Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 
   The Man From Eagle Creek
   Chapter Nine

   Sky was in the barn, saddling his horse as his dad walked in.  They had
talked and decided it was time he rode over the great plains, to see the
lands of his forefathers of the Sioux.
   "Sky, I've been thinking that maybe you need to use another name as you
travel.  This will give you the opportunity to observe people and not be
the center of attention as you travel.  If people find out you are Sky from
the Dakotas, you'll be hounded wherever you go."
   "I respect your judgment Dad, you know more about the world out there
and the men in it.  Do you have a name for me?"
   "Your mother named you Tomas Sky Crenshaw, after the Sioux wanted to
call you Sky.  My granddad's last name was Cooper, I know he'd be proud to
share his name with his great grandson."
   "Then from this day on, I am Tom Cooper to those who don't know me.  Dad
I'm so grateful that you see things that may cause me trouble before the
problems even arrive."
   Raif grabbed his hand and shook it, placing two five dollar gold pieces
in his hand as he did.
   "You'll need some money to start, then you can get work along the way."
   Sky had his clothes rolled up in his bedroll, his Henry in his rifle
scabbard and his shiny new Colt tied low on his hip.  His saddle bags were
packed with food from his mother as well as two boxes of .44 cartridges and
one of the blue steel Colts for a back up.  The sun was just now a red ball
on the eastern horizon, starting a new day on the prairie and a new day in
the life of Tom `Sky' Cooper, still Brother of the Eagles.
   Tom and his horse walked out of the barn into the post yard.  He met his
mother at the steps and gave her a hug, turned and hugged his dad, before
he swung to the saddle.  He rode to the edge of the post yard and turned to
wave again.  As he sat his big horse and waved one last time, his outline
was centered in the big red ball of the rising sun on the horizon.  Above
him were the three giant eagles, silhouetted against the red sun as they
soared overhead in the distance.
   Tom rode to the house where the General and Jane were waiting.  Both
were proud of the man he'd become, yet concerned about this journey.  He
hugged them both and turned to see Cap and the other men standing there. 
He shook their hands and swung to the saddle and rode out south.
   The General had slipped two gold coins into his hand and winked.
   Tom came to the east west trail in a few hours, and turned east.  He had
looked at a map his dad had shown him to get his bearings and knew he would
turn south again about mid day.  He let his big horse set his own pace and
they covered ground in an easy lope.  When he came to a crossing trail that
showed heavy travel, Tom knew it must be the one that led south into Iowa
and Nebraska.  He had been on the trail a few miles and met three wagons
headed north, one of them had a broken wheel and all the men were trying to
decide what to do.
   The travelers had seen him coming and though wary of strangers, they
were hoping for help.  Tom rode up and stepped to the ground to ask if he
could help.
   "Hello to all of you, I'm Tom Cooper," Tom said as he neared the group.
   "Hello." Came the lone response.
   "I see you don't carry a spare wheel or a spare spoke."
   "We had both the wheel and the spoke, but used them already." An older
man said.
   Tom walked to the back of the wagon and looked in, it was loaded but not
over loaded.  He walked to the other two wagons and looked inside, none
were over loaded.
   "I think I know of a way to help you, it will take some work but we can
get you to the next blacksmith shop where you can get help."
   "If you are going west then you will find two wagons that have been
abandoned about five miles from the cross road, there you can get a wheel
or even two."
   "We'll be forever grateful for your help, we can't pay you but we can
feed you," the older man said.
   "Lets get this wheel off and take it apart, you have three broken spokes
side by side here, we'll take them apart and make one, if you have some
wire or plenty of rope."
   "We have wire, you boys get the wheel off and let's get started," the
older man spoke.
   The younger men grabbed the wheel and soon had it off, with the help of
the coupling pole from underneath the wagon.  Tom took the hammer they had
and beat the outer iron ring off the wooden wheel, then he knocked the
shorter spoke out of the hub and placed it alongside the other broken one
in the center middle hole of the three open spaces.
   "Take your axe and sharpen the shorter spoke to fit tight inside the
hub, then we'll wire them together as tight as we can, as we hold them in
place," Tom told them.
   The men nodded in agreement when they saw what he intended to do, the
answer to the problem was a simple one now.  It would not be a permanent
repair, but would get them to the abandoned wagons so they could get wheels
to replace this broken one.  The repair took a good two hours but they had
the wagon repaired.  Tom suggested they take some of the load from over the
broken wheel and put in the other wagons to lighten the load.
   "I'm not trying to take over your command, but if the broken wheel is
still in good shape when you get to the wagons, I would get the parts I
needed and keep going until night.  Then when you make camp, you men can
replace the wheel, not losing any more daylight."
   "We can never thank you enough Tom, you've been a life saver to us," the
older man spoke and all the others agreed.
   "Where you folks from and where are you headed?" Tom asked.
   "We're from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on our way to Oregon to make a new
life.  These are my sons and their wives," the older man spoke again.
   Tom shook hands with the men and tipped his hat to the women, then swung
to his saddle and was on his way south once more as the four wagons rolled
on north along the rutted trail.
   The three younger men were walking along side the wagon with the broken
wheel as their Pa drove, and the other two wagons followed.
   "How old do you think Tom was," one of the brothers asked as they walked
by the wagon.
   "I figure he was about twenty, but he sure looked menacing with that
black hat and that gun on his hip," another said.
   "I agree, he didn't look be twenty to me, but he is taller and bigger
than Pa is," the other said.
   The three younger women were in the middle wagon and the older woman was
driving the first one.
   "I wonder how old Tom was, he sure looked young in the face didn't he?"
One of the women said.
   "He couldn't have been twenty could he," another agreed.
   "I know one thing, he sure was a tall one wasn't he," the third one
added.
   "He looked to be part Indian to me, with the long braided hair and the
buckskins and moccasins," another said.
   The land had flattened out into more low rolling plains now than higher
hills on the prairie where he lived.  Tom could see up ahead for close to a
mile.  He made a clicking sound with his tongue.  The big horse began his
easy, ground eating lope once more.
   He saw two men riding wide apart side by side, meeting him.  Not wanting
to ride between them, Tom nudged his horse off the trail and kept his gait.
As they met, one of the men said, "You better get yer dirty ass off the
trail injun," and they both laughed loudly.
   `I guess this is where it all begins' Tom thought as his horse came back
to the trail without being told.
   The first day of his journey was coming to a close as sunset was upon
him.  `Sunset, thought Tom.  I wonder what the sisters are up to now'.
   Nearing a small river, Tom decided to bed down for the night.  Not
wanting to camp too close to the main trail, he rode west about a mile and
found a place to cross over the small river and camp.  He slipped the
saddle from his horse and let him wander off for food as he spread his
bedroll next to his saddle.  His Henry lay across his saddle and his Colt
was by his side under the heavy blanket and waxed bedroll as he settled in
for the night.  Tom slept light, and dreamed of Indian girls, eagles, wagon
wheels and the trading post.
   Daybreak came without a cloud in the sky and as the red sun peeped over
the horizon, Tom was already miles from his camp the night before, having
cut back south and east at an angle toward the main trail.
   He saw two more wagons early on, headed north and waved as they met. 
Mid day came, the sun was heating up and the heat felt good to him as he
let his horse set his own pace.
   Tom was nearing a town on the Missouri River, he didn't know the name
but it sure looked like a busy place.  As he rode near the bank of the
river, he saw a wagon pass by with 'Sioux City, painted on the side.  He
rode on into the center of town and boarded the ferry, standing with his
horse to keep him steady as they were pulled across to the other side by a
team of six mules on the far bank.  I'm in Iowa he thought, I'm no longer
in the Dakota Territory for the first time in my life.  Tom walked off the
ramp and his horse followed him with people watching in disbelief as the
tall man mounted his horse and rode off away from town.
   "Did you see that, he had no bridle on that horse." One man pointed and
the others near him looked to see.
   He rode for hours,and twice the trail came up to a river on his left. 
He remembered from the maps his dad had shown him that he should be on the
east side of the Missouri.  This meant that he had crossed into Nebraska
back at the ferry crossing.  Tom wasn't worried, he wanted to see the
railroad in Omaha that went west.  He would just ride the west side of the
river, stop and see the railroad then cross the Missouri again at St. 
Joseph.
   Clouds were moving in before sundown and Tom began looking for a good
place to bed down.  He spotted a grove of trees off to the west away from
the river about a quarter of a mile and rode that way.  He slipped the
saddle off his horse and lay his Henry across it next to where he spread
his bedroll.  He looked the place over good before pulling his Colt off and
placing it under his blankets and bedroll.
   Deciding against a fire, he ate jerky and biscuits for supper and
slipped into his bedroll.  He woke with a jerk as his horse nudged him. 
His Colt was in his hand before he got his eyes open good.  Without a sound
he rolled out of the bedroll and slipped out a ways so he could try to see
in the darkness.  He could make out the outline of his horse but that was
all.  Tom sat squatted down for over an hour before the break of day began
to spread light slowly through the trees.
   He waited for good light and looked all around before he stood to move
back to his saddle and bedroll.  He slipped his Colt back in the holster
and strapped it around his waist.  Then he rolled his bedroll and tied it
behind his saddle.  Just as he threw his saddle over his horse, he caught
movement in the trees.
   His heart gave a jump.  He finished with his saddle, reached and picked
up his Henry and slipped it barrel first into the scabbard, all the while
looking for more movement in the trees.
   Tom bent as if checking his horses hooves, all the while keeping his
eyes on the bushes behind him to his left.  He saw a bare foot at the base
of a small tree.  Dropping to the ground and lunging at the same time, he
grabbed the foot and jerked it hard toward him.
   He got the surprise of his life as a naked girl was dragged into the
open, she was holding a blanket in an attempt to cover herself.
   "Who are you and what're you doing here?" Tom asked as the girl kicked
at him while finally getting herself covered.
   The girl was scowling at him and spat at his feet as she kept kicking at
his hand that was holding her ankle.  Tom saw her eyes switch to a place
behind him as she stopped kicking.  Tom jerked her foot hard and stepped
over her as she slid on the leaves and sticks on the ground.  His left hand
was on his Colt as he turned to see a young boy standing there with a
blanket tied around his waist, holding a long stick ready to swing at Tom.
   "Drop the stick and come here boy," Tom said as he drew his Colt.
   The boy dropped the stick and started crying as he walked to where the
girl was lying on her back and looked down at her.
   "Millie, I tried but I couldn't get a swing at him."
   "It's alright Danny, don't cry I know you tried," the girl told him.
   "Who are you and what're you doing out here?" Tom asked again looking at
the girl and then the boy.
   "All we want is some food and some clothes and we'll be on our way, we
really meant you no harm mister," The girl said.
   Tom dropped her foot and she scrambled to her feet trying to keep the
blanket over her nakedness.
   "I have food in my saddle bags, you're welcome to it.  You still haven't
told me who you are and what you are running from."
   "How do you know we're running from anything," the girl said defiantly.
   "Why else would you be out here naked, hungry and trying to steal from
me or cause me harm?"
   Tom turned to his horse and opened his saddlebag, as he did he heard
leaves rustle and the shuffle of feet.
   "If you run or try to jump me, I'll shoot your naked ass," he told them
while he was still getting some jerky out.
   When he turned back they were about three feet from where he left them,
frozen in mid step.
   "Here, eat this and sit over by that tree and tell me your story, I
still haven't made up my mind whether or not to whip your butts."
   The two took the offered jerky and moved over to sit down and eat.  Both
of them sat with their knees up as they ate like they were starved.
   "Cover your nakedness with that blanket, don't you have any shame?" he
scolded them.
   "Now once again, what are you doing here?"
   "We're running away from home and you can't make us go back either," the
boy said with a sob.
   "Why are you running away and why don't either of you have clothes?"
   "Mister, if we tell you the truth will you help us, we're scared and we
don't know anyone that'll help," the girl whimpered.
   "Tell me your story and if there's anything I can do that won't get me
killed or put in jail, I'll help you."
   "I'm Millie Croom and this is my brother Danny.  We're running from Sam,
he hid our clothes and made us sleep in the barn.  Sam was drunk and was
trying to hump me from behind like a dog and Danny hit him with a shovel.
We grabbed these blankets from the barn and ran, that was two days ago, and
we've been running since."
   "Who is Sam and why was all of this going on," Tom asked.
   "Sam took up with our ma and he's a mean man to us, he's been after
Millie to lay down with him for over a month now.  I caught him trying to
mount her in the barn once and hit him on the jaw with my fist.  He was
cussing and shouting and he tore her dress then grabbed her and made me
take off my clothes too," Danny said, crying now.
   "He told me he was gonna breed me and get him some kids to do the work
for him.  I fought him off but he was about to stick me when Danny saw
him."
   "What does your ma say about all this?"
   "Sam keeps her all lickered up and she don't know nuthin," Danny said,
his head down in shame.
   "Have you tried to talk to the law about all this?" Sky asked.
   "We did sneak into town one day and talk to a deputy, but he told Millie
if she would let him stick her, he'd go talk to Sam for us."
   "Millie told him to rot in hell and we ran.
   "The deputy told Sam that we'd tried to bribe him with Millie's body to
help us get away.  That's when he said that he'd be the one to stick Millie
if she got stuck," Danny was sobbing and crying hard now.
   "Where do you live with your ma?"
   "We live about ten miles from here, Ma has a small ranch that dad owned
when he died.  Sam took up there to help out and then he just moved in the
house with Ma," Millie said with tears in her eyes.
   "What do you know about the sheriff, is he a man that can be talked to?"
   "We've heard that he's a good man but drinks some and that's why we went
to the deputy," Danny said.
   "If I go back with you and talk to your ma what'll she do, will she tell
Sam that you went and got help?"
   "If we can catch her when she ain't all lickered up she'll talk
straight, if not she won't even know you're there," Millie said.
   Tom went to his bed roll and took out a shirt, which he handed to Millie
to put on.  She dropped the blanket and stood there naked while pulling the
clean white shirt on.
   "We can't all ride my horse, so we'll just walk.  I want you to tell me
anything else about your ma and Sam that I may need to know.  Does he wear
a gun?  Is he as mean when he's sober as he is when he's drunk?"
   "He's a mean man, no matter if he is drunk or not, at least he is to us
anyway," Danny said as they walked south.
   "Does he work on the ranch or does he just lay around all day?"
   "He's either sleeping with ma or passed out in the barn if he's on the
ranch, most days he goes into town with his buddies and drinks," Millie
added.
   The three walked and talked, the two young kids were proud that they'd
ran into Tom, he seemed like a good man and was at least trying to find a
way to help them.
   Jake Pender was a scalawag, a ne'er do well and a low life.  He had
always been a river rat along the Missouri, setting up wooden traps and
snag lines to catch fish to sell.  He trapped in winter and stole from
others year `round.  He was also a good friend and mooching buddy of Sam
Wilson.
   Jake was wanting a shot at sticking the Widder Croom or her fresh budded
out daughter Millie.  He just knew that one day he'd catch Sam lickered up
and stick one if not the both of them.  Yesterday Sam told Jake that if he
brought the two runaway kids home, he could lay for a night between the
widder's legs.  Jake had been like a mad man, asking questions about the
kids.  He got a lead they were seen out on the north side of town late in
the day they went missing.
   He figured they were headed north and he set out to find them.  Being a
river rat, he stayed down next to the river as he made his way north. 
Twice he saw footprints of bare footed kids and knew he was on the right
trail.  Jake had made many trips up the side of the river bank to look
around and he was just now climbing up a steep place in the bank to take a
look, when he saw a man walking with a horse and what looked like the two
kids.
   He was sure it was the Croom kids, the boy had a blanket tied around his
middle.  The girl looked like she had a big nightgown on with the sleeves
rolled up, as they walked within ten feet of where Jake was lying in the
weeds watching.  Jake took a good look at the tall man with the buckskin
breeches, walking with the kids and decided that he didn't want to tackle
him just yet, that ol' boy looked like he might be kinda tough.  He watched
as they went on south, then Jake made his way back down the river bank to
the water's edge.
   Jake hunkered down and ran as hard as his skinny old legs would carry
him, hoping to get back to town and tell Sam he saw them runaways of his.
Jake made it to town and ran up the street to the saloon where Sam always
went this time of day to have a few snorts with his friends.  Sam wasn't
there and the bartender said he hadn't been in all day.  Jake ran out and
down the street toward where the Croom place was, thinking Sam must be on
his way to town.
   Sam Wilson came out of the alley next to the saloon, lacing up his
grimy, soiled-over pants after he'd stepped back there to take a piss.  He
looked down and cussed as he saw his pants all wet where he'd pissed down
his leg.  He spit a big wad of tobacco juice on the ground as he walked out
of the alley.
   If Sam had turned around just then, he would have seen Jake as he ran in
the opposite direction, looking as if he were sneaking out of town before
he was seen.  Sam went to the saloon and sat at his regular table toward
the back, wondering where his drinking buddies were today.
   The town sheriff and a small well dressed man were sitting at a table
close to the door having a drink and talking, both men sitting where they
could see the bar and the front door.  The bartender was wiping glasses
with a dirty, stained rag, lost in his own thoughts and his own world.
   There was a card game going on at a big round table in the middle of the
saloon with four poker players grumbling and fussing about the hands they'd
just been dealt.
   One of Sam's drinking buddies walked in, got a bottle of whiskey and a
glass at the bar and went back to join Sam at his table.
   Tom and the two young kids were in Miller's General Mdse.  across the
street from the saloon.  The sign above the store was old and weathered. 
It read `Miller Gen Mose'.  The top part of the `d' in Mdse.  was gone and
made it look like an `o'.
   "I'm looking for the sheriff," Tom said to the older man behind the
counter
   "Can you tell me where he might be?"
   "Him and the mayor left here while ago and headed over to the saloon to
get a drink," the man answered.
   Tom took a coin out of his pouch and lay it in the counter.
   "Let these kids have some candy and keep them here, I'll be right back."
   Tom walked out of the store as Jake Pender scampered up the steps and
into the door of the saloon across the street.  Tom walked across the dirt
street to the saloon, through the double doors and to the bar.  His horse
walked over and stood at the hitching rail.  Tom stood at the end of the
bar near the front door facing the room.
   He stood with his back to the wall, leaning on the bar with his right
elbow, his left hand resting on his right hand as it lay along the bar. 
The sheriff looked up at the tall half breed man with the black hat pulled
low, and nodded toward him to the short man at the table with him.
   "Mayor, that right there looks like a pot of trouble boiling on an open
fire," he said as he pointed a finger to Tom.
   Jake was telling Sam about seeing the runaway kids headed back to town a
short time ago, that he had ran all the way out to the Crooms place to get
him.  He was waving his arms and measuring how tall the man wearing a black
hat had been, when he looked up and saw that same man at the bar.
   "Shit Sam, there he is now at the bar.  That's him, I'd know him
anywhere," Jake said all excited.
   "I'm looking for the sheriff," Tom said to the bartender.
   The bartender never said a word, just pointed the rag covered hand
toward the two men at the table across the room.  Tom was just about to
walk over to the table when a loud voice called out from the back.
   Sam Wilson stood up from the table where he sat with his two drinking
buddies.  He rolled his chaw of tobacco from one jaw to the other, then
spit right on the floor.
   "God Damned injun, what you doing in a white man's place?  What were you
doing with the Widder Crooms kids out yonder north of town?"
   Tom relaxed, leaning back to the bar where he'd been.  He looked to the
back of the room and saw a big man with a shaggy beard and baggy pants
standing there looking directly at him.
   `I knew this day would come, Mr.  Bill Cody told me it would too.' Tom
thought as he looked the man up and down, then the two men that sat with
him got the once over.
   Without moving his head, he glanced toward the sheriff, then to the man
at the back table.
   "God Damn it, I'm talking to you, you dirty ass son of a bitch'n injun,"
the man yelled out.  He seemed to get bolder as he talked with a room full
of men to hear him put this injun down.
   "Sheriff, do you know the man that's loud talking from the back of the
room?" Tom asked, still looking to the back.
   "I do, that's Sam Wilson and you might ought to leave before trouble
starts.  He is quickern' a snake with that handgun," the sheriff said.
   "Sheriff I'm not here for trouble, I'm here for help.  Help for two
young kids that are across the street at Miller's Store.  Kids that have
been beaten and stripped naked by that man back there."
   The sheriff stood and looked back at Sam.
   "Sam is it true that you beat the widder's kids and stripped them of
their clothes?"
   "That ain't none of yer God Damned bizness sheriff, and this God Damned
injun is gonna die for meddlin' in my bizness and helping them kids to run
away."
   The sheriff walked out to try to talk to Sam so he could get to the
truth.
   Sam drew his gun from his holster, it was still pointed at the floor
when his thumb and the all the top of his right hand exploded in splatter
of blood, skin, flesh and bone.
   The man on Sam's right had a piece of skin from Sam's hand stuck over
his left eye, and blood dripped down his face.
   Jake Pender had a piece of bone stuck in his right ear lobe and blood
trickled down his neck.
   The sheriff fell to the floor as the bullet from Sam's gun hit the card
table with all the cards scattered across it, then ricocheted up and grazed
his right shoulder.
   The bartender looked from Tom then to Sam, then back at Tom.  Tom's Colt
was back in his holster, smoke drifting up from the cylinder.
   The man that had been with Jake and Sam stood as he reached for his
handgun.
   "Don't die for your friends mistake, drop your gun on the floor," Tom
told him.
   The man hesitated.
   The mayor had seen the whole thing, he saw Sam draw, he then saw the
tall Indian draw and fire just as Sam pulled the trigger.
   He saw the tall Indian holster his Colt as if he had never drawn it. 
Mayor Dean was seventy years old, he'd never seen a gun come out that fast
in his life.
   Sam's friend stood still by the table in the back, he didn't know who
shot who.  He never saw the Indian draw his gun, he saw the sheriff fall as
Sam shot.  He thought Sam's gun had exploded in his hand when he pulled the
trigger.  He now held his hand out six inches from his gun butt as if he
were going to draw after the injun told him to drop his gun.
   The bartender started to move away from Tom as the sheriff began to
raise up from the floor.  The card players were all pushing the chairs back
on the rough floor making scraping sounds as they did.  One card player
bent to help the sheriff to his feet.
   The sheriff looked up to see the man at Sam's table.  His eyes were
wide, his fingers were trembling.  `Shit, he's fixin' to draw down on that
injun.' The sheriff thought just as the man's hand went to his gun.
   Sam Wilson was crying as he gripped his right wrist with his left hand.
He looked down to see his thumb dangling from what was left of his bloody
hand by a small string of flesh and skin.  He puked all over himself just
as his friend drew his gun.
   The gun never cleared leather, the .44 bullet hit his right arm at the
wrist and tore through his elbow sending blood and bone flying across the
table once more, the man pissed in his pants as he felt his arm fly to
pieces.
   The Mayor's eyes met the bartender's as they stood across the room from
each other and looked from the Indian to the back table.
   Jake Pender hunkered down and scooted out the back door and into the
alley.  He didn't stop running until he was out on the river where he
jumped into a wooden boat, grabbed the oars and headed south with the
current.  His story was all over the river the next day, all the way down
to St.  Joe.
   The mayor and the sheriff came over to Tom and asked his name.
   "Tom Cooper from up in the Dakotas," he answered.
   "That don't sound like no Injun name I ever heard before, and you sure
don't talk like no Injun either, where'd you get your learnin at boy?"
   "My Mother taught me to read and write, I reckon I've read all the books
we got at least three times."
   "Help me over to the Doc's office young man, I need to talk to you," the
sheriff said.
   Tom took the sheriff's left arm and helped him steady himself as he
walked out the door.
   "Bud, get some help for these men, Doc will see them when he gets the
sheriff patched up," the mayor told the barkeeper as he left.
   The card game was resumed after all the action and gun smoke cleared.
   "Damn what a show, did you see that left handed Indian draw and shoot
that Colt.  I ain't never seen shoot'n like that.  That damned Indian drew
his Colt, fired and had it back in the holster faster than lightning can
strike the ground."
   "Hell, I ain't seen nuthin' like it either and I seen some hellacious
gun fights over in Dodge and Wichita.  Hell fire I always heard tell that
Sam Wilson was the fastest gun this side of the Kansas line, I reckon we
just now saw him get bumped down to the bottom of the list didn't we?"
Another said.
   "That was a left handed half-breed too, just think what he could shoot
like if he was full white and right handed," another said and they all
laughed.
   "Be careful, he may come back," the fourth man said and the others
whirled to looked at the door, and the laughing stopped.
   Over in Miller's Gen.  Mdse.  Mr.  Miller heard the shots fired across
the street at the saloon and ran out on the boardwalk in front of the
store. Millie and Danny ran out too and all three stood there waiting for
someone to come out.
   They saw the sheriff come out with blood all over his right arm, being
helped by Tom.
   The two kids ran to him.
   "Tom what happened in there, did you shoot the sheriff?" Millie asked.
   "No he didn't shoot the sheriff," Mayor Dean said from behind them
before Tom could answer.  "Tom here shot Sam's right thumb and half his
hand off, then shot his friends right arm nearly off after he told him not
to draw, I saw the whole damn thing take place," the mayor said shaking his
head.
   Millie and Danny were wide eyed as they looked at one another, following
along, looking up at Tom as he helped the sheriff to the Doc's office. 
They didn't know what else to do.  They knew now this Indian meant what he
said when he told them he'd help.  Tom's horse followed the procession
unnoticed and stood by the hitching rail and waited.
   Danny leaned over to Millie.
   "Shit sis they said Tom shot Sam's hand off, did you hear that?"
   "Serves that sonofabitch good too if you ask me, he won't be grabbin' my
ass now," Millie giggled and Danny did too as they looked at each other,
smiling for the first time in a long time.
   Doc almost had the sheriff patched up from his flesh wound when the
sheriff turned to the kids.
   "Kids come here, I want some answers to some things that came up over
there in the saloon.  Did Sam beat you and strip you naked like Tom said?"
   "Yes he did sheriff, and he tried to stick Millie after he mounted her
like a dog too, but I knocked his ass out cold and we ran away," Danny told
him.
   "I'll make sure he don't mess with you again girl, you're sure lucky you
ran into this stranger here."
   "We sure as hell are sheriff, Tom told us he'd try to help us and he
sure done that in a big way didn't he?  I wish I could've been there when
Tom shot that sonofabitches hand off," Millie said.
   "Tom, I think you owe me about a months work for getting me shot, don't
you," the sheriff said, grinning at him.
   "Well sheriff, I wasn't planning to be here that long, as a matter of
fact I was planning on being way south of here by dark today."
   "Well you ain't leaving, I'm shot up now and I need some back up for a
few days.  Looks to me like you fit the bill and I ain't gonna argue none."



   
  
The Man From Eagle Creek - Chapter -  09