It happened in Silver Dollar City. Nobody had expected it but it caused a lot of commotion. Until the incident happened Silver Dollar City was a quiet town. A bank robbery hardly took place because all around was known how marshal Tom Miller dealt with the robbers.
A couple which was often in touch with Tom was Buck and Paddy. They grew up together and couldn’t be without each other. Paddy was the son of Doc O’Brien and Buck said pa to the marshal. Paddy was calm while is friend was just the opposite. Sometimes the marshal was worried about his son who grew up motherless. Buck was quick tempered but he always defended the weaker ones. His character and behavior had caused him enough trouble from time to time.
One evening Buck asked, “Pa, how did mom die?”
“She was murdered by Handy Bill. You were only a few weeks old. He was never caught for this murder. Why this question?”, asked the marshal.
“In the saloon someone said that he comes here soon”, answered his son.
“You are not going to interfere with it. If I may see or hear that it does happen, then I arrest you on the spot. Son or no son of mine. Understood Buck Miller?”, Tom asked stern.
There was nothing left for Buck to do than to obey his father and promise not to interfere with it. The boy didn’t like that at all and he quickly left the office.
After a while Tom went to do is round. He found Buck and Paddy in the saloon. When he sat at their table Handy Bill came in.
“Stay quiet boys. Don’t let anything notice”, was the advice of the marshal.
He noticed how tensed his son was. He couldn’t suspect that the boys would be kidnapped that same evening.
“Don’t make it too late boys”, Tom said when he continued his round.
They promised that. Handy Bill looked at them for a long time and went to sit at a table in the meantime.
Not suspecting anything Buck and Paddy walked home after their evening in the saloon.
“Buck, what is it that bothers you?”, Paddy asked suddenly.
“The murderer of my mother is in town. He has never been caught for it”, Buck said angry.
At that moment they both got knocked out cold. Lying on a horse they were brought to a camp outside of the town.
Handy Bill threw them on the ground and said, “Now I have you both. Nobody will see you ever back again.”
He put the boys against a big tree but didn’t tie them up. He took their weapons though.
A bit later on they woke up. The boys looked at each other.
Buck said a bit hoarse, “I wonder where we are.”
“You are now in my hands. Don’t try to get away because that will fail”, Handy Bill said laughing.
He didn’t know the boys. They noticed that.
“We won’t do that sir”, Buck said laughing too and he gave Paddy a push.
He began to laugh too and gave Buck a quick wink. Quite soon Handy Bill fell asleep and thereby he snored very loud. This gave the boys the chance to escape which they grabbed with both hands.
Paddy and Buck tried to sneak away from the camp very silently but that failed. Paddy trapped on something and that made him and Buck impossible to get away. Handy Bill woke up and fetched them back.
“So! You thought to be able to escape but that won’t happen”, Handy Bill said angry.
“You think that murderer. We will get away somehow”, answered Buck.
“Shut up kid”, said the outlaw.
With the barrel of his rifle he knocked the eyes of Buck shit. By the smack Buck lost his consciousness. Paddy looked angry at the outlaw and crawled to his friend. The outlaw began to laugh loudly. Paddy grabbed a rock and threw it into his face. Hereby Handy Bill was forced to drop his rifle.
“You dirty brat”, the outlaw yelled angry.
Paddy had gotten the rifle in his hands and said, “Now you are going to empty those two bottles of whiskey. After that you are going to sleep nicely.”
Because the outlaw loved whisky very much he quickly emptied the bottles. Meanwhile Buck had woken up but didn’t see nothing anymore. He felt that Paddy was doing something so he kept himself unconscious. Both boys didn’t know that their fathers had become worried and already were looking for them.
Quite late that evening Doc came into the office of the marshal.
Tom was a bit absent and didn’t know first what Doc meant with the question, “Do you know where Paddy is?”
“Is he gone too?”, Tom asked amazed.
“Do you want to say that Buck had disappeared too?”, Doc asked on his turn.
The marshal nodded. A while it was silent in the office.
“Buck said that Handy Bill is in town. When they meet each other it can be dangerous for the town. Handy Bill shot Paula dead when Buck was just born. He is asking a lot about here lately”, said Tom.
“That might have to do with their disappearing”, was het answer of Doc.
“I go and look for them tomorrow. Jed can handle it here alone. If they are dead the culprits will get their share”, Tom said angry.
“Easy Tom. With getting angry is no one helped and certainly not our sons. I will tell it Miss Laura”, said Doc and he left the office.
In the saloon Miss Laura was still busy.
“We are closed. Oh, it’s you Doc. What can I do for you?”, asked the of the saloon.
“Buck and Paddy are being missed. Tom is angry at the one who has done it”, said Doc.
This news shocked Miss Laura also very much.
“It did notice me that Handy Bill looked a lot and often at the boys. When they left the saloon that outlaw went away as well. I think everything has to do with each other”, said Miss Laura.
Doc agreed with it. Despite his calmness he too was worried about his son and his friend.
On request of the marshal got the disappearing of Paddy and Buck kept silent as much as possible. Only deputy-marshal Jed Thompson, Miss Laura and Doc knew about it. What they didn’t know was the boys already had escaped from the clutches from Handy Bill. That night Tom did the watch himself. Then he could think best. Because his son was away Tom noticed how much he was attached to him. His thoughts went back to the time when his wife Paula was still there. He got more convinced that Handy Bill had kidnapped the boys.
By this kidnapping a lot of lives were at stake. It was clear that Handy Bill had most fun in this. Though nobody could suspect that Paddy and Buck were already riding to Silver Dollar City.
After Handy Bill had drunk the two whisky bottles he fell fast asleep. By his hard snoring Paddy and Buck heard that he was far away.
“Buck, this is our chance. Come on. Hold my hand”, Paddy whispered to his friend who couldn’t see anything.
Paddy grabbed the horse of Bill and they rode back to town. During one of his rounds Tom saw the boys coming. He stopped the horse.
“Boys, what has happened to you?”, Tom asked when the horse stood still.
“We got kidnapped by Handy Bill. But because we got caught by him by our first escape he hit Buck out cold. He can’t see anything”, Paddy told calm.
Tom helped Buck off the horse and they walked into his office. Buck did feel the area.
When father and son Miller say opposite each other the oldest said, “You do look tired son.”
“I am tired. Besides I can’t see anything. Pa, you will arrest that outlaw for sure, don’t you?”, Buck asked excited despite the exhaustion.
“I surely will do that. You go to bed and miss Laura will look after you. Paddy, you go with me to show the spot”, said Tom.
Paddy agreed.
When Buck was in bed he soon was sleeping. The owner of the saloon, Miss Laura, stayed by him. Since his mother had died she had taken care of him and his father. She loved the boy like he was her own son.
In the meantime Tom and Paddy rode to the shelter where the outlaw had kept the boys hostage.
“There it is marshal. He was blind drunk when we left”, Paddy said softly.
Tom looked for a second amazed at the boy and asked then, “That language you must have heard from my son?”
“Indeed. By the way, that is nothing compared with the language which Handy Bill said to us”, Paddy said laughing.
Tom began to smile and said, “I could have known. Come.”
Carefully they approached the camp Handy Bill was gone. They searched through everything but no track of the outlaw. Finally they rode back to town where Paddy got examined by his father.
“You are alright but now I send you to bed. You are tired too”, said Doc.
Paddy didn’t even protest.
When Tom and Doc were alone said Tom, “I want that you examine Buck too when he is awake. He can’t see anything.”
“Alright. They have been through a lot tonight. Tom, what are you up to?”, asked Doc.
Tom didn’t know that but he would do anything to arrest Handy Bill. But the outlaw had disappeared trackless.
The next morning Doc examined the eyes of Buck and he came to a painful conclusion.
“Doc, how is it with him?”, Tom asked worried.
“Buck can’t see for the time being. Handy Bill has hit him hard by his eyes”, was het answer.
Tom was very shocked and vowed for revenge. He didn’t let this show when he was walking to the saloon with his son.
“Pa, I may be blind but I still can go to the saloon”, Buck said sober.
“Some things you can’t do anymore. Like riding on your horse and play poker”, said Tom.
The boy nodded. They went inside and took place at their regular table.
Suddenly a cowboy James Taylor very sarcastic, “Look, the little boy can drink on his own.”
He shouldn’t have said that because a second later Buck shot the holster off him. It was deadly quiet in the saloon at once.
Tom said, “James, it is your own fault. Buck is blind but he can shoot like he can see you.”
James looked angry at Tom and knew that he had to keep calm.
From that moment on Buck got treated normal. The peace soon returned again in Silver Dollar City. Until Tom received a telegram from the outlaw who challenged him for a duel with the date included.
The day of the deadly duel.
It was deadly quiet on the street when Handy Bill came riding. Paddy and Miss Laura watched from her hotel room. Buck laid on the bed but was awake. Tom waited in his office and Jed was in the saloon. Looking careful around him Handy Bill rode through the streets. He knew that he was walking on thin ice but to him that was a risk of the job.
“I hope that pa blows him away”, Buck said suddenly.
Miss Laura got up and said while she walked to him, “Buck, you know that your father doesn’t want that you talk that way.”
“He deserves that”, reacted the boy.
She agreed with him but kept silent about it.
Outside the pressure was to be cut. The outlaw stopped near the saloon and dismounted. Jed was not to be seen by the outlaw.
Handy Bill walked to the office and yelled falsely, “Come on then appear Miller!”
Suddenly the pressure got worse. At the highest point Bill wanted to draw but the marshal was a second faster. The outlaw dropped dead on the ground. Tom sighed of relief. Doc came out of his office and examined the outlaw.
After that he said to the marshal, “Tom, he is dead.”
From that moment on no outlaw dared to come anymore in Silver Dollar City. The peace had come and stayed there forever.