Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted March 5, 2019
After Hannah had left, Addy settled in with the willow tea and let out a breath. "Not what I was plannin' on, no siree!" She glanced at Speed and shrugged. "Marshal's a might old, gettin' a little slow these days," she explained. "Rightly think he keeps on because there's no one ta take over."
Closing her eyes, she relaxed for a moment, looking forward to the short nap they would have before daylight and they had to head back to get the wagon, but at the knock on the door she rose wearily to let Hannah and the doctor in.
++++++++++
Jonah knew that he'd be called out in the night on occasion, but he hadn't counted on it being so soon, or so blasted...night. But he responded to the knocking on his door, quickly slipping into enough clothing to be presentable, then grabbed his bag and followed the young woman (?) to the sheriff's office.
"Bear attack, you say?" Really? He hadn't thought about bears actually attacking people...that was the stuff of dime novels or tales of frontiersmen, not something that happened to real people. Still, he braced himself for all sorts of mayhem and horrible injuries.
When they stepped into the sheriff's office, Jonah was surprised that there wasn't any blood, but at least there was relief that he wouldn't need to be doing any sutures.
"All right, then, who's first?"
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Posted March 6, 2019
After Hannah had left, Addy settled in with the willow tea and let out a breath. "Not what I was plannin' on, no siree!" She glanced at Speed and shrugged. "Marshal's a might old, gettin' a little slow these days," she explained. "Rightly think he keeps on because there's no one ta take over."
“No one? In a town this size?” Were Speeds two questions, then, “Seems odd.” Then he took a sip of the tea, felt it’s warmth flood through his weary body and leaned back in the chair.
Closing her eyes, she relaxed for a moment, looking forward to the short nap they would have before daylight and they had to head back to get the wagon, but at the knock on the door she rose wearily to let Hannah and the doctor in.
++++++++++
Jonah knew that he'd be called out in the night on occasion, but he hadn't counted on it being so soon, or so blasted...night. But he responded to the knocking on his door, quickly slipping into enough clothing to be presentable, then grabbed his bag and followed the young woman (?) to the sheriff's office.
"Bear attack, you say?" Really? He hadn't thought about bears actually attacking people...that was the stuff of dime novels or tales of frontiersmen, not something that happened to real people. Still, he braced himself for all sorts of mayhem and horrible injuries.
When they stepped into the sheriff's office, Jonah was surprised that there wasn't any blood, but at least there was relief that he wouldn't need to be doing any sutures.
"All right, then, who's first?"
Startled from his catnap, Speed sat up. “ ‘spose that would be me, Doc. Took a rap to the head, gave me a pretty fair goose egg." He pointed to the lump that had risen on his forehead. "Other than that, I'd be fine, a might weary, but fine."
Posted March 7, 2019
"All right, then." The pair did look rather battered, and as he moved in to examine Speed's head, Jonah asked, "What exactly happened?"
"Bear attacked my horses," Addy explained, "took one down, and in th' process, we got battered in th' process." She glanced at Speed with a shrug. "Didn't get th' bear, had ta put th' horse down...oh, an' yer shipments gonna be late, I gotta go out in th' daylight an' fetch it...one horse dead, another run off, crazy bear runnin' around." She grinned. "Me an' Speed there might be mean 'nough, but not so addled as ta take on a mad bear at midnight!"
"Well, I surely do understand that," the doctor said, "I can wait." Then he turned his attention to the man. "So, sir, any headache, visual disturbances...looks like a few stitches will be in order."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Posted March 7, 2019
"All right, then." The pair did look rather battered, and as he moved in to examine Speed's head, Jonah asked, "What exactly happened?"
"Bear attacked my horses," Addy explained, "took one down, and in th' process, we got battered in th' process." She glanced at Speed with a shrug. "Didn't get th' bear, had ta put th' horse down...oh, an' yer shipments gonna be late, I gotta go out in th' daylight an' fetch it...one horse dead, another run off, crazy bear runnin' around." She grinned. "Me an' Speed there might be mean 'nough, but not so addled as ta take on a mad bear at midnight!"
Speed had to laugh at the last part about being addled. Of course, he realized that they both could have been killed out there easily enough.
"Well, I surely do understand that," the doctor said, "I can wait." Then he turned his attention to the man. "So, sir, any headache, visual disturbances...looks like a few stitches will be in order."
“Add those to the collection then,” Speed responded. “Best if a hunting party got out there, that bear’s the one that’s crazed. Looked to me like he was killing just to be killing. But then I could be mistaken and by some miracle, we scared it off from its breakfast.”
Posted March 22, 2019
Hannah shook her head and frowned.
"We do need to hunt it down, but we need to organize hunting parties and not have a free-for-all or someone will get hurt."
The deputy marshal did not consider it a good idea for people to be frightened into shooting at anything that moved. Besides, most ranchers would prefer to organize smaller hunting parties on their land. It would be safer since some had a tendency to shoot trespassers.
"I will talk to the Marshal and get him to go to the town council and call a town meeting. Make sure we are all on the same page before announcing the hunt. Perhaps the local ranchers and landowners will agree to a put up a small bounty."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Posted March 23, 2019
“Not that I would disagree with what you’re saying Deputy, just that if this animal is attacking livestock, mounted humans might well be in danger as well.” Speed offered. I mean to say, it attacked Addy's wagon to kill the horses."
“Might be better served for the Marshal to gather a hunting party to go after it. He didn’t seem intimidated by us in the least. Not to tell you your job, just a suggestion. It’s on the rampage, killing for sport it would appear, so the longer it takes to get after it, the more damage it has time to do, and the farther away it might range. Maybe those on the Thornton spread?”
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted March 23, 2019
"I'll contribute to a bounty," Addy commented, "an' I'm sure Mr. Millegan will, too, only just, ya put out a bounty an' folks is liable ta go off half-cocked by themselves fer th' money." And she agreed with Speed that it should be larger parties that go after the beast.
Jonah was listening, mostly assessing his patients for their alertness and awareness -- he had no idea about bears beyond what he'd heard, and little of that was good. Satisfied that the man just had a bit of a concussion that would cause headaches but heal itself, he shifted to the woman. He'd seen the way she moved and assumed her ribs were injured. A quick exam, though, showed that they had already been well-wrapped and they weren't broken.
"These two are lucky," he commented to the deputy, "just aches and pains, but they'll recover."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Posted March 24, 2019
"I'll contribute to a bounty," Addy commented, "an' I'm sure Mr. Millegan will, too, only just, ya put out a bounty an' folks is liable ta go off half-cocked by themselves fer th' money." And she agreed with Speed that it should be larger parties that go after the beast.
Speed grimaced, the headache was still throbbing but was no longer getting worse. He exhaled heavily and looked to the Deputy. “People being. what they are, perhaps a bounty might just be doing more harm than good. Perhaps the best reward would be the bear meat, and given his size, there’d be quite a bit.” He paused, “Up to you and the Marshal though.”
Jonah was listening, mostly assessing his patients for their alertness and awareness -- he had no idea about bears beyond what he'd heard, and little of that was good. Satisfied that the man just had a bit of a concussion that would cause headaches but heal itself, he shifted to the woman. He'd seen the way she moved and assumed her ribs were injured. A quick exam, though, showed that they had already been well-wrapped and they weren't broken.
"These two are lucky," he commented to the deputy, "just aches and pains, but they'll recover."
"Just wouldn't want to see anyone get killed or wounded by accident. which is highly possible with a mob out hunting for this beast." Speed added.
Posted March 26, 2019
"Wish is why I was suggesting we organize hunting parties and not simply send everyone off on their own," Hannah responded. She did agree that simply putting the news out was likely to panic some and send the rest on the hunt making it dangerous for everyone.
"I will advise the Marshal to hold off on any talk of a bounty because I agree that we don't want some lone fool getting himself killed for the money." Hannah's mind was ticking through all the details she needed to bring up to her father. She would far rather be too cautious than get someone hurt or killed because she did not do her due diligence on the planning.
"We have some good hunters in town and at the outlying ranches. I can contact them, see what we can put together for hunting parties."
Finally, Hannah smiled at the doctor which was easy enough to do. He was a very pleasant man. News of his arrival and the usual gossip about having a handsome bachelor doctor in town had reached her ears. As far as Hannah was concerned, it was more important that he was good at his profession - which seemed to be the case. "Glad to hear these two are gonna be okay. Would you care for a cup of coffee, Doctor?"
Posted March 31, 2019
"Thank you, yes," Jonah replied with a smile to the question about coffee, glancing at the young woman, then to the stage driver. Odd, that the ladies here were hardly anything but ladies, trying their best to look and act like men. It must be something about the West, and he wasn't sure how to take it.
"You offered them willow bark?" he asked Hannah? "Good idea, that should help with the pains. And," he grinned, "you won't need to worry about me going after a bounty on Mr. Bear, I can't imagine being so desperate for money that anyone would put themselves into a situation like that." His grin widened, "As for the meat, that would be enough to feed a small army." Then he added, "But when a party goes out, I'd be happy to accompany them, in case there is trouble."
"That might be a right good idea." Addy glanced at Hannah. "I can follow at a distance with a buckboard an' th' doc, carry supplies, food, water..." Even if it only took a day, they'd still need provisions, and the wagon would have to maintain some distance so the noise didn't alert the bear.