The Treasure of Cedar Creek by Brenda Stanley

Author:Brenda Stanley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Seale Publishing

Chapter 17

The story of Dakota

Montpelier, Idaho

1885

They arrested Casper for the fire, and for the destruction it caused. Dakota sat each day just outside the window of his father’s cell. They spoke, but most of the time, Dakota drew pictures in the dirt with a stick and avoided the mournful and demoralizing looks from the people of the town.

“What will become of him?” he heard them whisper. They all knew that Casper had been sentenced to hang and they all agreed it was the right punishment for the crime. The trial made it clear that he didn’t mean for the fire to destroy life, but he purposefully set it, and that had him sentenced as a killer.

Dakota stayed at Dorothea’s but every morning he was out the door and at the sheriff’s office, with his back against the wall of the jail.

“He can’t stay there,” Sheriff Goodwin told Ben. “I won’t let him witness this.”

Ben shrugged. He agreed that the sins of the father shouldn’t be carried on to the little boy, but his anger and hurt at what Casper had done still boiled under his skin. As much as Ben tried to live his creed as an officer and knew that his job was to enforce the law, not decide it, he couldn’t bring himself to stop wanting to avenge this crime himself.

At night when he was alone with his thoughts, he plotted and planned. No one would care if the punishment was carried out quickly with a bullet rather than a public hanging, and who would blame him for doing it? It wasn’t murder when the sentence was already death.

One night when sleep eluded him again, he dressed and walked from his small house on the far side of town, down the dark road to the jail. As he approached the building, he drew his gun, but then he paused. He heard the soft sobs of Dakota, still at his post on the side of the building, and Casper’s voice from the window trying to calm him. Ben stopped and in the veil of moonlight listened to the desperate and sad conversation.

“I will be with Mommy and your little brother. You must live a good life so you can be with us too,” Casper said with confidence.

“I want to go with you now,” Dakota cried. “Please take me with you.”

There was a long pause and Ben wondered if Casper was trying to gain his composure. How could he not be distraught hearing his son’s pleas?

“I want you to be with the men in this office. Stay here and learn from them,” Casper said.

Ben stood frozen, stunned at what he heard. Why did he want the people who were about to hang him be in his son’s life?

“Don’t let anyone take you from here. This is your home. I will watch over you from the hills and we will never be apart,” Casper continued.

Only sniffles and cries came from Dakota.

“It’s okay to cry. But I don’t want you to stay sad or mad.

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