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Bitter is the Dust
Chapter Two/Benjamin Dunn
Scott A. Gese
Chapter 2
Benjamin Dunn
Under the cloak of darkness, Benjamin Dunn quickly stepped out the back door of his parent's house. The gas lamp held high by his father, revealed the families fastest horse as it stood saddled and waiting. A kiss on his mother's cheek and a hurried handshake to his father, marked the end of a promising career and the beginning of a new adventure.
Not exactly the plan he had mapped out for himself, but current circumstances were forcing him to quickly make drastic decisions. There was no time to waste. His very life was in danger, so it was either flee until the situation calmed and was forgotten, or hang at the hands of a group of narrow-minded vigilantes who were at this very moment on their way to his parent's house to seize him.
His Uncle, on his mother's side, lived out west. The hastily laid plan was for him to head there until word arrived telling him it was safe to return home. The mob would surely look for him around town, but none would suspect that a wealthy professional from Virginia would ever consider hiding out in the unrefined wilds of Kansas.
"Well then, I'm off," he stated as he stepped up into the saddle.
"I've packed your bags with a few provisions, but you'll need to get supplies once you're clear of danger. God speed to you, my son. Get word to your mother and I when you arrive and we'll keep you informed on the situation here. Now go before it's too late!"
The dim light of the gas lamp quickly gave way to the darkness as Benjamin Dunn disappeared into the night.
There was little time for tears and good-by waves as more pressing business was in need of their attention. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn went back into the house to prepare for the eventual arrival of the angry mob that was intent on lynching their son.
Even though he wasn't a politician himself, Nathanial J. Dunn was influential in Virginia politics. His wealth came from real estate speculation. Richmond was the heart of the Confederacy, and during the war it was considered the new capital of the South. Nathaniel had the uncanny ability to foresee current events almost before they unfolded and he was quick to take advantage of situations long before others were even aware of their existence. It's this ability that made him a wealthy man. And with his money directed toward the right causes, and people of power, it bought him the influence he needed to continue his upward movement in both Richmond, and Virginia society.
Unfortunately, his son had set his own course. As a respected physician and outspoken advocate for the Negro cause, he became a liability to some and a danger to others.
The mob that would soon reach Nathanial's door had been bought and paid for by men of means who were intent on stifling their son's views once and for all. Fortunately, Nathanial knew how to deal with these types. The war had left many in the area poor and destitute, and such were these men. The cause was of less concern to them as the money they were paid to carry out the lynching. When they arrived, he would allow them access to the house to conduct their search. Once they were satisfied that Benjamin was not there, he would feed them a hearty meal, then pay them off and send them on their way. They would leave satisfied, in more ways than one. And that would be the end of the situation. For the time being, it would relieve the symptoms, but not the cause. To do that, he would need to resort to other, more sophisticated and political methods, if he ever expected to see his son back in Richmond again.
******
Benjamin Dunn traveled swiftly through the night and for most of the following day before he afforded himself and his horse the luxury of slowing down the pace. He and his mount were both exhausted and needed to find a secure place to rest. He eventually found a small grassy meadow along a narrow creek where he could get a few hours sleep as well as water and feed his horse.
Once settled, he rummaged through the hastily packed bag to see what he might find to eat. A few dry biscuits and some cheese was the extent of the food. There was also a change of clothes, and to his surprise, several large bundles of cash.
Along with his horse and saddle, this was the sum total of what he now owned. A far cry from the luxuries he enjoyed less than twenty-four hours ago. He smiled as he counted out the cash. He may not have agreed with his father on the politics of the day, but they both understood the power of money, and the amount Ben carried with him would be more than sufficient to ease his journey to Kansas. After a sufficient rest, he was back on the trail and heading for Lynchburg.
Upon reaching the town of Lynchburg, he was able to secure train passage for himself and his horse all the way to Bristol, Tennessee, where he found a stable for his horse and himself a warm bed for the evening. From Bristol, by way of both track and trail, Benjamin easily made his way to the frontier town of Fort Scott, Kansas where his Uncle owned a large cattle ranch not too far from town.
Even though the journey to Fort Scott had been smooth, the destination didn't come soon enough. He was feeling a bit ragged and in need of a bath and shave. A clean set of clothes would be a good idea as well, before heading out to his uncle's ranch.
Fort Scott was the home of almost four thousand, a small town compared to Richmond, so finding what he needed was a relatively easy task. He stabled his horse and quickly located a bath and a barber. Once he cleaned himself up he found a nearby store where he could purchase a new set of clothes. Being out west in the "Wild Frontier', he felt he needed to dress more "Western'. Even though he had done away with his tie days earlier, his dirty white shirt and slacks had to go. Recalling pictures from books he had read as a child, about cowboys and wild Indians, he picked out what he thought were appropriate clothes for a man of prominence out west. After making his purchase, he found a nice hotel where he secured a room for the evening.
The following morning he put on his new clothes, which included a white shirt with matching yellow plaid jacket and pants, complete with suspenders. A set of boots and a hat rounded out the new outfit. After admiring his new suit from in a mirror at the top of the stairs, he headed down to the dining area for a late breakfast. As he sat at one of the empty tables, he was approached by a waiter.
"You have "remarkable' taste in clothing," he commented.
"Well, thank you," Ben replied. "I'm new around these parts and I thought this would be appropriate attire for a man of stature, trying to fit in."
"Ahh...good luck to you sir," came the hesitant reply.
After a hearty breakfast he asked the waiter if he knew how to get to the XO ranch. The waiter did know the way, but he thought he'd have some fun with the oddly dressed "man of stature' and suggested he head two blocks down the street to the Hoof and Horn saloon where the bartender would most likely be able to give him directions. Ben thanked the waiter for his hospitality, and as he left, he thought he heard the waiter laughing, but didn't pay much attention other than to think he had just missed something rather hilarious.
The waiters' directions were good, and Ben soon found the Hoof and Horn saloon right where he said it would be. From the outside, it didn't look like a very high-class establishment, but since it was recommended by his waiter, who had seemed a decent sort, he timidly pushed his way through the batwings and walked up to the bar. A few young and boisterous cowboys were enjoying a drink after gathering morning supplies, and as Benjamin walked across the room a couple of the boys began to point and snicker. One of the men began to outright laugh.
"Keep yer mouth shut, Wes," the bartender shouted to the boys at the table before turning his attention on the new arrival. "Those are some mighty fine lookin' boots you've got there, mister. I love the way you tuck those fine checkered pants you're wearin' down inside of "em."
More laughter from several of the boys caused the bartender to give them the evil eye, which shut them up directly.
"And that ten gallon hat you got on goes real well with the rest of yer outfit, I might add," the bartender continued, struggling to keep a straight face as he kept on wiping the same glass. "My guess is you're new in town."
"I'm no fool," replied Ben, his eyes narrowing as he pulled himself erect. "I can tell when I'm being made fun of."
"No harm intended mister, I'm just funnin' with you a bit. No harm meant by it at all. If you don't mind my sayin', that shirt you got on might be OK, but I would seriously consider losing that jacket and those fancy pants you got on." He ended his advice with a broad smile. "My name is Charley, Charley o'Donnell. My friends call me Ira. What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you might be able to direct me to the XO ranch?"
"The XO, Now that all depends. Are you a carpetbagger?"
"No, sir, Mr. o'Donnell, I'm looking for a job."
"A job? Well, I don't know if they're hiring, but as luck would have it, if Wes here can shut his snickering mouth and pick himself up off the floor for a minute, he may be able to help you out. He works for the XO and was just about to head back that way. He'd be glad to take you. Isn't that right, Wes?"
"Why sure," replied Wes, with a wide smile on his face. "I'd be glad to show him the way out to the XO." Looking toward Ben, he asked, "Do you have a horse?"
"Why yes, I do. He's stabled just a few blocks from here."
"Then go get it and meet me back here in five minutes, or you'll have to find another way out to the XO."
As Ben left to get his horse he remarked that he would need to purchase another pair of pants and stop by the hotel to change and pick up his belongings.
"No time for that," replied Wes. "Grab up your gear and fetch your horse. You've got five minutes."
As Ben left the saloon, Ira couldn't help but chuckle. "Can you believe this guy! What kind of a job do you think he's expecting to get? I wonder if he even knows what a cow is. And what's the big idea telling him he doesn't have time to get new trousers? He has plenty of time."
"No,sir," replied Wes. "If I'm taking him back to the XO, he's going there dressed just the way he is, ten gallon hat and all." He laughed.
Ben hurried back to the hotel, grabbed his bag and settled his bill, and then high tailed it over to the livery where he paid up, saddled up and headed out the door. It took more than five minutes, but Wes was patiently waiting for him in front of the Hoof and Horn with a wagon full of supplies, when he arrived.
"You want me up in the wagon with you?" asked Ben.
"No sir," replied Wes." You follow along behind. The XO is only a two hour ride from here. We'll be there long before dark."
Ben enjoyed the ride as the road wove through tall prairie grass and plenty of grazing cattle. In what seemed like no time at all, they came to a turn off that lead to the main house of the XO ranch. As they arrived, several of the men were washing up for supper. Wes stood up on the wagon and pointed at Ben. "Gather "round boys, take a look at what followed me home. Do you think the boss will let me keep him?"
The men all laughed as one replied, "Looks like one of them exotic pets." Another called out. "Looks like he came straight off the cover of one of them dime novels."
Another roar of laughter from the men ensued.
About that time, Miles Hanley, the owner of the XO, stepped out the front door. "What's all the commotion out here?"
"Wes brought home a stray," replied one of the men.
More laughter.
"I see that," replied Miles. "What's your name son and what can I do for you?"
"My name is Ben Dunn and I'm looking for a job."
"Ben Dunn you say. And where are you from Mr. Dunn?"
"I'm from Virginia, Richmond to be exact."
The laughter of the men suddenly became mute.
"That's Confederate territory, my men and I fought for the Union."
"I'm from Richmond, sir. But that doesn't mean I subscribed to the confederate way of thinking. I kept my mouth shut during the war and never fired a shot. I only recently spoke up against southern politics. Unfortunately, I paid the price for it."
"How so?"
Ben leaned forth slightly, his voice lowering as he stroked the animal's neck. "May we talk in private, sir?"
"Ben Dunn you say. Sure, step down off that horse and come inside, let's do some talking. One of you men take care of his horse. The rest of you unload that wagon and then get yourselves some grub. Ben, that outfit you're wearing looks like hell."
"I realize that," he replied, as he stepped off his horse and grabbed his bag.
Miles and Ben walked into the house and closed the door.
"Can you feature that?" remarked Wes. "I didn't think that slicker would make it off his horse, let alone into the house. Now I've seen it all."
"Great hat!" came the sarcastic remark by one of the men as they commenced to unload the wagon. "With dandies like that coming out of Richmond, it's no wonder we won the war."
The two men entered the front room and Miles offered Ben a seat. "Ben Dunn, from Richmond you say. Well I'll be damned. Tell me Ben, what's your mother's name?"
"You should know that. It's Louise, Louise Hanley-Dunn, originally from Kentucky. She married into money and moved to Richmond."
"Yes sir, that's my sis. And you're her son. Last I heard you were on your way to becoming a doctor, right?"
"It's a long story and someday I'll fill you in on all the details. Right now all I can say is that I had to leave town in a hurry, as there was a lynch mob literally at the door looking to stretch my neck for no good reason."
"Is my sister safe?"
"Yes, she and my father should be fine. As you know, he's very influential in Richmond. No harm will come to either of them."
The rancher's eyes narrowed as he appraised his new discovered nephew. "And what you did is not illegal? I don't have to worry about the law showing up at my door, do I?"
Ben shook his head. "No sir, In fact, I hope to get back to Richmond at some point, when things calm down. There's still a lot of hard feelings with the war so recent and all."
"You can say that again, Kansas was a mixed bag. We see it around here quite often. You're welcome to stay on at the XO for as long as you need. I'm willing to pay you a decent wage, but you need to hold up your end."
"I appreciate that, Miles." Ben opened up his bag and pulled out the stacks of cash. "My parents didn't send me out unprepared. You're welcome to pay my wage and any other expenses you may incur on my account, from this. Do you have a safe place to keep it until I leave?"
Miles laughed. "Isn't that just like my sis. I'll hold on to this for you and if I get a decent days work from you, I'll give you a decent days wage from my own pocket. It's only fair. In the mean time, you'll work, eat and sleep with the rest of the men. I won't say anything more than I hired you. I'll let you work out the details of the story you'll tell the men. Let me get you a decent pair of pants and a different hat. That shirt will do for now."
After Ben had changed his clothes and slipped some of the money he had given Miles, into his pocket, the two of them went out to the bunkhouse to meet the rest of the hands.
The men had finished eating and were relaxing around the table as they played a hand of poker for toothpicks.
"I see you boys are playing by my rules, no poker for money here at the ranch. I appreciate that. Boys, I'd like you to meet the new hand. This here is Ben Dunn." Pointing to each man in turn he named them off. "Ben, this here is Smiley, this is Little Walt, this here is Zane and this, which you've already met, is Wes. Wes, I heard you ask earlier if you could keep Ben. Well, the answer is yes, he's your responsibility. I expect you'll teach him right."
Wes's face blanched. He immediately sensed he was being punished for his earlier shenanigans, but wasn't sure why. "I was only kidding, Miles," he muttered.
"Well, I'm not. Maybe you should be more careful about what you ask for now, shouldn't you?"
The rest of the men were getting a good laugh at Wes's expense as Miles went back up to the house.
"Great, OK Ben, tell us how a dandy from Richmond managed to get himself hired on at the XO, and get the boss to give you a pair of his pants and a hat to boot."
Ben did his best to convince the men he had qualifications, but they were having no part of it.
******
The next morning, Zane, the Xo's foreman, sent Wes and Ben out to ride the eastern fence line and repair several breaches that were known to exist as well as look for others. On their ride out, Wes did his best to strike up a conversation.
"So, Ben, have you ever repaired fence before?"
"No, but I can't imagine it would be too hard."
"Oh, you can't, can you. Tell me, have you done any ranch work at all? My guess is no. I mean, you don't look like you've spent much time in the sun and you don't have one callus on your hands. My God man, you don't even carry a gun. So tell me again, what have you done all your life?"
Ben shrugged, not wanting to give anything away he couldn't back up."It's like I told you last night, I've worked with horses."
"Yes, that's what you told us last night, but that's mighty vague, don't you think? Did you break "em, shoe "em, doctor "em…What?"
"All of it," replied Ben.
"All of it, you say. Well now, that's mighty interesting, Ben, mighty interesting. I do know this much. You don't dress like a ranch hand, your horse ain't no workin' horse, and that saddle? I've never seen a saddle quite like that before. You ain't foolin' none of the men at the XO and you certainly ain't foolin' me. We know you haven't done a single day of ranch work in your entire life, and I don't know what the hell you told the boss to get him to hire you. The way I figure it, you two are hiding something from the rest of us and my guess is today is day one of your ranching experience. So why don't we see what you're worth. "
Ben did his best to change the subject. "My saddle? It's a riding saddle."
Ben's reluctance to respond to Wes's concerns aggravated him all the more. "Well that's just great, Ben, "cuz Lord knows, you'll be doing a lot of that. Thing is, you'll also be doing a lot of working. What you really need is a working saddle. Maybe you can get the boss to give you one of them too."
Ben was no fool. He knew sarcasm when he heard it, and he knew he had a long way to go to prove himself to Wes, and the rest of the men as well.
Wes worked Ben hard for most of the week. By the time Friday evening came around, Ben thought he was actually getting the hang of setting posts and stretching wire. He was wrong about it not being too hard though. He had never worked so hard in all his life and was secretly hoping his stay at the XO would be short.
Friday was payday and the tradition with the men at the XO was to head into town that night and make their way back to the ranch before the weekend was over.
"We're heading into town, care to come with us, Ben?" asked Zane.
"Thanks for the invitation, but I'm sore and I'm beat. I think I'll pass. You all have a good time and drink a beer for me. I'm going down early tonight."
"Suit yourself. We'll be back in the morning...maybe'
"I need to take care of some business in town tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll meet up with you and the boys and we can ride back together."
"We'll be at the Hoof and Horn. Think you can find it?"
"I've been there once before, so that shouldn't be a problem."
Zane shut the door and Ben collapsed on his bunk.
******
The next morning Ben was up early. He took care of a few small chores before heading into town. He did have some pressing business to take care of and was anxious to get it done before the XO men headed back to the ranch. On the ride in, he couldn't help but think about how he enjoyed the quiet openness of the prairie, the smell of tall grass and even the cattle. It was nothing like the noisy bustle of Richmond, which he was beginning to see in a whole different light.
Once in town, his first stop was the livery where he had kept his horse the previous week. As he entered, he noticed the horses of the XO men were still there. An older man in the loft, which only covered over the stalls, was pitching hay. He poked his head over the edge and called down. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking to board my horse, and I was wondering if you happen to have any new saddles?"
"Hang on, I'll be right down."
Ben talked with the man and found out he didn't have any new saddles, but did have a couple of good used saddles for sale. After a bit of negotiating, he traded off his and a few dollars more for a nice working saddle. He also found out what the men would owe for boarding their horses and paid their bill in advance. After taking care of business, he went back to the same store where he had bought his clothes earlier and purchased a new pair of pants, shirt and hat. The storekeeper let him use the back room to change into his new clothes. From there, he walked over to the postmasters to see if any messages had arrived for him. He knew it hadn't been near long enough, but he was anxious to get some news of the situation back home. As he had thought, there was nothing for him. That was the last of the errands he needed to run, so he headed over to the Hoof and Horn to see if any of the XO men were there. They were.
Ben pushed his way through the batwings and up to the bar. Ira, the bartender had to take a second look before he realized who it was.
"Well, if it isn't mister fancy pants. Looks like somebody wised you up to the dress code around here?"
"It's been one heck of a week," replied Ben. "I've been wised up to more than a few things around here." Looking over the room, He spotted Wes and the rest of the men sitting at one of the tables. "What, no laughing," he stated.
"No laughing this time," replied Wes.
"We were just about to head out," stated Zane. "Are you ready to go?"
"I'd like to buy you all a drink first, unless you're in a hurry?"
"When a fella' offers to buy a man a drink, the only polite thing to do is to oblige him," stated Little Walt.
"Well in that case, Ira, a round for me and my friends."
This was the first time all week, Ben actually felt like he was making some headway with the boys. After they finished their drinks, they all headed down to the livery. As they went to settle up the bill they were told it had already been taken care of.
"Taken care of? By who?"
"Why this gent here," replied the stableman as he pointed out Ben.
"It was the least I could do for you all after putting up with me this week. I know it hasn't been easy."
They all thanked Ben for being so generous, and as they began to saddle up their horses, Little Walt and Smiley noticed Ben had himself a new saddle and began to talk amongst themselves.
"What are you two mumbling about over there," asked Zane.
Little Walt spoke up. "Smiley and me was just wonderin' what the heck is going on around here."
"What do you mean?" asked Zane.
"I mean Ben Dunn, from Richmond, Virginia no less, comes ridin' onto the XO last week all gussied up like a dime store cowboy. He don't know beans about ranching, or cattle. He git's himself invited into the bosses' house where he git's himself a pair of pants and a hat from the boss himself, and to top it all off, he git's himself hired on regular like, and we git's to babysit him. Now, after only a week on the payroll, he buys himself new clothes and a new saddle, he buys us drinks and pays our bill."
"So, what's your point, Walt?" asked Zane.
"My point is… where's he gittin' all the money? Is he gittin' paid more "an us, or what?"
"I really don't think that's any of your business," replied Zane.
"Well I think it is my business. And I wanna' know what the heck mister Ben Dunn has to say about it."
"I think it's none of your business," Ben replied.
"None of my business, well we'll see about that. Maybe I'll just make it my business."
Little Walt advanced toward Ben with clenched fists and the look of fire in his eyes, but Zane stepped in front of him and cut him off. "Like the man said, it's none of your business. Now fork that horse and ride out."
Little Walt was peeved, but kept his mouth shut as he went back to saddling his horse. He never got the answer he was looking for, but the question did get the rest of the men to thinking. As they mounted up and headed out of the livery, they were met by two riders just coming in. They were a couple of rough looking, trail worn characters and both in need of a shave and a bath. One of the men spit a stream of tobacco juice into the dirt and in a low, gravely sort of voice, asked the boys, "Are ye Yanks', or Rebs'?"
Zane, knowing full well that there were men around who still hadn't accepted the defeat of the South, kept his mouth shut. But Little Walt, being proud to have served in the Union spouted off, "Yanks, and proud of it."
"Wrong answer," shouted the stranger as he and his partner drew their pistols and began to fire.
Little Walt was hit square in the chest. Smiley, Wes and Zane pulled their guns and returned fire, but not before Wes was hit in the shoulder. Zane and Smiley shot straight and the two men went down. One last dying shot from one of the men hit Smiley's horse. It dropped to the ground and Smiley rolled off into the dirt, but was quickly on his feet, shouting in disbelief, "He shot my horse. That no good jasper shot my horse." Suddenly realizing Little Walt had been shot, he continued, "and Walt too."
Ben jumped from his horse and was at little Walt's side in less than a heartbeat. Walt was still breathing, but losing blood from the hole in his chest.
"Somebody get the Doc," shouted Smiley.
"Can't do that," answered the stableman. "Doc Evans went out to the Dunkin place early this morning to deliver a baby. No telling when he'll be back."
Ben began to tear open Walt's shirt to get a better look at the wound. "No time to wait for the doctor, this man needs attention now. Lead the way to his office, we'll take him there."
"Didn't you just hear the man? The Doc is out of town. What the hell are you talking about, Ben?" asked Zane.
"Look," Ben started, gesturing, "he's been shot in the chest. See how hard he's breathing and how the blood flowing from the wound has small bubbles around it? My guess is one of his lungs has collapsed. He needs attention now, Zane. We can't wait for Doc Evans. I'll take care of him myself."
"I'm lost here, Ben. What the hell are you talking about?"
"Zane, I'm a doctor, and a damn good one I might add. I'll explain it all to you later, but right now we need to get Walt to the Doc's place where I can get at this wound."
Zane, not quite believing what Ben had just told him, hesitated for a second as he decided whether or not to place the life of Little Walt in this mans hands. But his concern was so deep for Little Walt, plus the fact that he really didn't have much of a choice, he took him at his word. "You heard the man. Let's get him to the doc's place. Somebody lead the way."
The office was only a short distance and the men had Walt there in a flash. They hauled him in and laid him on the table, Ben began to give orders as he worked to familiarize himself with the layout of the room. "Zane, get some water boiling on the stove." He began to frantically pull open cabinets and drawers trying to locate what he needed.
"Waters already hot," yelled Zane. "I guess the Doc keeps himself prepared."
Ben poured some of the hot water into a basin to wash his hands.
"Zane, wash your hands. The rest of you leave the room."
"We want to help too," objected Smiley.
"I know you do, Smiley. I'll tell you what. The best thing you can do for Little Walt right now is ride out to the Dunkin place and see if you can hurry up the Doc and explain the situation to him on the way back.
"You got it, Ben…I mean, Doc, but I ain't got a horse no more. I guess I'll have to take Walt's."
Ben looked up as Smiley disappeared out the door. As he did, he noticed blood on Wes's shirt. "You've been shot."
"It's only a scratch. It can wait. You take care of Little Walt."
Wes left the room and Zane closed the door.
******
A long hour had passed before Smiley got back with Doc Evans, who wasn't looking very happy. He went straight into the operating room and shut the door behind him. Ben was finishing up with Little Walt, who was still alive, but barely.
"Just who the hell are you mister, and who in tarnation gave you the authority to operate on my table?"
Being a doctor himself, Ben wasn't a bit surprised at the reception, but he knew Doc Evans would understand once he explained himself. "My name is Ben Dunn. I'm a doctor of surgery in Richmond, Virginia. I'm here visiting my Uncle, Miles Hanley of the XO. I'm afraid I didn't get permission to use your table and I apologize for that, but it was an emergency; a matter of life and death..."
Zane broke into the conversation. "Doc, you know me, and you know the rest of the men from the XO and that includes Little Walt here. Ben saved his life and this is the thanks he gets?"
Ben smiled across at his companion, grateful for the compliment."It's OK, Zane. Doc Evans has every right to be upset. I made a mess of his operating room and I used it without his permission. I've apologized for that."
"Well," replied Doc Evans. "No harm done. I appreciate the professional courtesy and the apology. How's your man doing?" The Doc Leaned over the table to get a closer look. "That's some mighty fine looking stitch work there, if I do say so myself." Turning his attention back to Zane, he continued. "You may leave the room now, Zane. I'll take over from here."
"Thank you, doctor," replied Ben. "He seems to be stable at the moment. His left lung is partially collapsed. It was punctured by a piece of rib that was chipped off when the bullet hit it. I opened him up a bit and removed the slug and the piece of rib. I did what I could to repair the damage before I closed the incision. It's not a pretty sight. He's holding his own right now, but only time will tell. At least his breathing isn't so labored. Again, I do apologize for taking over your office like this. I never would have done it if I thought it could have waited. This is quite a setup you have here for such a small town."
"Fort Scott ain't so small, and I do keep up on the latest medical advancements. I noticed when I came in that there's a man in the outer room with blood on his shirt. You might as well tend to him also."
Ben and Doc Evans moved Little Walt to a bed where he could be tended to during his recovery, then Ben stepped out to get Wes.
"Come on in here Wes, you're next."
Zane, Wes and Smiley all stood up. "Not so fast Ben. You owe us an explanation," answered Wes.
Ben was on the spot, so he decided to come clean right then. "I think you're right, boys. I do at that."
The boys sat back down as Ben did his best to explain. "My name is Ben Dunn and Miles Hanley, he's my Uncle. I'm here because I'm a wanted man back in Virginia. Not wanted by the law, but wanted by a group of men, vigilantes, who are out to kill me."
"Kill you? What on earth for?" asked Smiley.
"They want to kill me because of what I believe in, and because I operated on a Negro. He was beaten near to death for no other reason but that he walked across the path of a white woman. I saved his life, I took him into my home and nursed him back to health, but there were some men in town that didn't like what I did for the man. My home was burned to the ground and my patient and I escaped by the thinnest of margins. They came after me, but I escaped and came here until things calmed down enough for me to return home. I'm sorry I pretended to be a ranch hand, but I wanted to earn my keep."
"We knew you weren't a ranch hand. You're too damn lousy at it. You must have figured we were on to you?" added Zane, with a smile.
"I figured so, but I do appreciate your putting up with me. Well, anyhow, that's my story, now let me take a look at that shoulder, Wes."
Ben cleaned up the wound and put a bandage over it. The bullet had just creased Wes's' arm drawing a fair amount of blood, but not causing any real damage. A few stitches and he was as good as new.
"So, what's your plan now, Ben? Hopefully you're not coming back to work at the XO," Smiley said with a laugh.
"No, I'm afraid my ranching days are over. I'm not cut out to be a ranch hand. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do now."
Doc Evans interrupted. "Well, I have an idea. This town is getting awful big for only one Doctor and I'd love to be able to cut back on the amount of hours I'm putting in. I might be willing to share my office with you for a time. Evans and Dunn. Has a ring to it, don't you think?"
"Well, you know doc, that sounds like a good idea, at least for the time being. I don't have to think twice about it. I'll take you up on that offer. I'll need a day or two to collect my belongings from the XO and get settled here in town."
"No problem, but you're not leaving this office until after you help me clean up this mess."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Doctor Evans." replied Ben, with a smile.
"Oh please, let's get ourselves onto a first name basis here. My name's Marcus. Once we get this mess cleaned up we can work out the details over supper."
Ben turned his attention back to the boys. "I'll tell you what. If you boys want to stay the night in town, I'll pick up the tab for the horses and for a night at the boarding house. Then we'll all head back out to the XO in the morning."
"Smiley never was one to pass up an opportunity when he saw one," Wes piped up. "Does that include drinks at the Hoof and Horn?" he asked.
"Why not, I'll pay for your drinks, but that's all. No extracurricular activities, if you know what I mean."
"Extracurricular activities, no. what do you mean by that?" questioned Smiley.
Zane chuckled. "He means he isn't going to pay for a woman or your gambling losses."
"Oh, that. You got a deal, Ben."
The boys took turns shaking Ben's hand and thanking him for what he had done for Little Walt, and for Wes too. As they headed out the door, Smiley exclaimed. "Somehow, I gotta' git me another horse."
"A good horse will cost you near two hundred dollars, where do you think you're going to come up with that kind of money?" questioned Zane.
Smiley thought for a minute. "Maybe I can get Ben to pay for it?"
They all had a good laugh at Smiley's joke, but what they didn't realize, was that he was serious.
Continue Reading
Chapter Three / On the Trail to Fort Scott
Chapter Five / Good News, Bad News
Chapter Six / Trailing the Dog
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A full length novel by Scott A. Gese
The day Sarah McKinney finally escaped the clutches of her abusive husband, she and her adopted son, Jason, began a perilous journey and a new life on the run. The future hangs in the balance as their unhappy past and the man they left behind threatens to catch up with them.
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