CHAPTER FOUR
Road Ends
Pulling his Winchester from his horses scabbard he moved back into the trees making his way towards the shooter. Moving tree to tree to keep from getting shot.
He'd have to give the bushwhacker credit. He had picked a good location that looked over the little clearing and made it almost impossible to get behind him Hannigan wasn't worried about getting behind him tho all he wanted was a good place to shoot...
He spotted a couple of boulders laying next to each other which created a crevice to lay his rifle in, pulling up his long range sights. Hannigan drew a bead on the tree the bushwhacker was using...
Slowing his breathing down and he had already figured the guy was a righty, so he would pull up on the right side of the tree...
As he waited for something to shoot, he had pulled the trigger to the break point and just a hair more would set it off...
A bead of sweat formed on his neck running down his back chilling him further and the winter wind was starting to pick up.
Hannigan thought If he doesn’t make a move soon it will be dark
He had been waiting for 20 minutes and finally the wait must have gotten to the shooter because he let loose with several searching shots and Hannigan fired on the last shot...
Suddenly he saw movement and then horse hauling ass up the ridge. By the time it broke from the trees so he could get a good shot it dropped off the ridge from where he had come up...
Hannigan raced back to his horse and rode after the shooter. Getting to the tree the shooter was using Hannigan found blood...
Well, at least he had winged him, smiling to himself, looking closely at the blood he also saw a hoof print with a star on the shoe, well I’ll be!...
OK now we are getting somewhere. Find the horse with a wounded man on it and I've got another killer...
Hannigan mounted back up and headed back the way he came. He wasn't in a hurry now because he had his man... Or a woman and they weren't going anywhere...
John Morgan and Jim Anderson got off the train in Idaho City, as they disembarked, John chuckled,
“Well, Jim look at this shit hole, these backward pig-farmers don't have a chance”.
“John why don't we line our pockets more, and rob the Bank on the way out of town”...
“John thought a moment and said, Jim sometimes you come up with the best ideas... Like taking this job and now this bank idea”...
“I'm going to have to say Most of your ideas are shit, but you bested yourself on this one”...
“Fuck you John, lol”
“Let's find a Hotel and the saloon and some women”.
“We’ve got plenty of time to find this sod-buster, kill him and collect our money”.
Both men grabbed their bags and marched down the street.
Marshall Lewis Allen of Snake River Basin was surprised when a deputy from Idaho City found him relaxing down at the river with his fishing pole wedged between two rocks to hold it as he slept...
Hearing a horse riding up he lowered his gun hand to his holster unhooking the hammer thong.
As he acted asleep, he looked from under his hat that was pulled down, but not completely covering his eyes. You never pull it too far down this day and age... You’ll find yourself kissing someone’s six-shooter.
As a rider rode up, he heard him dismount and saw his feet moving towards him...
As the rider got within 10 feet of the Marshall, He pulled his Colt 44 and said....
“State your business or I'll be burying you”...
“Sir I mean Mister Marshall ....We need your help”
The Marshall shoved his hat back and faced the deputy.
“Son hasn't anyone ever told you to make yourself known before you enter a man's camp?”
The deputy looked around and said...
“This is a camp?”
“Yes and it's all mine and you're trespassing”...
“Marshall I'm sorry I thought you were sleeping”...
“Son in this country if a man sleeps, he doesn't get a second chance”...
“Sorry Sir I was requested by the Sheriff of Idaho City to find you and bring you back to Idaho City”...
“Now what makes you think I want to go back with you?”
“We need you to identify someone”...
“Son that's what they have wanted posters for Now get out of here and quit interrupting my sleep” and he pulled his hat back down.
“Marshall I thought you said a man who sleeps in this country doesn't get a second chance as he sneered at the Marshall”
Marshall slowly pulled his hat back-up and eyed the deputy....
“Well son a man with your mouth, is not long for this world now if I was you and I’m not, but take my advice I'd grab my horse and ride like the devil was after you because if you're here in 30 seconds....He will be”...
The Marshall rose up to his full 5'5" and the deputy looked at him and started backing up slowly This man looked like piece of beef jerky and hard as nails he thought...
He had just enough time to sputter a name....
“Hannigan”
The look on the Marshall's face was like he had seen a ghost....
“What did you say son?”
“Sir it's Hannigan we need you to identify Hannigan”...
“The Marshall swallowed and said is he dead?”
“No Sir, but he will be soon enough”....
“What the hell do you mean?”
“Marshall the sheriff found his wanted poster and he has sent for two gunslingers from Dodge City to help him kill Hannigan for the $250,000 reward”...
Marshall shook his head....
“Don't you morons get any updates on the Most Wanted Posters?”
“I do not even know Marshall”.
“Shit, let’s mount up. It's a four day ride and we need to beat the devil before he kills them all”...
Hannigan finally got back to town well into the night, cold, wet and hungry he wasn’t in any mood for talk but the only thing that was open was the Saloon and his room was up stairs anyway so he headed that way, Thinking maybe Ben had something to eat…
He went through the swing doors and stopped dead in his tracks…
There sat the Sheriff with his arm in a sling…The Haskett Brothers and a couple of pretty boys..with low hanging Colts.
He guessed this must be the gunslingers he had heard about.
He continued to the bar, Ben moved up to him and asked what would he like.
“Hannigan said well Ben I’ve been on the trail of a dead man all night and I see that he has come in here”….
Behind him he hear someone at the table ask
“So you’re the Hannigan that is wanted with a $250,000 dead or alive on his head”…
Hannigan slowly turned back around and faced the table…
“Yes I’m Hannigan”…
I think it’s time for you to pay up and with a flash the Stranger drew his Colt and Fired…