chair got thrown that broke a mirror behind the bar and wasted some good whiskey. My deputy arrested both of them. Bing paid his fine, but Jump says he won’t do it. He said he wasn’t disturbing the peace. All he was doing was preaching.”
Owen removed his hat and wiped his forehead. It had been a hot day, and his shirt was damp with perspiration, and his hair was limp. “I don’t know about this preaching business, but he wasn’t a preacher when I knew him. Far from it. As a matter of fact, he was about as big a sinner as I was.”
“They had a revival meeting come through here a couple of weeks ago. A lot of people got religion. I reckon he was one of them. He told me he got baptized, and he’s been preaching at meetings.” Sheriff Moseby grinned. “I’ve been a Christian since I was twenty-two years old, and he flies at me like I was Judas Iscariot! He’ll preach at anybody that will stand still.”
“Well, is there a fine?”
“Yeah, the trouble is Judge Harlen owns half the interest in the Shady Lady Saloon. He said I had to get the damages before I turned your friend loose.”
“How much?”
“Eighty-five dollars. He’s got the money, like I say, but he’s stubborn. He won’t pay it.”
“Well, I’ll take care of it, Sheriff.” Owen reached into his pocket, pulled out a leather sack, and fished out some bills. “Here you go.”
“OK. Let me get a receipt.”
“Oh, I don’t reckon I need that. Just get him out here.”
“Sure, I’ll bring him right out.”
Moseby left by a door in the back of the office that evidently led to the jail. Joelle said, “You never told me he was a preacher.”
“He’s not—at least he wasn’t when we were running together. Jump’s about as superstitious as a man can be, but he didn’t have any religion that I could tell. No more than I did.”
The two waited, and finally the door opened. The man who came through was not impressive, Joelle decided. He was no more than five-eight, probably weighed a hundred thirty-five or forty pounds, very spare. He had a shock of blond hair and a pair of bright blue eyes. His clothes looked wrinkled, he had bruises on his face, and a cut was healing over his eyebrows.
He grinned at once. “Well, what took you so long, Owen? I’ve been waiting for you to come and get me out of this.”
The sheriff shook his head. “He paid your fine, Harry. Here’s your belongings.” He went to a shelf and pulled out a gun belt and several smaller items. “Do your preaching someplace else besides the Shady Lady. You hear me?”
“Can’t promise that,” Harry grinned broadly. “If the Lord moves me to do it, that’s what I’ll do. I didn’t finish preaching to you, Sheriff. I got some more Scripture for you.”
“You get him out of here, Majors. If he pulls a stunt like this again, I’ll throw him in the insane asylum.”
“Come on,” Owen said shortly, shoved his hat on, and left, followed by Joelle and Jump. As soon as they were outside, Owen turned and said, “What in the world is going on with you? What’s this about you being a preacher?”
“Why, I done been washed by the blood of the Lamb, Owen. Sure wish it had happened a long time ago.” There was regret in his voice, and he shook his head sadly, but then he brightened up. “There was this here revival meeting, and I went to make fun of the preacher. But something happened to me.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I was just getting ready to mock the preacher when suddenly something started happening on my insides. I got scared, Owen. I saw myself dying and going to hell, and suddenly I found out I was about ready to squall like a baby, but then I fell flat on my back. Don’t know what happened to me. While I was lying there, I fell under the power, and I called on God, and He saved me. Ain’t it wonderful?”
Owen smiled and shook his head. “Well, I guess it is if you say so. Just don’t try your preaching on me.”
“Oh, I’ve got to do
Owen removed his hat and wiped his forehead. It had been a hot day, and his shirt was damp with perspiration, and his hair was limp. “I don’t know about this preaching business, but he wasn’t a preacher when I knew him. Far from it. As a matter of fact, he was about as big a sinner as I was.”
“They had a revival meeting come through here a couple of weeks ago. A lot of people got religion. I reckon he was one of them. He told me he got baptized, and he’s been preaching at meetings.” Sheriff Moseby grinned. “I’ve been a Christian since I was twenty-two years old, and he flies at me like I was Judas Iscariot! He’ll preach at anybody that will stand still.”
“Well, is there a fine?”
“Yeah, the trouble is Judge Harlen owns half the interest in the Shady Lady Saloon. He said I had to get the damages before I turned your friend loose.”
“How much?”
“Eighty-five dollars. He’s got the money, like I say, but he’s stubborn. He won’t pay it.”
“Well, I’ll take care of it, Sheriff.” Owen reached into his pocket, pulled out a leather sack, and fished out some bills. “Here you go.”
“OK. Let me get a receipt.”
“Oh, I don’t reckon I need that. Just get him out here.”
“Sure, I’ll bring him right out.”
Moseby left by a door in the back of the office that evidently led to the jail. Joelle said, “You never told me he was a preacher.”
“He’s not—at least he wasn’t when we were running together. Jump’s about as superstitious as a man can be, but he didn’t have any religion that I could tell. No more than I did.”
The two waited, and finally the door opened. The man who came through was not impressive, Joelle decided. He was no more than five-eight, probably weighed a hundred thirty-five or forty pounds, very spare. He had a shock of blond hair and a pair of bright blue eyes. His clothes looked wrinkled, he had bruises on his face, and a cut was healing over his eyebrows.
He grinned at once. “Well, what took you so long, Owen? I’ve been waiting for you to come and get me out of this.”
The sheriff shook his head. “He paid your fine, Harry. Here’s your belongings.” He went to a shelf and pulled out a gun belt and several smaller items. “Do your preaching someplace else besides the Shady Lady. You hear me?”
“Can’t promise that,” Harry grinned broadly. “If the Lord moves me to do it, that’s what I’ll do. I didn’t finish preaching to you, Sheriff. I got some more Scripture for you.”
“You get him out of here, Majors. If he pulls a stunt like this again, I’ll throw him in the insane asylum.”
“Come on,” Owen said shortly, shoved his hat on, and left, followed by Joelle and Jump. As soon as they were outside, Owen turned and said, “What in the world is going on with you? What’s this about you being a preacher?”
“Why, I done been washed by the blood of the Lamb, Owen. Sure wish it had happened a long time ago.” There was regret in his voice, and he shook his head sadly, but then he brightened up. “There was this here revival meeting, and I went to make fun of the preacher. But something happened to me.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I was just getting ready to mock the preacher when suddenly something started happening on my insides. I got scared, Owen. I saw myself dying and going to hell, and suddenly I found out I was about ready to squall like a baby, but then I fell flat on my back. Don’t know what happened to me. While I was lying there, I fell under the power, and I called on God, and He saved me. Ain’t it wonderful?”
Owen smiled and shook his head. “Well, I guess it is if you say so. Just don’t try your preaching on me.”
“Oh, I’ve got to do
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