The Weathers: Chapter 5

Chapter 5
The gang headed on back to the hide out no one said a word they were all worried about what was fixing to happen to them when Jack was told another brother was dead now, and Jack was not going to be happy about this situation at all.
The gang rode into the hide out and Jack walked out “hello fellows, good to have you back; we have ten new recruits since you all left so that puts us up a little over 40 men.” The men could tell Jack was very pleased with himself. All the men in this gang have that killer instinct so Ted figured these new men were the same.
Jack told Robert’s little gang “I see maybe around 10 to 15 more men, and no one will be able to stop us then, but first I going to investigate this new man that came in town and killed Red. Bobby Ray said he was some kin to the Weathers’, and when I find this man he will wish he was never born, a slow death is even too good for him.”
Ted went over to his boss and said, “Well boss that is what we need to talk to you about, see Robert had this idea of robbing the Hollom bank, and we did rob the bank.”
Right then Jack started looking around and he interrupted Ted while he was trying to explain what had happened, Jack angrily bellowed out “Where is that stupid brother of mine?”
Ted looked down to the ground and started to tell him, when Jack stared into Ted’s face and blurted “I said; where is my brother.”
Ted looked up at Jack and nervously and softly said “Jack, he’s dead.”
Jack was so furious now that he started heading towards his horse and told everyone “mount up were going to Hollom.”
Ted then took another breathe and he said “it wasn't the Hollom people.”
Jack turned around and said “What did you say?”
Ted said “we all got on our horses to hurry and get out of there, the posse was just too much to handle. And then Robert saw one of the Weathers’ men, and I guess he was going to shoot that one, because one of the Weathers’ killed Red, and then I guess he drawled on him, and lost.”
Jack looked around at the whole gang and said, “saddle up were going to raid us some no good Weather’s and their families. I want anybody with the last name of Weather’s dead, and their places burnt to the ground.”
He yelled so loud that everyone wanted to hold their ears, but didn’t dare. “I am going to kill every Weathers’ alive that is a promise!”
He was shaking his fists towards the sky.
The Weathers’ men and their ranch hands rode back to William’s place. No sooner had they gotten off their horses, Sharon came running out of the house. William met her halfway in the yard where they embraced, “Well, is everyone okay?” she asked.
Placing a kiss on her forehead William smiled and he didn’t care if his brother’s did see his affection towards his wife, “Yes we’re fine dear.”
They all went inside, William looked at Sharon, and said “I think we may have a little trouble, it seems the one's that robbed the bank was Jack Timberwood’s gang. We never saw Jack, but we did have a pretty bad fight and a lot of his men were killed including his other brother Robert”
Sharon put her hands up to her mouth, and she whispered “oh no, first Jasen kills Red and now Robert gets killed too.”
Stephen dropped his head and softly said “killing is never easy, even when they’re drawing on you,”
Sharon looked over at Stephen and said “please tell me none of you killed him.” Nobody said a word then Jasen spoke up, “I think we better keep and eye open for trouble just in case and be ready.”
Stephen said, “Jasen it is getting dark, we had better be starting back home.” Sharon looked at the men and said, “Nonsense you will stay here tonight.”
Both of them said, “Ok we will.”
Stephen and Jasen started towards Ma's early the next morning, both were regretting going home remembering what they did to Michael. Stephen looked over at Jasen and said, “Maybe we were kind of hard on Michael.”
Jasen said, “Yeah, probably. You know Stephen, thank you for always helping me when I needed you. I know I don't say anything to you but I do appreciate it.”
Stephen answered, "Oh don't worry about it, I use you too, when I need a favor from you, or the judge. I don't mind really, it's like watching over you.”
Jasen smiled and said “Stephen it sure is good to be home. Maybe we can get on Ma's good side and kill a couple of chickens for a good fried chicken meal. I haven’t had such good meals to match that of Ma's fried chicken in years. Matter of fact six years to be exact.” Both brothers laughed as they rode up to the farm.
Stripping the gear off their horses, they put them in the corral, and made their way to the house. Ma was up and cooking when they entered the house. She said, “How’d it go boys? Did you all catch those thieves?”
Stephen answered, “Yes Ma’am we caught up with them.”
Ma replied, “It was Timberwood’s gang wasn't it?”
Jasen said, “Yes we believe it was and that Travis now has three of them in jail.”
Ma said, “Is that all you caught was three?”
Stephen answered, “Yes, we got into a showdown with them and a few left high tailing it out of there. Some were killed, but we were able to arrest three. Our posse lost one out of the twenty we had with us.”
Michael entered the room at that moment and Stephen and Jasen swiftly glanced at one another, each wondering if they were in trouble now. But Michael only inquired about the robbery and if everyone was fine. Jasen proceeded to tell Ma and Pa about Stephen killing Robert Timberwood.
Pa considered the news for a moment then said, “I guess we all better watch our backs, Jack will want revenge especially since he has two brothers’ dead.”
Ma told pa, “Better have our farm hands keep a sharp eye out for trouble around here. I do believe we are fixing to have a show down.”
Walking into the next room she came back with her shotgun and handed it to Jasen, “Clean this for me Jasen, Stephen you go fetch the other guns. I need all these cleaned. Michael you go into town and get some more ammo.”
Stephen asked, "Ma, what about Stuart and Lucille. Should someone let them know what is going on?"
Ma looked at Jasen and answered, “Go to Stuart’s and bring them back here. Take Jud and Moose with you and have them stay at Stuart’s place. Between our hired hands helping and his hired hand already there Stuart’s place should be well protected. William’s place should be okay with his two boys and his ranch hands to help out. So I would say we're pretty much covered for an attack.”
Looking at the windows Ma ordered, “I want you boys to place a rifle or a shotgun near those cubby holes so we don't get caught unprepared.”
Jasen smiled thinking about how those cubby holes had come to be there. It was back in the day when Ma and Pa were fighting the Indians for their land. Over the years the Indians learned not to mess with Ma and Pa. The Indians had buried a lot of their dead in their holy grounds, thanks to them. Jasen, Stephen, and Michael got busy doing as Ma asked. Ma walked over to stir the beef stew in the large cast iron kettle. Many a meal had been prepared in that old pot. Now all her kids were gone. It was good to be cooking for her boys again tonight.
Removing the kettle from the fire she proceeded to dish a serving upon each plate. A gleam came to Ma's eyes as she said to Stephen and Jasen, “Michael isn’t wasting any time. He is going on a picnic with a pretty young lady.”
Jasen grinned, “We had heard that Michael had met the school teacher.”
Ma’s eyes were smoldering mad when she asked them, “Then tell me how he came tied up in that tree and where you two were?”
Stephen gave his most pitiful look to his Ma and said, “Ma, I ain't going to lie to you. We brought an extra horse to get Michael, but we seen the baggage that he had with him and went back to get the buggy. We didn't know Michael was going to bring his whole closet with him.”
Everyone around the table started laughing except Michael. Michael looked at Ma and said “May I be excused? I find I’m not that hungry now”
Ma said “if we offended you Michael we’re sorry.”
He said “no I’m just going to get ready to go meet Miss Barton. Ma all I want to know is why they left me? And where were they when those bandits came to have fun with a city boy. I still believe they were two sorry brothers of mine.”
Jasen said “hey I better go get Stuart and Lucille" and he started to get up.
Michael said “well I got to go too.” and he got up.
Ma asked Jasen to come over and give her a goodbye kiss, so Jasen walked over to her and leaned down she smacked him so hard it rung his ears for a couple seconds. Ma said “and that was for leaving Michael and not being there for him when those bandits came.”
When Ma looked over where Stephen was at. He was already gone and climbing on his horse he started the horse on a run and Jasen saw Ma pick up a small rock and Jasen smiled as she hurled it in the air. Stephen was yelling at Jasen that he would get Stuart. Ma still could pitch them rocks after all these years, the rock bounced off Sassy and she pitched him right off onto the ground. Jasen ran over to where Stephen was laying, he was not moving he leaned over Stephen and Ma screamed “is he dead?”
Jasen said “No Ma he is ok.”
Ma told Jasen “I guess you better go get Stuart now, since Stephen won’t feel like it.”
Pa came around the corner and said "what have you done now woman.”
Ma looked at Pa and said “oh be quite Hess, he fell off his horse.”
Ma looked at Jasen and said “don't you have somewhere to go.”
Jasen got on Lucky and then rode out to Stuart’s. When he arrived there Jasen got off his horse and looked around, it was a nice little log cabin, with a small barn and a small corral. Jasen saw Stuart come out of the house. Stuart was a good size young man he was 6'3" and weighed 225lbs with light brown hair that hung to his bottom of his ears. Stuart had on what looked like an old pair of pants and his cotton shirt with his suspenders on.
Stuart looked at Jasen and said “I haven’t seen you since I was a little boy.”
And he came and hugged Jasen, a female voice came from inside asking “Stuart, who is it?”
Jasen hollered “I’m Jasen, Stuart’s brother.”
Lucille came out; she was a pretty young lady. Stuart had wrote to Jasen and Stephen a couple years back that he had married him a girl from Germany who lived in Ikeville who's parents had immigrated to the states, and then settled in Kentucky. Stuart said “there was a lot of German immigrates that settled near where we all lived.”
Lucille sure was pregnant looked like she was ready to bust when Jasen saw her he walked up to Lucille and gave her a kiss on the jaw he said “welcome to the family.”
She smiled and said “thank you, my family has been reading about you for years you’re always in the papers.”
Jasen said “don't believe everything you read.”
But she just smiled and said “you’re a good man like my Stuart.”
She looked like she was in her early 20's she was medium height and Jasen could see how she stole Stuart’s heart with her golden hair spread about her petite face. Her eyes were the color of a cloudless sky. Jasen explained to them both what happen in the last couple days and Lucille said “I told my family if anyone will straighten this town up it would be you. I knew you would not let me down.”
Stuart spoke up and said, “let us get a few things and we’ll be ready.”
Stuart stopped and then said “what about my place?”
Jasen saw the two farm hands riding up and they went back where Stuart’s hand was. Jasen walked on back there and he said “fellows stay out in the woods, don't go in the house and get trapped and if there are too many to fight ride on over to William’s place.”
Jasen then said “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
They agreed and said “We will go to William’s if it gets to bad.”
Jasen knew Stuart could take care of himself, but he knew he left for Lucille’s sake that was why he headed towards Ma’s. Stuart dropped Lucille off at the house and drove the buggy into the barn where Jasen was unhitching his saddle and throwing it up on the rails and putting Lucky out in the corral. Stuart started unhitching the buggy when he asked “just how bad is it Jasen?”
Stephen came in the barn at that time, he looked and said “hello Stuart.”
Stuart hugged Stephen and told him, “good to see you.”
Stephen said “real pretty girl you got there Stuart”
Stuart smiled and said “thanks, she sure is beautiful.”
Jasen said “well Stuart it's pretty bad I’m about 90% positive that their going to show up and they’ll burn whatever gets in their way including every place and kill anyone in it.”
Stephen also agreed with what Jasen said so Stuart said “what are you two going to do about it?”
Jasen said “I don't have the man power nor can I go over Marshal Jones’s head. Stephen wired him and I’m going to go in town tomorrow to see if he wrote back but you can bet something will be done about this.”
Stuart looked down at the ground and said “I guess my place is going to be burned down isn't it.”
Neither Stephen nor Jasen said anything so Stuart went on inside to check on his wife's condition and see if he could help with anything.
Stephen told Jasen felt bad for Stuart, then they started talking about Michael, Stephen told him that he thought Michael was hot and heavy courting this school teacher and that of the five years he was up in St. Louis he has never seen Michael like this sure he has dated women there, but it's like he is floating on cloud nine.
Jasen said “yes isn't it funny, it is the same lady that Ma tried to set us up with.”
Stephen said “Ma let Michael go into town to see that teacher and get some extra ammo.” Jasen said “yeah I know but she did tell him to make it quick as possible.”
Jasen reached in his saddle bag and said “I think were going to need this before the end of the day I hope Michael hurries up and gets back in time with all the extra ammo so we can hold off Jack Timberwood and his gang or this will be a quick one I should of got a couple boxes at Janet’s but I didn't think of it and I’m down to this last box.”
Stephen said “yes I know what you mean I got about a box and a half of ammo.”
Stephen and Jasen moved the buggy out of the way in the barn and then started heading into the house when Stephen stopped him. He said “Ma threw a rock and hit Sassy didn't she.”
Jasen smiled remembering it and said “yeah.”
Stephen said “I guess I had that one coming, but she could have broken my neck.” Jasen told Stephen “you know Ma she doesn't think sometimes her temper fly’s off and then she reacts”
Stephen felt his head and said “boy does she ever react.”
Jasen was feeling of his cheeks and said “yes I know what you mean.”
Stephen said “we need to let her know she can’t get away with this. We won't take that kind of punishment from her anymore we’re grown men.”
Jasen said “yeah lets go have a talk with her.”
They went inside the house and Ma was talking to Lucille when she looked up and Stephen took a swallow and said “Ma Jasen has something to say to you.”
Jasen then turned sharply towards Stephen and said “me, you need to start it.”
Stephen said “go ahead.”
Ma looked at both of them and said “you two cut your nonsense out.”
Both of them said “yes Ma’am and went over to check the guns out.”
Jasen whispered to Stephen “I think we need to be in the woods when they come so we can have crossfire.”
Stephen said “I'm thinking the same thing but Ma isn't going to let us leave and I know we can stop this over at William’s if we can find a good place to camp out.”
Jasen said “ok”
Then he strolled to the door and told Ma that Stephen and he had to check a couple things outside and she said “Make it snappy.”
Jasen and Stephen quickly threw their saddles on the horses and then they took off heading towards William’s. Stuart opened the door saw them leave he asked Ma. “Where are they going?”
Ma said “if I know them two they’re heading into the woods towards William’s catch Jack’s gang in a crossfire, when he goes past them, I was wondering how long it was going to take them to sneak out.”
Stuart said “then I need to go too.”
Ma griped his arm and said “you belong here if they get past William’s place we’ll need all the gun power we can get.”