Recompense
Laura had taken the name “Recompense” after the death of her father.
“Laura Recompense Jones”, rancher’s daughter.
It had seemed needful at the time, her loss had been great.
That had been two long years ago; she had been riding now since the last town for only a few weeks. Searching, tracking the men who had killed her father.
She approached the small town on the dusty plains from the south and now sat her sorrel stallion at the main streets eastern end.
She sat quietly, studying the waning sun, only a couple of hours til dusk.
Watched the late evening breeze stir the signs hanging from hooks in front of the usual frontier hovels, watched it roll the sparse tumbleweeds along the rutted road between the handful of buildings.
A town this size would have no law, no sheriff to oversee civility.
The inhabitants would be rough, rowdy and prone to suspicion.
Several of the businesses would be for the basics, food, fodder, farm or ranch equipment. The others would be for entertainment, to soften the hard stress of life on the blunt edges of the west.
Saloons, houses of pleasure, more saloons and mixed in would be gambling tables to relieve the patrons of the burden of any excess wealth.
Laura swung her leg over her mounts rump and slid smoothly down from her saddle.
Her split riding dress was worn soft from much use and rustled softly as she led her horse down the middle of the street.
The occasional customer looked out of the building entries and noted her passing.
Some turned to their friends to remark on the stately calm of the woman striding purposefully by. Made guesses as to her presence in there backwater retreat.
As luck would have it, after months of searching, the end came quickly.
The three men she was looking for had been described to her in minute detail many times before. But always, after they had passed through to somewhere else.
“Three fingers Pete”, tall lanky with long dark hair and a hat circled with links of small coins. He had lost one of his fingers in some long ago accident.
“Slim Hawkins”, short, round and easily 100 pounds over what his horse would have preferred. Named in reverse of his physique by the humorously inclined of his acquaintances.
And finally, Black Eyes Billy. Leader of the group. Billy had led his little band for several years in forays of questionable legality, but had not been caught in the act or with significant amounts of financial bounty on him to incite prosecution for his deeds.
Not that in his cups he would be shy about admitting his sins, but….he always insisted that proceeds from their escapades be cached elsewhere and only slightly escalated pouches of money be carried around. Though they had all been around cattle their whole life, rustling had been their main occupation for years. Stealing, running their catch across the border, selling at significant profit then moving on had become their routine.
Laura had been tracking them across state boundaries, through day and night, dust and rain all this time and on the word of a drifter in the last town she passed through, had followed the dry river bed to this clapboard shanty town.
It was in front of the third saloon she came to that she found them. Slim and Pete lounging on a bench by the swinging doors of the “Lucky Lady” Tavern.
She walked slowing, watching them from the corners of her eyes. She knew all about them by now, from the stories she had heard during her long search. That they were flunkies, henchmen…just the legs and arms of Billy’s deeds. They were thieves by profession, cowardice the central measure of their personality.
She knew also what they saw, a tall, auburn haired woman, young and innocent looking, demure in appearance and action. It was the façade that she had cultivated while searching them out.
Laura stopped in front of the men, glanced up at them as if in admiration as she wrapped her horse’s reins on the hitching post.
“Gentlemen, would one of you be able to help me, she said in a husky voice?”
“I am looking for a man.”
The two took a moment to look at each other and share a small smirk before Slim spoke up and said. “Well, I do believe we could help you with that problem little lady.”
Before he could go on, Laura said “Great!...His name is Billy…Billy something…I don’t know his last name. But, I have heard he is here in town somewhere…and I desperately need to find him.”
At this the two, sat back and studied her more carefully…Slim then leaned forward and said. “What would a pretty woman like you want with Billy?”
“Why, its simple really…I want to explain to him why I’m here….and then…ask him nicely if he’ll kneel here in front of me, she exclaimed!”
At this both Slim and Pete sat upright, then sputtered laughter as they looked at her.
“Little lady, I’d give a fifty dollar gold piece to see that myself, but….don’t go getting your hopes up on that account”, and the two continued to chuckle as they watched her.
“Well, all right…if you gentlemen can’t help me…I guess I’ll ask at the next establishment.”
As she started to turn away, Pete spoke up “No, wait…it’s been a slow night….and I’ve just got to hear Billy’s answer to your question…wait right there.”
Pete then stood, walked over and leaned into the saloon entry.
“Billy, he shouted… there’s a lady out here wants to ask you a question…might be worth a minute of your time.” He then turned away quickly and returned to his seat by Slim, grinning widely.
While she waited, Laura turned to her horse and removed the large carpetbag purse from behind the saddle.
It was only a moment before a large man stepped through the saloon doors and stood there looking down at her. His expression was irritated, and even from several feet away she could smell the whiskey.
“You the one wants me, he growled at her” Looking down from at least 6 inches above Laura’s brow. “What is it, I got a hot hand and a big stack of chips in here I need to get back to.
“Why, yes….yes, she said…I’ve got something for you here in my bag, it’s a gift from my father.” “You are Billy aren’t you….Billy of the black eyes? The Billy they talk about all up and down the towns around here?”
“Yeah, Black Eyes Billy…that’s me, what is it you got for me?”
“It’s in here somewhere; I’ll find it in just a minute.” She said as she searched inside her large satchel.
“My father wanted you to have it, it was his last wish. He’d have given it to you personally if you’d stayed around….but he say’s you were in a mighty hurry after you shot him and stole his cattle.”
“What the….said Billy as he stepped back…I don’t know what you’re talking about lady! I never shot nobody nor stole no cattle in my life, just ask Slim or Pete here.”
“OHhh…don’t worry about that Billy, this isn’t a court of law…I’m not here to press charges or anything….I’m just here for recompense, I just want to make you a proposition.”
At this Billy stepped forward and leaned over Laura, grimacing out the words…”Recompense…a Proposition…what proposition?”
Laura continued to reach in and move things around in her deep bag while saying. “Well Mr. Billy, since my fathers demise…I am now the owner of our ranch…and…well, I find myself in a bit of a plight. You see, I need some help running the ranch and taking care of all the cattle and the things that entails…..so….I figured….since you’re the one that left me short handed, what with shooting papa and all…maybe you might like to come back and help me get my ranch up and running again?”
At this, Black Eyes Billy coughed out a snort, “Lady, you’re nuts…get away from me!”
“Oh, it’s in here somewhere Laura whispered as she muttered…But Mr. Billy, you haven’t heard the second part of my proposal.”
“Second part…what second part, exclaimed Billy.”
“Why, just this Mr. Billy…If you won’t come back and help me run my ranch…then would you please come here and kneel in the dirt in front of me, and then apologize and ask my forgiveness for murdering my father?”
The incredulous look on Billy’s face was priceless, even Slim and Pete sat with their mouths open in disbelief at her statement.
Though, for sheer surprise it did not top their expressions in the next instant as the roar of a pistol sounded through the confines of Laura’s bag and a bullet punched through its side and into the toe of Billy’s left boot.
There was a moment of pandemonium as Billy yelled and began to hop up and down clutching his raised foot in his hands.
Slim and Pete though stunned recovered quickly and reached for the guns hanging at their sides. However, they were both surprised again at the speed with which Laura pulled the blue steel 45 from her bag and fired again.
Her first bullet tore Slims holster and gun from his side; this gave Pete just enough time to draw his weapon and start to raise it.
This was unfortunate for Pete, as her next bullet passed through the trigger guard of his gun removing the obstructing finger and forever relegating him to his new name…Two Finger Pete.
This left both Slim and Pete in a state of physical and mental shock and no longer players in the following action.
Laura next turned back to the bouncing Billy who retained just enough concentration to have noted Slim and Pete’s failure to put her down.
While still holding his injured foot with one hand he reached for his own pistol in the holster at his side.
Laura did not bother to raise her own weapon again, but simply fired it lowered from her side.
The sound of the shots had drawn the other players from the poker table inside just in time to see this bullet tear through the toe of Billy’s right boot”
At this…all thought of gunfire escaped Billy, his hand opened reflexively and his gun fell to the ground.
In fact, Billy himself remained standing only a few short moments before he too slumped kneeling to the dirt in front of Laura.
Laura leaned slightly sideways to look around the kneeling Billy to say to Slim…”I’ll take the fifty dollar gold piece now Mr. Hawkins!”
Then turning back to Billy she said, “…and now for the apology Mr. Black Eyes.”
Billy looked up at her while squirming to get in a position to remove his boots and staunch the flow of blood coming through the hole in their tips.
A look of rage came over him as he roared at her “I’ll die before I apologize to you for shooting your old man bitch!”
Laura’s expression did not change as she pulled the trigger one last time and sent the ½ ounce, slightly less than half inch wide lead pellet at 1060 feet per second between Billy’s eyes and out the back of his head into the dirt between Slim and Pete’s feet. Though she spoke softly, everyone heard Laura whisper, all right Billy, apology accepted…I forgive you.
Laura stepped over Billy’s still quivering legs to the door of the saloon and announced to the poker players standing there…”Gentlemen, I do believe I heard the recently departed Black Eyes Billy say…just before he passed on…that he would appreciate it if you would divide up his chips and continue playing without him”
There was only a momentary delay before the sound of feet could be heard shuffling quickly back into the dark of the saloon.
Laura then turned to the trembling Slim, and Pete who was wrapping his hand tightly in his kerchief.
“Now boys….I have a proposition to make to you…” she said as she pulled a second loaded pistol from her bag.
Pete was the first to hit his knees followed just a hair later by Slim and both started apologizing, and blaming the dearly departed Billy for everything they had ever done.
Laura let them drone on for a bit, then cut them off, “Yes, very good boys…and do get used to that position, in the future you will kneel each morning and before I go to bed at night and ask my forgiveness for your part in my father’s death. Now, get on your horse’s boys; we’ve a ranch to get back on its feet. You’ll work for free, sun up to sun down, you’ll work hard and you’ll never even consider leaving. Remember boys….I found you once….I can find you again, and if I have to find you again…there will be no propositions. Oh….and one other thing….In the future, you will call me “Mistress”…”Mistress Recompense”……..boys.”
