Epilogue for Samantha

Samantha could never rid herself of the feelings that the reward money, and the share of Slim’s money that LaFayette had so adamantly stated belonged to her and her family, was totally blood money. She was never able to feel that it was money she should use.  It remained in an unused bank account for a long time.

     Some time later, she was contacted by the Judge in Taladega, informing her that only two relatively small claims had been placed against the remaining money. The bulk of the remaining money was still under his control, in spite of his best efforts to contact others who, like Samantha, had a valid claim on this money. He discussed with Samantha the possibility of finding a worthwhile use of the remaining money.

     As he said, “This money should be put to use in a worthwhile way. If not by the rightful owners, who have never been found and it seems, never will, then it should go to some cause that could help future orphans and lost children, such as yourself, have a better life. Think on this, Samantha. You have brought yourself through all the horrors of the Dudley clan, and have built a worthwhile life for yourself and your family. Perhaps we could use it in some way that would help other lost children do the same. Who better to oversee a project such as this, than you and Jeff? I know how highly thought of you, your family, and your business are in Little Rock.  Like I said, think on this, and we can talk again later.”

     Samantha and Jeff talked about this for hours that night. Dead Eye Sam’s Restaurant was now almost totally a family operation. It was doing well. Their family was growing. They now had two fine sons, Tenn and Hunter.

     Where better for the boys to grow up, than a ranch, near Little Rock? A large ranch, large enough to take in orphans and other lost children, which Samantha and Jeff could run, while Jeff’s sisters Barbara and Cati-Beth take over the restaurant? Darlene was excited about it too, and wished to be the hostess and head cook at the Ranch.

     Jeff and Samantha discussed the name of the ranch. They discussed just simply The Ranch, but in the end, they went with Dead Eye Samantha’s Ranch. Though Samantha had long since put away her big gun, her fame with the big gun had spread far and wide. Putting her famous name on it would help it grow, and make hesitant children more excited about their new home. From time to time, Samantha would put on shooting exhibitions for the children, and teach them gun safety. All the children would be proud of their home, Dead Eye Samantha’s Ranch.

     The entire family was excited about this idea, and the Judge in Taladega was, also.

     To make a long story short, Three years later, Dead Eye Samantha’s Ranch was completed. Within a year, twenty lost children were happily enjoying their new life at the Ranch. As it grew, Dead Eye Sam’s Restaurant was sold, and Barbara and Cati-Beth were excited to become staff members at Dead Eye Samantha’s Ranch.

     Tenn and Hunter soon grew to love the stable full of gentle saddle ponies, and eventually took over the role of teaching the children to ride, which became very popular among all the children.   

    

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     Tenny and John Wesley were busy growing a large family at Pontoon. John Wesley was a hard worker, and thought nothing of clearing their one hundred acres – with an Axe! He eventually became a traveling stock trader. He became interested in moving his large family away from the Petit Jean River Bottoms, where malaria ran rampant, killing many Arkansans. Their oldest son, Arthur, was very smart. To continue his education toward his goal of becoming a doctor, he moved to Wing, Arkansas, boarded, and went to school. The connection between Malaria and mosquitoes had not been fully understood at that time, but he was a smart young man. I believe he made that connection in his head. He informed his dad that malaria was not such a problem at Wing, in the mountains, and helped facilitate a land swap for his dad. John Wesley and Tenny moved their large family of young’ns to Wing by oxcart in 1898.

        James and Sara lived out their lives in Dover. Sara died early, at fifty years of age. James remained a widower for many years. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he married Tenny’s husband’s much younger sister, who was LaFayette’s youngest child, while she was still in her thirties. James was seventy-eight. To everyone’s even greater surprise, except for the happy couple, two children were born to that union. James died at age eighty three.

Epilogue continued, next post