Now Playing: The Robin Hood of the Range
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Episode Four concluded with:
Ricky Cates prided himself on being smart. He
paused and thought about everything the Bolgers had told him about their hired
hand: hard- working, honest, kind…
Cates enjoyed dealing with such men. They were
easy to fool. And Isaiah was a black man. The killer’s mood became almost
playful. This could turn out to be fun. He once again went to his saddle bags,
this time to pull some things out.
Caution was still needed. Bedroll under his left
arm and saddle bags slung over his left shoulder, Ricky Cates left the house
and headed for the barn. He tried to look casual but his right arm was free and
ready to draw.
“Stop right there, Mr. Robin Hood!
Episode Five
Ricky
stopped and turned around. Standing in front of the Bolger house was Isaiah. He
was a big man, wearing a checkered shirt and pants made of rugged material. His
temples were lined with gray and his arms held an old scatter gun.
“Drop
everything you’re carryin’, and take off that fancy gunbelt real careful,”
Isaiah ordered. “You’re gonna pay for what you just did. I’m takin’ you into
town.”
Cates
spoke as he carried out the instructions. “You know, brother, I’m happy you
came along. That devil just gets inside me sometimes, and I do horrible things.
I hope you can forgive me like Simon Bolger did. He says the Lord will forgive
me and so does he.”
A
wave of shock passed through Isaiah. “Mr. Bolger is still alive!”
“Sure
is.”
Isaiah
turned his head toward the house. Ricky Cates pulled a derringer from under his
sleeve and fired directly into Isaiah’s chest. The killer laughed as his victim
went down, collapsing onto the scatter gun. “I use the derringer most times in
card games, but it worked just fine on you, Isaiah.”
Cates
continued to laugh as he rebuckled his
gunbelt, tied down the holster, and gathered up his cargo. Sauntering into the
barn, he hummed the tune of a hymn whose lyrics he couldn’t remember. As he
saddled his pinto, he wondered how long it would be before the dead bodies were
discovered. Probably not too long. He needed to be on his way.
But
as he rode out of the barn, Cates couldn’t resist the urge to inflict more
pain. He carefully rode toward Isaiah’s body, stopping several yards away. The
body of the hired hand was moving a bit. He was still alive.
“Hey
Isaiah!” Ricky shouted. “I know you wanna see your friends the Bolgers. Now,
bleedin’ to death can take a long time.” He drew his six shooter. “So, I’ll hurry
along your journey.”
An
explosion sounded from underneath Isaiah’s body. Despite his fatal wound,
Isaiah had managed to pull the trigger of the old scatter gun. He had been
unable to aim, but his shot didn’t completely miss its mark.
Ricky
Cates yelled in pain, holstered his gun and spurred his horse. He needed to get
away from the Bolger place and find help, find another farm or ranch where the
fools believed in the Robin Hood of the Range.
Tomorrow: Episode Six of The Robin Hood
of the Range
