by J. T. Edson
‘Shucks, ma’am,’ Waco grinned. ‘You’ll have to force us hard to accept. I surely loves using the ground for a mattress and the sky for a roof, especially when it’s raining.’
‘Or when there’s a good high wind blowing,’ Dusty agreed. ‘Thanks, Freddie.’
‘Don’t thank me. I’m merely making sure you don’t get a chance to think twice about your offer and get away.’
‘That’s what I like about you, Freddie,’ Dusty told her, taking his coffee cup. ‘You’re all heart.’
‘I know, I know. By the way, the town council meets at half past one this afternoon—if they’ve recovered by that time.’
‘I’ll be along to see them,’ Dusty promised.
After drinking their coffee and eating a few of the cookies Babsy had fetched from the saloon’s kitchen, Dusty and Waco said their good-nights and left the two girls. Mark was asleep when the other two entered his room and they undressed without waking him. Not until the lights were out and they lay in their camp beds did Waco speak.
‘What’s Miss Freddie mean about the town council meeting, Dusty?’
‘You’ll find out comes morning, boy.’
‘That starts to sound like work to me,’ the youngster groaned.
‘You could be right at that, boy,’ Dusty replied. ‘Goodnight.’
‘When for?’ asked Waco. ‘Last night or tonight when it comes?’
Six – I’ll Run Your Town – On My Terms
An indignant Mark Counter woke his two friends at ten o’clock in the morning. The blond giant had heard the noise of the celebration the previous night and felt considerably annoyed at having missed it. However the town doctor had ordered that Mark stayed in bed for forty-eight hours and Miss Freddie Woods proved strong-willed enough to see he did.
‘Hid my clothes she has,’ Mark told his two amigos in an aggrieved tone. ‘Is she any kin of yours, Dusty?’
‘I sure hope not,’ Dusty grinned.
At that moment a knock sounded at the door and one of Freddie’s swampers entered carrying a bucket of hot water.
‘Figured you gents’d be waking about now,’ he remarked. ‘Man, that was some wing-ding last night.’
‘How’d you like hanging feet first out of the window?’ Mark growled.
‘Ignore him, friend,’ Waco told the startled swamper. ‘He’s just all mean-mouthed and ornery ’cause he done slept through the fun last night.’
‘There’ll be two of you hanging out of that window in a minute, boy!’ Mark warned. ‘Dusty, can’t you keep these hired hands of yours under control in a sick man’s room?’
‘Shucks, the boy’s too young and this gent’s too old and set in his ways,’ Dusty answered. ‘Is Miss Freddie awake yet?’
‘Nope,’ grinned the swamper. ‘Nor any of her girls ’cepting Big Sarah and even she looks a mite peaked.’
However by the time Dusty and Waco had washed and dressed, they found Freddie had crawled from bed. After eating breakfast in Mark’s room, and describing the fun much to the blond giant’s annoyance, Freddie went downstairs to check her bar stocks while Dusty and Waco headed for the livery barn and collected their horses. On reaching the O.D. Connected camp, Dusty found most of the men awake and received apologies from a slightly green-looking Bucky for any trouble the young man might have caused the previous night.
‘Morning, Cousin Dusty,’ Red greeted, coming forward with a plate of food in his hands; a sight which caused Bucky’s hurried departure. ‘Now that was what I call a night.’
‘It sure was,’ Dusty agreed. ‘Look out there, Cousin Red. Seems like folks took my warning to heart.’
Already a second herd of cattle was approaching the town and behind it, at varying distances stretching back to the far horizon were three more.
‘I’ve looked,’ Red replied and grinned. ‘Make that first one to be Uncle Charlie’s. We sure wiped his eye, getting here ahead of him.’
‘That’ll please Uncle Devil,’ Dusty answered, also grinning. ‘I’ll grab me a shave, then we’ll ride over and see Uncle Charlie. Or don’t you want to come?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it. I sure want to see Uncle Charlie’s face and hear what he has to say when he finds that you and I licked him here.’
‘Not me, Red. It’s your drive and has been since the start.’
Colonel Charles Goodnight, master trail boss and man whose early findings made the great inter-State cattle drives possible, studied his two young nephews and heard their news in silence that was as ominous as the calm before a storm. At last the silence broke and he let flow a blistering string of the most lurid oaths either Dusty or Red could ever remember hearing, except when something riled their Uncle Devil. At the end of his tirade, Goodnight bellowed with laughter, slapped Red on the shoulder and commended him on a damned good job well done.
‘I got your word about Brownton, Dustine,’ Goodnight went on. ‘Was fixed to go there myself, but I changed my mind when I heard about that damnable no-guns for Texans rule. Say, where’s your herd?’
‘Shipped out already,’ Dusty replied. ‘The pens are empty and you can go straight on in. Waldo Burkman’s in town.’
‘He’ll be waiting for me, I shouldn’t wonder,’ Goodnight grunted. ‘I’ll go tend to my herd. See you boys in town.’
‘We’ll be around, sir,’ Dusty promised and watched his uncle ride away. Turning to Red, Dusty went on, ‘I’ve got to be in town before half past one.’
‘Business or pleasure?’
‘Business first. Freddie wants me to handle the law until Kail Beauregard can get up here.’
‘Does, huh?’ Red grunted. ‘Reckon you’ll need me here?’
‘I could use you, but somebody has to take the cattle-drive money home to Uncle Devil—’
‘And explain to him where you bunch are.’
‘That too,’ Dusty grinned.
‘Was talking to Jimmo afore you came out, Dusty. He reckons another day’ll see him ready for heading home. So’s Kiowa and most of the boys.’
‘It’s your choice,’ Dusty replied. ‘Come on, I want to send Kiowa and Waco out to learn who owns the other drives that are coming in. I sure hope it isn’t Clay Allison just yet.’
Not until gone two o’clock did the final member of the Mulrooney town council enter the dining-room of Freddie’s suite at the Fair Lady. Courtland entered and took his place at the long table. Like all the others, he looked a mite dark under the eyes and showed signs of feeling the effects of the previous night’s revelry.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said.
‘None of us were early,’ Freddie answered. ‘Now gentlemen, to business. It would appear that our town is drawing the trail drive trade. Not only has Colonel Goodnight’s herd entered the stock pens, but Shanghai Pierce, Waxahachie Smith and George Littlefield’s herds are coming in. They are all big ranchers and have crews of over twenty men each. Not only that, but I have met one of the top buffalo hide buyers and he has passed word out that he is making his rendezvous here. To cap it all, the railroad men have heard about our town’s little party last night and are regarding us with interest.’
‘Then we’re made,’ Birnbaum put in, looking unhappy at having nothing to worry him.
‘Not exactly, Shad, there is one slight problem.’
‘What’s that, Miss Freddie?’ Dongelon asked, thinking of the trade his saloon had garnered the previous night.
‘Law enforcement. The railroad won’t build out of a wild, wide-open town.’
‘And what might your solution be, Freddie?’ Courtland asked. ‘We know you have one.’
‘I wish to hire an Indian Nations lawman called Kail Beauregard.’
‘I’ve never heard of him,’ Courtland said and looked at the other men but none of them admitted to knowing the name. ‘Why not try to hire Earp, or Hickok?’
‘Because I want to hire a man who can handle cowhands without using a gun or cracking skulls. Besides, men like Earp or Hickok invite trouble by br
ing in show-offs and would-be fast guns to try their skill. Captain Fog recommended Kail Beauregard to me.’
‘If that’s the case, I’m for Beauregard,’ one of the council stated and a rumble of agreement went up among the others.
‘We’ll vote it formally,’ Freddie stated. ‘All in favor off hiring Kail Beauregard, signify by raising the right hand.’ The vote was unanimous and Courtland asked, ‘How soon can we get him here?’
‘In four—five weeks,’ Freddie replied.
‘Then how—?’
‘Captain Fog agreed to pinch-hit for Beauregard until he arrives.’
Once more the eager and excited talk rumbled up. At last Birnbaum managed to make himself heard over the others and asked, ‘How much will Captain Fog want paying for this, Miss Freddie?’
‘We didn’t discuss it. He’s waiting outside, may I ask him in?’
‘Of course,’ Courtland replied.
Dusty entered the room, conscious that every eye was on him. Crossing to the table, he took his seat and looked at the circle of faces.
‘We want you to handle the law for us, Captain Fog.’
Courtland said, ‘If you accept, we’re prepared to offer you one hundred dollars a month and seventy-five for your deputies, plus a twenty-five per cent bonus taken from all fines.’
‘That’s a fair offer,’ Dusty answered. ‘But I’m not taking it. I’ll be here for four weeks and I want one hundred and twenty-five dollars for me, one hundred for each deputy—but the fine money goes entirely to the town.’
‘That could lose you money, Dusty,’ Freddie objected. ‘Likely. But I’ve never liked this sharing in the fine money idea. It makes some lawmen go grabbing everybody they can lay their hands on, just for extra money. That builds up a dislike for the lawmen. I’d sooner folks knew I was arresting them for doing something wrong, not that I’m grabbing a chance to put more money into my pocket.’
‘You’ve a good thought there, captain,’ Courtland remarked. ‘It never struck me in that light before.’
‘There’s another thing I want straight right now. If I’m hired I’ll run your town—on my terms.’
‘And they are?’ asked Freddie.
‘First, I alone hire the deputies, I don’t get asked by anybody to take on an out-of-work nephew, brother-in-law or cousin. Policing a town like this one will become hard enough without untrained help to watch over.’
‘That’s reasonable,’ grunted one of the men.
‘Second, I want a civic ordinance empowering me to inspect, or have inspected, every gambling device in town, any time I feel like it.’
‘Are you saying Miss Freddie and I run dishonest games?’ Dongelon growled.
‘There’ll be a lot more than you and Freddie running games in town soon,’ Dusty answered. ‘Some of them won’t be honest and I want the legal right to inspect them without wasting time with a warrant.’
‘That’s reasonable, Dongelon,’ Courtland remarked.
‘I agree, and back the motion,’ the burly saloonkeeper replied. ‘The house percentage satisfies me without needing any more of an edge.’
‘How many deputies are you going to need, captain?’ asked Birnbaum.
‘Mark, the Kid, Waco, one more—and Big Sarah.’
‘Big Sarah?’ Freddie gasped.
‘I don’t want her full-time. But there’ll be times when I have to get a woman searched, which same me and the boys can’t do. So I want a woman deputy and one who can take care of herself.’
‘Sarah can do that all right,’ Freddie admitted. ‘I’ll ask her if she’ll accept the offer.’
‘And I figure to make each trail boss an honorary deputy marshal responsible for the good behavior of his men. Which same applies to the railroad, I’ll want one of their gang bosses; and to the hide buyers. You can either make some small payment to the men, or arrange some privilege to go with the badge.’
‘That’s easy enough arranged,’ Courtland agreed.
‘Bueno,’ Dusty drawled. ‘Did Miss Freddie tell you what armament I want at the office?’
‘Not yet, Dusty, but I’ll do it now.’
Quickly Freddie told the council of Dusty’s suggestions and his reasons for wanting the various arms. The men agreed to purchase half-a-dozen shotguns and a Sharps Old Reliable rifle without arguing about their cost. Then Birnbaum made what, to his Eastern-trained mind, was an obvious suggestion.
‘Why not make everybody in town hand all their firearms over to the marshal and only collect them when they need them?’
‘No!’ The one word popped out of Dusty’s mouth like the crack of a black-snake whip.
‘It sounds reasonable to me,’ one of the other men remarked.
‘It doesn’t to me,’ Courtland objected. ‘I’ve a shotgun at home and I like to use it for hunting. Would I have to draw it out when I decide to go and hand it in on my return?’
‘There could be exceptions—’ Birnbaum began.
‘No there couldn’t,’ Dusty interrupted, ‘or you’d wind up just like Brownton tried to be.’
‘But your work would be easier and safer if nobody but your men had guns,’ one of the storekeepers pointed out.
‘Sure would—if nobody but us had guns,’ Dusty agreed.
‘Trouble with that being that only the honest, law-abiding citizens would turn in their guns. Or do you reckon an outlaw would be so scared of breaking a civic ordinance by owning a gun that he’d give it up?’
‘If you put it that way—’
‘I do. Disarm the honest man and you put him at the mercy of the armed outlaw. Take Mr. Birnbaum’s idea of folks only drawing out the gun when you need it. That’s swell, only I can’t see an owlhoot who’s sticking your place up letting you trot down to the marshal’s office to draw out your gun so you can defend your property. Now can any of you see it?’
The idea of an armed outlaw permitting his victim to go collect a gun and awaiting his return amused the members of the council, but it also showed them the futility and stupidity of Birnbaum’s suggestion.
‘You’ve made your point, Dusty,’ Freddie smiled. ‘But how do we avoid having shootings in town?’
‘There’s no real way you can. But happen two men aim to fight, they’ll do it with or without guns. You can avoid a lot of wild shooting through. Put aside a place where the fellers can shoot off their guns without endangering the town. Or have some targets set up in a safe place in the saloon, like Freddie has. And give the trail hands a fair deal, don’t cheat them blind like most Kansas towns do. That way they’ll not have a resentment against you and want to show you how good they are with a gun.’
‘But how about armed robberies?’ Courtland asked.
‘Make it known that armed robbery, with a gun or a knife, will be classed as done with intent to murder and see the judge goes the limit in punishing any offenders. That’s what I reckon’s the best answer.’
‘We’ll see to that for you,’ Freddie promised.
‘And if there’s a complaint laid against a visitor, make sure it’s investigated from both sides, not just from the local businessmen’s angle.’
‘We’ll let you do that,’ Courtland promised.
‘Then you’ve got yourself some law,’ Dusty drawled.
‘I don’t think we’ll regret having it,’ Birnbaum stated. ‘Hey, captain. I have a gun under my store counter but I’m not good with it. Would you teach me how to handle it?’
‘Glad to. There’s one thing you want to do with it for a start though.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Put it away until you know how to handle it properly. An untrained man with a gun is more dangerous to himself and his friends than to his enemies.’
‘By cracky,’ grinned one of the men. ‘I believe you’re right—’
‘I know I’m right,’ Dusty replied but he was not smiling. ‘Well, I’ll go collect Waco and we’ll make a start.’
Rising, Dusty left the room. For a time none of the Mul
rooney town council spoke. Then Courtland slapped the table top with his big hand and gave a bellow of laughter.
‘By George!’ he boomed. ‘I’ll bet we get that spur line through here after all. Don’t you, Freddie?’
‘For the first time in days I feel we’ve a better than even chance,’ she replied. ‘And now let’s make a start at doing the things Du—Captain Fog requested. Somehow I don’t think he’s a young man who would be pleased with any delay.’
Dusty found Waco waiting for him in the bar room. Leaving Babsy at the table where he had been entertaining the girl, Waco walked forward.
‘How’d it go, Dusty?’ he asked.
‘We’re lawmen, boy.’
‘Never been one afore. Do we get us badges and all?’
‘And all,’ agreed Dusty. ‘Only there’s more to being a lawman than just wearing a badge and walking the rounds. Let’s go along to the jail and I’ll tell you as much as I can about it.’
Accompanied by wild cowhand yells, the Goodnight J.A. crew came thundering along Main Street as Dusty and Waco walked towards the marshal’s office. Dusty halted and Waco stopped at his side, standing watching a familiar scene and one in which Waco played a prominent role the previous day as the O.D. Connected arrived in town. On reaching the Fair Lady, the J.A. crew left their horses at the hitching rail and headed inside to wait until Goodnight came and paid them off.
‘Tonight’s going to be lively, boy,’ Dusty remarked and entered the office.
And lively it proved to be. There were five crews in town and both saloons drew a large and lusty mixed trade as railroad construction workers arrived by the evening work train. For the first time in his life Waco found himself on the other side of the lawman fence, although he did not work alone. He also saw the swift, efficient and effective manner in which Dusty dealt with trouble. Not that they had any real trouble that night. A few fist fights, a couple of cowhands shooting off their guns on the street and several rowdy drunks being all that emerged. Some fifteen assorted celebrators wound up in jail; not that it meant much for they would be released on payment of a fine the following morning.
