home.”
“He didn’t say anything about us killing those boys?” A.J. asked.
“Said he would ride out and tell the Farlands then come visit you both sometime today,” Soph said. “Said he believed you both and he had no plans of arresting you all.”
“Well that’s at least some good news to hear,” Bub said. “Guess after he was here last time he kind of figured we hadn’t done anything illegal.”
“I guess that’s probably so boys,” Soph said, “or that I told him you both only drew on the Farland boys as they drew on you both.”
“I bet the Farlands are going to be hell to deal with after this,” A.J. said as he took a drink of his coffee. “We go out to check on those cattle Bub, we better be well armed for a while.”
Bub puffed on his pipe as he thought of something to say. “At first I was a little sad for those boys dying,” Bub said, “but I don’t feel that way now. If we see any more Farlands on the land we better just shoot first like we told them we would.”
“I agree Bub,” A.J. said taking another drink of his coffee. “There wouldn’t be any other reason they would be out there except to kill us now.”
Bub and A.J. finished their coffee as Soph cleaned up after breakfast. The boys had saddled and packed their horses to go check on the cattle. They made sure to put extra rounds in their saddle bags along with some biscuits and left over salted ham. Soph stood on the front porch ready to wave them goodbye for the day. As the boys mounted their horses to head towards the east they noticed a single rider coming across the field.
“Rider coming in Soph. Might want to grab the shotgun just in case,” A.J. said as Soph had already turned to go in the house to get it.
As the rider approached A.J. and Bub could tell it was the sheriff. Soph walked out to where the boys were, still carrying the shotgun, as the sheriff rode up. “Good morning Bub, A.J., Soph.” the sheriff said. “Just like I told Soph yesterday I’m not here to arrest you boys. I rode out here alone to show I’m not here for trouble.”
“Thanks sheriff,” Bub said.
“Just wanted to tell you all that I believe your story about the Farland boys being on your land and pulling their guns on you first,” Sheriff Markel said. “I told the judge what was told to me the last time I was out here to visit you all. He said he wasn’t signing a warrant for people defending themselves or their land,” the sheriff continued. “The judge also told me to warn Owen and Jim Farland that if there is any more trouble caused by them over this there would be a very stiff punishment.”
“You tell that to the Farlands sheriff?” Soph asked.
“I did,” the sheriff said.
“How did that go over?” A.J. asked.
“Not very well,” he replied. “Was glad I had a few of my deputies with me otherwise they may have shot me right there,” the sheriff continued. “The Farlands are pretty upset, especially now they have three boys dead and know the law isn’t going to back them up on charging you two.”
“Thanks sheriff for letting us know,” Bub said.
“You are welcome boys. I would just be cautious for a while,” the sheriff said. “The Farlands don’t have anything to lose at this point,” the sheriff continued as he turned his horse towards the southeast to head back to town. He stopped after a few yards and turned back to face the Davises again. “Oh and Bub,” the sheriff said. “I did notice the Farlands field was bare of crops and tilled over for winter,” the sheriff said smiling. He turned his horse back to the southeast and urged it to a gallop as he headed back towards town.
Everyone watched the Sheriff disappear over the grassy field to the south. Soph told the boys to be careful then headed back into the house to clean. A.J. and Bub turned their horses towards the east and headed out to check on the cattle for the day.
“Bub what do you think the Farlands will do now?” A.J. asked.
“I’m not really sure bud,” Bub replied, “but we better be on alert. Let’s get those cattle moved today also to the north field since we didn’t get to that yesterday.”
“Alright Bub sounds good to me.”
As they made it to the top of the small hill to the west of their cattle Bub emptied his pipe and began to grab more tobacco from his pocket when he seen the dead cows laying in the field below. “What the hell!” Bub exclaimed.
A.J. stopped looking in disbelief at the field below him as he just sat and stared not knowing what to say. Below them in the field was over half their cattle lying dead and scattered clear to the creek. The heads of cows that were not dead wondered the field still grazing around the ones that were lying dead.
A.J. and Bub both grabbed their rifles from the scabbards attached to their horses directly below their right legs. Bub had just dismounted when he seen the first of five Farlands rise behind one of the dead cows about a hundred and fifty yards from him and his brother. “A.J. get down!” Bub yelled just as all five Farlands fired their Spencer rifles at him and his brother.
15
Already dismounted Bub swatted his horse to get it to run as he hollered at his brother. “A.J. get down!” Bub yelled.
With his rifle in his hand A.J. dove from his horse as the barrage of bullets tore into Coffee. The horse had been struck at least twice as it fell instantly to the ground dead. Bub and A.J. took cover behind the dead horse as the next volley of rounds sailed by them both and off into the air behind them.
“We are pinned down Bub,” A.J. said as they could feel more rounds hit the dead horse. “At least your horse is still alive,” A.J. continued as he pointed towards Bubs horse a little ways down the backside of the hill.
Bub pulled his Colt from the holster and eased back the hammer on it ready to fire. “I’m a better shot with the rifle,” Bub said, “I say we both turn and fire as many rounds as we can until the rifles run dry. I will continue to fire with my colt, and you head for my horse,” Bub continued. “After you get there and get mounted you skin that Schofield and back me as I run and mount behind you. Then we get the hell out of here!”
“Ok Bub you got it,” A.J. replied calmly. “Let’s wait until we feel the next rounds of bullets hit first then shoot.”
A.J. felt the next series of rifle rounds hit his dead horse. Once he felt Bub move to shoot he too turned and aimed to return fire on the Farlands who were still taking cover behind their dead cattle. A.J. pulled the trigger of his rifle as the Farlands themselves fired at him and Bub.
A.J. didn’t remember the initial shock of the round hitting him or the violent fall backwards to the ground. What he did remember briefly was drawing his own Henry rifle to his shoulder and pulling the trigger, but the force that threw him backwards and to the ground was from a far more powerful source then the recoil of his own gun. All he could think about now is the excruciating pain in his left shoulder and the silhouette of the figure heading towards him.
Bub seeing his brother struck hard in the upper left arm took cover again behind the dead horse. He then turned to see if his brother was still alive. He saw his brother moving slowly on the ground dazed and confused. Bub made a quick decision and jumped up and ran towards his brother yelling at him to get up and run towards his horse.
A.J. saw the shadowy figure approach in a hurry, however in his mind everything was now in slow motion because of either the shock he was in or because of the adrenaline rushing rapidly through his body. He turned his head to look at the source of the throbbing that was somehow more attention grabbing then the unknown figure heading towards him. The feeling of the pain he immediately knew was the worse he had ever felt and he realized the damage that was the cause of it was extreme when he couldn’t move his arm to even look at the results that the round had left as it smashed into what he thought was his shoulder.
As the figure approached closer he quickly searched blindly with his right hand for the rifle it once held. Every motion he attempted to make shot quick jabs of sharp pain throughout his body. He had never been
known to just give up on a situation, however currently it was crossing his mind constantly with the growing amount of frustration over the ordeal.
The figure that approached was within a dozen feet or so, but with the sun high in the sky behind it A.J. still couldn’t make out who was frantically heading towards him. He was just about to give in to the thought of dying when he felt the hard wood stock that belonged to the .44 Henry rifle he had just possessed moments earlier. One handed he felt his way to the lever action, and somehow almost as a second sense remembered the current cartridge that was seated in the breach had been fired previously. He let the weight of the rifle barrel drop the front end towards the ground and with a sudden jerk of his hand the lever action cycled another round quickly into the chamber ready for firing.
As the person came closer into view A.J. could realize it was a man carrying a rifle firmly grasped in his left hand and a long barreled revolver in his right. The man was yelling something at him, but in A.J.s current state of shock he couldn’t comprehend what was going on. “I’m not dying here today..,” A.J. mumbled to himself. Knowing he didn’t have any more time to waste on straightening out his thoughts he raised the rifle and tried leveling it through the pain at the incoming man.
As Bub ran to his injured brother he noticed A.J. was fumbling to try and find