Double The Bounty

Chapter XVI

“It happened in Kansas when I was about twenty-one. A woman was killed and I was blamed.”

“Why?”

“Well, I worked for her, doing odd jobs, and she showed an interest in me. She was older than me by about ten years, and married, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with her.”

“Was she pretty?”

“She was beautiful, but that was besides the point. Her husband had hired me to work, and that’s what I wanted to do. Anyway, she got mad at me and told her husband I tried to…touch her, so he fired me.”

That was an oversimplification. Decker and the man had a big fight, during which Decker knocked the man down in front of his wife. Doubly embarrassed, the man fired Decker and never paid him the money he owed him. That was fine with Decker, though. He just wanted to get away from the two of them.

“I was leaving town on foot when the posse rode up and arrested me for killing her.”

Actually, they arrested him for raping her and then killing her.

“But why you?”

“The husband told them I did it.”

“Was there any proof?”

“The case got all the way to court. A judge, eager Tomake a name for himself with a sensational case, convicted me on flimsy evidence.”

The sheriff of the town, a man named Mike Farrell, had believed Decker to be innocent, but Decker was convicted and sentenced to hang.

Even now Decker could feel the noose around his neck.

“I got as far as the gallows, with the hangman putting the noose over my neck, before Mike Farrell brought the real killer in and made him confess.”

“Who was it?”

“Her husband.”

“What happened?”

“Apparently I wasn’t the first one that she had thrown herself at, and that, combined with the fact that I knocked him down in front of her, made him mad enough to attack his own wife. I don’t know if he meant to kill her, but he did, after raping her.”

“And what happened to you?”

“The hangman took the noose off my neck and untied my hands and walked away.”

“No apology?”

“Nobody apologized. When I walked down off the gallows, nobody was even there anymore. They’d gone home disappointed that they weren’t going to see a hanging.”

“And the sheriff?”

“He resigned and left town, and I rode with him for a short time. He tried to get me to take up being a lawman, but I had other ideas.”

“Bounty hunting?”

“For a reason. I want to be able to get to the ones who are going to be hanged and satisfy myself that they’re guilty before I hand them over. I don’t want what happened Tome to happen to any other innocent men.”

“And the noose?”

“The noose is a reminder of what almost happened Tome, and why I took up bounty hunting. I lose sight of my reasons once in a while, and the noose brings it back Tome.”

“Does that mean you won’t bring Brian Foxx in unless you’re convinced of his guilt?”

“That’s what it should mean, but I’ve been finding myself already convinced. I mean, the eyewitness descriptions are pretty damaging.”

“Which ones?”

Decker stared at her and then sipped his coffee. It had grown cold while he told his story. He dumped it into the fire and poured another cup.

“You’re right, Felicia. Maybe I need more than the noose to remind me of my reasons.”

“Does that mean we can be partners?”

He stifled a grin and said seriously, “Let’s not get carried away.”

Later, after they had retired, Felicia said, “Decker?”

“What?”

“Are you asleep?”

“No.”

“What about the gun?”

“What gun?”

“The one you wear.”

“I told you, I’m not very good with a handgun.”

“Did you try to learn?”

“Mike Farrell was pretty good with a gun, and he tried to teach me, but it was hopeless, so he brought—”

“Wait a minute,” she said, sitting up. “Mike Farrell. I know that name.”

“Yeah, Mike went on Tomake a pretty good name for himself as a federal marshal.”

“He’s had dime novels written about him.’Iron Mike’ Farrell they call him.”

“I guess. Anyway, he took me to a gunsmith friend of his and asked the man to design something for me that wouldn’t require that I aim. That’s when he came up with this rig.”

“You and Iron Mike Farrell,” Felicia said, with more than a little awe in her voice. “Decker, do you know Wild Bill Hickok.”

“Felicia.”

“Yeah?”

“Go to sleep.”