Chapter 18
It was Wednesday morning, September 6th, 2006.
Angie made breakfast while Alicia got ready for work.
The Devil's Cowboys woke up and were soon on the road. Their tasks were to buy everybody cowboy hats and finish their horseback riding lessons. They would head back to 1883 and live the life as famous outlaws along with Bart and Charlie.
Back at Mel and Victor's ranch, Clint and Merijildo waited outside the stable with rifles in hand.
Mel and Victor walked out two horses out of the stable. They walked the horses up to Clint and Merijildo.
Merijildo shook Mel's hand. "You come with me to visit? Preeti, love to meet you," Merijildo said.
"No way. I need my modern conveniences," Victor said.
Mel thought about it. "No. I'm a little too old for that stuff," Mel said.
"Me understand. Thank you for watching over me. Nice to know family lives on," Merijildo said, then shook Mel's hand.
Merijildo walked over to Victor and shook his hand. "It was nice to meet you," he said, and Victor smiled back.
Clint and Merijildo got in the saddle of their horses.
They rode off in the direction of the Superstition Mountains.
"I guess the legend is true. How come you never went in there?" Victor asked Mel while they watched the two ride off toward the mountains.
"I actually thought it was an old stupid Indian superstition," Mel replied.
"I don't know why they called it Crazy Hole when it brings ancestors together," Victor said and smiled while he placed his arm around Mel. Then Victor looked a little sad. "We lost three horses," he said.
Mel smiled and reached in his pocket. "Clint gave me these for the horses," Mel said and showed Victor six mint condition 1881 silver dollars.
Victor smiled as he knew they would be worth some bucks.
They walked back to their ranch house.
Later that day, Clint and Merijildo rode to Crazy Hole. When they got ten feet from the hole, the horses freaked out, and they almost fell off.
The quickly hopped out of the saddles of their horses, and Merijildo knew precisely how to correct his situation. He removed his shirt and used it to cover the horse's eyes. Clint did the same to his horse.
They walked their horses inside Crazy Hole and walked inside. They walked in the dark cave and got to the dead end.
"Legend has it that we have to say a month, day, and year we want to travel to," said Merijildo.
Clint thought about it for a second. "We want to travel back to September twentieth, eighteen eighty-three," he said, taking an educated guess.
"Good day," said Merijildo as his gut feeling made him feel this was the right choice.
They walked their horses into that other, and the blue plasma flash illuminated all around them.
Back in 1883, John woke up, rolled up his blankets, and secured them to his saddle. He quickly hopped in the saddle of his horse. He rode off towards the direction of Oak Creek.
Also, back in 1883, Clint and Merijildo walked their horses out of Crazy Hole. They looked around and knew they were back home.
Clint saw their horses and Bart and Charlie's horses.
Clint walked over and grabbed the reins of all four horses. He walked them back over to Merijildo and the other horses.
Clint and Merijildo got in the saddles of their horses, and each held onto the reins of two other horses.
They rode off in a northerly direction toward Oak Creek.
An hour later, John rode into Oak Creek, and he was extremely nervous. After he got closer to the bank, nobody recognized him, and he felt safe.
While he rode into town, he also saw the train at the station. His plan worked perfectly so far, and he knew in his stomach he would be free and clear of being an old western outlaw.
He rode to the Oak Creek National bank and stopped his horse in front of the bank. He quickly got out of the saddle of his horse and tied the reins to the hitching post. He opened up his duffel bag, and he removed the bag marked Oak Creek. He reached in the duffel bag and removed the last note.
"To Whom It May Concern. I'm sorry for robbing your bank. Here's your money back. Please forgive me. John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit. I'll never rob again as I quit being an outlaw," John previously wrote in his note.
John dropped the note into the bag. He rushed over and dropped the bag by the bank door.
He rushed back to his horse and removed his duffel bag.
He rushed off down the street and left his horse behind at the bank.
John walked to the train station, where the train engineer greased the train for the next leg of the journey to Phoenix, where he knew he could take a train north and eventually make it to Dodge City.
John walked to the ticket office window where Winston Wallace worked inside as the ticket clerk and also operated the telegraph machine.
"Ticket to Phoenix," he told Winston and handed him a silver dollar.
Winston gave John his ticket. He glanced at John, and it didn't dawn on him; it was the Kissing Bandit. "Train leaves in ten minutes," Winston told John.
John walked away with his duffel bag and walked over to a bench, fifteen feet from the ticket office window. He sat down and looked sad that he had to live the rest of his life in the old west.
Winston glanced over at John, and then something felt familiar. He thought for a second, then it dawned on him. It's the Kissing Bandit! Winston thought to himself. He quietly walked to the rear of his office. He slipped out the back door.
Winston ran down the street.
Clint and Merijildo rode their horses into town. They immediately rode to the livery stables, and they dropped off the horses.
They walked away from the stables and headed to his office.
Sally walked down the main street and up to the bank.
She spotted the bag. John left behind at the door.
She walked over to it and picked it up. She opened up the bag and saw the note and coins. She removed the note and read what John wrote. Her eyes widened with joy, as she was glad the Kissing Bandit was back in town.
She took the bag into the bank.
Clint and Merijildo walked down the main street and headed to his office with his rifle in hand. Clint started to think about his strategy of how he would catch John.
Winston ran up behind Clint. "Marshal, the Kissing Bandit is sitting at the train station. He's leaving for Phoenix," he told Clint.
Clint looked determined while he turned around and ran down the street. Merijildo and Winston ran after him.
When he just passed the bank, Rodney and Sally ran out of the bank. Rodney had the bag, John left, in his hand. "Marshal. Marshal. The Kissing Bandit returned all the money he stole," Rodney yelled the second he saw Clint.
Clint stopped dead in his tracks, as did Merijildo and Winston. Clint turned around and looked at Rodney in disbelief. "What?" he asked while he rushed over to Rodney.
"The Kissing Bandit returned all the money he stole," Rodney said and showed Clint the bag.
Clint opened up the bag and saw the money. Then Rodney showed Clint the note.
"Well, that's good. But Elmer's killer needs to be brought before a judge," Clint said then ran off down the street towards the train station.
"The Kissing Bandit is waiting at the train station," Winston told everybody who gathered around, curious.
Sally's eyes lit up as she wanted to see John again.
Merijildo, Winston, Rodney, and Sally ran after Clint.
John sat on the bench and waited while other people quietly milled around the area.
"Train leaves for Phoenix in five minutes," the train conductor called out while he walked up and down alongside the train.
People lined up to board the train. John got up from the bench and stood in line, and he was the last one. He knew this was going to work.
"All aboard for Phoenix," the train conductor yelled out.
People started to board the train.
John stepped on the train step while some other people rushed over to the train.
"You're under arrest, Mathers!" Clint yelled out behind John.
John's eyes widened with fear, as those were words he never wanted to hear. He turned around and saw Clint with a Winchester aimed behind him.
The people that rushed to the train quickly rushed over to a safer spot.
People on the train gawked out their windows and watched John being arrested.
John raised his arms in the air. "I returned all the bank's monies I stole. Can we call it even and let me go? I promise I'll never show my face in Oak Creek again," John begged.
"I don't think so. There's this matter of my dead deputy that needs settling," Clint replied.
John shook in fear and thought he was going to piss his pants. "But I didn't shoot him. Bart did," John protested.
"That's for Judge Peabody to decide. Not me!" Clint said, then cocked his rifle.
Sally looked sad, as she didn't want John arrested. All she wanted was another kiss from the Kissing Bandit.
"Move it," Clint said, then motioned his rifle for John to walk away from the train.
John walked away. Clint followed with his rifle aimed at John's back.
Merijildo, Sally, Winston, and Rodney followed.
People stuck their heads out the train windows and watched while Clint escorted John away.
Clint escorted John through the streets of Oak Creek with his rifle pressed in the middle of John's back. People around saw this and got curious.
"Clint's back in town. Whom did he arrest?" a man asked Winston while they walked past him.
"The Kissing Bandit," Winston replied.
More people came out of the building to see the man Clint arrested. Then word spread quickly around Oak Creek that the Kissing Bandit was arrested.
Clint escorted John to his office. Merijildo opened the door for Clint.
He pressed his rifle harder into John's back.
John knew what that meant and went inside. Merijildo followed and closed the door.
Sally, Winston, and Rodney waited outside. More people gathered, and talk spread like wildfire that the Kissing Bandit was arrested.
Sally got an idea, and she rushed off down the street.
Inside the Marshal's office, Clint walked John to one of the empty jail cells. He slammed the cell door; the second John stepped inside the cell.
John looked scared to death while he sat down on the bed of his new home.
Clint looked at the desk that once belonged to Elmer, and his eyes welled up. He looked over at Merijildo. "After I talk to Judge Peabody, I'll get your pay," Clint told him.
"No need. I saw the family. That worth more than pay," Merijildo said.
"You better get back to your boy and your wife, Preeti," Clint said.
Merijildo smiled, then left the office.
Clint looked back at John then he walked out of his office.
Clint walked through the streets of Oak Creek and headed into the residential area.
He walked up to a house and knocked on the door. After a few minutes, the door opened, and Judge Peter Peabody appeared.
"Hello, Marshal. I heard you were out chasing after the outlaws that shot poor old Elmer," he said.
"Yes sir, and I caught one of the scoundrels. I have him locked up ready for a trial," Clint replied.
Judge Peabody thought for a second. "I have the trail for Stinky Sampson the day after tomorrow," he said. Then he looked at Clint's eyes, and new Elmer was his good friend. "He was a good fishing buddy and knew where the fish were biting. I guess I can get word over to Stone Valley and postpone Stinky's trial for three days," he said. "I'll but the boy on trial in the morning. We'll start at nine," Judge Peabody added.
Clint smiled. "I'll have him there."
"Good. I'll arrange for Horace Arnold, that new young attorney over in Mountain Rock to represent him. That kid has been here for two months and hasn't had his first trial," Judge Peabody said.
Clint smiled and walked away.
Judge Peabody closed his front door.
Clint walked through the dirt streets of Oak Creek and went back to his office.
He went inside and walked up to John's cell, where he lay on his bed. John saw Clint and stood up.
"You go before Judge Peabody in the morning," Clint told him.
"I'm innocent. I didn't kill your deputy. Bart did," John cried out.
"Judge Peabody will decide that tomorrow morning. Your trial starts at nine," Clint said.
John looked scared to death since he read about Judge Peabody in the history books. All the outlaws that went before Judge Peabody were found guilty. This was part of the life of an outlaw that he didn't realize could be a strong possibility. He went back to his bed and sat down, and he knew he was dead meat.
Clint walked over and to his desk and sat down. He thought about his recent trip to the future, and he thought about Alicia. He smiled as he really started to like her, and it was too bad they were from different periods. Then he got sad when he thought that at this exact moment, she doesn't exist.
The door opened, and Sally entered with a plate covered by a cloth napkin.
She closed the door while Clint glanced at her.
"Sally, you didn't have to bring me dinner," Clint said.
She looked at John's cell. "I'm sorry, Marshal, it's for the Kissing Bandit," she said and smiled at John.
Clint looked over at John. He looked back at Sally and couldn't figure out why she took a liking to him.
"May I Marshal? He still needs to eat," Sally asked.
"Go ahead," Clint said and motioned for her to go over to John's cell door.
He watched her walk the plate over to John. She slid it under the gap at the bottom of the cell bars. John picked up the plate and removed the napkin. It was corn, fried chicken, and green beans.
"Thank you," John said while he sat down on his bed and ate a piece of chicken.
"I'm Sally. Do you remember me?" she asked while she watched him eat.
John looked at her. "No," he replied with a mouth full of chicken.
"You kissed me when you robbed the bank here at Oak Creek," she said.
John thought for a second while he swallowed. "I remember," he said, then munched on some more chicken, as he was starving. "My name is John Mathers," he added.
"I know," she replied with love in her eyes while she watched John eat.
Clint got up from his desk and walked over to John's jail cell.
"John, don't you have a girlfriend back home? I believe her name is Angie. I met her. A charming girl, and I can imagine she's worried sick on where you are right now," Clint said.
Sally looked disappointed with that information.
"Sally, you better leave. I can imagine Ernie is worried. Plus, you have your wedding next week," Clint said.
Sally looked a little guilty. "Goodbye," she said, then rushed out of the Marshal's office.
Clint looked at John's dinner, and his stomach growled. "I'm going to get some dinner. Stay put," he told John with a light chuckle.
Winston rushed inside the Marshal's office. "Marshal Bartley, I just got word that Marshal Jeb Paulson died in his sleep two days ago," he told Clint while he rushed up to him.
"Died? What a shame. Jeb was a good lawman, but he was getting up in age. I guess a new Marshal for Mountain Rock will have to be sworn in," Clint said.
Winston's stomach growled.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Clint asked.
"No," Winston replied.
"Let's get some grub," Clint said.
Clint left the Marshal's office with Winston.
John waited a few minutes to make sure Clint didn't return. He looked at the small window at the rear of his cell.
He stood up on his bed, and he grabbed the cell bars. He shook them and hoped they would come loose, but they didn't. John got off the bed and walked to the cell bars.
He grabbed the bars and shook the door. He hoped it would come loose, but they didn't.
He walked over the bed and sat down, depressed.
Later that night, Clint returned with a bedroll and a new cartridge belt and pistol. He laid it on the floor between his desk and John's jail cell to guard over him. Even though the office had a back room with a bed, Clint preferred to sleep on the floor by the prisoners.
He then went over to the potbelly stove and made a pot of coffee. He walked back to his desk and sat down with his boots up on his desk. He waited for the coffee to brew on the stove.
John was on his back on the bed, and he stared at the ceiling.
A little while later, Clint sat at his desk and drank a cup of coffee.
The rest of the night was quiet between John and Clint.
An hour later, John finally fell asleep.
Clint removed his cartridge belt and laid it on the floor. He bedded down on the floor on his bedroll and quickly fell asleep.
A rooster crowed while the sun rose in Oak Creek. It was Friday, September 21st, 1883.
John woke up in his jail cell bed, and he hoped it was all a bad dream. He sat up and looked around and realized it wasn't a bad dream.
Clint woke up, then stood up and stretched. He looked at John, who looked ever so sad in his cell.
"I'll get us some breakfast," Clint said then walked to the door.
John rushed over to the cell bars. "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom. Really bad!" John said.
Clint turned around and looked at John.
He walked over to his desk and removed some keys from the middle drawer.
He walked over and unlocked John's cell door.
"If you try to get away, I'll put a bullet in your back," Clint threatened.
Clint escorted John to the rear door of the Marshal's office.
Clint escorted John to an outhouse fifty feet from the rear of the Marshal's office.
John looked at it and took a whiff of the air, and his face cringed as it stunk! "Eighteen eighty-three sucks!" John said while he pinched his nostrils closed and went inside the outhouse.
Clint looked down at his shirt and saw the faint stain of wine from Alicia's house. He touched it and seemed lonely, as he really missed Alicia and wished she lived during this time.
John exited the outhouse and looked like he wanted to vomit.
Clint escorted him back to the Marshal's office.
Clint walked John to his jail cell and returned him to his new home. He slammed the door shut, then walked over and sat back down at his desk.
They waited for nine o'clock to arrive.
The courthouse was a one-room courtroom. It was filled will folk from Oak Creek, and John's trial started thirty minutes ago.
John sat nervously next to Horace, a nervous, skinny attorney who graduated from law school three months ago at the bottom of his class. He moved out west because he couldn't get a job back east.
Clint stood over against the wall near Judge Peabody's bench.
In the room was Sally, Ernie, Rodney, Annie, Jacob, the stagecoach driver, the cowboy who rode shotgun, Jessica, Wilbur, Russell, Anthony, Greg, Henry, Jacob, Cindy, and Betty. They all testified before Judge Peabody that while John robbed them, he never fired his pistol. Rodney also testified that the money John stole was returned.
"Will Chester White, please approach the bench," Judge Peabody yelled out.
Chester got up from the front row of seats. He limped to Judge Peabody and sat in the witness chair.
Horace got up and walked over to Chester.
"Chester White. Did you see John Mathers shoot Bart Stone?" Horace asked.
"Yes, I did. He had his pistol aimed at Elmer. He fired a shot, and Elmer was hit dead," Chester said with strong conviction.
John sat there, and violently shook his head in disagreement.
Horace looked at Judge Peabody. "I don't have any further questions, your honor," Horace said and rushed back and sat down next to John.
John looked at Horace in disbelief that he was assigned an incompetent attorney.
Judge Peabody thought for a second while decided on a verdict. "Even after due consideration, with the fact that Mister Mathers returned all the bank monies he stole, but he's not on trial for that crime. He's on trial for the murder of Elmer Filson, and since Chester White said he saw John Mathers aim and fire his pistol at Elmer, I know how I'm going to rule," he said then hesitated.
The courtroom was quiet while they waited for Judge Peabody.
"Therefore, I Judge Wilbur Peabody, find you, John Mathers, guilty of murdering Elmer Filson. Mister Mathers will be hanged until dead in two days at eight o'clock on Sunday morning," Judge Peabody said then banged his gavel.
John bolted up, upset. "This is an injustice! I told you Bart Stone killed Elmer. I'm innocent!" John screamed out.
Judge Peabody got pissed and beat his desk with his gavel. "Court dismissed! Take Mister Mathers back to his cell!" Judge Peabody yelled.
Horace stood up. "Sorry. I did my best," he said, then rushed away.
Clint walked over and grabbed John by his arm. He stood him up, and everybody watched while he walked John away.
John fought to escape Clint's grip. "You can't do this! You'll be murdering me!" John cried out while he tried to get away.
Clint removed his pistol from his holster and smacked John on the back of his head. John passed out and dropped to the floor.
Clint motioned to Rodney to assist him. Rodney rushed over and grabbed John's boots while Clint grabbed John under his armpits.
They walked him down the aisle between the seats.
Sally, Annie, Jessica, Cindy, and Betty all wiped tears from their eyes as they took a liking to John and didn't want him to die.
Clint and Rodney carried John back to the Marshal's office. They plopped him on his bed in the jail cell. Clint closed the door and sat down at his desk.
Rodney left the Marshal's office.
Two hours later, John woke up in his cell and looked around. He looked sad, as he hoped this was still a bad dream. The sound of hammers and saws was heard from outside. John got curious and stood up on his bed and peeked out the barred window.
John peeked through his cell window and saw workers construct the platform of the wooden gallows in the middle of the street out in front of the General store. He swallowed hard, knowing that this would be the spot he'd leave this world.
John sat down on the bed and rubbed his neck with his hand and swallowed hard. He removed his wallet from his pants and opened it up. He removed a picture of Angie, and his eyes welled up.
Clint walked over to the potbelly stove with two cups, and he poured coffee into them. He walked over to John's cell. He pushed a cup of coffee through the bars.
"Coffee?"
John got up with Angie's picture in his hand. He walked to the bars and grabbed the cup. "Thanks."
Clint saw the picture of Angie in John's hand.
"You love her?"
John looked at Angie's picture then looked at Clint with teary eyes. "Very much."
"Then, I can't figure out why you would ruin a lifetime of happiness with her, for a date with a noose."
John looked ashamed. "I just wanted to become a famous outlaw. I didn't want someone to get killed,"
"Those stupid dime novels make kids think being an outlaw is glamorous," Clint said then took a sip of coffee. "Maybe those writers should be hanged instead," Clint added.