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  John considered Ruby’s words as he continued to eat. They talked throughout the meal but the only thing on John’s mind was that he was close to catching Holloway. When he finished eating, John paid for their meals and left Ruby a nice tip.

  He walked over to the livery and found the old man had set up a cot with a mattress in the stall next to Midnight. There was also a pillow and two blankets. John smiled to himself as he realized he was going to enjoy having a good bed under him that evening.

  When John got out to the Dawson Ranch the next morning, he couldn’t find anyone. There were horses saddled but no sign of the hands. John swung down and looped the reins around the hitching rail in front of the bunkhouse. No one was in the bunkhouse, so John walked through it and out the back door. Just down from the bunkhouse, John saw a gathering of hands beneath a large oak tree.

  John walked over to where the men were gathered. He removed his hat as he realized he was witnessing a funeral. Actually, he saw three graves.

  “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” As the parson spoke those words he tossed a handful of dirt onto the coffins. There was a mumbling among the cowboys and they put on their hats and started walking away from the grave.

  John overheard one cowboy. “The Lord may have given but he didn’t take away. That was Holloway’s doin’.” John walked up beside them to get the story.

  “You mean this is Holloway’s work?” asked John.

  “Yup. He rode in with his gang yesterday mornin’. They went into the ranch house and killed Dawson and his wife. They shot Dawson’s daughter. It looks like she’ll live. Then they came out to the bunkhouse and shot Colby. One of the men was just coming in and saw all three of them standing over Colby’s bed. Colby was still laid up with the busted leg from that snake trick they played on him. He didn’t even have a gun. They just kept shootin’ him. As they mounted up and rode off, Holloway shouted back, “That’s what Colby gets for firin’ us. And anybody who comes after us will get the same thing.”

  John was stunned by level of violence brought on by Holloway and his fellow outlaws. “Any idea where they headed?” asked John.

  “Nah,” responded the same hand. “They took the road back to town but there’s no tellin’ where they went from there.”

  John saddled up and rode back to Encinal. He rode up to the saloon, swung down, and wrapped the reins over the hitching rail. John walked over to Ruby who was startled to see him.

  “Since you’re here, I take it you found Holloway.”

  “Yes, I found where they’ve been. Did they come back here?” asked John.

  “They were here early this morning. I’m surprised you didn’t run into them on your way to the Dawson Ranch.”

  “I left pretty early. They must have been camped off the road. They killed Dawson and his wife and shot their daughter.”

  Ruby gasped at the news. She let fly with a string of profanity about Holloway and his bunch. “Why would they hurt that little girl? Did they kill her?”

  “I didn’t see her but I was told they think she’ll live. They also killed Colby.”

  Ruby bowed her head as her anger gave way to grief. Tears flowed from her eyes. “Colby was as good as they come. They didn’t have no reason to hurt him. He was one of the best men I know.”

  John listened as Ruby continued talking about her friendship with Colby. Shortly the tears stopped and she was once again flinging profanities into the air about Holloway, Gomez, and Atkins. “There haven’t been three more worthless men that ever lived. John I hope you catch ‘em. And when you do, I hope you will kill ’em all.”

  “Ruby, you can rest assured I’ll do all I can to catch ’em. But when I do, I’m planning on bringin’ in so they can stand trial. They’ve got a lot to answer for.”

  “I know you’re right in that, John. Don’t let me keep you. Go find those….” Once again Ruby cut loose with words that questioned the outlaw’s parentage, masculinity, and value as human beings. John marveled at the wide variety of Ruby’s colorful vocabulary.

  John walked out of the saloon and down to the sheriff’s office, leaving Midnight at the saloon. He walked into the office and introduced himself to Sheriff Grayson.

  “So what can I do for you, Mr. Crudder?”

  “Sheriff Grayson, I just came from the Dawson Ranch. Jasper Holloway, and two of his accomplices just murdered Dawson and his wife, shot their daughter and murdered Colby, their foreman.”

  “What? That can’t be. I saw Dawson yesterday mornin’ and he was fine.”

  “Be that as it may, Sheriff. He and his wife are dead now. And so is Colby. I just came from their funerals.” John told the account he had heard at the ranch and how all three men had stood over Colby and shot him multiple times because he fired them.

  “Sheriff, you need to know I’m after Holloway for another killin’. He murdered the mother of a friend of mine down in Laredo. I plan to take ’em to Laredo to stand trial.”

  “You can’t do that Mr. Crudder. You have to bring ’em here. They need to stand trial here for their crimes in this county. This is where they belong.”

  “I can understand how you feel. Sheriff JD Lasiter in Laredo wanted to deputize me as I hunted for Holloway but I declined. I used to be the marshal in Bandera. I know I can bring these men in but I don’t want anyone tellin’ me how to do it and where to take ’em. So sheriff, they’re goin’ to be taken to Laredo. I’ll be sure to tell Sheriff Lasiter that when Laredo is through with ’em, if they’re still alive, you want to have a crack at all three here in Encinal.”

  “I guess that’ll have to do, Mr. Crudder. I’ll ride out to the ranch and get statements from the hands and from anyone who knows anything about the murders. Do you know which way Holloway went?”

  “I’m not sure but I’m headed toward San Anton. My hunch is they are headed back there.”

  “Well I hope you find ’em,” said the sheriff.

  “Oh, I’ll find ’em all right. I just hope they let me take them back to Laredo. If they don’t, I’ll bury ’em alone the way.”

  Chapter 17

  Midnight took John out of Encinal and headed north. Crudder allowed his horse to move into a full gallop as he cleared town. He had traveled just a few miles when he saw someone had tied some horses in the shade of a tree not far off of the road. John pulled Midnight up quickly, not wanting to reveal his presence before he was sure what he was dealing with.

  He took Midnight well off the road and swung down. Midnight didn’t make a sound. It was as if the mighty horse picked up on John’s stealth and followed suit. He left Midnight tied to a tree, pulled his six-gun and headed toward the place where the other horses were tied.

  As John got closer, he stopped and watched from behind a tree. He saw the three horses were saddled and ready to ride but he didn’t see any people. John waited, hoping the owners of the horses would soon come into view. He hunched down so he would be partially hidden by the tall grass.

  As he waited he thought he saw movement to his right. As he turned toward it, he thought he also saw movement to his left. John dropped lower into the grass and held perfectly still. Then John heard something behind him. It was then he realized he had ridden into a trap. The sound behind him seemed closer and a greater threat so he turned to face what he was sure would be a gunman. As he did, gunshots came from every direction.

  He felt the impact of the bullets. One tore into his right leg and another into his right arm. “I got him,” said a voice. “So did I,” said another voice.

  John passed his gun to his left hand. While not being truly ambidextrous, he knew he was a good marksman with his left hand. As he raised the gun to take a bead on one of the men who shot him, he felt a bullet strike him in the head. His last thought was I never even heard it coming!

  “I got him,” said Holloway. “Shot him right in the head.”

  “I got him too!” said Gomez. Got h
im in his right arm. He couldn’t shoot with the bullet in his arm.

  “I shot him in the leg,” said Atkins. “Knock the legs out from under your prey. That way they can’t get away.

  “You guys keep congratulating yourselves,” said Holloway. I got him in the head. If you want to kill someone, that’s the way you do it. Now let’s get out of here before someone rides along the road.”

  “What do we do with his body?” asked Atkins. “Want to bury him?”

  Holloway let out a bitter laugh. “I’m not strainin’ my back on digging a grave for this man. If you two want to bury him, be my guests. I’m headed on north. We need to get out of this country. Let the buzzards clean up our mess.

  The men laughed at Holloway’s coldness. They mounted up and took the trail north toward the Cotulla Ranch. Crudder lay right where he fell. It didn’t take the buzzards long to start circling. Their sharp eyes and sense of smell immediately focused on their next meal.

  Chapter 18

  ENCINAL, TEXAS

  Sheriff Grayson rode out to the Dawson Ranch and took statements from everyone who knew anything about the murders. He found it hard to believe anyone could be as coldblooded as Holloway and his henchmen.

  Leaving the ranch, he rode back to the El Camino Real and turned north to see if he could pick up the trail of the murderers. He traveled a few miles out of town and realized he was not able to distinguish between the many horse tracks on the road. The sheriff was just getting ready to turn around when he saw Midnight standing sentinel over Crudder’s body.

  Sheriff Grayson rode over to John and swung down. He saw John was covered in blood and had obviously been shot several times. The sheriff was sad as he thought about the eagerness of the young man in his office that morning and how he had been cut down by the very outlaws he was chasing.

  Just then, he heard John let out a moan. The sheriff got his canteen from his saddle horn and put the water to John’s lips.

  “Ooooh! My head!” John tried to move but the sheriff pressured him to the ground.

  “John, I can’t believe you’re alive. Better lay still. You’ve been shot several times and the hole is your head is bleedin’ badly. Let me get your hat off so I can see how bad it is.”

  Sheriff Grayson careful removed John’s hat and inspected the wound. It looked to him like it was a glancing blow. Grayson picked up John’s hat and looked at it. As he inspected it he found something stuck in the headliner. There were two tintypes stacked on top of each other. One showed a young woman and the other was of two little girls.

  “Well, John, it looks like your family has saved your life.” He showed the badly damaged tintypes to Crudder. John tried to smile but the pain in his head was too great.

  “I remember putting them there just this mornin’. They were in my pocket but I thought I might take better care of them puttin’ ’em in my hat. Turns out, that just destroyed both of them.”

  “And saved your life,” said the sheriff. “That and your hard head. Now hold still. I’ve got to get the bleeding stopped in your scalp wound or you will be dead soon.”

  The sheriff skillfully tied his bandana around John’s head, stanching the bleeding. He then went to his saddlebag and dug out another bandana and tied it to John’s injured shoulder. He then reached up and untied the bandana around John’s neck and tied it around John’s leg.

  “John, do you think you can ride if I help you into the saddle?”

  “I think I can. Bring Midnight over here and I’ll be able to get in the saddle by myself.” The sheriff brought Crudder’s horse nearby and John tried to stand but collapsed to the ground.

  “This time let me help you, mister hardhead!” The sheriff held John’s left arm and got him over to Midnight. John reached up and took hold of the saddle horn as the sheriff boosted him up. With great effort, John swung his injured leg over the saddle and sat up. The pain was so great that he couldn’t remain sitting up straight but bent over the saddle horn.

  “Let me see the reins, John. I’ll lead your horse back into town. We’re not going fast. You let me know if we need to stop.”

  “I’ll be fine, Sheriff.”

  Sheriff Grayson mounted up and led Midnight back into Encinal, stopping in front of the saloon. He helped John off his horse and supported him as he walked him through the swinging doors.

  “What! What happened to him?” Ruby immediately ran to John’s side. “I’ll bet those sidewinders did this to him. John, did that no-account Holloway do this?”

  John tried to reply but he was too weak.

  “Ruby, do you have room upstairs for Crudder?”

  “Of course, Sheriff. Bring him on up. The room next to mine is empty. Let’s get him up there and I’ll nurse him back to health.” They half carried John up the stairs and got him into bed. With great care, Ruby pulled John’s boots off and then started inspecting his wounds.

  “The shots to his arm and leg went clean through. Let me get some whisky out of my room. I need to clean ’em up.” Ruby hurried next door and came back with a half-empty bottle. John let out a howl each time she poured the alcohol into his wounds. “Roll him over sheriff. I’ve got to pour some whisky in the other side. Sugar, I know this hurts, and you cry out if you need to, but you know I’ve got to do this for your own good.”

  She continued tending the wounds and John managed to contain his outcries and only groan. Once those wounds were dressed, she turned to the wound on his head. “Sugar, this one’s gonna need stitching’ up. You’ve got a long gash that won’t quit bleedin’ if I don’t stitch it up. Good thing you’ve got a hard head or you’d be dead now.”

  “It weren’t just his hard head.” The sheriff pulled the ruined tintypes from his pocket. “He had these in his headband. I think they probably saved his life.”

  Ruby inspected the photos. “Sugar, you’ve got a fine lookin’ family. And the good thing is, you’re gonna get to see ’em again. Sheriff, I need you to stay here with our patient while I go get a needle and thread. Now, Sugar, don’t you go nowhere while I’m gone.” Ruby let out a loud laugh at her little joke.

  She was back in a couple of minutes with her seamstress supplies, some bandages and a small bottle of ointment. Taking a seat on the side of his bed, she held up her bottle of whisky. “Sugar, you might want to take a couple of pulls on the bottle before I get started. It’s gonna hurt right smart.”

  John shook his head. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ve had stitches before.”

  “Sugar, I hope you’re right. This is gonna hurt like….” John smiled to himself as he heard yet another colorful description from Ruby. He realized he heard many more swear words from her than he had from any man.

  Ruby carefully washed her hands in the washbasin. John was impressed she used soap. She then poured some whisky in a bowl and completely submerged the needle with the thread attached. “All right, Sugar. Here we go.”

  Ruby used scissors to cut John’s hair that was near the gash. She then made quick work of the stitches, taking care to not let any loose hair remain in the wound. When she finished, she used one corner of a cotton handkerchief she had up her sleeve to apply more whisky and then used the rest of the cloth to apply the ointment. She then wrapped the bandage around John’s head to finish her job.

  “There you go, Sugar. You’ll be good as new in a few days. I want you to try to sleep now. I’ll bring you some supper later, but I want you to rest until then.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  John did his best to be a good patient. He stayed in bed for the better part of a week. Toward the end of the week, he was strong enough to come down stairs for his meals. Ruby turned out to be a first-rate nurse. During that time, it was obvious to John, she had taken to treating him as she would her own son. While he didn’t like convalescing, John made the best of it and decided it did make more sense to try to heal up before he started out after Holloway.

  After ten days, John just couldn’t stand being idle. He announced to Ruby he would be lea
ving in the morning. She did her best to talk him out of it, saying he needed at least two more weeks to heal up. While he knew she was right, he also knew he needed to get on the trail of Holloway and his gang before he lost complete track of them.

  When morning came, John went downstairs to find Ruby had cooked him some fried eggs, sausage, and biscuits. He hungrily ate everything she put on his plate and used his last biscuit to mop up anything that remained.

  Ruby sat down with him as he was finishing his meal. “I want you to know you’re goin’ against Nurse Ruby’s orders. I don’t think you should travel.”

  “I know you don’t, Ruby. But I’ve got to get after Holloway before the trail gets cold.”

  “I guess so.” She picked up a small sack and handed it to John. “I made you a little something to eat on the trail.”

  “Thanks, Ruby. What did you make?”

  She winked at John and said, “Well, Sugar, you know we only serve steak and taters.”

  John smiled and accepted a hug from the woman who was determined to see him return to full health. “You catch those critters and bring ’em back here on your way to Laredo. I need to have a few words with them.”

  He tipped his hat and went to the livery stable where Midnight was already saddled and ready to go. He made a mental note not to stop at Encinal when he traveled back with the outlaws. While he would love to see the people in the town, he wasn’t sure he could keep his prisoners safe. And he was sure Sheriff Grayson would lay claim to them and not allow him to move them on to Laredo.

  Chapter 19

  EL CAMINO REAL

  The bullet wounds surprisingly didn’t give John as much pain as he was expecting. His head was another matter. Ruby had offered to send some laudanum with him but John declined. She gave him some willow bark and told him to chew it saying it would help with the headaches. John found it did help but he still had a dull headache most of the time.