Chapter 18: Jason

Jase finally reached Mobile in the late afternoon, following a long and miserable ride back from the Trevelon holding. The next port of call would be Naw'lins to look up the Jackson family as the next step in Jase's quest to find his brother. Like brother Jesse before him, He decided that a steamer trip from Mobile to Naw'lins beat the living daylights out of the alternative overland trip.

So, Jase booked passage on a coastal steamer for himself and his two horses. His boat would sail at six the next evening. Jase then stabled his horses for the night and trudged over to his hotel where he paid for one more night. He had until about noon the next day before he had to vacate his room, so he decided that he would eat an early supper and then early to bed for a good night's sleep. He walked over to a small, but very good little cafe he had been frequenting while in town.

As he entered the cafe, Jase looked around. A number of tables were occupied, but there were as many that weren't. He chose a table at the back, next to the wall. He sat down facing out into the room with his back to that wall. Maude, the comely daughter of the owner, was the only waitress in the establishment.

She came to Jase's table and asked, "What would you like tonight, Jase?" as she set down a steaming cup of black coffee.

His reply was, "I'll have the steak and beans with the steak very well done, please. I want the fried spuds and keep the black coffee comin'. I'll have a piece of that homemade cherry pie for desert."

Maude replied, "Comin' right up, Jase," and gave him a flirtatious grin and a strong shake of her back side as she walked back to the kitchen.

While waiting for his food to arrive, Jase casually surveyed the people in the room. A whiskey drummer sat alone at one table, his sample satchel on the chair next to his. A young farmer and two young sons sat at another table.

Probably in town to lay in supplies, thought Jase.

Three young ladies and a gentleman escort sat at another table. Jase thought, I wonder who they might be and if they are related. The one young lady looks a great deal like the gent. From the dusters hanging on the wall behind them, they appear to be travelers.

At another table further away, sat another gent all by himself. Jase thought, He has all the appearances of a professional gambler. I wonder. At the one other occupied table, sat a scruffy pair of men. They sure are a motley pair, thought Jase, They appear to be workmen, but local or not, I can't tell. Looks as if they haven't had a bath in a good long time, or a shave. I'm glad I'm not sitting at a table next to them!

Maude appeared with his food and had another mischievous grin on her face as she served him. Jase also noticed, and not for the first time, that Maude was indeed a very comely girl. She admitted to being eighteen though Jase would judge her to be younger than that. Maude also filled out a dress quite deliciously in all the right places. And, on a warm night like tonight, her sweat soaked her dress and it stuck to her contours in a most appealing way.

Jase shook his head to clear it of such thoughts and turned to his food, but not before he caught the the tinkle of Maude's laughter as she caught him in his daze of thoughts. Once again, Maude twitched her backside off to the kitchen as Jase dug into his supper.

Jase was eating his pie when a young man entered and sat down at a table. He was a handsome young man, but he was extremely arrogant and obnoxious. Maude's face showed a strong grimace of distaste as she stepped to his table to take his order. The young man, Jake, as Maude called him, treated Maude like the lowest of servants and ordered her around like a slave. As Maude turned to leave, Jake slapped her on her backside and hung on to it with a strong pinch.

Maude said, "Stop that Jake, I mean it," as she swatted his hand away.

Jake laughed and said, "Awe, come on honey, give a man a little pleasure, why don't you?" Maude retreated to the kitchen.

Jase was not amused as he finished his pie and sipped on his coffee. When Maude returned with Jake's food, he reached up and gave Maude's left breast a hard squeeze. But Jake made a mistake. Maude still had food in her hand. In less than the blink of an eye, Maude dumped that food, plates and all, into Jake's lap and slapped him a really good crack across the face.

Jake screamed, "Look what you did to my new suit and shirt, you little bitch! I'll learn you some manners!"

Jake grabbed Maude's arm and attempted to pull her back to his side. Maude screamed and slapped the other side of his face this time.

Maude then cried out, "Ow, Jake you're hurtin' me!"

Jake had an evil grin on his face as he said, "Good!"

Jase raised his head and in a calm but deadly voice that cut to the core, said, "Jake, let the lady loose."

The rest of the people in the room sat stock still, frozen in place and unwilling to interfere as they watched the little drama play out.

"The hell you say," replied Jake. "Stay out of what ain't your business, pilgrim!"

That was Jake's second mistake, to underestimate Jase. Jake twisted Maude's arm really hard and gave her a back and forth, hard slap to the face.

With no further word, Jase slowly rose from his seat, revealing his tall, lanky frame and the Colt strapped on his waist.

"Fancy yourself a shooter, do you, pilgrim?"

Without answering, Jase slowly walked toward Jake's table. Jake must have seen something in Jase's eyes. He suddenly released Maude.

Jake stammered, "Aw, hell, mister, I was just havin' a little fun. Can't a man have a little fun once in a while?"

Jase coldly replied, "Not by force when the other party says no."

Jake's reply was, "Shit!" as he slowly rose to his feet.

Jake also had a Colt strapped to his waist. But Jake's hand had a slight tremble now.

Jase, without taking his eyes off Jake's eyes, asked, "Ever shoot a man with that, boy?"

Jake didn't reply, but sweat began to bead up on his forehead, one bead rolling down to drip off the end of his nose. Jase just kept slowly walking toward Jake with steely eyes that bored right on through Jake's eyes.
Jake hesitantly started to reach for his Colt, but as his hand touch the butt of the weapon, Jase said, "Don't! If you do, you'll be dead before it clears leather!"

This was pure bluff on Jase's part as he was not really a fast draw artist. He could shoot well, just not draw terribly fast. Jake hesitated, but went for his gun in the end. But Jase had reached him by this time and as Jake's Colt came out of it's holster in a hesitant and, way too slow draw, Jase grabbed the barrel and twisted the pistol out of Jake's hand. And, in one quick, smooth motion, Jase swung the gun in an arc and landed the butt end on Jake's temple, just above his right ear. Jake dropped like a stone, out cold.

Jase stuck Jake's pistol in his waistband and said, "Somebody get the law."

There was an enthusiastic round of applause from the other customers.

Maude ran up to Jase and threw her arms around him and said, "Oh God, Jase, I was so scared. I thought you were going to get shot! Jake is a rotten man. He's been in here more than once, but he never got this carried away before."

A local constable came in and both Jase and Maude told their stories. Jake was still out cold. The constable asked, "Miss, do you want to file charges?"

Maude replied, "Yes, I do. He went too far this time and I won't stand for it. He assaulted me!"

The constable said, "Ok, he'll spend the night in jail, or longer, ifn his pa don't bail him out in the morning. He is gettin' disgusted with Jake's behavior."

Another constable came in while water was splashed in Jake's face. The two officers, one on either side of Jake, then escorted him outside.

Maude and Jase sat down at Jase's table as Maude's mother brought out the coffee pot and said, "Maude, you rest a bit, I'll wait on customers until you can go back to work."

Maude's father, the main cook, came out of the kitchen and shook hands with Jase and thanked him for comin' to the aid his daughter.

When they were temporarily alone again, Maude asked, "Jase, will you walk me home?"

Jase thought a moment and then said, "Ok, but let me pay my bill first."

"No need," said Maude, "Papa already said your supper was on him tonight!"
Jase nodded and they started for the door as Maude called back over her shoulder, "Papa, I'm going home for the night--I'm too shaky to work any more tonight. Jase will see me home. OK?"

"Yes, Maudie, mother and I will finish up tonight. We'll see you later."

Maude clung tightly to Jase as they stepped out onto the boardwalk along the street. The moon was full and shinning brightly as they walked. Jase could smell Maude's perfume, her musky odor of arousal, and fear induced sweat that was drying. It was an erotic aura--a heady brew! It was having its effect on his crotch as evident by the growing bulge he was experiencing.