by Joe Corso
The Nimrod Long Bank in Russellville, Kentucky was robbed in 1868 and that was the day Jesse James bec a me the most famous outlaw of his time. That robbery caused Missouri Governor Thomas T. Crittenden to offer a large reward for his capture. Jesse felt he had a sympathetic audience in the Millers so he laid down his case.
“Tom Crittenden is doing his best to discredit us, but we have a friend in John Newman Edwards, the founder of the Kansas City Times. Did you know he was a former Confederate cavalryman? No, of course you wouldn’t know. Well, he’s doing his best to help us, and me in particular. God knows I can use all the help I can get. John has published all my letters to the public. In those letters I’ve let all his readers know of my innocence. I’m hoping those letters will challenge all the carpetbaggers and I hope they champion Confederate causes .”
Jesse was a wild, unpredictable sort and he was not the Robin Hood Edwards proclaimed him to be, but he was Charlie’s friend and Charlie was glad to see him.
Jesse and the rest of the boys got up from the table. “You’ll have to excuse us, folks, we have to be going now. Charlie, I hope we can have a few minutes alone later to catch up on everything.”
“Don’t worry, Jesse. I’ll stop in later and we’ll have ourselves a little talk to catch up on old times.”
When the gang left the room there was an audible sigh of relief from all of the customers, who had been holding their breath.
“Why, those boys all respect their elders, and I for one think it’s a shame what the Yankees have forced those boys to become.”
Charlie held back a laugh, knowing that anyone who rode with Quantr i ll could never be completely respect able .
Later that night, with the help of a bottle of good whiskey, Charlie and the boys brought each other up to date on what was happening in their lives.
“So three men bushwhacked you and left you for dead. Did you get them?”
“I got one of them and I’m on the trail of the other two. I’ll get them, don’t worry about that.”
Charlie held up his left hand and showed the boys where the bullet went through it.
“And they thought they shot you in the head, eh?”
“Yeah. Blood from my hand splattered all over my face. Look at the trench the bullet dug in my forehead.”
“You were lucky, Charlie. It’s a good thing you were dealing with amateurs because if it was one of us you’d be dead ten times over.”
Charlie laughed. “Yeah, don’t I know that.”
Cole became serious for a moment. “Do you have wanted posters for these guys?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact I do.”
He dug in his jacket and pulled the posters out. “Here they are.”
Cole studied them for a long minute. “I want to memorize their faces, because if we happen to come across them, we’ll take care of them for you and send a coded telegram to your br other to give to you.”
“Thanks, Cole, I appreciate that.”
Cole waved it away with a sweep of his arm. “Hell, we’re brothers, all of us. You’d do the same for any of us, so why wouldn’t we do it for you?”
Charlie put his head down, acknowledging the truth in Cole’s words.
“Now let’s talk about you boys. Just what are you doing in El Paso? Isn’t this town a little out of your way?”
Frank nodded. “Yeah it is, but we are very hot up north so we decided to spend some time in El Paso until the temperature cools down a bit.”
Cole gave Charlie his input. “Jesse killed one of the tellers, thinking he was Samuel P. Cox, the militia officer who killed Bloody Bill Anderson during the Civil War. Only he was mistaken and he killed an innocent man.”
“I would have never killed the man if I knew he was innocent,” Jesse added, but Charlie knew Jesse better. If he was in one of his moods he’d kill just about anyone except his mother and kin.
“How long do you plan on staying in El Paso?”
Jesse and Cole looked at one another. “Probably a month, maybe longer. Why?”
“The two guys I’m looking for might still be in town, so if you’re gonna be here for a while you might just run into them. If you do, hold them for me.”
Jesse laughed. “Charlie, if I run into them there won’t be anyone alive to hold.”
Chapter 19
A loud knock woke Charlie. He put the pillow over his head but another knock told him it was fruitless to try to sleep any longer. He put on his pants, took his gun from the nightstand and answered the door. Judy stood in the doorway with a silly grin on her face, holding Charlie’s wolf pup.
“I thought you wanted to name your wolf, so I brought him here so we could do that.”
Charlie ran his hand through his hair and yawned. “All right, come on in.”
She came in and took a seat by the bureau, still holding the wolf pup. Charlie sat on the bed opposite her.
“I’ve been thinking about what name would be better for the pup,” Charlie began, “and I’ve made a decision. Since Percy will be going back east to practice medicine I thought Lobo would be a fitting name for a doctor’s wolf. The Apache name would only confuse his patients and friends.”
“Yes, but the name would also be a conversation starter.”
“I get your point, but my mind is made up. I’m going to name my pup Ban-Chu.”
Judy smiled sweetly. “It’s a good name and fitting for a wolf.” She looked up at Charlie. “Do you have a woman, Charlie?”
The question took him by surprise and he was at a loss for words for a moment. Sure he had a woman, but it had been a few years now since he promised to marry her. For all he knew she could have gotten tired of waiting for him and found herself another man. A more reliable man. A man who’d stay home and support her and protect her. Not a guy like him. He looked her in the eyes, not wanting to lie to her, but not wanting to turn her off either.
“I had a girl in Virginia City. We were supposed to get married but it got a little hot for me there and the sheriff suggested I move on for a little while . . . for my health was how he put it.”
She looked at him with sad eyes. “The sheriff threatened you?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. The sheriff is a good man but we had a bit of trouble there and it was better that I leave. And besides, Ned had a show lined up that he swore would make us a fortune, so we got on a train and left for New York.”
“Yeah, I read all about you while you were in New York. Uh, Charlie, are you still going back to that girl in Virginia City?”
“I have a brother there and I definitely will be going back someday. I have two gold mines that me and my brother Bob are partners in, and I’d like to see how the mines are doing.
“You have something on your mind, girl. Tell me what it is. I know you didn’t come to see me this early in the morning just to help me pick a name for my pup.” He walked over to her, lifted her gently by her two shoulders and looked into her deep blue eyes. “How old are you, girl?”
“I’m nineteen.”
He gazed deeply into her. “How old?” he questioned.
“Well, I’ll be nineteen on my next birthday.”
Charlie cracked a slight smile. “And when would that be?”
She hung her head down. “In eight months. But I’m a woman full grown,” she fired back quickly.
He went to the dresser and poured himself a glass of water, then looked at her again. “Why are you telling me all this?”
She fussed with her fingers, not knowing just what to say and where to begin. Then she just blurted it out. “Because I think I’m in love with you. There, I said it and I’m not sorry.”
He walked over to her and held her by her shoulders, not pulling her close to him and kissing her, as he wanted to do. “Have you ever been with a man, Judy?”
“If you mean, have I ever been intimate with a man, then the answer is no. But it’s time I was, and you’re the man I want to give myself to, Charlie. Can’t you see it?”
This time he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Look, Judy, I’m only human and you’re a very pretty girl, a desirable one and I’m fighting hard not to throw you on that bed and take you, but I happen to like your folks and I’d hate to see their faces if you became pregnant.”
“But I don’t care, Charlie. If I became pregnant and had your baby I’d always have something to remind me of you. Can’t you see that I’m in love with you and I want to be with you, and to hell with the consequences.”
“Please don’t push me, Judy. I haven’t been with a woman for quite a while now and it won’t take much prodding on your part to push me over the edge.”
She smiled, knowing she had him. “What edge, Charlie?”
“The edge where I throw caution to the wind and ravage you. That edge.”
“But I want you to ravage me, Charlie.” She put her hands around his head and pulled him to her. Their lips met and the flood gates opened. All convention went out of the window as their clothes flew off. Naked, they explored each other’s bodies in the comfort of Charlie’s bed.
He loved being with Judy, but his thoughts were on Abby. What was he to do with her? He thought he loved her, but now he was with Judy, and he found he really liked her. She was sweet, wholesome, and a tiger in bed. Boy, he thought, life sure does get complicated when women are involved. Well, Judy is here and Abby ain’t, so I’ll just have to take each day as it comes. For now I’ll just have to be conten t with Judy. He gave a satisfied sigh.
He lay back on the bed, his head resting on his pillow, with Judy snuggled tightly against him, her head resting on his chest.
“Charlie?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know what to expect because this is the first time I have ever done something like this.”
“Did you like it?”
“Of course, silly. You know I did.”
There were so many things he wanted to show her. No, show was not the right word. Teach her would be more fitting. There were so many things he would like to teach her about how to please a man, but he felt he was taking advantage of her. “We’d better get dressed.”
“Why, Charlie? Can’t we stay here a little while longer?”
“No, I have things to take care of. Come on, get dressed.”
She was disappointed. “Can I come back tonight, Charlie?”
He shook his head. “How would you explain coming to see me at night to your father?”
“I could sneak out when they’re asleep.”
“No, I won’t have you sneaking around in the night like some floozy.”
“What am I to do then, Charlie? I do so terribly want to see you.”
“I knew your coming here was a mistake.”
It was as if Charlie hit her. “I, I guess I made a mistake coming here. I just wanted to see you so badly it hurt.”
Charlie took her in his arms. “Look, Judy. I do like being with you. But you just can’t insert yourself in a man’s life and think he’s going to drop everything he’s doing and spend all his time with you. I told you I have things I need to do. There are men I’m trailing, men I have to find, and I can’t be thinking of a woman when I’m hunting them. I’m sorry to have to be so blunt but it’s the truth. If we were on the trail we could steal away somewhere to be alone. That would be just fine with me. But here in El Paso, sneaking around like two lovesick kids just won’t work for me. Not now anyway. If we get time to be alone then there’s no one I’d rather be with than you, but it has to be on my terms, not yours.”
Judy found hope in those words. “Charlie, you just tell me when you want me and I’ll be there for you. And don’t think I don’t understand. I know you have business to tend to. I just wanted to be a small part of your life. Maybe when we get to know each other better I can be a larger part of your life.” She got up and went to the door, but stopped before opening it. “Don’t leave me out of your life, Charlie. I promise I won’t be a burden to you.” She had tears in her eyes as she left, closing the door behind her.
The very thing Charlie tried to avoid had happened. He knew he couldn’t have anything more than a fling with Judy. Given time he could love her, but he didn’t have time, nor did he want to enter into a relationship with any woman at this juncture in his life. He still had Abby to consider, and after all this time he wasn’t sure how he felt about her. Taking a woman in marriage was a lifetime commitment, and while he enjoyed being with Abby he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to be tied down to a lifetime commitment. He felt the same about Judy. She was a sweet, loving girl from a good, decent family. He could see himself with her but not now, not while he still had the wandering bug and two men still in his gun sights.
Chapter 20
There was a knock on the door and Charlie thought Judy might have forgotten something. He opened the door and was happy to see the smiling faces of Cole, Jesse, Frank and the rest of the Younger brothers.
“Come on, cowboy, join us for breakfast.”
“That’s just what I was about to do. Glad you stopped by.”
The boys had a large table set up at Nell’s place where they could all eat and talk together.
“Say, Charlie, have you heard from Ned lately?”
“No, Jess. To be honest I haven’t had time to write to him. I just hope he isn’t writing another of those god-awful books about me.”
Cole laughed. “Whoops, be careful or the big bad Lone Jack Kid will come to you at night and shoot you.”
“Come on, Cole, that’s not funny.”
All the guys laughed.
“We was just funnin’ with you, Charlie. Ain’t fate funny? Here we are robbing stages and trains and banks and the Lone Jack Kid is more famous than the James-Younger gang.”
Jesse turned to Cole. “That’s not exactly true any longer, Cole. After that last job we’re as famous as anyone who ever lived.”
“Yeah, but that’s just because you killed the wrong man.”
That pissed Jesse off terribly. “You ought not to talk that way to me, Cole. The whole country knows who Jesse James is.”
“Yeah and Cole Younger too, don’t forget.”
Everything was forgotten when they heard the familiar tap-tap-tap.
“Christ, don’t these guys ever learn?” said Jesse. “The same thing happened in Virginia City, if I recollect correctly.”
“Yeah it did,” Charlie added.
ClellMiller said, “The guy in the corner by the door. He’s the one doing the tapping.”
Jesse gave the man a severe look, one that reminded Charlie of the old western proverb: “Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.” The man doing the tapping just dropped his gun, because Jesse was a grizzly.
Jesse, never a patient or understanding man, told Charlie he’d handle this. He walked over to the cowboy and told him in no uncertain terms, “The Lone Jack Kid is our friend, and if you want to remain alive don’t ever bother him again or you’ll have us to deal with.”
The cowpoke looked at the many men gathered around Charlie, and although he was uneasy with those hard men staring at him, he got a little testy with Jesse. “And who the hell do you think you are, that you can just up and interfere with what goes on between me and that phony over there?”
Jesse smiled as he poked his finger at the cowboy’s chest. “He’s anything but a phony, bud, and I happen to be Jesse James. And that good looking guy with the mustache is my brother Frank. The others are mostly the Younger boys, and the rest are members of my gang. I would usually just kill you where you stand, but I promised the sheriff I wouldn’t start any trouble in his town. I’m keeping that promise because Charlie Longstreet is my friend. Now, that’s the most words I spoke in a year and if I have to say anything more to you, why, I’ll just up and kill you and the hell with the sheriff. Tell me you understand what I just told you.”
Fear was written all over the man’s face. “I understand, Jesse.”
“Good. Remember, if when we leave we hear
something happened to Charlie, we’ll come back here and kill you. Just remember that when you see us ride out of town.” With that, Jesse walked purposefully back to where his friends were enjoying their breakfast.
Frank, who was rather taciturn, didn’t say anything, but Bob Younger smiled and patted Jesse on his shoulder. “Jess, you just have to learn not to hold things in like you do. You have to let go of your emotions and just say what you mean.”
The table erupted in laughter and even Jesse cracked a smile. Charlie felt good being among his friends again.
A week later, a telegram from Edwards, their editor friend from the Kansas City Times, arrived telling them that the heat had died down. A few days later, in the middle of January and after two inches of snow had fallen, the James gang rode out of El Paso and headed back to Missouri.
Charlie was alone again, and he found himself spending much more time with Judy Miller. She was becoming downright brazen when it came to spending quality time with him. She made sure every minute they spent alone was productive. In other words, she made every second of every minute count.
The wolf pups were growing larger every day, and now Ban-Chu began to follow behind Charlie when he rode Sable around town, gathering stares from the residents, who preferred to see their wolves dead. Ban-Chu, no longer a pup, insisted on sleeping beside him on the bed at night, which was proving rather awkward for Charlie. He realized he had to do something about the wolf pup before he grew any larger. Charlie scoured the town until he found a large, empty wooden box, which had been used for hauling fire wood to the mining camps. Charlie bought the box and took it to a carpenter, instructing him to cut the top off the box and cut a large opening in front so the wolf would have easy access. When the carpenter had modified the box the way Charlie wanted, he took it back to his hotel and lined the bottom with a heavy Indian blanket he bought from the general store. When that was done he had a comfortable bed for Ban-Chu. The wolf pup soon realized the benefits of sleeping in the box and it became his bed. During the day, when Charlie walked to stores, the wolf pup followed dutifully behind him. Since Charlie had nothing better to do during his stay in El Paso, he began to train Ban-Chu, teaching him various commands. He taught the wolf to sit, crawl, stop, stay, fetch and come.
