“Yeah, he sent me a telegram sayin’ you was comin’ in on the stage and that you’d be lookin’ for Edna Rice,” Dawson said.
“Do you know her?” Josh asked.
“I sure do,” Dawson said. “She was District Judge Homer Rice’s wife before someone killed him.”
“Killed him?” Josh said. “Do you know who did it?”
“Yeah, it was a man he’d sent to prison,” Sheriff Dawson said. “When the fellow got out, he came back to Austin and shot Judge Rice in cold blood.”
“Did you arrest him?”
“Yeah,” Dawson said. “I tracked him down, and not only did I arrest him, I hung him.”
“There’s a few down around Victoria that needs hangin’ too,” Josh said. “I’m sure you’ve heard about Sheriff Jarnigan bein’ killed.”
“News about a sheriff gettin’ killed travels fast in Texas,” Dawson said. “In fact, I have a wanted poster with your picture on it.”
“I can explain that,” Josh said.
“You don’t have to,” Dawson said. “Sheriff Hendricks already did.”
“Sheriff Jarnigan’s own deputy, Tom Burch, killed him and blamed me for it,” Josh said. “His outlaw friends got him elected sheriff and he put out a reward on me and I’ve been on the run ever since.”
“Rumor has it Tom Burch is a crook and the people around Victoria are starting to talk about voting in someone to take his place,” Sheriff Dawson said. “The only problem is, no one has actually seen him do anything against the law. So, for now, as far as most people are concerned, it’s still just talk.”
“I’m probably the only one who knows the real truth about Tom Burch,” Josh said. “He’s carryin’ a grudge because my dad took his girlfriend away from him years ago.”
“Yeah, losin’ a sweetheart can cause a man to do some crazy things,” Dawson said, with a slight grin.
“Well, me and him both Ana, and he wants me out of the way so he can have her,’ Josh said. “That’s why we came up here, so she can stay with Mrs. Jarnigan and her sister. Burch’s gang has already kidnapped her once and I’m afraid they’ll try it again.”
“Are you gonna stay up here with her?” Sheriff Dawson said.
“No, I ain’t,” Josh said. “I intend to go back to Victoria. I’m done runnin’ away from Burch and his men. Every one of ‘em is wanted for robbery and murder, so from now on they’ll be doin’ the runnin’.”
“I’ll help in any way I can,” Sheriff Dawson said. “Just let me know what you need.”
“Thanks, sheriff,” Josh said. “Hopefully, the only help I’ll need is if you would see to it that Ana is safe with Mrs. Jarnigan and Mrs. Rice.”
CHAPTER THREE
Josh caught the next stage to Panna Maria. He wanted to get the big brown horse Juan offered him and head to Victoria. He figured if he could settle the score with Tom Burch, the rest of his gang would scatter and he’d have an easier time getting to each one of them.
When he stepped off the stage at Panna Maria, he could tell something bad had happened. People were on the sidewalks and out in the streets, leery and glancing over their shoulders, scared of something, or someone.
He headed to the livery stable and a man he’d never seen before was leaning back against a stall door in Juan Ramos’ rickety old chair.
“Where’s Juan?” he asked.
“He ain’t here, he’s dead,” the man said, as he stood up and peered out the livery stable door. “He got killed several days ago.”
“Who did it?” Josh said.
“The story is, Juan shot at Sheriff Burch and his men for some reason or other, and Lem Olsen killed him,” the man said. “I don’t believe it, though. I’ve known Juan for over ten years and he never shot at nobody. I think Olsen killed him just for the hell of it. He’s the kind that would do somethin’ like that.”
“Who are you?” Josh said.
“I’m Merlin Simpson. Juan paid me to clean out stalls and haul hay. We was good friends.”
“Can you take me out to his place?”
“Sure, when I close up,” Simpson said. “Why do you want to go out there?”
“He was keepin’ my black horse while I was gone, and I want to go get him.”
“You’re Josh Logan, ain’t you?” Simpson said. “Juan spoke highly of you. He said you was framed and that’s why the sheriff has been chasin’ you.”
“I liked Juan and I hate he got killed, “Josh said. “I aim to make Tom Burch pay for it, too. But first, I need to go get my horse.”
“He ain’t out at Juan’s place no more,” Merlin said.
“He ain’t? Where is he?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Merlin said. “I was out there taking care of things after Juan got killed and Pedro Aguilar and Will Jenson came and got all three of ‘em, your black horse, the palomino, and Juan’s brown horse, Concho. Pedro told Will to go on back to town and he’d take the horses up to his uncle’s place at Morales. He haltered Juan’s horse, and put saddles on yours and Ana’s, and led ‘em away.”
“Where’s his uncle’s place at in Morales?” Josh asked.
“It’s a little adobe shack on the far north edge of town, with a shed and pen out back.”
“What about Pedro Aguilar?” Josh said. “Is he from around here?”
“No, he’s originally from up there at Morales,” Merlin said. “It’s about twenty miles east of here. There is a little two-rut road that leads straight to the village.”
“Alright, thanks,” Josh said. “Is Tom Burch still in town?”
“No, he ain’t,” Merlin said. “He went back to Victoria, but some of his men came in here and got their horses this morning and I heard ‘em say they was going back up to Cestohowa. They been huntin’ for you up around that area.”
“Did you hear any of ‘em say why Burch went back to Victoria?”
“Rumor has it the locals are up in arms from all the talk about him bein’ in on robberies and killings, and that they’re thinkin’ about electin’ a new sheriff,” Merlin said. “Burch went down there to try and put a stop to it.”
A bullet slammed into the wall just above Josh’s head, causing him to duck into an empty stall.
“Come out, Logan,” someone yelled from across the street. “We got the barn surrounded.”
Tom Burch had left four of his men in town to keep an eye out for Josh and one of them had seen him arrive in the stagecoach. He gathered up the rest of the men and posted them around the livery stable.
“Is there a way I can get out of here without been seen?” Josh said.
Merlin looked out the back door and only spotted one man. The other three were watching the front of the barn.
“There’s only one watchin’ the back,” Merlin said. “Go out that side window and crawl along the bottom of the fence. It leads down to a brushy draw. From there to the river there’s a lot of trees you could hide in ‘till it gets dark.”
Josh didn’t intend to hide until dark. He jumped out of the side window and dropped to the ground. Crawling on his belly for about a hundred yards, he made it to the brushy draw. Satisfied no one on his trail, he worked his way through the trees until he got to the river and crossed over to the other side.
He located the two-rut road to Morales and took off at a fast trot, keeping up the pace for over an hour without stopping. After resting a few minutes, he started off again, covering the twenty miles in a little over six hours. He blamed the nearly healed gash in his thigh for not being able to do better. Making his way around to the north side of town until he spotted Aguilar’s uncle’s place, he then hid in the brush until dark.
Waiting until the light went out in the cabin, Josh worked his way over behind the shed. Macho, Dinero, and Juan’s brown horse, Concho, were standing in a small pen in front of the shed with two old burros, munching on a pile of hay.
He climbed through the fence and looked around in the barn until he found his and Ana’s saddles tossed on the gro
und in the corner. After getting the horses saddled up, he put a halter on Juan’s brown horse and led them back to the trees, before getting on Macho and heading southwest toward Charco and the Circle N Ranch.
Riding at night and hiding during the day, Josh rode on past Charco in the dark. After another hour or so he pulled up in a cluster of trees near a small spring to let the horses graze and rest. Soon after sunrise the next morning, he figured he was safe from Burch and his men so he climbed up in the saddle and rode west toward the San Antonio River.
A couple hours later he met a cowboy driving a few head of cattle. “Howdy,” he said, as he rode up to him. “I’m Josh Logan.”
“They call me Utah,” the cowboy said. “Where you headed with them horses?”
“To the Circle N Ranch,” Josh said. “Do you know where it’s at?”
“You’re on the Circle N,” Utah said. “You been on it all day.”
“Well, Mr. Newsome said to stop by if I was ever in this part of the country,” Josh said, looking around. “Which way is the headquarters?”
“It’s right past them small hills over yonder,” Utah said, pointing to the south. “That’s where I’m takin’ these strays so you’re welcome to ride along with me if you want to.”
“Alright,” Josh said as he took the bridle off of Dinero and the halter off of Juan’s brown horse and let them graze as they followed along behind. Driving cattle was always slow going.
“Where’d you get them other horses?” Utah said. “Find ‘em?”
“No,” Josh said. “They belong to some friends of mine. I wanted to see if Mr. Newsome would let me keep ‘em out here ‘till I get back.”
“Back from where?”
“Back from chasin’ outlaws.”
“You a bounty hunter?”
“No,” Josh said. “It’s just that they been chasin’ me, so I figured I’d chase them for a while.”
“Well, here comes Mr. Newsome and some of the boys now,” Utah said, pointing toward a cloud of dust. “They’re comin’ out here to help me pen these bovines.”
Josh rode back and caught Dinero and Concho and led them toward Chalky Newsome.
“Hello, Mr. Newsome. Remember me? I’m Josh Logan. I met you east of Panna Maria when I had the gun fight in your camp with that outlaw.”
“Sure, I remember you, Josh,” Newsome said. “What brings you down this way? Lookin’ for a job?”
“No, sir,” Josh said. “I’ve a favor to ask.”
“What’s the favor?”
“It’s with a certain amount of apprehension that I even ask, but them outlaws I been chasin’ know I ride a black horse,” Josh said. “So, I was wonderin’ if you’d allow me to leave him down here at your ranch for a while, and the palomino, too.”
“I told you you’d be welcome at the Circle N, and that goes for your horses, too,” Newsome said.
“This big brown horse belonged to a Juan Ramos, a friend of mine that the outlaws killed. I figured if I’d ride him instead of the black, and maybe I’d have a better chance of trackin’ ‘em down.”
“Is the palomino yours, or Juan’s?” Newsome said.
“He’s Ana Yarnell’s horse, the girl I told you about,” Josh said. “She’s stayin’ with Sheriff Jarnigan’s wife up at Austin ‘till I get done down here.”
“Alright then,” Newsome said, as they rode toward the barn. “I’ll put your horses in the mare pasture. They’ll be just fine in there ‘till you come back.”
“I’ll come for ‘em as soon as I can,” Josh said.
“You’re welcome to come on up to the house if you want to,” Newsome said. “It’s almost chow time.”
“I appreciate the offer but I hate wastin’ time, Mr. Newsome. But like I said, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Josh said, as he stepped down and took his saddle off of Macho and put it on Concho. “I need to get started as soon as I get the palomino unsaddled.”
“I’ll unsaddle him for you,” Newsome said.
“Alright, then,” Josh said, as he stepped up on Concho. “I’ll be back.”
It was about thirty miles to Victoria so he struck a long trot, arriving at the banks of Guadalupe River a little before dark and pitched a dry camp in the trees. After picketing Concho in the green grass near the water, he leaned back against his saddle to try and get some rest.
Right after daylight he rode in through the wide front doors of the livery stable and stepped down. Willie Sneed came toward him with his hand extended and a wide smile on his face.
“It’s sure good to see you again, Josh,” he said. “A lot has happened since you was here last.”
“That’s what I heard,” Josh said. “After I get this brown horse in a stall and fed and watered, you need to tell me all about it.”
“Where’s your black horse?”
“I left him with out at the Circle N Ranch with Mr. Newsome,” Josh said. “This horse brown belonged to Juan Ramos who was the blacksmith up at Panna Maria. He suggested I use him instead of Macho so I wouldn’t be so noticeable. Hopefully, it’ll allow me to catch up with Tom Burch and some of his gang.”
“That was sure nice of him,” Willie said. “He sounds like the kind of man I’d like to meet.”
“You would have liked him, Willie,” Josh said. “But he’s just one more notch on them outlaws’ guns.”
“You mean Burch killed him?”
“The talk is, Lem Olsen is the one that killed him, but Burch was in on it. And they only did it because Juan helped me,” Josh said. “But they’ll pay for it. I promised myself they’d pay.”
“Well, I wish you’d have been here a few days ago,” Willie said. “Burch came back to town and tried to stop the residents from electin’ a new sheriff and it caused a big stir. “Hell,” he added, “he barely got away before we strung him up.”
“Did you go ahead and elect another sheriff?”
“We sure did, and a good one, too,” Willie said. “You might even know him, Roscoe Riley? He’s an old retired sheriff from up at San Angelo.
“I don’t know him personally, but I know of him,” Josh said. “He has a good reputation.”
“I sure like him,” Willie said. “And so does Crazy Chester. Why, hell, he took right up with Sheriff Riley as soon as he arrived in town.”
“That’s good to know,” Josh said, with a grin. “It don’t hurt to have ol’ Crazy Chester and his wooden gun on your side.”
“Anyway,” Willie said. “When I telegraphed Roscoe, he got on the train and came down here that very same day and we voted him in. He’s a tough old man and he don’t take no bull off nobody.”
“What do you mean, ‘we’,” Josh said. “Was you in on it?”
“Yeah, the Mayor told everyone that I knew more about this town than any of ‘em, so they put me in charge of findin’ a new sheriff. I’d met the old codger twenty some years before when I was runnin’ a bar in San Angelo. He put a lot of bad ones in the hoosegow, and shot a lot of ‘em, too.”
“I need to meet him,’ Josh said.
“I figured you would,” Willie said. “I’ll go with you. He ain’t met very many people here in Victoria, yet.”
Willie walked in Sheriff Riley’s office with a big grin on his face, and nodded.
“Sheriff, this is Josh Logan,” he said. “He’s the man Tom Burch accused of killin’ Sheriff Ed Jarnigan, and who he’s been chasin’ all this time.”
Roscoe Riley shook hands with Josh and frowned. “Hello, Josh,” he said. “I’ve heard all kinds of stories about that shootin’, so it’d be good to hear your side of it.”
“Howdy, Sheriff Riley,” Josh said. “I’ll say this, other than Willie Sneed and Sheriff Silas Hendricks up at Panna Maria, you’re the only one who has ever asked to hear my side of it.
“Everybody knew and loved Ed Jarnigan,” Riley said. “Every sheriff I know was saddened when the word got out about his death. And if I ain’t mistaken, the one they call ‘Crazy Chester’ liked him the mo
st.”
“To make a long story short,” Josh said. “I was out at my ranch with my girlfriend, Ana Yarnell, when it happened. Tom Burch and I both liked her and he wanted me out of the way.”
“Why would he kill Sheriff Jarnigan just because you and him both liked the same girl?”
“He knew he couldn’t get to Ana with me around because we’d already decided to get married,” Josh said. “He accused me of the murder so him and his outlaw gang that he uses for a posse could chase me down and shoot me. He knew Sheriff Jarnigan wouldn’t go along with it, so he just shot him.”
“I wish I’d known all that the other day,” Riley said. “I could have arrested him while he was here in Victoria. He shouldn’t have killed Sheriff Jarnigan because of a girl.”
“There’s more to it than that,” Josh said. “My dad took Burch’s girlfriend away from him when they was both young cowboys and he’s held a grudge all this time. When me and him got into it over Ana, it was his way of gettin’ revenge for what my dad did, and also for what I did. He decided to kill the sheriff and pin it on me.”
“I’ve known men who did some crazy things because of a girl,” Riley said. “But, killin’ Sheriff Jarnigan don’t make no sense at all. I never heard of nothin’ like that before.”
“Tom Burch is a bad one,” Josh said. “Killin’ Sheriff Jarnigan meant nothin’ to him. Also, I’m pretty sure he wanted the power of the sheriff to boss people around. He likes to see someone afraid of him.”
Burch had already been gone from Victoria for a couple of days by the time Josh got there, so he figured Burch would head for his hideout. He mounted Concho and struck a lope south, following the Guadalupe River. He knew where the hideout was from when he’d followed Berto Sousa out there to rescue Ana. He stopped in the trees on the same hill where he’d watched Sousa and, again, glassed the cabin, watching for movement.
In the late afternoon haze Josh leaned against the trunk of a fallen tree, watching two figures as they made their way up the rough, rocky trail through a small apple orchard. They crossed the clearing between the cabin and the shed, with their wide-brimmed hats pushed back on their heads, their horses eagerly going through the tall grass, and with hardly a sound, approached the barn.
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