Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 33

"HEY, SUGAR, HOW about standin' over the top of these boards so I can look up your dress!"

Bose Rennick has come to and is watchin' Rose through the wooden slats. She's sittin' at the kitchen table, drinkin' tea. He moves around a little, to get a better look. Then says, "Say, I know you! You're that bitch who spooked our horses a few months back. How'd you do that, pretty lady?"

Me and Gentry are hearin' all this from the other side of the kitchen table where he can't see us. I'm checkin' the bullets from my gun belt carefully, and loadin' 'em in my gun. One thing about Bose, he's got a voice to warm the devil's heart. It's a thing of beauty. So deep, rich, and clear it is, I imagine he could make a fortune singin' in opry houses back east. Not that I ever been in one. But that's the kind of voice them fellers probably have.

Bose starts up on Rose again. "I didn't mean to call you a bad name, Sugar Britches. I'm right sorry I said that. Don't know what happened to my manners just now. Maybe it's 'cause you smacked me over the head with a gun awhile ago. But I don't hold you personally accountable. Although I'd love to hold you!"

Bose continues with that luscious voice of his, tellin' Rose what he'd do with her once he got her naked. Gentry keeps grinnin' at Rose, and raisin' her eyebrows, and I have to say, the idea of someone doin' any a' them things to Rose is funny to think about, 'cause I never knowed her to be anythin' but a very proper young lady. On the other hand, she appears to be twenty and claims to have buried six husbands. I have to think them husbands were dead when she buried them, and if so, it crosses my mind for the first time to wonder if she might a' wore some of 'em out under the bed sheets!

Though Gentry and me are grinnin' at Rose through all this nasty talk, she's thinkin' other thoughts about how to set him free and keep him away from me, at least till our common purpose thing has happened.

She motions me and Gentry to follow her into the main room, and we do. She picks out the far table, the most secluded one where I'd listened to the Murphys tell me how to sheriff earlier. Rose hadn't wanted to include Gentry in the scheme, but I insisted. I have too much pride to let Gentry think I lost a prisoner after spendin' all that time buildin' the jail hole. Plus, if I put another prisoner in there, she'd never be able to sleep at night if she thought he could escape. I explained all this to Rose, and she agreed to involve Gentry in the discussions.

"Any ideas?" Rose says.

"What if you cut his arms off?" Gentry says.

"Excuse me?"

"If Emmett cut his arms off, he wouldn't be able to shoot. Wait. You could probably just cut his hands off and get the same benefit."

Rose looks at me like she might be concerned for my safety.

"What?" Gentry says.

"He needs to be able to defend himself," Rose says. "He needs to live. We're just trying to keep him from killing Emmett."

"What if you broke his gun hand? Then he'd have to teach himself to shoot left-handed."

I look at Rose.

She says, "That's more humane. But he shoots quite well with both hands. He might still come after Emmett. And a broken hand wouldn't prevent him from using a shotgun or rifle."

"What if we train him like they trained Rudy?" Gentry says.

She's beginnin' to amaze me with how many ideas she can come up with to disable a gunman.

"What," I say. "Put a rope through Bose's nose? I'd like that!"

Rose frowns at me.

Gentry says, "No. I'm talking about conditioning him. That's what Sergio called it when they trained Rudy. He said they conditioned him to dance when the music was played."