Little Sharpshooter Chap 7

In the morning, Randy massaged her sore skin after Zhang’s treatment. Sometimes she was fine after his treatments but that one was painful to recover from.

Trevor left to take Zhang home. Randy only needed to be treated once a day and she promised him she would go to Zhang at his brother’s store for her next treatments.

Randy tried putting more weight on her leg. It still hurt like mad but for short walks, it wasn’t going to make her cry. She dressed the way Miss Marla would say was civilized in her skirt and button shirt.

Miss Daisy hollered at someone outside. They had a hired farmhand that was there in the morning but the tone in her voice was alarming. Randy pulled the lace curtain back slightly to peer outside. A well-dressed, greasy-haired man was standing at the bottom of the steps all haughty-like. Daisy waved her arms angrily at him. He pointed at Al standing at the side of the house and started walking over that way. Randy pulled out her pistol and slid it in the waist of her skirt. She had her shotgun in hand as she limped as fast as she could to the front porch.

“Forgive me Pa,” she whispered checking to see if her shotgun was still loaded.

“Who is it, Miss Daisy?” Randy asked heading over to the side rail of the porch.

“What do you think your doin’ with that gun?” Miss Daisy’s hands went right to her hips.

“Takin’ care of you. What’s goin’ on?” Randy ignored Miss Daisy’s protests and had the gun ready as she stood near the rail when the strange man approached Al. “He don’t take kindly to strangers.”

The man turned to face her and his eyes widened when they met the barrel of her shotgun.

“And I don’t either. What’s your business here?” Randy asked.

“Now see here, little girl. I was here to talk to Miss Daisy about how she got herself such a fine specimen of a horse on her property when she can’t pay the fees for the town’s protection.”

“Well, see here, Mister. That horse is mine, not hers. And where I come from, no one pays for the town’s protection. Especially when one can take care of it themselves.” She cocked the gun still pointing it at his chest.

“Now if you ain’t from here, you shouldn’t go makin’ enemies of the lawkeepers in town.”

“I wouldn’t be makin’ no enemies with the lawkeepers here if they weren’t givin’ me good reason to. Now back off from my horse. He will hurt you before I do. I guarantee it. And I’m a pretty good shot. I never miss.” Randy squinted at him and knew what game he would try to play with her to see if what she said was true.

“Now, smart mouth little girls don’t last long around here either, mind you.” He headed for the rail. She shot the ground in front of his foot. He backed up and glanced over at Al again. Randy whistled signaling for Al to leave. Al took off at a full run.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve.”

“And so do you.” She cocked her gun once more. He wanted to make her shoot her last round.

“You hurt me and you have my deputies to answer to.”

“Yeah, well what you gonna tell them? You was shot by a smart mouthed little girl? Go ahead, try me. I’d love to see you go back and tell the men how I messed ya up. I’m a good shot, I’m tellin’ ya.”

“Who are you?”

“You might ask me who my pa is first.”

“Who is your pa?

“James Carter.”

He looked at her puzzled until it started to register.

“I knew you’d know him. Do you believe me now that I’m a good shot?”

“Naw, I think ya like playin’ behind the name.” He glared at her.

There was an empty can beside her foot. Randy watched him as she slowly bent over to pick it up. She flung it over his head and blew the can apart. He reached for the shotgun after she fired. Randy already had the pistol in her hand and pointed at his head.

“Now if you weren’t trying so hard to outsmart me, I would show you where my pa had my name engraved on the handle on this here pistol after I earned it by beatin’ every man in the marksman contest. That was two years ago and I was fourteen. I’m even better now. Not much of a challenge with you right here, this close. I might get dirty. So what kinda game are you up for? Shall we call it even? I would hate to have all the other retired Texas rangers around here have to come in to clean up your kind of law.” Randy tilted her head to the side.

The man backed away slowly, knowing he was beat.  “Why are you here alone anyway?”

“I’m visitin’ my Aunt Daisy while my pa was called away to chase some horse thieves over in Silver City. He’s caught cattle thieves before and was paid with that fine horse. He gave the stubborn beast to me.” Randy relaxed her stance and eased the pistol back into her skirt’s waist. “So I suggest you let my Aunt Daisy be, because she has all the protection she needs with me, my pa, and his friends.”

The man scowled pointing his finger at Randy and then at Daisy.

“Or I’ll make sure my pa pays you a visit on his way through.”

The man mounted his horse and turned it away to head back for town. “There’s no need Miss Carter. Carry on. Miss Daisy can take care of herself here on out.”

Randy looked at Miss Daisy to be sure she was all right with that. Miss Daisy’s face was as white as could be. She nodded faintly while she clutched her chest.

“Will do!” Randy hollered to make sure he heard then helped Miss Daisy to a chair before she fainted.

“Child! I can’t believe the nerve you have.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No. I just thought for sure he was gonna finish you. You said your pa was dead.”

“He is. You, Zhang, Trevor and my Indian friend are the only ones that need to know that. No one else knows and they don’t need to either.” She sat down in the rocker on the porch beside Miss Daisy. “Is he why you wouldn’t let Trevor buy a horse?”

“Yes. I was too ashamed to admit that Sheriff Wallen was takin’ money from me. He would have seen a new horse and asked for more than I had, probably would have taken the horse as payment. I would rather have Trevor mad at me than see him disappointed like that and get in trouble with the law for it. But I have a feelin’ he was gonna head down that path no matter who denied him a horse.”

Randy smiled. Trevor’s Nana was on to him.

“He’s a good boy. He really is. Trevor has been a huge help since the day his folks died. And that was a long time ago. I couldn’t have asked for a better grandson. You know he likes you. Before you ever said a word, he was smitten.”

“That’s nice of you to say. But I’m leavin’ as soon as I can walk again.” Randy stared at the ground to hide the flush that warmed her cheeks.

“I know. Why did the name James Carter strike fear in the deputy?”

“My pa has a pretty good reputation at being one of the best Texas Rangers there ever was. He never told me that, but everyone else has. He’s known by lawmen across the territory and plenty have asked for his help long after he quit. He made his share of enemies though. That’s because he believed in bringin’ in as many as he could alive. Pa said he ain’t God or a judge. Now there are so many that want to see him dead. That’s why he taught me well.

“I wasn’t lyin’ when I said I won the marksman contest. I would have beat my own Pa. He knew better than to participate that year. With the money I won, he bought me this.” She handed Miss Daisy the pistol pointing to where her name was engraved along with 1882, the year she won the contest. “I earned the shotgun and rifle too.”

“That’s impressive for a young’un like you. How old are you?”

“Sixteen. I almost expected you to tell me how unsuitable it is for me to use a gun”

“If your pa taught you as well as he has, it was for good reason. I can shoot a gun when I have to, but I don’t have the man power here to fend off the shady law. I have heard of too many boys in town running off to join outlaw gangs to get rich quick if silver and gold minin’ don’t pan out. I tell ya, there isn’t much here to make a livin’ with. For boys like Trevor, it’s tough to keep them in line.”

“How old was he when his folks died?”

“He was seven. Trevor and I both hid under the house when the house was ambushed. His Pa had been makin’ a fit over how Sheriff Orson, the one before Wallen, was crooked. He had a mighty group opposin’ the sheriff. It cost Darren his life to stand up for what was right. Beth, my daughter died that day too tryin’ to save him. Wallen knew what happened here and used that to oust Sheriff Orson. Trevor’s pa was a good man and the townspeople called for justice. Little did we all know that Wallen was greedy for power just like Orson was. He let things be peaceful for a time. Once the rawness of Darren’s death wore off, and Trevor and I were granted the farm’s deed in full to pay for the unjustified death of Darren and Beth, Wallen dug in deep to those of us on the outside of town to line his pockets while he allowed the outlaws to run rampant on those who didn’t pay. You watch. I may get a visit by tomorrow afternoon.”

Randy smiled. “I know how to handle that. Don’t worry.”

“Is that how you wound up shot in the first place?”

“My guard was down. I knew my pa had been shot. It won’t happen again.”

“Oh, look. My boy is back.”

Trevor’s head was low as Swayback Manny moseyed up the drive.

“He needs a new horse,” Randy said, feeling sorry for Trevor.

“I know. I still have his money hid away. I saw you out with Manny. I know that horse needs to be let out to pasture. Will ya help him buy a decent horse before you go?”

“Yes, ma’am. I sure will.” She nodded and pressed her mouth down. He would get a fine horse before she left, one that wouldn’t kick stall doors down either.