Stranglehold

by William W. Johnstone

  “Aye, by all means, do make a suggestion,” Duff said.

  “In all of Schofield’s previous campaigns in his quest to take over the Bootheel, he has met with only sporadic resistance. As a result they have grown complacent to the degree that they are overconfident. Suppose the north end of town, which we all agree is the most likely point of contact, was lightly defended? Meeting little resistance at the initial point of contact would draw them in, then when they are totally committed, we’ll hit them with everything we have. That way we can inflict the greatest number of casualties, maybe even to the point that Schofield will be dissuaded from any further attempts.”

  Duff smiled. “Aye, now that is a great idea, General.”

  “Thank you, my boy, thank you.” Culpepper yawned. “And now, if you good people would excuse me, I think I’ll go my room and go to bed. I’m an old man but”—he looked at the other four at the table, Duff and Meagan, and McGregor and Lucy—“I’m not too old to see when my presence at this table is superfluous. Enjoy your dinner.”

  “Captain MacCallister, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you,” Lucy said after the general left. “My father has been more animated in the time since you arrived than I have ever seen him. You have given him purpose and self-pride.”

  “Aye, that may be, lass,” Duff replied, “but your father’s observations and suggestions have been most helpful. ’Tis thankful I am that we have a man with your father’s skill in the military arts to help us prepare for Schofield and his army of miscreants.”

  * * *

  The next morning the members of the Home Guard, as well as those who weren’t part of the Home Guard but who had worked on the fortifications, were all standing in the middle of Cactus Street, having been summoned to the meeting by Duff. General Culpepper was there as well, standing alongside Duff. Elmer and Wang were also present, but they were standing somewhat back from the gathering.

  “Gentlemen. ’Tis pleased I am to tell ye that the general and I have inspected all your work ’n can find nothing else that needs to be done,” Duff said. “Your work here . . . that is, the labor . . . is done.”

  The assembled crowd, which also included a few women, cheered at the news.

  “Now, with the work done, I’ll be for letting ye all go about your business. We’ll have four guards posted at all times, one on the McCoy and Tanner building and one on the roof of the Dunn Hotel. To the south we’ll have guards posted on top of the Western Union office and across the street at the livery stable. Sergeant Morley will work out the schedule. If there’s some reason that ye cannae stand guard, let me know ’n we’ll see if we can come up with a solution.”

  “Why are we goin’ to have somebody at the south end?” someone asked. “It ain’t the Mexicans that’s goin’ to attack.”

  “And would ye be for tellin’ me ye think Schofield would nae cross the border?”

  “Oh, yeah. Well, I reckon he could do that.”

  “Bugler?” Duff called.

  “Yes, sir?” Hawkins replied.

  “Would ye blow ‘To Arms’ for us?”

  Hawkins raised the instrument to his lips and blew the bugle call as requested.

  “Now, gentleman, that stirring piece of music so beautifully performed by Maestro Hawkins”—Duff took in the bugler with a wave of his hand—“will be the summons for ye to take up your positions to repel an attack. So wherever you are, ’n whatever ye may be doing, the very minute ye hear the bugle call, stop doing whatever it is that ye may be doing, and proceed at once to your duty station.”

  “To our what?”

  “Your duty station, the place which you will assigned to man during any attack on the town.”

  “Yes, sir, but now, here’s the thing, Cap’n. We ain’t none of us been given one o’ them duty stations.”

  “Sergeant Morley, post!” Duff called.

  Chris Morley stepped out from the rest of the men.

  “Sergeant Morley, as soon as this meeting ends, I would like for you to assign the men to the fortifications as we discussed.”

  “Yes, sir!” Morley replied, proud of the responsibility. He saluted Duff, and Duff returned it with a smile.

  “Are we all finished here, now?” The man who called out was Darrel Wright, one of the older men. He had been turned away from the Home Guard because of his age.

  Duff had seen him working during the construction of the fortifications, and he had more than carried his own weight, so much so that Duff wondered if he had made a mistake in not including Wright as a member of the Home Guard.

  “Those of ye who are not part of the Home Guard may leave now, but the Home Guard must remain so Sergeant Morley can assign you to your position of defense in the event of an attack.”

  “What do you mean ‘in the event of?’” one of the men asked. “We’re goin’ to be attacked for sure ’n certain, ain’t we?”

  “I would say that the answer to that is aye, we will be attacked. ’N because of that ye can see the need for bein’ told where you must be when the fighting starts. Also, there is the need to work out the guard station assignments and times. Sergeant Morley, ye have the command.”

  “Yes, sir!” Morley said, saluting again.

  After leaving the Home Guard in Sergeant Morley’s hands, Duff walked down to the mayor’s office to report that all construction was completed, and the men were being assigned their duty stations. The conversation turned to the incident in the saloon the day before when Elmer shot and killed Yancey.

  “I think ’twas a surprise to everyone when they saw how rapidly Mr. Gleason could draw ’n engage his weapon,” McGregor said.

  “Ye mean because of Elmer’s age?” Duff asked.

  “Aye. One tends to think of gunfighters as being young men with good hands and quick reflexes.”

  “Ye should nae let Elmer’s age discompose ye. He is most skilled with a gun, as he has demonstrated many times.”

  “Aye, for the facts cannae be argued. ’N ’twas a good thing that that Sergeant Major Campbell went through the man’s pockets, for who would have known that Schofield’s man had a map of all the new fortifications?”

  “Aye, if that information had been taken to Schofield, we would have lost the element of surprise, ’n that will be our strongest weapon when the attack comes.”

  “’Twas smart of you, Captain, to see that the map that Sheriff Campbell found on the brigand was not of his observation, but was given him by someone in our own midst,” McGregor said.

  “It wasn’t hard to figure it out,” Duff said. “Especially after Elmer said that he had kept an eye on the man from the moment he had come into town, and he had not had time to draw up the map. In addition to which he had fortifications marked on his map that we had nae yet constructed.”

  “’Tis not a good thing to learn that we have a traitor among us,” McGregor said. “But the sergeant major is a good man, ’n ’tis comforting to know that finding the guilty one is in his hands.”

  * * *

  At that same moment, Ed Truax was in Sheriff Campbell’s office.

  “Is it true that you found a map on that feller that Gleason kilt yesterday?”

  “Aye, ’tis true.”

  “’N on that map, what’s wrote and drawed on it tells about all the work we’ve been doin in gettin’ ready for Schofield, does he decide to come?” Truax asked.

  “Aye, that’s true as well,” Campbell replied.

  “Folks is sayin’ that it more ’n likely come from someone here in town, that we got us a spy,” Truax said.

  Campbell nodded. “I’m afraid they may be right.”

  Truax sighed and shook his head. “Damn. I was hopin’ it warn’t him.”

  “’Twasn’t who? Who would ye be speakin’ of?”

  “I hate to say it. I mean seein’ as I ain’t got no proof nor nothin’. But I got me an idea as to who the spy might be. It’s him that works with me. Anton Drexler.”

  “’N would ye be for te
llin’ me lad, why ye think it would be Drexler?”

  “Well sir, me ’n Drexler ’n Collins ’n ‘Morley was talkin’ ’bout things a few days ago, ’n Drexler up ’n said that he was goin’ to join up with Schofield.”

  “What?” Campbell replied in a shocked voice. “Drexler said he was goin’ to join Schofield’s army?”

  “No, sir. That is, that ain’t quite exactly what it was that he said. But it’s what he did say that’s got me to thinkin’. What I done is, I ask ’im outright, ‘Are you sayin’ we should join up with the army that’s comin’ to attack us?’ ’N what he said is, ‘No, but they’s other ways of joinin’ up with Schofield besides joinin’ up with the Legion ’n actual fightin’ with ’em.’

  “Then he talked about how many was kilt in them other towns that Schofield attacked, ’n said it could be that joinin’ up with ’im might be ’bout the only way we have of savin’ all the lives of the people in Antelope Wells.

  “So what I’m thinkin’ is, I mean Drexler sayin’ he was goin’ to join up with Schofield, but he warn’t goin’ to actual join the army, well sir, it just seems to me like he’s most likely the one that drawed up the map for ’em. Could be that he figured that’s what he would do ’stead of actual joinin’ up with ’em.”

  Campbell stroked his chin as he listened to the explanation of why Truax suspected Drexler.

  “I’m tellin’ you ’bout this ’cause I thought you should know,” Truax concluded.

  “’Tis thanking you I am for that information, Mr. Truax. But the truth is, I don’t know if I can arrest ’im with no more evidence than just something that he said. I’ll talk with the mayor about it. In the meantime, I’d like for ye to be tellin’ some of the others what ye just told me. That way, even if the mayor says I cannae arrest the blaggard, we can at least all keep our eyes on him so that he cannae do such a thing again.”

  Truax nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll spread the word around so that ever’body else will know what it is that he’s done.”

  * * *

  A few minutes later, Truax was in the Golden Spur Saloon. Unlike the last few days when the saloons had been relatively empty because of the necessity of building up the fortifications, today the saloon was quite crowded. Nearly everyone there had toiled long hours in putting together the defensive redoubts, some of whom were a part of the Home Guard, and would actually man the defensive positions. However, the largest majority of the saloon patrons at the moment was composed of men who had worked on the defenses, but had not been chosen to become a Home Guardsman.

  “A map it was,” one of the saloon patrons said. “Can you believe that? I mean he actually had a map that showed where ever’thing was, ’n it even had where the guards would be posted.”

  “Really? You mean Schofield knows where ever’thing is?” another asked.

  “No, he don’t know where nothin’ is,” Truax said. “Leastwise, he don’t know nothin’ yet, on account of Elmer Gleason kilt him a-fore it was that he could take the map to him.”

  “Oh, well, then there ain’t no need to be a-worryin’ about it, is there? I mean, seein’ as Schofield ain’t actual seen the map that feller drawed up yet.”

  “Yes, there is a reason to worry,” Truax said.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “On account of this Yancey feller that got kilt ain’t actual the one that drawed up the map. Someone else done it, ’n when Yancey come into town what he done was, he met up with whoever it was that actual did draw up the map. ’N that feller is the one what give the map to him.”

  “You mean there was two of ’em that come into town? I ain’t seen no other strangers. Any of you seen a stranger in town? I mean, other ’n that Yancey feller that Gleason kilt.”

  There were half a dozen negative responses to the question.

  “There ain’t no need to be a-lookin’ for nobody else from Schofield’s army that come into town ’cause Yancey is the only one that did,” Truax said. “The one that drawed up the map ’n give to Yancey was Anton Drexler.”

  “Hell, I know Drexler. He’s one of us. Why would he do somethin’ like that?” someone said.

  “Yeah, well I know ’im too,” one of the others said. “’N if you was to ask me about ’im, I’d say this is just like somethin’ that sneaky devil would do.”

  Truax then told the others about the conversation he’d had with Drexler.

  “You mean he actual said that he would join up with Schofield?” another asked.

  By now everyone in the saloon had been drawn toward Truax as he told the story.

  “Was they anybody else with you when he told that story?”

  “Yeah. Collins ’n Morley was both with me, so if you don’t believe me, you could ask one of them.”

  “Hell, if Morley was with you, that’s good enough for me. Morley is a good man, ’n now he’s our sergeant,” said one of the members of the Home Guard.

  “Listen. How come you ain’t told that story to the sheriff?” another asked.

  Truax shook his head in frustration. “I have told ’im about it, but he said he didn’t think there was nothin’ he could do about it. He told me that I should tell ever’one else about it, so’s we could all keep a eye on Drexler.”

  “Keep a eye on ’im. Hell! I say we should string the traitor up!” one of the group said in frustration.

  “Yes! Somebody get a rope!” another yelled. “We can hang him from the livery stanchion!”

  What had been a convivial group of men, resting from their labors over a drink and the shared experience of hard work, quickly took on the appearance and conduct of a mob.

  “Let’s hang the traitor!” still another shouted.

  The saloon was nearly emptied of its patrons as there was an angry and determined rush toward the front door.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Cottonwood Springs

  “Yancey isn’t back?” Schofield asked.

  “No, Prime Director,” Peterson said. “I’m beginning to think that he has been compromised in some way.”

  “I don’t like it,” Schofield said. “Without intelligence as to the layout of the enemy positions, an army is blind.”

  “Prime Director, we had no problems with the other towns we took—Hachita, La Tenja, Cottonwood Springs. Why are you so concerned about Antelope Wells?” Captain Bond asked.

  “This man MacCallister wasn’t in the other towns,” Schofield replied. “And he has already proven himself to be a most formidable adversary. I don’t believe that we will be able to take Antelope Wells as easily as we took the other towns. I hoped that Sergeant Yancey would be able to supply me with the information I need to plan the attack, but it is now obvious that he has failed us.”

  “Yes, sir, I’m afraid you may be correct,” General Peterson said.

  “We must have some information about the town,” Schofield insisted, hitting the palm of his hand with his fist.

  “Perhaps I can go in, Prime Director,” Captain Bond offered.

  “No. I’ve no doubt but that we have lost Sergeant Yancey. My officers are too valuable to the success of the mission to take the chance of losing them. And unfortunately, Yancey has made it all too evident that my noncommissioned officers are inadequate to the task.”

  “Perhaps I can take the spyglass,” Bond said. “If I am far enough away to avoid any personal danger, but close enough to be able to use the spyglass to see what is going on, I might be able to gather some useful information.”

  “Yes,” Schofield said enthusiastically. “Yes, you may well be able to do so. Very good, Captain, proceed at once.”

  * * *

  Elmer and Wang were standing at the bar of the Hidden Trail Saloon when Truax and two other locals of Antelope Wells—men who had been with him at the Golden Spur—came in.

  “Hello, Ed,” one of the men at the far end of the bar. “Come have a drink with us. We’re celebratin’ gettin’ all the work done for the fortin’ up, ’n
all.”

  “Yeah,” Truax said. “That’s good, but we got somethin’ else to do first.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “You know that the feller that was kilt in here yesterday had him a map of all our forts ’n such.”

  “Yeah, I heard that.”

  “Yes, sir. Well, did you also hear that he got the map from someone right here in town?”

  “What? No, I didn’t hear that.”

  “That’s right. We got us a traitor right here in town. Turns out that one of our own has turned agin us.”

  “Damn! Who do you reckon that was?”

  “We don’t have to reckon. We know who it was,” Truax said. “It was Anton Drexler.”

  “Drexler? Are you sure? Hell, I’ve known Drexler for a long time. I never woulda figured him for doin’ such a thing. What makes you think it was him?”

  Truax told the patrons of Hidden Trail the same story he had told the men at the Golden Spur, as to how he, Collins, and Morley had heard Drexler say that he intended to join Schofield. “There ain’t no doubt in my mind but what it was Drexler who drawed up that map ’n give it Yancey,” he concluded.

  “Have you told the sheriff about it?” someone asked.

  “Yeah, I told ’im.”

  “What did he say? Is he goin’ to put Drexler in jail?”

  “He said he ain’t goin’ to do nothin’ ’bout it, on account of he don’t have no real evidence.”

  “So does that mean we’re just goin’ to let Drexler walk around town free as a bird ’n ready to spy on us again?”

  Truax smiled. “No, it don’t mean that a’tall. The reason I come over is to tell you that we’re goin’ to hang ’im. Some of the others has already gone to get ’im. If you want to be a part of this, meet us at the livery. We’re goin’ to string the traitor up from the hayloft stanchion.”

  “Hell, I ain’t goin’ to miss this. Let’s go!” someone shouted, and with his shout the saloon emptied.

  “Wang, do you know where Duff is?” Elmer asked.