Cobb nodded, then said, “I reckon you’re right, Archie.” He glanced at the others sitting around the table. “But I don’t want no more to come. We go ridin’ in there, all five of us, it might tip him off. Like I said, I wanna see what’s what before we go get ’em outta there.”
The discussion continued after Etta and Ida brought the food to the table. Bud and Teddy told them about the night of the raid and how the barrels of whiskey went up with the barn and the stables. “We thought for sure it was Injuns stealin’ the horses. It sure sounded like Injuns, but they let the horses out just so we’d go chase ’em ’stead of puttin’ the fire out.”
“But you think it weren’t no Injuns a-tall?” Marley White asked. “You say it was just that one lawman?”
“Well, we never laid eyes on him, but we’re pretty sure that’s who it was. He mighta had that Choctaw policeman helpin’ him,” Teddy replied. “And when we went after the horses, we didn’t see hide nor hair of the first Injun. There weren’t nobody chasin’ the horses but us.”
“Sounds to me like it’s the lawman that burned that barn down, all right,” Cobb said. “Maybe we’ll run into him this afternoon. I’d buy him a drink, but there ain’t no saloon in town.”
* * *
Luke Cobb and Archie Todd rode the length of the short main street before turning around to ride back again. There was not much activity to see in the middle of the day to indicate the town was thriving. To the contrary, it was almost sleepy. Cobb nodded toward Brant’s General Merchandise and they stopped their horses there and stepped down from the saddle. “Quiet little town you got here,” Cobb said to the man behind the counter, who was staring at him quite curiously.
“I guess you could say that,” Tom Brant replied. “First time in Atoka?”
“Yep,” Cobb answered cheerfully. “First time we’ve been up this way.”
“Just passing through, or are you planning to be here awhile?” Tom asked.
“We’re just passin’ through. Thought maybe I could buy some smokin’ tobacco from you.” He glanced in Archie’s direction. “You need anything, Archie?” His sullen partner merely shook his head. He needed only one thing at the moment and that was to catch the image of Will Tanner lined up with his front sight. Cobb turned back to Tom. “Don’t mind my quiet friend, here. He ain’t been in the best of spirits for the last couple of days.” When Tom returned with his tobacco, Cobb said, “Heard you had some outlaw trouble here a few days ago.”
“Nothin’ real bad,” Tom said, not wishing to paint an unattractive picture of the town. “The real trouble was with a place about three miles from town, but a deputy marshal came down to take care of it. And he took care of it right quick—got ’em locked up in jail.”
“Is that a fact?” Cobb responded. “Got ’em in jail, huh? I just rode up the street and I didn’t even see a jail. Didn’t even see the sheriff’s office.”
“We don’t have a sheriff yet—don’t have a jail, either. That’s the reason we needed a deputy marshal to come take care of our problem.” He walked over to the door and pointed toward the railroad tracks. “Yonder’s the jail. At least that’s what he’s using for a jail.”
Cobb walked over to the door and stared in the direction pointed out. “That’s some kinda railroad shack, ain’t it?”
“Yes, sir,” Tom replied. “That’s what it is, and I’ll be glad to see him empty it, too. He’s supposed to have a jail wagon on the way here from Fort Smith and I’ll be glad to see it roll outta town.”
“On the way, huh?” Cobb reacted. It prompted a look of urgency in Archie’s eyes as well. “I’d like to meet this deputy. Have you seen him in town today?”
“Will Tanner’s his name,” Tom volunteered. “I haven’t seen him so far today, but he’ll be around. He might be in the dining room by the boardinghouse.”
“Maybe we’ll bump into him before we leave town.” He paid Tom for the tobacco and they walked outside. Looking up and down the street, they saw no one that might be Will Tanner.
“Let’s go to the boardin’house dinin’ room,” Archie said as they climbed up into the saddle. “That feller said he might be there.”
“All right,” Cobb agreed, “but let’s go take a look at that jailhouse. If that lawman ain’t around, maybe we can talk to Hawkins and Tiny. I wanna get a good look at that place, especially the door.” He started off toward the railroad tracks and the storage house Tom had pointed out.
* * *
With five prisoners in his makeshift jailhouse now, Will had needed help at feeding time. So he had borrowed a four-wheel railroad handcart from Sam Barnet and enlisted the help of his son, Jimmy, to haul the meals from Lottie Mabry’s kitchen to the jail. With thoughts of the same possibility Hawkins had talked up to his fellow prisoners, Will was concerned about the possibility of getting jumped by all five of them when he brought them their meals. To offset that possibility, he got a small table from Jim Little Eagle’s jail and placed it next to the door into the cell room. The table was almost as wide as the door opening, so it fit almost perfectly inside it. At meal times then, he could pull the table into the opening when he opened the door. Then he put the plates on the table and had the prisoners line up single file, to step forward, pick up a plate, then step back to eat. Will figured it must be pretty effective, since the first time he tried it, it clearly seemed to displease Hawkins. He imagined Hawkins might find it difficult to convince one of the others to sacrifice his life so that he might escape.
It would be a good while before time to feed his prisoners, so Will decided to walk down to the stable to see how Buster was doing, since he had not been ridden lately. Stanley Coons walked out to the corral when he saw Will approaching, carrying his Winchester rifle as usual. “I believe that buckskin gets downright homesick for you if you don’t ride him every mornin’,” Stanley said when he saw Buster go immediately to the rail to meet Will.
“Yeah,” Will japed. “He always comes to let me know whether you’re treatin’ him right or not.” He let the big gelding rub his muzzle up and down on his chest as he stroked his neck.
“Whaddaya gonna do about that jail full of prisoners?” Stanley asked. “Tom Brant was askin’ me if I knew. I think he and one or two others are a little uneasy about that railroad shack bein’ the only thing holdin’ some pretty rough outlaws.”
“Oh, is that right?” Will responded. “I thought I told everybody I have to hold ’em there till I get a jail wagon from Fort Smith. Then I’ll haul ’em outta here. That place is more than a shack, though. It’s about as secure as most jails, so there ain’t nothin’ to worry about unless I forget to lock the door.”
“Right,” Stanley said. “That’s what I told Tom.”
Will doubted that. “Maybe I’ll go by the store and talk to Tom about the strength of that storeroom. I ain’t worried about it, and I’m sleepin’ in the room right next to it.” He talked to Stanley for a few minutes longer before giving Buster a little scratching behind his ears, then turning to leave. “Hopefully, I’ll get a jail wagon in here in a day or two.” He didn’t express it, but it couldn’t come a day too soon for him. He was not cut out to be a jailer and he had things he needed to do in Fort Smith. He confessed to himself that he didn’t particularly look forward to those things, either. They had to do with the fancy wedding Sophie and her mother were planning.
When he walked into the store, Tom Brant was standing in front of the counter. “Howdy, Will,” he said. “Two fellows were just in here and said they’d like to meet you. And they asked me where the jail was. I told them we don’t have a jail, but if he was talkin’ about the temporary jail, it’s over by the railroad tracks.”
That grabbed Will’s attention right away. “Did you know ’em?” he asked. And when told they were strangers, he asked, “Where’d they go?”
“They went over yonder to your jail.” He walked to the front door and pointed to the storeroom. Will looked that way just in time to see two men di
sappear from view as they rode around the back of the cell room.
* * *
Cobb pulled his horse up under the small window at the back corner of the building. “Hawkins, you in there?”
“Yeah,” the voice came back right away. “Is that you, Cobb?” Hawkins asked, certain that it had to be him.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Cobb answered. “How the hell did you ever let yourself get in a fix like this? Is Tiny in there with you?”
“Yep,” Tiny answered for himself, “I’m in here, too.”
“He caught us when we weren’t expectin’ it,” Hawkins answered Cobb’s question. “He got the drop on us before we even knew he was in the place.” Finished with small talk, Hawkins got right to the point. “Never mind that, you gotta get us outta this damn jail. There’s five of us in here and I’ve already stayed longer than I intended to.”
“All right,” Cobb replied. “Tell me what I’m up against. All I’ve heard so far is there ain’t but one man that’s doin’ the arrestin’. Is that right?”
“That’s a fact, I’m sorry to say,” Hawkins answered.
“He’s got some help from a Choctaw lawman,” Tiny said.
“That’s right,” Hawkins said, “but most of the time it’s just that one damn deputy. He’s all you’ve got to worry about. He ain’t gettin’ no help from anybody else in town. Ain’t nobody gonna get in the way, even if you shoot him down in the street, so the sooner you find him, the sooner we’ll get outta here.”
“I got Archie Todd with me,” Cobb said. “Understand this Tanner fellow killed his brother.”
“That’s a fact,” Hawkins replied. “Bill tried a dumb-fool move, thought he could draw and shoot a man standin’ there with a rifle already cocked and ready to fire.”
“That don’t make no difference,” Archie declared, more than a little angered over Hawkins’s comment that his brother had made a dumb move. “He’s gonna pay for it, and I’m gonna be the one to do it.”
“If it works out that way,” Cobb was quick to comment. “Ain’t none of us gonna pass up a shot at him.”
“Somethin’ I can help you fellows with?” The voice came from behind them, startling both riders. They turned to see Will Tanner standing there, his rifle held ready to fire. Reacting immediately, Archie yanked his horse around to face him, only to hear Jim Little Eagle cranking a cartridge into his rifle as he walked around from the front of the jail. It was enough to discourage Archie from following through with his intention.
Cobb had no choice but to play the game. “You the sheriff?” Will told him that he was a deputy marshal. “I was just passin’ through and the fellow over at the store told me a friend of mine was locked up over here, so we thought we’d try to say hello to him before we left town.”
“Is that a fact?” Will responded. “Who might that be?”
“Ward Hawkins,” Cobb answered. “I’ve bought cattle from him before, and I was just wonderin’ what he could have done to get thrown in jail.”
“Mister, you need to be more careful about who you pick as friends,” Will said. “I don’t wanna hold you up, since you’re just passin’ through. And visitin’ hours are over now, anyway, but I’m glad you got the chance to say hello to your friend.”
“Right, Sheriff, I mean, Deputy,” Cobb replied. “I guess we’d best be gettin’ along.” He turned his horse back toward the back of the building. “Come on, Archie.” Archie hesitated, reluctant to ride away without taking action, his angry glare never leaving Will. Finally, he followed when Cobb rode around the back of the jail.
Will started toward the front to meet Jim. “Howdy, Jim,” he greeted him. “You sure came at the right time. Stand back here by the corner.” Puzzled by the request, Jim nevertheless did as Will suggested. Then Will pulled his rifle up to his shoulder as if aiming at a target and stepped around the corner to the front in time to meet Archie Todd galloping toward him with pistol in hand. Archie reeled backward when Will’s shot struck him in the chest, causing him to stand straight up in the stirrups as he galloped past Will to slide out of the saddle some ten or twelve yards away. Knowing Archie was dead, Will immediately turned his attention to Cobb and ran around the front of the jail, his rifle cocked and ready to fire again. But Cobb had no intention of joining the assassination attempt triggered by Archie. He was already at full gallop in the other direction.
“How you know he was gonna do that?” Jim Little Eagle asked when he ran to catch up with Will.
“I just had a feelin’,” Will replied. “When his friend left, that one looked like he didn’t wanna leave without takin’ a shot at somebody.” He turned to look back at the body lying on the other side of the railroad tracks. “Looks like we’ve got some more business for Ted Murdock. Hope that fellow has enough money on him to pay Ted to bury him.” His comment may have been casual, but his thoughts had taken a more serious direction. These two strangers showing up was not a good sign at all. They were obviously connected to the men he had in jail, and now he had to wonder how many more had arrived. Whatever the number, now there was one less, and that was the only positive he could come up with. He had to be on the alert whenever a stranger showed up in town. The only difference between him and a deer was the fact that he knew it was open season on him. The next question that came to mind, in addition to how many he might be facing, was, Would they be bold enough to assault the jail?
Watching him, Jim Little Eagle sensed Will was turning something over in his mind. “Whatcha gonna do now?” Jim asked. “You think those men come to keep that saloon open?”
“I don’t know,” Will answered him. “I was just thinkin’ about that.” He was torn between guarding the jail and riding out to scout Boggy Town. “I reckon I need to ride down to that saloon to try to see what they’re up to, and how many there are.” Jim volunteered to scout the place for him, but Will said that he wanted to do it himself, so that he might become familiar with the faces. “I wanna recognize any of ’em that show up in town. I’d appreciate it if you could keep an eye on the jail while I’m gone.” Jim agreed to do that, and Will emphasized that he didn’t want him to get in a gunfight with a gang of outlaws, should that happen. “Just let me know where they went,” he said. “I don’t wanna get you killed.” Jim promised he’d be careful.
CHAPTER 10
He rode down a trail that had become very familiar to him in the last couple of weeks, and as before, he left Buster in the same place next to the water while he walked to a closer spot in the trees. The only horse at the hitching rail in front of Mama’s Kitchen was the red roan he had seen Luke Cobb riding. The small corral next to the burnt ruins of the stable had more horses in it, but he didn’t know how many were riding horses and how many were packhorses. With his back against a large cottonwood, he sat down to watch the place for a while, hoping to get some idea of the number of new arrivals. His wait turned out to be one of almost two hours with very little learned about his opposition. He recognized Teddy Green when he came out of the saloon to fetch more wood for the fire, and Etta Grise when she threw some dirty dishwater out the back door. The only one of the new arrivals he got a look at was a tall, thin man wearing a derby hat who came outside to visit the outhouse. Since it appeared that his scouting wasn’t going to provide much information beyond recognition of two of the new arrivals, he decided to return to town. It would soon be time to feed his prisoners. If I’m lucky, he thought, maybe there were only three, and now that number has been reduced to two.
* * *
Inside Mama’s Kitchen, Ben Cassady leaned back in his chair and spit a stream of tobacco juice toward the fireplace and paused to hear it sizzle when it struck a burning stick of firewood. Satisfied then, he returned his attention to the discussion under way at the table. “I swear, that sure is sorry news about Archie. Can’t blame him, though, he was pretty worked up when he heard about Bill. I reckon I woulda been, too, if it hadda been my brother.”
“It was a damn fool thing to do,”
Cobb said. “He went chargin’ around that buildin’ and that lawman was just standin’ there waitin’ for him, like he knew Archie was gonna come after him.”
“Did you say there was five of ’em in that jail?” Marley White asked. “If Hawkins and Tiny was in there, who was the other three?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Cobb answered. “I didn’t get the chance to ask about ’em. If I had to guess, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if two of ’em is the fellers I paid to drive that load of likker up here. There was a freight wagon parked beside the stable that looked a helluva lot like the one we loaded them barrels on. I don’t know who the other ’un coulda been, maybe somebody Tiny knows.”
“What you thinkin’ about doin’?” Jace Palmer asked. “Just bust in that place and get ’em out?”
“Somethin’ like that, I reckon.” Cobb was still thinking it over. “That place he’s usin’ for his jail is a pretty stout buildin’. That feller in the store said the railroad built it while the war was goin’ on, and they built it to hold guns and ammunition. So they made sure it wouldn’t be easy to break into. I’d say we could set it on fire, but we might cook Hawkins and Tiny if we tried that. Whatever we do, we’d best get about it, though, ’cause that feller in the store said there’s a jail wagon and some more deputies on the way from Fort Smith.”
“Damn,” Jace swore. “Why can’t we just break the door down? Is it made outta iron or somethin’?”
“No,” Cobb replied. “It looks like solid oak, and it’s heavy and it’s got a heavy padlock on it.”
Jace shook his head and cursed. “If that door is made outta wood, I guarantee you we can break it down.” He looked around at Teddy Green. “Have you got a heavy hammer or an ax?” Teddy said he could use the ax he split firewood with. “There you go.” Jace turned back to Cobb. “We’ll chop the damn door down. Course, we oughta take care of that lawman first.”
His three partners thought that over and no one could think of a better plan, so it was decided that was to be their best bet. Being a somewhat sensible man, Marley pointed out that it would be a mite safer if they took care of the deputy first, like Jace said, instead of assaulting the door while he was inside with a rifle. “And all that would take is to catch him outside the jail and shoot the devil.”
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