I had just poured a cup of coffee when Molly came out of the kitchen with Greta and Hannah.  This didn’t look good.  As they approached where I was sitting I got up and asked, “Coffee?”
Molly said she would take a cup, but the others declined.  They all sat.  I looked at them, drank half my cup, then refilled it and joined them.
“I take it there’s something on your minds.”
“Miles,” started Hannah, “You’ve been a good friend in all of our sorrows and troubles.  But,” she looked at Greta, “We just can’t work here any longer.”
Putting her hand on my arm, Molly looked at me and then back at the ladies.  Greta was sober, and kept her head bowed.  “Continue,” I said.
“We’ve told Molly we’re quitting.  I’ll work until you can find someone, but Greta will be leaving today.  We figure we can build up the egg business.  But it just seems like something is always happening because of you, and often we get caught up in the middle of it.  The thought of those snakes being loosed in our laps; well, that did it.  Miles, I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize to me.  I understand that you are victims of my circumstances.  The person you are leavin’ in the lurch is Molly.  She has nothin’ to do with what has happened.”
“If she hadn’t married you; if you weren’t around!” Greta snapped.
Now that brought an ire up within me, but it also brought a little laugh from me.  “Don’t blame her for givin’ you a job.  Don’t blame her for carin’ for you when you were hurt.  And certainly don’t blame her for comfortin’ you in your sorrow.  Now ladies, you’ve said your piece.  I understand, and am not upset, until you start to throwin’ blame around.”  I finished my coffee.  “Hope you’ll give her a good price on eggs.”  With that I figured it was time for me to depart.
I went on down to the Wells Fargo office to check in and see what was happening.  Nothing else had happened in Silverton, but there was a load of ore ready for transport in Telluride.  I was to take a couple of men with me up there and help escort it down here to Durango.  Then escort it by train to Denver.  This would be the last major load for the summer, so it would be substantial.
On my way back I stopped at the mercantile and left word that Molly was looking for a dependable person to help out at the eatery.  I would be leaving the day after tomorrow and wished she could get some help before I left, but at the same time wanted someone that would work.  Sure didn’t want another Tandy or his type around.
Hannah was waiting on a table when I arrived and Molly was in the kitchen.  I went on back and started to sneak up behind her and give her a bearhug when I saw she was making a pie.  Not wanting to do something to startle her I sort of grunted to make my presence known.
“I heard you back there,” she said.  “And no, these are not for you.  The apple pie is for Greta, since she’s leaving.  But if you go out and chop some wood I’m also making an apricot pie and a butterscotch one and you might just get a piece of one of them.”
“Yes’m,” and went out the back door.  What is chopping some wood for a piece of pie?
Checking the ax, I put a quick edge to it, and began to work.  There was plenty of wood, but it needed to be cut into smaller pieces of kindling for the stove.  I went to chopping the large pieces into small ones, and then took the hatchet to finish up the job.  it must have been an hour later when Molly called for me to come in.
She was smiling, “Go wash up,” she ordered.  I wasn’t going to argue with a smile so I cleaned up as well as possible and went to the dining room.  At my table was a piece of pie.  Now, that was a woman!
There were more people eating now and Hannah was busy running from table to table and Molly was back in the kitchen doing the cooking.  Pouring a cup of coffee I sat down, and began to enjoy.  It was apricot.  Maybe I’d eat the butterscotch for supper.  All of the customers had their food so she came over and sat with me for a minute and took the fork from my hand, and dug into my pie for a bite.  All things considering I let her.
“Want some coffee, too?” I asked jokingly.  She jabbed me with the fork.
“I’m headin’ for Telluride day after tomorrow.  Be gone ’bout a week.”
“It will be alright.  I’m going to cut the menu back to stew for dinner and supper.  Let me get you a bowl,” and she got up for the kitchen.

There was no way I could get my pistol out in time.  The large piece of snake struck, Molly’s eyes widened as she watched the rattler sink its fangs into Tandy’s face.  Tandy was groaning with the two shots from Molly, but now he let out a shriek.
I rushed over and looked.  Glancing at Tandy I first grabbed Molly in her chair and lifted her away from the pieces of snakes.  One of them might accidentally strike at her, and it was a gory sight.  I quickly untied her and she ran toward the kitchen and I heard the back door slam.  Then I untied Hannah and Greta.
“See if you can get Greta to come to.  I’m goin’ to clean up this mess.”  I went to get a shovel and bucket.  The pieces of snake were slowing down in their writhing.
Tandy was looking at me.  He was mouthing, “Please.”
Despite my hatred of snakes I reached down to pull the snake, still attached to his cheek.  One fang was stuck and I wasn’t about to reach down to try and free it.  Finally I took my knife and pushed against the fang and it eventually came out.  It was a mess.  I guess there were at least five snakes.  That ol’ Greener really cut them to pieces.
I pulled Tandy away from the gore and mess.  He just lay there; he must be in terrible pain, and his life was slowly ebbing from him.  Looking around I saw that Hannah had taken Greta out and by this time Molly was making her way back in.  The marshal was taking the other man down to the jail and passed the doctor at the door.
“Everyone all right, Miles?” he asked.
I nodded, “None of us is hurt.  Check the man in the corner and then you should have a look at Tandy here.”
“Looks like the Marshal took care of him.  Now let’s take a look at this fellow.”  He stooped down and the first thing he noticed was the fang marks and the cheek beginning to swell.
“Miles, what happened here?” the doc asked.
“Anything you can do for him?”  I asked.
He shook his head.  “Those bullets are in his gut, and with that snake bite.  It’s just a matter of time.”
“Forrest,” came a gurgling voice.
I looked and Tandy’s eyes widened and then the light was gone.
“Doc, can you take care of him?  I want to do something with these snakes.”
Going over to Molly I asked, “You all right?”
She nodded.  “I was scared; not of Tandy but of the snakes.  I feared what he was going to do to you to bring you hurt.”  She started sobbing slightly.  “I shot him Miles.  I knew I could do it if I had to, but when it actually happened…I, I can’t describe my feelings.”
I reached out to hold her.  “I understand Molly, I surely do.  I know those feelin’s.”
“Do you think you’re up to checkin’ on Greta and Hannah?  I need to get these things taken care of before they get to smellin’ up the place.”
I went on out and walked toward a place back in the woods.  I wanted these things far away and deep.  Snakes, I shuddered, they do something to me.  That gave me a glimpse of the curse put on them way back in the Garden.
It took me a little over thirty minutes to get the job done.  When I came back Molly and Hannah were sitting at the table.  Greta was standing and shaking her head.  Molly took her hand but she pulled away.  I came in the room and she glanced my way and ran out of the room.
I looked at Molly….

I stopped at the Wells Fargo office and made my report and then walked to the eatery.  It still light, but I didn’t notice anyone at the restaurant.  There was a “CLOSED” sign, but I noticed lights on inside.  Now, I’m not a complete dummy so I went around to the back and looked in.  It was a set-up, similar to the one a few weeks before.  Like I said, I’m not a complete dummy, so I went down to get the marshal.
The plan was for him to go in the back door as I entered the front.  His job was to take care of the right side, and then I’d just hope for the best.  Entering the first thing I noticed was that jerk, yep, he had taken on jerk status, sitting at my table.  Molly, Greta, and Hannah were tied to chairs at the next table.
I didn’t think there would be shooting right off.  Tandy would be the type to run his jaws first.  “Welcome, Forrest.  Recognize the set-up?
“Tandy, you’re more stupid than I thought.  I let you off once.”
“No, you’re the stupid one Forrest!” he shouted.  “You were a fool to let me off.  Now I’m going to hurt you like you hurt me.”
That made me ponder some.  “Hurt you?” I asked.  “How?”
“You killed the only person that was important to me.  You killed my brother,” he paused, calming some.  “It was in this room, in a set-up just like this.  Forrest, you should be dead, not my brother.”
“Then your brother was a fool.”
“You didn’t even know his name!” yelled Tandy again.  “He cared for me, he raised me and his name was Jeremiah.  I want that to be in your mind.”
“Tandy, let the women go.  You don’t have to die tonight.”
“I don’t care about dying,” he remarked.  “I just plan on hurtin’ you.  Even if you live, you’ll know that I hurt you where it hurts the most–Molly.”
I looked at her.  She was calm, and what did I see?  A slight wink?  “Time for talkin’s over Tandy.”
He stood up with a burlap bag in his hand.  “I’ve been doin’ a bit of huntin’.  Snakes, Forrest.  There’s plenty of them ’round Durango.  Big ol’ timber rattlers.  Can you feel the pain yet Forrest?  I plan on dying, but you are going to feel the pain I felt when you killed my brother.”  He turned toward Molly with the bag.  “I’m going to open it and drop them right in Molly’s lap.”
There came a groan, and Greta had passed out.
A shot rang out and Tandy doubled.  He looked at Molly and then at me, surprised.  “She shot me.”  Then another shot from Molly.  Somehow she had gotten loose and her hand was on her pistol.  He was struggling to open the bag.
I dove forward and cut loose with both barrels of the Greener on that bag he was holding.  My plan was for those rattlers to be cut to pieces.  When I shot, the marshal cut loose on the man to my left.
There wasn’t time for me to be worrying about the other guy, I jumped up and rushed to the table.  Those snakes were in pieces and withering around.  They were still dangerous, and one larger head lashed out to strike; the Greener was empty and I didn’t have time to pull my pistol…

I was sitting in the eatery with Molly enjoying her company along with a piece of butterscotch pie and some good coffee.  Sure can’t beat that threesome.
“Need to head up to Silverton later today.  Seems there was an attempted robbery at the office and have to check it out.”
“Was anybody hurt?” asked Molly.
“Not that I know of.  I should be back tomorrow or the next day at the latest unless something unusual pops up.”
“Seen anything of Tandy?”
I took a long sip.  “No, guess he decided he didn’t want the job.”
“Miles, what do you really think?”
“There is somethin’ in my gut that I don’t like.  I felt it right off when he tried to take the bounty on me.  Just can’t shake it.  I should have spotted him around if he was in town,” I paused to take a bite.  “But if he is up to something he might be layin’ low somewhere.”
We both got quiet and I reached up to pour some more coffee.  Molly reached and touched my arm.  “I don’t relish the idea of leavin’ you right now.  I don’t know why, but there’s somethin’ wrong.”
“Miles, we can’t let this put a stop to our living.  We have to go on, do our work and trust in the Lord.”
I nodded in agreement.  “I still don’t like it.  You be careful.  If Tandy shows up be ‘specially alert.”
I got up to leave and gave her a kiss and hug.  There was a gnawing in my gut as I walked down to the station.  Hopefully I could get back by tomorrow.  I just needed to check the story of the attempted robbery and check the safe.
Normally I enjoyed the ride up the canyon, but this time it seemed to take forever.  Upon arrival in Silverton I walked to the Wells Fargo office.  The three men who worked there were all okay.  The safe had a timer so that once it was closed it couldn’t be opened again for six hours.  One of the clerks had immediately went to the safe and closed it.
“Did you ever think that might set the bandits off; anger them so they might take it out on you?”
“Honestly Mr. Forrest, I never thought about it.  I just reacted.”
Putting my hand on his shoulder.  “I’m glad it worked out.  But gold and silver is not worth anyone’s life.”
“Recognize anyone?” I asked.
“No, they were all wearing masks.  Three entered the office and there was at least one maybe two outside.”
“Anything you can give me?”
“Sorry Miles.  Nothing special.  Even their masks were the same.  They were careful.”
I checked the safe.  Only a little cash taken from the front.  I told them to contact me if anything came to mind.  Going outside I walked on down to the hotel.  My foot rested on the step, but I hesitated on stepping up when I heard the shot.  The post in front of me shattered.  If I had taken that step it could easily have been my head.
People around were dropping to the ground or running away from scene.  I fell and then quickly high-tailed it across the street.  Another shot rang out and clipped just behind my heel.  I was able to get around the corner.
Someone was running up behind me and I turned.  “Don’t shoot Marshal, it’s me.”  It was the town marshal.
“Whatdya think?” he asked.  “Part of that group that tried to rob Wells Fargo or personal?”
“Good question.  Perhaps a bit of both.”
“I’ll go back and circle around.  That is unless you want to take a peek out and see if you can draw another shot,” remarked the marshal.
“I don’t think he’s there, but no, I’m patient.  You can move around and check.”
Twenty minutes later the marshal waved at me.  I stood up and went to meet him.  “He was using a Sharps.  Not many of them around anymore.”
Nothing more happened but it sure gave me something to ponder on the way back to Durango.  Whoever shot definitely had me for a target.  Maybe it was time to just pack up and move from this area.