Chapter 14

"Diamond" Bob Penney wasn't used to losing. He was a gambler who made his living by fleecing men who didn't have the money or the skill to stay at the table with him.

The way he'd fleeced Wes Lambert a few years back. When he rode by the Lambert farm the next day he knew it wasn't worth what he was owed. But he'd been in that situation before. He would wait a few years — until a new family moved in — then produce his claim.

The family would either have to move out or pay him off. Either way worked for Diamond Bob. If they moved out he would sell the ranch to the highest bidder and move on. If they paid him off, he would just move on.

But now some lowlife gunslinger was blocking his play. He had watched the Double-M spring to life a couple of years before. But he knew the ranch would be worth even more down the road. So he waited and watched.

But he needed the money now — and $40 wasn't going to cut it. It further angered the man that the gunslinger had convinced his hired hands to come work for him. Then he sent back the plant he wanted in their camp.

He and his four remaining men had watched and waited for five weeks. But the Double-M camp was cautious. Any group that went out had at least 3 or 4 gunslingers with it. That damned warning bell system wouldn't let him get close enough to the house to cause any real concern to them.

But finally his time had come. We watched the 2 riders come out of the valley. And lo and behold his luck had changed. It was the no good gunslinger and the turncoat, Jim Harcourt.

He didn't want to ambush the men. Anyone else he might have. But he wanted these two to know for sure who had bested them.

Jim and Jacob saw the five men move into the clearing about 200 yards in front of them but they didn't slow down.

"I don't have time for this shit," Jacob muttered. He didn't want to use his horse to brace his pistol because he couldn't risk spooking it. He would need the horse to collect the midwife. So he did the only thing he could think of.

Jacob slowed the horse a bit and then dropped off. He hit the ground hard but he rolled and used an old log for a brace. He took a second to aim and fired at the man behind the four gunmen.

Bob Penney saw the gunslinger fall from his horse but he was sure his men hadn't fired. He was right behind them and would have heard the report from the gun.

He watched as the man hit the ground and then rolled to his left. He saw the puff of smoke from the pistol. Then all he knew was pain. He looked down and saw the blood dripping from his chest. Then he felt nothing.

Penney's men expected a pitched battled. They didn't expect Jim Harcourt to race forward on his horse toward them. His pistol was blazing and all four men fell before Jacob could collect his horse and get back on.

The entire thing had lasted less than 20 seconds.

Jim and Jacob left the gunmen where they fell. They had more important things to do.

They reached the midwife's farm in just a few more minutes and Jim bounded from the saddle. He noticed Jacob was moving a bit slowly but figured it was from the fall he'd taken. That had been a fool stunt and he was lucky he hadn't killed himself.

It wasn't until the midwife answered the door did Jim notice the odd angle that Jacob's left arm hung. Then he noticed the blood seeping through his shirt.

He knew the gunman hadn't gotten off a shot so it had to have been the fall from the horse.

"I'm fine," Jacob insisted when the midwife wanted to look at it. "We just need you to get ready to come out to the Double-M. The baby is on the way."

The old woman smiled her toothless smile.

"I knew it would be today or tomorrow," she said. "I got all my stuff. Now you two get into town to see the doctor about that arm."

"Jim, would you ride in and see if the doctor can come out?" Jacob asked when it was obvious the old woman was going to have her way.

"Young man, you go with him," she said. "You'll be in my way out there. It's bad enough I'm going to have to prattle around those other three. But I can't be tripping over you every two steps. It ain't no place for a man to be anyhow."

Jacob cursed under his breath. He and Jim hadn't taken the time to see if there were any more of the gambler's men lurking about.

"Damn it," he swore aloud. "Jim, escort her out there and put the word on Ann, Susan and Juliette to stay out of the way. I guess I'm going into town. Tell Marnie I'll be out as soon as I can but don't worry her none. And for God's sake don't mention what happened on the way here."

Jim nodded and tied a bandana around Jacob's arm to stop the bleeding. He hoped the break wasn't too bad and that it wasn't at the elbow. Jacob might lose his arm if it were.

"Well, Jake," Jim said. "I can escort her out there and I won't say anything about the road. But it's gonna take a bigger man than me to put the word on those three. I'll get her out there and I'll come into town with you. I don't want to be anywhere near that place when those 3 get tossed out. They're gonna be looking for someone to skin and it damned sure ain't gonna be me."

Susanna Elizabeth Dunleavy was born about an hour before Jim and Jacob made it back from Stover. The doctor said the break was clean but all Jacob knew was that it hurt like the dickens when it was straightened and put into a splint.

The jarring of the horse on the ride back hurt even more.

Jacob and Jim had stopped to move the dead men to the side of the road. The varmints would find a feast tonight. Bob Penney had been joined in death by his son, one of the men who had tried to get hired on an the Double-M and the Nettles brothers. Jacob didn't foresee shedding a tear over any of the losses. Jacob was pleased to see the $40 he had given to the gambler was in a pouch on the man's belt — along with about $100 more.

Jim collected a couple of hands and went back into town to collect any of the men's belongings from the rooms they had let. By custom, Bob Penney's things belonged to Jacob; Jim could claim the possessions of the other four. All in all, Jacob got the better deal, although not by a lot.

There were questions and accusations aplenty when Jacob rode up the lane with his arm in a sling. But when he saw the midwife's horse was gone the only thing on his mind was making sure Marnie was doing OK.

The new mother was sleeping with her daughter at her breast when Jacob entered the bedroom. Marnie awoke a little and smiled sleepily at her husband. She didn't even appear to notice the sling — for which Jacob thanked his lucky stars. He pulled up a chair beside mother and daughter and watched them sleep.

Before long the excitement of the day caught up to him and he dozed off.

He was awakened by the sound of a baby crying. How in God's name could something so small make so much noise, he wondered. The movement of coming awake caused him to jar his arm and he cursed out loud.

"Son of a bitch," he said as he gingerly cradled his arm. It was only then he realized where he was.

He glanced over at Marnie who was feeding little Susanna and he smiled.

She didn't smile back.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess she sort of startled me."

"I guess it's a good thing you don't wear your guns to sleep," Marnie said.

"Guess so," he mumbled. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a foot and a half baby came out of a two-inch hole," she said.

"Uh, well, I guess I'll let you get some rest," Jacob said. He really didn't to listen to Marnie's bitching.

"Not until you tell me why your arm is in a sling," Marnie said.

"Broke it," Jacob answered.

Marnie's face was getting red. He didn't want her to lose her temper, especially as mean as she'd been the past couple of days. But he also didn't want to go into chapter and verse about the trip to the midwife.

"I can tell you broke it, Jacob," Marnie said in measured tones. "I would like to know how it came to be broken."

Jacob pursed his lips and sighed.

"Marnie, you're a mama now but you ain't my mama," Jacob answered. "Now I fell off my horse on the way to get the midwife. The doc says it's a clean break and it'll be fine an few weeks."

Marnie sat silently and looked at the baby on her breast.

"She's pretty one, hon," Jacob said in a conciliatory tone. "You sure done good."

There were tears in Marnie's eyes when she looked up. She smiled tiredly at her husband.

"It'll be better soon, love," she said softly. "I know I've been nasty lately. I ain't the first woman to do this but it felt that way sometimes."

"I know," Jacob answered as he sat beside her. He used his good hand to rub her hair. She always loved to have it stroked. He wasn't surprised when she leaned her head into his touch. "Can I kiss her?"

Marnie nodded and Jacob leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his daughter's sucking cheek. The little girl didn't miss a beat.

"Are you mad she ain't a son?" Marnie asked.

Jacob tilted his head.

"Why would I be mad about that?" he asked. "Maybe she'll turn out just like her Mama. I couldn't ask for anything better."

"I guess I just worried," she said. "I should have known better. But, well, I guess it's been drilled into my head that a father wants a son."

"Well, this father wants the baby Mama produced," Jacob assured her. "If I wasn't so clumsy I'd ask you if I could hold her. But, well, I'm scared of dropping her."

Marnie smiled sweetly. It was the first sweet smile Jacob had seen from her in days.

"I'll be up and around in a couple of days," she said. "I'll put her in your arm and be right there."

"You take as much time as you need," Jacob said quickly. "We got enough people running around this house that you don't need to do nothing before you're ready."

"I'm ready now," she stated. "I feel like a piece of china the way those girls have been fussing over me. And you, too, mister."

"Well, you ain't never gonna be confused with a shrinking violet, that's for damned sure," he said.

"Watch your language, Jacob," Marnie warned. "I want her first word to be Papa not something like that."

Marnie's face broke out into a huge grin.

"What?" Jacob asked, already dreading what might have popped into her mind.

"Well, now that you are hurt I can send my nursemaids over to take care of you," she said. "I'm certain that you'll need their help to get around the house and to the privy."

"Oh, no I won't," Jacob said quickly.

"Well, I didn't either but it didn't stop them," Marnie joked. "So now it's your turn. I'll bet Ann and Susan will have a wrestling match to figure out who gets to spend the first night with you to make sure you're OK."

"I'm going in my room and locking the door," he said. "How soon can I move back in there with you? It ain't safe out there alone for me."

"Oh, I'm guessing another 10 or 11 months," Marnie said.

"What?" Jacob said. His eyes had almost popped out his head at her answer.

"In a week or so," Marnie answered. "I gotta have a few days to rest up and couple of weeks to heal up before you can try to put another one in me."

"Well, we'll decide about that later," Jacob said. He wasn't sure if he could put up with another month like the one he'd just put up with.

"The first one is always the hardest," Marnie said. "The rest of our babies will be easier, I'm sure. But it can wait a few months as far as I'm concerned."

Jacob kissed Marnie on the cheek and tried to sneak into his room without anyone noticing.

There was no wrestling match, but Ann and Susan — and even Juliette, who had warmed up considerably to Jacob after he praised her for the protection she afforded Marnie and the baby — acted as though Jacob had jumped in front of a speeding horse to save a wagon load of schoolchildren.

When Jacob got around to telling exactly how his arm was broken — with Jim provided color details where warranted — their attitudes become even more solicitous.

"He looked at me said 'we don't have time for this, '" Jim told everyone — including Marnie. "Next thing I know he's rolled off his horse. Then I saw the gambler fall over. I goosed my horse and away we went."

Marnie was shaking her head.

"I should have known it was something like that," she said. Jacob wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

"Well, we didn't have time for that," he said. "It was going to come to that sooner or later. You know it was. He just picked a time when we had better things to do than listen to him bleat."

"You're lucky he didn't hide in the brush and just shoot you as you rode past," Ann said. There was a touch of sadness in her voice.