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"I will, you two might hurt him." Dan offered quickly accepting that responsibility. His brothers were rough, mean sometimes. "And I ain't for killin' the kid. We ain't got nothin' against Charlie."
Jason smiled, they began to see what he was saying. That was good. "I didn't say we'd kill the kid, I said we'd bring him out here and you'll go fishing with him and we'll have a big fish fry, play checkers and let him spend the night. He won't even get hurt. Alright, Dan, you'll get the kid. Tell him some big fish story, and he'll come easy enough without a fuss."
"Hey now, that's an idea!" Dan smiled. "Sure, I can do that. Charlie loves to fish, everyone knows that."
Jason shook his head; his brothers were so stupid. Sometimes he wondered why he had all the brains in the family.
"Good, it's settled then. Tomorrow you go into town and see if you can get the kid to go fishing with you, Dan. Bring him out here, take him fishing too. We'll have the fish for supper. He don't even have to know what's goin' on. Tell him some story, like we'll have a fish fry and take him home the next mornin'. I got an idea this isn't going to take long to finish up."
Dan smiled and nodded. "I can do that."
"I'll write the note for Cord, and we'll get someone else to deliver it…"
Butch shrugged. "This better work Jason. Because if it don't, I'm going gunnin' for the man."
His threat hung in the air between them and Jason almost called his bluff, but Butch had a crazy streak in him and Jason knew not to push him too far.
"It will…but we're gonna have to be ready for him."
"Now you are talkin'." Butch smiled. "I'll be ready."
"Good, then tomorrow…" Jason sat down once more and drank his coffee, looking like the cat that stole the milk.
Chapter Thirteen
Dan was sitting at a table in the saloon the next day at lunch time. He watched Lilly for a moment, wishing he could entice her to come around him. Still, Lilly was all business. She spent a great deal of her time keeping the glasses washed up. Besides, she'd never had anything to do with him, why would she start now?
But after about three beers Dan spotted Charlie wiping a table off. He didn't look as though he was enjoying it either. Good, he was bored, and a bored kid would jump at the chance to go fishing.
He motioned for Charlie and Charlie came up to him skeptically. "You want another beer Dan?" Charlie asked.
"Nah, hey Charlie, I heard you like to fish." Dan began, eyeing the kid closely.
"Yeah, sure," Charlie stared at him. Dan wasn't that old and Charlie liked talking to him although he didn't know him that well. There were few that came in the saloon as young as Dan.
Dan was dressed in regular cowboy gear, complete with a gun on his hip. Charlie often wondered if Dan knew how to use a gun. He'd thought about asking him a time or two but never had. His mother didn't like him talking to the Dubs brothers, but Dan seemed all right.
"Well, just so happens we got a creek full of catfish on our place. Ever fished there?" Dan asked.
"Naw…not that I remember." Charlie thought about it a minute.
"How about you and me sneaking out there and goin' fishin' this afternoon?" Dan suggested. Dan was sixteen and could still relate to kids pretty easy. He liked kids, and Charlie had always befriended him to some extent.
"I-I don't know. I got chores to finish." Charlie glanced at his Ma. She wasn't looking their way.
"Then finish them and I'll meet you out back say…two o'clock and we'll do some great fishin', what do you say? Might even have a fish fry later."
Charlie glanced at his mother, but she was washing glasses and had her back to him. He seemed to consider it for a minute. He'd always wanted someone to hang out with, but everyone was too old that came in here. Dan was just a few years older than him, the way he figured. "I guess if I finish I could. But I'll have to tell my Ma."
"Just tell her you are goin' fishin', you don't have to tell her where, you'll be home before sundown." Dan assured him.
"All right. Meet you out back then…" Charlie nodded.
"All right," Dan smiled and nodded.
Lilly turned around about the time Charlie walked away. She looked at Dan then Charlie. Dan finished his beer and left.
As they ate a sandwich together later, Charlie finished his milk, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at his mother. "Can I go fishing when I finish my chores?"
