Saddle Dust

Chapter 14

The afternoon is a blur to Casey. She drinks, wins money and then loses it again. She sings rounds of Clementine and the Chisholm Trail and Red River Valley with the rest of the drovers. She leaves one saloon with her left hand covered in nicks and scratches from her hunting knife from an unsuccessful game of five finger filet, and stumbles across the street into another to win back her standing in the game. At one point, she manages to pick out a rather tipsy San Antonio Rose on a worn out saloon piano. She joins in on a poker game where the house rules are more numerous than the countless drinks being passed around, and wins back a large portion of her wages.
Later in the afternoon, Casey, Adams, Jeremiah, Henric, and Matthias follow Hadley to a saloon where they sit at a table in the corner and smoke over glasses of bourbon whiskey.
"Casey"
Henric points a finger sloppily at her.
"Casey, when you firs' joined up with th' drive, I thought you were part of a joke or sumthn'. I never 'xpected you would stay an' an' actually steal cows with us men...then you knocked ol' bowl's hat off an' scared the shit outta..."
Casey nods, considering the bit.
"Well, when I joined y'all I thought I was goin' to be th' only one doin' all the ropin' but turns out you boys can actually tell a horse frum yer dinner plate."
The table bursts out into drunken laughter and cheer as Casey finishes off her glass of whiskey before snapping it back on the table. Jeremiah cuts in next.
"Well, I don' know about th' rest'v  y'all, but I think I've still got Casey beat at the harmonica."
"And it's cause you kep' gettin' your beard stuck in the damn thing. Whenever I'd get it after you, it be all clogged up!"
"You do shed like a mule."
Jeremiah's face reddens at Casey and Matthias' comments. Adams raises his drink, his words muffled by the oily glass. He looks dead sober as he relates his story.
"One morning, I went to wash up my face before startin' the day. I saw you, Jeremiah, walking back from th' wash bin an' I said howdy. You howdy'd me back, and I thought that everything was dandy fine. Well, when I went to grab the washing up bar, my hand hit something covered in fur and I just about lept up to the moon. I thought it was a rat or som'thn but it was just the bar all covered up under what looked like half yer face!"
The table bursts into laughter, their faces reddening and tears springing to their eyes. Hadley chokes on his drink and breaks into a coughing fit. Matthias thumps him hard on the back causing Haldey to spill some of his drink down the front of his shirt. Hadley's face purples, bringing fresh waves of laughter to the table. Jeremiah takes his opportunity to cut back at his table mates for their previous comments.
"Hadley, I thought you liked yer gin but it's all over the front of yer shirt! Didn't yer momma teach you not to spill yer food iffen you didn't like it?"
Hadley answers in a voice strained from his coughing fit.
"Yes, she did. Did your momma ever teach you not to feed yer shirt?"
Jeremiah looks down at the sizable stain of beef stew drying to a crust on the front of his shirt. His face reddens.
"Well, my shirt just likes beef stew. It made me spill it."
"No, it's yer bottle of Jack that made ya spill it!"
"Is that a challenge Matthias?"
"Yes, Jeremiah. It is. Anyone else in?"
Hadley, Casey, and Adam join in.
"Pass it around already then!"
Jeremiah shakily sloshes some whiskey in each of their glasses and they knock them together above the table.
"Alright, what's it gonna be?"
The members of the table all call out different toasts.
"To the trail!"
"To my pony!"
"To this damned pair of boots!"
"To Jack's whiskey!"
"To the washing up bar!"
"To bed with my sweet Daisy!"
"No, to bed with my sweet Daisy!"
The table breaks into laughter again at Henric's remark and they all finish their drinks in one gulp.
Hadley is just setting his empty glass down when he spots a nervous looking lady in a light pink dress step gingerly in through the doors of the saloon. Her face is neatly painted and her bonnet is well placed but the way she clutches at her handbag and fan shows that she is clearly somewhere she is unfamiliar with and uncomfortable in. Her brilliant blue eyes dart searchingly around the packed and noisy smoke-filled saloon. Henric is the first after Hadley to spot her.
"Hey! Look y'all! Must be one of them purdy nightingales here for the evening. Bet I can git her to talk to me. Watch this!"
Henric makes to stand up but Hadley shoots him a look which forces Henric back into his seat. Casey is still examining the cuts on her hand and doesn't look up.
"Henric, don't be disgusting. She's probably just in here looking for her drover who she hasn't seen in months. Hell, it might even be your Daisy."
Casey looks up, and freezes. She recognizes the bright blue eyes and perfectly kept blond hair and the delicately featured face of Maxine. Casey is both suprised and glad to see her sister. She doesn't notice Hadley sober up very quickly. Casey stands to call her over and waves.
"Maxie! Hey! It's me!"
A few patrons from the other tables turn to look searchingly at the unusual sight of a proper lady in the saloon, but quickly lose interest once they see it's not a sister or lover they know. Maxine's face brightens and relief sweeps through her. She clutches her handbag and fan in both hands and crosses the rough wooden floor, her heeled boots snap smartly across the unruly planks. She stops and stands at the edge of the table directly across from Casey and next to Hartford's shoulder. She smiles politely at the table. Henric leans back in his chair and adjusts his collar. Casey stumbles out from behind the table and gives her sister a sloppy hug. Maxine manages to pat her lightly on the back before politely holding Casey out from her making as if to look over her face and clothes. The smell of liquor, bath soap, and cigarettes coming from the whole table (Casey included) mix unpleasantly in Maxine's refined nose and she tries not to breathe in too much. She is already feeling faint and she doubts if any of the men in here would have the decency to revive her with her smelling salts. She tries on her polite smile again. She chokes out the words that she has practiced for the past several weeks.
"Casey, it's so good to see you."
"Same to you! What are you doing here? Is papa here as well? Sam? Mother? Oh, they can't see me in my current state though, I'm quite done in."
You have that right you filthy bastard. No gentle lady or man would ever want to see anything like you outside of the gallows.
Maxine forces her teeth to join in the smile. Casey's eyes are glassy and distant and her face is flushed from the whisky.
"Yes, I can see that. But you don't have to worry. It's just me and Richard here. He's getting an award you know."
"An award, well! I'm glad his mouth has finally got him somewhere!"
Maxine chokes back a wave of bile and rage that simmers at the back of her throat. Apparently, Hadley had done an excellent job of making sure Casey was completely sloshed before she was to be hooked onto the award story. 
"Haha! Yes, well, I just came up here with him. He thought it would be good for me to see the city. Ladies fashion changes so quickly these days you've just got to keep up any way you can."
"Yeah...that's... real nice. Learn'd anyth'ng 'bout it yet?"
Well, so far I've learned that if I ever want to dress like a worthless degenerate, I'll just ask you!
"Oh yes! And I'm proud to say that my wardrobe matches the trends quite well. My husband promised me that he would take me out tomorrow to buy a new frock for winter. He's planning on using some of the award money on it. Isn't that just the nicest thing?"
"There's a prize involved? Well, howwwdeee! Richard must'v discovered som'thn then."
Dear Father in heaven above, please let this meeting end quickly, and please bless the very lost soul of this young woman.
"Yes! There is a prize. Infact, I was just going to meet Dr. Arlington at the bank to collect his award money with him when I saw you crossing the street just a bit ago. I wasn't sure it was you at first, so I thought I'd come back later just to be sure."
Maxine pauses for a moment pretending to ponder something then speaks quietly. She feels like she is explaining something to a very young child and is reminded of how her mother used to speak to her like this to get her to behave.
"Would you like to come with me to the bank to celebrate Richard's accomplishments? He would be much appreciative to have you there I'm sure."
Casey seems to mull this over for a long time before responding in a very slurred voice.
"I'd be honored to."
"Wonderful! We'll be back in no time I'm sure."
Maxine trails off and looks nervously around the table. Henric leans a bit further back in his chair and has to throw his arms out suddenly to regain his balance to keep from falling over completely. Maxine turns to Casey and whispers conspiratorially.
"Well, there's just one thing. I'm nervous walking in the street by myself, even with you for company. I'd appreciate it if one of the other gentlemen from the table could walk with us? It will just be for a moment."
Hadley stands carefully and speaks in a quiet and polite tone.
"Pardon me miss, but I would be much obliged if you would allow me to escort you and Ms. Long here wherever you wish. I hate to see fine young ladies out on the dangerous streets alone."
Maxine and Hadley exchange a look that the others miss.
"Oh are you certain? Well, alright. You're certainly a gentleman Mr...?"
"Hadley, ma'am, Mr. Hadley."
Maxine gives a real smile this time and allows her hand to be politely taken for a moment in greeting.
Casey rolls her eyes to the rest of the table and they snicker along with her.
"Casey? Are you ready?"
"Yah. Less go git that 'ward or whatnot."
Hadley puts a steadying hand on Casey's shoulder and the three walk out of the saloon towards the bank. The sun is lowering in the sky, but there is still plenty of daylight to see by.
The bank is a relatively new structure with straight clean planks lining the face of the building. The white lace curtains are drawn shut and it looks quiet. Casey's mind is swimming with the alcohol and the cool air feels good on her hot face. She leans against Hadley for support as they slowly climb the few steps into the bank. Casey automatically takes Sundance's hat off of her head once her boot crosses the threshold of the building and she lets it hang limply in her hand at her side. Inside the bank there is a man sitting on a bench reading a newspaper. The teller is writing something in a log, and two other men stand chatting quietly by the window at the back of the building. Maxine walks up to the bank teller and begins to talk quietly to him. Then she looks back at Casey, gives her a small worn out smile, and goes into another room from a door at the back of the building. The first pangs of uncertainty begin to creep up through the alcohol in her stomach but it's too late. Casey hears a lock click somewhere behind her.
Hadley has stepped behind Casey and suddenly, her legs are gone from under her. She tries to take a breath in but the wind has been knocked out of her by the impact from hitting the floor. The back of her legs throb from where Hadley kicked her knees in. The world is swimming and some hazy and far away part of her senses that Sundance's hat is no longer in her hand. Two other men jump on her and barely six seconds later Casey feels the finality cinching of a rope around her legs and wrists. She thinks, with some embarrassment, that she has just been hogtied by the best drover in Dodge City.
Her blurry eyes manage to focus on a face that is hovering right above hers. It's Haldey and he is grinning from ear to ear. His voice is noticeably less slurred by alcohol than in the saloon and Casey wonders how many drinks he actually had. She thinks probably half as many as he was pretending to slam back. The alcohol in her own stomach sits like a thick oil and furthers her guilt. 
"You bitch. Bet you didn't see that one did you?"
Casey's face flushes red with fury and she spits out her response.
"Son of a gun, Hadley. Git me the hell out of this damned rope or I'll—"
"Or you'll what Ms. Long? What will you do to me? I've got you, you know and justice is on my side."
A laugh twists his face as he realizes something.
"Ha! Infact, I've got you tied up on the floor! And Casey, there are so many things I want to do to you right now to make you suffer like you made the Hartfords suffer. And Victor. And me. Did you know you embarrassed me? In front of my own men?"
Hadley swings his boot back and drives the square toe of his boot into Casey's stomach. She curls up as much as she can into a ball and holds back a wave of nausea. She tastes stale alcohol in the back of her throat.
"You've done a lot of bad things in your life. But you've recently done one thing that tops them all. That caused the suffering of many, many people. Do you want to know where Philip is right now?"
Casey's eyes widen.
"Well, he's in a place you'll never get to go. Do you know where that is, Miss Longabaugh? Heaven. Mr. Wheatley is in heaven right now."
Casey manages to heave air into her lungs.
"Wh—what? But I only shot—"
"You shot his wrist off you damned bastard."
Casey tries to focus her swimming vision on the pink form of Maxine who has just stepped out of the back room and now approaches Casey. Tears stand in her eyes and her voice quivers at the edges.
"You killed him in the most inhumane way possible. You made him suffer unimaginable amounts of pain and humiliation. I watched him die Casey. I was the last person he ever spoke to on this Earth."
Maxine's voice suddenly turns furious. Her face goes red and she's almost shouting.
"You're a murderer and you don't deserve to live. You deserve to suffer two fold what Philip had to go through. You take after your damn father, the Sundance Kid, and you're a walker just like your poor old mother your father paid to get with."
Maxine snaps her fan across Casey's face. It almost hurts worse than Hadley's boot. She knows her eye will be swollen shut by tomorrow.
If I even make it that long.
"Casey, whatever happens to you in the next few hours, I'm not sorry. You've earned every shred of pain that comes your way. Maybe you'll realize that death would be better and I think you just might be lucky enough to find it before morning."
Maxine turns to walk away then stops. She does not look down at Casey, but straight ahead. She whispers her next words.
"Goodbye Ms. Long. I can only pray that you are with your father soon."
Then Maxine leaves. Casey is trembling now and tries to scream after Maxine. To get her to come back. To explain how Philip could be dead to offer her some comfort or anything more than the cold words she had just given to her.
"Maxine! Don't you remember me? I'm your sister, Maxine! Please!"
Hadley kneels down by Casey's side, one of his knees is on her neck. He's not completely choking her but her breathing becomes forced. He leans his face down so it is barely two inches away from hers.
"Don't you learn you damned good-for-nothing? Mrs. Arlington isn't going to save you. You're too late for saving anyhows."
A wide and ugly grin stretches the skin across his face. His breath is tinged with faint strings of alcohol and something sinister.
"I don't think Mrs. Arlington would like to watch this despite her feelings towards you."
Hadley twists his knee deeper into Casey's neck, and he puts a hand on her belt letting his fingers scrape against her stomach. His other knee digs into the soft part of her belly preventing her from kicking away and he sticks his free hand down her shirt. With an animal-like cry, Casey tries to twist out from under him, but his knee digs fiercely into her stomach.
"Not such a big scary outlaw now? Huh Miss Long? Just a scared little girl who don't have a pa or ma to go back to."
The other men in the bank laugh and make yowling noises at Casey. As oxygen begins to sponge out of her body, her eyes swing wildly to the corner of the room. She thinks she sees a figure with dirty blond hair standing there. His fists are clenched and his face is purple with hate and tears of anger stand in his eyes. It's Sundance, or at least a shadow figure of him.
Seeing the memory of him standing there fills Casey with a fresh burst of energy. Her lungs are burning for air and the humiliation Hadley is putting her through sears new life into her muscles. He's not going to stop... then neither am I.
With one final desperate attempt to escape, Casey cries out and twists herself away from Hadley and sinks her teeth deep into his arm. He cries out in surprise and jerks his arm out of her mouth. Casey rolls over on her side and spits out a tooth. She coughs air back into her lungs. Strings of spittle and mucus striped with blood from the new hole in her mouth land thickly on the floor. Her vision swims and she lets her eyes close and her head fall heavily to the dirty wooden floorboards. Hadley stands over Casey. He is staring at the bite mark on his arm and watching with some surprise at the small droplets of blood that are forming in the angry red indents on his arm.
"You bitch! You bit me you damned whore!"
Hadley pulls his boot back again and kicks Casey and for a few moments, she doesn't feel anything but his boot on her body. He finally stops, slightly out of breath. It takes Casey a few moments to realize the full extent of the pain now fanning out on the left side of her body. Her ribs are tingling with lightning. It makes her mouth taste like dust and her tongue feel swollen in her throat. Her nose is burning as well and she tastes something warm and iron-like. She lays on the ground, unmoving and hardly daring to breathe from the pain.
"Alright boys, git her on my horse. We're going to take her to the boss now. Just like he asked even though I'd like to rough her up a bit more then kill her right here and right now myself."
The man who had been reading the newspaper on the bench walks over and grabs her arms. The two men by the window grab her legs. Casey writhes and tries to yell but her cries are cut off by a bandanna that Hadley ties tightly around her neck making it hard to get air into her lungs. The ribs on her left side feel like a hot metal pipe has been dug deep into her side. She gasps for the little oxygen that does manage to crawl into her throat and lungs. The bank teller stands at his station counting out a fat roll of bills and doesn't look up at the men carrying Casey out of the bank. Casey strains her neck to see the corner where she thought she saw Sundance, but it's filled with nothing but late afternoon sunbeams and their dust. The sunbeams fall on a black hat in the corner of the room.
She watches Sundance's hat for as long as she can until spots appear in her blurring vision and the door of the bank shuts behind her. It's laying right side up. In her daze, Casey recalls Sundance telling her that a cowboy should never flip his hat right side up when he's not wearing it because all of the luck will spill out. Her heart sinks further. She might never see his hat again. Hell, I might never see the sky again.
When they are outside, Casey is tossed face down and bedroll-style on the back of Hadley's horse. Two of the men cinch down straps to keep her from rolling herself off of Hadley's horse before mounting their own ponies. The world swings wildly as they set off at a steady trot. Each step that the horse takes is another fork of pain in Casey's bruised side. She notices that they are traveling on a less busy street that runs past the corrals and eventually out of town. Casey realizes that the pain in her face is a broken nose. Hadley must have done it when he was kicking her. The taste of blood fills her mouth. She spits in an attempt to clear her mouth and her blood spots the horse's flank with a deep red. The world swims and vomit fills her throat. The edges of her vision are dim but she forces herself to stay awake and pump air in and out of her lungs.
Several minutes later, Casey is able to make out the edges of the corral through the haze of a pounding headache. She forces her eyes to focus as much as they can when she sees the large familiar black outline of Steadfast standing by the edge of the corral. His ears are pointed forward and the whites of his eyes are showing. He is snorting and pawing at the ground and he takes a nervous step back when the riders pass by. Casey draws in as much air as she can and calls out to him.
"Steadfast! Come on boy! Please, Steadfast!"
Her voice is strangled and choked with tears. Her chest burns with each breath. Casey thinks Hadley probably broke one of her ribs. Hadley shouts at her from his seat in the saddle.
"Shut yer mouth! He ain't gonna save ya, he's just a horse! Hell, you just got sold out by yer own sister!"
Casey tries to call Steadfast again but her voice is weak from the bandana biting into her neck and she is barely able to gasp in air through the pain in her side.
"Steadfast, please...please...Steadfast."
Casey sees him now standing perfectly still looking after her. His white stripe is turned in her direction, but his legs utterly still. Tears blur her vision and she tries to bawl out to him again.
"I said shut yer damn trap!"
Hadley takes the pistol out of his shirt and slams the butt of it into her head. Casey's mind goes blank, and the world is shut.