by Tell Cotten
He took a swig and sighed in contentment. The coffee was strong and sweet, and that’s how he liked it.
Yancy allowed himself to relax as he watched the activity in the street.
A rider nodded as he passed by, and a freight wagon rolled by, leaving town.
Yancy watched the wagon, and that’s when he spotted several riders coming into town.
They looked like cow-punchers, heading home after a cattle drive. They looked tired and worn and in need of a bath.
There was one out in front that looked familiar, and Yancy frowned as he studied him.
He suddenly recognized him, and he grunted in surprise.
The rider saw him, and he broke off from the bunch and rode over. He pulled up in front of the porch, and it was silent as they studied each other.
He was smaller, like Yancy, but he sat up straight in the saddle and rode a horse well. His shoulders were wide, but he was narrow at the hips. On his right hip he displayed a fancy looking Colt with a white ivory handle.
His face was dark from the sun, and when he smiled his white teeth shone brightly.
“Hello, Yancy,” he drawled.
“Well now. If it isn’t Rondo Landon,” Yancy replied. “You’ve filled out some since I saw you last.”
“Good cooking does that.”
“It does,” Yancy agreed, and asked, “Still working for Mr. Tomlin?”
“I am,” Rondo said. “We just delivered a herd to Abilene.”
“Have any trouble?”
“Not much,” Rondo replied, and he glanced at the coffee pot. “Coffee smells good.”
“Get down,” Yancy offered. “Have some.”
“Thanks,” Rondo said, and he dismounted and tied his horse to a hitching rail.
“I see you’re still wearing that fancy looking Colt,” Yancy commented as Rondo stepped up onto the porch.
“Sure am.”
He poured a cup of coffee. Yancy offered sugar, and he poured some in and sat next to Yancy.
It was silent while they drank their coffee, and then Yancy glanced at Rondo.
“I heard you killed Ryan Palmer a while back.”
“I did.”
“Has there been anybody else?”
“Nope.”
“That’s good,” Yancy said. It was silent, and he asked, “How’s Mr. Tomlin’s daughter? What was her name?”
“Rachel,” Rondo smiled sheepishly. “She’s good. Real good.”
“Oh?”
Rondo’s face turned red, and he changed the subject.
“Where’s Cooper?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not,” Yancy said.
He explained, and afterwards it was silent as Rondo thought on it.
“You’re going after him in the morning?” He asked.
“Yep.”
“How do you plan on finding him?”
“Been thinking on that. I reckon I’ll ride back to that trading post and go from there.”
“You’ll need a tracker,” Rondo figured.
“I could sure use one,” Yancy agreed.
Rondo nodded and came to a decision.
“You’ve got one,” he declared.
Yancy looked up, surprised.
“What about your job?”
“Ross can handle things for a while,” Rondo replied, and added, “Besides, you and Coop helped me once. It’s time I returned the favor.”
Yancy thought on that and nodded.
“All right,” he said. “I sure appreciate the help.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“By the way, some of your old bunch is up in those mountains too,” Yancy announced.
“Oh? Who?”
“Lee Mattingly and Brian Clark.”
“Really? Last I heard from Lee, he was planning on working with some brothers by the name of Oltman.”
“I don’t think that turned out too well.”
“I haven’t heard from Brian in a long time either,” Rondo continued.
“He’s with Lee now,” Yancy informed. “Before that, he was with Cliff Curtis and Stew Baine.”
Rondo thought on that, and then asked, “So, he helped rob the stagecoach?”
“He was there.”
“And you let him go?”
“I did.”
Rondo was surprised.
“Why?”
“It’s complicated.”
Rondo was silent as he waited for an explanation. Yancy scowled, and then he sighed as he searched for the right words.
“Brian looked after Jessica when she was kidnapped,” he explained. “And, when I caught him, Jessica spoke to me on his behalf. So, I decided to let him go and take Stew instead.”
Rondo wasn’t satisfied, and he frowned in thought.
“Is Jessica pretty?”
Yancy was startled.
“I suppose she is,” he said, and he shot Rondo a dark look. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“A lot, I think.”
Yancy scowled, and it fell silent again. A few minutes passed, and Rondo cleared his voice.
“So, what are Lee and Brian up to now?”
“Jessica just inherited several thousand dollars, and she was carrying all that cash in a carpetbag,” Yancy explained. “But Stew stole it and hid it in the mountains, and Lee and Brian are up there looking for it. If they find it, they’re supposed to bring it here to Jessica.”
“Think we’ll bump into them?”
“Knowing my luck,” Yancy sighed, “we’re bound to.”
A faint smile crossed Rondo’s face.
“You still don’t like Lee?”
“No,” Yancy said flatly, “I do not.”
Rondo’s smile lingered. He finished his coffee in one gulp and stood.
“Thanks for the coffee,” he said. “I’ll go tell Ross, and then I could use a bath and a shave.”
“I was going to suggest that.”
Rondo chuckled and started to leave.
“Rondo?” Yancy called out.
“Yes?” He stopped and turned.
“It’s good to see you.”
“Likewise,” Rondo smiled, and then he was gone.
Chapter thirteen
Lee Mattingly and Brian Clark made camp that night a few miles from Midway.
While Brian picketed the horses, Lee built a fire and put the coffee on. Brian joined Lee at the fire, and they waited for the coffee to boil.
Lee was in his mid-thirties.
During the war he had been a loyal soldier for the South, and then he drifted out west. Once there he joined up with Ben Kinrich and Rondo Landon, and after that he rode with the Oltman brothers.
Lee had a gentleman-like way about him. And, he also had a different set of ethics than most outlaws. He was soft spoken, and he was loyal to those that he considered friends.
Brian was in his mid-fifties. He was a grizzled veteran, and he was wanted in nearly every territory or state there was.
Like Lee, Brian had a gentle-like way about him. He was always careful; he never took any chances unless he had to.
Soon the coffee was ready. They filled their cups and leaned back.
“Tell me again,” Brian spoke, “why are we here?”
Lee took a swig of coffee.
“We couldn’t find the money,” he recalled.
“That’s right.”
“And, the only person who knows where it is, is Stew.”
“If he’s still alive,” Brian said. “If I know Yancy, he’ll be swinging from the nearest tree soon as Judge Parker says ‘guilty’.”
“That’s why we got here fast as we could,” Lee reminded.
“And you really think Stew will tell us where he hid that carpetbag?” Brian asked skeptically. “After all, you almost killed him a few days ago.”
“Soon as we mention a jailbreak, I bet he’ll be real thrilled to see us.”
“Mebbe
so,” Brian said. “But remember; Stew ain’t honorable outlaws like us. He’s a back shooter.”
“I’d agree with that.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I was hoping you’d have one.”
“Smart thing to do,” Brian declared, “is to ride into town, tell Jessica we couldn’t find it, and then watch a hanging.”
Lee thought on that and smiled.
“Well, nobody’s ever accused me of being smart.”
Brian took a swig of coffee and chuckled.
“Me neither,” he admitted.
Chapter fourteen
Daylight found Yancy and Rondo saddled and ready to ride.
They had packed enough provisions to last a couple of weeks, and they left town in a brisk trot, heading northwest.
The country was flat and brushy, and Yancy allowed his horse to follow an old cow trail as they weaved through the brush.
“We should make it to the mesa tonight, and by tomorrow evening we’ll be at Landry,” Yancy announced.
“I rode through there once when I was with Kinrich,” Rondo recalled. “It’s a rough little town.”
“It is,” Yancy agreed.
It fell silent after that.
As the morning passed the sun got higher, and it became hot. The wind was on their backs, so there wasn’t much of a breeze.
“I see you’re still riding that sorrel,” Yancy gestured.
“Yes, good ol’ Desperate,” Rondo replied, and he reached down and patted him on the neck. “Mr. Tomlin gave him to me.”
“Good looking horse.”
“I think he is.”
Yancy nodded, and Rondo asked suddenly, “Why don’t you like Lee?”
Yancy was surprised by the question.
“That should be obvious,” he replied. “He’s on one side of the law; I’m on the other.”
“But folks can change.”
“You did.”
“That’s right, I did,” Rondo agreed, and added, “Give Lee some time. He’ll come around.”
“He’s already had more time than you had,” Yancy objected.
“Some folks just take longer,” Rondo replied. “I know Lee. It’s hard for him to figure out what the right thing to do is.”
Yancy thought on that and shook his head.
“I believe that deep down, all folks know what’s right,” he declared. “The hard part is doing it.”
Rondo frowned, but didn’t reply.
Chapter fifteen
Lee and Brian rode into Midway a couple hours after daylight.
Midway was mainly a cow town. However, it was also a fast-growing town, and there were several new shops scattered up and down the street. At the end of town were some cattle pens, and the doctor’s office was next to them.
Town was busy. There were folks hustling all about, and Lee and Brian received a few curious looks.
“We didn’t discuss it, but do you think it’s wise for us to be out in the open like this?” Brian asked.
“We go sneaking around,” Lee replied, “and folks will think we’re up to no good.”
“We are up to no good.”
“Depends how you look at it.”
“Yancy sees us, and then later Stew gets loose, it won’t take him long to put two and two together,” Brian warned.
“You let me worry about Yancy,” Lee replied, and he changed the subject. “Well, I don’t see anybody swinging from a tree, so I reckon we got here in time.”
Brian grunted in response.
“Look!” Lee pointed.
Coming out of the doctor’s office was Jessica Tussle. She turned towards them and walked down the street.
Jessica spotted them, and she jumped in surprise as they rode over to her.
“You’re here!” She exclaimed.
“Yes, ma’am,” Lee smiled as they pulled up. “How’s Tussle?”
“The doctor says he’ll be fine after a few days’ rest.”
“Good. I’m glad,” Lee said earnestly.
“Did you find the money?” Jessica asked, and there was excitement in her voice.
Lee and Brian glanced at each other.
“No, not exactly,” Lee replied.
“Then what are you doing here?” She looked confused.
There was an awkward moment of silence as Lee and Brian tried to come up with an answer.
“We’re, uh, looking around,” Lee finally stammered.
“But the money isn’t here. It’s in the mountains,” Jessica pointed out.
“That would be correct, yes,” Lee smiled.
Jessica frowned. She started to reply, but Brian changed the subject before she could.
“Is Yancy around?”
“No, he and Rondo rode out early this morning,” she informed.
“Rondo?” Lee was surprised. “What’s he doing here?”
Jessica explained about them going after Cooper.
“What about Josie?” Lee looked anxious.
“If she’s alive, she should be with Cooper,” Jessica replied.
Lee frowned, and it was obvious that he was concerned. Jessica noticed this, and she couldn’t help but be curious.
Brian looked at Lee.
“Things just got easier for us,” he declared.
“They did,” Lee nodded.
“What got easier?” Jessica demanded.
Nobody said anything, and Jessica frowned as she studied them.
“What are you two up to?” She asked suspiciously. A few seconds passed, and her eyes grew wide. “Tell me you aren’t thinking of breaking Stew out of jail!”
“Say now!” Lee tried to look surprised. “That ain’t a bad idea.”
“Yancy will kill you,” she warned.
“He can’t kill us if he isn’t here,” Lee pointed out.
“And, by the time Yancy gets back, hopefully we’ll know where the money is,” Brian put in. “We’ve already decided that soon as this is over, we’ll whop Stew on the head and give him back.”
“That won’t make any difference to Yancy,” Jessica said.
“You sure know a lot about Yancy all of a sudden,” Lee said.
Jessica’s face turned red.
“Well, who doesn’t?” She stammered. “He’s famous around here.”
Lee and Brian smiled and nodded, and Jessica frowned irritably.
“You’re both crazy,” she declared, and added, “But, I want to help.”
“No, you shouldn’t get involved,” Brian objected, and Lee nodded in agreement.
“It’s my money,” Jessica fired back.
A few seconds passed while Lee and Brian glanced at each other.
“She has a point,” Lee said.
“I reckon she does,” Brian sighed.
“Do you have a plan?” Jessica spoke back up.
“Not really. I reckon we’ll just bust in there and get him,” Lee said.
“That’s the best you could come up with?” Jessica frowned disapprovingly.
“Well, we were thinking of digging a tunnel, but that’d take too long,” Lee quipped.
Jessica sighed and shook her head.
“Who’s in charge now that Yancy is gone?” Brian spoke up.
“Sergeant Jason Wagons,” Jessica informed. “He’s a young man, probably only twenty or so.”
“Ben Kinrich always said that the easiest way to rob somebody was with a distraction,” Brian recalled. “Same thing could be said about a jailbreak.”
“A twenty year old kid should get distracted easy enough,” Lee figured.
An idea suddenly occurred to Jessica, and she snapped her fingers.
“See that old barn at the end of the street?” She pointed.
Lee and Brian looked and nodded.
“It’s in bad shape. In fact, part of the roof has already caved in, and the town council decided last week to tear it down,” Jessica said, and added, “What if it accidentally caught on fire? Would that be enough of a distraction?�
��
Lee and Brian were startled. They glanced at each other, and Lee chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Jessica demanded.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’d done this sorta thing before,” Lee explained.
“So you think it’ll work?” Jessica asked as she ignored his comment.
“Yancy wouldn’t fall for it,” Lee replied. “But, Sergeant Wagons might.”
“Perhaps we should meet him,” Brian suggested.
Lee nodded in agreement and looked at Jessica.
“Meet us in a couple of hours at that café down the street,” he pointed.
Jessica agreed, and Lee and Brian dismounted. They tied their horses to a hitching rail and walked down the street towards the police headquarters.
Chapter sixteen
Sergeant Jason Wagons wore a bright red shirt with a badge pinned on it. He also displayed a Colt on his right hip.
He would never admit it, but Sergeant Wagons idolized Yancy. He wanted to be like him, talk like him, and most importantly, be as good with a gun. So far, he lacked in all three.
He didn’t care so much for Cooper. Cooper was always quick to put him in his place, and he always felt foolish whenever he was around him.
Sergeant Wagons was seated behind Yancy’s desk, dreaming of one day becoming important, when the door opened and in walked two men.
“Can I help you?” He asked.
“Are you Sergeant Jason Wagons?” The youngest asked.
“I am,” he puffed his chest out.
“I’m Lee, and this is Brian,” the youngest announced. “We’re territorial marshals. Are you the man in charge?”
Brian shot Lee a surprised look, but Sergeant Wagons didn’t notice.
“That’s right. I’m in charge.”
“Then you’re the man we want to see,” Lee smiled.
A look of importance came across Sergeant Wagons. He gestured for them to sit, so they did.
“Growing a moustache?” Lee asked pleasantly as they stared at his face.
“Sure am,” Sergeant Wagons beamed proudly.
Lee and Brian glanced at each other, and then they focused back on Sergeant Wagons.
“You said you’re marshals?” Sergeant Wagons asked.
