Busted Gulch vol 6

My Brother's Killer? (baileygaines)

My Brother's Killer?

Buck left Lou's house and walked down the street;

Hands jammed in his pockets, staring down at his feet.

"I ought to have told her about my past,

But our conversation went by too fast."

Suddenly Buck turned and started back to Lou's.

He had made up his mind what he was going to do.

He would tell her about Bruce and all of his schemes;

In fact, Buck decided, he'd tell her everything.

How he and Bruce would trade places on the sly;

How Bruce would use Buck to have an alibi.

How Buck and his identity almost ceased to exist,

Until Buck told his brother that he should desist.

When he got there, he paused at the door.

Lou let him in...and kissed him! She'd never done that before.

Buck stared at her, frozen with awe.

Her kiss had left nothing in his head at all.

Lou told him of Shamus and told him of Bruce,

She told him how Buck's death would bring an uneasy truce.

Buck was still staring. "You know this...but how?"

"Bruce is tied up in my bedroom right now."

Lou mentioned a deal, but wouldn't say more.

She kissed Buck, he kissed her; then Lou walked out of the door.

Buck walked into the bedroom and found there

Brody, and Bruce, gagged and tied to a chair.

Buck and Brody talked, then Brody left the room.

He said something about meeting Lou at the saloon.

Buck looked at Bruce, and Bruce grew pale,

Then Buck marched his brother down to the jail.

He left Bruce tied up with a wanted poster that read:

"Bruce Buchanan, Wanted Alive or Dead.

Wanted for robbery, rustling, and arson,

Wanted for robbing and killing a parson."

Buck left the jail and hurried after Lou

With a sense of foreboding about what she would do.

He entered the saloon; saw Lou and Brody,

Packing and getting ready to leave.

Ignoring Brody, he embraced and kissed Lou.

And said, "Good luck, lass. I'm going tae miss you."