Chapter 22
The sun rose, and it was the start of a beautiful cloudless Sunday in 1883 Oak Creek. But it wouldn't be so appealing for one individual. It was Sunday, September 23rd, 1883, and a day that will go down in history.
Jimmy woke up when the sun lit up his face from sleeping in the desert. He got up, rolled up his bedroll, and secured it to his saddle.
Rusty already woke up thirty minutes earlier and kept a watchful eye on Jimmy. He was ready to ride the minute Jimmy took off.
John was on his in his jail cell bed, stared at the ceiling, as he stayed up all night.
Charlie sat on his bed and wondered how he would get out of this jail cell. He also prayed that Judge Peabody would let him go after he testified that Bart killed Elmer.
Bart was on his side in his jail cell bed with a smirk, as he knew Jimmy would break him out this morning.
Clint got up and made a pot of coffee on the stove. He stepped outside to stretch and get some fresh air. He also kept the door open to keep an eye on his prisoners.
Gertrude walked up to Clint with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. "Good morning Marshal, I made breakfast for…" she said.
"Now, now, Gertrude, I have two other prisoners. You shouldn't play favorites," he interrupted her.
Gertrude felt embarrassed by his comment. "Yes, Marshal, I'll make two more plates," she replied, then looked at him. "Oh, I mean, three more plates," she added, then handed Clint the plate.
Gertrude rushed out of the office.
Clint started eating the scrambled eggs.
Over at the Oak Creek Prickly Cactus Saloon, Jimmy drank shots of whiskey.
Rusty sat at a table at the other end of the saloon and kept an eye on Jimmy while he sipped his shot whiskey. Jimmy didn't have a clue. Rusty followed him, nor did he recognize him from Mountain Rock.
Alicia and Angie woke up and realized they didn't have the modern bathroom conveniences they grew up with. But they both figured this would be temporary and said it was just like camping out in the woods. Of course, the wooden outhouse was a little smelly, to say the least.
They also realized they didn't have the old 1880s money for breakfast, so they just wandered the streets of Oak Creek on a sightseeing tour.
Gertrude returned to the Marshal's office and brought John, Charlie, and Bart each a plate scrambled eggs and bacon.
Clint gave them each a cup of coffee.
Clint walked back and sat at his desk and sipped his coffee.
Gertrude discreetly eyed Clint with adoring eyes but now started to realize she could never have him. It saddened her. "I better go," she said and headed off to the door.
Clint didn't say a word and just sipped his coffee while Gertrude left the office.
"So Kissing Bandit, I reckon this is your last meal," Bart said through his bars and chuckled a smart-ass chuckle.
"Shut up, Bart," Clint yelled.
Bart continued to laugh while he finished his breakfast.
"And you, Charlie. I didn't figure you for a coward. Telling the Marshal, you'll squeal on me. I just didn't figure you for a yellow-belly coward," Bart said, pissed at Charlie.
Charlie looked troubled while he finished his breakfast. "I didn't want to kill anybody. I just wanted to rob and get rich. I don't want to see the end of a noose, Marshal Bartley," Charlie pleaded. "Plus, remember that other strange feller that we saw at Oak Creek three years ago. Peter Yoemans. You killed him, Bart. You shot him in the back," Charlie yelled out.
Bart got pissed and threw his plate up against his cell wall. It broke into four pieces and dropped to the floor.
Bart rushed up to his cell bars and squeezed his face between two bars. "Shut-up, Charlie!" Bart screamed through his cell bars.
John jumped up and rushed over to his cell bars. "Did you say Peter Yoemans?" John asked Charlie through his bars.
"Yep. Bart shot him in the back while he took a piss in the mountains while he rode to Oak Creek. We followed the man after he left the Prickly Cactus saloon. I bet you didn't know that, did you Marshal?" Charlie said.
"No, I didn't," Clint replied. "Well, Bart, I guess I'll have to let Judge Peabody know about that killing."
"Bart stole his supplies that he just bought at Mountain Rock," Charlie added.
"Shut-up!" Bart yelled out through his cell bars. "I'll kill you if I get out of this cell," Bart threatened while he grabbed the cell bars and furiously shook them in an attempt to break out.
Clint gulped down his coffee and rushed over to Bart's cell. He whipped out his pistol and rapped Bart's knuckles with the butt of his pistol handle. "Sit down and keep your trap shut," Clint yelled at Bart.
Bart sat down and rubbed his sore knuckles, pissed with Clint and Charlie.
Clint walked over and grabbed Alicia's rifle case.
He walked to the rear of the office and opened up the back door.
He stepped outside of the office.
Clint looked around the rear of his office, and nobody was in sight. He quickly shoved Alicia's rifle case under the crawl space of his office.
He went back to his office.
The town folk of Oak Creek came out of their homes and business'.
They and walked down the streets to where the gallows were located.
Alicia and Angie walked their horses from the Marshal's Office and tied to the hotel hitching post.
"As soon as you hear the gunfire, ride over to the gallows. I should be right behind you in a few minutes," Alicia told her.
The saloon had Rusty, Jimmy, and Kurt inside with the bartender.
From behind the bar, the bartender saw all the town folk while they walked past the saloon to the gallows.
"The Prickly Cactus is closed for the hanging," the bartender said.
He walked out from behind the bar and watched while Kurt, Jimmy, and Rusty walked out of his saloon.
He left the saloon and walked down the street toward the gallows.
Jimmy walked over to the hitching post and untied his horse.
He got in the saddle of his horse and rode in the opposite direction of the crowd.
He rode deeper into town.
Rusty kept an eye on Jimmy while he rode deeper into town.
Alicia rushed over behind the Marshal's office.
She saw her rifle case in the crawl space of the office.
She rushed over and pulled it out.
She opened up the case and removed her rifle.
She unzipped a side pocket and removed the box of bullets.
She removed three bullets and loaded them into her rifle.
She shoved the box back in the case and slid it into the crawl space.
She rushed over to the rear of the hotel and dragged a wooden box over to the Marshal's office. She slung the rifle strap over her shoulder. She got on top of the box and climbed onto the roof of the Marshal's office.
She scampered over to the peak of the roof and looked around Oak Creek. She saw the gallows and had a perfect line of sight, so she crouched down and waited.
Inside the Marshal's office, Clint walked over to John's jail cell. He removed a key from his pants pocket.
"It's time, John," Clint said.
John stood up in his jail cell. He trembled with fear while Clint walked inside and grabbed him by his arm. Clint walked John out of the cell.
"Bye, bye John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit," Bart chuckled out from his cell bars. "Nice riding with you, you thief!"
Clint dropped the key on his desk then walked John out of the Marshal's office.
The streets of Oak Creek were packed with gawkers while Clint walked John to the gallows.
He rode his horse down the back alley heading to the Marshal's Office.
Rusty ran down one of the side streets. He stopped at a building and watched while Jimmy rode his horse in the direction of the Marshal's office down the back alley.
Rusty discreetly followed him.
Angie waited on the porch of the hotel while people from other towns poured out and rushed down the street to the gallows.
The whole town of Oak Creek plus visitors from the other local towns filled up the main street. There had to be around one hundred people waiting to see John hang.
Sally, Annie, Jessica, Cindy, and Betty stood in the front row, and they looked sad. All the men looked anxious that an outlaw would get his just reward; a noose. But not all of the town folk were here as Gertrude headed off to the train station with her packed bag in hand.
One man standing in the crowd was Zeke Cooper.
Jimmy waited on his horse by the rear of the hotel, ready to spring into action.
Rusty hid behind the side of the building next to the hotel and kept a watchful eye on Jimmy.
On the Marshal's office roof, Alicia watched while Clint walked John up the gallows steps. He walked John over and stopped him behind the noose. John swallowed hard when he saw the noose.
Clint loosely tied John's hands behind his back. John felt like he was going to piss his pants, as he was so scared.
Bucky walked up the gallows stairs, and he walked over and stood beside John. Bucky touched his chest for a second as a dull pain was again felt. After a second, the pain went away, and he felt better. He shrugged it off.
Mayor Robby Mason walked up the gallows stairs, and he walked over to a lever and waited.
Clint glanced around the crowd at his office. He got a smirk when he saw Alicia peek over the roof.
He spotted Harvey Robbins across the street in front of his Cabinetmaker and Undertaker Shop standing by his horse and wagon. Harvey was ready to do his additional job, as the town undertaker. Leaning up against his shop wall was a freshly made wooden coffin. Clint knew that coffin was reserved for John.
Mayor Mason looked at the anxious crowd while he removed a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. He looked at the paper.
"By order of Judge Wilbur Peabody and the Court of Oak Creek. The town of Oak Creek hereby hang John Mathers for the murder of Elmer Filson, the deputy of Oak Creek," Mayor Mason addressed the crowd while he read the piece of paper.
John glanced at the town folk waiting for his demise.
Bucky walked over and moved John in front of the noose and on top of the trapped door. He placed the noose around John's neck, and he tightened it. John's face turned pale, and his body shook. He silently prayed that he wouldn't pee his pants in front of all these people.
Bucky walked over to a lever, and then he looked at John.
John nodded, and Bucky moved the lever, and the trapped door under John's boots opened. The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the town; the second John's body dropped through the hole and dangled. He couldn't breathe as the noose started to cut off his air supply. The sound of more gunfire echoed throughout the town.
John's body dropped through the hole and dangled, and he couldn't breathe as the noose started to cut off his air supply. The sound of more gunfire echoed throughout the town.
The rope to John's noose snapped, and he dropped the rest of the way through the hole and slammed into the dirt.
Everybody in front of the gallows squatted down for safety from more potential bullets.
"Everybody, stay put!" Clint yelled while he whipped out his pistol and scanned the area over for the shooter.
Angie got in the saddle of her horse at the hotel.
She galloped her horse off to the gallows.
Jimmy had tied the rope to the bars of the small jail window of Bart's cell just before Alicia started shooting. He was about to gallop his horse off to bust out the window when Alicia's rifle dropped out of the sky and landed near his horse. He looked up and saw Alicia while she climbed down off the roof.
Bart looked out his cell window, and he saw Alicia on the ground. "Shoot her!" Bart ordered.
Alicia stood up and saw Jimmy on his horse with the rope tied to the bars of Bart's cell window.
Jimmy whipped out his pistol and aimed it at Alicia. "Why should I kill her, Bart?" Jimmy asked.
"Because she tricked and arrested me," Bart cried out from his cell window.
Jimmy aimed pistol at Alicia.
At the gallows, everybody stayed squatted in the dirt and looked scared.
Angie galloped her horse through the crowd. They scattered when they realized she wasn't going to stop.
Angie stopped her horse by the gallows, and he turned around, and Alicia wasn't in sight.
Clint and the crowd all looked at Angie on her horse.
The crowd looked at Clint and expected him to react. He looked back at the Marshal's office and was concerned something happened to Alicia. He looked back at Angie. "Don't move an inch," Clint said, then aimed his pistol at Angie.
Behind the Marshal's office, Jimmy got a smirk on his face. "Goodbye, pretty woman," Jimmy said while he cocked his pistol, and was ready to end Alicia's life.
Someone fired a bullet that struck Jimmy in the tricep of his shooting arm. Alicia turned around and saw Rusty while he placed his pistol back in his holster. "I owed you one, Alicia," Rusty said while he walked over to Alicia.
"You followed us?" she told him, shocked to see him in 1883.
"Yeah, I'm going to lose my ranch to the bank, so I figured I'll come here and maybe become a Marshal," Rusty replied.
Alicia realized she wasted too much time. "I need to go," she said and rushed up to him. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, then rushed over and grabbed her rifle.
She ran off to the front of the hotel where she quickly untied her horse and got in the saddle of her horse.
She galloped her horse off to the gallows.
At the gallows, Clint had his pistol aimed at Angie.
John stayed cowered under the gallows.
The crowd hugged the dirt for protection.
Alicia galloped her horse to the gallows with her rifle in one hand.
Clint still aimed his pistol at Angie.
Alicia stopped her horse, aimed her rifle at Clint, and then she fired her rifle.
Alicia's bullet his Clint's pistol, and it flew out of his hand.
Clint grabbed his hand and appeared to be in pain.
The crowd squatted closer to the dirt.
John crawled out from under the gallows.
Alicia pointed her rifle at the crowd.
"Don't anybody move!" Alicia yelled at them.
The crowd stayed down in the dirt, scared to death.
Angie walked her horse next to the gallows.
John loosened the noose. He removed it and rubbed the red ring around his neck.
"Hop on, John," Angie cried out.
John saw Angie on the horse. She extended her hand and assisted John to the back of her saddle.
Angie galloped away with John.
Alicia galloped her horse after Angie and John.
The crowd stood up and watched while Alicia, Angie, and John rode galloped and were soon out of Oak Creek.
The crowd stood up and looked at Clint in anticipation of his reaction.
Clint glanced over at Mayor Mason. "Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler are sitting in the jail. Tell Judge Peabody that Charlie Chandler will testify that Bart actually killed Elmer and not the Kissing Bandit," Clint told Mayor Mason.
Clint jumped off the gallows, and he ran to a nearby hitching where he staged his horse late last night.
He galloped his horse after Alicia, Angie, and John.
"Marshal Bartley will get em," Mayor Mason said to the crowd.
All the men the crowd nodded in agreement. All the women in the crowd looked happy that John was still alive.
They all got up off the dirt.
Some walked away back to their usual routines.
Some stayed and watched Clint ride off on his horse into the desert.
Behind the Marshal's office, Rusty picked up Jimmy by his uninjured arm. He saw a bloody hole in the tricep of Jimmy's right arm. "You'll live," he told Jimmy while he escorted him away.
Bart looked out his cell window and was pissed that his escape attempt failed.
Rusty walked Jimmy to the front of the Marshal's office. He saw the town folk while they walked back to their homes and businesses. One of those town folk was Zeke.
"Where's Marshal Bartley? I have outlaw Jimmy Templeton in my custody. I caught him trying to break Bart Stone out of your jail," Rusty addressed Mayor Mason, who walked up to him.
Zeke stopped when he heard Rusty.
"Marshal Bartley rode off after the Kissing Bandit and two women. They both helped the Kissing Bandit escape from his hanging," Mayor Mason said. "And whom might you be?"
"I'm Rusty Moore. Whom can I talk to about being Town Marshal of Mountain Rock?" said Rusty.
"Judge Peabody should be back later today," said Mayor Mason.
"You'll be the acting Marshal until Clint gets back, Bucky," said Mayor Mason, then he saw the bloody hole in the tricep of Jimmy's shooting arm. "I'll have the doc come right over," said Mayor Mason, then he rushed down the street.
Zeke walked away disappointed.
Rusty opened the Marshal's office door and escorted Jimmy inside, who was in pain. Bucky followed. The door closed.
Once inside the Marshal's Office, Rusty saw Bart and Charlie relaxing on the bunks in their jail cells.
Bart saw Rusty and recognized him, and he looked pissed.
Rusty saw the key on Clint's desk. He escorted Jimmy over to the desk and grabbed the key.
He escorted Jimmy to John's empty jail cell. He pushed Jimmy inside then slammed the door shut. He locked it then shoved the key in his pocket.
Rusty looked around the office and couldn't wait to become Marshal of an old western town.
Rusty and Bucky sat at the desks and watched over their prisoners.
At the Oak Creek train station; Gertrude Perkins had a small bag in her lap while she sat on a bench. She looked saddened while she waited for the train to take her to Phoenix. She realized Clint would never marry. She figured she'd have better luck in Phoenix.
The train pulled into the Oak Creek station.
It stopped at the platform.
Nobody got off the train. Gertrude and a few other folks boarded then passenger car.
Later that evening, Judge Peabody came back to Oak Creek. Mayor Mason had a chat with him and told him about Rusty.
Because of his capture of Jimmy, Judge Peabody offered Rusty Moore the job of Town Marshal of Mountain Rock the next day. He was in heaven.
Rusty rode out of Oak Creek in the early evening sporting a Town Marshal's badge. He rode off into the desert heading south to Mountain Rock to start his new career.
Later that night, Bucky had a heart attack in his sleep while sitting at Elmer's desk. He fell out of his chair and was found dead on his back on the floor of the Marshal's office. Oak Creek was now void of a Town Marshal.