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

trail was a long and dusty one but Clay made his way closer to his destination without incident. This was the way this ride went all the way to Sedalia.

Clay got into town and met up with John at the hotel. He got checked in and the brothers decided to go down to the saloon so Clay could wash a little bit of the trail dust down. Walking through the doors of the long narrow establishment Clay sized the place up like he always did when he went into a new town. He didn’t see anything he considered threatening or that he should keep and eye on. Namely the ‘Young gun’s wanting to make a name for themselves’ that he usually saw in almost every saloon.

Clay got the table while John went to the bar and ordered a bottle each for them. There were already some cards on the table and Clay began counting them to see if they were all there. After counting fifty-two he began a game of Solitaire to occupy his time while he waited for John.

“Say stranger. Mind if we sit down for a friendly game?” A voice said and two men stood by the table. Clay had watched their approach and had already decided they were no threat to him so he allowed it. The two of them looked like a pair of ‘Dude’s’ Clay thought to him self as they walked up. “Come ahead and grab a chair boys.” Clay replied. “My brother will be here in a minute and we can start a game.”

John finally reached the table with his and Clay’s bottles. “This is my brother John. My name’s Clay, and you are?” Clay asked. “I’m Doc Longwell and this is my friend Dennis Wilson.” One of the men spoke up. Wilson was giving Clay the look of disgust which made Clay take an instant dislike to the man. “I don’t think I much care for the way your friend is looking at me Mr. Longwell.” He said. “I believe he best move on. I don’t care for cards with him.” Clay finished. Wilson Quickly got up and left having realized who’s table it was he was sitting at. But it was already too late. Clay had been left in a foul mood from the incident and was spoiling for a fight. John tried to convince him to shake it off. That the man didn’t mean anything by it and by the time they finished their bottles Clay decided to agree with him to shut him up. Clay decided to leave and go on to the county clerks office so he could find the whereabouts of the Young Ranch for the stock purchase in the morning.

Clay walked into the surveyor’s office and spoke to the clerk inside. “Excuse me mister can you tell me where I might find the Young Ranch?” He asked. The clerk turned around and saw it was the famous gunfighter that everyone in town was already talking about. “I aint telling you nothing fella. Your no good and I aint gonna tell you where to find nobody.” This only inflamed Clay’s already foul mood so he reacted by grabbing the clerk and shoving him up against the door facing pinning his sleeve to the trim with the Bowie knife he carried. The man struggled in fear and finally broke loose and ran out the door down to the doctor’s office to hide. Clay followed with the intention of getting his information from the guy one way or another.

“Hide me Doc!” The clerk shouted as he ran into the office. “Better yet. Give me your gun and I’ll shoot ‘em when he comes up. We can say it was self defense.” He kept ranting. “Now Lee you don’t want to go and do that. That man will kill you dead and there won’t be nothing I can do about it. Let me go out and talk to him. You go on and hide now.” Doc Longwell told him as he walked out the door.

“Evening Mr. Allison. How can I be of assistance to you tonight?” The doc asked Clay. “You can start by sending that yellow belly clerk out to face his medicine.” Clay answered. “I need some directions and he won’t give ‘em up.” He said. The doc asked what directions he need and Clay told him. “If I give you these directions will you let the clerk off the hook this time and let it go?” The doctor requested and Clay agreed. The doctor gave Clay the directions he needed and Clay reluctantly went on his way keeping his word and leaving the clerk alone.

The next morning came and Clay and John saddled up to go out to the Young Ranch to look at this stock that was supposed to be such a good deal. When they got there it didn’t look like anything special. In fact they didn’t even see any livestock at all. They thought maybe they had gotten there too late to get in on any deals. The ranch foreman rode out to meet them and find out what their business was. The brothers explained they had heard of some good deals on livestock and they wanted to look at some. The foreman escorted them to the ranch house and introduced them to the boss.

“I know who you are.” Mr. Young said as Clay tried to introduce himself and his brother to the man. “What’s your business here?” he asked. Clay explaining he was interested in the stock that was up for sale when two very lovely young ladies walked out onto the porch and stood beside their father. Now Clay could face down any man with a gun, but when it came to women he was as shy and timid as a baby cub.

“These are my daughters Dora and Lois McCullough.” The rancher said to Clay and his brother. “Go in the house girls.” He told them. They obeyed but it was too late Clay and John had already been smitten by the girls, it was love at first site. They had a natural beauty and charm about them the Clay had never encountered before. Mr. Young excused himself and went into the house to get his hat so he could take the brothers to where the livestock was being held.

Clay and John rode out to the south pasture with Mr. Young and his foreman. They looked the livestock over and haggled the price with him before buying a hundred head of prime beef and a dozen horses. “We’ll close the deal by celebrating tonight with a dance some eating.” Mr. Young invited the brothers. “Y’all will come won’t you?” He asked. Of course Clay and John accepted in hopes of seeing the girls again.

Clay and john returned to town to clean up and recruit some help to drive their newly acquired livestock to their ranch. They had gotten everything done and it was time to return to the Young ranch so they started out that way. They got to the ranch and tables and food had been setup outside for the celebration. There was a few of the ranch hands playing some instruments and making some pretty good music.

Clay immediately asked Dora, the older of the two sisters to dance. John noticed the look of disapproval on Mr. And Mrs. Young’s face but being as smitten as he was himself with Lois, he didn’t care if they approved or not. As far as that subject goes, Clay didn’t care either. Clay and John danced and talked with the sisters for most of the night and by the end of the evening the four of them had made plans to elope to the local judge and marry. The girls made plans to sneak out of their bedroom window at midnight and meet the boy’s in the field behind the house.

“Do you think they will really come out Clay?” John asked excitedly. “Look for yourself John here they come.” Clay answered. The girls came running up and kissed they're soon to be husbands. “Lets go see the judge.” One of them said and the group loaded into the wagon Clay had rented earlier in town.

They pulled up in front of the judge’s house and Clay beat on the door until the justice answered. “What is it?” the judge asked the group. “We aim to get hitched up judge.” Clay told him. “We’ll pay you for your trouble.” He explained that they were eloping. “Alright, alright. Come on in.” The judge finally agreed.

The two couples went to the hotel after taking their vows. The plan was to go out to the ranch in the morning to get the girls belongings and to let the Young’s know what had happened.

The two couples arrived at the ranch around noon and announced the4y had been married the night before. Mr. And Mrs. Young didn’t try to hide their disapproval. They had heard of clays exploits in the west and didn’t much care for him. Mr. Young even made it a point to say so to Clay’s face. He wasn’t one to speak out like that to people, but he was angry and spoke out anyway.

Clay took that into consideration and out of love for his new bride didn’t retaliate with either words or actions. He merely apologized for the way they had gone about getting married and for not asking his permission before doing it.

“Well it’s done now.” Mrs. Young finally said. “Y’all might as well come in the house and get something to eat.” It was around lunchtime and eating did sound like a good idea. Clay was starting to get hungry and he knew if he was everyone else must be too.

Everyone ate and the conversation was at a mild tone and the subject mostly stayed at a question and answer session. The young’s asked Clay questions and he answered them the best he could saying many times, “My hand on the bible.” As he began in his answers.

With the meal having been ate. Them men went outside for a smoke and some whiskey over a conversation of what was called ‘men talk.’ Clay told Mr. Young a little more about himself. Explaining that he couldn’t believe everything he reads in the newspapers or nickel novels. “I never killed a man that didn’t need killing.” He told him. “I won’t see a woman or a child mistreated, and I won’t tolerate ignorance in a grown man. I won’t be wronged or made fun of either. I don’t do these things to other people and I won’t have them done to me or in front of me. It’s against my upbringing.” He told the rancher.

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