Emeline felt the beginnings of a headache, but she knew that would go away once all the fuss was over. "You could be opening a Pandor's Box asking questions like that!" she murmured to Angie with a chuckle, then she excused herself. "Sounds like the Marshal is here, I'd best get back to the house. Make yourself at home and feel free to look around. I'm sure the men will be willing to show you around, if you'd like."
Taking a breath, she crossed the yard back to the house, giving Speed a weary smile. "Welcome, although I wish the circumstances could be different. Can I get you some coffee?"
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"What's all this ruckus about?" Speed asked as Em came out of the bunkhouse. Wheezer said that was a problem, and he had to shoot a fella?" Speed asked as he embarrassed her. "Whatever happened, we can get this straightened out."
Taking a breath, she crossed the yard back to the house, giving Speed a weary smile. "Welcome, although I wish the circumstances could be different. Can I get you some coffee?"
"Coffee'd be a welcome thing—still a mite cold of an evenin' out here." He said, already tasting the coffee and the warmth it would deliver.
Having heard the horses arrive, Barnabas hurried out the door and down the steps, "Damn glad to see you, Speed. cain't be awin; out'cher in the yard, but I spose Em already invited ya in, she's got snickerdoodles an' a story for ya ta hear. You know the Doc?"
"No, we haven't crossed paths as yet, til now. Doctor, Henry Guyer, everyone calls me Speed. They climbed the stairs as the Marshal swept off his hat, Barnabas opening the door and holding it for them. "You let me have it, Em, I doubt there'd be much of a ruckus about it. As they crossed the room, he added, "It's not unusual for some miscreant to run afoul of ranchers,''
,
As she poured coffee all around Emeline gathered her thoughts, not that she hadn't gone over the details a million times in her head, but she needed to pick out the pertinent facts and be sure she relayed them clearly and concisely.
"I had plans to make huckleberry pies for the men," she started, "so, of course, I needed huckleberries." She offered a small smile before continuing. "I packed up Wheeler, saddled Noel and headed out to the north section. It was a beautiful ride, a really pretty day..." And that was another bad thing, everything had been so normal, so pleasant, and she'd been looking forward to surprising the men.
"I was about five miles out when I got down and tied Noel to a branch, then started my berry hunt. When I got back, Noel was gone. I thought maybe I just hadn't tied her well enough, so I started walking back and found my rifle in the road. I was going to fire off a shot, but it wasn't loaded. I know it was loaded when I left...anyway, it wasn't long before a man and woman blocked my path." She shuddered a bit, then plowed on, not stopping again until she got to the really bad part.
"They asked me to give them Wheeler then..." her voice dropped to a whisper, "then take off my clothes." This was something she had kept to herself until this moment, and she glanced quickly at Barnabas, then back at Speed. "Of course I refused, then tired to get past them, but they wouldn't leave me alone. I could only do so much with Wheeler, and then the man pulled a revolver. I still had my derringer, so when he got close enough I shot him...twice. Then I started running again, and that woman...girl...came after us. Then Barnabas was there and we were safe."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed put his hand out as if to stop Barnabas from getting up or saying anything, as it was clear he was enraged by what Emeline had said, obvious parts of which he had not been told before.
"Now, the man you shot, he was going to shoot you; that seems plain enough. Did he say anything as to why? And this girl, Pronto shot her, you say? And she was unarmed, or could you tell?" Speed asked. "Was a reason given as to what the girl wanted Wheeler, or she just demanded you give the boy up to her?"
"Take yer clothes off? Give up our son? Had I known that then I'd'a killed her right then!" Pike said. "This Tom Love, you know anything about him? Who he is, where he's from?"
I have a circular on him, but what I need to know is exactly what they said to you. Either one of them. I mean, there are those we know of that aren't exactly your friends in this town, nor mine. I have no idea about this County Sheriff, Mark Harper. I haven't spoken to him. So anything that you can remember that either of them said would be helpful. Let's ride into town come morning, turn the girl over to Harper, and file charges. Get your side of this out in the open. maybe get Phin in there with you."
Emeline saw the rage in her husband, something she had anticipated, the reason she hadn't mentioned this sooner, and likely wouldn't have, except that Speed had asked.
"Now, the man you shot, he was going to shoot you; that seems plain enough. Did he say anything as to why? And this girl, Pronto shot her, you say? And she was unarmed, or could you tell?" Speed asked. "Was a reason given as to what the girl wanted Wheeler, or she just demanded you give the boy up to her?"
"They didn't say why," she started to take a sip of coffee but her hands were trembling too much, so she set the mug down. "The woman said she wanted Wheeler so he didn't get hurt when her brother..." Another quick glance at Barnabas, then her attention went back to Speed, grateful that he was a friend. "I don't know if she had a weapon, if she'd taken the gun from her brother, I was just trying to get away."
"Take yer clothes off? Give up our son? Had I known that then I'd'a killed her right then!" Pike said. "This Tom Love, you know anything about him? Who he is, where he's from?"
"That's why I didn't say," she whispered, knowing that he truly would have killed the woman and likely been in trouble for it.
"I have a circular on him, but what I need to know is exactly what they said to you. Either one of them. I mean, there are those we know of that aren't exactly your friends in this town, nor mine. I have no idea about this County Sheriff, Mark Harper. I haven't spoken to him. So anything that you can remember that either of them said would be helpful. Let's ride into town come morning, turn the girl over to Harper, and file charges. Get your side of this out in the open. maybe get Phin in there with you."
"Mr. McVey? Oh, no, please..." The very thought of this being published in the papers was horrifying! Bad enough the man had threatened her with obscene acts, but she'd killed a man, and regardless of the fact that she'd had no choice, and she'd do it again in a heartbeat, it wasn't something she wanted plastered on the front page of the Kalispell Union.
"Excuse me, I..." In a near panic, she leapt from the table, spilling her chair, and darted for the front door!
Barnabas was on his feet and right behind his wife toward the door, catching her quickly, taking hold of her arm, and turning her toward him.
"Whoa now, It ain't gonna be in no graphic detail, nothin' about takin' yer clothes off! I won't have that, an' neither'd Phin! He ain't that way. But news of the shootin's gonna get out there, best they hear our side first. Ya done nothin' wrong, Love. It was self-defense plain as day!" He drew her in and hugged her. "I doubt it'll come to much of anything."
"now, my shooting Sis might get some talk, maybe a charge, but it was on private property, an' they was trespassers! I couldn't see was she armed 'er not. I seen her arm up an' yer shots an' jest reacted."
He stepped back, "Look, you an' Wheeler are safe, men are on this Tom Love's trail, we'll find him an' drag him in if he ain't killed shootin' out with me an' the boys. People know you, the kind'a person what you are. They'll have no ill thoughts about you over this. Weren't none'a yer doin'. I love you, an' you know that. It's gonna be alright."
.
"Whoa now, It ain't gonna be in no graphic detail, nothin' about takin' yer clothes off! I won't have that, an' neither'd Phin! He ain't that way. But news of the shootin's gonna get out there, best they hear our side first. Ya done nothin' wrong, Love. It was self-defense plain as day!" He drew her in and hugged her. "I doubt it'll come to much of anything."
Emeline stopped short of the door, knowing that Barnabas was going to come after her, that he'd catch her anyway, and that she honestly did want to be caught. She was trembling as he pulled her into the safety and comfort of his embrace, but still listened to his words, letting them process, knowing he was right, Phin was a good, reasonable man, and would be discrete. And he was right, that it was best that her story came straight from the source, the sooner the better. As for nothing coming of it, she wasn't so sure.
"All right," she murmured against his shirt, nodding slightly but letting the tears fall.
"Now, my shooting Sis might get some talk, maybe a charge, but it was on private property, an' they was trespassers! I couldn't see was she armed 'er not. I seen her arm up an' yer shots an' jest reacted."
Emeline nodded again. There was little doubt in her mind that if Barnabas hadn't gotten there when he did, she and Wheeler may very well have been injured, if not killed.
He stepped back, "Look, you an' Wheeler are safe, men are on this Tom Love's trail, we'll find him an' drag him in if he ain't killed shootin' out with me an' the boys. People know you, the kind'a person what you are. They'll have no ill thoughts about you over this. Weren't none'a yer doin'. I love you, an' you know that. It's gonna be alright."
For the first time since the attack, Emeline let her emotions take over completely, and she started sobbing, until it all drained out and she relaxed, drawing deep breath. "All right," she muttered, "I'm done now."
"Good. Never saw you cry like 'at. But you had that comin'. Good! It's released. And come mornin' we'll head on in ta Kalispell and get this thing worked out an' deliver the girl to Sheriff Harper, an' whatever he plans to do with her, an' git the story out." Barnabas said, relieved that Em was pulled back together and relieved that she had her reaction to the emotions that she needed to get out over the incident. Something no woman should have to face, ever!
"'Spose we oughtta get back in there to our compn'y? Snickerdoodles, an' coffee, an' good conversation. We likely need us a plan, 'cus ya never know, an' that includes Sheriff Harper. I mean, I'm sure they hired a good man fer the job, but ya never know." Barnabas cautioned, this would not be dealing with a man they knew.
Sniffling a little, Emeline nodded, appreciating that Barnabas hadn't tried to mollify her or explain things away, he'd just let her have her cry, and that was all she'd needed from him.
"Snickerdoodles, coffee and good conversation, the cure for all ills!" She managed a smile as she wrapped her arm around his waist while they walked back to the kitchen. She knew she had the strength for this, she'd handled worse, but darn it, it irked her!
"It makes me angry," she declared as they stepped back into the kitchen. "It makes me angry that they think they can just invade our property, it makes me angry that wanted to harm my baby! It makes me angry that that man made me shoot him, and mostly, it makes me angry that they made me angry!"
At that, she grinned and nodded. "There now, all done! Who wants snickerdoodles?"
"Snickerdoodles, coffee and good conversation, the cure for all ills!" She managed a smile as she wrapped her arm around his waist while they walked back to the kitchen. She knew she had the strength for this, she'd handled worse, but darn it, it irked her!
"There ya go, that's the spirit!" Barnabas said with a smile, knowing her anger and that it was justified. They had been invaded on their own ranch by people they didn't even know, and for reasons that almost made no sense, at least not to either of them.
"It makes me angry," she declared as they stepped back into the kitchen. "It makes me angry that they think they can just invade our property, it makes me angry that wanted to harm my baby! It makes me angry that that man made me shoot him, and mostly, it makes me angry that they made me angry!"
"Exactly my point, Em, they got what they deserved, it just needed not to have included us! Far as I know, we done nothin' to this Love fella, But he'll get his comeuppance, I promise you that!" He vowed as they entered the kitchen,
At that, she grinned and nodded. "There now, all done! Who wants snickerdoodles?"
"That sounds wonderful, Emeline, just wonderful!?" Angie was quick to say.
"Yes, Ma'am! I do love a good sinckerdoodle," Speed added with a warm smile, "And don't you worry about this this visit to the County Sheriff, that was self-defense, and that of Wheeler."