The Ghost Riders

by James J. Griffin

  “Yeah, but that’s nowhere near enough to go on,” Smoky said. He took a drag on his quirly. “Hack’s probably a nickname, and Mayberry’s a real common name in Texas. All over the South, for that matter. And we don’t have any real description of any of those Ghost Riders. We don’t know how tall any of ’em are, what they weigh, hair or eyes color, bearded or clean-shaven, none of that. Far as the leader’s voice, and him mebbe bein’ crippled up, there’s lots of men who could fit that description, thanks to the War.”

  “It’s still more than what we had, Smoke,” J.R. answered. “I’ll take any clue we can get.”

  “Well, I’ve got a couple for you,” Jorgenson said. “First, I couldn’t get to my gun, but I did take a red hot pair of tongs and throw them at one of those men. It hit him on the left cheek. He howled with pain, so I know I got him pretty good. He’s most likely got a real nasty scar on his face.”

  “Thanks. That’s another good lead,” Jim said.

  “I’ve got another one,” Jorgenson said. “Me’n Pop Warner tried to follow those hombres, but just couldn’t trail ’em very far. Pop was a town marshal over to San Saba some years back, and he was real old. He caught a bullet in his shoulder from one of the raiders, but still took after ’em. The slug must’ve hit an artery, because he bled out while we were on their trail. I had to give up, and bring Pop back. Not that only the two of us could’ve done much anyway, if we had caught up to ’em. But I did notice one thing. One of their horses throws out his left front foot. Leaves a real obvious track. If you find that horse’s hoof prints, it just might lead you to the Ghost Riders. I know, a lot of horses have an oddity in their gaits. But this one is more noticeable than most.”

  “Well, that might just be the best lead of all,” Smoky said. “My pardner Jim, here’s, real good with horses. He can tell two black horses apart in the complete dark, on a cloudy night with no moon. I guarantee if we get anywhere near the trail of those renegades, Jim’ll pick up that horse’s tracks.”

  “Any of you have anything else you can tell us?” J.R. asked. “If not, we’ll finish our drinks and head back to the hotel. We’ll be ridin’ out at sunup, so want to get some shut-eye before then.”

  “No, I reckon not,” Jorgenson said. “We all just want to wish you the best of luck findin’ those Ghost Riders. Wish we could come along, but that’s just not possible.”

  “Gracias,” Jim said. “If any of you do happen to think of anythin’ else, get a message to Captain Storm at Ranger Headquarters. He’ll make sure it gets to us.”

  “We’ll do just that,” Sutton promised.

  “One more thing,” Jim said. “I really do wish y’all could come with us, especially you, Mr. Holms.”

  “Why’s that?” Holms asked.

  “Because, if you were with us out on the prairie, we’d have Holms on the Range,” Jim said, laughing.

  Smoky threw the rest of his beer at him.

  ● ● ●

  Jim, Smoky, and J.R. decided to stay and have one more drink. After finishing those, they headed back to their hotel. Chuck and Eddie McIlroy walked with them. They stopped the Rangers when they reached the hotel steps.

  “Rangers, there’s somethin’ Eddie and I have been wantin’ to ask you,” Chuck said.

  “Go ahead. We’re listenin’,” Jim answered.

  “We’d like to ride with you, after those Ghost Riders,” Chuck said.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jim said. “First of all, neither of you are lawmen. Second, you’re both awful young. Third, we’ll be ridin’ hard and fast. We’ll be settin’ a pace I’m not certain you, or your horses, would be able to keep up.”

  “Besides,” Smoky added. “Ain’t you two the deputies for this town? Seems to me you’re sure actin’ like it.”

  “Nah, we ain’t,” Eddie said. “We only took on the job because there was no one else to handle it. The county hired a new sheriff out of Uvalde, and he’ll be arrivin’ day after tomorrow. The town decided, too late, now that the horse is out of the barn, to finally put on a marshal. They hired one of the deputies out of San Saba. He starts next week. So we’ve got nothin’ holdin’ us here.”

  “What about your friends, or any relatives?” J.R. asked. “And do you really want to just get yourselves killed? Seems to me your ma and pa would rather you stayed here, and help rebuild your town.”

  “The only relatives we have are over to New Mexico Territory,” Chuck said. “My pa’s brother and his brood. They’re pretty much no account. Pa and ma never did get along with that bunch. Neither did me’n Eddie, for that matter.”

  “And all the good friends we had got killed in the raid,” Eddie continued. “That’s why me and my brother want to ride with you. We want to get vengeance for our ma and pa, and our friends.”

  “I dunno,” Jim said. He rubbed his whisker-stubbled jaw. “Ridin’ for revenge is never a good idea. Usually just gets a man killed, or turns him into the same kind of hombre he’s chasin’.”

  “Listen, Ranger. If you let us ride with you, we’ll obey every order you give us,” Chuck said. “That’s a promise.”

  “Besides, you can’t stop us from followin’ after you,” Eddie added.

  “Don’t be too sure about that,” J.R. said. “We can have your butts thrown in jail for obstructin’ justice, if you get in our way.”

  “C’mon. Please let us ride with you,” Chuck pleaded. “You can’t just expect us to stay here, lettin’ what those men did to our ma and pa gnawin’ at our guts, while we do nothin’ about it. You have to let us come along.”

  “Me’n Chuck are good shots, too,” Eddie added. “You haven’t seen what those Ghost Riders can do, but we have. You’re gonna need every gun you can come up with to take on that gang. We’re two more.”

  “I still don’t know,” Jim said.

  “I’m beginnin’ to think it might not be a bad idea,” Smoky said. “We can use the extra firepower, seems to me. And just mebbe, if we come across any of the men we’re after, one of these boys might spot ’em, whereas we might not. After all, they did get a glimpse of ’em, and their horses.”

  “I say let ’em come along, too,” J.R. said. “Seems to me they’re bound and determined to ride with us, anyway. I’d guess if we don’t let ’em come along with us they’ll just take off after that gang on their own. If they somehow stumbled across ’em before we did, they might spook ’em, if those riders thought the law was finally catchin’ up to em. Better to have these two boys with us, where we can keep an eye on ’em. And they seem to have plenty of guts, the way they’ve been watchin’ the town in case any of those raiders returned. If we hadn’t spotted ’em ridin’ in, they’d have gotten the drop on us. And I have no doubt if we’d made one wrong move they’d have put bullets through our guts. If they can’t keep up, or get in the way, we can always send ’em back home.”

  “There, Ranger Bla… Jim. Your pards think it’s a good idea. So, what do you say?” Chuck said.

  “I say meet us at the livery stable a half hour before sunup, ready to ride,” Jim said. “Now go get some sleep. This might just be the last decent night’s rest you’ll see for quite some time.”

  “Great. Thanks, Ranger,” Chuck said. “You won’t regret it.”

  “You sure won’t,” Eddie added. “We’re obliged.

  “I hope not,” Jim answered. “See you in the morning.”

  Chuck and Eddie headed for the boarding house where they were staying, while Jim and his partners went up to their room. With only one bed, the sleeping arrangements would be crowded, to say the least. However, several men cramming into one bed in a frontier hotel room was not uncommon. Most lodging in the still mainly untamed West was far from luxurious.

  “We gonna flip a coin, as usual, to see who gets stuck in the middle?” Smoky asked.

  “Nah,” Jim answered. “I’m so dog-tired I’ll be fallin’ asleep standin’ up, any minute now. Don’t matter to me where I sleep. I’ll take the mid
dle.”

  “Well, we sure appreciate that, don’t we, J.R.?” Smoky said.

  “We sure do,” J.R. agreed. “Thanks, Jim.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Jim answered. “Just try not to snore too loud, either of you. With the thin walls in this place, let’s hope none of our neighbors do, either.”

  The three men pulled off their boots, hats, and gunbelts, then crawled into bed. Within five minutes, Jim had said his evening prayers, and all of them were sleeping soundly.

  9

  Julia Blawcyzk turned from the sink at the sound of an approaching horse and buggy. At the same time, Pal lifted his head and whined. He got up from where he was lying in the corner and trotted to the door. He began scratching at it, and barking furiously.

  “Charlie! And Mary Jane!” Julia exclaimed. “Today’s the day they’re due home.” She dropped the dish towel she was holding, hurried to the door, and flung it open. The carriage was just coming into the yard.

  “Charlie! Mary Jane!” Julia hollered, and began waving to them. Charlie brought the rig up to the porch rail and reined the horse to a stop. Pal bounded down the steps and jumped into the buggy. He began furiously licking Charlie’s face.

  “Take it easy, Pal!” Charlie yelped. “Don’t drown me. Yeah, I’m home. Lemme down.”

  Charlie pushed Pal off his lap, jumped out of the buggy, went to the other side, and helped Mary Jane down, then they both climbed the stairs onto the front porch, where Julia was waiting. She wrapped her arms around him for a hug, kissed him on the cheek, then did the same with Mary Jane.

  “You’re home, at last,” she said. “How was Galveston? Did you have a good time? Did you see a lot? How long will you be here? Mary Jane, you look lovely. How was the food, your hotel?”

  “Whoa, Ma, just one question at a time,” Charlie said, laughing. “First off, I’ll probably only be here for tonight, mebbe tomorrow. There was a telegram from Cap’n Storm waitin’ for me when we got into town. I have to report back to Headquarters tomorrow mornin’. I’d imagine I’ll be riding out right after that.”

  “So soon?” Julia said. “I’d hoped you’d be able to stay home with Mary Jane for a few days.”

  “So did I, but we all knew that wasn’t likely to happen,” Charlie answered. “Look, why don’t you and Mary Jane visit for a little while, while I put up the horse and check on Ted and Splash? After that’s done, I’ll wash up before I come in the house. I won’t be long.”

  “Just like your father. The horses always come first,” Julia said, smiling. “You go right ahead. Mary Jane, come inside. Supper’s just about ready. You and I can talk while Charlie’s busy. I want you to tell me all about your trip.”

  “I can hardly wait to tell you everything,” Mary Jane said. “Wait. Charlie, we nearly forgot. Would you get the package from the buggy, please?”

  “I was gonna bring that in with the luggage,” Charlie said.

  “No, I’d like to have it now,” Mary Jane answered. “In fact, why don’t you just put all the bags on the porch now?”

  “That makes sense, I guess,” Charlie agreed. “I’ll get ’em.”

  “Thank you, Charlie.”

  Charlie went back to the buggy. The first item he pulled out was a gaily wrapped, beribboned parcel. He handed that to Julia.

  “We got this for you in Galveston, Ma,” he said. “Well, I should say Mary Jane did. She picked it out. Now, don’t you go openin’ it until I come back, y’hear?”

  “You know I wouldn’t do any such thing, Charlie,” Julia said.

  “I know that’s exactly what you’d do, Ma,” Charlie retorted. “I can see in your eyes you’re dyin’ of curiosity. So don’t even think about it. You two head inside. I’ll be along shortly.”

  “All right. But don’t take too long, or I will open this package,” Julia warned. “Let’s go, Mary Jane. You can help set the table, if you wouldn’t mind.”

  “I’ll be happy to lend you a hand, Mrs. Blawcyzk,” Mary Jane said.

  “Mary Jane, have you forgotten already? You’re part of our family now. Please, call me Julia, as I asked.”

  “Of course… Julia,” Mary Jane said. “It’s just going to take a bit of getting used to.”

  “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to practice,” Julia said, as she took Mary Jane by the arm to lead her inside. “Charlie, don’t you dawdle, now.”

  “Great. Now I’ve got two beautiful women to give me orders,” Charlie said, laughing. “All right, Ma. I’ll be quick as I can.”

  Julia and Mary Jane went in the house, while Charlie took two small carpetbags from the floor of the buggy and set them on the porch. He unhitched the livery stable buggy, then, with Pal bounding along at his heels, he led the rented horse into the first corral.

  “I’ll brush and feed you in a minute, Taffy,” he promised the gray mare. “Just want to check on my boys, first.”

  Charlie went inside the barn, where his two paint horses, Ted, his first mount, now retired, and Splash, were munching on hay in their stalls, having already been grained and watered by Julia. They nickered a greeting when they spotted him.

  “Howdy, Ted, Splash,” Charlie called. “I reckon you missed me. I sure missed you fellers. Here, I brought somethin’ back for you.”

  He reached into his shirt pocket, and pulled out two paper-wrapped lumps of sugar from The Beachside Steak House in Galveston. He unwrapped the sugar, gave one piece each to the horses, and scratched their ears.

  “I hope you enjoy that sugar,” he said. “It cost me an awful lot. Boy howdy, prices are sure high in Galveston, especially on a Ranger’s salary. I’ll be back to check on you later. Gotta get my own supper. You two behave. And Splash, you be ready to go. We’re headed back to work, first thing tomorrow mornin’.”

  Splash whickered, nuzzled Charlie’s cheek, and went back to working on his hay. Charlie cared for Taffy, brushing her down, giving her hay, grain, and a bucket of water, then headed for the pump and washstand behind the house, which he and his father still used for bathing, most of the time, and cleaned up. He picked up the bags from the porch and went inside.

  “We were about to start supper without you,” Julia said. “You only have two bags?”

  “That’s all, Ma,” Charlie said, as he set the bags on the floor. “Since we’re only gonna be here for a night or two, and when I’m on the trail for the Rangers Mary Jane is gonna stay in town with her folks until we get our house built, we left most of our stuff in town with them. We’ve got everythin’ we need. Besides, most of my clothes are still here. The bags are mainly full of Mary Jane’s stuff. I never knew how much a woman had to take along on a trip.”

  “Oh, go on with you, Charlie Blawcyzk,” Mary Jane scolded. “I didn’t bring all that much.”

  “I’d hate to see if you had, Mrs. Mary Jane Blawcyzk,” Charlie said. “Boy howdy, I still like the sound of that. Mary Jane Blawcyzk.”

  “I’m rather fond of it myself,” Mary Jane answered.

  “That’s enough billing and cooing from you two lovebirds,” Julia said. “It’s time for me to open my present, then we can eat.”

  “Sure, Ma. Go ahead,” Charlie said.

  Julia sat down, picked up the package from the table, shook it, and then unwrapped it, to reveal a white silk blouse, with an accompanying scarlet silk scarf.

  “Mary Jane, Charlie, it’s lovely!” she exclaimed, as she held the blouse against her chest. “I can hardly wait to wear it to the next big social.”

  “Mary Jane said you’d like it, Ma,” Charlie said.

  “And you were absolutely right, Mary Jane,” Julia exclaimed.

  “I know it’s not very practical, especially for a ranch wife and horse breeder, but I knew it was perfect for when you get to town,” Mary Jane said. “And it’s a bit low cut. I wasn’t certain it might be too daring for you. I’m so happy you like it.”

  “Pish tosh,” Julia said. “Who cares what some of the old biddies in town might say? I’ll be
t I can still turn men’s heads in an outfit like this.”

  “I know Pa will appreciate it,” Charlie said. “You might not get outta the house, once he sees you in that. He’ll want to keep you all to himself, He sees that blouse and his eyes’ll just about pop outta his head.”

  “Charlie!” Julia exclaimed. “But you’re right. And the necklace with the turquoise pendant he gave me for our last anniversary will go perfectly with this blouse. I can’t thank the both of you enough. Now, it’s time to eat, then after supper we’ll talk more about your trip.” She set the blouse aside, then got the roast from the top of the stove, where it was keeping warm. The food was placed on the table, then Charlie said Grace.

  “Now let’s eat!” he exclaimed, once the prayer was concluded. He took several large slices of roast beef and piled them on his plate. Supper was the roast, accompanied by baked potatoes, black-eyed peas, bread and butter, and coffee. Dessert was a freshly baked apple pie.

  “Ma, I should have asked you before now, but where’s Pa off to?” Charlie asked, between a mouthful of potatoes.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Julia answered. “He, Smoky, and J.R. Huggins are after an outlaw gang called the Ghost Riders. They seem to strike, then disappear, only to turn up again miles from their last attack. Your father could be anywhere from San Jacinto to El Paso.”

  “I read about that bunch in the Galveston newspaper,” Charlie said. “Seems their raisin’ all sorts of Cain. Well, I wouldn’t worry, Ma. Pa can handle himself all right, especially if he’s got Smoky and J.R. sidin’ him. They’ll handle that bunch.”

  “I know they will,” Julia said, with less conviction than she felt. “Your father will get word to me when he can. Enough Ranger talk. I’ve only got you here for a day or two, and I don’t want to spend the entire time talking about the Texas Rangers.”

  “All right, Ma,” Charlie said. He shoved another forkful of roast beef into his mouth. The rest of the supper was spent in small talk about the news from San Leanna.

  “I can’t eat another bite,” Charlie said, as he shoved back from the table. “Ma, your cookin’ is better’n anythin’ I ate in those fancy restaurants in Galveston.”