Lucas looked so tiny on the witness chair, but he sat straight with his shoulders back. He had grown up some in the past several weeks.
“You said that the defendant, John Lamb, was trying to kidnap your sister without her permission?”, questioned the defense lawyer, Conrad Belford.
Belford reminded me of a lizard, thin, cold flicking his tongue out as if he wanted a taste of Lucas.
“This has happened before! Her reputation proceeds her!” he shouted.
“I object!” yelled Milt White. “Mrs. Gold is not on trial.”
It was all I could do but sit there. I really wanted to thump Belford on the head.
“So you shot him, thinking that he was trying to take your sister?”
“Si, I mean yes, partly,” responded Lucas, now a little nervous with the outburst.
“Oh, only partly? Was there another motive in your shooting him? Did you enjoy the feeling?”
“He, was threatening my friends,” he said proudly, straightening up.
“How old are you?” Belford barked.
Lucas put his hand to his forehead. “Fourteen.”
“You’re one of those young scoundrels that run the streets causing havoc to the good folk of the community,” he accused. “Do you go to school? Do you work?”
Lucas couldn’t answer, he was questioning too fast. At last White objected, “Your Honor, he’s badgering the witness.”
Judge Broomfield warned the tactics by Belford then turned to Lucas. “Do you go to school?”
“Si, Senor Judge,” replied Lucas.
“Do you work?” the judge continued.
“Si, I chop wood for the diner, and take care of, of Marshal Forrest’s horses,” he looked at me with a smile so I gave him a nod.
“No more questions for this witness,” mumbled Belford. “I now call Marshal Miles Forrest to the stand.”
I was standing over by the jury box when summoned. I walked the few steps to the witness stand and took the oath.
Belford grabbed at the bottom of his throat. “I’m aghast! Judge, he is carrying a shotgun!” he garbled putting on a little show. “I demand he put it away!”
There came a sigh from the Judge. “Marshal Forrest, is this really needed? Only you and the Sheriff are carrying guns. Do you really think you need to have the shotgun?”
“Well,” I began pulling on my moustache. “It’s like this…” I had to smile when the back door opened and three men walked in. “Judge, not everyone in this room is unarmed. Why I even bet that Lawyer Belford has a derringer on his person. And,” I pointed to the back of the room. “Those three men are wearing guns, so I reckoned it was prudent that I keep my Greener handy.”
“Sheriff Gold, go remove those men of their firearms!” commanded the Judge.
Charlie stood and started down the far aisle toward them. Two of the men began to span out away from the center. The one I knew as Micah Teeter spoke up, “I’m afraid not Judge.”
Then I heard steps from somewhere over to my right. Two men walked through the doorway. One of them spoke, “He’s right Judge, they’ll keep their guns.”
There were two of them. One man I didn’t know. The other had one arm…