Doc Ch. 17

I knew that there would probably be no problems, since the other wagon was parked about three feet away from this one. But my question to Standing Bear seemed just the right thing to say, for I could see his chest swell with pride that I would think he was enough of a man to be given this responsibility.

We converted the table and benches into a bed and pulled the curtain separating our bit from the rest of the wagon, so everyone could go to bed. After we went to bed and undressed I found that my wives were very frisky and wanted a lot of lovemaking.

I swear that those girls did not know how to make love quietly. I was wondering what Moon thought of their loud lovemaking noises. Oh well, if it got too bad for her, she could always go and sleep in the other wagon.

The next morning we got up, and while I converted the booths back from being beds, the women started getting breakfast ready. Little Doe went to wake the rest of the family and Standing Bear to let them know that breakfast would soon be ready.

After breakfast, everybody seemed to go their own way. First we went into the store to have Miller place the order for us. After he totaled up everything, it came to $467.32, including shipping. It would cost us another twelve dollars to have the order telegraphed to his suppliers.

"That's a pretty big order, Clay. Are you sure you don't want to trim it a mite? How are you going to pay that much?" Miller asked.

"That's okay. I've made quite a little bit of gold in the last few weeks, plus I had quite a little bit of savings built up," I handed him six large Pokes of gold for him to weigh and to pay for everything that we had bought and ordered.

I could just see the greed in his eyes, when I laid all the gold on the counter.

He said, "Let's see... gold is selling for eighteen dollars an ounce..."

I picked gold back up and said, "Miller you're a greedy bastard, we both know the right now gold is selling for between twenty-two and twenty-five dollars an ounce. Now all you're going to pay us is $18 an ounce you can just forget the order. I'm heading over to Deadwood, next, anyway. Maybe old Johnson, the storekeeper there, would appreciate my business more. I am getting a little tired of you playing these games. We both know that you're making a big enough profit on selling these goods to us so let's quit playing games!"

"No... No... I'll match what they're paying for gold in Deadwood, and take your order," Miller pleaded.

"Okay you can have the order, but if you don't quit playing these games, I will take our business elsewhere.

About this time people started showing up to see the doctor, so it was time to go to work. I spent the rest of the day seeing patients. It was a pretty busy day. I let the people know that I should be coming through town every two to three weeks. This made people happy to know that there would be regular medical service in the area.

I stayed very busy all day, taking few breaks, and only when things would slack off. Suddenly around five o'clock a rider came through town telling everyone he saw that wild Bill Hickok had been shot and killed in Nuttal & Mann's Saloon Number Ten', while playing poker last night in Deadwood.

I was pretty shocked to hear this news, since I had first met the man only a few days ago, when he showed up at the office I had rented in the Grand Central Hotel. I cornered the man and started asking questions. I remembered a lot from my history books and from what I remembered from visiting the town of Deadwood during my 'ahead time'.

He told me, "Hickok was playing poker when Jack McCall walked up behind him and shot him in the back of the head from close range. He was holding a pretty good hand to. Two pairs: aces and eights, with the queen kicker."

"What did they do to Jack McCall? I suppose they got them locked up, huh?" I asked.

"Well, they grabbed McCall, and locked him up in a back room. Then they convened a 'miner's court', to give him a trial before they hung him. However, during the trial Jack McCall said that Hickok had killed his brother in Abilene, so they let him go, but told him to get out of town," he explained.

During all this Judge Mitchell came into the store to talk to me, and to ask what I could do about this mess.

I told him, "I'm going to head to Deadwood, first thing in the morning. I'm getting pretty tired of these miners thinking that they are the law. Jack McCall should have been held for a real trial, and then probably hung for the cowardly way that he shot Hickok from behind. I'm not sure if I can catch him, but if I can, I'll bring him to you for a real trial."

I then turned to the man that brought the message and ask if he had any idea where McCall may be headed?

"I think he said something about headed for Fort Laramie," he said.

This corresponded with what I remembered from history. Jack McCall was going to Fort Laramie and bragging about being the man that killed wild Bill Hickok. After angering the people there he was arrested, retried and hung for the murder of wild Bill Hickok.

I turned to the judge, and said we need to telegraph Fort Laramie. We needed to let them know what had happened, and that Jack McCall was headed their way. That could end up saving me a hundred and fifty mile ride.

I didn't realize it would affect me so hard. I got to thinking. Normally, Hickok sat with his back to the wall, to prevent someone from back shooting him. I was wondering if the news I had given him about his disease, the eventual blindness, and the madness, might have caused him to sit where someone could come up behind him and shoot him in the back?

I sat there thinking about this for most of the evening. I told my wives that we would be heading for Deadwood, first thing in the morning.

It was soon time to go to bed with my lovelies. After we went to bed, my ladies knew that something was weighing heavily on my mind. The last thing I felt like doing was making love, and they sensed that.

They just held me until I drifted off to sleep.

Edited By TeNderLoin