Caleb: A Western tale, circa 1880's

Chapter Fifteen

Having delivered Caleb to Midland, Texas and received the reward money, the sheriff of Carter County, Montana had no real reason to hang around, but he did anyway. He penned the letter for Caleb and mailed it, then hung around to speak to the Ranger who showed up to investigate, speaking as a character witness regarding Caleb's deportment while in custody. When there was nothing else to be done, the sheriff bid Caleb farewell, prayed for his soul and left.

Feeling as if he'd lost his last friend, Caleb sat on the cell bunk and tried to pray. He was alone in the jail, alone with his thoughts. The train tracks crossed very near where Caleb had found the girl and he'd happened to be looking out the window when they passed by. Seeing the place had brought back memories Caleb had tried to suppress and they played behind his eyelids every time he closed his eyes.

Desperately, he prayed for peace that wouldn't come. Midland's marshal came with dinner that Caleb had no appetite for. Not wanting to be rude, Caleb did his best to choke it down anyway but he ended up handing the plate back only half eaten.

A knock sounded on the door. "Open," shouted the marshal to whoever was on the other side.

The door opened to reveal a thin man wearing an ecumenical collar. "Marshal, Sheriff Manley stopped in before he left for Montana, said the prisoner would appreciate a visit." He was a soft-spoken man, almost shy in his manner.

"Come right in, Reverend," the marshal invited warmly. "Whether or not he'll appreciate your visit, likely it'll do him some good."

Caleb looked up. "Reverend, I'd be sure glad for a visit. Please, pull up a chair." The marshal made himself scarce as the reverend pulled a stool over to where he could see Caleb.

"It's a bad business," the preacher said without preamble as soon as he was sure he wouldn't be overheard. "Sheriff Manley seems to think you're innocent but the judge is good friends with Miss Tucker's parents." He tugged at his collar with one finger.

"I didn't expect any different," Caleb told him soberly. "I knew I'd swing even before leaving Montana. I've been praying these last few days and I'm sure of my eternal destination, but it would do me a heap of good to have a body to talk to for a while."

The reverend nodded and stuck his hand through the bars. "I'm Reverend Stuckey."

"Caleb Waite," he replied as he shook the reverend's slim, long-fingered hand. "Under the circumstances, I'm right pleased to meet you." He sat down, cross-legged on the floor to visit with the preacher and the two of them talked until the marshal chased Reverend Stuckey out for the night. Come morning, Reverend Stuckey returned and did so for many days.

∞

As the good reverend had warned, Caleb's trial did not go well for him, despite his protestations of innocence. The girl herself was in the courtroom but stared blankly at a wall the entire time, having taken leave of her senses after the brutal attack. Caleb did a lot of praying for her, feeling the same pity as he had on the day he'd found her.

Her parents blamed Caleb despite his question of them. "If I had done this," he said aloud at one point, "then why would I have brought her to you instead of leaving her to die? I'm telling you, I found her and stopped to help!" They had no answer for that and didn't try.

Despite the crowd's opinions, the judge found Caleb guilty because he couldn't prove his innocence. Caleb was sentenced to hang and dragged from the courtroom, to be hanged from the town's scaffold the following evening. Even knowing it was to come, the verdict still hit Caleb hard.

That night and most of the next day- his last day- he sat on his bunk with his head in his hands, despair hanging heavily over him. He refused all food and water and finally knelt in front of his bunk, laying his head in his arms to hide his face. Caleb did his best to pray, to commend his soul to God, to forgive the judge for the unjust verdict but the anguish in his soul made it hard to pray.