Bitterroot Read online

  Their remarks brought some concern to Tom. “What do you mean? What kind of trouble is about to start?”

  Otis sat down across from Tom and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Might have to make another pot. This’n is gittin’ low. You want some, Red?”

  Impatient, Tom insisted, “What trouble, Otis? What are you talking about?”

  “Ain’t none of my business, I reckon. It’s just that them soldier boys is startin’ to git a little too rowdy to suit me. The other three ain’t all that bad, but that there sergeant, he’s working up a mean. He’s already throwed a whiskey jar at Jubal’s mirror, and he’s got his eye on Ruby now. Jubal might have his hands full before them boys is done.”

  Tom was at once apprehensive. “Hell, there’s only four of them. Every man in the settlement must have been there when I left. Surely they can help Jubal keep it under control.”

  Red answered. “Most everbody’s gone. Like us, I reckon they could see there was gonna be trouble. Wasn’t nobody left but Browny and Joe Sanchez when me and Otis cut out.”

  Tom could not believe what he was hearing. All the men of the town left because they wanted to avoid trouble, leaving Jubal to fend for himself. And what about Ruby? Was no man chivalrous enough to come to her aid? Tom suddenly had a slightly altered opinion of the little settlement of Ruby’s Choice. He did not require a great deal of time to make up his mind. Saying nothing more, he got up and dumped the dregs of his coffee cup outside and tossed the cup over toward his bedroll. He picked up his rifle and checked the load. Then he headed straight for Clay’s Store.

  “Uh oh,” Otis uttered as he and Red quickly tossed their coffee aside and scampered after him…at a safe interval.

  * * *

  Ruby Clay was not a fearful person, and never had been. She didn’t fear the wild country or the Indians. Since the time she was a small girl, she had been in control of her life and the people in it. But now, for the first time in her young life, she experienced the clammy feeling of cold fear that crawled like a worm along the center of her spine. Her father had let the situation get out of hand. There had been cavalry patrols before, but on those occasions there had been someone in charge, an officer usually, who made sure his men did not get out of control. On this night, there was also someone in charge: Spanner. But he was obviously the one she had to fear the most. The other three troopers were no threat. They were just there, it seemed, to get drunk and act as foolishly grinning spectators to Sergeant Spanner’s performance. Earlier in the evening, when Tom had come in, she began to feel uneasy about the way things were developing. Jubal thought things would be all right after Tom left, but Spanner just seemed to get more and more surly as the evening progressed, buoyed no doubt by his banishment of Tom with no challenge to his authority. Although she had not faced the exact situation before, there was no mistaking the leering eyes whenever he looked in her direction. She had managed to avoid his reach while she served the four of them supper, but his sneer promised that he had further plans for her. Now it seemed he was ready to make his move.

  “Well, little lady, I reckon I’m ready for you and me to go up in the loft there.” Spanner ogled her, a carnivorous grin pasted across his face.

  “The hell you say,” Ruby replied coldly, her face a mask of contempt.

  The evil grin widened on Spanner’s face as he got up from his chair. “Well now,” he growled, “if you want it the hard way, that suits me just fine.” He winked at the three troopers still seated at the table. “It’s a heap more fun with a lively bitch, ain’t it, boys?”

  He received a couple of snickers from his comrades. Encouraged, he started toward Ruby, who was now backing away while looking around for something to protect herself with. Seeing a large skillet on the table, she grabbed it and held it up menacingly. Spanner snorted in amusement and continued to stalk the girl. At this point, Jubal stepped in between Spanner and his daughter.

  “She ain’t for sale. Now why don’t you and your friends get on out of here.”

  “I ain’t planning to pay for her. This is between me and her, old man, so git the hell outta my way before I bust your head open.”

  “She don’t want no part of you. Now leave her alone!” Jubal tried to hold the larger man off with his hands on Spanner’s chest.

  Spanner shoved Jubal hard with one hand while he drew his large cavalry pistol with the other. Before Jubal could recover, Spanner brought the heavy pistol hard across the side of Jubal’s head. He went down in a heap. Spanner barely glanced down at the stricken man before he began unbuckling his belt. “Watch him, boys,” he said as he continued to approach the terrified girl.

  Ruby said nothing, but the terror in her eyes seemed only to intensify his lust. She backed into a corner of the kitchen, holding the skillet in front of her. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get yourself out of here,” she offered lamely, the fear all too evident in her voice. He laughed at her feeble threat.

  “Come here, darlin’, I know what you need, and I’m gonna give it to you right here on this table. I’m gonna show you how to do it army style.”

  He suddenly lunged toward her. She swung the skillet, aiming at his head, but he blocked the blow with his shoulder. She tried to swing it again, but he seized her wrist and clamped down on it until she cried out in pain and was forced to let go of the skillet. Fighting for her life, she tried to scratch his face with her free hand, but he caught her and forcing both arms behind her, he clamped both wrists in one huge hand. With her arms pinned behind her back, she still fought, trying to kick him in the groin with her knee. He slapped her hard across her face, once, twice, three times before she was finally subdued. Then he glared at her, his evil grin no more than a fraction of an inch from her face. His hot, sour breath scalded her senses as she turned her face from side to side in an effort to avoid his mouth seeking hers. Finally, he succeeded in smothering her lips with his mouth. His kiss was long and brutal. She tried to hold her breath, keeping her lips tightly closed. At last he withdrew his mouth, and his face still only inches from hers, his loathsome grin returned. She spit in his face, showing her disgust. He barely recoiled, seeming to be amused by her reaction. Her arms were aching, still locked in the viselike grip of his hand, but he made no attempt to ease her discomfort, although the pain was obvious in her face. He seemed to enjoy it. He watched her struggle for a few moments, then suddenly grabbed the front of her blouse and ripped it away, revealing soft, milky-white breasts. He was pleased. “Damn, bitch, you ain’t as skinny as you look.”

  “Let her go, Spanner.”

  The voice came from the doorway. There was no hint of excitement, just a simple command. Spanner turned to see who dared to interfere with his pleasure. He half expected to see the girl’s father, but it was not. He grunted and laughed when he saw Tom standing by the front door. He made no move to release the girl.

  “Let her go,” Tom repeated, bringing the Winchester up waist-high, at the same time keeping a watchful eye on the three troopers still seated at the table.

  “Looo…tenant.” Spanner growled with emphatic sarcasm. “When was the last time an enlisted man told you to kiss his ass?”

  “Let her go,” he said for the third time.

  Spanner hesitated, looking at the rifle already leveled at him. He considered for only a moment whether or not he could release his hold on the girl and draw his pistol in time. He was angry and half drunk, but he had better sense than to try it. Still, he was not willing to give in so easily. “Ain’t you the brave one. I thought I run you out of here once, and here you come crawling back in here holding a rifle on me. I wonder how big you’d talk if you didn’t have the jump on me.”

  Tom was running out of patience. “Spanner,” he said calmly, “if you don’t let her go right now, I’m going to shoot you. Do you understand that?”

  Still Spanner hesitated, but only for a second. There was something in Tom’s voice that conveyed a cool resolve. He released Ruby, who immediately grab
bed her torn shirt to cover her nakedness and ran toward Tom. Tom motioned for her to get behind him. Spanner stood leering at him.

  “Now, you boys have done enough for one night,” Tom said, turning halfway toward the three men at the table, but still keeping an eye on Spanner. “The fun’s over. I’m sure you’re supposed to be part of a detachment to hunt down renegade Indians. I doubt if your commanding officer would like it if he knew you were terrorizing ordinary citizens instead.”

  “I doubt if your commanding officer would like it…” Spanner parroted sarcastically. “I always have wanted to catch one of you dainty-assed officers out of uniform and go at it man to man. Why don’t you lay that rifle down and we’ll settle this thing right now.”

  Tom was not about to rise to that bait. Only a fool would give away the advantage when he already had it. “Sergeant, you might find it hard to ride back to your outfit with a bullet hole in your hide.” He motioned with the rifle toward the other three. “Get moving.”

  They didn’t look any too happy about it, but they got up from the table and shuffled toward the door. One of them, a young trooper with the imposing build of a blacksmith, spat a surly remark at Tom. “You’re mighty damn big with that rifle in your hand.”

  Tom refused to respond. “Just move on out the door, soldier,” he replied.

  Spanner, after a few moments of additional defiance, finally picked up his hat and reluctantly moved toward the door. Ruby, watching the man who had attacked and humiliated her, was still bent on exacting her own measure of revenge. While every eye had been trained on Tom, she slowly moved over and picked up the iron skillet from the floor. Very slowly, she moved quietly back to a position behind Tom and waited.

  Spanner was almost to the door when Ruby attacked. “You son of a bitch!” she screamed and aimed the heavy frying pan at him. Spanner saw it coming and used it to his advantage. He caught the girl’s arm and, using her body as a shield, shoved her into Tom. There was no way Tom could have anticipated Ruby’s sudden move. He tried to push her out of the way, but was knocked off balance and landed on his back.

  Unnoticed at the far end of the room, Jubal Clay, the side of his face covered with blood from the gash above his temple, had slowly pulled himself to a sitting position. Realizing that all attention was on Tom’s rifle as he herded the four soldiers outside, Jubal took advantage of the opportunity to crawl behind the counter, where he kept a double-barreled shotgun. With Tom sprawled flat on his back, Spanner shoved Ruby out of his way and poised to spring on him. He was like a great cat sensing a kill as he drew a knife from his boot. Just as he was about to strike, he was halted in his tracks by the explosion of Jubal’s shotgun blast over his head. The room, which moments before had been a roar of confused shouting and cursing, suddenly went quiet as a tomb with everyone seemingly suspended in a state of shocked paralysis, broken only by Jubal’s voice.

  “I wouldn’t if I was you, Sergeant.” He paused long enough to watch Spanner back off. “Now, by God, I’m warning all of you. This here shindig is over. You men git on your horses and get the hell outta my town.”

  Tom scrambled to his feet, his rifle still in his hand, and motioned Ruby over against the wall, out of the way. Spanner scowled at the little storekeeper, but took a step back. Undetected by Jubal, for he was still across the room, Spanner glanced at one of his men, the one who was built like a blacksmith, and signaled with his eyes. The subtle signal did not escape Tom.

  “All right, Pop,” Spanner said, returning the knife to the sheath in his boot. “You win, we’re going.”

  He started to turn, as if he were going out the door. Instead, he lunged toward Tom, taking a wild swing at him with his fist. Tom was ready for him. He stepped aside, dodging the fist, and laid the barrel of his rifle across the bridge of Spanner’s nose with all the force he could muster. There was a loud crack as the rifle barrel flattened the man’s nose. Spanner stood there stunned for an instant. Then his legs seemed suddenly incapable of supporting him, and he staggered over against the door and fell outside on the steps. Jubal, distracted by the surprise attack, dropped the barrel of his shotgun. When he did, the burly soldier pulled a pistol from his belt and drew down on him. Tom reacted faster than he could consciously think. In a fraction of a wink, he whirled and fired. His bullet slammed into the side of the trooper’s skull, killing him instantly, the bullet from the soldier’s pistol tearing harmlessly into the ceiling over Jubal’s head.

  For a long moment no one moved, stunned by the explosion of sudden violence. For Tom, the moment seemed frozen in time—the image of the fallen trooper, an ugly black hole in the side of his head, his head bouncing on the wooden floor when he fell. Tom felt a choking sensation and the burning of bile rising in his throat as the realization that he had just killed a soldier, one of his former comrades, struck him like a bludgeon. This was not his first kill. He had killed at least three Confederate soldiers personally, and he had dispatched at least three times that many Sioux and Cheyenne. But this was different. This was close and personal, not like the others who had seemed little more than targets. It was a feeling he was never to forget. He didn’t like it.

  “All right, you men, it’s over. Pick him up and get him on his horse,” he heard himself saying. They showed no sign of resistance, obviously stunned by the shock of seeing the young trooper’s life snuffed out so suddenly. Tom followed them as they carried the dead man outside. “Help your sergeant up on his horse.” They did as they were ordered.

  Spanner’s face was covered with blood, and he was in no condition to put up any further resistance, but he was still able to talk. “You son of a bitch, you ain’t seen the last of me.” Still woozy from the blow across his face and already feeling nauseated from swallowing a great deal of blood, he had to hang on to his saddle horn to remain upright. “You signed your death warrant tonight, Injun-lover. You murdered a U.S. Army soldier. You’re a dead man!”

  Tom was unmoved. He turned to one of the other troopers and said, “Get on back to your unit. Tell them what happened here and don’t be afraid to tell the truth. Spanner attacked the man’s daughter. I had no choice but to shoot your friend. I regret that, but it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t let him shoot Mr. Clay. You tell them that.” He stood back and watched as they turned their mounts and headed out of town.

  Jubal walked over and stood by Tom. “You think they’ll be back?”

  Tom sighed, “I’m afraid so. The army will have to investigate.”

  “You think them other two boys will tell the truth about what happened?”

  “I doubt it.”

  Jubal looked at his friend for a moment, but decided not to put his thoughts into words. There was no need. Tom was smart enough to know that he just might have fastened a noose around his neck. A soldier had been killed. The chances of the army seeing Tom’s side of it were practically nil. Jubal felt the heavy burden of regret for what had happened that night, for he knew Tom had not only saved Ruby from a savage attack, but had also saved his own life. What could he say to the man? So he remained silent as they stood there, staring off into the darkness that closed in behind the soldiers. Ruby came up beside Tom and put her arms around his waist and hugged him close to her. Tom, startled at first, put his arm around her shoulder, and they stood there for a long time before parting.

  From the shadows at the end of the building, Red and Otis appeared. Like two dark specters, they moved silently over to join Tom. He had not even known of their presence, for they had watched the whole incident through a small window at the end of the store, well out of harm’s way. It occurred to Tom that Jubal couldn’t expect much help from that quarter if he had trouble of any kind in the future.

  Otis placed his hand on Tom’s shoulder and spoke with great compassion. “You can’t stay around here, son. They’ll hang you shore as spit for shooting that soldier.”

  It was unnecessary advice, so Tom didn’t bother to answer. He knew he had little chance of a fair hearing if he
allowed himself to be taken into custody. Spanner would see to that. He had already made up his mind to leave.

  Chapter IV

  Tom did not sleep well, his thoughts troubled by the events of the day. As he lay awake most of the night, he examined his actions of that evening from every angle, and he could honestly say there had been no way to avoid the outcome. Still, his conscience would not allow him to escape the guilt he harbored for taking the life of a cavalry trooper. But what choice had he been given? Spanner would have brutally raped Ruby had it not been for his intervention. And there was little doubt the young soldier he had killed meant to murder Jubal. He had to admit that the real injustice in the incident was that, if anyone had to die, it should have been Spanner and not the husky young private. Tom turned the incident over and over in his mind. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it. When it all sifted out, if you were looking for a victim, Tom Allred was a pretty good candidate himself. For now he would without a doubt be on the army’s wanted list. How, he wondered, could fate play such an ironic hand? His only ambition had been to be a good soldier. Now both he and his brother were renegades. At least Little Wolf did not carry the burden of guilt for his allegiance to the Cheyenne nation. There was nothing left to Tom but to sort it out as best he could and get on with it, in hopes of finding a better life somewhere.

  The next morning he said his good-byes to Red and Otis, then stopped by Jubal’s store to get what provisions he could with the money and hides he had left. He had to argue with Jubal over the trade value of the skins to keep Jubal from cheating himself. Tom appreciated what he was trying to do, but some of the skins were skimpy and he didn’t feel it fair to get prime money for them. His main interest was ammunition for his rifle, so he took all the cartridges Jubal had plus lead and powder to make his own. Ruby was nowhere to be seen. Jubal allowed as how she was most likely down by the creek somewhere, washing clothes. Everything packed on his two horses, he said good-bye to Jubal and stepped up on Billy.