Rustlers

by Orrin Russell

  Balum hadn’t mentioned Dan’s fate yet, and Will’s face gave away the only question he wanted answered. He asked it finally, and Balum could skirt around it no longer. There was no way to ease the telling of Dan’s death. Balum would not invent some kinder version of the truth to ease the pain of what had happened. To be trampled to death in a stampede was a gruesome way to die. It held no glory or honor. It was simply death.

  ‘The morning after the stampede I covered the ground looking for sign. I remembered Dan hadn’t been on watch, so he would have been asleep by the wagon. Will, he never made it out in time.’

  ‘What did you find?’ asked Will.

  ‘There wasn’t much left to find, Will. The heels of his boots and some broken bones.’

  Will swallowed. His face turned red and his eyes welled up and he turned away from the men. Charles put a hand on his shoulder, but he moved away and stood alone with his back to them.

  The men understood his grief. They all felt it, not anywhere near as much as William did just then, but they were all friends with Dan, and had shared more than just time together.

  The sadness and the anger William felt was only made heavier by the fact that there was no individual solely responsible. No one specifically at whom to channel his revenge. Just a nameless, faceless group of men all taking orders from some other faceless individual. They were all complicit, all guilty, yet all in some way removed.

  William turned back around. ‘Ain’t even nothing left to bury is there?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘We can’t let this alone Balum,’ said Charles.

  ‘And we won’t.’

  ‘So what’s our plan?’ said Joe.

  ‘There’s two things,’ said Balum. ‘One is Ned Witney and his men. The other is our money. So far nobody has seen me and no one is the wiser that you boys are out. But as soon as we leave here that’s out of the bag. Now Witney and his men need killing. Either that or jail, and jail is a sore second. And that’s partly why I just got made Deputy Marshal.’

  ‘So you can kill ‘em legal like,’ said Joe.

  Balum nodded. ‘But remember something. We didn’t spend the last six months of our lives gearing up to kill a bunch of cattle rustlers. We spent it trying to get rich. That money is ours, it’s waiting for us, and getting it back is half the revenge right there.’

  ‘Bank’s got it,’ said Charles. ‘We can’t very well rob the bank.’

  ‘We don’t need to,’ said Balum. He reached up and touched the badge on his shirt. ‘We walk in and take it.’

  Charles laughed out loud, a deep belly laugh that rumbled out his throat. ‘Yes, of course! We’ll take it goddamnit. It’s ours, isn’t it? And they can eat our bootheels if they don’t like it.’

  ‘Wouldn’t it be safer in the bank though?’ asked Joe.

  ‘Not the Cheyenne Central,’ said Balum. ‘You’ll ride down to Denver and put it in the Wells Fargo branch. Now that’s a safe bank.’

  ‘There’s a problem with that plan Balum,’ said Joe.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘No horses. Witney’s men took them.’

  Balum sat on the top of the Sheriff’s warped desk. His plans weren’t coming together as he’d hoped. Without horses the money stayed put, and where it sat was Ned Witney’s bank. Balum scowled and shook his head.

  ‘I still like the plan Balum,’ Charles spoke up. ‘We just have to change the order up. We need those horses. That means taking them off Witney. So we take care of him first, the money second.’

  ‘I’ll be honest with you boys,’ said Balum. ‘I was hoping to send you down to Denver while I took care of Witney and his men. Get you out of the way when lead starts flying.’

  ‘What the hell are you talking about?’

  ‘You three are tough as they come, but you aren’t gunfighters. His men are. I didn’t want to put you in the middle of a fight.’

  The three men erupted simultaneously in a chorus of protest. Charles voice was loudest among them and they finally let him be heard.

  ‘Balum there ain’t no way in hell you’re taking this fight away from us. We’ve ridden this trail together for half a year. We’ve eaten the same dirt and we’ve bled together and this sonofabitch Witney has robbed us all. It’s not just your fight, it’s all of ours. I’m itching to put a bullet into a couple men. I bet Will is too.’

  Will nodded, ‘Dan would of rose hell if it was the other way around. Some people need some killing and I’m gonna be part of it. No way you can stop me.’

  Balum’s face broke into a smile, and gradually expanded to a full blown grin. ‘I knew you boys had more grit than you have brains.’

  ‘We’re partners Balum,’ said Charles.

  27

  Between the four they had enough money to set Charles, Joe and Will up in one of the town’s hotels. They hadn’t eaten, slept much, or bathed in too long, and ragged as they were they had no business chasing after their horses just yet.

  Balum figured it best to continue staying on at Angelique’s. No one knew he was there, and it was best to stay separated from the men. Or so he told himself. Some part of him deeper down knew he simply liked where he was at. He liked how Angelique looked at him, and how comfortable she was in his presence. And those two Danish girls weren’t half bad to look at either.

  The men chose the Rosemonte Hotel, on Balum’s suggestion. Although it was one of the pricier hotels, it was not far from the main intersection and its reputation was sound. They would eat, bathe, and rest the night before any big decisions were made. Balum left them there and made his way toward Angelique’s.

  He walked slowly, keeping his head up and his eyes alert. He wanted to get the layout of the town in his head, for it might come in handy once the shooting started. He strolled to the southern edge of town and walked down the dusty back streets. They petered out onto great fields of rolling grasses, as if the streets were no match for the power of those vast expanses.

  As he walked he came upon the backside of a buckboard wagon. He had almost reached it before he realized it was their very own. Out of place on the outskirts of town, it looked foreign and sad. He put a hand on it and remembered first seeing it in Texas. He remembered the two boys lying in the back of it, their faces cut and swollen. He remembered huddling under the canopy in the pouring rain and listening to the men laugh and talk of women.

  He left it and turned up a street towards Angelique’s. He entered through the back. His mind was distracted, thinking of the wagon and memories from the trail. When he stepped through the back and heard voices, he turned immediately into the kitchen and waited there.

  One of the girls had a customer in her room. He could hear swearing, a door opened and closed, and the man went through the curtain and into the main room. From the kitchen, Balum could hear quite clearly the man’s complaint.

  ‘Dammit Angie, you know I’d like to keep you in business but those two blondes ain’t worth a damn. You know it ain’t personal, but I’m goin’ to the Palace.’

  Balum waited a moment longer then left the kitchen and walked through the corridor towards the curtain. On the other side Angelique stood behind the bar. An empty glass rested on its surface, and a bottle was being uncapped.

  ‘Cactus wine, Balum?’ she asked when she saw him. ‘Or are you going to make me drink alone?’

  ‘Now I wouldn’t do that,’ he smiled.

  She brought another glass up from beneath the bar and filled them both from the bottle. They sat at a table and he told her about what had happened at the jail, their predicament concerning horses, and their plans as they stood at the moment.

  ‘That’s about it right there,’ he said.

  ‘It’s plenty. You’ve been productive.’

  ‘How about you? What’s the news?’

  Angelique closed her eyes and sighed, then shook her head. ‘I’m going to need another drink. Does that tell you anything?’

  Balum leaned back in his chair and waited for her. Sh
e refilled her own glass, then his, then sat back down next to him.

  ‘I need my girls back. I can’t cut it with these two. I don’t know what the hell is the matter with them, but…’ she took a sip of the cactus wine and looked at Balum. ‘I imagine you know what to do when you get a woman in your hands. Am I right? Tell me Balum. You know your way around a woman?’

  Balum swallowed, although he had not just drunk from his glass. It was rare for a woman to be so blunt in the West, but Angelique was a rare woman.

  ‘I thought so,’ she said. ‘Well these girls don’t know their way around a man. That’s a fact. That man that just left is the fourth this week that isn’t coming back. Beautiful girls they are, but a disaster in the sack.’

  She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. There was something constantly mischievous about Angelique. The way she sat, the clothes she wore, it kept a man in suspense. Sitting next to him now, the way her dress fell away at the top to expose her plump breasts, and how she would lean over slightly when she spoke to him, inviting his eyes to dwell on them. It made it hard for a man to concentrate, thought Balum.

  ‘You know Balum,’ she placed her fingers over his hand. ‘You could help me in another way too.’

  ‘How’s that?’ He felt his heart pounding. The touch of her hand was meant to be erotic, and it took its effect.

  ‘I need to teach these girls how to take care of a man. Would you be willing?’

  Balum was rarely lost for words. He’d always had a comfortable way with women, but his tongue seemed to twist right up as he looked at Angelique. He managed to nod his head, and finally found his voice, or something close to it. ‘Sure,’ he said.

  ‘Good. Go up to your room and we’ll see you in a minute.’ She stood abruptly and disappeared through the curtain.

  Balum finished the glass of cactus wine and shook his head. It had been months since he had lain with a woman, and although he still wasn’t sure exactly what Angelique had in mind, his thoughts would not be corralled.

  He went to his room and took his boots off. He hung his gun belt over the bed frame and set his hat on the small table. Then he sat on the bed and waited.

  It was several minutes until Angelique opened the door and the two Danish blondes followed her in. The three women in the small room all at once filled it with the scent of perfume and soap. The two girls were giggling. They had stared at him since he had first arrived and hadn’t stopped giggling since.

  As similar as they looked, Balum thought he could tell them apart. Helene wore her hair in braids, and was the bustier of the two. The other, Else, was taller with full lips and large blue eyes.

  ‘Girls,’ said Angelique. ‘Why don’t you show Balum how pretty you are.’

  The girls began to strip their dresses off.

  ‘Not so quickly girls. Take your kit off piece by piece and remember that the men like to watch.’

  They took their dresses and undergarments off, revealing their soft young bodies. Their breasts were firm, their skin smooth and clean. They slid their panties down their legs, revealing bare, shaven pussies.

  ‘Now help Balum off with his,’ said Angelique.

  Helene and Else unbuttoned Balum’s shirt and pants. He slid out of his clothes eagerly and laid naked on the bed with the two blondes each wrapped in an arm. They snuggled close to him and giggled.

  ‘Now girls, watch closely. They love it when you suck on their cocks.’ Angelique crawled onto the end of the bed and knelt at Balum’s knees.

  As excited as Balum was to be part of Angelique’s teaching process, he was also uncharacteristically nervous. He did not yet have an erection, despite the two naked blondes in his arms. Angelique moved her head up into his crotch and wrapped her warm lips around his cock. She took his balls in one hand and began to suck, moaning as she slid her mouth over his shaft.

  His dick quickly engorged and rose to full length inside her mouth. Angelique wrapped her fingers around his shaft and stroked it, looking up at him from the foot of the bed.

  ‘Helene,’ she said to the girl with the braids. ‘Why don’t you try?’

  Helene switched places with Angelique. She gingerly put Balum’s cock in her mouth and began to bob her head up and down on it. Angelique placed her hand on the back of the girl’s head and gave her a rhythm to follow. Balum squeezed Else next to him and kissed her, tasting her soft lips as he ran his hand over her cheek and neck.

  ‘Come here Else,’ said Angelique. ‘Your turn. Come share with Helene.’

  The girl shimmied down Balum’s side and grabbed his cock from Helene’s mouth. Balum let out a yelp as her teeth scraped against his shaft.

  ‘Careful Else,’ said Angelique. ‘Run your tongue along it. That’s better.’

  The two blondes took turns sucking his cock. Balum had propped his torso up on a pillow and watched his dick enter one mouth then another. Angelique moved up next to him. He had wanted to have this woman in his arms from the moment he first saw her, and he grabbed her now and brought her body up against his.

  He kissed and squeezed her, and she laughed and pushed herself away so she could remove her clothing. Naked, she came to him again and let herself be squeezed and handled by his coarse hands. He kissed her breasts and sucked her nipples. Her body was starkly different than the two Danes; darker skin and a softer, more womanly feel.

  ‘How are they doing so far Balum?’ she asked.

  ‘No complaints.’

  ‘That’s good. Ok girls, let me show you some basics. Men like to change positions, so here are a few that they like. First off, the easiest, on your back. Come here Balum.’

  Angelique lay next to him on her backside. She reached her arm over to him, inviting him to mount her. He didn’t hesitate. He rolled over on top of her and rose up on his knees between her legs. Her pussy was hot and wet. He realized then that as much as she needed to teach the Danes, she also wanted him for herself.

  She bent her knees up, letting them fall slightly away to the sides. He grabbed the base of his cock in his hand and slid the tip into Angelique’s wet cunt. She moaned out and reached her hands out to him. He plunged his cock deep inside her and she took hold of him and pulled his body onto hers.

  He pumped her, slamming his hips into her thighs while she gasped in short breaths. The two Danes sat next to them on the bed, watching. Else laid down next to Angelique and Balum drew his shaft out of her pussy and scooted over to the girl. He slapped his cock on her moist vagina and sunk it inside.

  The feel of her pussy was different from Angelique’s, but just as intoxicating. He thrust his cock inside of her, watching her small titties bounce and jiggle as he fucked her. A fog began to creep across his brain. He was fucking Else, then somehow he was on top of Helene. Angelique showed them how to get fucked from behind, and soon he was behind Helene, her braids in his hands like the reins of a team of horses while his hips slammed into her plump ass. He could hear Angelique’s soft voice instructing them, telling them where to move and how to position themselves.

  The smell of pussy was overwhelming. He ate the young Danes cunts as they sat on his face and he bounced them on his lap when they rode on top of him. He had breasts in his mouth and in his hands. His dick was sopping wet from their pussy juices and the saliva from their mouths. He heard moans and squeals, and cries of orgasm around him.

  He felt an enormous tension in his balls, and he looked down to see Angelique holding the base of his shaft while Helene rode on top of him.

  ‘That’s a good girl,’ said Angelique. ‘Now come here girls. You can tell he’s about to cum. You never let them cum inside you, always ask where they want to shoot it. A lot of times they like to shoot it on your face. Would you like that Balum?’ she asked. ‘Do you want to cover these girl’s pretty faces with your cum?’

  He nodded affirmatively.

  ‘Come here girls. Stroke his cock Else, just like that. Open your mouths girls, get ready for it.’

  The three women surr
ounded his cock with their mouths. He looked down on them, three wet warm mouths all waiting for his cum as they stroked his shaft. He could hold out no longer. He came finally, spraying his load onto their faces.

  The girls closed their eyes and laughed and giggled while his dick continued to erupt, shooting hot cum over their noses and into their mouths. They spit it out and let it drip down their chins. Angelique took his shaft then and sucked it slowly, softly as the last throbs quaked from his cock.

  ‘Very good girls,’ said Angelique. ‘Now that’s how you please a man.’ She reached a hand up to Helene’s chin and scooped off a string of cum. She brought it to her mouth and licked her fingers, then laughed and let her naked body collapse into Balum.

  28

  ‘What are you thinking about?’

  The girls had long since left the room and Balum lay naked under the covers next to Angelique.

  ‘Witney,’ answered Balum.

  ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘We’ve got to hit him hard. There’s only five…’ he pursed his lips. ‘Four of us, and from all accounts nearly twenty of them. Where do they all stay?’

  ‘Right there on his compound. He built a bunkhouse large enough to house a small army. It’s all set up together, his house, the bunkhouse, the stables, everything. Like a fort.’

  Balum stared at the ceiling. His mind stewed. He wished to have a plug of tobacco in his cheek right then, but with Angelique laying naked at his side he had no desire for her to be leaving soon. He thought about the buckboard wagon on the edge of town.

  ‘Tell me his place sits right at the base of a hill.’

  ‘It sits right at the bottom of a hill.’

  He looked over at her. ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Yes. Why?’

  ‘That munitions store in town. They sell dynamite?’

  ‘I have no idea Balum,’ she laughed. ‘I’ve had no cause to buy dynamite lately. What are you getting at?’