Now Playing:Ultimatum
Episode Twenty concluded with:
The
clergyman remained silent until the Indians had gone. By that time, Carson had
handcuffed Rip Gowdy and Tully Jones was on his feet. “There are only nine of
them now,” Nate said. “And we have two of their rifles. They have become a
pretty sad bunch.”
“What do you think they’ll do next?” Dehner asked.
“Many will try to return to their tribes,” Nate replied. “For most of them,
that will work out all right. Others will become outlaws. You’ll probably meet
up with them again, Rance.”
Episode Twenty-One
Marshal
Bret Carson surveyed the gruesome landscape. He had a deputy who had turned out
to be a crook and a killer. Rip Gowdy was now sitting on the ground with his hands
cuffed behind his back. Tully Jones was standing around, seemingly staring at
something inside his mind. There were two bodies to bury and another six to
take into town, where the marshal would have to inform their families that they
had died while serving as his volunteer deputies. He hadn’t looked inside the
cabin yet.
Still, Carson’s lawman instincts
remained strong. There were questions he had to ask. “Rance, how did you figure
Tully had hid the money in his jug?”
Dehner gave his friend a crooked
smile. “Tully was begging for a drink back at the office before he left. But he
never even uncorked the jug. Those facts came to me when I saw the panicked
expression on Tully’s face, when he thought his horse had galloped off with the
jug.”
Carson nodded his head then looked
with scorn at the man sitting on the ground. “How did you figure out Gowdy was
such a snake?”
“The six men had experience as
volunteer deputies. They would be on their guard with the Indians and the
moonshiners, but wouldn’t think anything of turning their backs on a deputy.
And Edwards’ wounds were from a six gun, not rifles.”
The marshal nodded his head
solemnly. “I guess Tully had the deputy in a trap. Gowdy couldn’t demand that
he tell him where the money was hid. Tully could spill the beans, but good.”
The three men were quiet for a
moment. There was a lot of unpleasant work ahead for them and they needed a
pause before they began.
“Oh, by the way, Rance, there is
something I forgot to mention,” Carson sounded embarrassed.
“Yes.”
“Before you got to the office this
afternoon, Stu Parks stopped by. He runs the telegraph office.”
“Uh,oh.”
“I’m afraid there’s a message for
you. Looks like your vacation is over.”
“Some vacation!” Reverend Nate said.
Marshal Bret Carson took off his hat
and wiped his forehead. "Yeah. But I gotta admit, I’m mighty glad Rance Dehner
came to town to do some fishing.”
Tomorrow: A new Rance Dehner western
adventure, Save the Girl!
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