Yankton

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Not in Kansas Anymore

"Where's Melonie?" asked Montana "Back at the cabin" I replied, "She didn't want to come, mainly because we were going to look around town, and I think she's afraid of running into Swearingen again." "Speaking of which," added Dora, "I've' heard he has more girls coming, maybe you might want to keep an eye on that." "Well like I told Montana," I added, "I'd love nothing better that to just walk up to him and take him out, but he shows up too much in the history books I just cant risk changing history like that." Dora then changed the subject with, "I want to thank you for those wonderful remedies I've passed a few out, the ladies tell me they seem to work, and what was it you called them, condoms? We'll take as many as you can get." Then giving Montana a sly smile, she added, "My girls were wondering if perhaps you might be able to give them a little demonstration on how they are put on?" Even though I've certainly "been and done," my face turned red, with everybody laughing their heads off.

"Thanks but no thanks, that's something they'll have to figure out on their own," I quickly added. Mark then dropped his "two cent's worth." "Ma'am, I'll make it a point to get you more, but along those lines, I'd like to offer my services to you and your little…Uh…Family here, Without going into a lot of confusing detail, let me say that I'm an excellent medic, and although I'm not a licensed doctor, here, or back home I think it's safe to say my medical knowledge well exceeds that of any country sawbones available hereabouts. If your interested in providing a little more thorough medical care for your "girls," consider me. At the present time I'm teaching Melonie Bishop what she needs to know to further her medical career." Dora studied Mark for a moment, then at me, then back to Mark. "Mr. Sedgwick is it? I will consider your offer. At the present time doc Cochran offers me a similar service at a reasonable price." Mark grinned, "I'm sure doctor Cochran is a fine doctor, but I doubt he knows much about serious sterilization or infection fighting, but just keep my offer in mind." Dora smiled, "I will do that Mr. Sedgwick." I looked at Montana, and said, "Mark and I were going on a little tour of Deadwood, would you care to accompany us as our guide and perhaps introduce us to your friends?"

Montana guffawed, and replied, you just want to meet Martha, and Mr. Bullock, well Charlie might even be around as well. All right, I'm not doing anything for awhile, let me get my hat, and we'll be off, excuse me for a moment." She then turned to discuss something with Dora as we walked out. While we waited on Montana, I spotted the piano, went over to it, sat down, took a moment to think of something to play, and started playing the piano back-up to Bob Seger's "Roll me away," the song I considered to be the best biker song ever recorded. The beat and tempo were way out from contemporary music of the time, but the ladies all clapped anyway. Montana standing next to Mark, gave me a "put out" look, so I stopped, and joined them. As we walked out, Montana muttered, "I take it that was something from your time?" "In a way I guess," I replied, "Actually the song was written shortly before I was born, but I've always been a fan of Bob Seger, and I think it's one of his best." We were kind of clustered around, until Montana grumped, "Well if you boys are going to escort me, then do it properly." So with one of us on either side of her, offering our arms, we proceeded into town.

Mark began to notice the same things I did, then broadly announced "I just love the smell of mud in the morning…It smells like…Victory!" People were staring at us, possibly because we were cleaner, our clothes were certainly cleaner. Suddenly ahead of us two men came crashing out of what was probably a saloon.

Passer-by immediately scooted aside, to allow these men room to beat and punch each other. Off they went, into the muddy street. Mark then matter-Of-Factly commented, "Well you certainly don't see this sort of thing in Beaver Dam." "Not many other places either," I added. We stood and watched as they continued to punch each other, both their faces covered with blood. Montana said, "This happens all the time, let's continue, shall we?" Mark then said, "Wait one, I've never seen a real knock down fist fight like this before in real life." Suddenly one of the men pulled a hunting knife and swung it at the other man. He missed, but just barely, the other man drew his knife as well. By this time a sizeable crowd had gathered forming a ring around the two. Mark, ever the voyeur moved in closer forcing Montana and I to do the same. Montana then said to me, "I take it people don't fight in saloons anymore in the future." I grinned, and replied, "Oh all the time, just not like this, and by now the cops would have shown up so it would have been all over."

The knife fight began to get worse as both men swore at each other. Suddenly, the second man tried to kick the knife from the first man's hand only loosing his balance in the process, the first man took advantage of this and quickly thrust his knife into the second man's gut , causing him to gasp, and drop to the street holding his wound. The first man started to laugh just as Mark pushed his way through the crowd to help the man now lying in the mud. Mark started to pull the man's coat and shirt away from his wound, when the first man snarled, "Get the hell away from him!" Mark ignored him still trying to stop the blood flowing from the man's wound. "Git the f**k away from him! I said." Mark then said something I couldn't hear, just as the first man tried to grab Mark's shoulder. "I said…!" Mark spun around, jumping to his feet pulling his Remington .45 from his shoulder holster, c*****g the slide and pointing it at the first man, who stopped in his tracks. "Get the f**k away from me, asshole, I'm trying to save this man's life, now back off or I'll blow your mother f*****g head off. BACK OFF! Mother fucker!" I had never seen this side of Mark before, Montana looked at me with a very grim expression, as we jockeyed closer for a better look. The first man just stood there as Mark demanded that he drop his knife. The man suddenly developed a funny half smile, as he started to turn his back with the appearance of moving away.

Watching closely, I saw what the man was going to do, "MARK!" I shouted, "THE KNIFE!" The man was going to throw his knife at Mark but just wasn't fast enough. He was halfway into his throw when Mark pulled the trigger on him. Three shots in rapid succession found their mark in the man's head, literally blowing it clean off his head, showering the people behind him with blood brains and pieces of the mans skull. The headless body was flung backwards onto the boardwalk. Mark stood there a moment looking at his handiwork, then bent over and began to puke. The crowd was in pure pandemonium as Montana and I rushed to his side. Mark had dropped his gun which I quickly scooped up and stuck in my waistband. By this time an older man had pushed his way through the mob, and bent down to examine the man lying in the street Just as quickly another bearded man appeared, "Seth Bullock," said Montana in a low voice. Bullock admonished the crowd to move away, something they didn't seem eager to do. The older man, who Montana informed me was doc Cochran, stood up and announced, "This one's dead as well, bled out." He then went to examine the headless man, while Montana and I did what we could to comfort Mark.

I heard Bullock ask someone to go get "Calamity" and her wagon. He then turned and looked at Montana. "Ma'am, are these two gentlemen with you?" I answered for her, "We are friends of miss Montana if that's what your asking, Mr. Bullock." He gave me a long look, then turned to study Mark, who had recovered, but was still looking a bit peeked.

"Would you three mind stepping over to my place so we can figure out what just happened here, DOC! I need you as well." We followed him over to a storefront and went in. "Sorry that I have to use my store, they just appointed me acting sheriff, so I don't have a real office as yet. Now, let's have your names?" "Brian Yankton," "Mark Sedgwick., sir." Bullock sat on the edge of a table, then replied, "Montana, I take it these men are acquaintances of yours?" "Yes they are Seth, we're all partners on a private venture, they're new in town, we were walking along when the two men came crashing out of the saloon." She then went on to describe the fight, Mark's efforts to help the wounded man, and the attempted "bushwhacking" of Mark as he held off the first man. Bullock sat there for a moment looking at Mark and I, then focused on Mark, and said. "The man you killed was Alvin Clemmings, he works for Charlie Utter as a teamster, the man you were trying to save was a man by the name of Abner Cross field, one of the local miners who spends more of his time in the saloons than up in the diggings. Charlie aint gonna be too happy he's lost one of his teamsters, but from what I could see, it couldn't be helped. Where you from Mr. Sedgwick?" Mark shrugged, "Beaver Dam Wisconsin, it's a little west of Milwaukee." Bullock considered this, then said, "Wisconsin eh, I'm from right next door, Michigan. How 'bout you Mr. Yankton?" "Laramie, Wyoming," "You mean Wyoming Territory," said Bullock. "No sheriff, just Wyoming." "I see," muttered Bullock. "How about you doc, got anything to add?"

Doc Cochran looked at Mark for a moment, then said, "I don't know what you were trying to do for ole Abner out there, but Clemmings got him real good." Mark then spoke up, "I hadn't got to the point of determining the extent of the man's wound before that other man began to come at me with that knife. I thought perhaps if I could stuff my handkerchief in the wound to stem the flow of blood, he might have stood a chance." Cochran, upon hearing this, studied Mark even closer, then asked, "Are you by chance a doctor Mr. Sedgwick?" Mark looked at him, "If by that you mean do I have a medical degree, then no sir I do not. However I think my medical skills will easily stand up to yours any day Mr. Cochran, no brag, just facts." Doc Cochran let that comment pass, then looked at Bullock, and said, "The last time I saw a mans head destroyed like that was in the war, and that was by a cannon round." Bullock nodded, "I noticed that as well, I've got pretty good hearing as well, and I know for a fact that I heard three shots, three shots so close together they sounded like one. Also I noticed the absence of any smoke. Now normally, with three shots like that, there would be quite a bit of smoke. Could I see the gun you used Mr. Sedgwick?"

Mark started to go for his shoulder holster, when I said, "I've got the weapon in my pocket, but I'd rather you not see it sheriff." "And why would that be Mr. Yankton?" Looking around at the small crowd that had begun to form, I added, "I'm sorry sheriff, but that's not going to happen." Suddenly Montana stepped into the conversation, "Sheriff, I think we can resolve this misunderstanding, but not here, would you gentlemen mind if perhaps we continued this little discussion over at Dora's, it's not far, and we can maintain a certain amount of privacy. Let's just say that I'm familiar with certain things involved in this situation, things you won't believe." I then injected, "The only other place I'll discuss this is at my place, up at the end of Van Bur…I mean the hill at the end of town by the old mine shaft." "I'm not climbing any damned hill," growled Cochran, "Dora's is good enough for me." Bullock looked at the doctor, and shook his head, "You know doc word's going to get out that I've been seen visiting Dora's can't afford for my wife hearing about that when she gets here."

"Relax sheriff," said Montana, "I'll see to it that word gets out that you were merely visiting Dora to donate to her "wayward" girls fund, now if there's nothing more to say, let's go over to madam DuFran's."