by Lou Bradshaw
He was on his feet and coming around the desk before I could even clear the door. I smiled to give him some relief before I could tell him what I’d found. The only problem was I’m told my smiles ain’t much different from my frowns, and a body can’t tell much by either. He was the first to speak asking,
“What did you learn, Shad? Did you find him?”
“I did… and he’s alive and bein’ well cared for.”
He threw a couple hundred questions at me all at once, so I had to back him off and slow him down. When I got him quieted down, I told him what I’d found and what that Fargo fella was asking for.
“What! Is he a fool? He could get ten times that much from Banister…. I could raise that much, myself.”
“He don’t know who the boy is… All he knows is Rankin was willing to pay two hundred dollars to have the boy killed. That’s a lot of money to lots of folks, and he figured that if Rankin was willin’ to pay to kill the boy, someone else would be willin’ to pay more to get him back. Three thousand dollars is probably more than he’s ever had in all his years put together.”
Cal went to his desk and did some hurried writing, and then he dinged a little bell on the desk and a Chinaman appeared from somewhere in the back. He told the Chinaman,
“Foo… please take these to Clancy over at the station tell him ‘Plenty big quick. And come right back… I’ll have more.” Foo took out of there like his pigtail was on fire.
“I’m sending a wire to our bank in Tucson, and having the money readied… a hundred and fifty twenty dollar gold pieces… The other one is to the superintendent at the end of tracks, to send a courier to pick it up at the bank, and bring it here… They’ll need to have fresh horse relays along the way.”
“That’s a lot of yellow boys. I’d bet Fargo has no idea how heavy that much gold would be.” I speculated.
“Where’s Crocket in… the caboose? I’ll go check in him.”
“You’ll find him up and doing a lot better… Foo did a bang up job of doctoring him… He kept the fevers down, and the boy’s doing fine… He’s walking around a little bit.”
Foo came back, and Cal sent three more telegrams, one to Banister, one to Eleanor, and the third one went to his men in El Paso. He told them to pick up Rankin and bring him to Snake Junction… in chains. It looked to me like Captain Bailey was on top of things, so I walked on back to the caboose to see Tobe Crocket.
Tobe was in fine spirits and wanted to get out of the caboose and go have a beer at the saloon. I told him that we could go to the saloon, but no beer for a while yet. So we just walked a ways down the tracks and back. I think that was more than enough exercise because he was pretty shaky when we got back.
Sitting on the platform of the caboose, he told me how young Alan really got excited on their ride through the desert.
“Cain, he was remembering more and more English. He sure wants to see his ma… Say, that’s a pretty good hoss you got… Would you think about sellin’ him?”
“Nope.” I told him. “I wouldn’t sell him for what Cal’s fancy rail car is worth. That horse has blood better than three quarters of the horses in the country… it just ain’t wrote down except for the mares.”
“I reckon I’ll stay with my old mustang.” He said.
“About that, Tobe… Seems like you don’t exactly have a horse.” He looked up at me with some puzzlement. “I had a little problem back there in the desert. One of those Apaches put a bullet through his scull… It was meant for me, and that don’t make it any easier to swallow.”
“But I got you another one… and he’s a dandy… a tough gray… You’ll like him, and we’ll get you a good saddle when this is all over. Mister Banister will be so grateful, he might just give you a locomotive.”
“My saddle’s gone too…?”
“Don’t worry none about that… it’ll be taken care of. And you brought the boy in that’s the important thing. We got it all set up to get him back again. I’ll bet old Banister will be so thankful, he’ll make sure you get a good railroad job. Cal will see to that.”
“Say,” I said, “what happened. You left Tucson to go lookin’ for a railroad job? Next thing I knew you were on my trail down in Mexico.”
“Oh… that? Well I went a lookin’ and they told me that they just brought in a hundred Chinamen and a passel of Irishmen… all willin’ to work cheap…. And besides, they said I looked too skinny.”
“Well, you just might wind up bein’ their boss.”
It was getting kinda late and the boy needed his rest, and I needed to take care of my horse and find a place to sleep myself.
Chapter 17
Dog and I slept in the train station. Cal had offered to let me stay in the private car, but I was afraid Dog would have been awake most of the night being closed up that way. He’s too good a friend to put him through that. Foo showed up bright and early with a fine breakfast. There’s something to be said for having friends of that class.
Clancy is a brakeman who can do a fair job with the clicker, even though he can’t spell for sour apples. He gets the job done and gives them a grin or chuckle at the other end from time to time. But as soon as they get another telegraph operator, he’ll go back to being a brakeman.
He was sitting at the counter listening to the chatter on the line. I don’t know how those fellas can stay awake listening to that all day. I was just sitting in a chair tilted back against the wall whittling, when he grabbed his pencil and started writing.
“Is that for the Captain?” I asked.
“Shore is, and it don’t make no sense a-tall.”
He handed it to me and I read it out loud in case his spelling needed to be fixed. It read,
“Rankir in the wind.”
“Now what the hell can that be all about?”
“I better get this to Bailey, and he ain’t goin’ to be happy.” I told him.
I checked to see that it had come from the railroad office in El Paso. There was no reason to run across the tracks to the private car. Bad news always seems to get there soon enough. And sitting way out here in Snake Junction, Arizona, there wasn’t a thing we could do about it.
Bailey read the message and just let his head drop as a futile gesture. “It’s dear sweet simple Eleanor… She would never believe anything bad about Robert. They were as close as brother and sister…. When she got the news that Alan was alive and being held for ransom, she must have sent a wire to Rankin with the news…Even though she was told not to say anything to anyone…even Robert. She’s a woman who cares too much I’m afraid.”
“I reckon he thought he was in the clear, when he got the message from Fargo that it was done. But a message from her that it was goin’ to work out probably spooked him into runnin’ for cover.” I told him. “I wouldn’t worry too much about him, his plan is busted. He’ll surface one of these days and get locked up.”
“You’re right, and I know it, but that little worm just burns me up. He thought nothing of trying to kill his cousin’s six year old son… And we both know who would be next… He’ll pay.”
We walked back across the tracks to the station. Of course Clancy could see us coming and was busy dusting the counter when we walked in. The dust was fair a flying when we came in.
Cal went to waving his arms and called out to Clancy, “For God’s sake quit cleaning up, Clancy…. You’ll choke us to death.”
“Sorry, Cap’n…. I’s just kinda tidyin’ up a might.”
“Why don’t you take a break? Run over to the car, and tell Foo I said to fix you a real railroad man’s breakfast.”
He didn’t have to tell Clancy twice. He nearly tripped over Dog going through the door. The broom was right where he’d dropped it, so I picked it up and set it against the wall. Cal was sitting at the clicker and tapping off something that meant something to him. It sure didn’t mean anything to me. I do better reading smoke signals than trying to figure out that clackity clack. Smoke talk was usually only meant on
e or two different things. But that clicker could have a whole conversation.
Bailey sat there for about a minute tapping out short messages and receiving short ones back. I figured he was telling them who he was and who the messages were for. Then he got down to the meat of the matter, and tapped off a good long series clicks, double clicks, longer clicks… it was all very confusing.
He finished that one and started another one. The second one was considerably shorter. When he was finished, he turned and said,
“I sent a message to the old man telling him about Rankin. I marked it as Confidential, so it won’t be spread all over the line. Then I sent a message to my men in El Paso telling them to draw expense money and run him down. Dead or alive.”
“Yeah,” I said, he’s caused plenty of trouble with his greedy plan. That Tobe boy was almost killed… and there was the business of breakin’ Miss Eleanor’s heart a second time. And Turner would still have his job and a future. That don’t even consider the cost of running locomotives and cars all over three states… And before it’s all over, I fear there’s likely to be more blood spilled.”
About then that infernal clicker started clattering, and he turned to it with a pencil and paper in hand. Then he turned back and told me, “It wasn’t for us… farther up the line.”
We waited for about a half hour before the message he was waiting for came through. He sat there scribbling down what it said. When it finished, he put the pencil down and replied a short message.
“To make it short, Al Banister is on a siding in El Paso waiting for Eleanor to arrive this evening. And they should be here by tomorrow night. He’ll meet with my men and get the story from them… He may authorize more men…Who knows?”
The telegraph started clicking again, and he clicked back at ‘em. “That was the last relay between here and the end of track… The currier just left there… he’s about three hours away.”
I pondered that for a minute and then told him,
“If he gets here this afternoon with the money, I can be ready to leave in the morning. That’ll get me there a day ahead of time, and I can do a little scoutin’. I’ll need an extra horse for the boy… He’s been with the Apaches for three years, he probably rides better than I do by now. And I’ll need two extra canteens.
“Get what you need from the general store, he also manages the corral. Just let him know what you need… The company owns the business… If he can make it go, he’ll be buying it. We’ll be running ore trains through here soon. In a year’s time this place will be five times its size and probably have a new name. It’s happened all down the line.”
I went on to the general store and got the supplies I’d need and arranged for a small horse and a saddle for the boy. I didn’t reckon little Alan needed a saddle, but he was getting one. He may as well get used to civilization.
Bud got a little of my attention making sure he was ready to travel. He was in good shape, and he liked my conversation. Many a man out here, talks to his horse if for no other reason than to hear his own voice. It’s a lonesome country and there’s a lot of it to be lonesome in. I feel blessed having two critters to talk to, and I’m still holding out on the idea that sooner or later one of them will talk back.
Tobe was setting up and reading something that Clancy had left in the caboose, when I walked in. I asked him if it was worth reading and he just grunted and said,
“I guess it’s alright if you’re interested in what to do when you find a hot box, or how to throw a track switch… Which I ain’t.”
“Reckon you’re about ready to get yourself goin’ and doin’ again… I’m goin’ up that mountain tomorrow mornin’, and I hope to come down with the boy in a few days. So don’t be driftin’ till I get back down. We’ll get you fixed up with a new outfit and maybe something for your pain…. We’ll see.”
“Aw there ain’t nobody owe me nothin’. I wouldn’t have been laid up if I hadn’t gone off followin’ you into the desert that way. It’s my own fool falt.”
“That’s all true, but if you hadn’t took the boy and my horse and run for it, I might not have been able to fight ‘em off. We all do some dumb things now and again, and sometimes we just get lucky. In this case, both the little fella and me got lucky just havin’ you along.”
”Sometimes fate will just move all the pieces into a place where something is about to come happen. If just one of those pieces is out of place then we’re likely to… meet up with our fate.”
The worn out rider came in mid afternoon on a mighty worn out horse. He went straight to the station and was sent to the private car. The pouch was locked and sealed, but Captain Bailey counted it anyway and signed the receipt. The currier put his horse in the corral and went to the train station and fell asleep on the platform. Foo had to wake him for supper, but he didn’t seem to mind… he needed to be up and ready to catch the westbound train in another hour.
Cal would keep the gold in the safe until I was ready to go in the morning. And that was fine with me… all I wanted was to get this whole business done and finished.
Chapter 18
Foo was up early fixing my breakfast, but he seemed to be available any time of day or night. He was just another one of those stories that everybody has. When I was a small boy, I would look at folks and wonder if they were thinking things, or if I was the only one who had thoughts running in his head. I just couldn’t believe everybody doing all that thinking. There are still some folks, I’m not sure do any kind of thinking, and if they do, I can’t imagine what kind of thoughts run through their heads.
It was just after daybreak when Bailey crossed the tracks with the pouch. Bud and the spare horse were standing at the edge of the platform, and Dog was at my side on the boards. He handed the pouch to me and wished me luck.
“Bring him back, Shad… and be careful.”
“Cal, I didn’t live the life I’ve lived by being careless… and lucky.”
Then I added, “I told Crocket not to leave before I got back, but if I don’t make it back, could you make sure he doesn’t leave here with empty pockets? He lost his horse and outfit to the Apaches.”
“Don’t worry about that.” He said, as I stepped into the saddle from the platform.
That night I camped well off the trail in an isolated cove better than halfway up Rincon Peak. Where I was camped was high in the southeast face of the mountain, and the only ones who might see my fire would be someone at the train depot, if they had a really strong spyglass.
I wanted to get up and over the mountain tomorrow without being seen and have a look at the meeting place. Fargo wasn’t too smart, but you don’t have to be a genius to set a trap. And I wasn’t one to be caught in a trap. So if I could avoid the village and those who live in and around it, I might be able to slip in and maybe set a trap of my own.
By sun up, I was back on the trail and climbing again. When I came to the place where I had watered the last time here, I went to the left and over land. I remembered there were a few cabins built in the woods but within seeing distance of the trail. So I went a good deal higher and followed the mountain around to the western face.
I was high up, but still well below the snow line. There was still snow on the peak but it was mostly in places where the sun couldn’t get at it. By later summer, there wouldn’t be much snow up there, and what was there had probably been there for a hundred years or more.
Passing above those cabins below I could hear a door slam or a jackass bray, but they were well below me. The only thing that gave away their location was the tendrils of smoke from their cook fires. I was weaving in and around pines and a few leafed trees, and the lead rope was becoming an aggravation, so I unhooked it and set Dog behind the extra horse.
I told him, “Bring him on, boy.” There was really no need to tell him anything, but I liked to think he understood my words. He’d seen that horse trailing me for a day and a half, so he knew where it belonged. The pony would’ve followed us anyway.
I knew where I was then; I wasn’t guessing and hoping I was right. We passed by my old camp, and I remembered there was a dip a mile or so ahead, so I adjusted my altitude. But I didn’t dip as low as the trail because I wanted to come in above the cliff. A man can see things a lot different when he’s looking down on it.
When I figured I was close, I tied the horses in the trees and went to the meeting place on foot. I left Dog with the horses. There was nothing for him to see, where I was going. Besides I think he liked being boss of the horses, when I wasn’t around.
The only place he would have an advantage would be if he was shooting down from the top of the cliff, but there was cover below. Even if both of us were trying to waylay the other, we would each have an equal chance. I couldn’t see any reason he would feel the need to shoot me or the boy.
But I didn’t think he was altogether sane. You just never know which way some frogs are gonna jump. And I believed Fargo fit that bunch. So I would have to keep the boy protected and covered as best I could. If I could read Fargo’s face, I might have a clue to what he’s going to do before he does it. Then there were the Fishers to consider. Would they back him, or would he use them as shields. There were just too many things I didn’t know and couldn’t know until the morning came. All I could do was make my plan and work around his.
I’d have a cold camp that night, but I’ve had them before. I went to a place below the cliff, but not more than a hundred yards down the hill. When I have to get up early, I don’t normally sleep well, and that night was no different. I judged that I woke up about every hour and looked at the sky.
