Don't Poke the Bear!

Chapter 9

"WHAT ARE WE gonna do with him?"

"Who?" Gentry says, "Sergio?"

"No. Rudy."

"We're going to keep him, of course."

"Keep him?"

"Isn't that why you rescued him?"

"Uh, well, I hadn't really thought about where to keep him. Bigsby wants four dollars a day. We could live in a hotel for half that."

"He can live with us."

"Here?"

She looks perplexed. "Well, Emmett, where else would he live with us?"

"Bears take up a lot of space in a house," I say.

"So do jail holes."

I start to say somethin', then smile and say, "Too shay!"

Gentry smiles back and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

"You're a fast learner," she says.

"Would a' learnt a heap more when I was a kid if you'd been my teacher."

"You already know lots of things I don't know," she says, frownin'. "You cipher way better than me. I'm afraid I can't teach you much."

"You can teach me French words."

"I'll see if I can remember up some more."

"If you do, I'll fast learn 'em."

Gentry nods. Then says, "About Rudy."

"Yeah?"

"We've got to get that rope out of his snout."

"That'll hurt," I say.

"Maybe doc has something to lessen the pain."

"I hope so, 'cause it's one thing to hold a man down. Quite another to brace a bear."

"Rudy'll do just fine," she says.

"How can you possibly know that?"

"I just do," she says.

And that's that.

"I should make arrangements for Sergio," I say.

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Your friends think we're having a poke. They'll make fun of you if you go back downstairs too soon."

"So we should stay in here with a dead man?"

"I'm willing if you are."

"Well, since they think we're doin' it anyway..."

"Oh, no you don't. I can't do it in front of a dead guy!"

"Can you at least kiss me?"

"I can do that. If it goes no further."

We kiss a minute, and get so excited we almost forget about Sergio.

Almost.

But I'm not disappointed. I'd rather kiss Gentry than poke a fine whore.

After waitin' a respectable amount of time, I leave the room and get a thunderous applause from downstairs. I turn and look back at Gentry and grin.

She winks at me.

I go downstairs and visit with the customers about twenty minutes, and then a very upset Gentry comes runnin' to the railin' and shouts, "Emmett! Oh my God! The old man just died!"

"Oh no!" I say, shakin' my head. "I'm so sorry!" I get a couple of young men to come with me upstairs to fetch Sergio in return for two dollars of bar credit. They carry him downstairs, and I go to the money drawer and take out enough for a second burial. I swear, if I have to keep buryin' people, I'll go broke in no time.

The three of us walk over to Earl Gray's house and knock on the door. When he answers, I say, "Got another passenger for your trip tomorrow."

He stares at Sergio and says, "I'll add him for another two dollars."

"You'll add him for free," I say. "It's no extra work for you, and I ain't legally responsible him."

Earl frowns.

"What's wrong?" I say.

"It don't feel right."

"It'll feel worse if I shoot you."

"Let's get him on the wagon," Earl says.

Before leavin', I give him five dollars for the burial.

"I thought Major Cardigan charged ten," Earl says.

"He'll take five to toss this one in the same hole," I say.

After the young men lift Sergio's body onto the wagon we head back toward The Spur and see Doc Workday ridin' in. I flag him down and ask, "How's Mavis?"

"She could birth 'em in her sleep," he says.

I lower my voice and ask, "How do you feel about working on large animals?"

He looks around and lowers his voice and says, "I agree Mavis ain't the prettiest woman in the county, but I wouldn't go so far as to-"

"Not Mavis, Doc. I'm talkin' about actual animals!"

"Oh. Well, I've been known to work on a horse or two."

"Do you have medicine strong enough to knock 'em out while you work on 'em?"

"I've used ether on horses before, but sometimes those that are helpin' me wind up passin' out."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Well, of course it is! But I ain't killed no one yet, like I have with chloroform. Ether is safer on people and livestock, but you can't light a match around it."

"Can you come by the Spur tomorrow mornin'?"

"Why?"

"I got a patient for you."

"A horse?"

"Yeah A big one."

"He's out back?"

"Walk on in, I'll take you to him."

"I can be there at ten."

"See you then."