John looked at it and took a whiff of the air, and his face cringed as it stunk! “Eighteen eighty-three sucks!” John said while pinching his nostrils closed and went inside the outhouse.
Clint looked down at his shirt and saw the faint stain of wine from Alicia’s house. He touched it and seemed lonely, as he really missed Alicia wishing she lived during this time.
John exited the outhouse, looking like he wanted to vomit.
Clint escorted him back to the Marshal’s office.
Clint walked John to his jail cell and returned him to his new home. He slammed the door shut, walked over, and sat at his desk.
They waited for nine o’clock to arrive.
The courthouse was a one-room courtroom. It was filled with folk from Oak Creek, and John’s trial started thirty minutes ago. John sat nervously next to Horace, a nervous, skinny attorney who graduated from law school three months ago at the bottom of his class. He moved out west because he couldn’t land a job back east.
Clint stood over against the wall near Judge Peabody’s bench.
In the room was Sally, Ernie, Rodney, Annie, Jacob, the stagecoach driver, the cowboy who rode shotgun, Jessica, Wilbur, Russell, Anthony, Greg, Henry, Jacob, Cindy, and Betty. They all testified before Judge Peabody that while John robbed them, he never fired his pistol. Rodney also testified that the money John stole was returned.
“Will Chester White, please approach the bench,” Judge Peabody yelled.
Chester got up from the front row of seats. He limped to Judge Peabody and sat in the witness chair.
Horace got up and walked over to Chester.
“Chester White. Did you see John Mathers shoot Bart Stone?” Horace asked.
“Yeah, I did. He had his pistol aimed at Elmer. He fired a shot, then Elmer was dead,” Chester said with strong conviction.
John sat there and violently shook his head in disagreement.
Horace looked at Judge Peabody. “I don’t have any further questions, your honor,” Horace said, rushed back, and sat beside John.
John looked at Horace in disbelief that he was assigned an incompetent attorney.
Judge Peabody thought for a second while deciding on a verdict. “Even after due consideration, with Mister Mathers returned all the bank monies he stole, he’s not on trial for that crime. He’s on trial for the murder of Elmer Filson. Since Chester White said he saw John Mathers aim and fire his pistol at Elmer, I know how I’m going to rule,” he said, then hesitated.
The courtroom was quiet while they waited for Judge Peabody.
“Therefore, I, Judge Wilbur Peabody, find you, John Mathers, guilty of murdering Elmer Filson. Mister Mathers will be hanged until dead in two days at eight o’clock on Sunday morning,” Judge Peabody said, then banged his gavel.
John bolted up, upset. “This is an injustice! I told you Bart Stone killed Elmer. I’m innocent!” John screamed out.
Judge Peabody got pissed and beat his desk with his gavel.
“Court dismissed! Take Mister Mathers back to his cell!” Judge Peabody yelled.
Horace stood up. “Sorry. I did my best,” he said, then rushed away.
Clint walked over and grabbed John by his arm. He stood him up, and everybody watched while he walked John away.
John fought to escape Clint’s grip. “You can’t do this!
You’ll be murdering me!” John cried out while he tried to get away. Clint removed his pistol from his holster and smacked John on the back of his head. John passed out and dropped to the floor.
Clint motioned to Rodney to assist him. Rodney rushed over and grabbed John’s boots while Clint grabbed John under his armpits.
They walked him down the aisle between the seats.
Sally, Annie, Jessica, Cindy, and Betty all wiped tears from their eyes as they liked John and didn’t want him to die.
Clint and Rodney carried John back to the Marshal’s office.
They plopped him on his bed in the jail cell. Clint closed the door and sat down at his desk.
Rodney left the Marshal’s office.
Two hours later, John woke up in his cell and looked around. He hoped this was still a bad dream. The sound of hammers and saws was heard from outside. John got curious, got off his bed and walked to the barred window. He peeked outside seeing workers construct the platform of the wooden gallows in the middle of the street out in front of the General store. He swallowed hard, knowing that this would be the spot he’d leave this world.
John sat on the bed, rubbed his neck with his hand, and swallowed hard. He removed his wallet from his pants and opened it, removed a picture of Angie, and his eyes welled up.
Clint walked over to the potbelly stove with two cups and poured coffee into them. He walked over to John’s cell. He pushed a cup of coffee through the bars.
“Coffee?”
John got up with Angie’s picture in his hand. He walked to the bars and grabbed the cup. “Thanks.”
Clint saw the picture of Angie in John’s hand. “You love her?” John looked at Angie’s picture and then at Clint with teary eyes. “Very much.”
“Then, I can’t figure out why you would ruin a lifetime of happiness with her for a date with a noose.”
John looked ashamed. “I just wanted to become a famous outlaw. I didn’t want someone to get killed,”
“Those stupid dime novels make kids think being an outlaw is glamorous,” Clint said, then took a sip of coffee.
“Maybe those writers should be hanged instead,” Clint added.
“I really didn’t kill your deputy. I swear,” John said, and his eyes welled up.
Clint looked at John, and for the first time, he wondered if John might be genuinely innocent. But the Judge’s order was final, and he could do nothing to reverse it now. “I’m sorry, son.
It’s out of my hands,” Clint said, then walked back over to his desk and sat down. “I hope we’re not killing an innocent man,”
thought Clint.
John took his coffee and walked back to his bed. He sat down and took a sip of coffee.
Then, the thud sound of the gallows trap door being tested startled John. He jumped a mile and choked on his coffee as it went down the wrong pipe.
The day agonized John, as all he heard was the sound of hammers and saws.
Night finally came, and John tried to get some sleep. He didn’t sleep, and he tossed and turned all night.
It’s Thursday morning on September 7th, 2006, and it’s a beautiful cloudless sky.
Alicia was at work, and there were no leads or sightings of Clint, Merijildo, John, Bart, Charlie, or the Devil’s Cowboys.
She sat frustrated at her desk while drinking hot green tea.
Alicia opened the “Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona”
book, turned to the page on Clint, and looked at his picture, wishing she was with him again.
The Devil’s Cowboys rode to Wally’s Western Apparel store on their Harleys. They bought cowboy hats, western shirts, and cowboy boots.
After that store, they rode their Harleys down the street.
The Devil’s Cowboys drove to Wal-Mart, where they bought beef jerky, other snacks, and blankets for sleeping in the desert. They left the store.
They rode back to Rusty’s Desert Horse Ranch and Stables as a few needed additional training.
The day dragged on, and the sky still remained cloudless.
At Alicia’s house, Angie got bored being cooped up alone watching TV. She planned to tell Alicia she would fly to Pennsylvania to be with her parents.
She made a phone call on her cell phone. “Hi, Mom,”
Angie said into her cell.
“Angie, when are you coming home?” her Mom asked from the cell.
“I’m going to try and get a flight out tonight. I’ll call you later with the flight information,” Angie replied.
“We’ll be waiting,” her Mom replied.
Angie disconnected the call, and then made another phone call.
“Alicia, it’s Angie. Listen, I’ve been thinking, and I think it would be best if I fly home to my parents in Pennsylvania tonight,” she said into her cell.
“Are you sure?” Alicia replied.
“I’ll be safe there. But I was wondering if I could use your computer to book a flight,” Angie said.
“No problem if that’s what you want to do. I’ll take you to the airport to ensure you get there safely and sound. I’ll be home in a little while,” Alicia replied.
“Thanks.” Angie disconnected her phone call and then laid her cell phone on the coffee table.
She left the living room, entered the den, and turned on the computer. In a short time, she made a reservation with Southwest for Philly with a 7:45 pm departure flight from Phoenix and arriving in Philly at 5:15 pm.
She returned to the living room, called her Mom, and passed on the flight information.
She went into the kitchen and made a cup of hot green tea.
She went back to the living room and watched TV. She grabbed the remote, and the channel surfed. She clicked on the History Channel and then took a sip of tea.
“Our next story is about outlaw John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit, who was hanged on September twenty-third in eighteen eighty-three for the murder of Oak Creek Deputy Elmer Filson,” the announcer stated.
Angie spits tea, spraying the coffee table and the Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona book.
On TV, Angie saw an old black and white photo that showed John’s lifeless body at the end of a noose. Clint looked regretful while he stood next to John’s dead body.
Angie stared in shock at the TV. Then, the gravity of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks, and she broke down and sobbed.
In the Devil’s Cowboys trailer, Bart watched the same History Channel show on TV. He danced around the living room, happy John was hung for Elmer’s death knowing he was
free and clear. Charlie joined in and danced with Bart, as so did Jesse, Billy, and Butch.
Alicia entered her home. She walked to the living room and saw Angie sobbing on the couch.
She rushed over to Angie. “What’s wrong?”
“The History Channel showed John being hanged for murder with Clint next to his body,” Angie cried out between sobs.
Alicia picked up the “Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona”
book and quickly opened it to the page for John. There was the same picture of John at the end of a noose. She got curious and flipped through the pages to Clint. It mentioned that Clint was shot and killed on March 12, 1884, when he tried to arrest Bart Stone Cha, Ray Chandler, and another unidentified outlaw during a bank robbery in Oak Creek.
She flipped through some more pages to Bart Stone. She read that Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler started to roam the southwest with six other outlaws. They were called the Devil’s Cowboys gang on September twenty-fourth, 1883, when they hit the Mountain Rock bank.
“So that’s where he went,” she said. She looked at the book again, and her eyes welled up, thinking Clint was dead.
Then her eyes widened, rushed out of the living room and entered her den.
She rushed over to her computer.
Angie rushed in, curious about what Alicia was doing.
Alicia searched for an 1883 calendar on the computer. She found one, opened the link, and looked at the 1883 calendar.
“What day was he hung?” Alicia asked Angie.
“John was hung on September twenty-third in eighteen eighty-three.”
Alicia thought for a minute while she looked at the calendar. “I guess we can try to save him,” Alicia replied.
Alicia got up and ran out of the den.
Angie followed, curious about what she was doing.
Alicia ran into the living room and opened the
“Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona” book. She looked at the page on Bart Stone.
“Looks like Bart, Charlie, and the Devil’s Cowboys will head back to eighteen-eighty-three real soon,” Alicia said. “We need to catch them like now before they head back. I think we can use them as bargaining chips to save John’s life,” Alicia said.
“How do we do that?” Angie asked.
“We need to find out where this Crazy Hole cave is located,” Alicia said.
“Wait, are you talking about us going back in time?” Angie said when it finally dawned on her.
“The only way to save John’s life,” Alicia said. “But we need Bart and Charlie,” she added.
“How will that catch them?” Angie asked.
“We bait them.”
“How?”
Alicia thought for a second. Then she remembered something. “Let’s first head to the Wild Cactus Saloon. They hang out there. I don’t believe they’re at the saloon, but I can imagine the bartender knows how to contact them,” Alicia said.
“Why do you think the bartender knows where they could be?” Angie asked.
“He’s the father of the leader of the Devil’s Cowboys,”
Alicia said with a smile.
Alicia smiled while she rushed out of the living room to her bedroom and headed to her closet. She got a case with a strap that contained a rifle with a scope and a box of bullets.
She grabbed a small recorder off the top shelf and rushed out of the bedroom and to the living room.
“Let’s go,” Alicia said.
Angie looked intimidated by the rifle case while they left her house.
Alicia placed her rifle case, box of bullets, and recorder in the trunk of her car and closed it.
They got inside her car and drove off.
Alicia and Angie drove to the Wild Cactus Saloon.
Angie went inside, and Alicia waited in her car. The only customer was that lonely old man.
Jake worked behind the bar, and he smiled when he saw Angie.
“Well, miss, how may I be of service?” Jake smiled a flirty smile. “I’m looking for the Devil’s Cowboys,” Angie replied.
Jake looked suspicious of Angie. “I’m sorry. I haven’t seen them in days and don’t know their whereabouts,” he replied.
“Okay. Then, you can pass on a message. I’m Angie, and you can tell Bart Stone that I have the loot that John stole from the Oak Creek robbery. He can meet me at the Hole in the Rock in Papago Park at two o’clock if he wants it. If he doesn’t show up, the loot is mine,” Angie said. “Did you get that?” she added.
“Yeah. I got it,” Jake replied.
Jake watched Angie leave the saloon.
Angie got in the passenger seat of Alicia’s car.
“Did he take the bait?” Alicia asked.
“I think so,” Angie said.
“Let’s go get our loot, then we’ll find out where Crazy Hole is located,” Alicia replied.
She drove her car away down the street.
Jake made a phone call on his cell phone inside the Wild Cactus Saloon.
The Devil’s Cowboys rode their horses in the desert toward the Superstition Mountains. They were two miles from Rusty’s Horse Ranch and Stables.
Bear’s cell phone rang, looked at the viewfinder, and answered the call.
“Dad,” Bear answered.
“Bear, some girl named Angie came in the saloon. She said she had the loot from Oak Creek that Bart was looking for. You can meet her at the Hole in the Rock at Papago Park at two o’clock. If you don’t show up, she’ll keep it,” Jake said from his cell phone.
“Thanks,” Bear said, then disconnected the call.
“Bart, the Mather’s girl, has your loot. If you want, we can meet her at the Hole in the Rock at Papago Park at two o’clock,”
Bear said.
Bart stopped his horse, as did Charlie. The rest of the Devil’s Cowboys stopped their horses.
“That money is mine!” Bart replied, determined. “Let’s get it. We could use it,” Bart added.
He turned his horse around and galloped back toward Rusty’s ranch. Charlie and the Devil’s Cowboys turned their horses around and galloped after Bart.
After a quick stop at a candy shop, Alicia and Angie drove to John’s apartment.
They soon entered John’s apartment after the complex manager unlocked the door. She told him it was official police business, and he believed Alicia.
Angie rushed over to John’s Dell. “He never cleans out his Internet history, so this might be easy,” she said while she turned it on. After the computer booted up, Angie opened up Yahoo and looked at the history of John’s Internet tracks. She saw something in an article on Phillip Yeoman and opened it up.
Alicia and Angie looked at the monitor and saw that old 1950s news article John had discovered. They read it.
“That sounds like Hector’s story,” Alicia said.
“We need to find out if this Phillip Yoemans still exists.
He can take us to Crazy Hole,” Alicia said.
Angie searched through John’s Internet history and found an address search for Phillip Yoemans. She clicked on it and saw his address and phone number.
Alicia opened up her cell phone. She punched Phillip’s phone number, and his phone rang.
“Hello,” Phillip answered.
“Is this Phillip Yoemans?” Alicia asked.
“Why do you ask?” Phillip replied from her cell.
“I found an article on you about time travel,” Alicia said.
Phillip immediately disconnected their call.
“He’s still in the area,” Alicia said, then tore off a piece of paper from John’s printer and wrote down Phillip’s address.
“I hope he cooperates,” Alicia said.
Alicia and Angie rushed out of John’s apartment.
They got in her car and drove off.
Alicia drove north on the Phoenix–Wickenburg highway and eventually reached Morristown.
She turned to the right onto a dirt road from the Phoenix-Wickenburg highway. She drove down the dirt road and came to Phillip’s run-down and shabby trailer with that rusty Chevy Vega still parked in the dirt by the one end of the trailer.
They got out and didn’t see Phillip peek out a trailer window.
They walked to the front door, and Alicia knocked on it.
A few minutes passed when the door creaked open, and Phillip stuck his head out.
“What do you want?” he asked, upset he was being bothered.
Alicia removed her badge and flashed it to Phillip.
“Detective Hernandez from the Phoenix Police Department. I need to talk to you about a cave called Crazy Hole,” she said.
“Leave me alone! I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said, then slammed the door shut in their faces.
“It’s a matter of saving the life of someone that we find out where Crazy Hole is located,” Angie cried out.
The door creaked open, and Phillip poked his head out. “I don’t care,” he said, then slammed the door.
Angie’s eyes welled up. Alicia looked at Angie and thought of how they could get him to talk, and then she had an idea.
“We can pay you forty dollars for information about Crazy Hole,” Alicia yelled at the door.
A few seconds passed, and then the door creaked back open. Phillip stuck his head outside with a grin. “Did you say forty dollars?” he asked.
“Yes,” Alicia replied.
“That changes things. Enter my home,” Phillip said, then opened the door.
Alicia and Angie entered his trailer.
They looked around and saw the filth inside Phillip’s trailer.
“Please sit down, Phillip said.
“Ah, we’re pressed for time. We’ll stand here,” Angie said leery of catching something.
“So, you need to know the location of Crazy Hole?” Phillip said and held out his hand for the cash they offered.
Angie opened up her purse and wallet, removing forty dollars. “It’s a matter of life and death. We know how to get there,” she added when she laid the cash on the palm of his hand.
“It’s strange how folks became suddenly interested in Crazy Hole. I had a young man here a couple of weeks ago asking about it,” Phillip said, then quickly shoved the cash into his pants pocket.
Alicia and Angie knew that it was John but didn’t say anything.
“Well, Crazy Hole is in the Superstition Mountains near Miners Needle,” Phillip said.
“Could you take us there? I’m unfamiliar with those mountains’ trails,” Alicia asked.
“Well, I don’t know. I’m super busy,” Phillip said, extending his palm for more cash.
Angie started to fake out a sob. “I don’t want John dead,”
she cried out.
Phillip glanced at her, and that name rang a bell. “Would that be John Mathers?” Phillip asked.
Phillip rushed over to his coffee table, which was full of junk. He picked up his copy of the “Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona” book.
He rushed back over to Alicia and Angie. “I bought this the other day and wondered if he returned in time. I read how he was an outlaw and wondered if he returned to two thousand and six. Then I saw on TV outlaws Bart Stone, and Charlie Chandler was after him. Did they shoot him?” Phillip said.
Alicia stepped to Phillip’s side and opened his book. She opened the page to John and showed him the picture of John at the end of a rope.
“Oh my. I looked at that page two days ago, and it stated John was never heard from again, and now it states he was hung for murder,” Phillip said, then looked sad. “I liked John. He reminded me of my father. He went through Crazy Hole and never came back,” Phillip said, wiping away a tear.
“I’ll take you there for free. But we need some horses,”
Phillip said.
“I can arrange that. Just meet us at Rusty’s Horse Ranch and Stable around three,” Alicia said.
“I’ll be there,” Phillip said, then looked curious. “How are you going to save his life?” he added.
“Hopefully, catch Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler and use them as bargaining chips,” Alicia said.
“I hope this works,” Phillip said. “Me too,” Angie said.
Phillip walked over and opened up his door.
“I’ll be at Rusty’s. I promise,” Phillip said.
Angie and Alicia smiled at Phillip while they left his trailer.
Alicia and Angie got in Alicia’s car.
She started it up and drove off out of his dirt driveway.
They drove off down the dirt road.
Then Alicia remembered something while she drove down the dirt road. “I wonder if Phillip had ancestors in this area around eighteen eighty-three?” Alicia said.
“Why?” Angie asked.
“When Clint took me into the Superstition Mountains and showed me where Oak Creek was once located, we found the tombstone of his deputy who was shot. Next to it was the tombstone of a Peter Yoemans,” Alicia said.
“He did say that his father went through Crazy Hole and never returned,” Angie said.
“I wonder if he knows?” Alicia asked.
“Probably not,” Angie replied.
She turned her car on the dirt street onto the Phoenix–
Wickenburg Highway. They drove towards Phoenix and headed to Papago Park.
It’s later that Thursday.
Alicia and Angie drove to Papago Park. They wore blue jeans and western shirts, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats they bought from a western attire store along the way.
They drove down North Galvin Parkway. They drove down a bunch of smaller streets off that street until they came to a parking lot for the Hole In the Rock. Alicia parked her car, got out, and looked at her watch. It was one forty-three in the afternoon.
Alicia walked around and opened up her trunk. She removed her rifle case, bullets, and the small recorder.
Alicia unzipped a side pocket on the rifle case and shoved the box of bullets inside.
She zipped up the case, returned to the truck, and removed two handcuffs and six tie wraps. Alicia shoved them into her back pockets. She closed the trunk.
They walked to the Hole In The Rock and climbed the rock to the hole.
Inside the hole, they waited and looked down on the roads that led to the parking lot.
Ten minutes later, they heard the faint sound of some Harleys. They looked out the hole and saw six Harleys racing down the road toward the parking lot.
“I’ll hide over at that other hole and give you some cover,”
Alicia said, then rushed over to a smaller hole to their right.
The Devil’s Cowboys raced their Harleys down the road and arrived at the parking lot. They parked their Harleys and faced the Hole In The Rock.
Bart and Charlie got off the Harleys, and Bart looked up at the Hole In The Rock.
“Come out, you sweet-looking thing!” Charlie yelled up at the rock.
Angie stepped out of the big hole so they could see her.
“Is this what you’re looking for?” she yelled at Bart and Charlie, holding up a plain paper bag.
Bart and Charlie smiled as they walked up the slope of the rock to the hole.
Angie saw the Devil’s Cowboys on their Harleys in the parking lot.
“I brought my gang along in case you cheat me,” Bart said, pointing back at the Devil’s Cowboys.
Bart and Charlie cautiously walked up the slope and then stopped. They whipped out their pistols and aimed them at Angie.
“Just lay that bag on the slope halfway between us,” Bart ordered.
Angie walked away from the hole and cautiously down the slope, stopping halfway between her and Bart. She discreetly removed Alicia’s recorder from her back pocket and pressed the record button.
“But first, there’s this matter of you admitting John didn’t kill that deputy,” Angie said while she held up the bag. “Because I don’t mind throwing these coins all over this place and having them fall into the cracks of these rocks,” she threatened.
Bart thought about her question for a few seconds. He figured he was free and clear since that happened over one hundred years ago.
“Yeah, how about that. I killed Elmer, and I saw on TV
that John got hung for it. Ain’t I smart!” Bart said with an evil smirk, then laughed a smart-ass laugh.
Angie laid the bag on the slope and rushed back to the hole. Bart and Charlie walked up to the bag. Bart opened it, reached in, and pulled out a gold coin.
Charlie saw the coin and immediately danced a dorky cowboy dance on the slope. “We’re rich! We’re rich!” he cried out while he danced.
Bart studied the coin, and something about it struck him as odd. He bit into the coin, and it broke off, and he saw chocolate between shiny gold papers. Bart was furious!
Charlie saw the coin and stopped his dancing, and he looked confused. “The gold broke?” he asked Bart.
“We’ve been swindled. They’re made of sweet chocolate,”
Bart snarled.
Bart aimed his pistol at Angie and cocked it.
Alicia aimed her rifle at Bart from the smaller hole, and she fired. Alicia’s bullet hit Bart’s pistol, and it flew out of his hand.
He grabbed his hand and thought he was shot, then looked his hand over, and it was untouched by the bullet.
Charlie aimed his pistol at Angie.
From the smaller hole, Alicia aimed her rifle at Charlie.
Alicia’s bullet hit Charlie’s pistol, and it flew out of his hand. He grabbed his hand and thought he was shot, looked his hand over, and it was untouched by the bullet.
Alicia rushed over to the more massive hole in the rock and stood by Angie’s side.
Bear revved his Harley and inched it toward the Hole In The Rock.
Alicia aimed her rifle at Bear, and she fired.
Her bullet shattered the headlight of his Harley. Bear got scared and jumped off his bike, and it fell over to the ground.
Alicia aimed her rifle at Bear. “You should leave,” she yelled at the Devil’s Cowboys.
“Screw this old western outlaw crap!” Bear said. He got his Harley upright and got on it. “We’re out of here,” Bear yelled at the other Devil’s Cowboys.
Bear raced his Harley off in the parking lot toward the road out of here. The rest of the Devil’s Cowboys followed him down the road.
Bart and Charlie turned around and watched the Devil’s Cowboys while they raced off down the road.
“Yellow bellies!” Bart yelled at them.
“Yeah, you’re a bunch of gutless yellow bellies!” Charlie yelled at them.
They turned around and saw Alicia, who inched her way down the slope with her rifle aimed at them.
“You’re under arrest, Bart, and Charlie. It’s all over,” she said. They raised their hands up in the air, admitting defeat.
With her rifle aimed, Alicia inched her way down the slope of the rock to Bart and Charlie.
“Lie on your stomachs and spread your hands and legs out,” Alicia ordered.
That was a new one for Bart and Charlie, but they obeyed since she was apparently a good shot.
Alicia handed Angie her rifle.
“If they move, shoot them in the back of their heads,”
Alicia instructed Angie.
Angie looked intimidated by the rife. If Bart and Charlie only knew that if they ran, Angie would probably drop the rifle, as she was scared to fire it.
Alicia removed some handcuffs from her back pocket. She handcuffed Bart’s hand behind his back.
Alicia handcuffed Charlie’s hands behind his back.
She removed Bart’s cartridge belt and pistol and laid them on the ground, and then removed Charlie’s pistol from his cartridge belt and set them on the ground.
“Get up!” she ordered them. Bart and Charlie stood up.
Alicia took the rife from Angie.
“Grab their pistols. Use them if you have to,” she instructed Angie.
Angie picked up Bart and Charlie’s cartridge belts.
“Down the slope,” she ordered, then pressed the barrel of her rifle into the middle of Bart’s back.
Bart and Charlie walked down the slope with Alicia and Angie behind them.
Alicia walked them to her car. She removed two tie wraps from her other pack pocket.
Angie opened up the rear door.
Alicia tie-wrapped Bart’s ankles together. She placed him in the rear seat and flicked on the childproof lock.
She walked Charlie to the other rear door, opened it, and then wrapped his ankles together. Alicia placed him in the back seat and flicked on the childproof lock.
Alicia went to her trunk and opened it, removing two blindfolds.
She walked over to Bart and Charlie, removed Bart’s cartridge belt, then removed Charlie’s cartridge belt. She dropped them in her truck.
She secured her rifle back in its case, grabbed two blindfolds from the trunk, then slammed it shut.
Alicia walked to Bart’s door, placed the blindfold around his head, and then closed his door.
Alicia walked around to Charlie’s door, placed the blindfold around his head, and then closed his door.
Alicia and Angie, with Bart and Charlie’s pistols, got inside the car. Alicia started it and drove out of the parking lot and down the road.
Bart and Charlie were quiet during the whole trip back to Rusty’s Horse Ranch and Stable. Angie had the pistols aimed at Bart and Charlie.
Alicia parked her car next to Phillip’s rusty Vega, where he waited inside.
Alicia and Angie, with Bart and Charlie’s pistols, got out of her car. Alicia looked at the stable, and then she remembered something. “Angie, I hope you know how to ride a horse,” she asked.
“Oh yeah. My uncle owned a horse farm in Pennsylvania, and I would ride when I was young,” Angie said.
“Good,” Alicia replied.
Phillip got out of his Vega with a small bag in hand. He walked over to Alicia’s car and saw Bart and Charlie sitting in the back. “Who are they?” he asked Alicia.
“Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler,” she replied.
Phillip looked at the two outlaws in the backseat. Then it
dawned on him who they were when he saw Bart’s half of a right ear. “You mean the old west outlaws Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler?” Phillip asked.
“The one and only,” Alicia replied.
Phillip looked in awe at the sight of two old western outlaws.
Alicia opened Bart’s door, reached inside, and yanked him out on his feet, and then she closed the door.
She rushed around to the other side and opened Charlie’s door. She reached inside and yanked him out, then she closed the door.
“Rusty,” Alicia yelled at the same time she opened up her trunk and removed her rifle case, small recorder, Bart, and Charlie’s cartridge belts, then slammed her trunk closed. She unzipped another side pocket on the gun case and shoved the recorder inside, then she zipped it back up.
She handed Angie Bart’s cartridge belt. “Put his pistol in the holster and wear the belt,” she said. Angie did what she said.
Alicia gave Phillip Charlie’s cartridge belt. “Give him the other pistol,” she told Angie. Angie handed Phillip the other pistol.
“Use it for protection if they try to escape,” she told Phillip.
Phillip put the cartridge belt around his waist and shoved the pistol in the holster.
After a few seconds, Rusty stepped out of his stable. He saw Alicia and everybody. “Man, it’s sure been busy around here recently,” he said while he walked over to Alicia.
“Hey Alicia,” Rusty said, then he saw handcuffed and blindfolded Bart and Charlie.
“What’s going on?” he asked Alicia.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but don’t worry. It’s nothing illegal in today’s time. We’re just taking a little trip into the Superstition Mountains,” she said.
“That’s clear as mud,” he said. He looked at Bart and Charlie again, then recognized them. “You guys were just here,”
he said. Then he realized they must have done something
illegal, and Alicia was doing the right thing. He knew Alicia and knew she could never do anything crooked.
“We need three horses,” she told him.
“I can arrange that. Follow me,” he said, then walked back to the stable.
Alicia grabbed Bart and Charlie by their arms and escorted them to the stables.
Phillip strutted like a cowboy after Alicia.
Rusty rounded up three horses with saddles.
Alicia cut the tie wraps from Bart and Charlie’s ankles.
Rusty assisted the two outlaws up on the horses. Alicia tie-wrapped Bart and Charlie’s boots to their stirrups.
“You won’t run away now,” she told Bart and Charlie. Bart and Charlie looked defeated while they sat on the saddles.
Rusty helped Alicia and Angie walk the horses out of his stable.
Rusty walked them to a gate leading out to the desert and opened it. He looked at Bart and Charlie on the horses, and something felt familiar about them. He walked up to Alicia.
“What’s really going on? You can tell me,” Rusty asked Alicia.
“We’re trying to save someone’s life, so I don’t have time to explain. I’ll fill you in when we get back,” she replied.
Rusty accepted her response, but something about this whole situation intrigued him, and as a former detective, he wanted answers. But he wouldn’t press Alicia for answers as he felt he still owed her for when they were on the force together.
She saved his life by shooting a scumbag who had Rusty in his sights with a 9mm. It was Alicia’s first kill, which didn’t make her proud.
Rusty walked back into the stable.
Alicia slung the rifle case strap around her shoulder. She got in the saddle of the horse and sat behind Bart.
Angie got in the saddle of her horse and sat behind Charlie.
Phillip got in the saddle of his horse all by himself. “Follow me,” Phillip said.
“Take us by way of Oak Creek first,” Alicia said. “I want to see where it once existed.”
They galloped their horses out of the gate and headed towards the Superstition Mountains, where the sky remained cloudless.
Rusty turned around as he heard Alicia’s comment, which made him extremely curious. He watched them ride off through the gate and headed to the Superstition Mountains.
He rushed off to his ranch house.
Rusty rushed to his den inside his house, where he had a bookcase on Western history. He searched the books and found his copy of the “Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona” book. He removed it, opened it up, flipped through some pages, and stopped at Bart Stone. Rusty looked at the pictures, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
“So that was Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler I saw on TV
the other day. Where is Alicia taking them?” he said while he looked at his book, and then it dawned on him. “So the legend of Crazy Hole is true,” he said. He flipped through the pages to the Lawmen section and then read about the Marshal of Mountain Rock dying in his sleep. A grand idea popped into his head. Rusty flipped through the pages and looked at the Outlaws.
He ran across the page for John Mathers, and he saw the article about John being hung.
Rusty started scheming and decided to fulfill his curiosity and obsession. He placed his book back in the bookcase.
He opened a drawer and removed numerous old 1880 –
1882 coins and bills in packets. He opened them up and put the coins and bills in his pocket. He opened another drawer, removed a small flashlight, and shoved it into his back pocket.
He rushed over to his desk and opened the middle drawer, removing a final foreclosure letter on his ranch. He tore the letter into numerous pieces and let it drop to the floor.
“They can have this ranch if they want it,” Rusty said, then rushed out of his den.
Rusty ran to his bedroom, where he rushed to his closet.
He quickly dressed in some western attire and new cowboy boots.
Rusty reached up on the shelf of his closet. He removed a cartridge belt and pistol in the holster, placed the cartridge belt around his hips, and then grabbed a sleeping bag out of his closet.
He rushed out of his bedroom.
Rusty ran into his kitchen, grabbing a bag of trail mix and a box of Cheez-It with an evil smirk.
“If they want this house so bad, they might as well put some repair dollars into it,” he said, then rushed over to the sink. He plugged the drain and then turned on the water faucet.
The sink started to fill up with water.
Rusty rushed out of his kitchen, doing the same thing to all the other sinks and the bathtub.
He rushed out of his house and over to his stable and the nearest stall.
After getting a horse ready, Rusty galloped off to the gate, leaving this property.
An hour passed, and Phillip rode everybody to the ruins of Oak Creek. Alicia stopped her horse, and everybody else stopped their horses.
“Oak Creek once lived on this spot,” she told everybody.
Alicia looked at the bushes that hid the tombstones. She looked at Phillip.
“Phillip, I think there’s something in those bushes you really need to see,” she told him, pointing at them.
“Bushes? What could possibly be in there of interest?”
Phillip asked.
“Just go look,” Alicia insisted.
Phillip got out of the saddle of his horse and walked over to the bush.
“Yes, inside those bushes,” Alicia called out.
Phillip pushed his way inside the bush. He saw Elmer’s tombstone.
He looked to the left and saw another tombstone. He looked at it, and his eyes welled up when he saw his father’s tombstone. Phillip stepped out of the bushes.
He walked back to his horse and was sad yet relieved that he knew his father had died in the old west.
“Phillip, I figured you needed to know what happened to your father,” Alicia said while Phillip stood by his horse and looked back at the bushes.
“My father was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die in the old west,” Phillip said.
Charlie heard the name, and it sounded familiar. “So Bart, didn’t you shoot a Peter Yoemans in the back? I remember that day. It was after we argued at the saloon here in Oak Creek,”
Charlie said.
Bart squirmed in his saddle as he wanted to strangle Charlie’s neck. “Shut your trap,” Bart yelled out.
Phillip heard that and got pissed when he realized Bart killed his father. He rushed over to Bart’s horse. He punched Bart’s face, but he was too high up.
Alicia did nothing to stop Phillip as she felt he deserved this moment. Then Phillip gave Bart numerous kidney punches, causing Bart to double over in pain.
“Let’s get to Crazy Hole,” Phillip said while he got in the saddle of his horse.
They galloped off south in the direction of Miners Needle.
Twenty minutes later, Rusty galloped on his horse to where Oak Creek once stood. He looked around and saw the tracks for three horses.
He galloped his horse in the direction of the horse tracks.
Phillip, Alicia, and Angie rode their horses to Miners Needle.
Phillip took the lead and rode his horse to Crazy Hole.
They looked at it and saw the bush John cut in the dirt and the other bush that blocked part of the cave opening.
Phillip stopped twenty feet from it and got out of the saddle of his horse with his small bag in hand.
Alicia and Angie got out of the saddles of their horses.
Phillip opened up his bag and removed two pieces of cloth.
“You’ll need to cover your horse’s eyes, or they’ll freak out when you get them near the cave,” he said, then handed Alicia and Angie each a cloth.
Alicia and Angie covered the eyes of their horses with those clothes.
Phillip removed a small flashlight from his bag and handed it to Alicia. “You’ll also need this,” he said.
Alicia took the flashlight. “Thank you for all your help, Phillip,” she said.
“No, thank you for letting me find out what happened to my father,” he said.
“Head down the cave, and you’ll see a carving of a priest on the end of the cave wall. There’s a tunnel to the right. Say what month, day, and year you want to time travel to, and you’ll get there after entering that tunnel.” Phillip said. “The same applies when you want to return back to today.”
“Got it,” said Alicia.
One hundred feet away, Rusty hid his horse behind another huge rock. He watched while Alicia and Angie walked their horses to Crazy Hole. Then he saw Phillip get back in the saddle of his horse.
Alicia turned on the flashlight and then walked her horse to Crazy Hole.
Angie followed with her horse.
Alicia walked her horse into Crazy Hole, and Bart slammed his forehead on the top of the opening. He drooped over and passed out cold.
“Duck!” Alicia said with a smirk, as she knew he would hit his head but thought it would be a great payback.
Angie walked her horse through the opening. Charlie ducked as he heard Bart slam his head on the cave opening.
Outside Crazy Hole, Phillip galloped his horse off to the north.
Rusty watched from that other huge rock while Phillip galloped off to the north.
He got in the saddle of his horse and rode down to Crazy Hole.
Inside Crazy Hole, Alicia walked her horse using the flashlight while they walked down the cave.
She saw the priest craving and then spotted the tunnel to the right. “Here’s that tunnel,” Alicia said. “Well, Bart, you’ll be back home in no time,” she added. But Bart was still passed out cold. “We want to travel back to September twenty-second, eighteen eighty-three,” said Alicia, then motioned to Angie they should proceed.
Alicia walked her horse through the tunnel with Bart.
The blue plasma light illuminated the tunnel and stung the hell out of Alicia. The light also stung Bart, and he woke up and realized what was happening.
Angie walked her horse through the tunnel with Charlie.
The blue plasma light illuminated the tunnel and stung the hell out of Angie and Charlie.
Rusty removed his shirt and used it to cover his horse’s eyes, removing the small flashlight from his back pocket. He looked at Crazy Hole and wondered if he should pursue this adventure.
He walked his horse over and entered Crazy Hole.
The blue plasma light illuminated the inside of Crazy Hole while Alicia walked her horse out. Bart kept his head low and had a huge goose egg on his forehead. He cautiously raised his head when he sensed he was outside by the sounds.
Alicia looked around, and the area looked a little different.
The bush that partially covered the cave opening was gone.
There were large, puffy clouds in the sky. It’s Saturday, September 22nd, 1883.
The blue plasma light illuminated the inside of Crazy Hole while Angie walked her horse out.
“That blue light stung like hell,” Angie said, then looked around the area. “Did we go back in time?” she added.
“I believe we did. That bush is gone from the cave.
opening, and the sky has more clouds,” Alicia said.
Angie looked around. “I think we did,” she agreed.
“Let’s get these off to jail,” Alicia ordered.
Alicia and Angie returned to their horses, sitting behind Bart and Charlie.
They rode off north towards Oak Creek.
Ten minutes later, blue plasma light illuminated the inside of Crazy Hole. At the same time, Rusty walked his horse out in a rush as that blue plasma light also stung the hell out of him.
He looked around and saw the bush missing from the opening of Crazy Hole and the large puffy clouds in the sky. “I went back in time!” Rusty yelled and did a victory dance in the dirt. He got in the saddle of his horse, galloped off to the south, and headed east toward Mountain Rock.
Alicia and Angie rode their horses through the desert with Bart and Charlie.
After riding for an hour, they stopped when Oak Creek was in view about one hundred feet away.
“I don’t believe it. It’s Oak Creek. It’s hard to imagine this place eventually vanished in the desert,” Alicia said.
“I still can’t believe I went back in time to the old west,”
Angie said.
“Let’s take these two to the Marshal,” Alicia smiled.
They rode their horses, with Bart and Charlie, into Oak Creek.
Alicia and Angie rode their horses down the main street of Oak Creek.
Sally, Ernie, Annie, Jacob, and some of the town folk of Oak Creek watched while Alicia and Angie rode their horses down the street with Bart and Charlie.
“Who are they?” Jacob asked Annie.
“Never seen those ladies before,” Annie replied. Rodney walked down the street and saw Alicia, Bart, Angie, and Charlie.
Rodney stopped by the town folk, who stopped and gawked, and then Rodney’s eyes widened with joy when he saw half of Bart’s right ear missing. “Those must be Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler.”
“How do you know?” asked Jacob.
“The one guy has half of his right ear sliced off,” said Rodney.
Everybody nodded in agreement as they knew about Bart’s right ear.
“I don’t believe it. They got arrested by two women,”
Rodney said, and everybody chuckled.
Chester limped to everybody while looking at Alicia, Bart, Angie, and Charlie. “Who are the new folk?” Chester asked.
“Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler got arrested by two women,” Rodney said happily. The bank robbers finally got caught.
“But they’re bald,” Winston added.
“The one guy has half of his right ear missing,” said Rodney.
Chester looked and nodded in agreement. “Yep, that’s Bart.”
“Probably a disguise so they won’t get arrested,” Jacob said.
“Looks like it didn’t work,” Sally said. “I never heard of women, Marshal. They must be good,” Sally added, looking proud of a woman doing a man’s job.
They watched while Alicia, Bart, Angie, and Charlie rode to the Marshal’s office.
Winston’s eyes lit up with an idea, and he ran toward the train station. With smoke billowing out of its stack, the Southern Pacific train was rolling down the track and heading into Oak Creek.
Alicia and Angie stopped their horses at the Marshal’s office. They got out of the saddles of their horses and tied the reins to the hitching post.
Alicia looked up at Bart. “You’re home,” she said, then removed a small penknife from her pocket. She cut the tie wraps from the stirrups, then reached up and tugged hard on Bart’s arm. He fell off the horse and smacked into the ground with a thud.
“Ahhhh!” he cried out in pain.
“Oops!” Alicia said while she pretended it was an accident.
Angie chuckled at the sight while Alicia walked over and cut the tie wraps on Charlie’s stirrups. She reached up and tugged on Charlie’s arm. He fell off the horse and smacked into the ground with a thud.
“Ahhhh!” he cried out in pain.
“Oops! I did it again. Clumsy me,” Alicia joked.
Angie chuckled again.
They grabbed Bart and Charlie by their boots and dragged them up the stairs with a thump, thump, thump while Bart and Charlie’s heads banged on the steps.
All the town folk witnessing this event chuckled.
Clint sat inside the Marshal’s office with his boots on the desk. He was thinking deeply about Alicia while he sipped his coffee.
John lay on his back in his jail cell bed in deep thought about his life being over in the morning.
The door creaked open, and Alicia dragged Bart inside by his boots while the back of his head scraped along the wooden floor.
Angie followed and dragged Charlie inside by his boots while the back of his head scraped along the wooden floor.
Clint saw Alicia while she removed her gun case from her shoulder and placed it against the wall.
“Ma-am,” he said, then sat straight up in the presence of a lady. Then he looked at the ladies again and realized Alicia was inside his office.
He jumped up on his feet, excited to see Alicia. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought you two presents. Bart and Charlie alive and in the flesh,” she replied.
He saw Bart and Charlie but didn’t recognize them.
John heard all the commotion from his jail cell and jumped off his bed. He ran over and pressed his face between two cell door bars. “Angie!” he cried out.
Angie ignored John.
Clint walked over to the outlaws and looked Charlie over.
He looked Bart over and noticed his half-right ear, then saw the bump on his forehead. “I don’t believe it. You caught them.
How did you do it?” he asked, proud of Alicia.
“Oh, I just tricked them into thinking we had the loot they wanted,” she said, then removed their blindfolds.
Bart and Charlie looked around, then frowned when they realized they were in the Marshal’s office.
“Bart confessed to killing Elmer,” Alicia said.
“No, I didn’t. She’s fibbing,” Bart cried out in protest and tried to stand up. Alicia pushed him back down on his butt.
She removed the small recorder from her pocket, turned it on, and played it for Clint.
“Yeah, how about that. I killed Elmer, and I saw on TV
that John got hung fer it. Ain’t I smart!” Bart said with an evil smirk, then laughed a smart-ass laugh from the recorder.
Bart looked shocked at the small recorder playing his exact voice and words.
Charlie looked shocked and then got scared, as he suddenly didn’t want to be associated with Bart any longer. This life of crime was no longer glamorous, as he could feel the rope tightening around his neck, choking off his air supply.
“You killed Elmer, and then you let John take the rap. You coward!” Angie yelled out, then slapped Bart upside his head and knocked him on his side.
Clint grabbed Charlie’s collar and pulled him up on his feet.
He walked him over to the cell next to John’s, looked at the handcuffs and couldn’t figure out how to release them.
Alicia rushed over and removed a key from the pocket of her pants.
He unlocked and removed Charlie’s handcuffs.
Clint threw him inside the empty cell and then slammed the door shut.
Clint walked over and pulled Bart up on his feet.
He walked him over to the other empty jail cell.
Alicia unlocked his handcuffs and removed them.
Clint threw him into the cell and slammed the door shut.
“I’ll be having a word with Judge Peabody, and I’ll make sure you both have your trial real soon,” Clint told them.
“Marshal, may I have a word with you?” Charlie asked politely.
Clint walked over to Charlie’s cell, where he waited at the bars.
“If I testify that Bart killed Elmer, will Judge Peabody let me go? Cause that’s what really happened. Bart shot and killed Elmer. I didn’t,” Charlie said in a sincere voice. “The Kissing Bandit didn’t shoot Elmer.”
“I’ll tell Judge Peabody what you said,” Clint said.
“You bastard!” Bart yelled out while he shook the bars, pissed. “I’ll kill you, Charlie!” Bart yelled out furious and poked his arms through the bars of his cell door in a stupid attempt to strangle Charlie.
Charlie sat down on his cell bed, as he didn’t care. Bart couldn’t harm him, and he didn’t want to see the end of the noose because of Bart.
Angie walked up to Clint. “Since we brought back the real killer of your deputy, can you let John go free?” Angie said.
Clint looked at Bart, Charlie, and then John, who stood at his bars and silently prayed he would be freed.
“I’m sorry. I can’t go against what Judge Peabody ruled.
He’ll throw a fit,” Clint said. “Then I’ll be hanged.”
“But you can tell him you have the real killers in jail. John’s trial was a mistake,” Angie pleaded.
“Sorry, but Judge Peabody will never admit he found an innocent man guilty. His ego won’t allow that,” Clint said, but he wanted to free John. “I can’t do anything for him now .”
Angie looked like she wanted to break down and sob. “I don’t understand, Bart already confessed,” she said.
“Angie, they’re going to kill me in the morning,” John cried out from his cell.
“They’re going to kill me in the morning,” Bart imitated John in a whiny tone. “Take your noose like a man,” Bart demanded, then sat on his bed.
“I know John. I saw your lifeless body swinging at the end of a noose on the History Channel,” Angie told John while she walked up to his cell.
John rubbed his neck and swallowed hard. “I wanted to be famous, not dead,” John said, his eyes welled up.
Angie stuck her hand between the bars of his cell door.
She rubbed John’s cheek. Then she grabbed the back of his head and smacked his forehead into the bars.
“Ahhhh! Why did you do that?” John said, then rubbed his sore forehead.
“Because you’re a moron for having that obsession with old western outlaws,” Angie scolded.
Angie walked over to Clint and Alicia.
“There has to be some way we can get him out of here,”
Angie pleaded.
Clint looked at Alicia and Angie. “You’re a law woman; you know how things work,” he told Alicia.
Alicia thought for a second. Then, her eyes lit up with an idea. It was a rough idea, but she thought it could work. “I
know how we can have a win-win situation,” Alicia said, feeling confident this idea would work.
“Let’s talk about my plan over dinner. I’m starving from that ride,” she told Clint and Alicia.
John, Charlie, and Bart watched while Clint escorted Alicia and Angie out of the office.
“You’re dead, Mathers,” Bart said with a smart-ass laugh.
John sat down on his cell bed and was worried sick. Charlie sat down on his bed and was worried sick.
Bart lay on his bed and whistled Camptown Ladies as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Or at least he pretended.
Outside the Marshal’s office, Clint saw old man Bucky.
Younger while he walked down the street.
“Bucky,” Clint called out.
Bucky turned around. “Yes, Marshal,” he responded.
“Watch the place for me. I have three outlaws in the cells.
I’ll be back after dinner,” Clint asked.
“It’ll be my pleasure,” Bucky smiled.
“Thanks, Bucky. Coffee is piping hot on the stove and makes sure we don’t have any gawkers wanting to use my office as a sightseeing place,” Clint said, then escorted Alicia and Angie down the street.
They headed toward the restaurant.
Bucky entered the Marshal’s office and saw John, Bart, and Charlie in jail.
He walked over to Clint’s desk, grabbed a coffee cup, proceeded to the stove, and poured a cup. He walked over, sat at Elmer’s old desk, and sipped his coffee. All of a sudden, he got a dull pain in the middle of his chest. The pain went away, and Bucky ignored it, sipping his coffee.
John, Bart, and Charlie glanced at Bucky.
Meanwhile, out in the desert, Rusty got lost. He finally rode upon a town and saw it was Mountain Rock.
He rode his horse down the main dirt street, then over to the Sheriff ’s office and saw the “Funeral For Marshal Paulson To Be Held On Saturday” notice on the door.
Rusty saw the Mountain Rock Saloon down the street. He rode off down the street, stopped at the saloon, got out of the saddle of his horse, and tied the reins to the hitching post.
Inside the saloon, four saloon girls were standing by the piano player. Four cowboys played poker at a table. Jimmy Templeton sat at the bar. Jimmy was easy to pick out because he always wore four rings on the fingers of his right hand. He believed it helped his aim when firing his pistol. Jimmy drank shots of whiskey from a bottle at the bar. Another cowboy drank shots of whiskey at the other end of the bar.
The bartender cleaned glasses with a rag that didn’t look clean.
Rusty walked up to the bar four feet from Jimmy.
“Whiskey,” he told the bartender.
The bartender laid a bottle of whiskey on the bar with a shot glass. Rusty gave the bartender a silver dollar. “Bartender, who can I talk to about being a town marshal of this lovely town?” Rusty asked.
“Judge Wilbur Peabody over in Oak Creek,” the bartender responded.
Jimmy heard the “Town Marshal” word and moved five feet further down the bar.
Rusty noticed and immediately got suspicious of Jimmy.
Rusty drank his whiskey and kept an eye on Jimmy as his gut told him this cowboy would be up to no good sooner or later. Then Rusty spotted the four rings on Jimmy’s right hand.
“Jimmy Templeton!” he cried in his head, and his old detective gut had him feeling that this outlaw was up to no good. He decided he would keep an eye on him.
Winston sent a message through the telegraph at the Oak Creek train station.
“Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler were arrested and are in the Oak Creek jail. The Kissing Bandit will be hung tomorrow morning at eight,” the telegraph stated.
In due time, Stone Valley, Mountain Rock, Phoenix, and Rattlesnake all had the news about Bart Stone, Charlie Chandler, and John’s hanging.
Robert read the telegraph message from Oak Creek in the train station at Mountain Rock. His eyes widened at the message, and he rushed out of the train station.
In the saloon, Rusty sipped his whiskey when Robert busted inside the saloon.
Jimmy took a gulp of whiskey from his shot glass.
“I just got a telegraph that Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler were arrested and are in the Oak Creek jail,” Robert addressed everybody in the saloon.
“Isn’t the Kissing Bandit going to be hung in the morning?” the bartender asked.
“Yep. A bunch of us are going over first thing in the morning to watch,” Robert stated.
Jimmy slammed his shot glass down, jumped up, and knocked over his bar stool, furious.
Rusty watched with suspicious eyes while Jimmy stormed out of the saloon.
Rusty gulped down his shot of whiskey and then rushed out of the saloon.
Rusty stepped out of the saloon, looked around, and saw Jimmy gallop his horse down the street.
Rusty untied his horse’s reins from the hitching post. He hopped in the saddle of his horse and then galloped after Jimmy.
John lay on his bed in the Oak Creek jail, stared at the ceiling, and wondered if Angie and Alicia would get him out of this mess.
Charlie lay in his bed, stared at the ceiling, and wondered if he would be found guilty of killing Elmer and be hung.
Bart sat on his bed, then broke out in a song. “De Camptown Ladies sing this song, Doo-da, Doo-da,” Bart sang out, as he wasn’t concerned and figured he would find a way to escape.
Jimmy galloped his horse in the desert with Oak Creek off in the distance.
Rusty galloped his horse, following Jimmy at a safe distance behind.
Alicia, Angie, and Clint ate dinner at the restaurant. Their meal consisted of steak, potatoes, and corn with bread and coffee.
“How does my plan sound?” Alicia asked, then shoved a piece of steak in her mouth.
Clint sipped his coffee and thought for a second. He smiled. “I like it, and it should work,” he added.
“You won’t miss it?” Angie asked Alicia, a little concerned.
“Don’t worry, I’m a marksman,” she replied, then sipped her coffee.
Angie still felt a little concerned but figured it was worth the risk, as John would die anyway.
“Now, we shouldn’t be seen tomorrow morning,” Clint added.
Alicia and Angie nodded in agreement.
Jimmy rode his horse into Oak Creek.
Rusty followed a safe distance behind Jimmy.
Jimmy rode down some side streets, then to the rear of the Marshal’s office.
He rode his horse up to the barred windows, peeked in one of the windows, and saw John on his bed staring at the ceiling.
He moved his horse down the next window and saw Charlie asleep on his bed.
He moved his horse down the next window and saw Bart on his bed. “Bart,” Jimmy quietly called out into the window.
Bart looked out the window and then noticed Bucky sleeping at the desk. He smiled and then rushed over.
Bart’s face appeared at the bars of his cell window.
“Jimmy. I’m glad you’re out of Yuma and found me,” Bart quietly said.
“How did you get caught?” Jimmy quietly asked.
“Don’t worry about that, just get me out of here,” Bart quietly replied. “I need you to save my bacon!”
“I’ll get a rope and pull these bars away,” Jimmy quietly said. “Not now. Marshal Bartley will be back any minute. Let’s wait until they hang that Kissing Bandit scoundrel in the morning. Then we can slip away quietly without being noticed,”
Bart told Jimmy quietly.
“I’ll also bust Charlie out,” Jimmy quietly said.
“No, that yellow-belly offered to testify against me. Let the bastard stand trial for killing Elmer,” Bart quietly said.
“Okay, boss. When I see the crowd gathered at the gallows and this Kissing Bandit guy on the gallows, I’ll bust you out,”
Jimmy quietly said.
Jimmy rode his horse away from the window.
Bucky still dozed off at Elmer’s desk.
Rusty stepped out from the corner of another building as he heard Bart and Jimmy’s conservation. He got in the saddle of his horse and rode off.
He tailed Jimmy while Jimmy rode down Main Street.
Jimmy rode down Main Street of Oak Creek and headed out of town.
Rusty followed Jimmy a safe distance behind him.
Clint walked Alicia and Angie to the hotel, and they went inside.
He walked them up to the front desk, where Jacob worked.
“Marshal Bartley, do you need your room back?” Jacob asked.
“No, Jacob, I want these two beautiful ladies to have my room for the night. They just rode in from Phoenix. I’m staying at my office since I have a full house of outlaws,” Clint said. “Are you ladies here for the hanging of the Kissing Bandit?
This hotel is full of visitors from other nearby towns,” Jacob asked excitedly about the upcoming event.
“Yes, we are,” Alicia replied.
“We’re reporters for a newspaper in Dodge City,” Angie blurted out.
Clint looked surprised at her response and wondered if Jacob would buy her story.
“Female reporters. That’s a first,” Jacob said. Then he thought for a second. “I witnessed the Kissing Bandit first hand. I was in the Oak Creek National bank when he robbed it.
Then he kissed Sally,” he said. “I think she’s in love with the Kissing Bandit,” Jacob chuckled. “If you want to use me in your story, my name is Jacob Nelson,” he said.
Angie looked pissed, and Alicia noticed. She placed her arm around Angie’s shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure the Kissing Bandit did that for show. I don’t think he wanted to get romantically involved with other women,” she stated.
“I talked with the Kissing Bandit, and he told me he had a girlfriend he loves. This kissing was just a show,” Clint added to calm down Angie.
Angie felt a little better.
“Well, I better get back to the Marshal’s office,” Clint said.
“Good evening, ladies, and I’ll see you at the hanging,” Clint said and walked away.
“I’ll take you ladies to Clint’s room,” Jacob said, walking around from behind the counter.
He walked to some nearby stairs and walked up to them.
Alicia and Angie followed Jacob.
Clint walked down the street to his Marshal’s office, then went inside his office and found Bucky asleep at Elmer’s desk with his boots propped up on the desk. He looked at the jail cells, seeing John, Bart, and Charlie sound asleep.
Clint wanted to slam his fist on the desk like he would Elmer, but he didn’t want to wake up his prisoners. So he lightly shook Bucky, who woke up. Clint motioned he could leave the office.
Bucky stood up, yawned, then moped, still half asleep to the door. He left the Marshal’s office.
Clint blew out the kerosene lanterns and walked to his bedroll near the wall. He bedded down, staring at the ceiling.
He wondered if he was doing the right thing.
John had a nightmare.
In John’s nightmare, he stood at the gallows with the noose tight around his neck. It was so tight that he had a difficult time breathing. Then, the bottom of the gallows fell out from under his feet. He dropped, and the noose got instantly tighter. While he dangled, he spotted Angie in the cheering crowd. Angie was clapping.
John woke up in a cold sweat from his nightmare and gasped for air. He shot up and looked around and realized he was still in an old western jail cell.
John lay down, stared at the ceiling, and was too scared to sleep. He figured he would take a dirt nap before too long, so he might as well enjoy what little time he has on this Earth.
Clint was on his back on the Marshal’s office floor, and he couldn’t sleep and just stared at the ceiling.
Angie and Alicia shared Clint’s small bed. Two guys would never do that in a million years, but the ladies didn’t see a problem with sleeping together.
Alicia was sound asleep.
Angie stared at the ceiling, and all she could think about was if John would die in the morning.
Off in the desert not too far from Oak Creek, Jimmy made camp. He had a small fire and ate an Armadillo he cooked.
Nearby, at a safe distance, Rusty camped in the desert without a campfire and kept an eye on Jimmy. He ate the snacks he brought with him from 2006 and figured if he caught Jimmy in the act of breaking Bart out of jail, he would get the Marshal’s job at Mountain Rock.
The sun rose to start a beautiful cloudless Sunday in 1883
Oak Creek. But it wouldn’t be so appealing for one individual.
It’s Sunday, September 23rd, 1883, and a day that will go down in history.
Jimmy woke up when the sun lit up his face from sleeping in the desert. He got up, rolled his bedroll, and secured it to his saddle.
Rusty had already woken up thirty minutes earlier and had kept a watchful eye on Jimmy. He was ready to ride the minute Jimmy took off.
John was on his jail cell bed, staring at the ceiling, and stayed up all night.
Charlie sat on his bed and wondered how to escape this jail cell. He also prayed that Judge Peabody would let him go after he testified that Bart killed Elmer.
Bart was on his side in his jail cell bed with a smirk, knowing Jimmy would break him out this morning.
Clint got up and made a pot of coffee on the stove. He stepped outside to stretch, get some fresh air, and kept the door open to keep an eye on his prisoners.
Gertrude walked up to Clint with a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. “Good morning, Marshal, I made breakfast for. .”
she said.
“Now, now, Gertrude, I have two other prisoners. You shouldn’t play favorites,” he interrupted her.
Gertrude felt embarrassed by his comment. “Yes, Marshal, I’ll make two more plates,” she replied, then looked at him.
“Oh, I mean, three more plates,” she added, then handed Clint the plate.
Gertrude rushed out of the office.
Clint started eating the scrambled eggs.
Over at the Oak Creek Prickly Cactus Saloon, Jimmy drank shots of whiskey.
Rusty sat at a table at the other end of the saloon, keeping an eye on Jimmy.
Jimmy didn’t know that Rusty followed him, nor did he recognize him from Mountain Rock.
Alicia and Angie woke up realizing they didn’t have the modern bathroom conveniences they grew up with. But they both figured this would be temporary and said it was like camping in the woods. Of course, the wooden outhouse was smelly, to say the least.
They also realized they didn’t have 1880s money for breakfast, so they just wandered the streets of Oak Creek on a sightseeing tour.
Gertrude returned to the Marshal’s office and brought each John, Charlie, and Bart a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.
Clint gave them each a cup of coffee, then walked back, sat at his desk, and sipped his coffee.
Gertrude discreetly eyed Clint with adoring eyes but realized she could never have him. It saddened her. “I better go, Marshal,” she said, heading to the door.
Clint didn’t say anything and just sipped his coffee while Gertrude left.
“So, Kissing Bandit, I reckon this is your last meal,” Bart teased through his bars and then chuckled a smart-ass chuckle.
“Shut up, Bart,” Clint barked.
Bart continued laughing while he finished his breakfast.
“And you, Charlie. I didn’t figure you for a coward. Telling the Marshal, you’ll squeal on me. I just didn’t figure you for a yellow-belly coward,” Bart scolded, furious with Charlie.
Charlie looked troubled while he finished his breakfast. “I didn’t want to kill anybody. I just wanted to rob and get rich. I don’t want to see the end of a noose, Marshal Bartley,” Charlie pleaded. “Remember that other strange feller we saw at Oak Creek three years ago. Peter Yoemans. You also killed him, Bart. You shot him in the back,” Charlie reminded Bart.
Bart got pissed and threw his plate up against his cell wall.
It broke into four pieces and dropped to the floor.
Bart rushed to his cell bars and squeezed his face between two bars. “Shut up, Charlie!” Bart screamed through his cell bars. “Shut up!”
John jumped up and rushed over to his cell bars. “Did you say Peter Yoemans?” John asked Charlie through his bars.
“Yep. Bart shot him in the back while he took a piss in the mountains while he rode to Oak Creek. We followed the man after he left the Prickly Cactus saloon. I bet you didn’t know that, did you, Marshal?” Charlie said.
“No, I didn’t,” Clint replied. “Well, Bart, I guess I’ll have to let Judge Peabody know about that killing.”
“Bart stole the supplies he just bought at Mountain Rock,”
Charlie added.
“Shut up!” Bart yelled out through his cell bars. “I’ll kill you if I get out of this cell,” Bart threatened while he grabbed the cell bars and furiously shook them in an attempt to break out. Clint gulped down his coffee and rushed over to Bart’s cell.
He whipped out his pistol and rapped Bart’s knuckles with the butt of his pistol handle. “Sit down and keep your trap shut,”
Clint yelled at Bart.
Bart sat down and rubbed his sore knuckles, pissed with Clint and Charlie.
Clint walked over, grabbed Alicia’s rifle case, walked to the office’s rear, opened the back door, and stepped outside of the office.
Clint looked around the rear of his office, and nobody was in sight. He quickly shoved Alicia’s rifle case under the crawl space of his office.
He went back to his office.
The town folk of Oak Creek came out of their homes and businesses.
They walked down the streets to where the gallows were located.
Alicia and Angie walked their horses from the Marshal’s Office and tied them to the hotel hitching post.
“As soon as you hear the gunfire, ride to the gallows. I should be right behind you in a few minutes,” Alicia told her.
The saloon had Rusty, Jimmy, and Kurt inside with the bartender.
From behind the bar, the bartender saw all the town folk while they walked past the saloon to the gallows.
“The Prickly Cactus is closed for the hanging,” the bartender said.
The bartender walked out from behind the bar and watched while Kurt, Jimmy, and Rusty walked out of his saloon and headed down the street to the gallows.
Jimmy walked over to the hitching post, untied his horse, got in the saddle of his horse and rode in the opposite direction of the crowd.
Jimmy rode deeper into town.
Rusty kept an eye on Jimmy while he rode deeper into town.
Alicia rushed over behind the Marshal’s office.
She saw her rifle case in the crawl space of the office, rushed over, and pulled it out.
She opened the case, removed her rifle, unzipped a side pocket, and removed the box of bullets. After removing three bullets and loading them into her rifle, she shoved the box back in the case and slid it into the crawl space.
Alicia rushed over to the rear of the hotel and dragged a wooden box over to the Marshal’s office. She slung the rifle strap over her shoulder, got on top of the box, and climbed onto the roof of the Marshal’s office.
She scampered over to the roof ’s peak, looked around Oak Creek, and saw the gallows with a perfect line of sight. Alicia crouched down and waited.
Clint walked over to John’s jail cell inside the Marshal’s office. He removed a key from his pants pocket.
“It’s time, John,” Clint said.
John stood up in his jail cell. He trembled with fear while Clint walked inside and grabbed him by his arm.
Clint walked John out of the cell.
“Bye, John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit,” Bart chuckled from his cell bars. “Nice riding with you, you thief!”
Clint dropped the key on his desk and walked John out of the Marshal’s office.
The streets of Oak Creek were packed with gawkers while Clint walked John to the gallows.
Jimmy rode his horse down the back alley to the Marshal’s Office.
Rusty ran down one of the side streets. He stopped, peeking around a building and seeing Jimmy ride his horse toward the Marshal’s office down the back alley.
Rusty discreetly followed him.
Angie waited on the hotel’s porch while people from other towns poured out and rushed down the street to the gallows.
The whole town of Oak Creek, plus visitors from the other local towns, filled up the main street. There had to be around one hundred people waiting to see John hang.
Sally, Annie, Jessica, Cindy, and Betty stood in the front row, looking sad. All the men looked anxious that an outlaw would get his just reward; a noose. But not all of the town folk were here as Gertrude headed off to the train station with her packed bag in hand.
One man standing in the crowd was Zeke Cooper.
Jimmy waited on his horse by the rear of the hotel, ready to spring into action.
Rusty hid behind the side of the building next to the hotel and watched Jimmy.
Alicia watched on the Marshal’s office roof while Clint walked John up the gallows steps.
He walked John over and stopped him behind the noose.
John swallowed hard when he saw the noose.
Clint loosely tied John’s hands behind his back.
John felt like he was going to piss his pants, as he was so scared.
Bucky walked up the gallows stairs and walked over to stand beside John. Bucky touched his chest for a second as a
dull pain was again felt. After a second, the pain went away, and he felt better. He shrugged it off.
Mayor Robby Mason walked up the gallows stairs, approached a lever, and waited.
Clint glanced around the crowd at his office. He got a smirk when he saw Alicia peek over the roof.
He spotted Harvey Robbins across the street in front of his Cabinetmaker and Undertaker Shop, standing by his horse and wagon. Harvey was ready to do his additional job as the town undertaker. Leaning up against his shop wall was a freshly made wooden coffin.
Clint knew that the coffin was reserved for John.
Mayor Mason looked at the anxious crowd while he removed a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. He looked at the paper.
“By order of Judge Wilbur Peabody and the Court of Oak Creek. The town of Oak Creek hereby hang John Mathers for the murder of Elmer Filson, the deputy of Oak Creek,” Mayor Mason addressed the crowd. At the same time, he read the piece of paper.
John glanced at the town folk waiting for his demise.
Bucky walked over and moved John in front of the noose and on top of the trapped door. He placed the noose around John’s neck and tightened it. John’s face turned pale, and his body shook. “Please don’t pee in my pants. Please don’t pee in my pants,” he silently prayed.
Bucky walked over to a lever and then looked at John.
John nodded. Bucky moved the lever, and the trapped door under John’s boots opened. The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the town; the second John’s body dropped through the hole and dangled. He couldn’t breathe as the noose started to cut off his air supply. The sound of more gunfire echoed throughout the town.
The rope to John’s noose snapped, and he dropped the rest of the way through the hole and slammed into the dirt.
Everybody in front of the gallows squatted down for safety from more potential bullets.
“Everybody, stay put!” Clint yelled while he whipped out his pistol and scanned the area for the shooter.
Angie got in the saddle of her horse at the hotel. She galloped her horse off to the gallows.
Jimmy had tied the rope to the bars of the small jail window of Bart’s cell just before Alicia started shooting. He was about to gallop his horse off to bust out the window when Alicia’s rifle dropped out of the sky and landed near his horse.
He glanced up and saw Alicia climbing off the roof.
Bart looked out his cell window and saw Alicia on the ground. “Shoot her!” Bart ordered.
Alicia stood up and saw Jimmy on his horse with the rope tied to the bars of Bart’s cell window.
Jimmy whipped out his pistol and aimed it at Alicia. “Why should I kill her, Bart?” Jimmy wondered.
“Because she tricked and arrested me,” Bart shouted from his cell window.
Jimmy aimed a pistol at Alicia.
At the gallows, everybody stayed squatted in the dirt and looked scared.
Angie galloped her horse through the crowd. They scattered when they realized she wasn’t going to stop.
Angie stopped her horse by the gallows, and he turned around, and Alicia wasn’t in sight.
Clint and the crowd all looked at Angie on her horse.
The crowd looked at Clint and expected him to react. He looked back at the Marshal’s office and was concerned something happened to Alicia. He looked back at Angie. “Don’t move an inch,” Clint said, then aimed his pistol at Angie.
Behind the Marshal’s office, Jimmy got a smirk on his face.
“Goodbye, pretty woman,” Jimmy said while he cocked his pistol, and was ready to end Alicia’s life.
Someone fired a bullet that struck Jimmy in the tricep of his shooting arm.
Alicia turned around and saw Rusty while he placed his pistol back in his holster. “I owed you one, Alicia,” Rusty said while he walked over to Alicia.
“You followed us?” she told him, shocked to see him in 1883.
“Yeah, I’m going to lose my ranch to the bank, so I figured I’d come here and maybe become a Marshal,” Rusty replied.
Alicia realized she wasted too much time. “I need to go,”
she said and rushed to him. She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, then rushed over and grabbed her rifle.
She ran off to the front of the hotel, where she quickly untied her horse and got in her horse’s saddle.
Alicia galloped her horse off to the gallows.
At the gallows, Clint had his pistol aimed at Angie. John stayed cowered under the gallows.
The crowd hugged the dirt for protection.
Alicia galloped her horse to the gallows with her rifle in one hand.
Clint still aimed his pistol at Angie.
Alicia stopped her horse, aimed her rifle at Clint, and then she fired her rifle.
Alicia’s bullet hit Clint’s pistol, and it flew out of his hand.
Clint grabbed his hand and appeared to be in pain.
The crowd hugged closer to the dirt.
John crawled out from under the gallows.
Alicia pointed her rifle at the crowd.
“Don’t anybody move!” Alicia yelled at them.
The crowd stayed down in the dirt, scared to death.
Angie walked her horse next to the gallows.
John loosened the noose, then removed it and rubbed the red ring around his neck.
“Hop on, John,” Angie cried out.
John saw Angie on the horse. She extended her hand and assisted John to the back of her saddle.
Angie galloped away with John.
Alicia galloped her horse after Angie and John.
The crowd stood up and watched while Alicia, Angie, and John rode galloped and was soon out of Oak Creek.
The crowd stood up and looked at Clint in anticipation of his reaction.
Clint glanced over at Mayor Mason. “Bart Stone and Charlie Chandler are sitting in the jail. Tell Judge Peabody that Charlie Chandler will testify that Bart killed Elmer and not the Kissing Bandit,” Clint told Mayor Mason. “And Bart also killed a man named Peter Yoemans buried here in Oak Creek.”
Clint jumped off the gallows and ran to a nearby hitching post, where he staged his horse late last night.
He galloped his horse after Alicia, Angie, and John.
“Marshal Bartley will get ’em,” Mayor Mason said to the crowd.
All the men in the crowd nodded in agreement. All the women in the crowd looked happy that John was still alive.
They all got up off the dirt.
Some walked away back to their usual routines.
Some stayed and watched Clint ride off on his horse into the desert.
Behind the Marshal’s office, Rusty picked up Jimmy by his uninjured arm. He saw a bloody hole in the tricep of Jimmy’s right arm. “You’ll live,” he told Jimmy while he escorted him away. Bart looked out his cell window and was pissed his escape attempt failed.
Rusty walked Jimmy to the front of the Marshal’s office.
He saw the town folk while they walked back to their homes and businesses. One of those town folk was Zeke.
“Where’s Marshal Bartley? I have outlaw Jimmy Templeton in my custody. I caught him trying to break Bart Stone out of your jail,” Rusty addressed Mayor Mason, who walked up to him.
Zeke stopped when he heard Rusty.
“Marshal Bartley rode off after the Kissing Bandit and two women. They both helped the Kissing Bandit escape from his hanging,” Mayor Mason said. “And whom might you be?”
“I’m Rusty Moore. Whom can I talk to about being Town Marshal of Mountain Rock?” said Rusty.
“Judge Peabody should be back later today,” said Mayor Mason.
“You’ll be the acting Marshal until Clint gets back, Bucky,”
said Mayor Mason, then he saw the bloody hole in the tricep of Jimmy’s shooting arm. “I’ll have the doc come right over,” said Mayor Mason, then rushed down the street.
Zeke walked away disappointed.
Rusty opened the Marshal’s office door and escorted Jimmy inside, who was in pain. Bucky followed. The door closed.
Once inside the Marshal’s Office, Rusty saw Bart and Charlie relaxing on the bunks in their jail cells.
Bart saw Rusty and recognized him, and got pissed.
Rusty saw the key on Clint’s desk. He escorted Jimmy over to the desk and grabbed the key.
Rusty escorted Jimmy to John’s empty jail cell. He pushed Jimmy inside, slammed the door shut, locked it, and shoved the key into his pocket.
Rusty looked around the office and couldn’t wait to become Marshal of an old western town.
Rusty and Bucky sat at their desks and watched over their prisoners.
At the Oak Creek train station, Gertrude Perkins had a small bag in her lap while she sat on a bench. She was saddened while she waited for the train to take her to Phoenix, realizing Clint would never marry. Hopefully, she’ll have better luck in Phoenix.
The train pulled into the Oak Creek station. It stopped at the platform. Nobody got off the train. Gertrude and a few other folks boarded the passenger car.
Later that evening, Judge Peabody came back to Oak Creek. Mayor Mason had a chat with him and told him about Rusty.
Because of his capture of Jimmy, Judge Peabody offered Rusty Moore the Town Marshal of Mountain Rock job the next day. He was in heaven.
Rusty rode out of Oak Creek in the early evening sporting a Town Marshal’s badge. He rode into the desert, heading south to Mountain Rock to start his new career.
Later that night, Bucky had a heart attack in his sleep while sitting at Elmer’s desk. He fell out of his chair and was found dead on his back on the floor of the Marshal’s office. Oak Creek was now void of a Town Marshal.
It’s back to Wednesday, September 6th, 2006.
Crazy Hole looked quiet and peaceful. Then, the blue plasma light illuminated the inside of the cave.
Alicia walked out with her horse. She removed the cloth from the horse’s eyes, got in the saddle, and waited.
Blue plasma light illuminated the inside of Crazy Hole.
Angie and John walked out with their horses.
John removed the cloth from the horse’s eyes.
Angie got in the saddle of her horse and looked down at John. John reached inside his shirt and broke off his bullet necklace, and he threw it in the desert.
“It’s about time,” she said proudly that he took the first step. John smiled while he got in her horse’s saddle and sat behind her.
The blue plasma light illuminated Crazy Hole while Clint walked his horse out, and he saw Alicia and smiled. He removed his Marshal’s badge and shoved it in his shirt pocket.
He removed the cloth from the horse’s eyes and got in his horse’s saddle.
They all rode their hoses away into the desert.
They rode their horses back to Rusty’s Desert Horse Ranch and Stable. During the ride, Alicia informed them that she saw Rusty again in Oak Creek. He was going to stay there and become a Town Marshal.
They placed their horses in some stalls when they reached Rusty’s place.
They walked out of the stable to Alicia’s car.
They got inside, and Alicia drove everybody away.
During the drive, they talked about how they should handle Crazy Hole to prevent other people from entering. They had a plan.
Later that day, Clint, Alicia, Angie, and John rode up to Crazy Hole on horses from Rusty’s.
Off in the distance, about one hundred feet away on a horse, was sixty-three-year-old Roger Willoughby. He decided that today, he finally dared to enter Crazy Hole to see if the legend was true. But the sight of four people riding up to Crazy Hole on horses stopped him. He stopped by a large bush, got out of his horse’s saddle, and grabbed his binoculars off his saddlebag.
Roger peeked around the bush, and through his binoculars, he noticed that the two men had large leather bags tied to their saddlebags, and the two women each had a shovel tied to their saddlebags. “Must be going in there to dig for buried treasure,”
he said, and the more he thought about it, the more he figured that that was what they had planned.
Clint, John, Alicia, and Angie stopped their horses fifteen feet from Crazy Hole, and they all got out of the saddles of their horses.
Angie held the reins of all the horses while Alicia removed the shovels and walked them over to the entrance of Crazy Hole.
“Yep, going to dig up some buried treasure,” said Roger, peeking out from behind that bush and still looking through his binoculars. “But why by the entrance to the cave? That’s strange.”
Alicia dropped the shovel by the Crazy Hole entrance.
Clint and John carefully removed the leather bags from their saddlebags. They walked the bags over to the entrance to Crazy Hole.
They each carefully opened up the leather bags and dumped out the contents. Each bag held two two-gallon pots of Cereus Peruvian column cactus they purchased at a nursery in Phoenix.
From behind that bush, Roger watched through his binoculars. At the same time, Clint and John started cutting away the other bush by the right side of the cave opening.
After that bush was cut away, they started digging four holes at the entrance to Crazy Hole to the left of that huge rock.
“Cactus? Are they putting a cactus at the entrance of Crazy Hole? Weird,” Roger said while he watched Clint and John digging four holes.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and Clint and John had the four Cereus Peruvian column cacti planted in the ground at the entrance to Crazy Hole.
Back at that bush, Roger got in the saddle of his horse and rode off in the desert, a little disappointed he couldn’t see if the Crazy Hole was real. But he didn’t want to run into one of those Cacti.
Back at Crazy Hole, Clint and John looked over their gardening work. “That should prevent someone from entering the cave,” said Clint.
John nodded in agreement, and then they walked over to Alicia and Angie.
Clint walked over and stood next to Alicia. “Well, I guess the town folk of Oak Creek will be wondering for years what happened to me,” he said while he placed an arm around her shoulder.
Alicia smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
Cling placed his arm around her shoulder.
John walked up to Clint. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my life,” John said while he extended his hand to Clint.
Clint shook his hand. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I got so crazy when I arrested you. But I really thought you killed my deputy,” Clint said.
“That’s fair enough. I had no business getting involved with this outlaw stuff,” John replied.
Clint placed a hand on John’s shoulder. “That’s okay.
Some men take a little longer to grow up,” Clint said.
Alicia and Angie nodded in agreement.
They got in the saddles of their horses and rode away into the desert.
During the dusty ride back to Rusty’s empty ranch house, Angie, John, Clint, and Alicia all agreed to meet the next day for dinner.
The next day brought changes to some lives.
John bought a newer car. It was a 2002 Honda Civic since he still had cash left in his savings account.
John drove, and Angie sat in the passenger seat with two golf club bags in the back seat. They just finished playing golf earlier in the day.
John turned his Honda to the street where the Outlaw Steakhouse was located.
Angie frowned, as she was all too familiar with this street.
John drove past the entrance to the parking lot of the Outlaw Steakhouse.
Angie looked surprised and proud of John.
John drove his Honda farther down the street to a nice upscale restaurant called The Purple Cactus.
He parked his Honda and quickly exited Angie’s door like a gentleman.
“No, Outlaw Steakhouse, and you opened my car door.
I’m impressed,” she told John while they walked to the front door of The Purple Cactus.
“I’m really trying to change,” he told her. He opened the door for Angie.
“I think you have,” she replied, then kissed his cheek.
They entered the restaurant.
Meanwhile, at the Resthaven Park Mortuary & Cemetery, Phillip had the remains of his father moved to a burial plot. He bought a new tombstone, installed it, and planted some flowers.
Back at The Purple Cactus, John and Angie sat down at a table with Clint and Alicia. Angie sat next to Alicia, and John sat down next to Clint, who looked different with modern clothes and hairstyle.
The waitress dropped off their drinks and left with their dinner orders.
“Look at you, Clint. You’re blending in with the future,”
John said.
“I know,” Clint replied, running his fingers through his new hairstyle.
Angie looked like she had to pee while she squirmed in her chair, all excited. Then she stuck out her hand in front of Alicia and showed off a beautiful engagement ring.
“Congratulations!” Alicia cried out, leaned over, hugged Angie, and kissed her cheek.
“Way to go,” Clint said to John with a pat on his back.
“I have more good news. I got accepted into Stone Mountain Community College!” John said. “Going to eventually major in History at the University of Phoenix,” said John and looked sure of himself. “Maybe I’ll eventually become a professor of history.”
“Yep. You look more like a college man than an outlaw!”
Clint said. Angie and Alicia chuckled in agreement.
“Oh yeah, I’m also going to work on my grandfather’s manuscript, which he wrote about old western outlaws.
Hopefully, get it published.”
“But you didn’t write it,” said Clint.
“I know, but it would be a good remembrance of him and make him proud,” said John.
“I see,” said Clint.
Angie looked at Alicia and Clint. “So, what’s going on with you two?” Angie asked.
“Thanks to Alicia, I’m going to play piano for the Phoenix Symphony,” Clint said, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
“Then we plan on marriage, but we’re not in any hurry,”
Alicia said.
“Yep, I’m going to make her a respectable woman,” Clint replied.
Alicia jokingly elbowed Clint on his side. “I’ll show you respectable,” she teased.
Clint placed his arm around Alicia’s shoulder and then kissed her cheek.
John looked concerned when he thought about something.
He leaned in a little across the table. “But how can you make him, you know, be a legit citizen?”
“I got that covered. Called in some old favors. Taken care of,” smiled Angie.
It was quiet for a few seconds around the table. Angie’s cell phone rang. She looked at the viewfinder and then cringed as if she had forgotten someone.
“Hi, Mom,” Angie answered, knowing she was in trouble.
“I thought you were coming home? We’ve been waiting for the past few days for your call,” her mom scolded her over the cell phone.
Angie covered her cell phone mouthpiece. “I was supposed to fly home and visit my folks, and I forgot,” Angie told everybody.
“Well, let’s go visit them. We do have some good news to tell them,” John told Angie.
Angie smiled. “Mom, I’m leaving when I get a flight reserved in a few days. Plus, John wants to come and see you,”
Angie told her mom.
“Okay. We can’t wait to see him again,” her mom said.
Angie disconnected her call and then winked at John.
The waitress brought their dinners, and they ate and chatted.
After they finished their meal, Alicia remembered something. She reached down by her purse on the floor, brought up an “Outlaws and Lawmen of Arizona” book, and laid it on the table.
“I’m curious,” she said while opening the book.
She opened up the page on Bart Stone, and she looked the page over.
“Bart Stone was hanged on September 25th, eighteen eighty-three, for the murder of Oak Creek deputy Elmer Filson.
Charlie Chandler testified before Judge Peter Peabody that Bart Stone fired the shot that killed Elmer. Charlie was given two years in the Yuma Territorial prison since he testified against Bart Stone and for his outlaw ways of robbing banks and
stagecoaches. Charlie was shot dead in the desert when the Stagecoach taking him to Yuma prison was camped for the night. It was believed Jimmy Templeton killed Charlie in retaliation for testifying against Bart Stone,” Alicia read. “Jimmy Templeton was never caught and never seen again.”
“What does the book say about Clint and me?” John asked curiously.
Alicia flipped through some pages and then stopped.
“Outlaw John Mathers, alias the Kissing Bandit, escaped while being hanged. Oak Creek Town Marshal Bartley gave chase, but the famous outlaw was never caught and never heard from again,” Alicia read. She flipped through some more pages, then stopped.
“Marshal Bartley chased after outlaw John Mathers after he escaped from being hanged. Marshal Bartley never returned to Oak Creek and was never heard from again. Zeke Cooper became the new Oak Creek Town Marshal,” Alicia read. She looked curious, then flipped through some more pages.
“I remember Zeke. He would be a good Marshal for Oak Creek,” said Clint.
“Read some more,” said John.
Alicia looked back at the book. “Rusty Moore became the Town Marshal of Mountain Rock on September 24th, eighteen eighty-three, after Marshal Jeb Paulson died in his sleep.
Marshal Moore was the Town Marshal of Mountain Rock until the town was abandoned in eighteen ninety-four. Marshal Moore moved to Tucson, where he became Police Chief of the Tucson Police Department until nineteen oh one. Marshal Moore died in his sleep in Tucson in nineteen fifteen,” she read from the book and paused while she turned the page.
“Oh, then it mentions how a new outlaw named Blue Earl Olson and his gang started robbing banks and stagecoaches after Bart Stone was no longer around. The Oak Creek Town Marshal Zeke Cooper was shot and killed by Blue Earl Olson on October eighth, eighteen eighty-three, while robbing the Oak Creek bank,” she read from the book.
“Poor Zeke,” said Clint. “He was a good man.”
Alicia looked at Clint. “That could have been you,” she said and placed a hand on top of his. “I’m glad you’re here.
Safe and sound.” She closed the book. “There you go, the rest of the story,” Alicia and placed it on the floor by her purse.
“Blue Earl Olson? I heard of him,” said Clint.
“I believe he was from the New Mexico area and maybe moved his crime spree to Arizona,” said John. “History has it that he had a blue scarf tied to his saddle. Then he used the blue scarf to cover half of his face.”
“Yeah, but he’s not a threat to us here today,” said Clint.
They decided to forget about the old western ways and live in the future. They had dessert with coffee and chatted for thirty minutes.
After dinner, they went to watch Brokeback Mountain at a nearby theater. Of course, Clint was shocked by the thought of gay cowboys, but they wanted to indoctrinate him into the future.
Ten years had passed since John Mather’s Crazy Hole time-traveling adventure that nearly ended his life.
So far, nobody has used Crazy Hole for time-traveling. But this was about to change.
A young man had a dream..
It was hot, and the day also came with a clear blue sky in an old western town built out of wood. The town was also dusty since it was located smack in the middle of the desert. But it was home to a few people who wanted a better life.
Snoozing at his desk was the Town Marshal. His name was Dalton Trevor. He wore white cowboy boots, white pants, a white shirt, and a white cowboy hat.
Marshal Trevor sat in his wooden chair behind his desk with his boots propped up on the top of the desk. His hat was tipped down over his eyes. This was his usual after-lunch nap.
The door to Marshal Trevor’s office busted open.
“Marshal, Marshal, the bank’s being robbed by the infamous outlaw Blue Earl and his gang of hooligans!” said an old man out of breath from running from the bank.
Trevor jumped to his boots and whipped his Colt 45
Peacemaker pistol with an ivory handle out of its holster. He opened up the revolving cylinder. It had six bullets. He spun the cylinder, then closed it, and was ready. “I’ll take care of those hooligans. Don’t you worry,” he said, strutting to the door.
The old man looked confident Marshal Trevor would save the day. He followed Marshal Trevor out of the Marshal’s office.
Marshal Trevor strutted down the dusty dirt street of the town that was void of any town folk.
He strutted close to the bank, where he heard gunfire and a female scream inside.
The door to the bank busted open. Outlaw Blue Earl, who wore all black, and five other outlaws, who also wore all black, raced out of the bank, holding cloth bags obviously stuffed with cash. They wore a blue bandana covering their nose and mouths.
“Stop, Blue Earl!” yelled out Marshal Trevor, and he gave them a glare that he wasn’t fooling around.
Blue Earl and his five gang members stopped dead in their tracks. They gave Marshal Trevor their one-eyed evil stare with snarls.
“It’s for your own good if you leave us alone,” yelled out Blue Earl while he and his gang whipped out his pistols and aimed them at Marshal Trevor.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, and Blue Earl and his five gang members all dropped to the dirt dead from Marshal Trevor’s rapid pistol fire and accurate pistol aim.
Marshal Trevor twirled his pistol a few times, then shoved it back in his holster. He puffed out his chest since he was the man. The entire town folks cautiously came out of their hiding places. They saw the dead outlaws in the dirt street. “Trevor!
Trevor! Trevor!” they all started chanting to show they loved Marshal Trevor.
Marshal Trevor puffed out his chest while glancing at the chanting town folk. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Ahhh!” he shrieked out like a little girl as this sudden hand on his shoulder scared the crap out of him.
It was Wednesday evening on September 14th, 2016, and not a hot and dusty day in the old west.
Dalton Trevor woke up from his dream. While sitting at a desk, he had his face plastered on an opened page of his
“Arizona Old Western Marshals and Outlaws” textbook.
His face was on the page about the famous old western Earl “Blue” Olson and his gang that roamed the New Mexico and Arizona territories in the eighteen-eighties, robbing banks, stagecoaches, and trains.
He saw a picture of Blue Earl Olson and his five-member gang: Frankie Nixon, Deke Olson, Bo Johnson, and Hank Bush.
Deke was Blue Earl’s kid brother, and Blue Earl was extremely protective of him. Blue Earl also had holsters with pistols on his right and left hip. He was famous for being an expert shot with either hand.
Dalton wasn’t a western town Marshal. He was, in fact, a twenty-three-year-old young man who wore a Security Guard’s light blue shirt and black pants uniform. While studying his textbook, he fell asleep at the desk and dreamed about living in the old west. Dalton was only allowed to carry a flashlight and a small pepper dispenser.
Dalton heard a guy chuckling. Dalton was a little dazed, confused about his dream, and didn’t know where he was.
“Sorry, Dalton. I didn’t mean to scare you,” said seventy-three-year-old Roger Willoughby, standing near his cleaning cart.
Dalton looked at Roger and realized he worked as a part-time nighttime security guard at the Aero Place Company in Phoenix, Arizona. “You didn’t scare me, Roger,” said Dalton to the nighttime janitor.
“Oh, I scared you. You screamed like a girl,” teased Roger.
“Ahh!” he mimicked Dalton then chuckled.
Dalton blushed and got a little embarrassed. “I was dreaming I was an old western Marshal. I shot and killed six outlaws that just robbed the bank.”
“You and this old western fascination. You were born a hundred years too late,” Roger said with a chuckle, then wheeled his cleaning cart away to clean some rooms down the hallway.
Dalton yawned, got up from the desk, and walked away, heading in the opposite direction of Roger. It was time for another round of the plant to ensure the place was safe.
He glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. It was ten that evening, and he had one hour left on his shift.
Seven hours had passed, and it was Thursday morning, September 15th, 2016.
Dalton was sound asleep in his bed at his efficiency apartment in the Wild Cactus Apartment Complex in Phoenix.
The alarm by his bedside table blared that annoying sound.
Dalton’s eyes opened, glanced at the clock, reached up, and shut it off.
He flipped the covers off his body and got out of bed, stood up, stretched, and yawned.
Dalton moped his way over to the bathroom.
After he was cleaned up, he got dressed in his western shirt, Levi’s blue jeans, and brown cowboy boots.
An hour had passed, and Dalton parked his 2005 blue Honda Civic in one of the student parking lots of the University of Phoenix campus.
He got out of his car, and his eyes lit up with a grand of an idea; he removed his iPhone from his belt and typed, “Hey, Shelly. Let’s meet for lunch. I haven’t seen or heard from you in a week. I miss you,” text message. He pressed the send button and walked off with a spring in his step, knowing she would respond soon and he would have a lunch date.
Dalton walked through the campus and headed off to class. Dalton sat at a desk in a small classroom, getting in class early and being the first one in the room. His cell phone soon rang out with a horse galloping sound bite. He smiled, removed his iPhone from his belt, and opened the text message app, smiling over a response from Shelly.
“Sorry. Busy all day,” was Shelly’s response.
Dalton’s heart sank to his feet, then typed a “How about tomorrow?” message back to Shelly. He put his cell phone back on his belt and started to worry about bad luck with women.
They at first appeared interested, then soon started to brush him off. It hurt, and he tried not to let it get to the best of him. But he had a hunch Shelly would agree to meet tomorrow.
Chrissy Barron, a nineteen-year-old education major, entered the classroom. She immediately scanned the class and saw Dalton sitting at his desk, then a hint of a smile seeing Dalton since she secretly had a crush on him. She didn’t know why, but Dalton had been on her mind the first second she laid
eyes on him. And she was nervous about approaching him, sitting down two rows directly across from Dalton’s right.
Five minutes had passed, and the professor entered the room. Dalton and Chrissy were in thirty-four-year-old Professor John Mathers “Arizona Old Western Marshals and Outlaws”
class. Dalton majored in Criminal Justice and decided to take Professor Mathers’s class as an elective. He figured it would be an easy course since he already knew a lot about old western history anyway.
“Good morning, class,” said John Mathers, entering his classroom with his briefcase.
John walked over and placed his briefcase on the top of his desk. He opened up his briefcase and removed the “Arizona Old Western Marshals and Outlaws textbook he had authored and dedicated to his grandfather, Mickey Mathers.
“Okay, today we’ll talk about some of the old western towns around Phoenix that once were full of life,” he said while opening the book.
Dalton opened up his textbook and saw Chrissy peeking at him. He noticed her in class and thought she was cute but didn’t want a plain-looking girl. John wanted Shelly, who had a shapely body and short black hair.
Chrissy had shoulder-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and an average body but still not as curvy as Shelly’s.
Dalton looked away from Chrissy and was all ears while John lectured.
“Okay, let us talk about the small towns once thriving around the Phoenix area.
During the next hour, Dalton learned that. .
Oak Creek was once located six miles northwest of Miners Needle, a few miles west of today’s unincorporated area of Tortilla Flat. The town was close to the Salt River. Oak Creek was founded in 1867 and was abandoned around 1887. The only remains of Oak Creek are a few faded tombstones lost in time amongst some bushes.
The town of Stone Valley was located in what is now Desert Ridge. It was founded around 1869 and abandoned in 1895.
The town of Rattlesnake was once located near Sun City.
It was founded in 1873 and abandoned around 1892.
The town of Mountain Rock was located in what is now Gilbert. It was settled around 1877 and abandoned in 1894.
All of these towns circled around Phoenix, which was settled in 1867. This was where most of the residents of those abandoned towns moved for grander opportunities.
The Butterfield Overland Stagecoach made daily runs to all the towns as a trail linking all cities together. The main office of the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Company was located in Phoenix.
A train rail line also ran from Dodge City to Albuquerque and Phoenix. By 1880, it had stopped at Oak Creek, Stone Valley, Cactus City, and Rattlesnake before ending in Phoenix.
The Southern Pacific Railroad Company operated the train rail line, and its main office was in Phoenix. Greedy management eventually bankrupted the company in 1902, and the rail line was abandoned after the train was sold.
The class was now over.
Chrissy occasionally glanced at Dalton while he left the classroom with the other students. He didn’t notice.
It was noon, and Dalton sat in the food court eating a hamburger with fries. His head was buried in one of his Criminal Justice textbooks.
“Mind if I join you?” said a female voice.
Dalton glanced up from his book and saw Chrissy holding a tray of food. “ Sure,” he said and didn’t recognize her.
Chrissy sat down. Her heart raced as she finally decided to be brave this afternoon and approach Dalton. “I’m Chrissy Baron,” she introduced herself and extended her right hand across the small table.
“Dalton Trevor,” he said, shaking her hand and glancing at her. “Do I know you?” he said as something suddenly felt familiar about this girl.
“I recognized you, as I’m also in Professor Mathers Arizona Old Western Marshals and Outlaws class,” she said. At the same time, her heart raced, still nervous about approaching Dalton.
Dalton looked at her. “Oh yeah, I remember you,” he said.
It was quiet for a few seconds while Dalton ate his hamburger, and Chrissy started to eat her chicken sandwich.
Dalton decided to break the silence. “What’s your major?”
“Education. I want to become a teacher.” “ What’s your major?”
“Criminal justice.”
“So, you want to become a policeman?”
“Actually, my dream is to become a US Marshal. Travel the county after the bad guys and put them behind bars.”
“Sounds like an honorable profession,” she said.
“As is teaching,” said Dalton.
They had idle chats while eating their lunch.
Ten minutes had passed, and they were done.
“Well, I need to head off to another class,” said Dalton, standing up with his tray in one hand and his textbook tucked under his left arm.
“Me too,” she said, standing up. “Thanks for eating lunch with me,” she added.
“You’re welcome,” said Dalton. “I’ll see you next week.”
“Yes, you will,” said Chrissy, and she walked away with her heart racing about finally getting up with the courage to approach Dalton.
Dalton walked away, stopped, turned around, and took a glance at Chrissy. He was glad she ate lunch with him, thinking she was cute and enjoyed her company. Dalton looked forward to meeting her next week and remembered Shelly had turned him down for lunch.
Dalton emptied the contents of his tray in the trash and placed the tray on the top of the trash can. He headed off to his next class.
Dalton’s day was over, and he ate a quick dinner and headed off to his night shift security guard job.
During his dinner break in the employee break room, he chatted with Roger about what he learned about those small towns that once thrived in the Phoenix area during the Old West.
“You know, I recall my granddaddy telling me stories about Oak Creek and Stone Valley,” said Roger.
“Man, I wished I had ancestors living here in the old west.
That way, I could have heard some real-life stories,” said Dalton, a little jealous of Roger. “Tell me something.”
Roger thought for a few seconds. “Okay, great granddaddy Felix Willoughby owned the livery stable in Oak Creek. He was also the town Blacksmith and was friends with an old Indian named Merijildo, a well-known tracker back then.”
“A tracker?”
“Yes, a tracker. The Marshal of Oak Creek and Stone Valley often used Merijildo to track down outlaws that tried to hide in the desert after doing a bank or train robbery.”
“That makes sense for those times.” “Any interesting stories about his Merijildo tracker,” said Dalton screwing up with pronouncing the Indian’s name.
Roger chuckled, knowing he would be wasting his time trying to get Dalton to correctly pronounce that name. “The only one I remembered was when Merijildo was called to help track down Oak Creek’s town Marshal Clint Bartley.”
“Why track down a Marshal? Did he go over to the dark side and become an outlaw.”
“Oh no, he went missing.”
“Missing?
“When”
Roger took a second to think about the story he had been told. “Oh, I believe it was around eighteen eighty-three.”
“Did they ever find him?”
Roger thought for a few seconds. “No, probably left town and headed to Phoenix, if that was my guess.”
“Yeah, that’s probably what happened. I can imagine Phoenix offered more than Oak Creek,” said Dalton.
“Probably,” Roger said, then glanced down at his watch. “I better get to cleaning those toilets. He got up, walked away, and shoved his lunch trash in the trash can.
He left the break room.
Dalton got up and shoved his lunch trash in the trash can.
He left the break room and decided to make his rounds around the plant to ensure it was safe.
A week had passed.
Shelly has not replied to Dalton's text message last week about meeting for lunch. Usually, that would have upset him, but he didn't care for some reason. He figured she wasn't a nice person and not worth his time.
It was Thursday morning, September 22nd, 2016.
Dalton looked forward to Thursdays, as this was the day of his favorite class.
He got dressed and headed off to the university.
Chrissy got dressed in her apartment and headed off to the university. She also looked forward to Thursday. This was also the day of her favorite class and the guy she had a crush on.
At John Mathers's home, he and his thirty-year-old wife, Angie, sat at the kitchen table drinking their morning coffee and eating breakfast.
"How's your Arizona Old Western Marshals and Outlaws class progressing?"
"Pretty good so far."