by Paul Colt
“Hold your fire, all of you!”
“Stay out of this, Ledger. This is US marshal’s business.”
“It ain’t anymore, Doc. I’m the new special deputy for Lincoln County. You and your boys are not my deputies.”
“You tellin’ me you side with the son of a bitch what killed John Tunstall?”
“I’m sidin’ with the law.”
“Then why aint’t you locked that murderer up? The grand jury indicted him for an accessory.”
“The grand jury indicted most of you boys too. We ain’t got enough jail cells for all of you. You’ll get your days in court soon enough. Now put up those guns and get the hell out of town.”
“Don’t make me laugh, Ledger, we got you six to one. Now get the hell out of our way while we still remember you was a friend once. Com’on boys let’s burn the son of a bitch out.”
“Doc, I got one shell left in this gun.” He jacked the hammer and leveled the muzzle at Scurlock’s head. “One of your men makes a move and I’ll blow you to kingdom come. Now put up those guns and get the hell out of town.”
Scurlock stared down the shotgun. Certain death stared back in the dark bore. He read Ledger’s eyes. He’d do it sure as hell. Hell,he wasn’t ready for that party just yet.
“Put up your guns, boys.” He cut his eyes to the store. “This ain’t over, Dolan. It ain’t ever gonna be over until we get what we come for.” He wheeled his horse and spurred up a gallop. The Regulators followed down the street out of town.
Dolan stepped out of the store gun in hand. “Much obliged, Ledger. I hadn’t counted on you for that kind of help.”
“Don’t make too much of it, Dolan. I got a job to do. That don’t mean I like all of it. The blood on your hands started all this. Don’t think for a minute I forget that.” He turned on his heel and walked back to the office.
Dolan watched him. He’d been lucky. Ledger was honest. Another man might have sold him out to his friends. That was a problem. What the hell was he gonna do with an honest lawman? First an honest jury, now an honest US marshal. Santa Fe owed him plenty.
Seven Rivers
May 15th
They rode out of the hills. Dark shadows, horses and riders painted black in twilight, floating on a misty carpet of dust. Seven heavily armed men. They surrounded the ranch yard on three sides and drew rein. Rifles appeared from saddle boots.
“Evans, you’re surrounded. You and your men come out with your hands where we can see them.” Scurlock waited. “You hear me, Evans? Surrender or we’ll burn this shack you call a ranch down around your ears.”
“He ain’t here.”
“Who is here?”
“Nobody, just me, Manuel.”
“Where is Evans?”
“Looking for you.”
Scurlock laughed. “He ain’t tryin’ very hard. I’m easy to find. All right, amigo, since you’re all alone, you best come out with your hands up.” No answer. “You got two minutes to show yourself or we burn the place down with you in it.” Nothing.
A lone horse and rider burst from the back of the house, galloping northwest. The Kid put his spurs to the big roan. He slapped his rifle into the saddle boot and drew his gun, quickly closing the gap on the fleeing Manuel Sagovia.
The Dolan man turned in his saddle feeling the press of his pursuer. His eyes went wide white.
The Kid leveled his gun and fired. Muzzle flash bloomed white light and powder smoke. He fired again, close enough to hear Sagovia grunt. He slumped in the saddle. The Kid fired a third time, knocking the man from his horse. The body bounced on the hardscrabble high desert and rolled into the base of a sage bush. The Kid pulled up the roan and holstered his gun. Five, Mr. Tunstall. More comin’.
South Spring
June 21st
Chisum, McSween, Scurlock and Roth sat around the dining-room table. The doors and windows were thrown open, allowing a pleasant summer breeze to cool the house. McSween called the meeting to break the news.
“Sheriff Peppin and his posses are combing the Pecos River valley, lookin’ for our men.”
Chisum rubbed his chin. “You knew Dolan wouldn’t sit still after Ledger was appointed special deputy. It looks like his Santa Fe friends plan on playin’ both sides of the street.”
“I don’t think so. They’ll put up the appearance of law and order, but underneath it, they’ll back Dolan.”
“So we got Ledger. They got Peppin. It looks like a standoff to me.”
“Don’t be too quick to count on Ledger,” Scurlock said. “He run me and the boys off when we tried to arrest Dolan.”
McSween nodded agreement. “Doc’s right. Ledger will uphold the law. He may see most things our way, but he won’t take sides.”
Chisum looked from McSween to Scurlock. “So where does that leave us?”
“It’s open war,” Scurlock said. “Evans and his boys are out lookin’ for us. You can bet Peppin will have a Dolan posse lookin’ for us too.”
McSween frowned, massaging the bridge of his nose. “So what do we do, Doc?”
“Let ’em find us someplace where we can have it out on our terms.”
“Legally we can defend our property,” McSween said.
“I don’t want to try defending the Flying H cheese box.”
Chisum nodded.
“Riders comin’!” The warning brought the meeting to an abrupt halt.
“Now what the hell?” Chisum let the question trail over his shoulder as he led the way to the front door. Caneris stood in the yard pointing to a group of riders coming hard.
“It’s Billy and the boys,” Scurlock said.
“What lit a fire under their tail?” Roth said.
“That.” Doc pointed to a cloud of dust rising on the Regulators’ back trail.
The Kid slid his roan to a stop and jumped down. He stuck a thumb over his shoulder. “Peppin’s comin’ with a big posse. Must have Evans’ boys with him.”
“All right, boys, inside,” Chisum said. “The adobe on this house is better than Fort Stanton.”
The Regulators scrambled inside and fanned out to cover windows and doors. The posse men burst into the yard and drew rein.
“Yo the house!This is Sheriff Peppin, Chisum. You’re harboring wanted criminals. Give ’em up or we’ll come get ’em.”
“Turn your murderin’ cattle thieves around, Peppin, and get the hell off my land.”
“Fan out, boys!”
The posse surrounded the house and opened fire. Bullets bit the adobe walls and whined away in a stony shower.
Scurlock made his way around the house, making sure they had any blind spots covered. “Hold your fire, boys, unless you’ve got a good shot. This ain’t goin’ nowhere unless they rush us.”
The shooting died out in frustration in less than an hour. The hacienda absorbed everything the posse men had to offer. The afternoon lengthened in shadow. Nightfall would change the situation.
McSween and Chisum huddled in the parlor with Roth and Scurlock. “What do we do come nightfall?”
“If they think they’ve cover, they might try to rush us,” Chisum said.
“They might.” Scurlock nodded.
“So what do we do about it?” McSween asked.
“We make sure we see them first,” Roth said.
Doc cocked an eye. “What are you thinkin’, Johnny?”
“We put a couple men on the roof. Station a few more under cover in the yard. If they try to move in, we give ’em a surprise.”
Doc nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
Evans found Peppin just past sunset.
“How long you figure they can stay forted up in there?”
“Hard to say. I figure we can try to rush them once it gets good and dark.”
“I don’t know about that. Look at that evening star. Looks like a clear night. Pretty close to full moon too.”
“There’s a creek that runs back of the hacienda. It should give us cover to get close.”
Evans led five others down the creek bed toward the back of the hacienda. They kept to the shadows as best they could against the glow of starlight. The moon with its bright white light had yet to reach full height in the night sky. He signaled a halt at the closest point to the back door, a black shadow across a small vegetable garden. He cocked his Winchester and looked to his men. Their eyes met his alert and ready. He turned up the bank.
A rifle cracked. The bullet struck the creek bank at Evans’ boot, showering him in rock chips. He jumped back searching for a target. A second shot exploded, sending a geyser of water up from the creek bed. The muzzle flash came from the roof. Evans returned fire. With the element of surprise lost and facing a shooter with the advantage of height, Evans signaled his men to pull back down the creek bed. The night fell silent.
At daybreak, Charlie Bowdre watched the posse men preparing to depart. He climbed down from the roof and went inside through the back door.
“They’re fixin’ to leave.”
“For now,” Scurlock said.
McSween sat in the parlor with Chisum.
“I’ve had about enough of this cat-and-mouse game. I’m ready to go home. It’s time for a showdown. We can occupy the store.”
“And your house,” Scurlock added.
McSween and Chisum exchanged glances. Stern resolve united them. They nodded.
“It’s settled then,” McSween said. “Give me a couple of weeks to stock the store with ammunition.”
Roth didn’t like the sound of it. Ty would get caught in the middle of the coming fight, trying to keep the peace. He’d get himself killed sure as hell.
McSween started for home the next morning. Roth brooded in silence, clearly preoccupied. Chisum sensed his unease.
“You’ve been real quiet, Johnny. What’s eatin’ you, boy.”
“That powder keg is gonna blow in Ty’s face.”
“Likely so.”
“He’ll get his law-abiding ass shot to hell in the middle of a war.”
“Tough time to be a lawman.”
“I got to go to Lincoln and warn him. Get him out of there if I can.”
“Hell, all you’ll do is get yourself caught in the middle of it just like him. You’ve got a wife now, responsibilities. Leave it to the professionals.”
“I am a professional. I owe my life to Ty Ledger. I’d be C’manche buzzard bait if it hadn’t been for him. I just can’t leave him hung out on his own.”
“What about Dawn?”
“She’ll have to understand.”
“This is the kind of trouble I was afraid of. Why’d Ledger take that job in the first place? He had to know it’d come to this.”
“He needed a job. He’s fixin’ to marry Lucy Sample.”
“I thought you two would go into the cattle business together. Hell, I’ll stake you to a herd to get you started if it’ll get the badge off his chest.”
“It might, but knowing Ty, not before this is over.”
Chisum set his jaw. “Do what you have to. Just don’t make a widow out of that girl.”
Lincoln
June 23rd
Roth rode into town braced by hot summer wind. Dust swirled down the street, pushing tumbleweeds out of the west. He drew rein at the Wortley hitch rack and stepped down. He found Ty tending the steeldust in the stable. He smiled and extended a hand.
“Good to see you, Johnny. What brings you to Lincoln?”
“We need to talk.”
“That sounds serious.”
“It is.”
“I was just about to have some lunch. We can talk over that.”
“Food sounds good about now.” They started for the back of the hotel. “How are things in town?”
“Pretty quiet since Scurlock and the boys tried to take on Dolan last month.”
“Quiet for now.”
Ty smelled trouble.
“Lucy still workin’ for McSween?”
“Yeah. Don’t matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to talk her out of it.”
Roth fell silent as they passed through the lobby on the way to the dining room. Ty led the way to a corner table. The waiter came over.
“What’ll it be, Marshal?”
“What’s the special?”
“Ham and mashed.”
“That’ll be fine.”
“Make it two,” Roth said.
The waiter went to the kitchen. Ty fixed on his friend. “What’s on your mind, Johnny?”
“The Regulators are coming back to town in force.”
“Shit! I was afraid of that. When?”
“Couple of weeks, I expect. McSween needs that much time to stock the store with ammunition.”
The waiter arrived with two steaming plates. Ty glanced away as though he’d lost his appetite.
“What are they plannin’?”
“Evans and his boys have been lookin’ for them. Peppin’s got posses joined in the hunt. They caught up to the Regulators down at South Spring. They pulled back after a two-day gunfight, but that ain’t nowhere near the end of it. McSween and Scurlock figure to occupy the store and McSween’s house and wait for Dolan to make his play. That way they have the cover of protecting their property.”
“Son of a bitch! That explains why Dolan’s men have been so scarce the last few weeks. It ain’t bad enough they’re ridin’ the county shootin’ at each other. Now they’re fixin’ to turn Lincoln into a battlefield. Between one side and the other, there ain’t enough men left to keep the peace.”
“That’s the way I see it.”
“What the hell am I gonna do?”
“Quit and get out of town.”
“You know I can’t do that, Johnny.”
“You will if you got a lick of sense.”
“There’s got to be a way.” He cut a forkful of ham and chewed lost in thought. “Dudley, that’s it!”
“The army?”
“I’ll get him to send troops and declare martial law.”
“You think he’ll do it?”
“He’s got to, or we’ll have us a civil war here. I can ride over to the fort in the morning and have a talk with him.”
“Mind if I ride along?”
“I’d be glad of the company. First, though, I gotta get Lucy out of that store, now.”
Lucy turned from the shelf she was dusting at the sound of the visitor bell.
“Hey, cowboy.” She shook her head. “I’m still not used to callin’ you Marshal. Was that Johnny rode by a bit ago?”
“It was.” He gave her a peck on the cheek.
“What brings him to town?”
“Can we go out back and have a talk.”
“Sure. Why so serious?”
“I’ll tell you out back.”
She led the way. “Susan, can you watch the store for a few minutes?”
Susan smiled with a wave.
Outside they sat on the wagon-loading platform. “What’s wrong, Ty?”
“The Regulators are comin’ to town. They mean it for a showdown with Dolan and his men. They plan on forting up here in the store and the McSween house. I don’t want you anywhere near any of that.”
“Oh, my! Does Susan know?”
“It’s McSween’s plan so I’d expect she does. I know we’ve had this conversation before, Lucy, but this is different. They’re gonna turn this town into a battlefield unless I can stop them.”
“You stop them! How can you possibly do that?”
“Ask Colonel Dudley to declare martial law.”
“You think he will?”
“I sure hope so. In the meantime you need to get out of here.”
“I can’t just walk out and leave things.”
“Lucy, this is war!”
“I’ll tell Susan. The minute the Regulators get here, I’m leaving.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
He kissed her proper.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Fort Stanton
>
June 24th
“Colonel Dudley will see you now.” The sergeant major stepped aside allowing Ledger and Roth to enter the office.
Dudley stood at his desk to greet them. He extended a hand. “Ty, what brings you by? This doesn’t have the look of a social call. Anything I can do for you?”
Ty took his hand. “I’m afraid it’s not a social call, Nate. You remember my friend, Johnny Roth”
“I do. Have a seat.” Dudley returned to his desk. “What’s on your mind?”
Ty took his seat. “We need help with a situation in Lincoln. The McSween and Dolan factions are gunning for a showdown. I haven’t enough men to stop it. I need you to send troops to town and declare martial law.”
Dudley made a steeple of his fingertips. “I’ve heard reports that sound serious.”
“Damn serious.”
“I can’t just do that on my own authority. The governor would have to ask for that kind of help.”
“I don’t know if we’ve got that kind of time.”
“I’m sorry, Ty, that’s all I can do. You’ll have to make the request to Governor Axtell’s office. I’ll arrange for you to use the post telegraph.”
“Who knows if the governor will consider the request coming from me? Most folks think I’m aligned with the McSween faction. I doubt Dolan’s Santa Fe friends will do much for me.”
Dudley shrugged. “All you can do is try.”
Roth didn’t pretend to have Dawn Sky’s gift of vision, but he had a pretty good idea of how this would turn out. Riding back to Lincoln he posed the question.
“What do you figure to do if Axtell doesn’t send troops?”
“Damned if I know.”
“Ty, you can’t stop this by yourself.”
“I can try.”
“You might as well put a gun to your head and pull the trigger. You’d have a better chance of missing than stopping what’s coming.”
Ty cut his eyes to his friend. He was probably right.
“Look, Ty, you don’t need this job. I don’t know much about the cattle business, but Chisum says he’ll stake us to a herd to get started. You can support a family that way. I plan to.”
