Cole's Redemption (Love Amongst the Pines) (2 page)

             
The judge coughed. "You realize, Mr.
Remmington
, that even though Whispering Pines is a mining town, and we may not possess even a courthouse, this is still recognized as a court of law? That I now hold judgment over this town and county, powers given to me by the great state of South Dakota?"

             
"Yes, sir."

             
"And by such, since you profess your guilt in this matter and wave a trial decision from a fair and impartial jury, that should I deem to do so, I can order you to be imprisoned for an undetermined amount of time or even executed as I see fit?"

             
"Yes, sir, I understand."

             
"All right. What defense do you offer this court on your behalf?"

             
"None," Cole answered quietly, his voice the only sound that penetrated the silence of the room. A few quiet gasps followed his admission, but no one dared to speak.

             
"I see." Judge turned to the Sheriff. "Bill, are there witnesses to the crime this man's accused of?" He examined one of the papers before him.
             

"The killing
of one Jared Greene?" 

             
The Sheriff stepped up to the table. "Yes, your honor. Most everyone cleared out of the saloon when the young gunslinger there threatened Mr. Greene, except for these two fellows, who were playing cards with the dead man. They claim to have witnessed the entire exchange."

             
The judge scrutinized Cole once again. "Let's hear their testimony."

             
The two men stood up and approached the bench.

             
"Okay, you first." Judge pointed to one of the men. "What's your name and where do you reside?"

             
"Collins, sir, Calvin Collins. I hail from Texas."

             
"You witnessed the altercation between the defendant and Mr. Greene?"

             
"Yes, sir, it was
him
, all right. He pointed that revolver right at Jared and said he was
gonna
kill him." Collins shifted slightly. "I never seen anybody shot in cold blood, just like that."

             
"What did Mr. Greene do after Mr.
Remmington
threatened him?"

             
"Why he stood up, right quick-like. He told that sod-buster that he could try if he wanted to, but that he'd be
fulla
' lead if he did."

             
"And that's when Mr.
Remmington
shot him?"

             
"No, sir. He jumped on him first. The two took to
wrestlin
' around on the floor, and when he had poor Jared pinned down, he just shot him dead, right
there
before God and everybody."

             
The judge turned to Cole. "That a true account, Mr.
Remmington
?"

             
Cole shot a glance at Collins. The other man coughed and cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. That's how it happened."

             
Cummings turned to the second man. "What about you, sir? For the record, state your name and where you live."

             
"Name's Jim
Drubin
. I'm from Texas, too. We came up here for a gold strike."

             
"Mr.
Drubin
, do you agree with Mr. Collins' testimony about what happened last night?"

             
"Yes sir,"
Drubin
answered. "Exactly as Cal told it."

             
"Thank you, gentleman. Please take your seats." Judge turned to the accused. "Mr.
Remmington
, please approach the bench."

             
Cole stepped forward to face the judge.

             
"Son, are you sure there isn't something to this story you're not telling? I mean, a man walks into a busy saloon on a Saturday night and cold-bloodedly shoots another man to death. Were you acquainted with Mr. Greene before the incident?"

             
Despite the lawman's measured words, Cole remained silent.

             
"Mr.
Remmington
, I suggest you answer the question." The judge's voice hardened. "I could hold you in contempt of court."

Cole remained silent and unmoving.

             
"So, it's going to be that way, is it? Sir, I'm giving you fair warning. You are on the very edge of my patience. Did you or did you not know Mr. Greene prior to your killing him?"

             
"No," Cole stated in a low, quiet voice. The sound of that single word snapped around the room, like the trap door of the gallows springing open.

A collective gasp flew across the saloon. Everyone spoke at once, and the finely held order slipped into chaos.

             
It was a few moments before the voices died down, and the irate official stopped hammering on the tabletop. "Another outburst like that, and I will empty this room!"

             
Only the sounds of a few scattered whispers could be heard when the judge laid down his gavel. He turned back to the prisoner.

             
"Mr.
Remmington
, you are admitting to a most heinous crime."

             
"Yes, sir, I am."

             
Clements stepped up to the table. He nodded at
Remmington
as he handed Cummings a stack of yellowed papers.

             
No one moved as the dark robed figure carefully read the missives.

             
"According to these documents, you're wanted in connection with three other incidents. Two of them ended in men dying, and the third involves the robbing and burning of a camp where two others died--a child and a young woman. You have anything to say about that?"

             
"I killed both of those men. I was staying at the camp when it was attacked. I had nothing to do with the robbery, the other killings, or the fire."

             
"It looks as though the matter might need to be investigated a bit more..." Cummings stated.

             
Remmington
stepped forward, slamming his hands on the councilor's table.

             
"I killed those men, the same way I shot Greene last night. That's all you need to investigate!"

             
For a few tense moments, Cole locked his gaze with the judge's. The older man didn't flinch or look away. Suddenly, Cole snapped his eyes shut in defeat. The lawman only stared at him a second longer before speaking.

             
"There is no reason for me to go on with a trial if you're determined to get yourself hung anyway. I hereby order that you be executed for the murder of Jared Greene. This order shall be carried out on Friday next, the thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and ninety-three." He slammed the gavel down three times. Sheriff Watkins directed his men to take custody of the prisoner.

             
Before leaving,
Remmington
leaned forward and spoke in a low tone.

As Cole was being led out, he heard Clements ask the judge, "What did he just say to you?"

             
Cummings met Cole's eyes one final time, his brow knotted slightly.
             
"Damnedest thing. He said, 'thank you'."

             
"Well, little girl, just
lookie
what's
goin
' on! You didn't tell me we was having another hanging."

             
Natty Lane, sole proprietor of the Denton Lane Silver Mine, stood along the edge of the crowd, stretching on tiptoes, and trying to see the spectacle that was gathering at the foot of the gallows.

             
"Yeah, I did, Dermott. I've told you every day for a week. Remember the trial we went to last Monday? And then we talked about how we were going to ride into town and fetch us a man to help around the place?" She squinted against the early morning sun and stared at the newly built gallows.

             
"
Naw
, I distinctly remember you telling me we was
gonna
get us some salt water taffy. I love salt water taffy."

             
"Sure you do,
Derm
. I'll get your candy, right after I take care of business." For a moment, she craned her neck, deciding the best way to navigate around the mass of people crowded at the farthest end of Main Street.

             
"You stay here,
Derm
. I've got to talk to the Sheriff."

             
Seeing Sheriff Watkins hauling out the prisoner, she hesitated. The outlaw didn't look scared, cowed, or even guilty. In spite of his predicament, the drifter held his head high, almost daring the crowd to oppose him. He looked defiant. Damned defiant.

             
"Sheriff, I need to talk to you," she lurched forward before her bravado slipped completely away.

             
"Natty, I'm real busy right now. Come on over to the office when we're done here. Has Lester
Biggins
been bothering you again?"

             
"Uh, no sir. Not since he accused Dermott of setting his outhouse on fire last month. I wanted to talk to you about today's hanging."

             
The prisoner glanced briefly at her. His deep, hazel gaze instantly stung Natty. A hot flush rose up her neck and nearly took her breath away. It took two quick swallows to get her mind back on track.

             
"What about the hanging?"

             
"Well, I...um, I want to buy the condemned man." There. She'd said it.

             
The Sheriff looked at her with a stunned expression. "You
wanna
do what? Girl, do you know what you're saying?"

             
"I do. My ma told me she read about how some widowed women in Oklahoma needed men to help with their farms, but there wasn't any. They were allowed to pick ones that were sentenced to hang and marry them. So, she'd decided to do the same to get us some help with the mine. But then Ma got sick so quick and the fever took her. I've got to do something. Last year, we almost died cause the winter was so bad."

             
"Now, Nat.
Don't
be foolish.
A girl as pretty as you can get any buck around here.
How old are you? I heard you turned eighteen last fall. You should be married by now, anyhow.
And everybody 'round here loves ole' Dermott.
You won't have any problem getting someone to take care of him if your new husband won't."

             
Natty chewed her bottom lip. "I
ain't
courting any of the boys from around here. Three of '
em
came to my doorstep last spring. Not one of them cared a whit about the mine. Then there was that Bob Devlin. His poor wife died in childbirth less than a year ago. He doesn't want another wife, just someone to take care of his young'uns and clean his house. He
ain't
interested in mining silver."

             
"Could be you didn't give any of those fellas a chance to court you right. You've still got plenty of time to pick one. I think that Hansen boy is pretty upright. If my Lizzie wasn't already engaged to Taylor Jones, I'd have picked him right up front."

             
"I
ain't
marrying anybody but who I want." She pointed at the prisoner. "I want him."

             
"Natty, think about this. How are you going to get the money? You
ain't
buying a horse, you know."

             
"No, a horse would cost more. I mean to pay with this." She held out the pure gold band that had been her mother's wedding ring.

             
"Aw, Natty," the lawman muttered.

             
"It's my most precious possession and it's barely been worn. My Pa won it in a poker game in San Francisco when he met my Ma."

             
The Sheriff took the ring and eyed it carefully. "Are you sure, Nat? I mean
,
this is an awful nice ring."