Stranglehold

by William W. Johnstone

  “And what was the outcome of that encounter, if I may enquire?”

  “Aye, ye may ask. ’Tis happy I am to say that we disarmed then, ’n sent them on their way empty-handed.” He smiled as he thought of them, not only weaponless, but without shoes or uniforms. However, he offered no further elaboration.

  “Good, very good,” Culpepper said with an approving nod. “Captain, I am convinced that you will be a welcome addition to my command. You are dismissed, sir.”

  Duff stood, then, because he realized that the general was expecting it of him, he saluted.

  General Culpepper returned it sharply.

  * * *

  After breakfast, Duff visited Mayor McGregor in his office.

  “Sergeant Major Campbell told me about your visitor last night,” McGregor said.

  “Is he someone you know?” Duff asked.

  McGregor shook his head. “I cannae say that I do know him, but he told the sergeant major his name was Frank Bailey. ’Tis a suspicion of the sergeant major that Bailey may be with Schofield, though he says Bailey denies it. Perhaps ’twas only his intent to rob ye.”

  “Aye, that may be so, though he clearly meant to kill me first.”

  McGregor chuckled. “Ye be a hard man to kill, Duff MacCallister. Sure ’n I learned that a long time ago.”

  “I’ve managed to avoid getting killed so far,” Duff replied with a broad smile.

  “So ye have, lad, so ye have.”

  “Colonel, tell me what ye know about the man who calls himself General Culpepper.”

  “Oh, he doesn’t just call himself a general,” McGregor replied. “For ’tis a general he truly is. He graduated from West Point, and he served in the Mexican War, then resigned his commission with the US Army to accept the appointment as a general in the Confederate army.

  “Let me tell ye an interesting story about the Battle of Petersburg. ’Twas quite late in the war, in 1864, I think it was. Lee had already tried to invade the North, but as all know, he was turned back at Gettysburg. After that, the Union army seemed invincible until they encountered stubborn resistance in Virginia. They were halted outside the city of Petersburg.

  “’Twas there that Grant ordered one of his generals to attack the northeastern end of the Southern lines and the general in command of the attacking force did so with a strength of sixteen thousand men. But his attack was met with so much resistance that ’twas for certain he was, that the force in front of him must have been much larger than his own army.

  “The truth of it was that his sixteen thousand men were facing a defensive force of less than twenty-five hundred men, and most of them were not part of the regular army, but were members of the Home Guard. That meant that their ranks were filled with old men and young boys.

  “Had that Union army general pressed his attack, ’tis nae doubt the city would almost certainly have fallen, ’n perhaps the war would have been rather significantly shortened. But he withdrew from the field, leaving the city in the hands of the Confederates.

  “During the night General Lee was able to bring up reinforcements so that when General Grant attacked Petersburg the next morning, he found a well-fortified string of Confederate lines manned by more than fifty thousand soldiers. There was naught General Grant could do but withdraw from the field and leave the Confederate army in possession of the city.”

  “Aye, I’ve read of that battle,” Duff said.

  “And did ye read the name of the Confederate general who led that twenty-five hundred old men and boys in their brilliant defense of the city?”

  Duff smiled. “Are ye for telling me that it was General Culpepper?”

  “Aye, ’twas the same. But, here’s another bit of interesting information for you. The name of the Union general who, with sixteen thousand men was beaten back by General Culpepper and his twenty-five hundred men was—”

  “Wait,” Duff said. “The Union general was Ebenezer Schofield?”

  “Aye, lad, ’twas the same.”

  “That is interesting,” Duff said. “But what happened? Why is he—?”

  “In his dotage?” McGregor said, finishing the question. He shook his head. “I’ve asked Lucy that same question, and she says that he was never the same after he came back from the war. He had sacrificed everything, given up his career in the US Army to fight for the South. Also the land that had once belonged to his family was taken by taxes. And when Lucy’s mother died, her father got worse.”

  “So, ye and Miss Culpepper are well acquainted, are ye?”

  “True that is, m’ friend, and ’twere it my choice we would be much better acquainted. I’ve never met a finer young woman, and ’tis totally dedicated to taking care of her father, she is.”

  “Aye, for the brief time I was visiting with the general, I saw the tenderness with which she cares for him.”

  “It isn’t always tender she is,” McGregor said with a quick smile. “Let someone say something unkind about her father, or his condition, and Lucy, wee lass that she is, will be on them like a duck on a june bug.”

  “Duck on a june bug?” Duff asked with a little chuckle.

  “Aye, ’tis an American idiom I’ve picked up. From Lucy herself, in fact.”

  * * *

  “Frank Bailey is in jail.” Black Jack Ketchum was in the Desert Star Saloon at Cottonwood Springs, reporting to Schofield, who was sitting at the table that had been reserved specifically for him. “I was waitin’ outside whilst he clumb up to the winder of MacCallister’s room, only somehow it was MacCallister who got him, ’stead o’ him gettin’ MacCallister. I was listenin’ to some o’ the things folks was sayin’ ’bout MacCallister. Turns out he’s ’most famous on account of some of the things he’s done.”

  “I’m quite aware of Duff MacCallister’s many storied accomplishments,” Schofield said. “That’s why I issued orders for him to be taken out of the equation.

  “We must have Antelope Wells,” Schofield insisted. “The fate of our new nation depends upon the capture and subjugation of Antelope Wells. In fact, I intend to leave only an occupying force here in Cottonwood Springs, and make Antelope Wells the capital city of Tierra de Desierto.”

  “It’s going to be a lot harder to take than this place or Hachita or La Tenja was. How are we going to do it?” one of men nearby asked.

  “May I suggest that you leave tactics and strategy to me, First Sergeant Cobb?” Schofield said. “I not only matriculated from the finest military school in the entire world, I have also led mighty armies in desperate struggle.”

  “Yes, sir. Well, I didn’t mean nothin’ by it. I was just wonderin’, is all.”

  “Hey,” Welch said. “Did you say they was a Chinaman with this feller?”

  “Yes, there were three people who come into town with ’im,” Ketchum said. “An old man, a Chinaman, ’n I thought the other ’n was a man too, on account of the way she was dressed. But damn if it didn’t turn out that she was a woman.”

  “Yeah, that’s them, all right. Them’s the same son-of-a-bitches that me ’n the others run acrost when we tried to ambush ’em. We was told about MacCallister, but there didn’t nobody say nothin’ ’bout that Chinaman. ’N I tell you true, that Chinaman ain’t like nobody I’ve never knowed before. He’s somebody you got to look out for.”

  “It is becoming increasingly clear to me that this man, Mr. MacCallister, and those with him, are going to have to be eliminated before we can attain our ultimate goal,” Schofield said.

  “Let me do it,” the former lieutenant, now sergeant, said. Although Mack had been listening to the report of Black Jack Ketchum, it was the first time he had spoken.

  “Are you sure you want to try this? You have already encountered MacCallister and his entourage once, so you know them to be rather formidable adversaries.”

  “Know them to be what?” Ketchum asked.

  “They will be hard to kill,” Sergeant Mack explained. He turned his attention back to Schofield. “I know they wi
ll be hard to kill. I’ve already encountered them once. But I would like another chance, and this time, I am forewarned. And it is as they say: forewarned is forearmed.

  “As I explained in my initial report, it was actually the Chinaman who caused the problem the last time. We were totally unaware of his unique skill, therefore the three men I sent up onto the ridge were taken unawares, and they were overcome. But this time we won’t be fooled by him, or by anyone else. So if you are wanting MacCallister and that Chinaman son-of-a-bitch killed, Keaton, Welch, Foster, Pounders, and I will do it for you.”

  “Yeah, ’n that old man that’s with ’em too,” Keaton added.

  “Very well, you may do so. And if you are successful, Sergeant Mack, you will be Lieutenant Mack again, and Private Keaton will once more be Sergeant Keaton. Also, there will be a one-thousand-dollar bonus for the lot of you.”

  Keaton smiled, then looked over at Mack. “How ’bout that? We not only get to kill the son of a bitch that fooled us, but me ’n you’ll be gettin’ our rank again, ’n we’ll all be gettin’ a thousand dollars, too.”

  “That isn’t a thousand dollars apiece. That is one thousand dollars for the five of you to split,” Schofield said.

  “Still, two hunnert dollars is a lot o’ money,” Keaton said. “I’m already thinking about how I might spend it.”

  “You would be better served to think about how you are going to kill MacCallister,” Schofield said.

  * * *

  “Prime Director, is it true that you have offered a thousand dollars to Mack and the others, if they kill MacCallister?” General Peterson asked.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s a great deal of money, isn’t it?”

  “Are you questioning me, General?”

  “No, sir, I meant no challenge. I was only satisfying a curiosity, is all,” Peterson said.

  “General, you, of all people, are aware of the significance of Antelope Wells. It is vitally important to my plans that we take control of that town. MacCallister is like a rock in my shoe. He must be eliminated for the walk to be comfortable.”

  “Yes, sir,” Peterson replied.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Antelope Springs

  Duff, Meagan, Elmer, and Wang were having a late dinner at Bear Tracks Restaurant when Lucy Culpepper came in alone. Seeing them, she smiled and stepped over to their table.

  The three men stood.

  “Oh, heavens, please sit down,” Lucy said, making a motion with her hands. “I was just going to stop by and say hello.”

  “Where’s the general tonight?” Duff asked. “Will he be joining you soon?”

  “He said he was tired and wanted to stay home and read. So, I thought I would give him some time alone.”

  “Well then, since the general isn’t with you, won’t you join us?” Meagan invited.

  “Yes, please do,” Duff said. “Mayor McGregor is going to join us shortly.”

  Lucy smiled. “Thanks, I would love to. That is, if you don’t think it would be an imposition. I know that you and the mayor probably have some private matters to discuss.”

  “From the conversation I had with the general, in your presence, I doubt there’s anything secret about why we are here.”

  Wang held the chair for Lucy to be seated.

  “Are you a native of Antelope Wells, Miss Culpepper?” Meagan asked.

  “Please, call me Lucy. I am so often with my father, sometimes I miss the sound of my name being spoken by a feminine voice.”

  “Why, I would be glad to call you Lucy. And you must call me Meagan.”

  “Thank you. And to answer your question, Meagan, no, we are from Mississippi originally. But after the war, and after Mama died, Papa had no wish to cooperate with the—” she paused and chuckled. “Excuse my language, but the ‘Damn Yankees.’ So we started to Mexico, where Papa planned to offer his services to the Mexican government. Seems like they are always having to put down a revolution. But, when we got this far he had second thoughts.

  “He said, and I quote, ‘I have already violated the oath of fealty I took upon the Plains at West Point when I left the US Army to accept a commission from the Confederacy. I have no intention of doing so again.’ So, here is where we stopped.”

  “Here is the mayor,” Elmer said.

  As McGregor came to the table he saw Lucy and smiled broadly. “Lu . . . uh, Miss Culpepper. ’Tis nice to see ye dining with m’ friends.”

  “I know that you have a meeting planned. I hope my being here isn’t an imposition.”

  “Och, ’tis nae of the sort. ’Tis always glad to see ye, I am. And your father? Is he in good health?”

  “Yes, he’s fine, thank you.” Lucy provided him with the same explanation of her father’s absence that she had told Duff and the others.

  Over dinner, Duff and McGregor discussed the defense of the town. Neither Elmer nor Wang added to the discussion, but they did listen intently.

  Meagan and Lucy carried on their own conversation, speaking quietly enough so as to not interfere with the discussion of the men, but bonding in an almost immediate friendship.

  At dinner’s end McGregor begged the pardon of the others, explaining that he had to take care of some city business. Meagan invited Lucy to extend their visit by joining her in the hotel lobby.

  “You ladies have yourself a nice visit,” Duff said. “I think I’ll have a drink down at the saloon. One can learn a great deal by keeping his ears open.”

  “Duff, seein’ as they was somebody that tried to kill you last night, I think it might be better if me ’n Wang maybe stayed back at the hotel ’n kept a eye on the two womenfolk.”

  “Aye, if ye don’t mind, I think that would be a good idea,” Duff agreed.

  “Go with Shifu Duff, Elmer,” Wang said. “I will stay and watch over Miss Meagan and Miss Lucy.”

  “You sure you don’t mind?” Elmer asked. “I would like to wet my whistle a bit.”

  “I see no need for either of you to stay behind,” Meagan said. “Lucy and I will be having our visit in the hotel lobby in full view of everyone. I don’t think anyone would be foolish enough to attempt anything under those conditions.”

  “I would feel better if Wang stayed with you,” Duff said.

  “Maybe she don’t want the heathen to be near ’em,” Elmer suggested with a big smile.

  “Elmer! What an awful thing for you to say!” Meagan said, though her own smile showed that she was fully aware that Elmer was teasing. “Wang, of course you are welcome to stay.”

  Wang nodded, but maintained the same inscrutable expression that was his hallmark.

  * * *

  As this discussion was going on, Mack and the others who had come down from the north with him materialized out of the darkness, then rode on into town. Mack had visited Antelope Wells before without being noticed because he had never come to town in uniform. As during all previous visits, he and the others were dressed in mufti.

  The ambient light was so restrained they could be seen only as shadows within shadows. The clopping sounds their horses made echoed loudly back from the building fronts, and as they continued on into town, they passed in and out of the little golden patches of light that were cast from the windows onto the boardwalk and sometimes out into the street.

  They tied their horses off in front of the Hidden Trail Saloon, then stepped inside.

  Two dozen lanterns were attached to a couple of wagon wheels that hung suspended from the ceiling. In addition to the overhead lanterns, there were an equal number of lanterns in wall sconces so that the resultant illumination was enough to read by, anywhere in the room.

  The arrival of five men significantly increased the number of people who were already in the saloon, so they did arouse some interest from the others. All five stepped up to the bar.

  “Yes, sir,” the bartender said, moving down in front of them. “What can I get for you gentlemen?”

  “Whiskey,” Mack said, and the other fou
r matched his order.

  “You gentlemen coming to settle down in Antelope?” the bartender asked, unable to restrain his curiosity any longer. He poured the five drinks.

  “No.”

  “The reason I ask, is I was just wondering if . . .”

  “Why are you standin’ here, beatin’ your gums? Don’t you have somethin’ else you could be doin’ to keep busy?” Mack asked.

  “Yes, of course.” Piqued by the uncivil response, the bartender moved to the far end of the bar to give them space.

  “Damn. I was pretty sure MacCallister would be here. I mean where else is there to go in this town?” Mack asked.

  “We may as well just wait here for ’im,” Foster suggested. “You’re right. There ain’t no place else for nobody to go.”

  “Where do you reckon the sheriff is?” Keaton asked. “I ain’t seen hide nor hair of ’im since we come in. He normally spends a lot o’ time in here, don’t he?”

  “Hell, he’s got Bailey in jail. Could be that he’s over there babysittin’ with ’im,” Welch said.

  Pounders laughed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t doubt it none at all, knowin’ Frank.”

  “Mack,” Keaton said in a harsh whisper. “There he is! MacCallister just come in.”

  “Yeah,” Mack said in a low growl. “That’s him all right.”

  “They’s two of ’em,” Foster said.

  “Yeah, that old man is with him.”

  “Hell, an old man like that? How much of a problem can he be?” Keaton asked.

  “Hello, Captain MacCallister, Mr. Gleason,” the bartender said as Duff stepped up to the bar. “Where’s the Chinaman? I certainly hope he realizes he is welcome in the Hidden Trail.”

  “Aye, he is aware that he is welcome in your fine establishment, but he decided to remain in the hotel this evening,” Duff replied.

  “Well, as long as he knows that he’s quite welcome here. Now, gents, what will it be?”

  “I’ll have a beer,” Elmer said.

  “And you sir?” the bartender asked Duff.

  “Would ye be for having any scotch?”