Stranglehold

by William W. Johnstone

  He kept his gaze on the plains to the north, but there was nothing there.

  He almost wished that he could see something. If he gave the warning, why, he’d be a hero to the town.

  Jackson heard someone coming up behind him, and because it was still a little too early for him to be relieved, he turned apprehensively toward the sound. “Oh. It’s you,” he said with a smile. “Seems like you could have at least brought me a cup of coffee.”

  * * *

  Half an hour later twelve men wearing the uniforms of Schofield’s Legion came galloping into the town without warning. The men were led by a shouting soldier who wore what appeared to be the shoulder boards of an officer.

  Duff had, but a moment before, gone into the sheriff’s office, and was talking with Sheriff Campbell about the training exercise he wanted to conduct. Though the sheriff himself was not a part of the Home Guard, Duff, in recognition of his position, liked to keep him informed as to his schedule.

  When they heard the shooting and the shouting, Duff hurried to the window and saw the attackers galloping up the street, firing wildly.

  “Sergeant Major, I’ve nae a rifle with me. Hand me a rifle!” Duff shouted, reaching his arm back. When Campbell didn’t reply, Duff looked around, but Campbell wasn’t there. He had gone out the back door.

  The rifles were locked in the racks and without Campbell, Duff had no access to them, so he did the next best thing. He stepped out onto the front porch and began shooting at the riders with his pistol.

  As he popped away at them, he heard someone else shooting close by, and looking to his right he saw that the sheriff, too, was shooting at them. And, like Duff, Sheriff Campbell was using a pistol. Elmer was across the street from the sheriff’s office, also firing at the attackers. Hawkins, the bugler, was blowing “To Arms,” which was an appropriate call under the circumstances.

  One innocent citizen had been caught out in the open—the young boy who delivered the papers every morning. At the moment he was standing right in the middle of the street, frozen in fear as he watched the horses galloping toward him.

  Suddenly Duff saw Wang dash out into the street, grab the boy, and push him down to the ground. Then Wang got down and used his own body to cover the boy. As the horses dashed over them, Wang and the boy were obscured and there was a moment when Duff could see nothing but horse flesh and flashing legs.

  After the horses passed, Duff was sure he would see two battered bodies lying dead in the road. But what he did see was Wang stand up, pull the boy to his feet, then both dash to the other side.

  Duff wasn’t the only one to see them, for a rider at the rear of the galloping horses turned in his saddle and held his pistol out, taking aim at the two who had escaped being run over. Duff shot first, and the Schofield man fell from the horse, then lay still on the ground.

  By the time the raiders reached the far end of town, two of their number lay in the street behind then. Rather than make a second run through the gauntlet, they left town on the opposite end from which they had entered,

  Out in the street one of the two started to get up, but there was the sound of a shot, and he went back down. The shot had come from Duff’s right, and looking that way, Duff saw Campbell holding a smoking gun.

  “’Twould have been better to keep him alive so we could talk to him,” Duff suggested.

  “He was about to shoot,” Campbell said, pointing.

  Duff saw that the raider was, indeed holding a pistol. “Aye, perhaps ye made the right move.”

  “’Tis wondering I am, why Jackson dinnae give us the warning,” Campbell said. “I know him well, and he is a man to be trusted.”

  “That’s a good question,” Duff said. “Why dinnae he give us a warning?”

  As Duff and Campbell started down to the north end of town, Wang and the young paperboy came out of the apothecary where they had taken shelter.

  “Wang, what were ye trying to do, get ye and the boy killed? Surely, mon, ye dinnae think ye could be for shielding the boy with your own body?”

  “If a galloping horse sees a man on the ground, he will turn and not run over him,” Wang said.

  “And you knew that for a fact?”

  Wang smiled. “It is something I believed to be true. And, as fortune smiled, I was right.”

  “’Tis good to be a man of convictions,” Campbell said with a smile.

  “’N would ye be for tellin’ me your name, lad?” Duff asked the boy.

  “It’s Ernie, sir,” the boy replied. “Ernie Wallace. I deliver the morning newspapers for Mr. Denham,” he added, proudly.

  “Well, Ernie, the next time you see a lot of horses galloping down the street, ’twould be best if you’d run out of the way. Mr. Wang may not be there for you next time.”

  “Are you a Chinaman?” Ernie asked, turning to Wang.

  “Yes,” Wang replied.

  “I’ve heard of Chinamen, but I ain’t never saw one before.” Ernie reached up to touch Wang, just below his eyes, fascinated by the epicanthic fold that made his eyes look different. “I would like to shake your hand for saving my life. Do Chinamen shake hands?”

  For answer, Wang extended his hand and, with a big smile, Ernie took it.

  “We had three killed,” McGregor said, joining Duff and the others who were standing in the middle of the street. “Mr. Rafferty was about to open up his store and was shot down on his front porch. Also, sad to say, that Mrs. Finney and her little girl Ellie May were killed. Mr. Finney was still getting dressed ’n says they must have just come out to see what was goin’ on.”

  “How’d they get in here without us a-knowin’ about it?” Elmer asked. “I thought the whole idea was for us to be able to see ’em comin’ in long enough ahead of time so’s that Hawkins could blow a warnin’ on his horn.”

  “That is a good question, Elmer. Why didn’t Mr. Jackson provide us with a warning? He was well enough positioned to have a good view of the way the raiders came into town, ’n I’ve nae idea as to why he dinnae warn us.”

  “I don’t like to say it, but I’ve got me an idee as to why he didn’t,” Elmer said.

  Duff nodded. “Aye. I have the same idea.”

  A few minutes later Duff, Elmer, Wang, Campbell and McGregor were all standing on the flat roof of the McCoy and Tanner building.

  “Och,” Campbell said. “’Tis as we feared.”

  The scene that had elicited the comment from Campbell was quite gruesome. Dooley Jackson’s throat had been cut, and he was lying in a large pool of blood.

  Duff checked the rifle Jackson had been holding, and it had not been fired. “He wasn’t shot. ’Tis wondering, I am, how ’tis that someone could get close enough to use a knife without Jackson trying to defend himself,” Duff question.

  “Aye, ’tis a wonderment,” Campbell agreed.

  Cottonwood Springs

  “We killed four,” Sergeant Mack said. “But we lost Boyle and Cleaver.”

  “You only killed four?” Lieutenant Fillion asked.

  “That’s all right, Lieutenant. This was a reconnaissance operation only. Tell me, were you able to determine their defensive positions?” Schofield asked.

  Bond smiled. “Yes, sir, I was. They have not built any fortifications. They had only one guard posted, and the resistance we encountered was sporadic and undisciplined. A well-planned, coordinated attack of the kind in which you excel, Prime Director, cannot help but be met with great success.”

  “Very good job, Captain,” Schofield replied. “Good report.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Bond said, beaming from the praise.

  “When are we going to attack them, Prime Director?” General Peterson asked.

  “Soon. I want to attack before they are able to get themselves too well organized, but I don’t want to be too quick about it, either. Antelope Wells is not only the most important of all the towns we have attacked so far, it is also the last town we will have to take. I believe we will succeed, for now we hav
e them cut off from the rest of the Bootheel in a stranglehold.” Schofield demonstrated by holding his hands out before him, then squeezing them shut, as if choking someone by the neck.

  “Soon a new nation will take its place among the nations of the world,” he added.

  “One hundred years from now our descendants will look back upon these times and celebrate the birth of our nation,” General Peterson said proudly.

  “General, we cannot afford to fail in this campaign. Keep our men in readiness, while I work out the plan of attack.”

  “Yes, sir,” General Peterson replied.

  From the Antelope Wells Standard:

  Dastardly Attack Beaten Back

  BY CLINT H. DENHAM

  On the third instant, a group of uniformed villains proclaiming themselves as Schofield’s Legion launched a cowardly dawn attack upon our town. They were able to use the element of surprise against us, because their entry was unannounced. Dooley Jackson, who had been posted to a most excellent lookout position on top of the McCoy and Tanner building, was unable to give the alarm.

  It wasn’t because of a failure of duty that there was no alarm given. Failure to give the alarm was the result of person or persons using stealth to gain access to Mr. Jackson’s sentinel position, where they killed him.

  Without prior warning being given, a relatively small band of Schofield’s Legion swept into town, not for some sustained campaign of battle, but rather for a nuisance raid which resulted in the death of four of our citizens. Also killed, in addition to Dooley Jackson, were Dan Rafferty, proprietor of Rafferty’s store, and Mrs. Emma Finney and her young daughter, Ellie Mae.

  Captain MacCallister has declared that from this day forward, a rather substantial force of our Home Guard will be in fortified positions, ready to do battle. With the unprovoked attack of Schofield’s Legion, the tocsins of war have been sounded, and we, the citizens of Antelope Wells, stand ready to defend home and hearth.

  Chapter Nineteen

  A few days after the initial attack from Schofield’s Legion, Lucy approached the table where Duff, Meagan, and McGregor were having their dinner. Both Duff and McGregor stood.

  “I know this may be an imposition on you, but my father has expressed a desire to join you for dinner tonight,” Lucy said. “Do you suppose that would be possible?”

  “’Twould not only be possible, ’twould be a pleasure,” Mayor McGregor said.

  A moment later General Culpepper, in full Confederate uniform, complete with a golden sash wrapped around his middle, joined them at the table. “Thank you, ma’am and gentlemen, for the invitation to join you.”

  “’Tis our pleasure,” Duff replied.

  “If you don’t mind, gentlemen, and if the ladies will show us some forbearance, I would like to discuss some tactics with you.”

  “Tactics?” McGregor replied.

  “Yes, particularly with regard to the reconnaissance scout that General Schofield launched yesterday.”

  “Reconnaissance? ’Tis your belief that the wee fracas we had yesterday was but a reconnaissance?” McGregor asked.

  “Oh, indeed,” General Culpepper replied.

  “’N would ye be for tellin’ us why you think such a thing?” Duff asked.

  “Consider this, Captain. Had it been an attack, he would have used more men, and he would have deployed them in enfilade to assault any fixed positions. He clearly didn’t do that, which means this was not intended to be an attack.” Culpepper smiled. “But we have no fortifications for him to discover, do we?”

  “That’s my fault,” Duff said. “I wanted a little more training for the men before I actually assigned defensive positions.”

  “Ah, but that is a good thing,” General Culpepper said. “Now we can establish a defense perimeter without Schofield knowing where our positions are.”

  “Aye, good point,” McGregor said.

  “Here is something I noticed about Schofield during our previous encounters. He is a leader who depends more upon numbers than tactics. He has quite a large force with him now, and he is well aware that our numbers are limited. He will do all that he can to take advantage of the disparity in strength.” Culpepper smiled. “And we can take advantage of that. What we lack in numbers, we will compensate for in the disciplined implementation of tactical planning.”

  “Tell me, General, would ye be for having any suggestions as to how best we should apply these tactics?” Duff asked.

  Culpepper nodded. “I do indeed, gentlemen, but such things would be better discussed at another time and another place. We’ve two young ladies with us, and I’ve no wish to bore them with such a subject. May I suggest that, for now we become more pleasant company for the ladies and enjoy our meal?”

  * * *

  By prearrangement, Culpepper met Duff, Elmer, and Wang in the lobby of the Dunn Hotel the next morning.

  “I’ve drawn a map with my recommendations,” Culpepper said, showing a paper to Duff.

  The map was beautifully drawn with the buildings along Cactus Street drawn to exact scale. On the east side of the street the northernmost building was the McCoy and Tanner building, then Fahlkoff’s Book and Stationery. Next came Buckner and Ragsdale Clothing, White’s Drugstore, Hidden Trail Saloon, The Antelope Wells Standard newspaper office, McGill Feed and Seed, the Desert Stagecoach office, and the O. D. Clayton Livery barn. On the west side of the street, the first building going up from the south end was the Western Union office, then Antelope Wells Christian Tabernacle Church. Antelope Wells Public School, the Bank of Antelope Wells, Potashnick Wagon Freight, Sikes Hardware, Chip’s Shoe Alley, Bear Tracks Restaurant, Norton and Heckemeyer Law office, the Stallcup Building, Golden Spur Saloon, and the Dunn Hotel.

  “It will take some work, but if we put all of my suggestions into play I believe we can make our town impregnable,” Culpepper said. “Or at least, as impregnable as is possible.”

  Duff studied the map, looking at the suggestions Culpepper made. He chuckled. “You are right, sir. It will take some work to do all that ye suggest.”

  “And?” Culpepper asked.

  “And it will make the town nearly impregnable,” Duff added with an agreeable nod.

  * * *

  For the next few days the men of the town worked feverishly to build up the fortifications before another attack. For the construction of the fortifications, even those who had been turned away from service in the Home Guard were called upon. The space between every building was fortified by double walls built five feet high and with eighteen inches of space between the walls. The women worked as well, carrying buckets of dirt from the excavations to the fortifications, where they poured dirt into the space between.

  As each of the fortifications were completed, a rifle was fired into it to test whether or not the walls would actually provide protection to anyone who was behind them. Every fortification passed the test.

  Cottonwood Springs

  “Sergeant Yancey,” Schofield said to one of his NCOs. “I have a mission for you to perform. Are you ready to serve our cause?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I want you to leave before dawn tomorrow morning and ride into Antelope Wells, drawing as little attention to yourself as possible. I would like an accurate assessment as to the number of armed men they can muster. Also determine anything they may be doing in order to prepare a defense against us.”

  “I thought we already had us someone in town that was sposed to be doin’ stuff like that,” Yancey said.

  “We do, but he isn’t able to keep us as informed as we need to be. If you would rather not do this, I can get someone else, perhaps someone who is better suited to wear your stripes.”

  “No, no, sir. There ain’t no need for you to be a-thinkin’ that way. I’ll be glad do it,” Sergeant Yancey said. “It’s just that I thought you already had someone in town a-doin’ that, ’n I didn’t want to get in the way, is all.”

  “Don’t worry, Sergeant Yancey, you won’t be w
orking at cross-purposes. Quite the contrary. I want you to make contact with him so that we can coordinate our efforts. Also, he may have additional information for us that he has not been able to get out. Your presence in town can facilitate that for him.”

  “Yes, sir, but that’s goin’ to be kind of a problem, though.”

  “Oh? And what would that problem be?”

  “I don’t know who this feller is that I’m sposed to be seein’.”

  “It isn’t necessary that you know who it is,” Schofield said. “Not even I know he is. As I’m sure you can understand, our man in Antelope Wells is taking a great risk working for us, and the fewer who know his name, the more efficiently will he be able to operate.”

  “Yes, sir, maybe that’s right ’n all, but how is it that I’m goin’ to be able to contact him, if I don’t know who it is?”

  “I will tell you how to identify yourself, and he will contact you.”

  “How will I know that the one that contacts me is really the right one?”

  “We have devised a password to use in order to validate any contacts we may have,” Schofield said. “The passwords are Hill Climber. Hill is the challenge; the correct countersign will be Climber. Do you have that?”

  “Hill Climber. Yes, sir, I got it.”

  “I shall want you to ride into town as soon after sunrise tomorrow as is practicable.”

  “I’ll most likely have to leave in the middle of the night in order to get there just after sunrise tomorrow mornin’,” Yancey said.

  “I’m quite sure you will, Sergeant.”

  * * *

  Just after dawn on the third day of constructing the fortifications Elmer climbed up onto the roof of the Dunn Hotel in Antelope Wells to visit with Buddy Cox, who was on guard duty.

  “Who’s there?” Cox challenged as Elmer stepped out onto the roof.

  “It’s me, Mr. Cox. Elmer Gleason.” He held out his hand.