It took me a while to round up Star.  The horses were grazing at the far end of the pasture and I couldn’t get his attention.  Either that or he was ignoring me while enjoying his lunch.  However, whenever he lifted his head and I waved he came a-running as did Hawk and Two-Bits.  My, how Star loved to run.

       I went ahead and got my bedroll and other gear.  Since it was later in the day I figured I might have to spend the night out.  I didn’t think the miscreant could have made it too far, bleeding as he was, but I didn’t want to go out unprepared.

       We went on down to the diner as soon as I had him saddled and my gear stowed.  I wanted to let Molly know the situation.  After loosely tying Star to the hitching post I went and and if I had been wearing false teeth they surely would have fallen out.  There was Lucas, sitting over at my table eating chocolate pie.  Both Marta and Molly were sitting there with him.

       “What in the world!” I declared.  Lucas, what are you doin’ here?”

       “What does it look like?” snapped Marta.

       I felt my jaws go tight.  “You need to get back and repair that door frame and wash the blood off the floor.”

       “Senor Miles, Lucas is hurt, plus the fact is, he don’t work for you!” she fumed.

       I glared at him, then turned my attention to Marta.  “If’n he did I’d fire him on the spot right now, poor nino.”

       Lucas’ ears reddened when I called him a “baby.”  I had been referring to him as a man, and rightly he was, but Marta was treating him like a little boy.  Here he had been in a gunfight, helped recover rustled horses, and shot someone trying to kill him, and she is coddling him like a baby.

       “Leave him alone, Senor Miles.  He will no longer work for you.”

       I smiled, and that made her fume even more.  “Thought you just said he didn’t work for me.”  My attention went back to Lucas.  “Your decision,” was all I said.

       Molly sat there, not saying a word, for which I was thankful.  I looked at her.  “I’m packed.  I don’t plan to be gone long, but gettin’ this late start it’ll probably be tomorrow sometime before I get back.”

       She got up without saying a word and went to the kitchen.  I knew she was fixing me food to take along.  It was only a couple of minutes, but with the hostility of Marta and now Lucas sitting there with his head down it seemed like a half hour before she returned.

       I should have left well enough alone, but I blurted out, “Marta, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you’ve been sour the last couple of weeks.”  With that she started crying.  Molly motioned with her head that I should leave while she put her arms around the weeping Marta.  Lucas sat there–dumbfounded.

       Soon Star and I were on the road and I had him at a fast gait, but after we went over the hill into New Mexico I slowed him down.  I needed to find a trail to follow.  I could see horse tracks that had recently come out of Durango and reckoned they belonged to the horse I was following.  We were coming up to the ruins where I had a run in with some malo muchachos.  I looked closely thinking he might have pulled off into the ruins.

       I rode around both sides of the road a while then spotted tracks and a host of blood on a large sage.  The horse he was riding was moving slowly; the man must have been in bad shape.  He would surely know that someone would be following him.  I pulled Star to a stop and dismounted, walking over to the edge of a ridge I stooped low to look not wanting to silhouette myself against the skyline.  There were rocks on both sides of the trail I had to travel–a good place for an ambush.

       Going back to Star, I mounted and slowly headed him down the trail that led off the ridge.  Half-way down I saw blood brushed alongside a rock.  Then a few yards further I saw plenty of blood on the ground.  He either fell from his horse or dismounted.  I looked up toward where the sun should be noticing that it was below the ridge.  Soon it would be graylight.  I needed to find him now.

       Several yards further down on the trail I came upon his horse grazing at a small tuft of grass.  As I dismounted…

I pressed myself hard to the side of the adobe wall.  “Lucas!  It’s Marshal Forrest.  Don’t shoot!”  I hollered.  “Lucas!”

     “Si, I hear you, Senor Marshal.  Eets all right, come in,” came his reply.”

     Before I entered I noticed drops of blood at the threshold of the door.  I didn’t rush in, but hesitated and peeked inside the entrance.  I saw Lucas, standing along the frame of the doorway to the inner office holding the left side of his face.  Blood was dripping.  There was a rifle in his other hand.

     There were some now gathering outside the jail.  I grabbed a man.  “Go get Doc Jones!” I ordered then pushed him toward the street.

     Upon entering I saw the chair that was normally behind the front desk was knocked over and from what I could tell standing there, a bullet had smashed into it.  Lucas, started toward me.  “Go back inside the office and sit down!” I commanded.  He turned and I followed him.  Passing the frame I saw where a bullet had hit it and splinters were sticking from it.

     “Sit on the desk and take your hand away and let me see how bad you’re bleeding.”

     “No, don’t touch it,” he whined.  

     “I’m not goin’ to touch it.  I just want to have a looksee,” I assured him.  When he removed his hand, I told him to look at me.  “Can you see me?”  I saw that he had some splinters from the door frame embedded in the side of his face, and I was concerned about his eyes.

     “Si, Senor Miles, the bullet hit the frame where I was standing.  I think it throw my aim off as I fired the at same time the bullet splattered on the frame.  It knocked me to the side.”

     “You didn’t miss him, but he was able to drag himself out of here and get away.  As soon as Doc Jones gets here, I’ll be on my way to catch him.”

     Doc Jones and Marta arrived at the same time.  They both started hollering at the same time, and I couldn’t make sense of either.  My ears did catch the words of Marta.  “Lucas, you’re bleeding!  I knew I shouldn’t have let you work here.”  The main reason I paid attention to her was the glare I received after she looked at Lucas.  

     He tried to shrug her away, but she wouldn’t let go until Doc pulled her from him.  “Here, the two of you let me look at,” he hesitated, for he almost said boy, “this young man.”

     Doc took a piece of white cloth from his bag and handed it to Marta.  “Could you wet this please?”

     “Water in the basin in the outer office,” I interjected.

     She returned in a few seconds giving the cloth to Doc.  “Just going to wipe the blood from your face so I can get a better look.  You just hold still.”

     “It sorta hurts, Senor Doc,” came the response from Lucas.

     He gave a grunt, placing the cloth on the table and pulled out some tweezers from his bag.  “Well, Lucas, it’s going to hurt just a little bit longer.  You grab hold of the edge of that desk while I pull these splinters out.  There’s a couple of big ones, and a few smaller ones.”

     Doc jerked, and Lucas let out a yelp.  “That’s one of the big ones, now for the other,” Doc said to no one in particular.  Then I saw him touch the largest of the splinters with his tweezers and looking Lucas in the eyes which were wide in anticipation.  Doc jerked again, pulling the splinter, but this time there was not a sound from Lucas.

     Picking up the wet cloth he dabbed at the blood on the cheek cleaning it again.  “The rest won’t be so bad.  It’ll take me only a minute or so.”

     Marta was standing close to Lucas, in fact it seemed that she kept moving closer.  Doc stopped his work, then turned to her.  “Marta, please!  Give me some room.  Your brother’s all right.”

     “Hmmm, hmmm,” came the sound from Doc then he scratched the side of his face next to his ear.  “Lucas, there’s one deeply embedded and I’m going to have to cut it out.  I can’t grab it to pull it out.  It’ll only take a second.”

     He reached inside his bag bringing out a razor.  “Grab the desk,” and then he used the blade to slightly cut the face of Lucas, bringing forth more blood.  Quickly Doc placed the razor down, picked up the tweezer and pulled out the last splinter.  He used the wet cloth to wipe his face again then told Lucas to hold the cloth tightly against his face.  Doc then reached inside his bag bringing out two bottles and after looking at both of them, he chose a small, brown bottle.

     “Let me have the cloth,” he ordered.  He poured a small amount of brown liquid, iodine, on the rag and then rubbed the wounds on Lucas’ face.

     “Yeoww, that burns!”

     Another grunt from Doc, “Quit being a baby, you’re embarrassing me.”  Then he chuckled.  “You’re good to go, Just keep that cloth on your face until the bleeding stops,” he instructed then slapped Lucas on the leg.

     Purposely, I think, Doc got in the way of Marta who wanted to hug the boy giving me time to step in.  “Lucas, tell me what happened.” 

     “I was standing by the wall, over there where we keep the posters and this man came in.  Senor Miles, it was the man from the trail.  He said something, like, ‘you’re the reason my nephew is dead, now it’s your turn’.  He drew his gun and I kicked the chair.  It gave me the chance to get in the office for he shot at the chair, then fired at me, hitting the door frame.  By that time, I had my rifle, I had laid it on the desk, and fired back at him,” he paused and waited a moment before continuing.  “I was stunned, I prayed that he wouldn’t come inside the room, then I heard you holler.”

     I didn’t look at Marta.  “You did a good job Lucas.  He won’t get far.”

     Nodding at Doc, I moved out of the room to allow Marta to smother Lucas.  I headed on up to saddle Star…

       Edith and Doc Jones were sitting with Molly and me before the noon rush.  Doc was finishing a piece of apple pie and they were discussing Lucas’ new job as jailer.  I had already had this discussion, well, it actually was an argument earlier with Marta.  Thank goodness for me, and Lucas, that Charlie was on our side, but I don’t think that helped Charlie’s home situation none.

       Doc took a sip to wash the pie down, then stated, “Edith’s got a point.”

       I groaned.  “No, now listen just a minute.  What happens when that boy has to take one of those scoundrels out to take care of necessary needs?  The man may outweigh Lucas by a hundred pounds.  That’s just not thinking it through, Miles.”

       It was time for me to put in my two cents worth.  “First of all, Lucas is a man.  He proved  himself to me, and more importantly to himself that he was.  It took courage for him to protect those horses.  Second, he’ll be shown how to deal with the miscreants of justice.  And last, he’ll have to learn.”  Then I slammed my hand down on the table.  “It’s settled!”

       Molly frowned, Doc scowled, and Edith near jumped out of her chair when my hand hit the table.  I had to get up for more coffee so I could turn my back on them in case I should laugh.

       I was pouring my coffee when I heard Marta scurry over to the table.  “Is everything okay?” she asked.  “I heard a loud noise when I was in the kitchen.”

       “Everything’s all right, Marta.  We were just discussing Lucas’ new position,” she paused waiting for me to sit.  “At least we were discussing it, until Miles put an end to it.”

       Marta dropped her head down for a moment.  “Senor Miles and my husband are right.  I didn’t like it at first, and truth be told I still don’t, but Lucas is the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time.  It is good for him to be happy, no?  The troubles, I know they will come, but we depend on the Lord as in any other time or in any other trouble.  I know he has the two best men around to teach him.  All I can do is pray for his safety, as I do for my husband, and Senor MIles.”

       The four of us looked up at her, no one saying a word.  That is probably the longest any of us had ever heard Marta talk and it caught us sort of by surprise.

       “I must get back to the kitchen,” she said and hurried away.

       Doc pulled on his ear, then scratched his cheek.  “Well…guess there’s not much more to say in the matter.”

       Molly sighed, “She’s right.  Perhaps we take too much for granted, and don’t do enough praying.  I know I pray when Miles is out of town, but I don’t think much about it when he’s in Durango.  The streets here are as dangerous as riding the train up to Silverton.  We just don’t know, but we can pray to the Father who does.

       Doc and Edith both nodded in assent, and I then said a hardy, “Amen!”

       “Speaking of Lucas, I think I’ll head on over to the jail to see how he’s doing, maybe give him some instructions.”  I had just gotten to the doorway when I heard pistol shots coming from up the street, then a rifle shot.  I rushed out the door and ran toward the jail where I saw a man stumble out.  I could tell he was shot, but he managed to get on his horse and ride southward out of town.

       When I got to the jail…

       He gave a laugh, then said, “Si, they, how you say, would skin your hide.”

       I didn’t think it at all funny.  “Go ahead and laugh, but remember you have to face Marta.”

       That made him somber.  He squinted his eyes, and then asked very seriously, “What do I tell them about the guns?” Then he looked toward the little rope corral, “And the fine horse that is mine?”

       I pulled on the end of my moustache, pondering what he said and what brung all this about.  We had met with the commander at Fort Wingate, and he had two of his men undercover as cowboys to help Lucas and I drive the cattle back to Colorado.  The plan was that we might get drawn into a horse-trade along the way.  There was a group that would steal horses in Colorado, then sell half of them to some Mormons over in Utah, and trade the other half.  Then they’d steal some in Arizona, mix them with the ones they traded in Utah and sell them to the Army or any other buyer.  The idea was to join up with the horse thieves and have them persuade us to add our horses to theirs and go with them to the Mormons.

       Best plans are often put to waste.  We were out about four days from Wingate; I could see Twin Buttes off to the West.  The road was easy, and the cowboy-soldiers were able men.  We had gone by the small village of Tohatchi that morning and planned to drive the herd as far as Sheep Springs that day.  That would be close to a third of the way to Colorado.  I figured that they’d have to come on us in the next day or two.

       Like I said, the plans we made went right out the coop.  Instead of asking us to join them they decided to take the whole cavvy themselves.  It was early when we camped, there was plenty of water for the horses.  Lucas had a fire going and coffee on.  I’ll hand it to the boy, he sure did his part.

       Markum was out riding with the herd, and I had a restless feeling in my innards.  Being so restless, I decided to saddle up and ride out with Markum while coffee was boiling and Nicholson was fixing supper.  It was twilight and I had just mounted and started out of camp when they came at us like a bunch of Comanches.  Yelling, screaming, and firing at any two-legged target they could find.  I saw Markum fall from the saddle and two men start pushing the horses.  

       As I pulled my rifle from the scabbard, I heard shooting from the area of the camp.  They had the horses running now; I hesitated, Lucas was back at camp.  More firing…there wasn’t much I could do.  I looked back toward the herd, saw a man riding off to my right.  Fixing a bead on him, I fired and he tumbled from the saddle.

       There was a sound of a horse coming from camp, I turned in the saddle and heard a yell, “Don’t shoot, Senor; it is Lucas.”  He didn’t stop beside me, but continued on after the rustlers.  I could see two of them out in the front, one on each side.  I watched as Lucas veered off to the left, so I took to the right.

       Hawk was enjoying himself.  It had been quite a spell since we’d been involved in a ruckus like this.  I think the old horse missed it for he was flying over that ground and before long we were coming abreast of the man.  I didn’t fire, but instead I swung the barrel of the rifle catching him on the chin.  He tried to hold on, but fell right into the charging horses.  I looked over the herd searching for Lucas.  There wasn’t much I could do so I started to try to turn the horses, much like milling cattle during a stampede.

       They were starting to turn and slow down, then a shot came from the left rear of the herd.  I had been praying the whole time to myself, but I blurted it out, “O Lord, let Lucas be all right!”

       Minutes later the horses were walking back toward where we had them before the ruckus started.  I moved warily in the back and spotted a lone horseman coming my direction.  I stopped Hawk, and cocked my rifle.

       Lucas was pale, well, as pale as a Mexican boy can get.  He looked at me, eyes wide, then bent over the saddle puking.  “Two-Bits won’t appreciate it if you got any of that on him.”

       He looked up, then wiped his mouth, but now a smile on his face…sorta.  “Senor Miles, I think I maybe keeled two men, maybe three.”

       As we rode back, I looked for Markum.  He was sitting, leaning back against a rock.  Dismounting I checked on him.  He had been shot in the shoulder and upon falling he possibly broke some ribs.  I let Lucas get the horses back to their feeding ground while I got Markum back to camp.  Nicholson was dead, and not far away from him was another man–the one Lucas shot.

       We had stopped the stealing, but we still didn’t have an idea who the traders were in Mormon country.  That would have to wait.  I needed to get Markum back to the Fort and these horses taken care of.

       Five days later, Lucas and I were on the trail heading back home.  “Let me do the explainin’, Lucas.  You keep the rifle and I’ll hold on to the pistol and talk to your Uncle Charlie about that.  The horse, well, I’ll come up with somethin’.”

       I worried about him, but all the way back I didn’t hear him babblin’ about anything, nor did he wake me up during the night.  I was just praying that he hadn’t seen the “Devil’s Grin.”  One thing for sure–he was now a man.