head out the door, I saw a man running down the stairs.”
“Did you know him?”
“No, sir,” Dupree answered. Then he shook his head. “Well, I can’t really say as I know him because, truth to tell, I didn’t get a close enough look at him to know whether I knew him or not.”
“Why not? Did he not come close enough to you?”
“He was close enough, I reckon, but all the hall lamps was out so, except for a bit of moonlight comin’ in through the window, the hall was totally dark. Also, by the time I seen him, he had already started down the steps, which meant that his back was to me.”
“What happened next?”
“Next thing I know, Bubba James …”
“Bubba James would be the hotel clerk?”
“Yes, Your Honor. Bubba James come to the foot of the stairs and I heard him say, ‘What’s goin’ on?” Then I seen this fella that had just run down the stairs shoot Bubba down.”
“What did you do next?”
“I jumped back into my room,” Dupree said. “I ain’t no fool.”
The others present for the hearing laughed, and Judge Phelps glared at them.
“How long did you stay in your room?”
“Not long. I listened at the door for a minute or two, and when I didn’t hear nothin’, I went on down the stairs. That’s when I seen Bubba James, lying on his back on the carpet. I knew he was dead, but I bent down to check on him anyway.”
“Did you go down to the end of the hallway where the earlier shooting had taken place?”
“Yes, Your Honor, I did. Then, after I seen for sure that Bubba James was dead, I went back up the stairs, and by that time someone had got a couple of the lanterns lit so I could see what was goin’ on. There was two men lyin’ dead on the floor, and lots others standin’ around lookin’ down at them.”
“Were any of them armed?” the judge asked.
“Yes, sir, one or two of them were.”
“Was Mr. Jensen there?”
“He was.”
“Was Mr. Jensen armed?”
“Yes, Your Honor, Mr. Jensen, was armed. Fact is, he was holdin’ a pistol in his hand.”
“How do you know that the man you saw holding a pistol was Matt Jensen?”
“Oh, Your Honor, after all the hoopla and such about Mr. Jensen yesterday, it was easy to pick him out.”
“Can you point him out now?”
“Yes, sir,” Dupree said. He pointed toward Matt Jensen. “That’s him, right over there,” he said.
“Thank you. You are excused.”
The hearings were open to the public because as one man had said, it was better than any stage play, for this was the drama of reality. As a result of public interest in the hearings, the courtroom was full.
After hearing testimony from Matt and the other residents of the hotel, Judge Phelps issued his ruling.
“This hearing finds that Pablo Sanchez, Enrico Gutierrez, and an unknown third party did, in the middle of the night, and with stealth and planning, enter the Railroad Hotel, ascertain Mr. Jensen’s room number, ascend the stairs to the second floor, extinguish the hall lamps, and attempt, by the discharge of their weapons, to murder Matt Jensen. As Mr. Jensen was responsible for the incarceration of the two previously mentioned men, it is supposed that the motive for their attack was revenge.
“Subsequent to being fired upon, Matt Jensen returned fire, the balls of his pistol having devastating effect upon, and ending the lives of, Sanchez and Gutierrez. This act of homicide was in self-defense and, in all aspects, justifiable. No further investigation, trial, or hearing is deemed necessary.”
Picking up his gavel, Judge Phelps slapped it loudly on his bench.
“This hearing is adjourned.”
Immediately after the hearing, the sheriff, mayor, banker, and even the judge, along with several of the citizens of the town, came over to shake Jensen’s hand.
“So, where are you going to go now?” the sheriff asked.
“Everywhere in general, nowhere in particular,” Matt replied.
“Well, if you aren’t in any hurry, you might stick around here for a couple more days. I know that the bank has your hotel room booked for three nights, and anytime I can see the bank spending money, it pleases me.” The sheriff said, laughing at his own comment.
“Maybe I’ll just do that,” Matt said.
Because of his constant moving about, it wasn’t every night that Matt got to sleep in a bed. However, as the bank had paid for three nights at the hotel, Matt was determined to take advantage of it.
The anchorless drifting had become a part of his heritage. He was a man defined by the saloons, cow towns, stables, dusty streets, and open prairies he had encountered. He could not deny them without denying his own
