercy that God would touch the ranch owner’s heart and grant his last wish for the boy’s lives. Mr. McNulty walked over to Marshal Earp, and the Judge and told them the ages of the two boys the old man had pointed out. He told them he didn’t believe it to be the Christian thing to do if they were to hang with the rest. A youngster that age needed a whipping, not a hanging. The judge agreed with him so the old rustlers wish was granted.
“It took some tall talking Old timer.” Mr. McNulty said to the old man. “But the Judge and the Marshal finally agreed to giving the boys a whipping and making them watch the hangings. Load the first four in the wagons boy’s.” He then yelled out.

“Gentleman. I am Judge Mosley of Dodge City.” The Judge started speaking. “I have been informed of the charges against you all and shown the proof. I have hereby found you all guilty of cattle rustling and sentence you all to death by hanging. May God have mercy on your souls.