More to come

As time and anniversary's caught me offguard this month, I didn't have the full entry done on June 30th. Therefore, I present it today, expect more entries -- perhaps smaller to make it easier to read in July.

- Ned's duty-

Deputy Ned Billingham stayed a step behind on the right hand side of his boss. Ned's brown hair was cut short enough to keep it out of his eyes, clean shaven, his white skin hadn't acquired the natural tan from the desert sun. He was 5 ft 8 inches, he'd grown up a as a sheriff's son back in Kansas. His father had died 8 years ago. Ned's mother moved back east to her closest family, but Ned wanted to start fresh. The war dragged him into the fighting in Missouri, by a bad turn of luck.
Now, he followed in his father's steps as a lawman. Cutler was tough, he expected obedience not questions. Over the years, Ned wondered if Cutler's boys had ran from their father to the war, in order to escape him. They wouldn't be the first boys to think war would make them into men, into heroes. Ned did have to give Cutler credit, he was the oldest lawman Ned had ever met, who still walked his town. Still Ned began to wonder how long he would stay a deputy.
Ned noticed Cutler held the Reb's gun tightly in his left hand. The Sheriff didn't return any greetings his way, so Ned stepped into the role as greeter. He waited until they passed a pair of Creekbend's wealthier citizenry who were outside the Crown Royal Restaurant.
"You gave that Reb a line of shit Sheriff,:" Ned's parents raised him to respect his elders, but not wither under their age.
"Don't care about your opinion, Deputy. I can handle him however, I want." Cutler's right eye gave Ned a quick, stabbing glare.
"You know as well as I do, we won't get anyone in his town to hang him. Rickett and Odell had been given the ranchers fits for months." Ned pressed on.
Cutler spun on his right heel, turning to face his Deputy. The Reb's gun poked him in the chest. "You telling me how to do my job, boy?"
"No, sir" Ned backed off a step . His back bumped into the wall in front of the single bank that serviced the town.
"Then shut your mouth, Deputy. Let's get back to the office. Damned Reb's got me on edge for no good reason." Cutler walked across the street and Ned followed a minute later. The Sheriff's office was just north of the center of town, but conveniently placed with the local bank in plian view of their main window.of their office.

Once inside the office, Ned had shut the door and the Sheriff tossed Cort's gun onto the top of a safe that sat against the wall , behind the Sheriff's desk. Cutler looked toward the door that was closed leading to the back wing of the office where three jail cells were cut off from the main room. "Reckon' Odells thirsty by now."
Ned started to head toward the door, but Cutler held out his hand stopping him. "I'll deal with Odell today. Besides, if he didn't pick out that Rickett's dead from all the people's talk today. I want to break his thieving heart."
"Alright, Sheriff. What do you want me to do?" Ned stood, thumbs hooked into his gun belt.
"Follow that Reb while he's in town," Cutler ordered.
Ned held back the question that first protested this useless order. "Alright, I'll catch a bit down at the Royale. Figure that Reb's gonna be eating anyway. He's got to come north up the main road to get anywhere, anyhow."
"That Reb didn't just wander up here Ned, and happen to stumble into a gunfight." Cutler stated, maybe for Ned's benefit , or maybe not.
"How do you know that, Sheriff?"
"Strangers don't just start blasting away in a gunfight , unless they get shot at. People don't go looking for trouble. He knew something had been going on in town, he was prepared."
Ned didn't bother to point out that the Reb had shot Rickett after he'd shot one of the Peter's boys. He'd done it to save a life, but Ned knew the Sheriff refused to see that. At least, today. After all, this Reb had done the one thing Cutler and Ned hadn't been able to do "legally" against Rickett. The Reb had taken care of the man, permanently.
Ned nodded and headed out the door.