Loaded Guns and Broken Fences [On Hold]

Chapter 15

Tom met Euell's gaze and held it the whole time he listened to the lawman speak. Once he had finished, Tom took in a deep breath. His hands were trembling, so he griped the fabric of his pants with them.

"One of the McGraths had gotten hurt.. pretty bad," he started. "Him an another boy went for the river. Me, Ben, an Wade had caught up ta them in a clearing.." The blonde's gaze dropped to his lap at this point, guilt weighing heavily on him.

"Wade was really angry at one of the McGraths.. Bran, the boy he an the rest of em roughed up a few days back. He was yellin at him, an.. he meant to kill Bran. His iron was on em'."

He closed his eyes for a moment, a silent prayer that somehow things would work out, and his father wouldn't kill him if he somehow didn't find himself at the end of a rope. "I shot him, Sir," he stated softly as he opened his eyes, though he didn't look back up at the Sheriff. "One of the McGraths shot...they shot Ben in my defense," Tom finished, his voice wavering.

Euell took a deep breath, his head shaking a bit as Tom ended his account. "I admire ya honesty..." the Sheriff said gently. "But ya know I gotta take ya in to custody. If you know the names of the ones who shot Chad McGrath and Ben, I'll be need'n ta arrest them as well."

He explained it all with regret but letting any of them off with just a warning for killing another man would only breed more killing in the future. Tom might be able to get off on self-defense, it just all depended on the judge and jury, but he'd get an honest trial if Euell had any hand in it. At least he'd be safe in his custody, where Robert and Horace couldn't get at him for the time being.

Part of Tom deeply wished he'd withheld the truth... had just spun a lie about them shooting each other and left the lawman to do what he could with a whole lot of nothing. He may very well have just condemned himself along with the boy who saved his hide to death, and he felt weak.

At that moment he was grateful for being in a chair and not on his feet. "I dun know his name.. he was bout my height an age, I guess..." Tom said, sounding quite dejected, but not moving an inch.

Since Atwell concluded that the shooter wasn't Bran or Allen McGrath, that left only one more McGrath boy that fit Tom's description, ...Henry. That, along with Robert's own damning statement from yesterday evening gave him just enough evidence to start making arrests.

After he'd finished the paperwork and shown Tom to a cell, he stepped outside to look for his deputy.

Clarence wasn't far away, and both Robert and Horace seemed eager to hear what the Sheriff had learned. The deputy made his way back towards the office when he saw Euell on the porch, the other two hot on his back trail.

"What's the word, Sheriff?" Clarence asked, puffing out a plume of smoke.

"Can I get my boy home now?" Horace added, sounding hopeful that the day's events were done.

"I'm afraid not, Horace," the Sheriff replied before turning to Clarence. "I'm heading up to the McGrath Farm to make an arrest, you mind booking Robert for me while I'm out?" Again, Euell wasn't really leaving it up for discussion. He was already heading towards his roan.

"Goddammit, Sheriff, I got every right to defend my land how I see fit!" Robert roared, shaking his fist as he went to follow Euell, stopped only by the firm grip of his brother's hand on his upper arm.

"Rob, 'cmon, now, this'll only be fer the sake a' protocol. Charges ain't gonna stick." Clarence reassured the enraged Shield, as he ushered him back towards the office.

Horace caught Atwell as he was cinching his saddle. "How long you gonna be needin him, then?" Birch asked, seeming fearful of what the Sheriff would say.

Euell turned, an apologetic look settling on his features. "I'll see your boy gets a fair trial, Horace." With that, he placed his hat on his head and mounted his gelding before starting the long ride to the McGrath farm.

The panic in Horace's face quickly turned into a stern stoic stare as he made his way back inside the office.

"What did you do?" he questioned firmly, gripping the bars of the cell as he eyed his son intently.

Tom looked akin to a pup expecting to get a boot in the gut. He couldn't tell his father what he'd done. His lips parted, but nothing fell out. It didn't make any sense to Horace. His oldest son and one of his best friend's boys were dead. Why was Tom being held? Why would he need to be assured of a fair trial?

Clarence eased himself against Euell's desk. "Might go home an tell Molly he'll be here for a bit. "I'll send ya word of what's goin on as soon as I know it, Horace," the deputy suggested.

The longer Tom held his tongue, the more upset Horace was getting, before finally he conceded.

"See that you do that." Without another word, Horace left, and Tom truly felt abandoned, a product of his own sin and stupidity, as he understood it.

***

When Euell rode into the yard, Celly and her eldest daughters Marry and Cordelia were there hanging laundry.

"Mornin, Euell," Celly greeted, walking over as Euell dismounted.

"Mornin, Ma'am," He returned, his tone making the smile on her features falter a moment.

"Joseph's out with the herd, would ya like something ta drink while ya wait?" she covered, trying not to let his stern look worry her more than it already was.

"No need. I'm here for Henry," he replied, sending Celly into a full panic.

"Why?" Mary, who'd made her way over, wondered aloud. Euell rubbed a hand over his face and sighed before looking back to Celly again.

"Have a witness that says he killed Ben Birch..." He replied reluctantly, and Celly shook her head furiously.

"No!... No, he ain't done nothing but defend his family and his life!" Celly protested.

"I get that, and he'll have his day in court...but I have ta take him in fer now," Atwell insisted as gently as he could.

When Euell put the cuffs on Henry, Mary had to help her mother stay standing as they left the yard.

"Cordelia....you go find yer Paw..." Celly managed to stammer out in a stern tone, while her shaking hands dried her eyes. The girls had no business seeing her tears. Cordelia nodded and trotted off quickly.

***

When Atwell returned with Henry McGrath, Robert jumped to his feet from where he'd been sitting on the small bench in his cell.

"That the sidewinder that killed my boy?" He questioned, his voice gruff with a loosely contained rage.

"I ain't kill yer sorry excuse fer a son," Henry retorted quickly as Euell walked him past the other two, into an empty cell. "But I'm glad he's ded, lot less ta worry about," Henry added, as Euell took off the cuffs, and shut the barred door, locking it.

"Don't stir the pot, boy ... yer families don't need any more bad blood," Euell warned, as he stepped back to his desk.

"If I had half an arm's reach more, I'd strangle you with my own two hands," Robert spat.