Confessions of a Gunfighter Read Online Free PDF Page B

eleven
     
     
    I rode back towards the wagons, and the first wagon I passed was the Jones’ wagon.
    Jones was sitting in the seat, and he gave me a sour look.
    “Did you kill Benson?” He demanded to know.
    “I did.”
    Jones scowled.
    “You must think that you’re really something now.”
    “No,” I replied curtly. “I only did what I had to do.”
    “You messed things up, boy. You’ll pay for that.”
    I didn’t understand what he meant, and I wasn’t in the mood to ask. So, I didn’t reply as I rode on.
    I heard Mrs. Day calling out to me. I rode over to her wagon, and she asked me where Pa was.
    “He’s dead, and so is Elliot,” I told her. “And, I just killed Tom Benson.”
    “Oh no, Rondo!” She exclaimed, and her face filled with worry. “You’re so young!”
    “Yes, ma’am,” I agreed. “But I’m not sorry I did it. Pa and Elliot are dead because of Benson.”
    Mrs. Day was shocked and upset.
    “I can’t believe it,” she kept saying. “I just can’t believe it!”
    “Mrs. Day, Pa said if anything was to happen that I was to join up with you,” I said suddenly. “You reckon that’d be all right?”
    “Of course you can, Rondo,” Mrs. Day said replied. “You’re too young to be out on your own.”
    So that’s how it was. I tied Slim to the back of the wagon, and then I climbed up onto the seat and took the reins from Mrs. Day. 
    “I’ll earn my keep too,” I told her. “I’m a good shot, and I can hunt for us if you’d like.”
    “That sounds fine,” Mrs. Day said. “We’ll get along, you and me. I’m glad to have the company.”
    “It’s what Pa wanted,” I replied.
    Folks from the wagon train were digging a grave for Benson, but I didn’t help none.
    Mrs. Day wanted to know what had happened. So, I sat there and told Mrs. Day everything, ’cept I left out the part about Pa and Elliot being scalped and about how I cried both nights.
    Mrs. Day listened real close, and afterwards she shook her head sadly.
    “I just knew something bad had happened after ya’ll didn’t show up yesterday,” she said. “I asked Benson about it, but he just shrugged and said he reckoned that ya’ll must have gone on to Midway. But I knew better, ’cause your Pa would have said something to me. I tried hard to tell everybody that, but nobody would listen.”
    Mrs. Day had tears in her eyes. I tried to think of something comforting to say, but I couldn’t come up with anything.   
    Soon they were through burying Benson.
    As folks returned to their wagons I caught a few disapproving looks. In fact, a few of them even looked downright hateful.
    We made a few more miles before we camped.
    I was near starved, but I didn’t say anything. I figured we would eat soon after we stopped.
    Nobody but Mrs. Day said anything to me, and I got the feeling that everybody was taking a real big disliking to me. But that didn’t bother me, for I was used to that.
    Mrs. Day felt it too, and she suggested that it might be a good idea if I stayed close to the wagon after we made camp. I agreed with her.
    I wanted to show Mrs. Day that I was worth having around, so I made myself real busy when we finally did stop. 
    Mrs. Day started a fire, and while she cooked supper I unsaddled and picketed Slim and Mrs. Day’s team of horses.
    Soon as supper was ready, we sat around the campfire and ate. Mrs. Day was a fine cook, and it was the best meal I’d had in days.
    We finished supper, and then Mrs. Day brought me some blankets. 
    “You look tired, Rondo. Why don’t you get some sleep? You can bed down under the wagon if you want.”
    “Thanks, I reckon I am pretty near done in,” I told her as I gratefully took the blankets.
    I bedded down, and soon as my head hit the ground I was sleeping hard. But, it seemed like no time at all when I suddenly felt Mrs. Day a-shaking me severely. 
    “Wake up, Rondo, quick !”
    I opened my eyes and saw that it was still dark. 
    “Yes, ma’am? What is