Chapter 4

Even though I trusted the dogs to warn me of unwelcome guests I didn't try bailing outside without looking around again. And even though I needed to piss like a Rocky Mountain Racehorse I still released the dogs before finding a tree to water. I knew the dogs needed to pee too and they were scratching and sniffing before I could even get my pants unzipped. I'd just finished shaking the dew off my lily when one of them started barking and then the rest joined in. I zipped up and went to see what was up.

They had a girl treed, or nearly so. I told them to shut up and went to her to see if she was hurt.

"No, I'm not hurt yet mister, but four assholes killed my pa yesterday and they captured me. I think they would have raped me last night if I hadn't managed to slip off into the woods and hide before they got around to it. The last thing I heard them say was they'd find me after the sun came up and then they'd show me they meant business." she said, and tears were leaking out of her eyes by now.

"Don't worry about a thing honey. I'll take you back to my wagons and let my women take care of you then I'll find the men who did all this and I'll take care of them," I said.

Mary and Sally were already up and cooking when I brought Jean over to introduce her. I picked up a Greener to go with my Marlin and revolvers and took off toward the wagon and mules I had waiting in the woods.

Sure enough, four men were looking over my find when I got there and they were arguing over whether to keep looking for the girl or hitch up the wagon and take off with it. Since they were all bunched up closely together I cut loose with the Greener, both barrels, and then set it down and brought the Marlin up into firing shape.

One of them was still in good enough shape to have a revolver in his hand, but the Marlin made him drop it right away. The rest seemed too badly wounded to do anything so I walked up on them.

"Howdy Gents. Were you looking for a young girl before you decided to steal my wagon?" I asked them, and one of them asked me if I'd seen her.

"Of course I saw her. I took her back to my other wagons so my women could take care of her, but I guess I've settled your hash now anyway. Who wants to start talking first?" I asked.

"We ain't telling you shit," one of them said, and so I shot him just under his nose and it made a fucking mess of his head. It even popped his eyes out.

"Any of the rest of you want to take up his attitude?" I asked them and they all claimed they didn't.

"That's good, now tell me where your loot is hid out," I said.

"Ain't you gonna try to help us out and doctor us up a little first?" one of them asked.

"Shit, if I wanted you to live I wouldn't have shot you in the first place, but if you tell me where your loot is I won't do nothing else to you and I'll let you die in peace. Bleeding to death ain't such a painful way to die you know, least that's what I've heard." I said.