The Diary of Jerrod Bently - J.W. Osborn (mobi ebook reader TXT) 📗

I get back?”
“I can keep the biscuits warm,” she said. This was a minor invasion of their privacy, and for that Victoria was grateful. Now that she was the wife of the new sherrif, she knew things could be far worse than a pole cat holed up under the jail.

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Kane Wolf opened his shop early that morning and as was true in the past, there were customers waiting for him. Suzy Titus was there holding her father’s thoroughbred, Wind Walker and with her was Miss Chelsea Adams, the seventeen year old daughter of Randall and Elizabeth Adams, the town barber and dentist.
“He is married,” Suzy hissed, “Mama heard it from Mrs. Bradford. Married and some children too.”
“He doesn’t wear a ring,” Chelsea insisted “and he is so handsome. I’d marry him in a minute.”
“You said that about Hap too,” Suzy stated “and he is MY beau! Besides that Pa says that farrier’s don’t wear rings because they get in their way of their work with the horses.”
“I went to choir practice with Hap before you did,” Chelsea said defensively.
“And I kissed him in the cemetery,” Suzy stated victoriously “and I am going to marry him. You know, Chelsea, Kane is going to know that you pulled Ginger’s shoe off.”
Chelsea looked at her gelding’s left front foot. “I did no such thing, Suzy,” she retorted, “ he lost it coming through the creek on the way to your house.”
“Face it,” Suzy said “Kane is a married man. Every girl in town has been swooning over him since he opened his shop. Ma says he’s a man who loves his wife,”
“Why did you come then?”, Chelsea asked, “ if you didn’t want to get a look at him for yourself.”
“Because Wind Walker needs a trim,” Suzy replied “and after Daddy came home last night after the wedding, reeking of pole cat, Mama made him sleep in the barn, so until he gets that stink off him, he won’t be coming into town. So here I am with the Wind Walker.”
Kane added more wood to the fire under his forge and got out his tools. He grinned as he went to the door, how those two girls reminded him of his own daughters. He appreciated the business as he’d made more than enough money to bring his family to the Oklahoma territory. Kane appreciated the attention he’d received, but today when the stage came in, he hoped Jamie , his wife and their children would be on it. Her last letter had said “by the end of the month.” He grinned as he opened the door of his shop.
“Good morning, ladies,” he said politely.
“Mornin’, Kane,” Suzy Titus said “Daddy wants you to trim Wind Walker. He’s racing next Sunday.
Chelsea just stared at the handsome young blacksmith hardly able to utter a word. “Shoe,” she managed to get out “Ginger threw a shoe.” Kane smiled at her “I can fix that,” he said “and he will be good as new.”


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Now Kane Wolf’s smithy was not far from the jail. He’d heard the commotion , but paid no attention. Most likely the wind wasn’t blowing in Kane’s direction yet. Doc pulled his bandana over his nose. “That is horrible,” he choked as he opened the door of his office.
“Doc!” Ned screamed as soon as he heard his voice, “Let me out of here! “
Doc ignored him as he and Pede went about opening windows to air the place out.
“How did that critter get under the building?”, he asked they stepped outside “Oooo weeee, does it ever stink in there! ”
“Went under the board walk most likely,” Pede said. Want me to have a look?”
“You mean to tell me that this stench don’t bother you?”. Doc inquired “It’s makin’ me half ill.”
“No,” Pede replied “Don’t bother me t’all.” Doc shook his head as he stood on to the board walk in front of the jail and watched Pede disappear underneath it. “Be careful,” Doc cautioned. From inside the jail, Ned was shouting for Doc to let him out and cursing like mad. “You can just quit that , Ned,” Doc shouted back, “I don’t hold with cussing!”
“I don’t care what you hold with, Stevens,” Ned roared “This is inhumane treatment of a prisoner. Get me out of here!”
“I see him Sherrif,” Doc heard Pede say from somewhere under the boardwalk “and he’s headin’ you way.”
“Ah hell,” Doc stated . He’d had enough, and as that black and white critter ran out from under the steps, tail up and ready to fire, Doc drew his gun and shot it dead in the street. Pede scrambled out . “You got him sherrif!”, he declared.
“Get rid of it,” Doc replied as he choked on the cloud of noxious fumes “I am going home.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Pede promised.
“You can’t leave me here like this!,” Ned shouted
“Your windows are open, Travis,” Doc yelled back, “Spend a little time with one of your own kind.” At that he walked away and headed back up the street toward Victoria’s cottage.
Now, it was good advice that Pede gave Jake Titus about shooting a skunk, but when the jail had already been sprayed I guess, Doc just felt that things couldn’t be any worse if he shot the critter, so he did. Ned stayed in the jail, and Miss Victoria made Doc strip outside the house bury his clothes out behind the barn and then take a bath in vinegar. Then finally they did sit down to their first meal together as husband and wife.


THE TEXAS PLANES, Late Summer 1875


It seems that I have neglected to mention Little Fox, the son of one of Scrub Pot’s friends and now less his prize mare, Dessert Rose. Of course at the time, I had no idea that Little Fox had plans for Sam Dodge too, but not a soul had mentioned that to me as the herd moved on, ever northward toward a distant rail head at Abilene. Now out on the great planes of Texas, Little Fox had been chasing mustangs for weeks. A few of his friends had come along to help him, but they had stayed long enough to catch only ten of the thirty nine horses the young brave needed to make Sam his wife. Now he sat by his campfire, ten mustangs in the corral he had built out of logs and stones. He was disillusioned and very angry with Turtle Back, his best friend for leaving him to his task alone. He was beginning to think that Scrub Pot’s bride price for Sam was far too high and worse yet, the old man had Desert Rose. He thought of his older brother Kane, who had left the settlement at Bear Claw for the Oklahoma territory and at last report was doing well in a border town called Portersville. Kane didn’t have to collect forty horses for his wife, Jamie, they’d been married in a church back East several years ago and now had three children.
“Kane is perfect,” the young man groused “Everything always is right for him. He has a beautiful wife , a son and two daughters. He will be chief one day and I will be here chasing horses for Scrub Pot, while Sam marries someone else.” Yes, Little Fox was feeling very sorry for himself and the last thing he ever expected in his misery was company.
The mustangs suddenly became restless and began pushing at the lashed gate of their makeshift corral. Little Fox quietly reached for the rifle his father had given him when he left home on his quest. He listened, hearing the sound of a horse approaching slowly and very close by. He cocked the rile. “Come into the light ,” he said sternly.
“You wouldn’t shoot me, Little Fox,” a female voice said “I have come to help you.”
“Lillie?”, he questioned “What the....” A beautiful young woman slid of the back of her brown and white paint. “My brother said you were catching horses here.”, she said.
He lowered his gun and then set it aside. “Your brother left here three days ago,” said Little Fox, his disgust showing in his tone. “Some friend.” His dark eyes followed her as she lithely crossed his camp, leading her horse toward the corral. She came back to where he stood by the fire. She was exquisite in the flickering light . Her long ebony hair was shiny and brushing her slender waist , her face was like that of an angel. She was far from the skinny little girl who used to