Doods Kirkpatrick - Lawman

By John J. Law

It was just another night in the small boom town of Bradshaw. A prospector by the same name discovered gold in a nearby mine, and the small town sprouted in the middle of nowhere. Like wild mushrooms popping up in the middle of a dead bark, the town grew rapidly and developed a rowdy reputation. It attracted all sorts, from desperate men trying to find their fortune, to rowdy, lawless types that tried to escape theirs. The town of Bradshaw drew them all in, with the promise of striking it rich, or at least evading the law. Yes, it was just another night in Bradshaw, or at least, it was supposed to be. But this night would be different from most other nights.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798201814366

Book preview

Chapter One

A Quick Killing.

It was just another night in the small boom town of Bradshaw. A prospector by the same name discovered gold in a nearby mine, and the small town sprouted in the middle of nowhere. Like wild mushrooms popping up in the middle of a dead bark, the town grew rapidly and developed a rowdy reputation. It attracted all sorts, from desperate men trying to find their fortune, to rowdy, lawless types that tried to escape theirs. The town of Bradshaw drew them all in, with the promise of striking it rich, or at least evading the law. Yes, it was just another night in Bradshaw, or at least, it was supposed to be. But this night would be different from most other nights.

It seemed like it would be just like the other nights. There was the usual riffraff in the saloon, spending the night at the Faro and Poker tables. These men hoped that they would get lucky and triple or quadruple what little money they had. They usually ended up losing most, or even all of it. The smell of cigarette smoke hung in air, mixed with cheap whiskey and tense sweat. The sound of the piano punctuated the night, mixed with the buzzing of the men all around. They packed the saloon, and were all ready to spend the night in their usual drunken and reckless fashion.

There was more than the usual tension at the Poker table. The men hunched on their shoulders and kept their cards close to their chests. None of them moved a muscle except for their eyes that darted all around, observing their cards and their surroundings. Each man hoped to somehow sneak a peek at the other men’s cards and maybe somehow catch a glimpse of victory or defeat. None of them would get such a chance.

I’m out!

Forget it.

Two of the men glanced at their cards and decided that they were too weak. They didn’t have enough guts to go all the way, and that was probably the more prudent choice. Neither man would play a part in the drama that was soon to unfold. The events that would follow would change the destiny of the small, rowdy town forever.

Two other men were left to continue the tense game. One of the men flicked through his cards with stern resolve. He didn’t have the best combination of all, but it wasn’t the worst either. And he had drank enough whiskey to give him enough courage to see this through. Jim Sparrow always had a bad habit of gambling and drinking what little he made in the saloon. It didn’t matter to him that he often lost more than he won. Tonight was no different, and the whiskey he took only strengthened his resolve to win big. Jim was sure that his cards could carry him through tonight.

The other man sitting across from him, took another puff from