There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven….  A time to tear and a time to mend.  A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.  A time to love and a time to hate.  A time for war and a time for peace.”  –Ecclesiastes 3:1,7-8, NLT

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     “Darnelle!” exclaimed Charlie, “What’s wrong?”

     A strand of hair came out from her scarf and she was in the process of putting it back in place.  “Do you know who came by to see me?”

     Before anyone could answer, she continued, “Micah Teeter!  He had the audacity to come by the store.  He asked if I remembered him.  I just stared at him, then stated that he looked vaguely familiar.  I could see that it angered him and he started towards me when the man with him touched his arm.”

     “Any other threats?  Did he say or do anything?” questioned Charlie.

     She took a deep sigh, composing herself.  “No, he just startled me, that’s all.  I sure wasn’t expecting to ever see him again.”

     Charlie looked from Darnelle to me.  “Do you think he’s behind the attacks on you and Molly?”

     “Attacks!  What attacks?  What’s happening?” asked Darnelle in astonishment.  

     I proceeded to tell her of the recent events, her eyes widening in concern with my information.  “So, is he responsible?” she asked.

     “Teeter is a coward.  You remember how he ran.”

     “Senor Miles,” interrupted Lucas with a quiet voice, “many times it is the coward who fires from ambush.  He is also the type of hombre that is angry with himself and will take it out of someone else.”

     All three of us turned our attention to Lucas.  “Such wise words from a young man,” stated Darnelle.  “Miles you ought to listen to him and go arrest Teeter.”

     “Now hold on there, all of you,” barked Charlie.  “I’m sheriff here and if there’s any arresting to do it will either be me or Mateo.”

     It became real quiet for a few seconds.  “Charlie, I’m not going after Teeter,” I paused to let the words take effect.  “However, if he threatens or hurts any of my friends I will have a conversation with him.”  

     He gave a nod, understanding my feelings.  “Miles, don’t make me have to come after you.”

     “Right now I have to get this telegram off to Marshal Blasco.  Come on, Darnelle, I’ll walk you back to the store.”

     She adjusted her scarf, then pulled her coat on tight.  It wasn’t that cold outside, but the wind would bite right through a person.  As we were walking, Darnelle asked, “So do you think it’s Teeter that’s harassing you?”

     I didn’t answer right off, I had to mull it in my mind for a few moments.  Stopping on the walk before stepping down to cross the street, I said, “Darnelle, I think there’s a good chance he’s involved somehow.  He doesn’t have the smarts to plan anything, but then again he is the type to bushwhack a man.”  

     We started on again.  “I’m wonderin’ who the other fellow is.  There’s somethin’ about him, I can’t quite figure,” I told her as we walked up to the store.

     “Miles!” exclaimed Darnelle, pointing.

     In red paint was written on the window of the door, “Stay away from Forrest!”

     She looked up at me, concern etched in the wrinkles of her forehead.  “What do I do?”

     I smiled at her, “Stay away from me.  But I’ll stay around to walk inside the store after you unlock the door.  Make sure there’s no boogerman inside.”

     “Miles, this is no laughing matter.  Someone is out there.”

     She was right.  Someone was trying to get my goat.  I’d keep my eye on Teeter and his companion for I was sure they were somehow involved.  Hopefully, I would get some kind of answer from Blasco, so after I made sure there was no one in the store, I wandered on over to the telegraph office.  “Send this out, will you Stan?  As soon as an answer comes back get it to me pronto.”

     He read the note, then proceeded to tap it out.  After it was sent he turned to me, “What’s this all about, Marshal?”

     “That’s what I’m tryin’ to find out,” I said, turning to go.  “Remember to get that reply to me as soon as it comes in.”

     Coming back out of the office I saw the man with Teeter standing outside the Gilded Bar.  When he noticed that I was watching him, he went inside.  I had half a mind to go find him, but what good would that do?  I looked up and down the street then started back down to the diner.  Looking down I watched where I stepped, then smiled.  “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord,” came to my mind…

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven…  A time to search and a time to lose.  A time to keep and a time to throw away.”  

       –Ecclesiastes 3:1,6 (NLT)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     I stared at the man who was just sitting down.  “Do you know him?” queried Doc, my gaze not wavering.

     Without saying anything, I stood to my feet and started toward the two men at the table.  My antagonist saw me coming, a wide grin forming on his face.  “Why, if it ain’t Marshal Forrest.  Long time no see.  I would say, I’m glad to see you’re doing well, but that’d be a lie.”

     “Teeter, what are you doin’ here?” I spat out my words with venom.  

     The smile didn’t leave his face.  “Just passing through on our way to Salt Lake,” he replied.  “Oh, Marshal, meet my friend, Frank Upton.”

     I glanced at the man, neither of us bothering to offer our hands to shake.  “Don’t be fretting yourself, Marshal.  He’s not wanted, and neither am I,” boasted Teeter arrogantly.  I know you won’t believe it, and I’m sure you’ll run down to your little office to check the wanted posters.  Oh, you might as well send a telegram to Blasco asking him,” he laughed, making me want to slap him silly.

     “Don’t worry, I’ll check,” came my quick reply.  “Stay out of trouble!”

     “Why, Marshal, that’s very good advice, but you’re not the sheriff.  Aren’t you over-stepping your jurisdiction?” he questioned with impudence emphasizing “jurisdiction.”

     I didn’t say anything more, my glare told him what I wanted him to know.  Before leaving, I glimpsed again at Upton, wanting to get him firmly in my mind.  Turning, I walked back to where Doc was waiting for me.  Instead of going to my seat, I picked the cofffepot off the stove to fill my cup.  I motioned it toward Doc, but he shook his head.

     Thoughts were turning in my head.  Upton, Frank Upton, the name wasn’t familiar, but there was something about his features.  I had seen them before, somewhere, years ago.

     Upon sitting, Doc spoke, “Are you going to fill me in, or just leave me out in no man’s land wondering what you’re thinking, and who that man is?”

     I took a sip of the hot, black coffee before answering.  “Doc, you remember, five, maybe six years ago, the shoot out in the courtroom with the Lamb brothers and some others?”  My mouth returned to the cup.

     “Well, I reckon so.  I had amputated the arm of one of the brothers from an earlier gun battle at the bank.  One of them was killed in the courtroom if I’m thinking right, the other, the one with one arm, should still be in prison,” he paused turning to look at the two men, neither of which were paying any attention but were in the process of giving Lola their order.  Shaking his head, “I’m not following you.”

     “In the courtroom that day, there were two men not arrested.  One was Ioway Jenks, the other is one of the men sitting over there, Micah Teeter.  It’s not Teeter that botherin’ me, but the other man.  Teeter said his name was Frank Upton, and that doesn’t ring a bell, but there’s something about him that is vaguely familiar.”

     I finished my coffee, then stood up.  After putting on my coat, I grabbed the Greener that had been leaning against the wall.  “Goin’ up to the office, I’ll see you later.”

     There was laughter as I passed by the table.  Before leaving the diner, I heard the voice of Teeter, “Goin’ to see if you can find my pretty face on a poster?”  Then both men laughed again.

     I didn’t bother turning but went on out the door and up the street to the jail.  Charlie just happened to be in, Lucas was in the process of sweeping out the cells when I entered.  “Charlie, I need to see your posters.  Micah Teeter is eating down at the diner, along with a man goin’ by the name of Frank Upton.”

     He went to his office to retrieve the stack of posters and I glimpsed at those on the board behind Mateo’s desk.  I didn’t expect to see either Teeter or Upton there, but by chance I still looked.  Charlie came out, giving me half the stack while he began to look through the others.

     “Teeter, that brings back memories.  Coward, if I recall, ran from his friends,” remarked Charlie.  

     Lucas finished his work, then came over to help us sort the posters.  “Senor, I remember this Teeter fellow.  I was very young then.”

     I glanced at Charlie, then turned my attention to Lucas.  He had indeed grown.  If it was five years ago, he would have been around thirteen when the incident happened.  It was Lucas who possibly saved the life of Darnelle during the bank holdup.  We get so caught up in life that we often don’t see what’s right in front of us.  

     We’d been at the chore of looking through the posters.  I was getting ready to get up and go to send Marshal Blasco a telegram when through the entrance burst, Darnelle, all flustered…

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven…  A time to cry and a time to laugh.  A time to grieve and a time to dance.  A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.  A time to embrace and a time to turn away.”  –Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4-5 (NLT)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

     With the shotgun ready I took tentative steps forward towards where the voice came from.  It was quiet…very quiet.  I could hear only the crunching of the ice under my feet as I moved.  There was that ominous warning, so I moved warily.  Suddenly I stopped, looking down I saw a lump of a man lying in the snow, slush, and ice.  Moving close enough that I could nudge the body with the barrel of the Greener; I poked at him.  No movement, no sound.

     I bent down to examine the body.  It was Barnes and he was dead.  Standing back I turned to look back down the alleyway.  “Doc!  Come on up!”

     Doc scurried up the alley to where I was standing.  It was hard to see in the darkness, the only light was coming from above as we were between two buildings.  Doc stooped to get closer to the body.  Quickly he withdrew his hand.  It was covered in blood.

     “Help me turn him over,” he ordered.

     Squeezing by Doc, I moved down to the feet of Barnes.  When he nodded we lifted to turn the body over.  “Hard to see here, but it looks as if one of those pieces of buckshot hit his jugular.  I’m thinking the running pushed the lead into the vein which caused him to bleed out.”

     “So if he hadn’t run, he might have lived?” I questioned.

     “Possible.  Hard to know.  If the shot had already penetrated, probably not, but if it hadn’t I could have picked it out,” he paused as he stood.  “Let’s go ahead and drag him out.”

     That meant me as there was no room for two men to walk side by side.  I handed Doc the shotgun, then picked up Barnes’ heels and began to pull him about ten yards to the entrance of the alley.  Coming to the light, I stopped to peer around the buildings making sure the way was clear.

     “I’ll go get Parker, if you want to stay with the body,” he muttered then took off before I could object.

     While waiting for Doc and the undertaker Parker to arrive I tried to work the situation in my mind.  First, I was beaten, then Molly attacked.  Then this random shooting, killing, seemingly one of the men who was out to get me.  “Lord,” I whispered, “you have to help me work through this.”  

     It must be some sort of vendetta or retribution.  But who…?

     An hour later, Doc was sitting with me in the diner joined by Charlie Gold.  As we all sipped our coffee, I looked over at Charlie.  “Do you know anything about Mick Barnes?”

     “As I recall, he showed up in late summer, maybe August, and went to work for the Broken Drum,” he paused to take a swallow.  “I couldn’t say if there is any connection between him and Dixon or not.”

     “Well, I’ll start there,” I muttered and started to get up.

     “Hold on, Miles.  Let me go talk with him.  You don’t have the best relations with the Broken Drum,” said the Sheriff.  “And I’ll let Mateo know what happened when he comes on duty.  I know he was out late last night putting down a couple of barroom brawls.”

     He stood, donned his coat and headed on out.  Doc was scratching the side of his face, then muttered, “So you don’t have any idea?”

     Shaking my head, I replied, “Could be any number of people.  I’ve made a few enemies in my time.”

     “Anyone just released from prison?” he suggested.

     “I’ll send a telegram to Canon City, and also Blasco.  They may give some light on who it might be.”

     We sat there in silence for a few minutes; I refreshed our coffee.  Then the sound of the door opening caught my attention.  That’s why I always sat where I did, so I could see who came in the entrance.

     One of the men I hadn’t seen in several years, but I didn’t recognize the other man.  He hadn’t changed much, except to look more surly than in my past dealings with him.  It was…

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest.  A time to kill and a time to heal.  A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.”  –Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (NLT)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The windows of the entrance were blasted out with the shot flinging glass and buckshot everywhere.  Barnes caught a good bit before we had time to react.  A few pieces found their way to me, but nothing serious.  Watching where the glass was I half-crawled to the doorway.  There was no one there but a few onlookers across the street.  I stood up then went outside to see if I could spot anyone.  In the far distance, up at the end of the street I saw a horseman pounding away.  

     I pointed to the couple across the street to come over to me.  As they began to approach I went back inside to check on Barnes.  He was bleeding from several spots, but from a casual observance I didn’t think any of them posed a severe threat to life.  I helped him up to a chair, then went to the bar to grab a couple of towels.  “Use these to stop the blood, until Doc gets here,” I ordered, then turned my attention to the couple.

     “Everyone all right?” questioned the man quite concerned.

     Nodding, I replied, “Nothin’ serious.  You’re the Hansens right?”  He seemed proud that I remembered.  “Linda and Cory.”

     He was gloating a little, then answered, “Proud you remembered us.  Yes, we own the leather and cobbler’s shop down the street.”

     “I saw you were across the street when the blast occurred.  Did you see the man who fired the shot?”

     He began to shake his head.  “We were hurrying to get to the shop as we’re some late in opening up this morning.  I wasn’t paying attention until after the shot, then I grabbed Linda and we got down close to boardwalk,” he said then smiled.  “Sorta to make ourselves as small as possible.”

     “I understand that.  But you can tell me nothing about the man?”

     Continuing to shake his head, “I’m sorry Marshal.  All I know is that he was wearing a brown coat and riding a bay horse.”

     “His spurs,” blurted Linda.  “He was wearing those Mexican rowels.  I saw them when he spurred his horse to ride off.”

     My hand went to the side of my face where I felt the same type of spur a month ago.  I wondered if it was the same person.  Someone with a vendetta.  “If either of you think of something else, come see me.”

     They both nodded, but before they turned to leave Cory asked, “How are the boots holding up?”  I remembered that I took a pair of boots to him for new soles.”

     “Fine, fine.  You do good work.”

     That made both of them beam and as they left Linda patted me on the arm.  “I pray that your day goes much better.”

     “So do I, “Ma’am, so do I.”

     As they walked off I saw Doc scurrying up the street as fast as he could in the slush and mud.  He glanced at me upon approaching and I pointed for him to go inside.  I followed.

     Barnes was gone.

     I followed the drops of blood out the back.  Doc was coming behind me.  The trail was hard to spot, but every now and then there was a drop of blood.  Wish the snow had stayed on the ground longer.  We walked down the alley cautiously.  I had already been startled once today and didn’t want a similar occurrence to happen.  

     The trail moved from the alley to the back of a warehouse where I saw that it went between two buildings.  “You stay here until I say it’s clear,” I ordered Doc.

     “You say he was hurt badly?” came his question.

     “Not that I could see.”

     He muttered something I didn’t quite hear, then spoke up.  “That blood is getting brighter.  I’m wondering if an artery wasn’t nicked.”

     I looked at him, then started moving up between the buildings.  A nice set up for an ambush if ever there was one.  No place to go if a shooter appeared.

     It was like I was prophesying.  A voice sounded in front of me, but in the dark of the shadows I couldn’t see anyone.  “You’re as good as dead, Forrest.”

     Stopping in my tracks I flung the Greener up…