Leading Bob’s two horses, James rode up to
the Dudley cabin about noon the next day. He could see four other cabins
nearby, and there were probably more. One of the children had run into the
cabin yelling, “Paw paw, there’s a man ridin’ in – from the outside!”
Mr. Dudley was soon on the porch. Again
with his scattergun. His wife was right behind, and two or three armed men were
walking over. “Ya never stop surprisin’ me, Thacker! We bin told by the Alabama
constable about Bob gettin’ shot. And since ya have Bob’s hosses, you musta’
been there. Whatta ‘ye say about that, Thacker?”
James had survived the first thirty seconds. If he could survive the
next thirty, he might live. He must pick his words carefully now.
“Mr. Dudley, let me tell you first of all,
I didn’t shoot your grandson. I notified th’ law, and they did. Bob was holdin’
a knife at my daughter’s throat. I am not that gooda shot. I wanta express my condolences for your loss.
I brought Bob’s personal things for Mrs. Dudley. And, I felt it was right to
bring your horses to ya’.”
The old man spat a long brown stream at
James’ feet and just stared at him for a long time. “Jest how would ya know to
go to Talladega?”
Before James could answer, Mrs. Dudley
stepped up beside her husband, her head held high, a determined look on her
wrinkled face. “I tol’ him.”
With a surprised look on his angry face,
her husband whirled to face her. She held his gaze.
Mr. Dudley was in shock. “By damn! Why in
hell would you do that, woman?”
The younger men around just stared, and
listened. “Clint, jest hear me out, an listen good. Do you remember why, forty
two long years ago, we brought our young children up here away from that sinful
and murderous mess of Dudleys in Alabama?”
The old man didn’t say a word, but his
shoulders drooped a bit as he looked at his wife.
Mrs. Dudley spoke, more forcefully now.
“Well, if you don’t, let me remind ya, and I want my sons around us to hear me
too. We decided we wanted no part of the scum our awful families were wallowin’
in. We knew our babies would turn out the same. But we couldn’t get my
firstborn, Alfred, to come up here with us. It was too late for him. He’d
already been tainted by that mess.
And he raised Bob jest the same way. Jest
what we were tryin’ ta get our babies away from. But then Bob came up here with
us; he was already too far gone. He started spreadin’ his infection around up
here, talkin’ how us Dudley’s never
let nobody cross us. Then, our sons began to act the same way. That’s why I
tol’ him. An let me say this. If any of my boys around us think this man
standin’ before us did wrong when Bob stole his daughter, an hauled her off to
hell to become like those no good folks, then jest get away from me. I don’t
wanta see ya ever again!”
Having had her say, she rose to her full
height, as if the weight of the world was now lifted from her weary shoulders.
She turned, and walked back into the house.
Nobody moved or spoke for a long while.
Then James turned to the big black and pulled a bag from his saddlebags. He
walked over and handed it to the old man who reached out and took it. He looked
James in the eye, and said, loudly enough for all to hear…..
“It’s over, James.”
Mr. Dudley turned, and as he too walked
into the house, looked at each of his sons in silent support of his wife.
James mounted the big black and rode away.
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