Chapter 39
It was still Tuesday, October 1st, 1883.
Dinner was finished. And while they ate, John made sure everybody knew the names of members of the Blue Earl gang. He used a copy of his textbook article that had a picture with their names.
Zeke was rounded up by Dalton, and he agreed to go on the posse to arrest Blue Earl and his gang members.
“Are we ready?” said Clint while she filled up his pistol with bullets.
Everybody nodded in agreement that they were ready. A little nervous, but they were prepared.
Clint grabbed two of the Winchester rifles and gave one to Alicia and one to John. They each grabbed a hand-full of bullets and loaded their Winchesters with fifteen rounds and shoved the rest in their shirt pockets.
Clint also gave Merijildo a loaded Winchester rifle for his protection. After all, he would be in the area with outlaws that had hatred for Indians. And history proved he wouldn’t survive against this hatred with Blue Earl in the area.
“Let’s go arrest some outlaws,” said Clint. “And stick them in jail or with a noose around their neck,” said Clint, but inside he wanted a different outcome.
Chrissy walked up to Dalton. “Please be careful,” she said, and he could see she was scared. “I will,” he replied, then kissed her on the lips.
“You too,” Angie told John who tipped his cowboy hat at her
John, Angie, Clint, Alicia, Dalton, Chrissy, Zeke, and Merijildo left the Marshal’s Office.
Once they got outside, they headed to the stables with Chrissy and Angie following.
They watched while the posse got their horses, got in the saddles of their horses, and rode out of Oak Creek.
The town folk milling about Oak Creek saw them and knew that this had to be a posse to go after the Blue Earl gang.
Chrissy looked over at Angie when the posse rode out of the entrance to Oak Creek. “Let’s head over to my house. I’ll make a pot of coffee,” she said.
“That sounds nice,” said Angie.
They walked away and headed to the residential area.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and Chrissy and Angie sat in the living room drinking coffee talking about all sorts of stuff.
Clint and his posse were riding off in the desert with Merijildo leading the way.
They all had the same thought in their minds. Will I die today?
Clint rode his horse up along of Merijildo’s horse.
Thirty minutes passed.
Merijildo motioned for the posse to stop. They stopped.
“Up ahead, behind those bushes,” said Merijildo in a quiet voice.
Clint looked up ahead about a tenth of a mile and saw a large clump of trees a little distance from a rock wall. They also saw smoke rising up in the air from the bushes. A campfire.
“Get in your positions,” Clint told everybody in a quiet voice.
They all quietly got off their horses and walked them over to some bushes. They tied the reins to the branches of the bushes.
Over at that clump of bushes near the rock wall, Blue Earl was taking a piss. He spotted six horses off in the desert standing by some bushes. These weren’t wild horses. They all had saddles.
He saw six people scattering off in different directions. Heading toward his hideout. But they were too far away to recognize them. “Fuck!” he said, as he immediately knew there was a posse coming after his gang. He quickly shoved his member back in his pants and buttoned them up. He rushed away.
Blue Earl rushed over to Hank, Frankie, and Bo.
“We got a posse coming after us,” said Blue Earl while he grabbed his binoculars.
He rushed back to the bushes and went inside them. He used his binoculars to get a closer view of this threat.
“Figures,” he said when he spotted Dalton and Zeke running toward a large rock that was a little closer to his hideout. He scanned the area with his binoculars and noticed others running to other large rocks closer to his hideout.
He moved out of the bushes and rushed back to his gang.
“We do have a posse coming after us.”
They all whipped out their pistols from their holsters. They scattered off in different directions as they had practiced this when other posse came after them. In fact, that’s the first thing Blue Earl has his gang do when they find a new hideout, they practice on where to go when a posse arrives.
Clint, Alicia, John, Dalton, Zeke, and Merijildo were all stationed behind rocks for cover. They were within shouting distance from Blue Earl’s hideout.
Clint and Merijildo were in the center.
Alicia and John covered the right flank.
Dalton and Zeke covered the left flank. They started to get a little nervous. You never know when a well thought out plan will fail miserably.
There were a few seconds of silence.
Clint and Merijildo peeked their heads above the rock they hide behind.
“See smoke above trees,” said Merijildo.
Clint saw some smoke rising in the air from behind that clump of trees. “Yea. I see the smoke.”
“That how I find them. Easy,” said Merijildo with a light chuckle.
“Sometimes they just fall in your laps,” said Clint, then he paused for a few seconds. “Come on out, Blue Earl,” Clint yelled out. “We have your gang surrounded and out numbered.” “Come on out, and nobody gets killed.”
There were a few seconds of quiet.
But what Clint didn’t know was that since Blue Earl spotted them while taking a piss, he had his men in position to fight.
There was sudden gunfire from the vicinity of the hideout.
Bullets ricocheted off the rocks where Clint and Merijildo hid, where Alicia and John hid, and where Dalton and Zeke hid. They all crotched behind their rocks for cover, ready for more bullets to come their way.
It was quiet. Blue Earl remained quiet, figuring if he yelled back, his voice would give away where he was hiding.
Clint and Merijildo cautiously poked about the side of their rock. They fired at the clump of trees, figuring that’s were Blue Earl and his gang was hiding.
It was quiet.
A barrage of gunfire had bullets ricocheting again off the rocks.
“Fuck!” cried out, Zeke, while he hugged the ground for cover.
“You can say that again,” said Dalton.
“Fuck,” said Zeke while more bullets ricocheted off their rock.
It was quiet.
Zeke and Dalton still hugged the ground. It remained quiet. They cautiously got up and peeked around their rock. They didn’t see anybody.
Then all of a sudden, Dalton felt someone grab him by the back of his collar and yank him to his feet. He didn’t know what the hell was happening until he was brought up to his feet and felt the metal of a gun barrel pressed into his right temple. He knew this wasn’t good.
Zeke saw Blue Earl behind Dalton with Blue Earl’s pistol pressed into Dalton’s temple. He whipped his pistol up at Blue Earl out of reaction.
Gunfire. A bullet struck Zeke’s right forearm sending his pistol off into the dirt. It landed six feet away out of reach. Blue Earl had shot Zeke using his left hand. He had his pistol back in his left holster and re-grabbed the back of Dalton’s color within seconds.
Zeke dropped to his knees in pain while holding his right forearm. It was bleeding. He quickly removed his handkerchief from his pants pocket and wrapped it around his wound.
“I have this coward of a Marshal from Oak Creek,” yelled out Blue Earl. “Leave me alone with him, and nobody else gets hurt. Like that Deputy of Oak Creek,” Blue Earl added.
Blue Earl scanned the area for the rest of the posse. “Kill them all,” he yelled out to his gang.
Clint peeked around the side of his rock. He could see Blue Earl standing behind Dalton with his pistol pressed into Dalton’s temple. “Merijildo, give me your rifle,” he said.
Merijildo peeked and saw Blue Earl and Dalton. He handed Clint his pistol.
There was more gunfire with bullets ricocheting off the rocks.
Alicia and John saw movement to the left of that clump of trees behind a rock. They fired again.
Hank and Bo fired back at Alicia and John with bullets ricocheting off their rock. Alicia and John ducked for cover.
Blue Earl glanced around when he heard the gunfire. No threat to him. He started backing Dalton up to get to a safer location.
There was more gunfire at Alicia and John then more gunfire at Merijildo and Clint with bullets ricocheting off their rocks.
Blue Earl continued to move Dalton backward with Dalton scared that his life would soon be over. Dalton silently prayed that he wouldn’t piss his pants.
Clint handed Merijildo his pistol. He didn’t want to leave him without a weapon.
Clint scanned the area. He got up and ran over to another rock with bullets coming from Frankie, killing the dirt at the heels of his cowboy boots.
Clint safely made it to that other rock and crotched behind that rock. He peeked around the rock. “Perfect,” he said and took aim with his Winchester.
More gunfire came from Hank and Bo at Alicia and John’s rock with bullets ricocheting off it.
More gunfire came from Frankie and Merijildo’s rock with bullets ricocheting off it.
Clint took aim with his Winchester while Blue Earl inched Dalton backward towards another rock. He had Blue Earl in his sights. He silently prayed that his aim with a rifle was still good. Blue Earl was about to take Dalton behind that rock. It was now or never. Clint fired off a shot.
Blue Earl didn’t know what hit him. He dropped to the dirt with a bullet in the side of his head. He was dead before he hit the dirt.
Dalton didn’t know what the hell happened while he fell to the ground with Blue Earl landing on top of the outlaw. He lay there frozen with fear praying again that he wouldn’t piss his pants.
Frankie saw Blue Earl from behind his rock. He noticed that his boss wasn’t moving with Dalton on top of him. He saw Dalton suddenly jump off Blue Earl. He knew his boss was dead, and he got pissed.
Frankie jumped out from behind his rock. He took aim at Dalton with his pistol with fire in his eyes. He wanted this Town Marshal dead to grant Blue Earl’s his wish.
Gunfire. Frankie was stunned for a second. He didn’t fire his pistol. Then he realized someone shot him when he saw the bloody hole his chest. It was Merijildo. Frankie felt faint. He felt really dizzy when he dropped to the dirt face first. He lay there, feeling cold with his face in the dirt. He died.
From behind their rock, Hank and Bo could see Frankie dead in the dirt.
“Blue Earl!” yelled out, Hank. No reply. “Frankie!”
“Blue Earl! You okay?” yelled out, Bo. No reply. “Frankie! You okay?”
Hank and Bo looked at each other. They both didn’t have to say it, as they both knew Blue Earl and Frankie were dead.
“I ain’t gonna have a noose around my neck,” said Hank. “Pissing my pants when my neck snaps in front of everybody.”
“I ain’t going to hang either,” said Bo feeling his neck.
They both nodded in agreement as to what they should do next. It was discussed, as this would be their final exit. No jail cell and no noose for them.
They jumped out from behind their rock and charged at Alicia and John’s rock firing their pistols. “AHHHHHH!” they both screamed out in unison.
Bullets ricocheted off the top and sides of Alicia and John’s rock.
Alicia and John cautiously peeked around the sides of their rock. They took aim at the screaming outlaws running at them. They fired their pistols.
Hank and Bo kept on charging firing their pistols and screaming. They both suddenly flew backward and dropped to the dirt, firing their pistols into the air. It took a few seconds for them to stop firing. Their arms went limp and fell to the dirt. They were both dead.
It was quiet again.
After a minute of silence, Clint walked around from behind his rock.
Merijildo walked around from behind his rock.
Zeke walked around from behind his rock, holding his wounded arm.
Alicia and John walked around from behind their rock.
Dalton moved away from Blue Earl’s dead body.
Clint walked up to Dalton. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” said Dalton.
Clint looked at Blue Earl’s motionless body in the dirt. “He knew that outlaw was finally dead.”
Clint walked away, he headed over to Frankie’s dead body while Alicia and John headed over to Hank and Bo’s dead body.
Clint, Merijildo, Dalton, Zeke, Alicia, and John all walked up to each other.
“Blue Earl and Frankie are dead,” said Clint.
“Hank and Bo are also dead,” said Alicia.
Alicia looked at Zeke. “You okay?” she said after seeing him cradle his wounded arm.
“I’m good,” said Zeke and had a hint of a smile thinking that some of the young ladies of Oak Creek would give him some much-needed attention.
“I need to find the loot they stole earlier today, said Dalton.
“Good idea,” said Clint.
They all headed over to that clump of threes.
They found Blue Earl’s campsite where their campfire was starting to burn out.
They saw six bedrolls out in the dirt.
By one of the bedrolls was a cloth bag.
Dalton walked and picked up the cloth bag, he looked inside and saw the loot was still there. “Got it,” he said.
Clint saw five horses tied some other bushes near the rock wall. “Let’s get the bodies on those horses and take them to Oak Creek for burial.”
Everybody nodded in agreement.
Alicia and Zeke watched while Clint, John, Dalton, and Merijildo all placed the dead bodies on those horses.
They walked those outlaw horses over to their horses.
“Me help take dead to Oak Creek,” said Merijildo.
“Thanks,” said Clint.
They all untied the reins of their horses.
Dalton shoved cloth bag of loot into one of his saddlebags.
They all got in their saddles.
Dalton shoved that cloth bag into one of his saddlebags.
Clint held the reins to the horse that had Blue Earl’s dead body across the saddle. That horse trailed behind Clint’s horse.
John held the reins to the horse that had Frankie’s dead body across the saddle. That horse trailed behind John’s horse.
Merijildo held the reins to the horse that had Hank’s dead body across the saddle. That horse trailed behind Merijildo’s horse.
Dalton held the reins to the horse that had Bo’s dead body across the saddle. That horse trailed behind Dalton’s horse.
Alicia held the reins to the remaining horse that trailed behind her horse.
Zeke rode on his horse, still in a little pain.
They rode off in the desert heading back to Oak Creek.
Back in Oak Creek, Chrissy and Angie were really wondering how the arrest of Blue Earl and his gang was going.
Chrissy and Angie both silently prayed that their loved ones were not killed. They had nervous stomachs thinking about the worst-case scenario.
They decided to take a stroll around town to help calm down their nerves. Sitting around her house wasn’t calming them down.
They just finished their fourth stroll around the town and were back at the entrance of the residential area. They turned around and were heading back into town when they spotted five horses riding into town.
“Someone’s coming back into town,” said Chrissy.
“Six horses with five trailing horses. And what appears to be dead bodies,” said Alicia. She looked again and smiled a smile of relief. “Our guys look unhurt,” she said.
Chrissy looked and saw Dalton on one of the horses. She smiled.
The town folk milling around Oak Creek saw the horses and dead bodies and knew that the posse was successful.
They both rushed off down Main Street.
Everybody stopped the horses off at Harvey’s shop.
Harvey walked out of his shop when he saw the horses. He saw the five dead bodies on the other horses. “More business. It’s been a busy day,” he said. “Must be the rest of the Blue Earl gang. Hear you went after them.”
“It’s them,” said Dalton while he got out of his saddle as did John, Clint, Merijildo, Zeke, and Alicia.
“I’ll get the photographer, Wally Gilbert, over in Stone Valley to get over here to take a picture. Might be some reward for these dead scoundrels,” said Harvey. “Plus, the Weekly Phoenix Herald newspaper editor will want it for his newspaper.”
“If there is a reward, make sure the town of Oak Creek gets it,” said Dalton.
“Will do,” said Harvey. “I’ll send a telegraph to Stone Valley for the photographer,” he said. He rushed off and headed to the train station.
Mayor Mason rushed over to Harvey’s shop. “You got em, he said the second he saw the dead bodies of the Blue Earl gang.
Dalton reached inside his saddlebag. He removed that cloth bag. “Here’s the loot from their bank robbery earlier today,” he said when Mayor Mason walked up to him.
Mayor Mason took the cloth bag and looked inside. “Good job, Marshal. I’m sure glad I hired you,” said Mayor Mason. “I’ll take this over to the bank,” he said then walked away.
Chrissy and Angie walked up.
Chrissy walked up to Dalton. “I was so scared you would be hurt or killed,” she said while she hugged him tightly.
Angie walked up to John. “You survived again,” she said, giving him a hug.
“But this time, I was on the right side of the law,” said John.
Clint smiled over John’s comment while he walked over to Alicia.
“Good shooting with getting Blue Earl,” she said while he placed an arm around his shoulder.
Chrissy saw Zeke was wounded. “Better go see Doc Bartholomew about that wound,” she said.
Zeke nodded in agreement. He hated doctors but knew if he didn’t get that bullet out of his arm, it would be bothering him for years.
Zeke walked away and headed over to Doc Bartholomew’s office.
“I’m thirsty,” said Dalton.
“Me too,” said Clint.
“Yeah, it’s Miller Time,” said John.
They all chuckled.
“Me no understand Miller Time,” said Merijildo.
“Saying in the future. Meaning time to drink a beer after surviving a successful battle or something else successful,” said Clint.
“Me want Miller Time,” said Merijildo with a smile.
They all walked their horses away from Harvey’s shop and headed to the stable.
Felix stood outside his stable because he heard the talk about how the posse was successful. He also saw the extra five horses.
“Put up our horses and sell the outlaw horses,” said Dalton when they walked up to Felix. “Give the money to Mayor Mason for Oak Creek,” he added.
“Got it,” said Felix and assisted them with putting the horses in empty stalls in his stable.
After the horses were secured, Clint, Alicia, John, Angie, Dalton, Chrissy, and Merijildo all walked over and went inside the Prickly Cactus.
The second they entered the saloon, everybody inside starting clapping as they heard how they killed the Blue Earl gang.
They walked up to the bar.
“Beer for everybody,” said Dalton.
The bartender poured seven beers and set them on the bar in front of everybody.
Dalton took out some silver dollars and set them on the bar.
“On the house,” said the bartender. “For getting rid of those scoundrels,” he added.
They took a drink of their beers, and it tasted so good.
The first round of beers was free, and Dalton bought the second round.
“So, what’s next?” said John looking at Dalton while he took the last gulp of his beer.
Dalton glanced over at Chrissy. “Well, I guess we’re done here,” he said.
Chrissy nodded in agreement.
“Let’s head back to the Marshal’s Office,” said Dalton.
Everybody nodded in agreement, and they walked away from the bar.
They left the Prickly Cactus and headed back to the Marshal’s Office.
“We should leave before it gets dark and head back to twenty-sixteen,” said John the second they stepped inside the Marshal’s Office.
Everybody nodded in agreement.
Dalton’s eyes lit up. “I better tell Mayor Mason that I’m leaving. I would hate for them to send Merijildo out to search for me.”
“Me no find you anyway,” said Merijildo.
“Plus, I should check up on Zeke,” said Dalton.
“What are you going to tell the Mayor?” said John.
Dalton thought for a few seconds. “I’ll tell him we’re riding to California with you.”
“Sounds plausible,” said John.
Chrissy’s eyes widened when she remembered something. “My wedding dress.”
That caught Angie and Alicia’s attention.
“Wedding dress?” said Angie.
“Yes, Edith Lincoln made me a dress. I should go pick it up and pay for it. I don’t want to leave without paying her for her work,” said Chrissy. “That would be wrong.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Angie.
“Me too,” added Alicia.
“We’ll be back,” said Chrissy, and she left the office with Angie and Alicia.
“I’ll also be back soon,” said Dalton, and he left the office right behind Chrissy, Angie, and Alicia.
Clint, John, and Merijildo sat around the office and talked. They recalled their little adventure back in 20016 Phoenix with Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler.
When Dalton walked down Main Street, he saw Mayor Mason walk out of the bank. “Mayor!” he called out and rushed over to him.
“Yes, Marshal,” said Mayor Mason when Dalton rushed up to him.
“Ah, yes, listen,” said Dalton, and he paused for a few seconds. “Ah, I wanted to tell you that I’m leaving Oak Creek.”
Mayor Mason looked a little stunned. “Leaving Oak Creek? Why? You’re a good Town Marshal,” said Mayor Mason.
“Well, my fiancé Miss Barron and I decided to head out to California with my new friends. Maybe San Francisco.”
Mayor Mason looked at Dalton. He was disappointed but understood. “Well, I guess I’ll have to get a new Town Marshal.” “And a new school teacher.”
“Zeke Cooper is qualified to be Town Marshal. I recommend him,” said Dalton.
“Yes, Zeke. He’ll make a good Marshal. And then I’ll have to round up a deputy for him,” said Mayor Mason. “Well, thank y