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Updated: May 2, 2025
"Jess," said she, "let's be fair and shame the devil. Maybe we don't know all the truth about Will Banion. You go in the house. I'll tend to this man, whoever he may be." But she did not. With one more look at the advancing figure, she herself rose and followed her husband. As she passed she cast a swift glance at her daughter, who had not joined them for the twilight hour.
This was part of the price of empire the life of a young woman, a bride of a year. The wagons all broke camp and went on in a vast caravan, the Missourians now at the front. Noon, and the train did not halt. Banion urged the teamsters. Bridger and Jackson were watching the many signal smokes. "I'm afeard o' the next bend," said Jackson at length. The fear was justified.
They could see the train accelerating its speed. Jackson felt in the bag at his belt and handed Banion the folded paper. He opened the folds steadily, read the words again and again. "'Come to us," is what it says. He spoke to Jackson. "Ye're a damned liar, Will," remarked Jackson. "I'll read it all!" said Banion suddenly. "'Will Banion, come to me, or it may be too late.
But now the men stood between them, like and like. Young Jed Wingate pushed back his man. "It's done!" said he. "You shan't fight no more with the man that let you up. You're whipped, and by your own word it'd have been worse!" He himself handed Will Banion his coat. "Go get a pail of water," he said to Kelsey, and the latter departed.
With a sudden leap, without a word, he sprang beyond the horse, with a swift clutch at both revolvers, all done with a catlike quickness not to have been predicted. He stood clear of the plunging horse, both weapons leveled, covering his two rescuers. "Evener now!" His teeth bared. "Promise me!" Jackson's deep curse was his answer. Banion rose, his arms folded.
Banion stepped apart, battered and pale beneath his own wounds. "I didn't want to fight him this way," said he. "I left him his eyes so he can see me again. If so he wants, I'll meet him any way. I hope he won't rue back." "You fool!" said old Bill Jackson, drawing Banion to one side. "Do ye know what ye're a-sayin'? Whiles he was a-layin' thar I seen the bottoms o' his boots.
I would not dare, any more, ever again. Oh, Will Banion, why did you take away my heart? I had but one!" "It is mine!" he cried savagely. "No other man in all the world shall ever have it! Molly!" But she now was gone. He did not know how long he stood alone, his head bowed on his saddle. The raucous howl of a great gray wolf near by spelled out the lonesome tragedy of his future life for him.
The Missourians camped proudly and coldly apart, the breach between the two factions by no means healed, but rather deepened, even if honorably so, and now well understood of all. Most men of both parties now knew of the feud between Banion and Woodhull, and the cause underlying it. Woman gossip did what it might. A half dozen determined men quietly watched Woodhull.
"That's my name," said Jesse Wingate, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously, but advancing with ungloved hand. "You're from the Liberty train?" "Yes, sir. My name is Banion William Banion. You may not know me. My family were Kentuckians before my father came out to Franklin. I started up in the law at old Liberty town yonder not so long ago, but I've been away a great deal." "The law, eh?"
As many continually were near Banion, although for quite a different reason. All knew that time alone must work out the answer to this implacable quarrel, and that the friends of the two men could not possibly train up together.
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