The Law of a Fast Gun (12 page)

“What do you mean by causing more problems?” Cornett asked.

“Come on, James, you know how cowboys are. They are young, proud, and exuberant.” He paused and looked directly at Clemmons. “Yes, Mr. Clemmons, I said exuberant young men. They don’t have that many personal possessions, and what they do have, they guard very jealously. The possession they are most proud of is their pistol. Take that away from them, and you are bound to have trouble.”

“Do you have anything to add?” Cornett asked the other man who had come with Jessup and Townes.

“My name is Tucker Evans,” a bandy-legged, raw-boned man said. “I own the Slash Diamond outfit. I don’t know what’s been going on here before we arrived, but I assure you, not one of my men has caused any trouble in this town. The only thing we want to do is get our cows on the train,
then go back home. The boys will be comin’ in to have a few drinks, and enjoy your town in a peaceable way. You got no call to take their guns away from ’em.”

“Mr. Mayor, I would like to make a proposal,” George Schermerhorn said.

“Chair recognizes George Schermerhorn.”

Schermerhorn stood to face the rest of the audience. “I agree with the cattlemen that we’re just goin’ to cause more trouble by takin’ their guns away from them.”

“What are you sayin’, George? That you are on their side?” Jubal asked.

Schermerhorn held up his hand. “Not exactly,” he said. “I’m just sayin’ that we are whistlin’ Dixie if we think takin’ away their guns is going to take care of the problem. The only way we are going to be able to take care of it is to close the cattle loading pens, so that the cowboys have to go somewhere else to ship their cows.”

“Why would we want to do that, George?” Harder asked. “That’s cutting off our nose to spite our face, isn’t it? I know the cowboys are difficult to deal with, but they do bring money into the town.”

“I know it would be hard for you, John. You and Foley get most of their money because they spend it all getting liquored up. But when you think about it, that’s part of the problem. They get all liquored up, then they start causing trouble. In the long run, it would be better for the town if we closed the cattle loading pens and built grain elevators instead. That way the farmers—and there are a lot more farmers than there are ranchers—would use us as a place to store and ship their product. That means more business for the stores and shops of the communities—”

“And for you, since you would be hauling their produce into town,” Foley said.

“Yes, for me,” Schermerhorn admitted. “And for you, Mayor Cornett, and for the hardware store, apothecary, the mercantile, just about every business you can name except
the saloons and Pearlie’s. The farmers are all hardworking folks, not nearly as wild as cowboys. We wouldn’t be having the kind of trouble we’ve been having with the cowboys.”

“Mr. Mayor,” Jubal Goodpasture said.

“Yes, Jubal.”

“My business isn’t affected either way,” Jubal said. “So I figure I can talk about this without takin’ sides.”

“All right, we’re listening.”

“I think we should leave things the way they are now. I mean, go ahead and disarm the cowboys like we’ve talked about, but don’t stop the cattle shipments unless there’s any more trouble. If there’s any more trouble, then we could take another look at stoppin’ the cattle shipments.”

“That makes sense to me,” Cornett said. “I’m going to shelve this proposal for the time being. We’ve discussed this enough, I think it’s time to hear the proposal that’s before the council. Mr. Webber, would you please read the proposal?”

The city attorney nodded, then began to read: “‘Whereas armed cowboys have caused civil disorder and endangerment of life and property, and whereas the citizens of Braggadocio feel the need of arms to protect life and property, be it hereby resolved that a law be enacted, to wit: That while citizens of Braggadocio shall be allowed to keep their arms, no armed cowboy will be allowed inside the city limits of Braggadocio, and those who come bearing arms shall be divested of said arms.’”

“Thank you, Mr. Webber,” Cornett said. “The proposal is now before the council. All in favor, say aye.”

“Aye,” the town council said as one.

“All opposed?”

No one spoke.

“The ayes have it, the act is passed. Marshal Truelove, you may begin immediate enforcement of this law.”

“Very good, Mayor,” Truelove said.

Cornett brought his gavel down sharply. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Even as the meeting was ending, another group of cows was being herded down Malone Avenue, as the main street was called.

Evans and Townes came over to talk to Jessup.

“How many head have you moved?” Townes asked.

“Some over two thousand with this bunch coming through today,” Jessup said.

“So you are two-thirds done?”

“A little better than that.”

“It wouldn’t matter much to you whether they close the loading pens or not, would it?”

“I wouldn’t want to see them closed,” Jessup said.

“Yeah,” Evans said sarcastically. “I’m sure you wouldn’t. Of course, the fact that you’d get more for your cows if we can’t get ours shipped wouldn’t matter to you, I don’t suppose.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Jessup said.

“Major, we’ve been checking around,” Townes said. “Neither one of us plan to say anything about it, but that cowboy who was killed the other night was one of your men.”

“Yes, he was,” Jessup said.

“In fact, the whole crazy bunch of cowboys who rode into town, raising hell, were all your men, weren’t they?”

“They were,” Jessup admitted.

“What was the purpose of all that? Why do you want to stir up trouble?” Townes asked.

“They’re the ones who started the trouble,” Jessup replied. “Do you want to just let the town run over us? You saw what they just did. Passing that law about disarming the cowboys when they come into town was a slap in the face of all of us.”

“It’s no slap in my face,” Townes said.

“Mine either,” Evans added.

“So, you plan to just sit back and let the town run roughshod over you?”

“We didn’t come here to be in no pissin’ contest,” Evans said. “We come here to get our cows shipped up to Chicago.”

“That’s what I’m here for as well. Look, I can’t be weak, not even for one moment. Do you think I was born with that ranch down there? I worked hard to get it, and I don’t plan to lose it because I’m not strong enough to do battle when it’s forced on me.”

“You should learn to choose your battles,” Townes said. “How many more head you got to ship out?”

“About nine hundred or so,” Jessup replied.

“I just pray to God you get them all shipped before a full-scale war breaks out between the cattlemen and the town,” Evans said.

“Yeah,” Jessup said. “That’s exactly what I want.”

Jessup’s response was purposely ambiguous. When he said that was exactly what he wanted, that was exactly what he meant. He wanted to get all of his cattle shipped…then wanted a full-scale war to break out between the cattlemen and the town. That would close the cattle pens, and his cows would go for top price.

“HAWKE, MY INVITATION FOR YOU TO PLAY THE
piano is still open,” Gideon told Hawke as the meeting ended.

“I hate to impose.”

“Nonsense, you aren’t imposing at all,” Gideon said. “Come on down and play it now. That is, unless you intend to hide your candle under a basket.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Gideon chuckled. “That’s a Biblical reference,” he said. “It means that if you do come down and play the piano, that I hope you won’t mind if I listen.”

“No, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Hawke said.

“So, you’ll come play now?”

“All right,” Hawke said. “I’ll be glad to. And I thank you, very much, for the opportunity.”

As the two men walked toward the church, they continued their conversation.

“You know, Hawke, I can’t help but wonder why you are wasting your talent by playing in a saloon. You have been classically trained to play the piano, haven’t you?” Gideon asked.

Hawke didn’t reply right away.

“I’m sorry,” Gideon said. “I had no right to butt into your personal affairs like that. You don’t have to answer, if it is uncomfortable for you. It was more of an observation than a question, anyway.”

“That’s all right,” Hawke said. “Everyone is entitled to a little curiosity. Yes, I have been classically trained.”

“Have you ever used that training?”

“I toured as a concert pianist for a while. Both here and in Europe.”

“That seems like a noble enough profession,” Gideon said. “I mean, music is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. I can’t help but wonder why you gave it up.”

“You are a preacher, Gideon. You, of all people, should know what it is like for a man to lose his soul.”

Gideon was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “Are you talking about the war?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“The war is a collective sin, Hawke. No one man is responsible for it, and no one man can lose his soul because of it. I serve a just, loving, and forgiving God. Believe me, your soul is still intact. All you have to do is claim it.”

“I wish I could believe that, Gideon. I truly wish I could believe it.”

Gideon put his hand on Hawke’s shoulder. “Hawke, my friend, I’m not speaking as a preacher. Like you, I have agonized over my own soul. But I have found peace with the Lord.”

“I’m glad it’s working for you, Gideon,” Hawke said.

By now the two men had reached the church. When they stepped inside, Hawke walked down to the front to examine the piano.

“This is your personal piano?” Hawke asked.

“No, this piano belongs to the church.”

“Oh. I must have been misinformed. I was told you bought this with your own money.”

“You weren’t misinformed,” Gideon replied. “I did buy it. But I gave it to the church.”

“That’s a very generous gift,” Hawke said. He depressed a few keys. “It’s very well tuned.”

“We have a man who comes by train from Omaha to tune it.”

Hawke sat down and played a few bars of music.

“Chopin’s Sonata Number One,” Gideon said, recognizing the tune. “Beautiful.”

“You know your music.”

“You are surprised?”

“No,” Hawke replied with a chuckle. “I’m finding less and less about you that surprises me. What surprises me is that I played it well enough for you to recognize it.”

Gideon laughed. “False modesty is not becoming, Hawke. You are an exceptionally gifted pianist, and I’m sure you know that.”

Hawke continued to play.

“How would you like to come here anytime you wish?” Gideon asked.

“Anytime I wish? I don’t understand.”

“It’s easy enough to understand,” Gideon said. “You are free to come here to the church and play the piano anytime you want.”

“That would be exceptionally kind of you.”

“Not kind,” Gideon replied. “Practical.”

“Practical?”

“Yes, practical. After all, as the church pianist, you would need access to the instrument in order to pick out the hymns for Sunday services, and to practice them.”

Hawke stopped in the middle of a bar of music and, for a
second, the strings continued to resonate with the last chord he’d played.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “Are you asking me to become the church pianist?”

“Yes.”

Hawke laughed.

“You find that funny do you, Hawke?”

Hawke realized by the expression on Gideon’s face and his tone of voice that the preacher was hurt by his response.

“No, I don’t find it funny, I find it very flattering,” Hawke said. “I just thought you were teasing, that’s all. Especially given the fact that I play piano in a saloon.”

“Well, you aren’t playing the piano in any saloon in this town,” Gideon replied. “You saw what happened to the piano in the Hog Lot, and I’m told that there is no piano in Foley’s. I don’t know if there is a piano in Pearlie’s or not.”

Hawke laughed. “Well, now, if you knew that, I really would be surprised,” he said. “But to answer your question, no, there is no piano in Pearlie’s.” Hawke started playing again.

“Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, so many wonderful composers wrote their music to the glory of God,” Gideon said. “Could you not do them the honor of playing their compositions for the glory of God?”

Hawke played a passage from a Bach Toccata and Fugue, then Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and finally Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

“You are weakening, I can tell,” Gideon said with an engaging smile.

“It is a good piano,” Hawke said again.

“You are a practical man, aren’t you, Hawke? Consider this,” Gideon said as he continued to try and recruit Hawke. “I know what the saloon was paying you, and I can’t pay as much. Also you won’t be able to put a beer mug on the piano for tips. On the other hand, you can play the music you want
to play, anytime you want to play it, and you won’t have to sweep floors or put up with drunks.”

Hawke played the first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth fortissimo, then smiled up at Gideon.

“Parson, if you preach as well as you argue your case, you must give some rip-snorter sermons,” he said. “All right, Gideon, you’ve got yourself a pianist.”

“Wonderful!” It was a woman’s voice, and Hawke, surprised, turned to see that Gideon’s wife Tamara had come into the church while they were talking.

He quickly stood. “Mrs. McCall,” he said. “Oh, wait a minute, you are the church pianist, aren’t you? Look, I don’t want to cut you out of your job.”

“I’m not the church pianist, Mr. Hawke. I was the church piano player, and you, of all people, know the difference. I am thrilled that you have agreed to take Gideon’s offer.”

“I’m glad you don’t mind,” Hawke said. “Oh, by the way, speaking of offer, what is the offer?”

“Thirty dollars a month,” Gideon said. “You can sleep in the spare room over in the parsonage and take your meals with us.”

“No,” Hawke said, holding up his hand. “I’ll accept your offer to play, but I don’t want to put you out. I’ve got another month of room and board coming from the Hog Lot. I’ll stay there.”

“You are going to stay at the Hog Lot?” Tamara asked in surprise. “Oh, I think—”

“That would be fine, if that’s what you want to do,” Gideon said, interrupting Tamara in mid-sentence.

“But, Gideon—” Tamara started.

Gideon waved her protest aside.

“Is my staying at the Hog Lot going to cause trouble?” Hawke asked. Then he answered his own question. “Of course it will, I guess I just wasn’t thinking.”

“Don’t worry about it, Hawke,” Gideon said. “A few of my parishioners will get themselves in a stew over the fact
that you are playing piano for the church while living in a saloon. They are the same ones who question my friendship with Bob Gary. And they are the same people who will be upset about my hiring you in the first place. We’ll just have to win them over.”

“Do you think we can do that?”

“I think we can.”

“As I said, I don’t want to cause you any trouble,” Hawke repeated.

“Believe me, when they hear you play, they’ll forget any reservations they may have had over my hiring you. And if they don’t come around, they can always go to another church.”

“Gideon, the next nearest church is thirty miles from here,” Tamara said. “Even by train, that’s almost two hours away.”

Gideon smiled. “Yes,” he said. “Isn’t it?”

Leaving the church, Hawke walked back to the Hog Lot. At the end of the street he saw Marshal Truelove at work, disarming the cowboys who were bringing in another bunch of cows to the railhead. Although it was obvious that they didn’t appreciate having to give up their weapons, the cowboys were doing it without causing any trouble.

When he returned to the Hog Lot, Hawke saw that it was back to normal. The tables, which had been taken outside to make more room for the town meeting, were now back inside, and the girls were once again dressed to entice the customers to buy more drinks. A couple of card games were in progress, and several men stood at the bar. Many of them had empty holsters.

John Harder was sitting at his usual table, which was just outside his office door, and Hawke walked back to him.

“Pull up a chair, Hawke, and join me,” Harder said. He poured a drink for Hawke and slid it across the table. “What with your piano playing and all, we’ve never had the
opportunity to just have a nice, social drink together before now.”

“Thanks,” Hawke said.

Harder held his glass up by way of a toast. “To lusty women everywhere,” he said.

Smiling, Hawke touched his glass to Harder’s, and the two men drank.

“Have you decided what you are going to do?” Harder asked.

“First, are you serious about letting me stay here for another month?”

“I am.”

“Then I’d like to take you up on that offer. And I don’t expect you to furnish room and board free, so, I’ll tend bar or sweep the floor or—”

Harder waved his hand. “No need for that. With all the cattle companies camped just outside of town, there are going to be some rowdy cowboys from time to time. And even though they are all supposed to be disarmed, there’s no way of being sure that they haven’t snuck a gun in. So if you are interested, you could act as a private guard for the saloon.”

“A private guard?”

“Well, in a manner of speaking you would be private. I’ve talked to Truelove. He will make you a deputy marshal. That will give you some legal authority, but the city won’t be paying you. I will.”

“I don’t know,” Hawke said. “I guess I’d have to think about that for a while.”

“It was the girls’ idea,” Harder said. “Look, Hawke, I’ve seen you in operation. I’ve never seen anyone who could handle themselves under pressure the way you do. I’d not only be willing to furnish you with room and board, I’d also pay you the same thing I was paying you when you were playing the piano.”

“I’ve taken another job,” Hawke said.

“You have? Well, whatever they are paying, I’ll pay more.”

“You’ve already offered more than they are paying,” Hawke said. “I’ve taken the job as pianist for the church.”

Harder laughed out loud. “You?” he said, pointing. “You are going to play piano for the church?”

“Why not?” Hawke asked.

“The question isn’t why not? The question is, why would you? I mean, Hawke, come on, you in church? Aren’t you afraid the walls might come tumbling in?”

“Have you ever been to church?” Hawke asked.

“Well, yeah, I was in church just a few days ago. Hell, you remember that. It was for Cindy’s funeral.”

“I mean, other than that.”

“When I was a kid, I went to church.”

“It might be good for you to go again sometime.”

“Ha!” Harder said. “The walls really would come tumbling down if I went to church.” Harder was quiet for a moment. “Let me get this straight. You plan to play piano for the church, but you want to keep your room here?”

“Yes.”

“And you are willing to work for your room and board?”

“Yes.”

“All right, we don’t have a problem. You can play the piano in church on Sunday and be a private guard here the rest of the time.”

“It’s a deal,” Hawke said.

Sunday morning Hawke was standing on the front stoop of the church when Gideon arrived, having walked over from the parsonage, which was just next door.

“Well, good morning,” Gideon greeted. “Beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

“I suppose it is,” Hawke said. He chuckled. “But then, I don’t have anything to judge it by. It’s been a long time since I was up this early.”

Gideon laughed as well. “You have a key to the church, don’t you?”

“Yes, you gave me one.”

“You don’t have to stand out here and wait for me, you can go in anytime you want.”

“Thanks.”

Hawke stood by as Gideon opened the door, then followed him in. As soon as they were inside, Gideon took a long pole with a little hook on the end and began pulling the very tall windows down from the top, then lifting them up from the bottom. Seeing another pole, Hawke started doing the same with the windows on the other side of the church.

“Gideon, I’ve taken another job at the saloon,” Hawke said, speaking loud enough for Gideon to hear him from across the room.

“Yes,” Gideon replied as he continued setting the windows. “Bob told me you had. But he also said that it wouldn’t prevent you from playing piano for us on Sunday.”

“I will play for you if you don’t have a problem with the fact that I’ll be working in the Hog Lot during the week.”

“Why should I have a problem with that? Bob Gary is one of my closest friends. He works at the Hog Lot, and it hasn’t affected our friendship.”

“You know, I’ve been wondering about that. How did it happen that a preacher and a saloon barkeep became such friends?”

“Bob wasn’t a barkeep when we met,” Gideon said. “And I wasn’t a preacher,” he added.

Working their way forward, the two men finished opening all the windows, allowing for a cooling cross breeze.

“There,” Gideon said, standing the pole in the corner. “That should keep the congregation cool enough when I start speaking of fire and brimstone for the sinners.”

Hawke chuckled.

“So, what are you going to play for us today?” Gideon asked.