Justice

By A.B. White

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 4, 2008
• ISBN: 9781469104027

A.B. White

A.B. White was born in the Eastern part of the United States. On a trip to Arizona he fell in love with the countryside. He packed up his family and moved west, and never looked back. Being an over the road truck driver he has seen a lot of beautiful sights. With his imagination and his love for the old west, helps to inspire him to write his stories. Married 35 years to his wife Grace, they have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. Together his stories and his writing with her secretarial skills make his work come to life.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Justine and her younger brother Donald were playing in the barn loft. All of their chores were done so they were playing king of the mountain on the stacked hay in the loft.

Justine had just turned ten years old, and Donald was eight.

They had an older sister she was sixteen, she was hanging clothes on the clothesline. She was helping their mother do the washing.

Their dad was cutting wood for the cook stove and fireplace.

Justine heard horses coming into the ranch area and stopped playing; her and her brother was looking out of the loft door.

There were a group of men that had just ridden up to the house.

One of them was talking to Justine’s father, everything seemed to be alright till Justine’s mother came out of the house, and her sister came around the corner of the house.

The men started whooping and yelling, like they hadn’t seen women in years, just because they seen the two females.

Justine’s father started raising his voice.

That’s when the one that was doing all the talking drew his pistol and hit Justine’s father on the side of his head.

Justine’s mother and sister started to run back into the house, that’s when the others grabbed them.

The men started tearing and ripping at the woman and her daughter’s clothes.

It was just a matter of seconds and both females had been stripped of their clothes and were thrown to the ground and brutally attacked. Justine and her little brother just watched there was nothing they could do but stay out of sight and watch.

When all the men were through with the females, one of the men yelled at the leader of the gang.

Hey Lowery, this one here still has got some life in her! You gonna take her again?

The man said. You fool, now were gonna have to kill all of them, now that you’ve said my name.

The man said. Sorry, I thought we were gonna kill them anyway like we did before.

Lowery walked over to the mother and pulled his gun and shot her in the head.

Then he told them. Shoot the other two when you get done with the girl.

One of the other men walked over to Justine’s father and shot him.

There were two other men still messing with Justine’s sister, but she wasn’t moving or making any sound at all. She had been kicking and screaming but now nothing.

The two men stood up from where she laid and one of them shot her.

Then the men searched the house for anything of value, and then three of them started toward the barn.

Justine told Donald to lay still and not make any noise. This was hard for him because when he seen what had happened to his family, he started crying, and he was still sniffling. Justine covered him with loose hay, and then she buried herself in the hay.

The men looked through the entire barn, in the stalls down below and in the loft.

However, Justine had done a good job because they yelled. There’s nothing in here. Then Lowery told them. Let’s get out of here before someone does see us.

Justine waited until she could no longer hear sounds of the horses hoofs. Then Justine got up and looked to see if any of them had stayed behind. They were all gone.

Justine uncovered Donald and told him. Be quiet they may not be very far away.

Justine checked on her ma and pa and her older sister; they were all dead.

Donald was standing beside his ma crying.

Justine said. For right now, we’re going to survive, and someday we’ll get even with the men that done this. SOMEDAY I will get them, SOMEDAY!

Five days had past since Justine and Donald finally got their sister, ma and pa buried.

For two kids that age, they did a good job. At least they were covered to where the animals couldn’t get to them.

The kids had been eating rabbits every day since the attack on their farm. Justine and Donald were checking their traps that they had set down by the river.

They heard a shot, it sounded like it wasn’t to far upstream, and so they both started in that direction. After a few minutes they saw a hat floating toward them, so Donald reached with a long stick and got it.

Justine said. That hat could belong to whoever’s doing the shooting. Donald stepped on a big dry limb, and it cracked real loud. So much for you’re being quiet. Justine told him.

Then they heard a horse like someone was riding it real fast away from them. It was out of earshot in no time. Justine and Donald started to turn around and go back.

Justine said. Look! There’s someone at the edge of the river.

The man was lying face down he had been shot in the back, Justine could see a hole in his jacket, and blood was coming out of the hole.

Justine said. Hey mister, can you hear me?

The man moaned and tried to roll over, but he couldn’t.

Justine then took the man’s gun out of its holster. Donald and Justine then rolled the man over, cause if he went the other way his face would be in the water and he would drown if he couldn’t get up.

They tried to pull the man away from where he was, but he was too heavy.

The man’s horse was tied to a tree. Justine took the rope from the horse and tied the end of it around the man’s chest. The other end to the saddle and slowly pulled the man across the rocks to the grass.

The movement woke the man up. He said. Thanks, but I’d rather you kids would have gotten your pa to move me. It might not have hurt so much.

Donald said. We ain’t got a pa.

Justine interrupted him and said. What he means is our pa isn’t here right now, but he’ll be back real soon.

The man answered. I hope he gets back real soon, or I’ll get lead poisoning, and what the bushwhacker started the lead will finish.

Justine was standing there holding the man’s gun and had it pointed at him.

The man asked her. Are you going to shoot me too?

Only if I have to mister. She answered.

What’s your name and what are you doing here, she asked?

My name is Jack, and I’m just passing through.

Why did that man shoot you in the back? Justine asked.

"He shot me in the back because he was not man enough, or good enough to face me. Jack replied.

Do you know who it was that shot you? She asked.

Not really, it might have been someone I beat in a card game, or it might be someone that just wanted to rob me, or steal my horse. Who knows? He answered.

By the way you know my name, now. What’s yours?

Donald said. I’m Donald, and this is my sister Justi, well it’s actually Justine, but I call her Justi.

Justine replied. That’s enough Donald.

Donald asked Jack if he could get on his horse. If you can we can take you to our place, we just live down the river a little ways.

Justine said. Donald I said that’s enough. Then Justine shrugged her shoulders and said. Well he’s not going to hurt anyone. I’ve got his gun and I don’t think he’s in any shape for a fight.

Justine was leading Jack’s horse with one had and carrying his gun in the other.

Donald had checked his traps on the way back to the house. He had two rabbits.

Donald said. Justi, we got two more. I hope you learn how to cook before long, or we’ll run out of rabbits before you do. They got Jack into their house and got him to the bed before he passed out. A while later Jack woke up. He said. "If your dad doesn’t get here soon, instead of taking this slug out, all he’s gonna have to do is bury me.

The thing is burning like fire, and it’s starting to hurt more than before."

Justine looked at Jack and said. "Jack my pa isn’t coming back, he’s dead and so is our ma. It’s just Donald and me; we’re all that’s here.

Jack pulled out his knife. Justine jumped back and almost squeezed the trigger on Jack’s gun that she was holding in her hand.

Jack said. Don’t shoot me; if you’re the only ones here, I guess you’ll have to take the slug out. There’s a bottle of whiskey in my saddlebag. Please, bring it to me.

Donald got the whiskey and gave it to Jack. Jack told him. I’m going to drink most of this; it will help kill the pain.

It was a big bottle; Jack drank about half of it without stopping for a breath. Then he said. I’m going to drink some more of this. If I pass out, pour it on the knife and some in that hole in my back. Then I’d like for you to pry it out. Try not to make the hole any bigger than you have to.

Then he drank almost all of the whiskey. There wasn’t much left and in just a few minutes Jack was asleep. The lack of blood and the whiskey together was like being knocked out.

Justine was trying to get the slug out but was not having much luck. Then she told Donald. Go and get one of ma’s little spoons. Maybe if she could get the slug between the knife and spoon, then maybe she could get it out. It took awhile but she finally got it out. Then she wrapped the wound with some clean rags her ma had.

Justine said under her breath. That’s all I know to do the rest is up to you!

CHAPTER 2

The next morning Jack woke up, he didn’t know which hurt the most the gunshot wound or his head from all that rotgut whiskey he drank.

Justine said. I see you’re awake, I was afraid I’d killed you.

It feels like you used a pitch fork to take the slug out. Jack replied.

Nope, your knife and a spoon. However, if that’s all the thanks I get; see if I take another slug out of you. Justine replied.

I didn’t mean anything wrong, I’m sure you did the best you knew how, and for that I thank you very much and I hope I don’t ever get shot again, soon anyway. Then he laughed.

Donald came running in the door all excited. Those hens finally laid some eggs. They haven’t laid an egg since and paused as to what he was about to say.

Go on and say it, since ma and pa got killed. Justine told him.

Hens are that way a loud noise like gun shots or even thunder sometimes causes them not to lay an egg. It’s been known they’ve not laid any eggs for a week, or even two after a bad thunder-storm. Jack told them.

Justine sliced some bacon and fried the eggs for breakfast. Jack was still pretty sore but managed to come to the table to eat.

Donald asked Jack. Is your back still hurting where you got shot?

Yes its still pretty sore, I sure couldn’t run very far. So don’t set the house on fire. Jack answered him.

Why would I do that? Donald asked.

Because that hot poker you were stirring up the fire with, it fell off the rock, and it’s on the wooden floor and smoking. Jack answered. Justine picked up the poker and told Donald. You are going to have to be more careful and pay better attention to what you are doing!

Donald started to pout and said with a tear in his eye. Pa and ma always took care of the fire before. I never have done it before.

That’s all right, but they are not here anymore. You just have to be more careful. Justine told him.

After breakfast Jack went to the front porch and rolled himself a smoke. Justine asked him, Jack you know how to shoot pretty well?

Yes I do a little better than most people I guess. He answered.

Would you teach me how to shoot? Justine asked.

Jack looked her straight in her big round eyes and said. "Yes I’ll teach you everything I know about shooting, just as soon as I get well.

But only if you promise me you’ll only use it for your protection and justice. Not revenge."

I promise. Justine said.

A month had gone by since Jack had gotten shot; he was getting around the property pretty good.

Jack said to Justine and Donald. I think I’ll see if I can get us some fresh meat to eat.

Can we go with you? Justine asked.

Sure but you both have to be real quiet. Jack answered. They had not been away from the house but about an hour, when Jack seen a big buck deer drinking from the river. Jack stayed downwind from the buck and finally got within rifle range. And with one shot he dropped the buck right where it stood.

Jack said. Now you will both get a lesson on how to field dress this big boy. That way you’ll know how if you ever have to do this on your own.

After they dressed out the buck, they loaded the meat across the horse to take it back to the house. Even dressed out it was too heavy to carry by hand.

Justine said, Jack are you feeling good enough to show me how to shoot?

Donald said. Show me also! I want to learn how, will you learn me too?

Jack said. Yes I will show you both, and it teach not learn.

The next day Jack had gotten up early. He had an old holster and a spare gun in his saddlebag. He had to put a lot of extra holes in the belt to make it small enough to fit Justine.

Jack went back into the house to eat breakfast; all the hens were laying eggs, so there were always eggs to eat.

Justine said. Jack we are about out of bacon, we only have enough for two or three more days, and we will be out. Do you feel like hunting for more?

I’ll go early in the morning and get us a wild boar, and then we can have some more bacon. Jack told her.

Jack laid his spare gun and holster on the table. Justine picked it up and checked it for shells, (she had seen Jack check his gun and knew how to do it). She said. "This gun is empty,