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The doc stared into her stormy eyed glance, "You think a dying man lies?"
"Well no, but… "
He took his hand and covered hers. "Let's don't go any further, Melissa. He told the Sheriff, as he was there when he died. The Sheriff nodded and said he'd take the poster
s down. It's all over… "
Lissa stared, her mouth open, but not knowing what to say about the matter. Why would her father lie on his deathbed… for her?
Moon took her in his arms.
"Melissa," the Doc started to get up now from his chair that Jack had insisted he sit down in. "It's over, leave it."
Lissa wanted to confess about the man she killed but the Doc went on with other news.
"The Sheriff said the posters would come down, and you aren't wanted any longer and the case was closed."
"I can't believe it!"
Jack smiled, "God does work in mysterious ways, don't he, Doc?"
"Yes, he does. Oh, and strangely but last week a man came into town with a body on his pack horse. Well, what was left of a body. It was all eaten up by a bear torn to shreds, couldn't even identify him. Said he found the body up by Sutter's Ridge. The body had been buried at some point, but the bear dug him up and had him for supper. The man found the bear tracks all over the place. Bears are known for buryin' their prey for a while, then digging them up and eating them. It was the most gruesome case I ever had. And no one knows who the man was. I guess we'll never know. Probably some drifter. Had a big write up in the paper about it, the town was going into hysterics worrying about that bear."
"Sounds like you been busy, Doc!" Jack laughed.
"Do we need to get a hunt up for the bear?"
"Yes, I have been busy. But the town hired a well-known bear tracker. Someday, years from now, they'll be able to identify people like that, but right now, we have no way of telling. We buried the bones up on Boot Hill, but there's no name on the grave. It's kind of sad when you think someone can die and you don't even know his name."
"No ones been missing?" Jack asked.
"No, no reports of anyone we know."
"Well, at least he got a burial." Moon told him.
The Doc patted Lissa's hand. "I'm sorry about your Pa, but the way the man drank, it's no wonder. In case you want to visit, we buried him by your Ma."
Lissa nodded, tears were streaming silently down her cheeks now. "Thanks Doc, for everything." Lissa stood up and hugged the man.
"Just take care of yourself Melissa and have a good life. You ought to come to town more often now, no one gets to see you much. And," He looked down at her. "You don't have to dress like an Indian, unless you want to."
Lissa turned red. "But Doc, Moon and I are married. Won't they be upset about me marrying an Indian?"
"Well, not after I tell them all how he took care of you after what your father did and hid you out so he couldn’t find you. No, everyone in our town has known Moon for a lot of years. And maybe some will be standoffish, some of the women, but they'll learn to accept it in time. The thing is you need to hold your head up and be proud.
"Oh, and Jack, I bought the mine."
Jack's head reared, "You did?"
"Well, I intend to if you don't mind, I couldn't believe after all these years you would sell it, especially when it finally paid off."
Jack smiled and stood up. "Happiness don't come in gold Doc. It comes from having a family and lots of love."
The Doc smiled at him now, "I guess you are right, Jack."
"So, what are you going to do with it?" Moon asked.
"I got a nephew, who came west to become a man. He always wanted to go to California to find gold. When you put the sign up that it was for sale, I asked him if he'd work the mine himself, he said he would be glad to. So now he's really gonna become a man. The thing is Jack, he could use some pointers on how to work it. I figure together we might make a fortune and I could pay you for helping him out."
