Chapter 28

"Now the excitement is over for a while I want the rest of you to scatter yourselves out around this place to watch for more visitors.

"I mean for you to hide good too. Don't let anyone who comes up see you unless Remus gives the signal to show yourselves. If he does I want anyone who has come up disarmed and dismounted if possible.

"I'm going back to the house and tell the women what's happening and I think I'm going to bring Carolyn back to make things even more official. I won't be gone long," I said.

I walked over to talk to Remus right before I left, and gave him more specific instructions about when to draw the line if visitors came calling before I made it back.

Back at the ranch I was in time for cake and coffee, as if I didn't know I would be. The women had a million questions and I gave them a couple of answers then asked Carolyn if she wanted to come back with me and watch in case something else happened.

"Of course I do, and I'm happy my new man is taking such good care of my former property."

I had to give all the women a thorough kissing before Carolyn and I headed out. Jim had a buckboard ready and Bob was tied to the back. I guess Buster decided he was tired of all the running around by now and he'd hopped up into the back to ride this time. We returned to Carolyn's place and it didn't take long.

Remus had one of the guys put the buckboard and Bob in the barn with the other stock hidden inside and then we went into the house and waited. Later we waited some more, and so on, and...

It was just after two in the afternoon when Buster's ears perked up and he looked in the direction of the road from Gorsham's place.

Soon enough Edgar Gorsham and seven cowboys rode up into the yard. They stopped and got down to examine the large blood stain left over from Buster ripping the balls off and the throat out of the one who stole Carolyn's rings.

Of course they couldn't know what went on, but it didn't keep Gorsham from ranting and raving a little. He also helloed the house a time or two and then he headed for the back steps.

"The rest of you look around and see if there's anything here we can use. She's abandoned this place and we'll just take what we want. I'm going inside to make sure she ain't in there hidin'. Either way I'm gonna show that cunt she can't act like she's too good for me and get away with it.

"We're gonna burn this place to the ground before we leave," Edgar said, yelling it.

I took up a greener and waited on the other side of the door. He came up and pounded on it, yelling for Carolyn to come and open up to let him in. He also made several threats about what he was going to do when he got hold of her.

Finally he put his shoulder to the door and broke it off the hinges. He was very surprised to see me inside and even more surprised to see the Greener.

"Back your fat ass right back outside the door, and if you put your hands anywhere near your pistol it'll be two main pieces of you to hit the ground."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Carolyn's new husband and I heard every word you were saying about what you were going to do to her. Didn't I honey?"

"He did have a lot to say," Carolyn said.

"Don't really matter though since I don't think I'm gonna let him live much longer. Remus, signal the hands," I yelled.

Remus was near a window in another room and he fired three shots from his pistol as fast as he could. There was a lot of yelling outside for a minute or so, then we heard from Okey.

"Ok, Boss, we got 'em all disarmed and we're tying 'em up now."

"Back your fat ass outside Edgar, or I'm gonna blow it outside," I said, and he reached for the sky without prompting and backed out so fast he nearly fell.

Remus was with us now and he relieved Edgar of his pistol and a hideout gun he had in one boot. I was watching Gorsham closely and I could see he was about to start ranting and raving. I waited until he opened his mouth to start and then butt-stroked him right between the lips and kicked him in the ass when he hit the ground.

"Get his fat ass over with the others Buster," I said, and as always Buster did his duty. Edgar's mouth was bleeding so he sprayed red blood every time he screamed good. He did get his fat ass up and join his men though. I walked over to join him and started my spiel.

"How many of my men heard fat ass here bragging about raping my new wife and then burning her home and place?"

Probably twenty of them said they had.

"Do y'all think we should take them to town for a trial, or just hang every one of these thieves right here and now?"

There was no doubt about what they wanted to do.

"All right then. Okey, ride back to the ranch for Jasper, Blossum, and plenty of rope. I wanna see whether Jasper or Blossum can tie the prettiest hangman's noose."

The confessions started pouring out of Edgar's cowboy's mouths then. I knew Okey was going to be sad he missed it, but I was tired of it before they were even nearly done. Thank goodness the County Sheriff, the Oregon City Marshal, and Deputy Jed Franklin rode up then.

"Howdy Frank. I see you seem to have things pretty much in hand even without us. What's going on?" Deputy Jed asked.

"I caught this bunch of assholes. They came here to burn my new wife Carolyn's place to the ground. Old Edgar here was bragging about doing that and raping Carolyn as soon as he thought nobody was around. He could talk better back then, before I knocked so many of his teeth out.

"I'll say one thing, you have done this county and Oregon City a lot of good turns since you came around. We'll be one hell of a lot better off with that piece of shit looking up from underground. You are planning on stretching his neck ain't cha'?"

"We had it in mind all right. I sent Okey to fetch Jasper and Blossum and some rope. I know damned well Blossum can tie a better noose than Jasper, but I was gonna let him try his hand again," I said.

"Sounds like it's too good for old fat Edgar, but I guess it won't hurt for the hands. They just went astray over poor leadership probably. Still, they all know they're guilty of stealing cattle and they sure as hell know what that'll get 'em.

The judge in town didn't waste no time having a trial and finding the others you sent in guilty. We're gonna hang all them in the morning," the Marshal said.

"A real noose is too good for Edgar though. I think we could get by with a lasso and a stout tree branch. I don't like the idea of coddlin' criminals," the Sheriff said.

"Buster ain't had no fun since this morning. Don't it look like old Edgar is trying to escape to you?" I asked, and when they agreed I gave Buster the word and he went to town.

It was a hell of a show too. Edgar was fat enough to give Buster something to work with and Buster put on his best performance yet. It would have been a shame about the fancy gunbelt and fine boots, but Edgar was so fat nobody else could have used them anyway.

"Damn, we ain't got all that much left to bury," the Sheriff said, twenty minutes later when Buster was done.

"That's the only bad habit I ain't been able to break Buster of. He does fine with skinny folks he has to take care of, but if they're fat and tender he just can't keep from swallowing a few bites. Old Edgar was probably more tasty than we could have known."

None of the lawmen puked over it, but several of Edgar's riders lost all they'd had to eat so far today. Remus watched them all and grinned.

"That's another good thing. Now that they've all puked maybe they won't shit their pants so much when we hang 'em," Remus said, and the lawmen could laugh about it easy 'cause I'm sure they were very familiar with that details.