Chapter 18
It was three o’clock in the afternoon when a big white Cadillac turned into the driveway. Jim had placed several folding chairs in the shade of the big pine tree. He and Elly May were seated in two of them. Shirley Green remained inside.
The car pulled up in front of them and came to a stop. The left side was facing them as the Doctor was behind the wheel. Aunt Nelly was beside him.
The Doctor removed the dark glasses he was wearing and laid them on the seat. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and looked around.
Jim took Elly May by the arm and walked over to the car. She poked her head through the open window and kissed the Doctor on the cheek.” Oh, Uncle John, it is so nice to see you.” She turned around and ran to the other side. “And, Aunt Nelly, it is so nice of you to come.”
There was a faint smile on Aunt Nelly’s face. “And it is good to see you girl. How are you? is everything alright?”
Elly May reached through the open window and gave her a big hug and a kiss. “Everything is wonderful, Aunt Nelly, and in a minute I will give you some great news.”
She backed away from the car and walked back to where Jim was standing. She slipped her right arm around his waist stuck out her left hand and wiggled the finger with the diamond on it.
“Oh uncle John and Aunt Nelly, Jim and I are getting married. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Elly May was sure doing her part to keep everything on an even keel, Jim thought. Maybe everything would be all right. He hoped so.
But the Doctor’s next words didn’t sound like it.
“Are you ready to go girl? Get your bags! We haven’t got all day!”
Elly May moved closer to Jim. “1 told you Uncle John Jim and I are getting married right away. We want you to stay for the wedding, don’t we darling?”
Jim stepped up close to the open window. “Maybe I should introduce myself. I am Jim Green.” He stuck out his right hand toward the Doctor. “Get out and rest a spell.”
Aunt Nelly spoke. “Yes why don’t we John? He seems to be a nice young man.”
The Doctor’s face was dark. “Get your things, Elly May. I’m not going to tell you again”
Jim’s hand dropped to his side. He was having a hard time controlling his temper. He took the little arm from around his. waist and gently pushed the girl back.
For a minute he stood there, sizing up the Doctor. Elly May had said that he was a big man and she was right. Be was big and blond and probably in his early thirty’s. He was well groomed every hair in place including a thin moustache. Right at the present moment his lower jaw was thrust out like that of a bull terrier.
Jim thought he would try once more. Once again he stuck out his right hand. Slowly the Doctor turned in his seat he extended a big right hand.
Jim grasped it firmly then was almost yanked bodily into the car. The Doctor had tricked him. Andersen had both hands wrapped around his wrist and was pushing down hard. A little more pressure and the arm would break.
Jim pushed himself forward, poking his head through the open window. Both his arms were now inside. No longer could the Doctor use the window ledge to bend the arm over.
Aunt Nelly screamed and bailed out the opposite side of the car.
For a second Jim had the advantage. Andersen was bent over backwards and Jim’s left hand was free. He didn’t have much leverage but the fist that had made the barn rattle and shake was playing a tune on the Doctor’s face.
Andersen twisted around trying to elude those cutting blows. It was of no use they kept coming! In desperation he let go of Jim’s right arm and tried to cover his face with both hands.
This was a mistake. The fist come down hard, burying itself deep in the Doctors stomach. The Doctor grunted and lowered his guard. With the right hand Jim had lots of leverage. He swung a crushing blow that landed square on the chin. The big man trembled and tried to get up, but another fist to the jaw drove him back down. Then another to the solar plexus knocked all the wind out of him. Finally came a crashing right to the jaw and the fight was oven.
For a few seconds Jim stared at the man beneath him. No need of more punches the man was out cold. He pulled his feet inside opened the door and crawled out. The Doctor’s legs were sticking out the open doorway. He grabbed the ankles and gave a mighty heave. The man landed flat on his back on the dusty driveway.
Jim didn’t want the Doctor to wake up in or near the car. He could have a gun or some other weapon concealed there. He grabbed the ankles once more and dragged the man over into the shade of the big pine tree. He let the legs drop.
The three women were standing in a huddle their arms around each other. Jim took charge. “Mother, get a bucket of water some towels. “ He looked at Nelly Andersen. “Lady, if you can find some clean clothes for your husband I will help him clean up a bit. When he wakes up…”
The Doctor groaned and rolled over. Blood was dripping from his swollen nose and battered lips.
Only a few minutes ago he had been a big clean handsome man. The terrible beating he had just had turned him into a dirty battered hulk. And he was the one that had started the whole thing. Even his wife showed him no sympathy for him. She went to the car brought a suitcase and set it down.
Shirley Green brought a bucket of water and some towels and set them beside the suitcase.
Elly May walked up to Jim, her eyes were wide. “Are you alright darling? Oh Jim, he tricked you. He tried to break your arm.
“He tried alright.”
The doctor was sitting up. He groaned and spit blood.
Jim turned to the three women. “The fight is over, but the Doctor and I have a few things to talk about, so if you don’t mind leaving us alone for a few minutes I am sure everything will turn out just fine.”
The three women looked at each other. Then without a word arm and arm they started walking toward the house.
For a moment Jim stood there. Staring at the man on the ground. What had possessed the Doctor to try and break his arm? Before they were through here he was going to find out.
Andersen struggled to his feet and looked around. He was still in a daze his, eyes looked glassy. Jim picked up the bucket of water in one hand and the suitcase and the towels in the other. He motioned for the Doctor to follow him. They walked to the number two cabin. Jim swung the door open and motioned for him to go in.
The cabin was small, about twenty feet square. It was used as a spare bedroom in roundup season. It’s only furniture was a bed and a couple of chairs.
Jim dipped a towel in the bucket and handed it to the Doctor. He sat down the bucket and the suitcase in the corner of the room. Andersen took the towel and began wiping his battered face. Jim watched him closely. The guy was tricky he wouldn’t be caught off guard again.
The man was recovering fast. He was young and evidently in excellent health. He walked over to a mirror that hung on the wall. The reflection showed his battered features. The nose was badly swollen and the lips puffed. One eye was almost closed.
A look of hatred crossed his face. “Damn you!” he muttered. “I won’t be able to face the public for two weeks. What in hell did you hit me with?”
He turned away from the mirror and looked around. His eyes fell on the suitcase he started toward it.
Jim stepped in front of him. “Not so fast. Where do you think you are going?”
The Doctor glared at him. “1 was just going to get a clean shirt.” He took a step forward. “Get the hell out of my way!”
Jim hit him square in the mouth. Andersen staggered back and spit out four hundred dollars worth of bridgework. His face was livid. Like a mad bull he charged.
Jim stepped under a wild haymaker and buried his right hand deep in the solar-plexus. Andersen gasped for breath his knees started to buckle. Jim brought up an uppercut that landed square on the chin. Like a punctured balloon the big man sank slowly to the floor.
For a few moments Jim stood over the senseless form. The man was out cold. He retrieved the water bucket and poured on his face.
The man on the floor sputtered and sat up ï He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked up at the figure standing over him. He ran a hand over his battered face placing a finger inside his bleeding mouth. He shook his head and groaned. “For Gods sake man” he muttered. “Don’t hit me: again.”
Jim’s voice was cold. “Why did you try and break my arm?”
Andersen’s hands went to his stomach. He rocked slowly back and forth.
Jim. repeated” “Why did you try and break my arm? “
The Doctor looked up at him. He licked his bleeding lips.
His voice was harsh. “Don’t you know man? Are you that stupid?”
Jim didn’t answer. He stared down at the beaten man.
The Doctor slowly shook his head. His voice was just above a whisper. “Don’t blame me. I couldn’t help myself…. I fell in love with the girl the minute I set eyes on her.” He hesitated for a moment. “She was only fourteen then. But there was something about her that was so different from anyone I have ever known… ” His voice trailed off.
Jim was dumbfounded. This was unbelievable!
The Doctor cleared his throat. “Last month she was eighteen. Four long years I have waited…And now too late…” His chin sank down on his chest. “So now you know. Congratulations. Anything Else?”
Jim took a deep breath. Things began to make a little sense. If the Doctor had succeeded in breaking his arm the girl would of been at his mercy. He would of been in full command He could have forced her to get in the car and return to Seattle. God only knows what would happen after that.
And Aunt Nelly… She had tried to reason with the Doctor.
Evidently she knew nothing of his plans. He had taken her by complete surprise, then she had seen the handwriting on the wall. When the fight started she had jumped out of the car and let him fight his own battle.
Suddenly, Jim remembered. That night in Ontario Elly May had said. “I have two good reasons for leaving Seattle. One of them is there is a man.. He keeps coming on strong and I don’t care for him in that way.”
So Uncle John was that man. She had tried to protect him by not telling his name!
Jim had one more question. “I know you removed most of the scar would you care to talk about it?”
The Doctor nodded. “1 figured you would get around to asking that question. If I don’t answer you will probably beat me some more. Alright I will tell you…That’s where it all. started…”
For several minutes he talked. It seemed to Jim that he was like a sinner confessing his sins. Unloading part of the burden on someone else. It was a strange story.
For about a year he had been practicing medicine in Seattle. It was hard getting started…He was short on money. For a young man just out of school and newly married there were lots of problems.
Then came his big chance. A couple of well-known doctors had asked him to join them. By doing this success was assured. If all went well1 in a couple of months he would be sitting pretty. He decided to take a short vacation.
His wife had relatives here in Idaho. He had loaded his camper with fishing and hunting gear and drove to the Rotten ranch.
Seth and Martha had an old school bus which they used for a camper. Seth knew where the fishing was good they had taken off for the high mountains. They took Elly May with them.
They had driven to Cascade lake and found a nice camping place.The fishing was great..
Then Seth had produced a jug of white lightning. It was powerful stuffs and they consumed a lot of it.
The jug was about half-gone when they decided to hold a shooting contest. Shooting cans and bottles off a stump about fifty yards away.
They had kept Elly May busy running back and forth setting up targets. The Doctor was an expert with a rifle and was holding his own with Seth.
Then he suggested that they shoot at some flying objects.
They had picked up a bunch of rocks about the size of a man’s fist. They had directed the girl to throw them high in the air. They had stepped back about a hundred feet and she began throwing…
Seth could lever the Winchester with great speed. The doctor had an automatic. Most of the rocks were broken before they hit the ground.
Then there were no rocks in the air…
The girl was lying on the ground a gaping wound in the side of her head. One of the bullets had glanced off a rock and went spiraling across the side of Elly May’s head.
At this point in his story the doctor stopped and wept.
Of course they didn’t know whose bullet had struck her, but they were both responsible, and both drunk on Seth’s potent booze.
He had examined the girl’s It was a nasty wound but didn’t appear to be too deep. Her pulse and blood pressure was good. She was’ in no immediate danger.
He and Seth had held a conference. They were both scared. Seth was already in trouble with the law. He could see his own career going down the drain. If they took her to the hospital in Cascade there would be a lot of questions asked. They might even be arrested. One thing for sure there would be a lot of publicity. The doctors in Seattle would probably decide they could do without a junior partner.
They had made a quick decision. They loaded her in his camper and headed for Seattle. Nelly drove and he sat beside her all the way.
At this point the Doctor got to his feet, staggered over to the window and stood, staring out.
“I guess it was on that ride home that I fell in love with her. Each year she has become more and more an obsession to me. Each year she has become sweeter more beautiful, more desirable. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her to another man.”
It had been a strange story. Jim couldn’t help but feel sorry for’ the man. On the other hand the guy had tried to break his arm. Also he had been protecting himself all this time. He was not one to be trusted.
Jim had everything under control now and he intended to keep it that way. His voice was as cold as an iceberg in Alaska.
“Gather up your junk Doctor and get the hell out of here! If I ever see you again so help me God, I will kill you.”
