Ellie’s father shook his head. “All I saw was the one called Alvin.”
Ellie nodded. “Grant and Alvin are brothers.” She looked back at Carter. “There wasn’t anybody else here.”
Ellie’s father stretched his legs in front of him. “But the one called Alvin talked about ‘the boys.’ Apparently, part of their gang headed west of town to throw off the trackers.”
Carter helped Mr. Briggs stand. He wasn’t exactly steady. “Do you think you can walk to the horses?”
“I believe so.”
Carter held on to him as they walked.
Ellie supported her father on the other side but glanced at Carter. “Where are Grant and his brother?”
He hated to tell her, but he had no choice. “Dead. Theysaw us and started shooting. We returned fire. They didn’t survive. Come on. Let me take you both home.”
“You guys all right in there?” Wilbur was at the door, then came in to take hold of Mr. Briggs. “Let me help him.”
Carter moved next to Ellie and put his arm around her shoulders.
Wilbur looked over his shoulder at them—and grinned at the sight of Carter holding on to Ellie.
She pulled away. “We’re fine. God was watching over us.”
Carter motioned to Wilbur. “I think it would be best if you get Ellie to her horse, andI’llhelp Mr. Briggs.” Miracle of miracles, Ellie didn’t protest. She just moved ahead of Wilbur and out of the cabin.
Good. Carter looked at Mr. Briggs and smiled. “I wonder if I can ask you something important? I realize it might seem like poor timing, but given the events of the night, I want to say this before anything else happens.”
Mr. Briggs’s smile was broad. He patted Carter’s arm. “You want to marry my daughter, don’t you?”
24
SATURDAY, JULY9, 1904
Days later, Ellie and her father sat in the Ashburys’ large sitting room reiterating all that they had experienced to Marshal Shelton and the mayor. Father seemed no worse for the wear. Even so, Ellie never wanted to have an “adventure” like that again.
“We tracked the rest of them to the west and then back to town.” Marshal Shelton leaned back in his chair. “One of them had a lame horse and had to walk the last mile or so. I tracked him right to the place where he lived with his folks. It was Jimmy Hutchins.”
“Jimmy?” The Judge frowned. “I’ve had him in my court a couple of times on petty thefts, but that was when he was just twelve or thirteen. I’d hoped since I hadn’t seen him in years that maybe he got in with the right bunch and was doing better.”
The sadness in the Judge’s voice touched Ellie. If only the young man had realized he had such a wonderful friend in his corner, how different his life might have been.
The marshal shrugged. “He’s not a bad fella, but easily influenced. I told him it would go better on him if he’d say who else was involved. His father demanded he do so, and Jimmy told me the whole story.”
“So they really thought they could change James Hill’s decision on the railroad by taking his son?” Marvella gave a little huff and shook her head. “Madness!”
Sir Theophilus perked his ears at this and gave a yip.
Ellie laughed. Sir Theophilus was as determined to put in his two cents as his mistress was.
Father put down his cup of coffee. “I think their fears just got the better of them.”
That he could be so understanding of those who had treated him so ill was wonderful. He’d softened in so many ways since coming to faith in God. Ellie didn’t even try to hide her pride in him.
Father’s tone was gentle as he went on. “When faced with losing their livelihoods and having to move away, they grew desperate to find another answer.”
“Breaking the law is never the answer.” The marshal crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve rounded everybody up and put them in jail. It was Alvin Wallace who hit Louis Hill over the head. A man named Clarence Woodbury hit you, Mr. Briggs. He’s no older than Jimmy. Just eighteen. Never been in trouble before and cried when he told me what he’d done. Asked if you were all right.”
“I don’t want to press charges against anyone,” Father told them. “Especially given it’s the boy’s first offense.”
