Boldly Chapter Twenty-Two

 Chapter Twenty-Two

Justice is Served

How long she knelt there at Jason's side, Lorna never knew. It seemed an eternity. The doctor assured her that his neck wasn't broken, indicating a good chance of recovery. But she didn't even begin to feel a measure of relief until he opened his eyes with a groan.

"Lorna?" he whispered in disbelief and she broke down in tears again.

"Jason… are ye alright? Please… tell me that ye're alright!"

"I'm… alright," he murmured, grinning slightly.

"Are ye sure? Ye're not just sayin' that because I told ye to? Doctor?"

The doctor smiled and nodded.

"He'll be fine. But better get his hands free."

Lorna turned to Hank and he handed her his pocketknife, silently. She noticed then that there were tears in his eyes too. With some difficulty, she cut Jason's hands free and tossed the ropes away, her eyes flashing anger.

"What happened?" Jason grimaced as he massaged his wrists. "If I'm dead... this isn't what I thought heaven would look like... even if the first thing I saw was an angel."

"An angel?" Lorna's eyes were wide. Hank laughed.

"Never heard of a red-headed angel."

"Well, now ya have. 'Cause my angel is a red-head." and he smiled at Lorna... almost wistfully.

"Och, thank God ye're all right," Lorna whispered and threw her arms around him again. "I never was so scared in all m' life."

"She saved yer life," Hank smiled. "Got here just in time to see it. Never in all my born days did I ever think it'd be possible to do a thing like that. Shot the rope clean through."

"It wasna me," Lorna murmured. "It was a miracle."

"I hate to say this," the man who had been standing silently next to Hank stepped forward now, frowning. "But you're still under suspicion of law, no matter what happened. We'll have to hold a trial before we can decide anything."

"This is the sheriff from Greenwood," Hank explained quietly. "Thought it'd be best to have some law around here, other than thet deputy."

"Th' deputy!" Lorna cried suddenly. "Where is he? There's somethin'… really wrong here. Jason…"

"I can't believe I didn't recognize him earlier," Jason answered. "Might have saved me a lot of trouble." he put his hand to his neck and winced. "Deputy Adams is a front. He's Lee Ryder… Slade's right hand man. Haven't seen him in four years… he was arrested after the Carter Bank Robbery."

"Lee Ryder!" the sheriff cried. "We've been after him ever since he escaped over a year ago. Smart move on his part t' come up here… we expected he'd go far… to California or thereabouts. An' never thought he'd join the law force. When d'ya think you'd be up to a trial?"

"Right now." Jason struggled to his feet, Lorna trying to help him. Hank moved forward quickly to support him as he wavered and nearly fell. Lorna's face was still white and she was shaking visibly but she remained fiercely determined.

A temporary court was set in the back room of the general store… improvisations were the only possibility in a small and inadequate town. Deputy Adams… or Lee Ryder… whoever he was… glared fixedly at Lorna when she entered, clutching his bandaged hand. Lorna lifted her chin and turned her face away from him, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing that she noticed his look of hatred.

"Let's have some order in this court." the sheriff took his place at the makeshift desk… being no more than a rickety old table… and rapped on it with his fist, in place of a gavel. "Would the defendant please stand opposite? Or… maybe ya'd better sit. You don't look so good. Miss, would ya please stand down with the other witnesses…"

"Leave her be," Hank interrupted, frowning at the sheriff. Lorna had refused to leave Jason's side and still clung to his arm as he took his place as defendant. The sheriff simply shrugged and turned, noticing the deputy in the far corner of the room.

"Well, I'll be hog wallered," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "It is Lee Ryder." Seeming then to remember his role as chief magistrate in the little back country court, he stated the case in simple terms to the little crowd that had pressed into the room.

"Jason McCulloch, accused of robbery and of murdering the late Sheriff Daniels of Keystone, Dakota Territories. Would the defendant please state his case?"

And Jason told all he knew in as few words as possible.

"I know I've done wrong," he added. "I'll be th' first t' admit that I did mix with an outlaw gang… I was involved in the Carter Bank Robbery and I helped to rob the transcontinental railroad. But, as God is my witness, I never took a human life. And I cut off all involvement with Slade an' his kind over four months ago. Turned myself in. Sheriff Daniels pardoned me… an' the papers should be in his office."

"Can anyone confirm the defendant's statement that the outlaw William Slade was in Keystone within the past week?"

"Aye, sir." Lorna spoke up. "I myself was confronted by Slade in a back street… the day o' th' marksmanship tourna… contest, just last week. He wanted me t' talk t' Sheriff Daniels about… Jason… an' spread rumors about him being a… a murderer. I refused."

"Well, I think that makes this case pretty clear." the sheriff smiled, satisfied. "And you, Lee Ryder, are goin' back to jail. Might even have t' bring you up to trial in one of the states. These are serious offenses. Jason McCulloch, congratulations. You're a free man."

With a cry of delight, Lorna turned to Jason and hugged him, impulsively. He smiled, rather crookedly and put his arm around her but he seemed suddenly… sad. Lorna felt vaguely that he was holding himself at a distance. But she didn't have time to wonder, for the sheriff had come over and was talking about apprehending Slade… setting out a posse… and Jason was offering to go.