Carlyle

I want to thank BlackrandI for inviting me to participate in western day. I'm kind of an old west history buff so this was fun. Before anyone calls me on it—yes, I did take a couple liberties with certain parts of the time-line. Also, before the grammar Nazis crucify me for not knowing the difference between "I" and "Me," and a few other things...it was intentional. I really don't believe they were that proper with their syntax back then.

I hope you enjoy my attempt at a LW western, and as always, I love to hear back from you.

Copyright © 2017

*

"Dodge City," yelled the conductor, "next stop-Dodge City."

Hezekiah stared out the window as the iron horse slowed, coming into town. Finally, the boring prairies of the Kansas flatlands yielded to the man-made wooden structures of the booming cattle town. It wasn't Philadelphia but it was a lot bigger than Carlyle.

Steam hissed from the breaks as the titan on rails came to a complete stop at the station. One by one the passengers disembarked. Hezekiah picked up his carpet bag and followed them onto the wooden sidewalk. The first thing he had to do was get cleaned up. He had an important mission. The people of Carlyle were depending on him and he wanted to make a good first impression. Looking around he determined the center of town was well up the street. A strong wind kicked up and confronted him with a face full of Kansas dust and the pungent odor of horse dung and buffalo hides as he plodded along, stubbornly against the elements.

The town was a strange contrast between fancy buildings and store windows and the rough demeanor of the town's people. He'd already passed two saloons, both of which sounded like pretty tough places as he walked by. To Hezekiah, they were downright intimidating.

Still squinting his eyes for protection from the unrelenting wind, he spotted what he was looking for. Over the doorway of a shiny red building was a welcoming sign, "Shave, haircut, and hot bath, seventy five cents." After one day by stagecoach and two days of riding through the desert in that traveling heat box he needed two of the three, not to mention a public outhouse.

The proprietor was sitting, reading a newspaper when he walked in. "I need a shave and hot bath but first I need to use the privy."

"Through there," said the aging, bald man with a gesture towards the back door.

By the time he returned the old man was waiting for him by a barber's chair with a straight razor in hand. "Have a seat," he mumbled. "Shave and a bath will be fifty cents," he said.

Hezekiah nodded his head in agreement and dropped his bag out of the way on the floor before taking his place in the chair. As soon as the leathery skinned gentleman finished strapping the razor he whipped up a thick lather and started spreading it on Hezekiah's face.

"You in town on business or pleasure?"

"Ah, business," he replied. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to reveal. He didn't know how the town's folk would appreciate him trying to steal one of their lawmen.

The old man looked over at his bag. "Whatcha selling?"

"Ah, nothing. I'm here to talk to some business men."

"Ah-huh, I see. You don't talk like you're from around these parts, you from back east?"

"No...well originally, yeah. I came out from Philadelphia several years ago, me and the wife. We live in a little town called Carlyle. It's in the Arizona territory. I'm the mayor there."

"Mayor, huh, a big shot."

He had to chuckle, "Big shot; not hardly. I don't even get paid for it. My wife, Mattie, and me own the hardware store there. The whole town only has about two hundred people in it; nothing like this. Dodge City is bigger than I thought it would be."

"Yeah, first the cattle buyers set up shop. When that happened, the rail road people figured it'd be a good place for a train station. The town sprung up pretty fast after that. People with money came pouring in and opened places that catered to the drovers coming up from Texas. Hell, we got more whore houses in town than we do saloons...and we got bunches of them--and they got even MORE whores."

"Yeah, I passed two on the way here. Tell me, with all those Texas cow-punchers, don't you have a lot of shootings?"

"No, not too many. I don't know if you saw it on your way in but there's a big sign on both ends of town-no guns. It's against the law to carry'em around town. We got a pretty good sheriff's office too. They keep it pretty quiet around here most of the time."

That was exactly what he wanted to hear.

A close shave, hot bath, and one more visit to the outhouse had Hezekiah feeling like a new man. The sun was starting to set already as he exited the barber shop. He wasn't sure he wanted to be walking around town after sundown and thought about checking into the Dodge House for the night. The problem was he didn't have that much time before his train left the following day and he had to make sure he accomplished what he came for.

Hezekiah had gotten directions to the marshal's office from the barber and was headed in that direction when he passed a man in a derby hat. What drew his attention was the point of a silver star peeking out from the man's coat.

"Ah, excuse me, Sir..."

The dapper gentleman turned to face him. "Yeah."

"Sir, forgive me but I see you're wearing a star. A...are you by chance Wyatt Earp?"

"Nope; name's Masterson, Bat Masterson at your service."

"Oh, how do you do Mr. Masterson? I...I wonder, could you tell me where I might find Mr. Earp?"

Masterson pulled a watch from his vest pocket. "This time of day, try the faro table over at the Long Branch."

"Thank you, Mr. Masterson." He looked around. "Ah, Mr. Masterson, where is it?"

"On Front Street," he chuckled. "Go two streets up this way and make a left. You can't miss it."

"Yes, Sir, thank you again." Hezekiah tipped his hat to the helpful gentleman and proceeded. The Long Branch had the longest bar he'd ever seen but he had no idea what a faro table looked like. He asked the first guy he saw.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Earp here?"

"Over there," replied the rough looking character, "the guy facing us with his back to the wall."

Hezekiah got his first look at Wyatt Earp. He was an imposing looking man. Even though he was sitting he could tell he was tall. His thick blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and impressive mustache gave him a ruggedly handsome appearance. He approached the lawman with caution and stood quietly next to the table just watching.

Earp finally looked over. "Can I help you with something?"

"Ah, Mr. Earp?"

"Yeah?"

"Mr. Earp, I wonder if I could talk to you...in private?"

"Can it wait?" grumbled Earp.

"Ah...w...well I...I've come a long way, Mr. Earp, a...and I have to leave on tomorrow's train."

Earp said nothing as he returned his attention to the game. After several minutes he threw his cards on the table. "Deal me out, boys." With that Wyatt rose from his chair and walked over to the bar. "Hey Pete," he called to one of the bartenders, "any of the rooms open?"

Pete looked around at the scantily clad women scattered around and took stock. "Number three should be open. You better knock just in case though."

Wyatt looked over at Hezekiah. "Follow me," he said.

A little daunted by the man's height, he fell in behind the tall lawman. He wasn't considered short himself but Wyatt had to have a good four or five inches on him. Dressed in a long black suit coat that covered the Smith and Wesson strapped at his side, the lawman, sometimes gambler, led the way to a very small room. Inside it had a narrow mattress lying on the floor and one chair in the corner. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what the room was used for. Wyatt took the chair. "Okay, what'd you want?"

Rather than sit on the bed, Hezekiah stood with his hat in his hand. "Mr. Earp, my name is Hezekiah Jones. I live in a small town in the Arizona territory called Carlyle. Well," he was nervous and starting to shuffle his feet, "our little town is...ah, well it's starting to grow. Last year the town's people voted me its first mayor," he said with a grin. He looked at Earp for some sense of approval but got only the stone cold expression of a man who was running out of patience.

"A...anyway, ah, I guess like all growing towns, we're starting to attract an undesirable element. Some of the wranglers who work on the ranches nearby are getting pretty rowdy. We have a sheriff but he can't do much with'em and...well we need somebody like you, Mr. Earp. The town council has authorized me to offer you seventy five dollars a month to be our sheriff."

Earp's expression hadn't changed. "Seven five, that's more than I'm making here. How can your little town afford that?"

"Everybody's pitching in, the whole town."

Wyatt tilted his chair back until it came to rest on the wall. "Arizona, huh. You anywhere around Tombstone?"

"Ah, I..I think Tombstone is pretty far south. We're further north."

Wyatt nodded his head. "Well, it ain't going to matter anyway. I'm done with law'en. My brothers and me are going to Tombstone. They say the ground out there is so thick with silver all you have to do is walk around and pick it up."

"Oh Mr. Earp, won't you please reconsider. I..."

"Ain't going to do you no good begging, our mind's made up. No more law'en for the Earp brothers. Now," he said, forcing the chair back upright and starting to stand, "I got me a faro game to get back to. Try Bat, he might be interested."

"Bat; Mr. Masterson, you mean? He...we need somebody who's tough. We heard about what you did in Wichita. That's why they sent me down."

"Bat might look like a dandy but he's tough as a mountain lion. Ain't nobody in town I'd rather have watching my back...except maybe for Doc."

"Doc?"

"Doc Holiday, but I don't think you'd want him. He's meaner than a rattle snake with twice the temper."

"Oh, no he doesn't sound like the kind of person we're looking for. Are...are you sure you won't reconsider, Mr. Earp? Maybe I can get more money."

"I said no, now leave it be. I ain't interested."

Wyatt left the room first. By the time Hezekiah made it back out to the front of the saloon Earp was already back at the faro table.

"Hey, mister, buy a lonely girl a drink?"

She was almost as pretty as his wife. She was dressed in an undergarment that wrapped around her body and was cinched up tight in the back. It pulled her waist in and accentuated her chest. His own Mattiee had something like it but it wasn't nearly as fancy. Hers was just white. This one was made of a shiny yellow material and had lace around the leg openings and the top. She also had on a delicate looking head band with an ornamental feather sticking out of it. He couldn't believe these girls walked around in public like that.

It felt as if something was caught in his throat as he tried to answer. While stammering for the right words he felt his manhood growing. He was ashamed. He could feel himself blushing. "I...I...I'm sorry ma'am, I...I've got to go." He could hear her and others laughing as he almost leaped through the doors to the safety of the dark street.

Hezekiah was extremely disappointed as he wandered around, looking for the Dodge House. He really thought the seventy five dollars would entice Earp. It was an unheard of amount for a small town sheriff. He thought about Bat Masterson but he'd never heard of him before. Earp had a reputation. Everybody had heard about his law'en in Wichita.

That night Hezekiah had a hard time getting to sleep. His train was leaving at ten o'clock the next morning so it didn't give him a lot of time. He decided he'd take Earp's advice and talk to Bat Masterson before leaving.

After tossing and turning most of the night he was up at the crack of dawn. He was hoping he could catch Masterson before leaving so he wanted to get an early start. The day had barely begun when he walked into the hotel's restaurant for a good breakfast. He was about to take a seat when, as luck would have it, he saw Bat Masterson sitting by himself at a corner table. With hat in hand he approached and cleared his throat in an attempt to get his attention.

"Ah, excuse me, Mr. Masterson, I don't mean to interrupt your breakfast but could I possibly have a word with you?"

Masterson looked up from his eggs. "You're the fella who was looking for Wyatt yesterday. Didn't you find him?"

"Oh yes, thank you. He was right where you said he'd be. I..." he looked around then lowered his voice so the other patrons couldn't hear him. "I had a proposition for him but he turned me down. He suggested that you might be interested."

The lawman leaned back and kicked a chair out from under the table. "Proposition, huh. Have a seat and tell me about it."

Hezekiah gave Masterson the same pitch he gave Earp the day before but he wasn't interested either. He told him he'd be running for sheriff in another month or so and he was pretty sure he'd win. As sheriff of Cochise County, he could make a whole lot more money than the town of Carlyle was offering. Again, Hezekiah was very disappointed and getting desperate. "Mr. Masterson, do you know anyone else who might be interested? Mr. Earp mentioned some doctor..."

"Doc" blurted out Masterson, "that son of a bitch? He's nothing but a lying, thieving, cold blooded killer."

"But Mr. Earp..."

"Yeah, I know, Wyatt likes the bastard for some reason, but if I were you I'd stay as far away from Holiday as you can. He's nothing but trouble."

Hezekiah was downright desponded as he boarded the train for home. The people of Carlyle were counting on him and he let them down. What now, he wondered.

***

Meanwhile things were not improving back home. Billy and Eric Clayborn were about the two meanest coyotes within a hundred miles of Carlyle. Ezekiel Clayborn owned the Bar-C, one of the biggest cattle ranches in the territory. He lost his wife right after Billy, the youngest, was born. Without the love of a mother, the boys grew up tough and hard. They were as good with their guns as they were with their fists.

Tom Hicks, the sheriff, was scared to death of them; and not without good reason. When he tried to break up a fight between the older brother and another guy, both Eric and Billy jumped him and beat him unmercifully. They took his gun away and left him face down in the street while they walk away, laughing. It was the incident that prompted the town council to find another sheriff. With all the names that were bandied around, only one kept coming up again and again, Wyatt Earp. Those who knew the reason for Hezekiah's trip couldn't wait for him to come back with Earp. Since the Clayborn brothers beat up the sheriff they were only getting worse.

Mattie Jones was the prettiest girl in town. She was the girl Hezekiah left behind in Philadelphia when he came out west to make his fortune in California. Unfortunately he hit the Arizona territory at the wrong time of the year. The Black Mountains stood between him and his destination and he'd been warned repeatedly not to try and cross them in the winter. Hezekiah found himself in the little town of Carlyle with plenty of time to kill and no money.

He got a job with old man Towers at the hardware store. Over time he'd made some good friends in town and had become like a son to Mr. Towers. When the old man died in the early spring he left the store to Hezekiah. Faced with a decision to stay or go on, he sent for his bride-to-be and they settled in together.

***

Carlyle was too small for a train depot so once a week the local stagecoach line made the ten hour trip to and from the nearest station. If Hezekiah had missed the train in Dodge City he couldn't have gotten home for another week.

Mattie kept herself busy stocking shelves while she waited for the return of her loving husband. It had been the first time they'd been separated since he left her in Philly. As soon as she heard the stage she dropped what she was doing and ran out to greet it. Hezekiah had barely gotten one foot on the ground before she flung her arms around his neck and planted a big, passionate kiss on the lips.

While the two embraced, a couple others from the town council looked for a second passenger but no one else stepped out. They waited for the two to break for air before asking.

"Hez, where's Earp? Is he coming on the next stage?"

He'd been dreading this moment since leaving Dodge. "I'm sorry, Roy, he's not coming."

Even Mattie was shocked to hear the news. The Clayborn brothers harassed her when they were in the store a few days prior. They were obviously unaware that she was alone at the time. She was sure, had they known it would have been much worse. Roy Sheffield and Danny Smith, the other two council members, were devastated.

"Not coming? He turned you down?"

"Flat," said Hezekiah, nodding his head. "He said he and his brothers were going prospecting for silver in Tombstone. He recommended another guy, a Bat Masterson but he turned me down too. Sorry guys."

Both Roy and Danny had grief written all over their faces. "What're we going to do?" Danny asked rhetorically.

"I don't know. We'll just have to find someone else," answered Hezekiah.

"Yeah, but it's hard to find someone you can trust. I mean I've heard all kinds of stories where people hired a sheriff only to find out he was worse than the guys he was hired to put in jail."

"Well," said Roy, "we'll have to find somebody. Tom quit the other day."

"He did?" Hezekiah had no idea.

"Yeah, I feel sorry for the poor guy," said Mattie. "He came in the store yesterday and told me he's thinking about moving. He said some of the people in town have been making fun of him."

Hezekiah just shook his head. "That's not right, damn it. What was the guy supposed to do? It was two against one and they're a lot younger than Tom. As a town we shouldn't have let it happen. We should have done something to help him."

"Like what?" questioned Roy, indignantly. "Anyone who would have tried to help would've gotten their head blown off. He was the sheriff. That's why we hired him in the first place."

Hez felt bad for his friend, the sheriff and really didn't want to hear anymore. "Well, I'm pretty tired from the trip. Let's have a meeting tomorrow afternoon. We'll just have to try and come up with somebody else, that's all."

Mattie looked into his tired face. "Come on, Hez, I'll fix you a nice hot dinner and you can relax." She held him by the hand and took the lead.

After not having seen her for a week, relaxing was the last thing on his mind. As soon as they were in the privacy of the store he turned her around and pulled her close for another kiss. Even through the thick scratchy wool of his trousers she could feel his hardened cock.

"I was thinking the same thing," she told him with a broad smile, "but dinner first. I don't want you keeling over on me from hunger. I've missed you and I want it all tonight so you'll need your strength."

Later that night she proved to be a woman of her word. Hezekiah sat up in bed and watched his lovely wife undo the laces in her petticoat and let it fall to the floor. He was already hard as she crawled on top of him for a kiss. As he put his arms around her he rolled her onto her back and kissed his way from her neck to her nipples.

Mattie sighed as she squirmed with delight. She tenderly laid her hand on the back of his dark, curly hair as subtly guided his talented tongue from one nipple to the other then back again. As much as she enjoyed the stimulation, Mattie needed him inside of her. She reached down to find her prize. It felt more like steel than flesh. She arched her back and guided him into her vagina. She loved the feel of his cock. Mattie looked into his eyes as he started with long, slow strokes.