The Trail to Perdition

Etta had been riding by Tom's side; she hadn't been more than an arm's reach away from him the whole time. "He's a strong horse," she said as she watched Tom talk to Cochise. "John and Justin had a difficult time keeping up with him when we rode back to meet Marshal McCoy. I tried to rein him in, but he's a stubborn animal." Etta smiled at Tom and teased, "Just like his owner."

The sun was setting as they stopped in front of the Marshal's office. "Beds gonna feel good tonight," McCoy said as he dismounted. "I'm gettin too old for this I guess." He walked his horse to the livery stable and returned to his office. "Got to do the damn paperwork before I can turn in. See you boys tomorrow."

"Thanks for the help boys," Tom said to his friends. "Reckon it would've been a mite more interestin without you."

"Yes, thank you so much," Etta echoed.

"Think my credits good at the saloon?" John asked. "Feel like a whiskey or two."

"Tell the barkeep I'll stand good for it," Tom answered. Turning he asked, "You headed back to your ranch Justin?"

"Planned to, but look comin down the street there," he replied and pointed at his wife Theresa walking toward them. "Believe I'm gonna be a guest at the hotel tonight."

Theresa broke into a run when she got closer. She threw herself into Justin's arms, kissing him on both cheeks and finally the lips. "Come with me Corazon, I have a room for us at the hotel. You need a bath and some time with your wife."

Justin smiled at Tom and Etta over Theresa's shoulder. "I'll see y'all in a day or two. Don't know how long this is gonna take." Etta giggled and Tom laughed as Justin and Theresa walked toward the hotel.

"I could use a bath and some rest too. Will I see you tomorrow?" Etta asked.

"If you like we can get breakfast at the café in the morning," Tom suggested.

Etta nodded and said, "See you at eight." She turned and followed Justin and Theresa to the hotel.

The spring weather in southern Arizona was perfect for two young people who were courting and falling in love. Cool mornings and warm afternoons were perfect for them to explore the desert and mountains surrounding Tucson by horseback or buggy.

It was obvious to everyone who saw them, where Tom and Etta were headed. McCoy, more than once, wondered if he would lose his deputy when the couple got hitched. Be hard to find a man to replace Tom, he thought.

Tom and Etta had planned on going to a church social and he was on his way to the hotel to meet her. As Tom stepped up onto the boardwalk in front of the hotel he saw Etta in the lobby talking to a tall, dark haired man. She had tears in her eyes and shook her head. The man took Etta's hand and continued to talk to her. Tom watched for two or three minutes and walked into the hotel lobby.

Etta turned and saw Tom. Her eyes opened wide and she put her hands to her face. "Oh no," she said and run up the stairs to her room. Tom and the man watched her leave.

Tom was straight forward type. He turned to the young man and asked, "Who are you and what do you want with Etta?"

"What business is it of yours?"

Pulling his frock coat to one side, Tom showed his Marshal's star pinned to his shirt. "I'm a Deputy Marshal and the man that's about to put a whippin on you if you don't answer my questions."

The man saw the hard look in Tom's eyes and felt the anger rolling off of the deputy. "My name's William Sanders."

"You're the one that Etta was engaged to back in Texas," Tom said, more a statement than a question.

"Yeah. And letting her leave is the biggest mistake I ever made." William sighed, swallowed hard and continued, "I told my folks I was going to find Etta and marry her and it didn't matter what they thought. It took me awhile to find out where Etta had gone but now that I found her I'm going to ask her to come back and marry me."

Tom had what was known as a poker face; he seldom let his emotions or what he was thinking show on his face. But this time it was all he could do not to let his feelings show. His first reaction was to pistol whip William, drag him outside and put him on a stage back to Texas. Then Tom calmed down. He realized that if he and Etta were going to be together, it would have to be her decision. Not a decision he'd made for her by getting rid of William.

"Go into the hotel bar William. I'll go get Etta." Tom took the stairs to the second floor, went to Etta's room, and knocked on the door.

"Etta, open the door. You're gonna have to face this sometime. Might as well be now." Tom waited for a minute and Etta opened the door.

She had tears in her eyes and was shaking. Tom patted her on the shoulder.

"William explained what he's doing here. I think we need to talk a bit."

"Oh Tom. He asked me to go back and marry him. William said he told his folks he was going marry me no matter what they thought."

"I know. He told me that. What are you going to do Etta?"

One of the guests came out of his room and walked down the hall. "Evening Deputy," he said as he got closer.

Tom nodded and turned back to Etta. The guest had no idea why but he could feel the tension and quickly hurried down the stairs.

"I don't know Tom." Etta sighed and leaned against the door jamb. "I loved William, maybe I still do. I know that if he'd stood up to his parents back then, I would have married him. Now I've met you and my feelings are all mixed up."

"Don't want to throw more at you Etta, but I got to tell you that I love you. Was gonna ask you to marry me tonight." Tom gave her a small wiry grin. "Guess that's a little more for you to think about." He showed her the ring he'd just bought that day.

"Oh Tom," Etta responded and started to cry again.

"William's down in the hotel bar. If you want, go talk to him. I'll tell him to leave you alone until you want to see him. I won't bother you until you're ready to talk to me." Tom leaned over and kissed Etta's cheek and left her standing in her doorway.

Once down stairs Tom went into the saloon. William was leaning against the bar staring into a glass of whiskey. Tom walked over to him and motioned to the bartender for a drink. He took a sip of the harsh whiskey.

"Hell of a mess, ain't it?" Tom asked. William looked at Tom in surprise.

"Etta and me, well it's been Etta and me for awhile," Tom said. "Right now she's all mixed up. Don't know what to say or what to do." He took another drink. "So here's how it's gonna play out William. You're not to bother her until she wants to see you. Understand? You don't go near her until she asks for you."

"Marshal or no, you got no right to tell me what I can do with Etta," William replied heatedly.

"Son, Deputy Marshal's got nothing to do with this. I'm Etta's friend and I won't have her put upon." Tom was only a couple of years older than Sanders but his presence was of an older much more experienced man.

"And what will you do if I don't agree?"

"I'll pistol whip you so bad even your Ma wouldn't recognize you. That's not the law, that's just man to man. Now leave her alone. If I hear you bothered her, it won't go well for you." Tom finished his drink, left the room and returned to the Marshal's office.

No one was in the office; McCoy was making his before supper rounds of the town. He'd stop at the café and eat before returning so Tom had an hour or so to himself.

He got a cup of coffee from the ever present pot and sat behind the desk.

"Well hell," Tom said to the empty room.

Marshal Tom Boone sat on the boardwalk in front of his office. His chair was leaning back and one boot rested on the rail in front of him. He was relaxed and watched as people moved up and down the main street. Town's growing, he thought. Gonna have to hire another deputy fore too long.

It had been a little over a year since Etta had decided to go back to Texas and marry William Sanders. She had tearfully kissed Tom one last time just before she got on the stage with Sanders.

"I'm sorry Tom," she said softly.

"Don't be Etta. You got to go where your heart leads you girl. Have a good life." Tom turned and walked away, not wanting her to see the tears in his eyes.

If Deputy U.S. Marshal Tom Boone had been a terror to rustlers, bandits and thieves before, he was Hell on an Appaloosa after Etta left. The Marshal's district that encompassed Tucson quickly became the area with the least amount of outlaw activity in the Southwest. The lawless decided that rather than have Boone on their trail, there were better places to ply their trade.

Marshal McCoy felt his statement "I'm gettin too old for this" was true. He retired shortly after Etta left and Tom was promoted to Marshal.

Sometimes Tom thought about Etta and what might have been but for the last two months those times were fewer and farther apart. Justin's wife had a younger sister that had been living in Magdalena. Pilar came for a visit and never went back. Once Pilar decided to stay, the first thing Theresa did was invite Tom out to the ranch for Sunday supper.

Pilar was a younger version of Theresa. She had the same long dark, almost black hair that hung down to her waist; she had the same slender but strong build and the same flashing eyes.

Theresa was his friend and Pilar was so much like her that Tom was taken with her at that first meeting. That supper led to others and Tom spent a lot of time out at Justin's ranch.

She sure is an eyeful, Tom thought sitting on his chair. He stood and walked into his office to write the notice for the newspaper about hiring another deputy.

He kept losing his thought because he kept thinking about Pilar. Got to do something, Tom thought.

"Hell, maybe I'm not supposed to be alone after all," he said to the empty office.

The End