“Send it to the bank in Victoria,” Josh said.
Otis Clark stepped forward and shook Josh’s hand. “I wanted to help, but it happened so fast I didn’t have a chance to get in on it.”
“It don’t matter, Otis,” Josh said. “But you heard the sheriff tell me to take Aguilar’s horse, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I did,” Otis said. “When do you want him?”
“Now,” Josh said. “I want him right now.”
“Alright then, come on,” Otis said. “I’ll saddle him while you saddle your horse.”
“I’d rather you keep the saddle,” Josh said. “I’ll take Aguilar’s guns, but you can have all the rest of his stuff.”
“Is that alright, Sheriff,” Otis said.
“Like I said, I don’t want anything to do with him,” Sheriff Perkins said. “So, yeah, you can have his saddle.”
“Thanks a lot,” Otis said. “Mine got stole and I’m glad to be gettin’ another one”
Josh rode out of Oakville leading Aguilar’s tall Paint horse and headed straight back to Charco and the Circle N Ranch.
“Mr. Newsome, I don’t mean to overstock your pastures, but the sheriff gave me this big Paint. He’s another one of the outlaw’s horses and I was wonderin’ if he’d be able to stay out here with Ana’s palomino and Emery Reeves’ buckskin.”
“Bring as many of ‘em as you need to,” Chalky Newsome said. “Anyone who would risk his life takin’ on robbers and murderers like you do is more than welcome to leave a few of their horses out here.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Josh went back to Victoria, and just as he put Macho in a stall at the livery stable, Willie Sneed told him he needed to go see the sheriff.
“Howdy, Sheriff Riley,” Josh said. “I just got back to town and Willie said you wanted to see me.”
“Yeah, I do,” Riley said. “Will Jensen thought of something he forgot to tell us when he first got here.” He led Josh to the back room and unlocked Jensen’s cell door.
“What’d you forget to tell me?” Josh asked.
“What I forgot was, Lem Olsen told everyone to meet in a month at the cave south of San Antonio.”
“Where is that cave?”
“It’s about ten miles south of town,” Jensen said. “But one or two of ‘em that don’t have no place to go and hide out for a month might go on up there,” Jensen said.
“Thanks, Will,” Josh said. “Not only will I vouch for you at your trial, but if you win your freedom I’ll help you find a cowboy job, since that’s why you came to Texas in the first place.”
Paul Beacham had tried to take over the gang after Tom Burch was captured and hung, but Lem Olsen claimed the position, causing bad feelings between them. When the gang split up, Beacham headed north. The first day out, he robbed a store in the small town of Cuero, for food and ammunition.
Out of spite, he bragged that he was boss of the Wolf Gang, tipped his hat at the owner’s wife, shot and killed her husband, then dragged their seventeen-year-old daughter Lola Belle outside.
He forced her to get on his horse then jumped up behind her. He spurred his tired horse west toward the river cave south of San Antonio, and pitched a camp among the trees.
The sheriff in Cuero telegraphed all the sheriffs in the area about the robbery and murder and kidnapping. When Sheriff Riley got the message, he handed it to Josh.
“It’s bad enough he robbed the store,” he said. “But he also shot and killed the man who owned it, and kidnapped his seventeen-year-old daughter, Lola Belle.”
It was about a hundred miles from Victoria to San Antonio. Josh looked for the tenth time that next morning for a cave as he followed the San Antonio River. Suddenly, Macho pointed his ears and stared hard at a small stream of blue smoke drifting up through the tops of the cottonwoods ahead. He stepped off and tied Macho to a limb, and taking his rifle, slipped forward.
Paul Beacham sat on the ground close to a small fire boiling coffee, as the young girl stood nearby, tied to a tree.
“Stand up and lift them hands,” Josh yelled.
Caught by complete surprise, Beacham stood up and raised his hands. Then, just as Josh stepped into the clearing, he jerked out his pistol.
“I’ll blow the top of her head off if you come any closer,” Beacham said.
“I came up here lookin’ for a fight,” Josh said, “So make your play.”
As Beacham turned toward the girl, Josh fired one time, hitting him in the side. When he fell to the ground his head struck a rock, knocking him unconscious. Just as Josh stepped forward, a bullet glanced off of a tree and nicked the side of his head, knocking him down.
Duke Barrett ran from the trees and picked up Josh’s rifle, jerked the revolver out of the holster, and tossed them aside. He walked over to check on Beacham, and seeing him still alive but unconscious, he untied the ropes binding the girl.
Josh jumped to his feet and charged forward, wrapping his arms around Barrett and forced him to the ground. He struck him with a rock, knocking him senseless. Paul Beacham regained consciousness and saw Josh and Barrett fighting. He was so weak from the bullet wound to his stomach and the loss of blood that the blow to his head hardly mattered.
With eyes filled with sand and blood running down his forehead, he picked up Josh’s rifle and stumbled forward. He aimed at Josh’s head and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed its mark, but rock fragments slamming into Josh’s face knocked him over backward.
Beacham wiped blood from his eyes and squeezed off one more shot, but it went wild. Josh got to his feet again and charged with his head down, tackling Beacham, and the two of them tumbled end over end.
The young girl stumbled and fell as she ran over to pick up Josh’s revolver. Beacham stood up. Just as he lifted a big rock over his head to smash into Josh’s face, she pointed the pistol and pulled the trigger.
The bullet glanced off the top of Beacham’s shoulder, causing him to tumble backward over the fire, scattering hot coals, and tipping over the coffee pot. She fired again and again, the bullets kicking up sand around his head, with one or two hitting their mark. Josh reached over and took the gun out of her hand and helped her to her feet.
As he led her away from the campsite, Barrett managed to get up and stumble off into the darkness. Josh hid the girl in the brush and turned back toward the campsite, only to see Barrett gone. It was too dark to try and find him so he picked up Beacham’s and Barrett’s guns and went back to where the girl lay hidden.
“Are you alright, Lola Belle?”
She shook her head yes. “How did you know my name?”
“The sheriff in Victoria told me,” Josh said.
“Thanks for coming after me,” she said.
Josh smiled and nodded, then put his arm around her. “It’s almost daylight so we better stay right here ‘till sunrise. The man who kidnapped you got away, but he may have a belly gun and try to pick us off.”
As the first rays of light lit up the eastern sky, Josh led Paul Beacham’s horse over to the campsite and tied his body across the saddle. Then saddling Barrett’s horse, he helped Lola Belle up in the saddle and they headed north toward San Antonio.
Sheriff Oscar Guthrie saw them coming up the street. He stepped down off the sidewalk and walked toward them.
“What’s this about?” he said, as he took the reins to Beacham’s horse and led him toward the livery stable.
“The man tied across the saddle is Paul Beacham, one of the Wolf Gang,” Josh said, as he rode along beside him. “He robbed the store in Cuero, and not only did he kill the owner, he also kidnapped his daughter, Lola Belle.
Telegraph the sheriff up there and have him tell the man’s widow that their daughter is safe and will be coming home on the stagecoach tomorrow. And also mention that Miss Lola Belle, here, will be collecting the reward for bringing down Paul Beacham. She saved both our lives back there.”
Sheriff Guthrie left Beacham’s body at the doctor’s office that al
so served as the coroner’s office. When they reached they livery stable, he helped the very tired young woman down from her horse. They left the caretaker in charge of finding stalls and clean hay and water, then began the walk back to Guthrie’s office, stopping off just long enough to get Lola Belle a much-needed hotel room for the night.
“I’m glad you shot Paul Beacham,” Guthrie said to the girl as they parted. “He was a mean one, for sure.”
While letting Macho rest for the night, Josh sat in his hotel room whittling out the wooden pistol he’d promised Crazy Chester. He saddled up and left San Antonio early the next morning and rode into Austin two days later. Sheriff Burley Dawson saw him coming up the street and followed him to the livery stable.
“I’m sure glad you came back up here. That girl Ana Yarnell has worried me half to death askin’ if I’d heard from you.”
“How is Ana?” Josh asked.
“She’s fine,” the sheriff said, with a wide smile. “And maybe after you go see her, she’ll stop houndin’ me all the time.”
“Well, she’s sure the reason I rode all the way up here,” Josh said, as he unsaddled Macho. “Take care of him for me, Bill,” he added, “handing the reins to the caretaker Bill Hagler. “I might need him at any time.”
Josh walked up the street to Mrs. Rice’s house and knocked on the door. When she opened the door and saw him, she let out a yell.
“He’s here, Ana! Josh is here!”
Ana came down the stairs as fast as she could, looking like the beauty he remembered, and ran to his arms. “I knew you’d come back, but I didn’t think it’d take this long.”
“I said I would,” Josh said. “And I’d have come back sooner if I could of.”
“It’s alright,” Ana said. “You’re here and that’s all that matters.”
“I need to telegraph Sheriff Riley down at Victoria to let him know where to get in contact with me in case he hears anything new about Burch’s Wolf Gang,” Josh said. “But I wanted to come and see you first. So come with me to the telegraph office while I send that message.”
He told the telegraph operator Lucian Gann where he could be reached if he got any messages. Then he walked arm in arm with Ana up and down the sidewalks of Austin, looking in windows and having fun together.
That afternoon Ana, Mrs. Jarnigan, and Mrs. Rice wined and dined Josh, taking him to a fancy restaurant for dinner, and to a theater for a play presented by one of the touring companies traveling all through the west. When they got back to Mrs. Rice’s house there was a note tacked to the door from the telegraph operator.
Josh
The sheriff didn’t answer your message, but Willie Sneed did. He needs you to contact him as soon as possible.
I will wait at the telegraph office if you need to respond.
Lucian
“I’m sorry, Ana,” Josh said. “I need to go back to the telegraph office. Do you want to go with me, or wait here ‘till I get back?”
“I waited too long for you to get here,” she said. “So I’ll go with you because I’m afraid you won’t come back.”
Josh put his arm around her and they headed down the street. Lucian Gann was sitting on a bench next to the door of the telegraph office.
“Hello, Mr. Gann,” Josh said, as he stepped up on the sidewalk. “I appreciate you waitin’ for me and I apologize for bein’ so late.”
“That’s alright,” Gann said. “It’s the first action I’ve had in a long time so I was glad to do it.” He went inside and sat down at the desk and sent Josh’s message …
Willie
I just got your message. What is going on in Victoria?
Josh
Josh and Ana walked across the street to the diner to wait for Willie to answer, and ordered coffee.
“You just got here, Josh,” she said. “And I sure hope you don’t have to leave again.”
“I won’t, unless I have to,” Josh said. “Besides, my horse is pretty well run down from the trip up here. As tired as he is, it’d probably take me a week to get all the way back down to Victoria.”
Lucian Gann came in the front door of the diner with a wild look in his eyes. Seeing Josh and Ana sitting toward the back of the room, he caught Josh’s eye and motioned for him to come outside.
“You got your answer,” he said, handing Josh the message. “It sounds like they need you down there as soon as you can get there.”
Josh
Lem Olsen, Duke Barrett, and Jude Clay, broke in the jail and took Will Jensen. Sheriff Riley got killed and Crazy Chester got stabbed.
Willie
“Mr. Gann, what time is the next stagecoach due in here?” Josh said.
“Tomorrow morning about ten o’clock,” Gann said.
“That’d be more than twelve hours wasted,” Josh said, as he grabbed Ana by the hand and headed for the livery stable.
“I’m going with you, Josh,” she said.
“You can’t,” he answered. “If I can find a horse, I’ll have to ride day and night.”
Bill Hagler slept on a cot in the feed room at the livery stable, but he wasn’t asleep when they ran in through the wide front doors.
“Bill, do you know anybody who will rent or sell me a horse?” he said. “A fast one,” he added. “I need to go back to Victoria.”
“I got a white horse I’ll sell you,” Bill said. “He might be the ugliest horse you ever rode, but he’s real fast.”
“I need a tough one, too,” Josh said.
“Old Spook is both, fast and tough,” Bill said.
“How much do you want for him?” Josh asked.
“About twenty,” Bill said. “But like I said, he’s ugly. His old head is long as a well rope.”
“I don’t’ care what he looks like,” Josh said, handing him fifty dollars. “Get him out here.”
He turned to Ana and put his arms around her and held her tight. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’d never leave for any other reason.”
“I know,” she said. “Just be careful and come back as soon as you can.”
“I will,” Josh said as he climbed up in the saddle and put the spurs to Spook, and headed south on the long journey back to Victoria.
Josh rode Spook hard every day, and let him rest at night near whatever water and grass he could find along the way. They made it back to Victoria faster than he figured he would. He rode into town and slid Spook to a stop in front of the livery stable and led him inside.
“I swear, Josh,” Willie Sneed said. “I knew you’d come, but I sure didn’t think you could get here this quick. How’d you do it? And where’d you get that ugly white horse?”
“I needed to get down here as quick as I could and the stage would have taken too long. A man sold him to me, but I’ll explain later,” Josh said. “What’s the situation here?”
“Three men rode into town in broad daylight, stormed the jail, and took Will Jensen out. Sheriff Riley tried to stop ‘em, but they killed him. Poor old Crazy Chester was sittin’ back there in the cell with Jensen when they came in and one of ‘em stabbed him, but it didn’t kill him.”
“Can you get Chester to talk to me?” Josh asked.
“Sure,” Willie said. “He’s stayin’ in Will’s cell, waitin’ for him to come back.”
They walked up the street to the jail and found Chester asleep on Will’s bunk.
“Chester, you know Josh Logan, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Chester said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
“He is goin’ after the men who took Will, so he needs to talk to you,” Willie said. “Would you talk to him?”
“Yeah,” Chester said.
Josh sat down on the end of the bunk and handed Chester the wooden pistol he’d carved out for him.
“Here’s the gun I promised you,” he said. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah,” Chester said, with a nod and a big grin.
“Alright then,” Josh said. “Do you know who stabbed you and took Will
out of here?”
“Yeah,” Chester said.
“Well, who was it,” Josh said. “Because I’ll chase ‘em down and bring Will back.”
“It was Lem Olsen and Duke Barrett and Jude Clay,” Chester said. “I know ‘em ‘cause when they’d come to town they’d always make fun of me.”
“Did Will Jensen act like he wanted to go with ‘em?” Josh said.
“No,” Chester said. “They hit him on his head and made him go. I tried to stop ‘em and that’s when Lem Olsen shot Sheriff Riley and Duke Barrett stuck me with a knife. Duke is the one with the big scar on his cheek. I wish someone would put a big one on his other cheek.”
“Well, you just stay here and rest,” Josh said. “I’ll find ‘em and bring Will back, and while I’m at it, I’ll put that scar on his cheek for you.”
“I wanna go with you,” Chester said. “I wanna see you put a scar on Duke Barrett.”
“No, you need to stay here and take care of the jail,” Josh said. “Besides, Will may escape and come back and you’d be gone. You’ll do that for me, won’t you?”
“Yeah,” Chester said.
“Alright, then,” Josh said, as he stood up and shook hands with Chester. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He went back to the livery stable, saddled Old Spook, and climbed up in the saddle. As he turned to go, Willie caught hold of one of the bridle reins.
“Where you goin’ so fast?” he said.
“I’m goin’ out to the Circle N Ranch to swap horses,” Josh said. “I’ve about rode Old Spook here, down, so I need to switch him for my bay horse, Concho.”
“I’d like to go out there with you, if you didn’t mind,” Willie said. “I been cooped up here long enough. I need to get out of town and get a little fresh air, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Josh said. “So, saddle up and let’s go. I hate wastin’ time.”
Willie caught his horse and climbed up in the saddle. “I wish I could go after them outlaws with you,” he said, “but I need to stay here and take care of the livery stable.”
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