To The Gallows

Chapter Two: One Last Time

Josiah stood gazing at the lawman and his deputies. He knew exactly who this lawman was; he was an old friend from his days in the bounty hunting business. That was a life he had left behind, for good reasons."Hello Dwight. Been a long time huh?" He greeted,"Hello Josiah. It has been a minute." The lawman replied with a smile. The two shook hands as if it were only yesterday the lawman stood with a wide brimmed hat and a Remington strapped to his hip. His name was Dwight Hicks. Dwight had his deputies lower their weapons, and with a pat on the back Josiah led him into the cabin

The two sat at the dinner table as Josiah poured them each a cup of coffee, a look of hesitation was on Dwight's face. Whatever he came for, Josiah was sure that it wasn't a social call. "So, what brings you up this way?" Josiah asked,
"Well...I know you've given up your past life. But, he's back Jos." Josiah raised his eyes with a look of horror. He knew exactly who he was speaking of: Raymond "Schofield" Sawyer. He had been the one he was hunting all those years ago until their paths crossed in Devil's Crosswalk. "I understood it that I killed him." Josiah said sternly, the last time he'd seen Sawyer was when he put two balls in his chest from his Colt. "That's what I thought as well." Dwight replied with a disheartened look on his face
"But apparently he's been riding all over the territory, as well as Colorado and Nebraska." Josiah straightened in his chair
"So what do you want with me?"
"I need you to help me hunt him. No one knows him better than you do." Josiah leaned back and sighed heavily, he wanted nothing more than to see him dead. But after what happened..."I can't..I'm sorry." Josiah said somberly
"No?! This is a chance to see him swing Jos!" Dwight said almost yelling
"Dwight, after what happened in Devil's Crosswalk..I cant live with that mistake a second time." Dwight gathered up his hat and made his way toward the door. He stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder
"Look Jos, I know you're a buffalo hunter now and don't want any part of this..but if you change your mind there is a reward for bringing him in alive."
"What's the reward?" Josiah asked curiously
"Twelve thousand dollars and you get to hear his neck snap. Knowing for sure that he's dead this time."
Josiah sat in his chair pondering for a moment with that kind of money he could hire a couple of skinners and maybe make some improvements around the cabin. "Alright, I'll do it. But don't think I'm going back to what I did before. I'm doing this type of work one last time." Josiah said sternly, Dwight smiled and nodded his head in understanding. Josiah stood from the table and proceeded to his bedroom, he grabbed his gun belt from the bedpost and wrapped it around his waist. Running his hand over the cylinder he checked to make sure it was loaded and that the sights were on point. After holstering his Colt, he grabbed his rifle from the rack above the fireplace and placed it in the scabbard on his back and placed some cartridges in his bandolier.  Then turning to face Dwight he uttered "let's make sure he dies this time."

The two men exited the cabin with Josiah mounting Thaddeus, mentally he was trying to prepare for what might come ahead. There was only one way it was going to end: either he would die or Sawyer would. Dwight's deputies mounted their horses and the four of them headed down the trail toward the prairie, as Josiah looked off in the distance he could see a herd of buffalo grazing peacefully; not a care in the world. "So Dwight, where do we start?"
Dwight wiped some sweat from his forehead then returned his hat to his head
"Well, the last place 'Schofield' was seen was the town of Johnson, east of here. So I figure we go down there and take a look around."
The four men rode on toward Johnson, making their way through a forest with trees so tall that they seemed to ascend to the heaven's. Josiah was lost in thought about the life he had once lived and how ruthless he was. He had become a bounty hunter in his late twenties after a scrape outside the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas. It had started after a poker game grew heated and he was challenged by a drunk, the drunk demanded he come outside with a pistol and being quick tempered he was quick to oblige. That day he discovered he was naturally fast with a gun, and as he tracked down bounties he also discovered he favored the Springfield rifle for its potent power and accuracy.  "Jos."
Josiah heard Dwight say his name and ceased his reminiscing
"We're here. Hitch your horse and have a look around." Dwight said as he climbed down from his saddle. Josiah followed suit hitching his horse to the post and giving him a pat on the mane as well as words of affirmation. Josiah looked around at the town that was Johnson, Wyoming. It was a small town with few shops save for a general store and a gunsmith, there was a saloon on the street corner that had a man stumbling out drunk as a skunk.
"That's as good a place as any to start." He thought with a smirk. He made his way toward the swinging doors and pushed them open almost knocking down a patron who had stumbled into his path. After apologizing he edged to the bar and got the barkeeper's attention"Howdy pard, what can I getcha?" He asked twirling his big mustache "I wouldn't mind a shot of whiskey." Josiah replied, the bar keeper sat a shot glass on the table and poured. Josiah knocked it back with a slight cringe, it had been a good few years since he tasted whiskey. "Anything else I can getcha mister?" The barkeeper inquired, "Actually I was hoping you could help me, I'm looking for an old friend of mine. Raymond Sawyer, sometimes goes by the nickname Schofield." The barkeeper looked off pondering for a moment,"Sorry that don't bring anyone to mind."
"You sure?"Josiah asked,
"Who wants to know?"Josiah looked beside him to see a burly man in a coonskin cap. Josiah turned to face him
"I do. Friend"
The burly man snorted at Josiah with a look of disdain that could've burned a hole in him
"I ain't your friend. You a lawman?"
"As a matter of fact I am." Josiah replied, "Sawyer is wanted for not only robbery but also murder, so..do you happen to know where that snake has slithered off to?"
The burly man straightened up and revealed his pistol on his hip, "You should get going before you get hurt. Sawyer's done made a deal with this town, and we don't take kindly to outsiders."
Josiah's hand edged toward his Colt, fingers at the ready to draw. Suddenly, a Remington was pointed at the man's head with the hammer cocked. Dwight stood with a steely eyed and serious glare, some of the patrons drew their guns Dwight's deputies aimed their Winchester's at patrons yelling for them to drop their guns, the bartender ducked behind the counter in a panic.
"Easy there fella." Dwight said as his trigger finger twitched
"Tell us where Sawyer rode off to, and we'll be on our way. Nobody's gotta die."
The burly man's hand still hovered over his pistol shaking uncontrollably
"You won't shoot me mister. Not with all these guns in here." He gloated,
"You're right. They could kill me and my friends here that wouldn't be a problem. But, before they do I'm taking you with me. Then my friends here'll take a good chunk of them unless you tell us where Sawyer is."
The man lowered his hand and turned to face Dwight
"He was here two days ago. He came through to remount. Last I saw him he was headed north toward Montana, I think he mentioned a town called Roundup."
Dwight uncocked  the hammer on his Remington and placed it into his holster, the bar's patron's followed suit. The burly man then paid for his drink and walked out the door, Josiah breathed a sigh of relief and braved himself against the counter.
"What exactly would have been the plan if they'd started shootin?!" He asked frantically
"We woulda made for the horses." Dwight responded, Josiah paid for his shot and made his way out of the saloon climbing into his saddle.
"Well boys looks like we're riding into Montana. It's a long ride, we better get going." Dwight stated the group rode toward the edge of town heading toward Roundup and possibly to a confrontation with Schofield Sawyer...