who the other man was.
As he lifted the last sack onto the pile, he turned to see his father entering the barn along with Elkton’s town marshal, Mike Woodard.
His heart leaped in his chest.
There was anger on William Shaw’s face, but he held it and let the marshal speak.
“Jordan,” said Woodard in a tight voice, “I’m arresting you for breaking the window in George Crum’s store.”
Jordan swallowed hard. Keeping his voice calm, he said, “Marshal, Mr. Crum prodded me into it. Lester started the trouble by saying insulting things about Knight Colburn. Knight is my best friend. Mr. Crum made it worse by also insulting Knight’s widowed mother and dead father. I was just—”
“That was no cause to break his window,” said Woodard.
Jordan looked to his father. “Papa, you can’t let him arrest me. I couldn’t just stand there and let those two talk that way. I had to—”
“Jordan,” William said levelly, “this is the second time you have done something like this in two weeks. I paid Ben Slayton for the hardware store window, and I made bail for you so you wouldn’t have to do time in jail. But this time you’re going to pay George Crum for the window out of your own money, and you’re going to do your time in jail. Maybe it’ll help you learn to control that flinty temper of yours. You shouldn’t have let what Lester and Georgesaid about the Colburns cause you to throw a rock through their window.”
Jordan’s countenance fell.
“I’m going to keep you behind bars for fourteen days, Jordan,” said the marshal. “I hope it’ll teach you how wrong you were to destroy Mr. Crum’s property.”
Tears misted Jordan’s eyes. “Papa, please. Please reason with him. I don’t want to go to jail. Please, help me.”
William’s features were stony. “I warned you last time not to ever do anything like that again. Since you didn’t listen, it’ll do you good to spend two weeks behind bars.” A scowl creased his face. “You’re a shame to this family!”
Jordan looked away from his father’s blazing eyes.
Woodard took hold of the boy’s arm. “Let’s go, Jordan.”
William was still glaring heatedly at his son as the marshal took him out of the barn. When they drew up to the marshal’s horse, Woodard said, “Climb up in the saddle. I’ll sit behind you.”
Feeling sick inside, Jordan obeyed, and the marshal swung up, reached around him, took the reins, and put the horse to a trot.
As they rode away, Jordan looked back to see his father standing with arms folded across his chest, still glaring at him.
J ORDAN S HAW HAD BEEN IN HIS CELL for less than an hour when he heard the office door that led to the cell block open, followed by footsteps coming down the narrow hallway. He was sitting on the canvas cot, looking at Willie Beemer in the cell next to him. Willie, who was the infamous town drunk, was known to spend a great deal of time in Elkton’s jail for trouble he caused when he had spent too much time at one of the saloons. He was sleeping soundly. The other four cells were unoccupied.
When the door opened, Jordan’s attention was drawn that direction. He stood up when he saw who it was. Moving to the bars, he managed a weak smile. “Knight! It’s good to see you.”
Drawing up to the cell door, Knight said, “Since there isn’t any school today because the teachers are having that special meeting, Mom sent me into town to buy some things at the general store. I ran into Bessie Higgins there, and she told me she saw Marshal Woodard bringing you into town on his horse, and that he took you into the office.”
Jordan’s brow furrowed. “You didn’t hear about it on the ranch?”
“No. Anyway, as soon as Bessie told me you were here, I came over. I’ll have to get Mom’s groceries later. Marshal Woodard told me about you breaking George Crum’s window and why. He said I could come back and see you. Jordan, I appreciate your standing by me when Lester spoke
As he lifted the last sack onto the pile, he turned to see his father entering the barn along with Elkton’s town marshal, Mike Woodard.
His heart leaped in his chest.
There was anger on William Shaw’s face, but he held it and let the marshal speak.
“Jordan,” said Woodard in a tight voice, “I’m arresting you for breaking the window in George Crum’s store.”
Jordan swallowed hard. Keeping his voice calm, he said, “Marshal, Mr. Crum prodded me into it. Lester started the trouble by saying insulting things about Knight Colburn. Knight is my best friend. Mr. Crum made it worse by also insulting Knight’s widowed mother and dead father. I was just—”
“That was no cause to break his window,” said Woodard.
Jordan looked to his father. “Papa, you can’t let him arrest me. I couldn’t just stand there and let those two talk that way. I had to—”
“Jordan,” William said levelly, “this is the second time you have done something like this in two weeks. I paid Ben Slayton for the hardware store window, and I made bail for you so you wouldn’t have to do time in jail. But this time you’re going to pay George Crum for the window out of your own money, and you’re going to do your time in jail. Maybe it’ll help you learn to control that flinty temper of yours. You shouldn’t have let what Lester and Georgesaid about the Colburns cause you to throw a rock through their window.”
Jordan’s countenance fell.
“I’m going to keep you behind bars for fourteen days, Jordan,” said the marshal. “I hope it’ll teach you how wrong you were to destroy Mr. Crum’s property.”
Tears misted Jordan’s eyes. “Papa, please. Please reason with him. I don’t want to go to jail. Please, help me.”
William’s features were stony. “I warned you last time not to ever do anything like that again. Since you didn’t listen, it’ll do you good to spend two weeks behind bars.” A scowl creased his face. “You’re a shame to this family!”
Jordan looked away from his father’s blazing eyes.
Woodard took hold of the boy’s arm. “Let’s go, Jordan.”
William was still glaring heatedly at his son as the marshal took him out of the barn. When they drew up to the marshal’s horse, Woodard said, “Climb up in the saddle. I’ll sit behind you.”
Feeling sick inside, Jordan obeyed, and the marshal swung up, reached around him, took the reins, and put the horse to a trot.
As they rode away, Jordan looked back to see his father standing with arms folded across his chest, still glaring at him.
J ORDAN S HAW HAD BEEN IN HIS CELL for less than an hour when he heard the office door that led to the cell block open, followed by footsteps coming down the narrow hallway. He was sitting on the canvas cot, looking at Willie Beemer in the cell next to him. Willie, who was the infamous town drunk, was known to spend a great deal of time in Elkton’s jail for trouble he caused when he had spent too much time at one of the saloons. He was sleeping soundly. The other four cells were unoccupied.
When the door opened, Jordan’s attention was drawn that direction. He stood up when he saw who it was. Moving to the bars, he managed a weak smile. “Knight! It’s good to see you.”
Drawing up to the cell door, Knight said, “Since there isn’t any school today because the teachers are having that special meeting, Mom sent me into town to buy some things at the general store. I ran into Bessie Higgins there, and she told me she saw Marshal Woodard bringing you into town on his horse, and that he took you into the office.”
Jordan’s brow furrowed. “You didn’t hear about it on the ranch?”
“No. Anyway, as soon as Bessie told me you were here, I came over. I’ll have to get Mom’s groceries later. Marshal Woodard told me about you breaking George Crum’s window and why. He said I could come back and see you. Jordan, I appreciate your standing by me when Lester spoke
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