Moving On Chapter 13 TWO HOURS LATER Brad walked into the jail, seeing the marshal and his deputies sitting around. Vin cracked open an eye when he heard the new set of footsteps. Seeing that it was Brad, he gave no indication that he knew the man. Closing his eyes, he struggled to keep his grin from showing on his face. His friends had done it. They had come through. "Marshal Dopper?" questioned Brad, using a Texan accent. The marshal stood up and said, "That's me. Who wants to know?" Instead of giving his actual last name, Brad made one up. "My name is Brad Bodine. I'm a Texas Ranger." "Got a badge?" demanded the marshal. "Sure do, Marshal," replied Brad. Peeling back the lapel on his shirt to show an authentic-looking Ranger star, that Brad had had made a couple of years before, he asked, "Satisfied?" The marshal looked at the star for a couple of minutes, then gave a curt nod. "Looks alright to me. Now, what can I do for you, Ranger?" "Well, Marshal, I got into town last night and decided to spend a couple of days here. Then, I hear that Vin Tanner was arrested and jailed. I'm here to take him back to Texas." "He's our catch! We're takin' him back!" scowled one of the deputies. "Calm down, Ratch," said the marshal. Looking back at Brad, he said, "My deputy is right. We're taking him back. There's five hundred dollars on his head." Brad nodded. "I know, Marshal Dopper. But he killed that farmer in the state that I swore to protect. I've been looking for him for six years. I'm taking him back and if you have a problem with that, you can telegraph my superiors in Texas. Now, am I taking him or are we going to have to waste each other's time to see who has jurisdiction? Because we know that it's me." The marshal sighed with a scowl. "Fine, Ranger Bodine. When do you plan on takin' him?" "Marshal--" started Ratch. "Quiet, Ratch. The Ranger's right. He has jurisdiction with Tanner." Ratch sneered in Brad's direction but remained silent. Brad just ignored him and answered Dopper's question. "Well, since it's only noon, I figure to start on my way back to Texas now. With Tanner in tow." Dopper nodded and said, "Let him go." One of the deputies sighed and did as the marshal commanded. The jail's steel door swung open and the marshal turned to face Vin. "Out ya go, Tanner. Ranger Bodine's here to take ya back to Texas." Vin slowly stood up and walked out of the cell. Walking over to Brad, he stood in front of him. Brad pulled out a pair of manacles and snapped them around Vin's wrists. He had known when he bought the manacles that they would come in handy! After securing Vin's wrists, Brad nodded at the marshal and his deputies. "Thank you, Marshal." The marshal just gave him a sharp nod. Brad gripped Vin above his right elbow and led him out of the jailhouse to a horse. A horse that Vin recognized as Peso, his own horse. After the two men were seated on their horses, they turned left and started riding down Main Street. Inside the jail, Ratch looked at Dopper. "What ya let him go for?!" Dopper answered, "I haven't. We're going to give them a little head start, then we're all headin' out after 'em." Ratch and the other deputies looked at Dopper and they smiled as it dawned on them what Dopper was saying. Return to Moving On
Moving On
Chapter 13
TWO HOURS LATER
Brad walked into the jail, seeing the marshal and his deputies sitting around. Vin cracked open an eye when he heard the new set of footsteps. Seeing that it was Brad, he gave no indication that he knew the man. Closing his eyes, he struggled to keep his grin from showing on his face. His friends had done it. They had come through.
"Marshal Dopper?" questioned Brad, using a Texan accent.
The marshal stood up and said, "That's me. Who wants to know?"
Instead of giving his actual last name, Brad made one up. "My name is Brad Bodine. I'm a Texas Ranger."
"Got a badge?" demanded the marshal.
"Sure do, Marshal," replied Brad. Peeling back the lapel on his shirt to show an authentic-looking Ranger star, that Brad had had made a couple of years before, he asked, "Satisfied?"
The marshal looked at the star for a couple of minutes, then gave a curt nod. "Looks alright to me. Now, what can I do for you, Ranger?"
"Well, Marshal, I got into town last night and decided to spend a couple of days here. Then, I hear that Vin Tanner was arrested and jailed. I'm here to take him back to Texas."
"He's our catch! We're takin' him back!" scowled one of the deputies.
"Calm down, Ratch," said the marshal. Looking back at Brad, he said, "My deputy is right. We're taking him back. There's five hundred dollars on his head."
Brad nodded. "I know, Marshal Dopper. But he killed that farmer in the state that I swore to protect. I've been looking for him for six years. I'm taking him back and if you have a problem with that, you can telegraph my superiors in Texas. Now, am I taking him or are we going to have to waste each other's time to see who has jurisdiction? Because we know that it's me."
The marshal sighed with a scowl. "Fine, Ranger Bodine. When do you plan on takin' him?"
"Marshal--" started Ratch.
"Quiet, Ratch. The Ranger's right. He has jurisdiction with Tanner."
Ratch sneered in Brad's direction but remained silent. Brad just ignored him and answered Dopper's question. "Well, since it's only noon, I figure to start on my way back to Texas now. With Tanner in tow."
Dopper nodded and said, "Let him go." One of the deputies sighed and did as the marshal commanded. The jail's steel door swung open and the marshal turned to face Vin. "Out ya go, Tanner. Ranger Bodine's here to take ya back to Texas."
Vin slowly stood up and walked out of the cell. Walking over to Brad, he stood in front of him. Brad pulled out a pair of manacles and snapped them around Vin's wrists. He had known when he bought the manacles that they would come in handy! After securing Vin's wrists, Brad nodded at the marshal and his deputies. "Thank you, Marshal." The marshal just gave him a sharp nod.
Brad gripped Vin above his right elbow and led him out of the jailhouse to a horse. A horse that Vin recognized as Peso, his own horse. After the two men were seated on their horses, they turned left and started riding down Main Street.
Inside the jail, Ratch looked at Dopper. "What ya let him go for?!"
Dopper answered, "I haven't. We're going to give them a little head start, then we're all headin' out after 'em." Ratch and the other deputies looked at Dopper and they smiled as it dawned on them what Dopper was saying.
Return to Moving On