Nineteen - Dead eye Sam

      After weeks of working to clear the back ten acres of the back forty, James and his boys were close to finishing up. Sara and Tenny were working in the garden, closer to the cabin.

     Suddenly, James thought he heard someone scream. He stopped working, and listened closer. Yes. It sounded like Sara.  Screaming. He and the boys ran toward the cabin. Sara, completely out of breath and crying, was running to meet them.

     After a few moments, Sara was able to talk. “Tenny’s gone! I let her go down to the Deep Hole, right down from the cabin, to catch a mess of fish for supper. She was not back when she should have been. I looked for her, and she’s just gone!!” She burst out crying again.

     After half an hour of searching, there was no sign of Tenny. Tom found footprints of a horse in the sand by the creek. But that was all.

     They had seen no sign of Bad Bob around the place for weeks now. The men in town had told James just last week that Bob had not been there either, ever since the day he and James argued.

 James quickly took over the situation. “Y’all keep searching around here. If I’m not back in two hours, Tom, go into town and tell the Constable. Ask him to organize a search. Gather me up some jerky and stuff that will keep, Sara, while I get my gun and my bedroll. I’m going to the Dudley place, out behind th’ swamps. I may be gone a long time. I’ll be back, and Tenny will be with me.” He soon rode out at a fast pace.

     After a hard ride, James rode up to the Dudley place. Clint sat on his porch, his scattergun across his lap. Two of his boys were walking over, well-armed. James left his gun in place, and dismounted.

     “You gotta lot of nerve, showin’ up here, Thacker, after th’ way you been tryin’ to turn th’ whole town again Bob. Before we shoot ya, whatta ya want?”

     “I know you can shoot me at any time, Mr. Dudley. But my six-year-old girl is missin’, and Bob’s been stalkin’ her.  Is Bob here?” Clint spat a long brown stream at Jame’s feet. “He ain’t here, Thacker. Ain’t been since yesterday. We got no part in this thing between you an Bob, lest you push it. Now get off my land.”

     As James mounted his horse, he noticed that Mrs. Dudley was standing in the doorway. She appeared to be near tears. James slowly rode off, halfway expecting a bullet in the back at any time. When he was around the bend, and well out of sight, he reined his horse into the woods. He was thinking.

I have no way to find Bob. Don’t even know where to start looking. But I betcha the answer is in that house.

    James tied up his horse, and quietly walked back through the woods toward the clearing. He had seen the hog pen, off to the right and against the woods. He walked up to the bushes beside the hog pen, hid himself, and sat. He waited. An hour went by. Then two. No sign of anybody stirring. He was about to give up, when the back door opened. Mrs. Dudley walked out with a heavy bucket. She walked to the hog trough, and emptied the bucket. The hogs squealed with delight, and came running, with smiles on their faces.

     James spoke very quietly.  “Please, Mrs. Dudley. I don’t mean to scare you, I just need to find my little girl. Can you help me?”

     Serenity said nothing. Never recognizing his presence. Then she leaned against the hog pen. She never looked at James. After a long time, her shoulders drooped.

    “Said he was headed to Taladega. The Dudley Clan lives right on the south county line. But they’re all mean, not like my boys. And there’s dozens’ of um.”

     “Thanks, Mrs. Dudley. I knew you were a good woman.”

     As James turned away, she spoke in a faint voice, full of emotion. “And Mr. Thacker?”

     “Yes?”

     “I hope you find your little girl.” She choked as she said it.

     James quietly, but quickly, walked to his horse, mounted, and reined him south. Toward Taladega County.