Chapter 26

Bob could hardly believe it when we got there with the rest of the horses. He was happy enough to take charge of them though.

"Now, Tom, where is your house. I'm just a little hungry and I'd like to buy a meal or six off your mother," I said.

"Right this way, Jack. I know she'll be proud to feed you for free when she hears what you done," he said, and he led the way.

Of course there wasn't room for seating inside, but they had a couple of tables outside under some shade trees. His mother came right out when Tom had me sit down, and she asked what I'd like. If she'd been on earth I'd have liked a piece or eight of her ass. She was a relatively young woman and even in her rough clothes I could tell she was well set up for titties and had a splendid ass to boot.

I was about to tell her to bring me plenty of anything good, but Tom couldn't contain himself any longer.

"You can tell Nancy she don't have to hide any more. Jack kilt eight of those turd heads and he runned the other'ns off. He even took all their horses, though they weren't much."

"I'll tell her then as soon as I find out what he wants to eat," she said, and then I told her plenty of anything and she headed into the house for it.

"When she came back with the food the Damsel Nancy was right behind her. I'd figured it would be the case since Tom mentioned her name.

"Damsel Nancy, I'm Hero Jack, and it seems I've rescued you, by accident almost," I said, and stood up.

"She rushed into my arms and kissed me soundly right away.

"I've been so scared they'd find me. They captured me and I managed to steal their best horse and make it here. I ran into the stable and Tom's father sent me to his home to hide. They showed up and killed him, but no one in town would tell them where he lived. They didn't know for sure I was here anyway," she said.

"Well, I killed the worst of the bunch and sent the others packing. Since I sent them off afoot I expect at least a few of them will be hanging around trying to steal anything they can, so I guess I'd better ride around a little and do some patrolling for them for a few days at least," I said.

"But aren't you going to take me back?" Nancy asked.

"Of course I am. I have to think about my reward don't I. Still, it wouldn't be fair for me to leave right away. You coming here did cause a lot of grief for Mary after all, and I need to make sure she will have a decent chance to make a living after we've gone," I said.

"Oh Mary! I'm so sorry. I've been so worried about my own situation I didn't even consider the grief I've caused you. I'm so sorry," Nancy said.

"Don't you worry about it. Tom Sr was a fine man and a good husband. Things happen though, and there's nothing you can do about them, but try to go on. I'll make it somehow, and Tom Jr will be able to help. He's getting close to being a man now," she said, and then they hugged each other and started boohooing.

Thankfully Mary had brought some food before the waterworks shut on. I tried to keep out of it and eat my late lunch like a good boy.

Later, after I'd finished eating, I tried to leave to go to the inn for a room. Mary and Nancy nixed that notion and I ended up staying in the room with Nancy. It was a little crowded, but it was fine with me. I didn't have to reach very far for a handful of titty or to fondle an ass cheek.

The next morning I was up early and Nancy was sleeping in. I stumbled into the kitchen and Mary was there cooking already. She fixed me a cup of tea and I sat down to talk with her for a while.

She was sure they would be all right here and that they'd be able to get by with the stable and with her cooking and serving meals. She said she could already charge double what the inn did for meals since her cooking was so much better.

"Tom Jr will be able to help at the stable after he learns some things. His daddy was about to start showing him how to shoe horses before he was killed," she said.

I was mostly watching her splendid ass as she worked and getting a look at her swinging titties when she was facing my way. She looked delicious and I could tell she knew it. I ended up volunteering to show Tom Jr how to shoe horses, and I'm pretty sure her charms didn't do it all, but I knew they did most of it.

After breakfast Tom and I headed for the stable, sorta. He walked us farther out of town nearly a mile first to a small farm and when we saw a man working around his barn Tom went over to talk with him.

It turned out it was where they'd hidden the horse Nancy came riding in on and Tom had come by to pick it up and take it back to the stable.

I didn't have any idea where the bunch of assholes had come up with the horse but it was a good mare. Oh, it was nothing like our stock at the ranch, but it was a good mare all the same. I knew right away which horse I'd be riding while I patrolled around the area.

As soon as we made it to the stable I gave Tom his first lesson in horseshoeing. Well it was the first step anyway, and thanks to the donations by the turd squad he had plenty of stock to practice on.

I found the one with it's feet in the worst shape and gave Tom a good lesson on cleaning a horse's feet with a hoof knife and pick. I left him at it after a short demo and I saddled the horse we'd retrieved and took off.

My first stop was at the inn. I tied the horse to the hitching rail and made my way inside to see if I could get a cup of tea. The owner served me right away and told me it was on the house.

"Mister, I can't tell you how glad I am for what you done. That bunch runned off all my regular customers and they wouldn't pay for what they got half the time besides," he said.

"Well, I'm going to take a ride around this morning to make sure they're long gone. If you know of any place they are or hear of it, be sure and let me know."

"That's even better. You ain't planning on settling here are you? We could use a good man to sheriff for us around here," he said.

"Nope, but I'm gonna be around here a couple of weeks helping out Mary since she lost her man and all. I'll try to deal with any trouble makers while I'm here."

"Well that was the thing that got us into trouble, kinda. We ain't had no troublemakers in this town in years, and when that bunch came along we just weren't set up for it. Some of us been talking since you run them off though and we're trying to find a way to be ready next time.

I mounted up and left after my tea and conversation. I struck out up north on the main road through town. I'd made it about two miles when I saw a horse and rider running down a lane from a house, with a man chasing after them with a pitchfork. The rider was bent down over the horse's neck and he was obviously getting all the speed he could out of the poor thing.

I came up on the head of the lane about the time the man with the pitchfork made it. The horse and rider were at least a quarter mile ahead by now.

"Howdy mister. It looks like to me that fella just stole your horse?"

"He did. It was one of them what got run out of town t'other night. I hired him because he would work so cheap, but now he's stole my best horse."

"Well, I'm gonna run him down for you and bring your horse back, but I'm gonna fine you two pinches for being stupid enough to hire him," I said.

"And I'll be damned if I don't deserve it. I'll pay it gladly to have my horse back."

I put my heels to the horse I was riding and picked up my bow while we were moving. My horse wasn't alarmingly faster than the mount we were chasing, but I'd been walking her and he'd run the stolen horse nearly a quarter mile down the lane what with the farmer and pitchfork so close on his ass and all.

I ran my mount up closer than I normally would have because I wasn't so sure about my aim with the new bows and new arrows. It was good enough though, and the broadhead went right though his heart from the back and on out about six inches in front. He hit the ground dead I expect.

Once I caught up where the horse had stopped after he'd fallen off I dismounted and turned the jackass over. Sure enough I recognized him as one of those I'd run off from the inn. I got to use one of the excellent features of the carbon fibre arrows then. They had threads in the end of the shaft, and with a handy little stamped wrench I could remove the broadhead. I did, pulled the shaft back through the dead body, wiped the blood off on his clothes, and then screwed the broadhead back in place

I went through his pockets and he only had three pinches. He didn't even have a knife at all and his clothes weren't worth taking for rags or scrap leather. I rolled his body off the road, took the mount's reins in hand, mounted mine and rode back to the farmer.

The farmer was happy to get his horse back, but he talked me out of cash money for the fine and gave me two laying hens instead. He put them in a bag and I headed back to town, going straight to Mary's house to get rid of the hens.