Deadman Ridge 2nd Edition: Joe Bell, #3

Chapter One

Dixie

A Week Earlier,

Five men and the woman rode into McCall, looking for a drink and companionship. To most people they looked like any other cowboys riding through, but these Six had something they wanted, they wanted the payroll from the Mill Workers Bank.

These were hard driven Outlaws, aged by the trail and experienced by the gun. They had a purpose for being in this little good for nothin' town. But for now, they were going to have some fun while looking around.

Max was the leader, he killed his first man at the age of 15, With his mother being a prostitute at the local brothel she always had trouble around her and one time this low life cowboy decided to cut her up because he didn't like what she said about his abilities...So he waited for the cowboy to head back to his outfit. Max ambushed him, shooting him out of the saddle. He then strung him up to a tree and put over 100 cuts all over the cowboy and as he was bleeding out he begged Max to finish him, which Max did by disemboweling him. Deciding it was high time to leave town. For several years Max robbed banks and killed a half dozen men. Finally, he felt it was time to lay low for a while and let the law forget him so he joined the Confederate Army.

Billy Ray was an educated man, he had met Max while, in the Army. He was known as Rattle Snake Ray to everyone in the outfit, because one time when they had robbed a Wells Fargo Stage he had put the drivers in with the passengers and threw in Five Diamond Back Rattlers, sitting there laughing, he shot everyone that jumped out of the stage.

Grif was a dynamite man, good to have around for safes and cell jails, but you had to watch him because he liked strapping people around the safe he was going to blow. Blew his first Man up at the tender age of 12 and he never looked back.

Martin He was a ladies' man, well at least he thought he was and if they didn't accept his passes, he just picked them up and take them around back of the saloon, having his way with them and then beating them to a pulp or killing them. He had two warrants out for him, rape and murder; he always said no witness no crime.

Dean was a gunslinger by nature, being his big brother was John Westley Hardin, so he never took any lip from anyone. Unfortunately, that made him real jumpy, so that is how he got to where he is now. Some little kid came up behind him playing and yelled Pow-POW you’re dead. Well, he never really got to your dead part because he was dead before he said it. Dean spun around and blew the top of his head off before he realized it was just some little kid playing cowboys and Indians!

Dixie was the only woman with them. She was an ex-hooker who shot up the brothel she worked at, killing a couple of cowboys that had decided to bring in all their friends and have a little fun with her after they got her high on opium. She commenced to blow the other cowboy's manhood’s off. High or not Dixie was one tough cowgirl, but she had an opium habit that made her unpredictable.

She had been in town a few days ahead of the others so she could establish herself there and not be linked to the other five. Dixie had a purpose or several actual, first one was to locate the Bank with the Northwest Mill Workers Payroll in it that came through McCall every week. Next was to find out if Joe Bell was in town. But she did better than that She found out he was getting married to a pretty young thing that even Dixie would love to get her hands on.

Dixie did not even know why Max wanted to know about Joe Bell, but whatever it was, it was personal.

Sheriff Dodson noticed the influx of rough looking cowboys in his little town but it hadn't worried him much as they seem to be keeping out of trouble, at least so far.

Dixie as she called herself seems to be the most out-of-place here.

He hadn't seen many women like that and even he was taken aback by her beauty even with it being in a wild kind of way.

But what he did notice is that she hung out at the Chinese opium houses and that wasn't a good trait.

So he'll keep an eye on her as he didn't need any trouble of that type.

Sheriff Dodson had attended the Bell wedding, more out of curiosity than respect and he wanted to see this bell clan and the woman that Joe was marrying.

That information could come in handy in the near future and Sheriff Dodson wasn't the kind of man that let facts get away from him.

Max had a room at the hotel across from the Bank and the others had bunk up at various boarding houses around town, they did not want to be seen with each other, until need be.

He had to keep an eye on Dean and Martin, they were the two most unpredictable in the group and needed a firm hand on them all the time or they would surely screw up everything they were working towards.

As Max sat there at the card table he saw Dean eying a young saloon girl. Max worried about the way Martin treated women, but Dean was nervous around them and about the only trouble Dean could get into would be the case of the stutters in front of them.

So Max relaxed a little and turned to watch Martin. Now there was a strange one, Martin had a love-hate relationship with women, he loved them, but they hated him. Max saw Martin eying a tall redhead saloon girl. He was talking her up and he knew any minute Martin would start pissing her off with his crude remarks even for a saloon girl. So he got up and moved over between Martin and the red head like he never noticed them talking.

Martin began to say something, but saw it was Max and he just smiled and told the redhead. Another Time She looked at Max and back at Martin and said Don't Count on it cowboy and she then turns to Max and asked if he would like to buy a lady a drink.

Max looked at her with contempt in his eyes and told her to get lost and she said, Oh maybe you should just buy your boyfriend here a drink, Max couldn't help himself and slapped her so hard she landed on her backside.

She got up screaming and Charged Max but Max sidestepped her, tripping her and she went sprawling onto the floor.

This time the sheriff had walked in and told her to knock it off and looked at Max and asked him what happened.

He just said we had a misunderstanding and the redhead laughed, saying that's for sure.

I guess I'm not his type and I mean female type.

Max took a step towards her and the Sheriff stepped between them and said hold on now, I'm sure she didn't mean that and I'm sure she would like to apologize to you Max turned to look at her with the vilest hateful eyes and the redhead felt a cold shiver down her back and swallowed back a sob saying: I'm sorry for your no account sorry ass ... Max finally got a grip on his temper and said. That’s good enough for me, turning he stomped out of the saloon, thinking he would let Martin have his way with her in due time... He smiled to himself thinking that was a great idea.

Chapter Two

Wedding

Mary thought, what a beautiful day to get married on! She turned back to Joe as he finished saying what the preacher told him to repeat. She listened to the words while she looked over the meadows that expanded as far as the eye could see. A slight breeze pushed past her playing with the tall grass, it felt good on her back blowing through, around her. She felt like she could fly like a bird, soaring high above the valley with the wind pushing her higher and higher....

All of a sudden it became quiet, shaking the thoughts from her head, she noticed Joe curiously watching her. She laughed and said I DO and everyone started laughing ....

Hats went flying and whoop. Heehaws sounded with everyone lifting up their mason jars full of moonshine with cheers. Joe was getting slapped on the back to the point of getting the wind knocked outta him. Everyone had to shake his hand because they couldn't believe he got married and how in the hell did he get so lucky with marrying a beautiful lady like Mary, laughing he told them he didn't believe it either.

Karen, Donna and a bunch of other local women rushed Mary off to the far corner of the garden to have a little lady talk and to give some pointers to Mary.

Now Mary Donna said. Joe can be a handful at times, but he is a good boy at heart

Mary said Oh, I got the reins on him, don't worry I'll give him just enough to let him think he's the boss. And they all started laughing.

Karen while we are talking privately what about Charlie? Mary asked, Are you two getting along?

Karen looked at Mary and said I know it's been a year since Dave died and I know I should move on but I'm not quite ready yet. And yes, Charlie is a fine man and the twins love him, but I want to make sure of my feelings before I saddle that horse.

And they all start laughing again.

Charlie walked up to Joe and said, "look at those women over there, they got me all keyed up and nervous about what they are talking about,