Chapter 2

They got back to the ranch in time for a late supper. Janet had saved the full meal for them and only had to warm it when they finally showed up about an hour later than normal supper time. The three men greatly appreciated her efforts and told her so as they enjoyed the meal.

After supper, the two shepherds went back to the bunkhouse, and Jason had them take the shotguns with them. If there was another raid on the ranch, they would need the guns for protection. Meanwhile, Jason was trying to figure out what he needed to do to have a chance to keep them safe.

Based on Jason's military experience, yes, he had been a captain in the Confederate cavalry, there was no way that they could withstand a raid from all of the combined cattlemen in the immediate neighborhood. This could amount to 60-75 raiders at one time, and that was too much without trained soldiers. However, he did not think that the locals would think of something as radical as that. It was much more likely that any attacks would be limited to a maximum of 20-30 men, most of whom would be using pistols, probably the .36 caliber Colt Navy model.

Those pin-fire shotguns had about the same range as the Colt Navy, and they certainly had the same stopping power with #00 buckshot. As long as his men had the 12-gauge shotguns, they should be able to stand off 20-30 men of the type who worked as cowboys. Jason figured that he needed 10 of the shotguns, and he only had two on hand. Tomorrow, he would visit the gunsmith and order eight more of the shotguns. He had enough money to pay for them, but the question was whether or not they would arrive in time to do him and his men any good. He also needed to order more of those special shells.

He told his plan to Janet, and she was excited that he was ordering enough for her to have one of the shotguns. At one time, she had been an avid bird hunter, so she knew how to handle the big gun. When Jason first told Janet that he was getting one of the guns for her, she had squealed and jumped up to run to him. She had kissed him on the cheek and then blushed a bright red when she realized what she had done.

Jason took her hand and said, "Janet, I appreciate the kiss. I want you to know that I am worried what might happen to you if we are overrun by rampaging cowboys. You will definitely need some form of protection, because those men would have their blood running at a boil, and you would just be considered by them to be another one of the enemy. The fact that you are a woman would not slow them down from killing you in the heat of the moment. Failing that, because you are a woman, they would undoubtedly treat you as a spoil of war and assault you, possibly to your death. Therefore, I want to provide you with as much protection as I can.

"In fact, if you feel that you are in too much danger by being here, I would understand if you wanted to leave. I could give you three months' wages as severance pay and write you a strong letter of recommendation. Let me know any time you decide that you must go, though I would sorely hate to lose you."

"Oh, Jason, you are a darling man to be so concerned about me! I have no intention of leaving. You will be surprised when I show you just how well I can shoot a shotgun, even one as heavy as a 12-gauge. I am not afraid, and I want to help you just as you helped me when I was in a very difficult spot."

"Thank you, Janet. Your spirit lifts mine. I am sure that we will come through this foolishness in good shape with you to back me."

They talked well into the night about many things, not just the defense of the ranch. By the time they were ready to shut down for bed, each one went to his or her room thinking what a delightful mate the other one would make. Both were not sure how the other one felt, though. Each one was scared of saying the wrong thing and driving the other one away. Something was needed to get them to move toward each other.

The next morning after breakfast, Jason rode into Buzzard Flats to see the gunsmith. He was also from back East, New York City to be exact, so he was completely neutral on the sheep versus cattle controversy. Therefore, he was willing to order the guns and ammunition that Jason wanted without any thought except of the nice profit he was going to make from selling that many guns with so little effort on his part. He said that, now that the railroad had come to town, they could expect delivery in about three weeks. He would send the order by telegram that very morning.

Jason gave him a deposit against the order and left for home. Jason was not paying attention the way he should have been, considering the current circumstances, so he was caught completely by surprise when a bullet grazed his skull and knocked him from his horse. Jason was knocked unconscious, either from the bullet or from the fall, but his loss of consciousness did not last long, and that was a good thing.

Jason was just regaining his senses when he saw a man riding toward him carrying a Mississippi Rifle (a single-shot muzzle loader). The man must have been sure that Jason was dead, and that would have been a reasonable assumption, considering how much blood was pouring from Jason's wound.

Fortunately for Jason, though there was a lot of blood, none of it had run into his eyes, so his vision was not impaired. The man riding toward Jason was very careless, too, because there was smoke coming from his rifle barrel, indicating that he had not reloaded it, yet. He was holding his rifle in his right hand and his reins in his left hand, so he was obviously not in a position to draw his Colt with any ease.

Jason let the man get very close and then rolled over to a good shooting position while simultaneously drawing his LeMat with his right hand. The movement was so fast that the man on the horse had no chance to react before Jason cocked and fired. Jason's bullet caught the man high in the chest and knocked him backwards off his horse. The rifle went flying and the man broke his neck when he hit the ground, head first.

Jason's head hurt like bloody hell, but he was able to bandage the wound after a fashion with his bandana, so the blood finally clotted. He struggled to get the man back across his saddle and tied him there before mounting his own horse for the ride home. It was a damned good thing that Jason met no more potential assassins before he got home, because he was barely able to stay in the saddle by the time he got there.

Jesus was the first one to spot Jason as he rode in. He ran to his boss and was full of questions, none of which were answered. Jason was beyond talking by then and more fell than dismounted as he got off his horse. Hector showed up about this time and helped to get Jason into the kitchen where Janet saw him.

She nearly fainted when she saw Jason, but pulled herself together quickly enough to order the men to carry Jason to his bed. Meanwhile, she gathered up the things that she would need to work on the wound before following the men to Jason's bed.

By the time she got there, the men had pulled off his boots and had him lying on his back in the bed. Janet sent the men out because they were getting in the way as they tried to be helpful. She told them to take care of Jason's horse and whatever else she could think of to get rid of them.

When they were gone, she dipped a clean cloth into a pan of warm water she had brought with her and began to try to soften the blood clot on his head so that she could get the bandana off and out of the way. There was quite a bit of work involved in that job, and she had to get some more cloths and some more water from the kitchen before she had been able to accomplish what she needed to do.