Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Deception chapter 3

Deception Chapter 3

“I’m worried about him,” Tim Johnson spoke softly to his colleague.

Dr. Sam, as he was known in Laramie circles, pushed his glasses closer to his forehead. He laid a gentle hand onto their patient’s shoulder.  “I agree, Doctor. He does have a strong constitution but he underwent a brutal beating and an operation. He should be on the men already.” He signed deeply.

“It’s almost as though he’s given up,” Timothy replied.  “Those outlaws told him no help was coming because they spread a rumor that he was dead.”

Sam shook his head. “How can they be so heartless? I don’t understand the reason for all this!”

Timothy moved further away from their patient and Sam followed. “Their aim is to rob the bank and take over the town. Getting rid of the local citizens and shopkeepers was easy but the people who shop in town was harder. That’s where the fake disease came  from. Someone must have told them about Slim’s partner. If he thinks he’s dead, he won’t come to town. “

“What did Jess say when you told him that Slim was alive?”

“I don’t think he believed me. Even after I told him about the stakes. Say what is it about stakes?”

Sam smiled and nodded towards the feverish man. “Slim and Jess have been partners for a long time. Jess used to be a gunslinger but gave up the profession to be a rancher and settle down at the Sherman Ranch. Those two are best friends. Jess had a hard life before he met Slim and I think Slim knew it and offered him a second chance with a family. That’s why stakes are important to him. “

“ Well, I don’t like lying to a patient, but do you suppose if we told Slim Sherman that his partner was coming to rescue him, that he’d start to get better?”

Jess stepped out of the specialist’ s office in Medicine Bow. He had idled away an hour drinking coffee with the blonde- haired blue-eyed helper of the eye doctor, just in case someone followed him from Laramie. He had dropped a hint to Mose, the town gossip that his eyes were bothering him and had left the ranch in Ben’s capable hands. He then killed time by shopping. In various stores while waiting for Branch’s response. Late in the afternoon he was rewarded. “ Got your message, on our way.”  It was the best news in maybe forever!

Several days later, while mucking out the barn, Jess heard Mike yelling at a passenger. The stage was about to leave. Mike had been raised to be respectful of the paying customers, so to hear him raising his voice was very unusual. Jess set down the rake and cautiously peered out the door.

Mike was marching towards him. “What’s the meaning of this!” he exclaimed, temper riding. He grabbed Mike’s shirt.

“One of the passengers’ refuses to get on the stage, Jess. He says he’s stopping off to look at the scenery!”

“We don’t run a hotel!” Jess exclaimed. “Did you tell him that?”

“Oh, I told him that and a few more things too, but he just shrugged.”

“That does it! Where is he now?”

“Standing by the corral admiring our horses.”

“You get in the house.”

“Yes sir.” Mike skedaddled without hesitation.

Jess checked his gun and proceeded to the corral to confront the stranger. Strangely he dud not feel panic. The closer he got to the man, the more he began to wonder. He appeared to be well-groomed. The  black frock coat and matching trousers were pressed and clean. The man’s hat fitted his neatly groomed hair. There was the matter of the telltale bulge on his right hip that put Jess on alert.

“Ahem, “Jess began, “Sir, the stage is about to depart.”

The man turned slowly,  “Are you talking to me?”

Jess detected a soft southern accent but otherwise nothing remarkable. The man extended a hand. His groomed  fingernails and somewhat clean fingers outstretched towards him.

“Listen, we don’t run a hotel here. The next stage won’t be by here  until afternoon. It’s twelve miles to town, that way.” Jess gestured meaningful in the direction towards town.

“Oh, I’m perfectly aware of the distance, young man”

Jess bristled. Now the man was taunting him. This guy was either a gunslinger or a card shark. He advanced a little closer. Suddenly the man began to laugh.

“I don’t see anything funny about this!”

“Reb said you’d see right through my disguise ,Jess. “

All the angst swept away as Jess’ gaze swept over Branch McGarry with new eyes. “Well, you certainly had me fooled,” he drawled as they shook hands.

“The way I see it, I have to become part of their gang,” Branch twirled his coffee cup. They had been hashing ideas back and forth for what seemed like hours. “ It means  I have  to have  something they want, money or land or both.  Neither doctors know me so that’s a good thing. They won’t give me away. We need a code word, Jess. What would you recommend?

Jess thought for awhile. It couldn’t be a word that was familiar. “I’ve got it!” he suddenly exclaimed. “Jonesy!  He  was Slim’s foreman and he was like an uncle to Andy Sherman. They knew him all their lives. He didn’t like me at first, thought I would be a bad influence on young Andy but after I saved Slim’s life he realized I wasn’t so bad and we became  friends as long as I didn’t drink too much coffee. “

“Jonesy it is! Now what’s my name and where am I from?”

“Hmm,” Jess looked hard at Branch for a few.moments. “How about Reginald Jones?”

“Ah, sounds pompous to me but it might work.”

Jess had always counted on Slim to explain the ‘big words’ to him so he let it  slide to  embarrassed to let Branch know his shortcoming.  He merely nodded his agreement.

“Although, I think I should add “the third” to the title and I’ m from ST Louis. I buy and sell ranches. I usually don’t play poker.”

“Why not?” Jess was now into the charade in a big way.

“Saying I don’t play means I either was caught at cheating or I’m a tender foot. They’ll try and bluff me out of my money.”

“But you do know how to play, don’t you?”

“Sure,” Branch grinned, “saying I don’t play isn’t the same as I don’t know how and when I win, they’ll put it down to beginners luck.”

“When will the other men get here?”

“Already rode in, Jess. They’re at the boarding house. Oh, and I couldn’t keep Reb.home. He’s my assistant. You already met him.”

“Uh?”

“He was the well-dressed gentleman with his new wife.”

“I didn’t know he got married! Isn’t it to dangerous for a woman?”

“I’ll have to introduce you to Samantha Green. Sam, as she prefers to be called, shoots coins out of the sky for fun.”