The Broken Badge II: Cooper's Promise

By D. F. Sparks

Samuel Cooper, A former Texas Ranger turned United States marshal. A highly religious man and a firm believer in reincarnation, the afterlife, heaven, hell, the devil, and most of all, "God". Had dedicated his life to upholding the law and defending the innocent when his parents were killed by a gang of marauders, he set out on a personal j

• Language: English
• Publisher: Go To Publish
• Release date: Oct 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647495114

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The Broken Badge II

Cooper’s Promise

Copyright © 2021 by D. F. Sparks

ISBN-ePub: 978-1-64749-511-4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Cooper’s Promise

"Another will wear my badge,

and hell will be in his right hand!!"

Chapter 1

It had been two weeks now and Matthew was starting to see the change from the desert to the foothills. There was starting to be green grass, and occasionally he would spot an antelope. He would see a stand of trees, which told him that there was water nearby, possibly a spring. Maybe tonight he could have a fire and nothing was better than an antelope steak grilled over an open fire. He was only about 5 miles from a relay station and he was quite sure that the family who ran the relay station would welcome a fresh killed antelope.

After all, fresh meat was like black gold in the high plains. So maybe tonight he would shut down at a relay station. As he rode along thinking of how good an antelope steak would taste, he was brought back to reality by the sound of gunfire. It was more than one gun, there were rifle fire and repeated fire from a sixgun. So being the curious type, Matthew decided to check it out at the top of a gentle Knoll looking down into a ravine.

There was a man penned down by five other men and it looked as though they fully intended to do this man great bodily harm. As Matthew sat on his horse deciding if he should get mixed up in this gunfight, one of the men took a pot shot at him. In one Swift motion, Matthew was off of the hammerhead with his rifle and was stretched out on his stomach with the rifle placed against his shoulder. Matthew fired four or five times in rapid succession and the five men jumped to their feet and ran to their horses and very quickly put distance between themselves and Matthew.

Looking down into the ravine, Matthew could tell that the man in the ravine had been shot. So very cautiously and with his Winchester at the ready, he walked down toward the ravine. When he reached it the man was lying on his back and motioning for Matt to come on over to where he lay. The man laid his Winchester down as if to show Matthew that he was no threat to him. Matthew closed the distance between him and the stranger cautiously, there was no need to take any chances until he knew for sure what was going on.

To Matthew’s surprise, the man who had been wounded was Marshall Trudeau, the same Marshall that he had had a conversation with an Abilene. With a smile on his face the Marshall said, Howdy Mr., I sure am glad you showed up when you did, I think those men was committed to ending me right here and now. Matthew suddenly felt at ease when he recognized the Marshall. Are you badly hurt?"

Matthew asked. I don’t know how bad it is, but it hurts like hell and what makes it bad is it’s in my back. Matthew looked at the Marshall and asked, Do you think you can make it another 5 miles? There’s a relay station just ahead and there will be a woman there and I’m sure that she has tended bullet wounds before. I don’t know of many women who haven’t. After doing what he could to stop the bleeding, Matthew helped the Marshall get to his feet, and get to his horse. Concerned for the Marshall, Matthew asked him, When we get started, if you need to stop, or get off, just holler, okay? The Marshall just nodded and said, Let’s get it over with.

Leading the marshal’s horse back up to the top of the Knoll so he could retrieve the hammerhead and his pack horse. Matthew stopped and took a long look in the direction that the five men had fled. Seeing nothing, he mounted and started off at an easy walk just to make it easy as possible on the Marshall. It took a little over two hours to make it to the relay station. They were met by a tall, muscular young man, Matthew estimated his age in his mid-to late 20s. The man greeted him with a friendly,

Howdy, strangers, getting down from his horse, Matthew asked the man if he had any experience getting a bullet out. The young Feller said, "no, but my wife does, she studied to be a nurse in Boston, but it just wasn’t for her. She didn’t like working in a hospital, so we decided to come out West and maybe she could find a job working for a doctor.

But coming out here we were offered this job and it pays good and we thought maybe she might be able to go on to Denver and finish the nurses training and maybe go on to study to become a doctor, but that’s enough about us, who’s got the bullet? The Marshall caught one in the back, I don’t think it’s very bad but I’m no doctor." As Matthew was talking he was helping the Marshall down from his horse.

That’s when he was startled by a woman’s voice saying, Don’t be bashful gentleman. Bring him on in and I’ll take a look at it. The Marshall was so weak by now that Matthew and the young man had to carry him into the house. The lady told them to place him on his stomach on the kitchen table and then start a couple of pans of boiling water. She cut open the marshal’s shirt and examined the wound, then she turned to Matthew and said, The bullet didn’t shatter the shoulder blade, but it’s got to come out, the only thing is I don’t have anything to kill the pain!

Matthew just shook his head and with a smile said, I do. With that he went out to his pack horse and brought back a jug of whiskey and asked her, Will this do? With a nod of her head and a smile, she remarked, It sure will, then she added, Might even help me too! Okay gentlemen, let’s turn him over and get him drunk! The Marshall was more than willing to drink the whiskey and it wasn’t long before he was getting pretty numb.

Matthew kept thinking to himself that the best thing that could happen to the Marshall right now was for him to pass out. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before he did. They turned him back over onto his stomach and the lady went to work. Probing for the bullet, Matthew couldn’t help but notice how calm she was. After watching her for a few minutes and deciding that she knew what she was doing, Matthew decided to go outside and have a smoke and also take a look around hoping not to see those five riders. The night was clear; the stars were like diamonds in the sky, and far off in the distance there was a night owl singing his song, and there seemed to be nothing but tranquility all around. Matthew was thinking about what he would do with the money he would make breaking these horses, when suddenly the cabin door came open and the lady stepped out. She looked worried, so Matt asked her, Is there anything wrong? She looked up and said very quietly, "I found the bullet, but in order to get it out, I’m going to have him to turn him over and push it hard enough to raise the skin on his chest.

Then I’ll have to make an incision and push the bullets through it. I can get my forceps through the hole in his shoulder blade, but I can’t pull the bullet back through. I could have, if the bullet had shattered his shoulder blade. But it didn’t, so what I have to do has to be done very quickly and now. Is he still passed out? Matthew asked. Yes, but not for long, she answered. What do you need me to do? Matthew asked. I need you to steady his body as my husband pushes the forceps through the hole in his shoulder blade, in the meantime, I’ll get ready to make that incision on his chest! Matthew thought to himself, What in the world have I gotten myself into?"

He had never done anything like this before, but Matthew’s thirst for knowledge urged him on to help this brave lady. (Of which he didn’t even know her name) perform this operation on the Marshall. His sense of duty told him that this had to be done, and as the lady said, Quickly and now! So without any hesitation, he followed her back into the cabin. Hesitating Matt asked, If we’re going to do this, I at least should know your names?

The young man laughed and said, That might be a good idea, my wife’ name is Vivian, my name is Charles. People just call me Chuck, and our family name is Coulter. My name is Matthew Rivers, and this is Marshall Trudeau. Now let’s get this done before he wakes up, but I don’t think I got enough whiskey to knock him out again. So without a pause they turned the Marshall up on his side. Chuck took hold of the forceps and began to push.

Vivian said, Keep pushing! I can see the skin is starting to rise just a little bit more. Okay, hold it for a minute. With that she prepared to make an incision and as she made the incision the bullet and the tip of the forceps pocked through the skin. She reached up with her fingers and removed the bullet, then told her husband to take out the forceps. She then proceeded to stitch up the incision in his chest.

When she was finished with his chest, she poured whisky on the bullet wound and preceded to stitch it up. She no longer needed Matt’s help, so he went back outside to get some fresh air and smoke a cigarette. Things seem to be peaceful, he just hoped it would stay that way long enough for the Marshall to recuperate.

After smoking his cigarette and drinking what was left of the whiskey, Matthew went back inside the cabin and found that Vivian had already prepared a pallet on the floor in front of the fireplace. Vivian pointed to the pallet and said, I’m sorry but that’s the best I can do, we don’t have a spare bedroom. The Marshall should sleep the rest of the night so I suggest you turn in and get you a good night’s sleep. You don’t have to worry about the Marshall, I’ll keep an eye on him. Matt was too tired to argue with her so he laid down only taking off his boots and his gun belt.

Almost instantly the peacefulness of sleep overtook Matt. He was awakened the next morning by the sound of bacon frying, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Just the smell made his stomach start growling as if it were a hungry animal and sensed that it was feeding time. Vivian was at the stove cooking, Chuck was sitting at the table with his pipe and a cup of coffee.

He noticed that Matt was awake and said, Didn’t mean to wake you, we both decided to let you sleep as long as you could, besides, the Marshall made it through the night in good shape and he’s awake. Raising up to where he could see the Marshall, Matt smiled and said, You know you owe me a bottle of whiskey! With that the Marshall chuckled and said, Don’t make me laugh or I’ll shoot you. That brought a giggle from Vivian and a hearty laugh from Chuck, it seemed like this was going to be a good day.

The Marshall motioned for Matt to come over to him, so Matt got up and moved closer so we could hear what the Marshall was saying. The Marshall looked up at Matt and said, Look in the right inside pocket of my coat. Without saying anything, Matt picked up the marshal’s coat and reached in the inside pocket and retrieved a star surrounded by a ring, and on the ring was printed: United States Marshal.

The badge has been damaged at one time or another by a bullet someone had taken a hammer and closed the hole in the badge by gently beating it then without any prompting the Marshall started to tell a story. You could see this sincere emotion on his face and hear it in his voice as he started to tell the story. "That badge belonged to the best friend I ever had. He went out after a gang of outlaws after they had robbed and killed a bank owner and five customers including two women and one child. He caught up with them on the West Bank of the Red River. He tried to take the gang by himself, he got two of them before one snuck up behind him and knocked him out.

They tied him to a tree and used his badged on his chest for target practice. The man who headed that gang is in the jail in Denver and I asked to be the one to bring him back to El Paso to stand trial. I have to get to Denver before his gang does, somehow his gang found out that I was going to Denver to get their boss, and that’s when they bushwhack me and you know the rest."

Matt, I don’t have any right to ask you to do this, but I’m going to anyway! I want you to pen this badge on and deliver that prisoner to El Paso in my name. I don’t have to tell you what’s waiting for you along the trail, I think you already know. If you do this for me, I’ll make sure that you get the money to buy your ranch or whatever else you decide to do with it. Being a law man is an honorable profession, and I think you would make a good one, so how about it? Will you finish this job for me? Matt scratched his head and said, I’m not sure which one will be the hardest, transporting one killer, or breaking 600 horses. Vivian spoke up and said, Breakfast is ready. Matt looked at Trudeau and asked, Can I think about it over breakfast? Trudeau just smiled at Matt and said, That’s smart thinking; don’t ever make any kind of a drastic decision on an empty stomach.

Vivian agreed with the Marshall and said, Now let’s get you set up Marshall, so we can get some food in you. Matt just smiled. Matt heard about the bank robbery that the Marshall had described, he didn’t know any of the people that were killed, but he knew of them. One of the women and the child was the wife and daughter of a young man that had just opened a trading post. Both he and his wife were churchgoing people and well-liked and respected in the community.

Matt knew that this man and his gang had to be brought to justice, he also knew it was going to be almost impossible for one man to do the job, but a posse would never find them, one man might. It was a gamble either way. Sliding his chair back from the table, Matt got up and excused himself saying, I’ll be back in just a few minutes.

With that he turned and went out