Ten Guns from Texas

by William W. Johnstone

  “We’ve got to do something for the wee lass,” Duff said. “For ’tis our fault she was taken.”

  “Accordin’ to the colonel, they’s an awful lot of ’em,” Elmer said.

  “Aye, ’tis true that the odds are against us.”

  “I figure it’s goin’ to take about ten guns, just to even up the odds some,” Elmer said. “But, where are we going to get ten guns?”

  “You need but three more men to have ten guns,” Wang said.

  “Damn, Wang, didn’t they teach you no cipherin’ over there in China?”

  “You have a pistol and a rifle, yes?” Wang said, pointing to Elmer.

  “Yeah.”

  “MacCallister Xian shen has a pistol and a rifle. I have no pistol, I have no rifle.” Wang used the Chinese word, Xian shen, which was an address of respect reserved for teachers and others who occupied an honorable position.

  “What are you gettin’ at?” Elmer asked.

  Duff chuckled. “Think about what Wang is saying, Elmer. Three more men, each with a pistol and a rifle, would be six more guns. Their six with our four would be ten guns.”

  Elmer laughed. “Yeah, I see what he’s a-gettin’ at. I reckon you did take cipherin’ back in China. You’re right, all we need is three more men.”

  “They must be good men,” Wang said.

  “If we had time to get my cousin Falcon and my friends Smoke and Matt Jensen down here, we would have three more good men,” Duff said.

  “Yeah, ’n if a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass ever’ time he jumps, neither,” Elmer said.

  “Well, now, Elmer, I must say, that is quite an astute observation,” Duff said.

  “Perhaps it is a saying of Confucius,” Wang suggested.

  “The hell it is. My own pappy said that,” Elmer replied.

  Duff and Wang laughed.

  “Say, Duff, I’ve got me an idee as to where we might get us them three more men, but if I tell you what I’m thinkin’ about, why you’re more ’n likely goin’ to think I’m crazy. I’d like you to hear me out before you decide to throw me into the madhouse, though.”

  “Elmer, almost every idea you’ve ever had has been daft. But almost all of them have worked out. What is the idea?”

  “Do you ’member readin’ that newspaper story sayin’ that Roy Kelly got throwed into prison for ridin’ with Bill Anderson?”

  “Aye, I remember. I believe you said that you knew him.”

  “That’s a fact. I do know ’im. Me ’n him rode through some pretty rough times back durin’ the war, ’n I could always count on Roy to pull my bacon out of the fire. What I’m gettin’ around to is this. He’s a man you can ride to the river with.”

  “You are suggesting that the governor pardon him?” Duff asked.

  “Yeah. He could pardon ’im if Kelly agrees to come with us. I know Kelly would do that.”

  “Do you think Mr. Kelly can find two more men that we could . . . as you have put it, ‘ride to the river with’?” Duff asked.

  “Yeah, Roy’s just real good about makin’ friends, ’n what’s even better is, he knows what kind of folks he should be makin’ friends with. He can get us two more men, ’n most likely, it’ll be men that he’s met while he’s been locked up in prison.”

  * * *

  “Let me see if I understand this,” Governor Ireland said when the three men returned to his office. “You want me to pardon three men that we now have in prison, but you don’t know who the three are.”

  “Yes sir, Colonel, that’s pretty much it,” Elmer said.

  “Lieutenant Gleason, don’t you think it would be a good idea to know the names of the men I’m going to pardon?”

  “Well, I know one of ’em,” Elmer said. “And I’m figurin’ he can give me the names of the other two we’ll need.”

  “All right. Who do you want me to pardon?”

  “Roy Kelly.”

  “Roy Kelly? Seems to me that I’ve heard that name before,” the governor said.

  “Yes, sir, I expect you have. Me ’n him rode some with Quantrill ’n Bloody Bill Anderson. Only time he warn’t with me was when I was ridin’ with Asa Briggs.”

  “What is Mr. Kelly in prison for?” the governor asked. “If it’s for murder, I don’t think I could pardon him.”

  “It ain’t murder,” Elmer said. “It ain’t nothin’ more ’n the fact that he rode with Bloody Bill Anderson. They was some Yankee judge that throwed him in jail for that.”

  Governor Ireland stroked his beard for a moment as he stared at Elmer. “You know, Elmer, you’ve got me over a barrel here. I want my daughter back, and you’re saying the only way I can get her back is by freeing three convicted criminals, two of whom I don’t even know.”

  “Yes, sir, well, two of ’em I don’t know, neither,” Elmer said.

  “Governor, I promise you, we are going to do whatever it takes to get your daughter back,” Duff said. “But if Elmer believes this is the way that offers the most chance for success, then I think we should go with it. I’ve been around him long enough that I’ve learned to listen to him.”

  The governor nodded. “Yes, I seem to recall that he was most sagacious. If he has come up with this plan, I am more than willing to allow it to be put into place.”

  He called out for his secretary. “Mr. Fitzhugh?”

  “Yes, sir?” Fitzhugh stepped into the room.

  “Don’t we have some printed forms for pardon?”

  “Yes, sir, we do.”

  “Bring three of them to me.”

  “Three, sir? You are going to grant three pardons to incarcerated prisoners? Don’t you think that might be a bit impolitic?”

  “Impolitic, Fitzhugh? Impolitic? Dammit, man, my daughter is being held by a bunch of heathens, and you are telling me that granting a pardon to some men who might help me get her back is impolitic? Just do it.”

  “Yes, sir,” Fitzhugh replied.

  Chapter Twenty

  Texas State Penitentiary, Huntsville

  Duff, Elmer, and Wang, each of them leading a saddled horse, were challenged by the guard when they arrived at the main gate of the prison.

  “You’ll have to go back,” the guard said. “This isn’t visiting hours.”

  “We’re nae here to visit a prisoner,” Duff replied. “We’re here to visit with the warden.”

  “You got an appointment with the warden?”

  “We got somethin’ better,” Elmer said. “We got a letter from the governor, tellin’ the warden to meet with us.” He showed the letter to the guard.

  The sentry looked at it, then called out to one of the others in the blockhouse. “Barnes, you want to go get Cap’n Phillips? This is for him.”

  As Barnes left the blockhouse, the guard stood in place. “What are the three extra horses for?”

  “Well now, if we’re goin’ to break three men outta here, you don’t expect ’em to walk while we’re ridin’, do you?” Elmer asked.

  “What?”

  Elmer laughed. “I’m funnin’ with you.”

  “We do hope to be leaving with three of your current residents,” Duff said, “but we’ll nae do it without permission of the warden.”

  A moment later, Barnes returned with an older man who was also wearing a guard’s uniform.

  “What’s this about, Blake?” he asked the guard who had detained the three.

  “This here letter’s from the governor, ’n it’s for you,” Blake said.

  To: Captain Emory Phillips

  The three gentlemen bearing this letter, Duff MacCallister, Elmer Gleason, and Wang Chow, are on a special mission authorized by me. Please allow them entry into the prison and arrange for them an audience with the warden.

  John Ireland

  Governor

  “What is this about?” Phillips asked.

  “We’ll be stating our mission to the warden,” Duff said. “I expect it will involve you, so I’ll have nae problem with you listening to the r
equest as we make it. But I’ll nae be asking you first.”

  It was obvious that Duff’s refusal to clear his mission with the captain of the guards didn’t fit well with Phillips, but with a grunt, he led them to the warden’s office and ushered them inside.

  “The governor has granted a pardon for Roy Kelly?” the warden asked incredulously after he read the pardon form presented to him by Duff.

  “Aye, Roy Kelly and two more,” Duff said.

  “Who are the other two?”

  “We’ll tell you after we have spoken to Mr. Kelly.”

  The warden shook his head. “There’s something fishy about this.”

  “Warden, might I suggest that you send a telegram to the Governor to verify what I am saying? We’ll wait here until you have received your reply.”

  It took less than thirty minutes before the warden came back in, holding the telegram in his hand. There was a look of total confusion on his face. “I don’t know what’s going on here.”

  “Did you get a reply from the governor?” Duff asked.

  Wordlessly, the warden held the telegram out for Duff to read.

  I JOHN IRELAND GOVERNOR OF

  THE STATE OF TEXAS ORDER

  YOU TO EXTEND FULL AND

  COMPLETE COOPERATION WITH

  DUFF MACCALISTER AND

  ELMER GLEASON

  STOP

  “Do you have a place where we can visit with Mr. Kelly?” Duff asked.

  The warden nodded. “Yes, there is a room where prisoners can receive visitors.”

  “Will there be guards present?”

  “Well, yes, of course.”

  “We would prefer to meet with him in a private room with no guards present.”

  “That would be against the law,” Captain Phillips put in. “We cannot let our prisoners visit with anyone without a guard present.”

  “Aye, that might be so,” Duff said, “but Mr. Kelly is nae longer a prisoner.”

  “What do you mean, he’s no longer a prisoner?” Captain Phillips asked.

  “Warden, would you please be for showing Captain Phillips the pardon I just gave you?” Duff asked.

  The warden showed the pardon to Captain Phillips.

  “You man Kelly is bein’ set free?” Phillips asked.

  “Yes,” the warden replied.

  “And we’d like to meet with him in a private room, if you please,” Duff said.

  The warden nodded toward Captain Phillips. “Please arrange for their meeting and bring him to the hearing room.”

  The glaring expression on Captain Phillips’s face showed his displeasure, but he nodded and left the office to carry out the warden’s order.

  * * *

  “What’s going on here?” Kelly asked when he stepped into the room a few minutes later. He looked at Elmer with a curious expression on his face. “Gleason? Elmer Gleason, is that you?”

  Elmer nodded. “It is.”

  Kelly smiled broadly and extended his hand. “I’ll be damned! What are you doing here?”

  “I came to get you,” Elmer said.

  “Get me? Get me for what?”

  “For a job I want you to help us with.”

  Kelly chuckled. “Uh, maybe you ain’t noticed, but I’m a little tied up at the moment.”

  “No you ain’t. Not no more, you ain’t. The governor’s givin’ you a pardon, if you agree to help us with this job.”

  “Hell yes, I’ll help you with the job!” Kelly said excitedly.

  “You ain’t asked what it is.”

  “I don’t care what it is as long as it’ll get me out of here.”

  “It’ll get you out, all right. It could also get you kilt,” Elmer said.

  “Well, hell, Gleason, it ain’t like I’ve never been in a situation like that before. With you, in fact. Now, what kind of job is it?”

  “Before we tell you that, we need for you to recommend two more in here that might help us,” Duff said.

  “Who are you?” Kelly asked.

  “This here is my friend, Duff MacCallister,” Elmer said.

  Kelly looked at Duff for a moment, then he looked back toward Elmer. “Who’s the Chinaman?”

  “His name is Wang Chow, and he’ll also be with us. Duff will be in charge of the job.”

  “Which you ain’t goin’ to tell me what it is until I give you two more names of somebody that’s likely to take on a job that might get ’em kilt?”

  “Yeah. Do you know two more men like that?”

  Kelly smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do.”

  * * *

  “These here two men are Al Simmons and Hugh Decker,” Kelly said when the two men came into the room. “Decker, Simmons, this here is an old friend of mine, Elmer Gleason. This is Duff MacCallister, and the Chinaman is . . . what was your name again?”

  “I am Wang Chow.”

  “Yeah, Wang Chow.”

  “What’s this all about, Kelly?” Decker asked. “And how come it is that the warden let us come in here without no guards?”

  “Truth to tell, I don’t know nothin’ about it yet, neither,” Kelly said. “Exceptin’ this. The governor is goin’ to give us a full pardon iffen we will agree to do a job for him.”

  “A full pardon? You mean he’s goin’ to let us out of prison?”

  “Yeah, but, like I say, he’s only goin’ to do that if we agree to do a job for ’im.”

  Decker frowned. “What kind of job?”

  “A job that could get us all kilt.”

  “Do you plan to take ’im up on it?” Simmons asked.

  “You’re damn right I do. I’d rather get kilt tryin’ to do somethin’ that will get me out of here than spend the rest of my life rottin’ in here,” Kelly said.

  “What about them two and the Chinaman? Are they the ones that’s goin’ to sit back and send us out on this job?”

  “The Chinaman has a name,” Elmer said. “His name is Wang Chow.”

  “Where’s he come in?” Decker asked.

  “Wang is with us,” Duff said. “And he will take orders from me, as will you.”

  “You don’t say.” Decker said.

  “We’ll all be goin’ on the job together,” Elmer pointed out. “We’re as likely to get kilt as you are.”

  “That is, unless you choose to stay in prison. And if you choose to stay, I’m sure Mr. Kelly can find two other men who are willing to take a chance for a full pardon,” Duff said.

  “No, no. We’ll do it!” Simmons said. “Leastwise, I’ll do it.”

  “What about you, Mr. Decker. Are you willing to come with us?” Duff asked.

  “I’d like to hear what this is all about before I say as to whether or not I’m willin’ to go along with it,” Decker said.

  “Mr. Kelly, would you call the guard to come get Mr. Decker?” Duff asked. “I’m sure you can come up with another name for us.”

  “I sort of hate losin’ Decker,” Kelly said. “I’ve always figured he was a pretty good man.”

  “Wait, wait!” Decker said. “I never said I wouldn’t do it. I just wanted to know a little somethin’ about what we was goin’ to do, is all.”

  Duff nodded. “I can see how you might be curious about it. But in order for this to work, we cannae let anyone know what we have planned. The longer we can keep the secret, the safer we’ll all be. Once you commit to working with us, we’ll fill you in on everything you need to know. Now, it’s your choice. Do you go with us or do we call the guards to return you to your cell?”

  “All right,” Decker said. “Whatever you’ve got in mind, I’ll go along with it. I’m like Kelly. Even if I get kilt, I’d rather die a free man than a prisoner.”

  Duff smiled. “It takes a good man to make that decision, the kind of man we need in order for this to work.”

  “We’ll need a name,” Elmer said.

  “A name?” Kelly asked. “What do you mean, we’ll need a name?”

  “Ever’ good outfit has got to hav
e themselves a name,” Elmer said. “There was Quantrill’s Raiders, Bloody Bill Anderson’s Bushwhackers, ’n Asa Brigg’s Ghost Riders. I figure we can call ourselves the Ten Guns from Texas.”

  “You plannin’ on gettin’ four more men?” Simmons asked.

  “No, they’s five of us. We’ll carry two guns apiece. That’ll make ten,” Elmer explained.

  “They’s six of us,” Decker said.

  “Wang won’t be carryin’ no guns,” Elmer said.

  “If he ain’t carryin’ no gun, what’s he comin’ with us for? He’ll just be in the way, won’t he?”

  “Oh, I think he can keep out of our way,” Duff said with a little chuckle.

  * * *

  Two hours later, Kelly, Decker, and Simmons were wearing new clothes and each of them was equipped with a Colt .44, a Winchester .44-40 carbine, and four boxes of ammunition. They were also well-mounted.

  “Hey! How come you boys is gettin’ out of here?” one of the prisoners in the yard yelled. “I know damn well your time ain’t up.”

  “Ain’t you heard?” Kelly shouted back. “Today’s the governor’s birthday, ’n he’s invited us to his house for a birthday party.”

  “What the hell? How come he invited you all ’n none of us?”

  “’Cause we sent ’im a letter tellin’ ’im Happy Birthday,” Decker added with a chuckle as the guards opened the front gate for them.

  So far, none of them had any idea as to the nature of the job for which they had been recruited, but none of them asked, satisfied that they were out of prison.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Shortly after they reached the area where they were to camp for the night, Wang began walking around, examining the various wild plants, gathering some, passing on others.

  “What’s the Chinaman a-doin’?” Kelly asked.

  “He’s fixin’ to cook our supper,” Elmer replied.

  “Supper? Damn, he’s cuttin’ weeds! He don’t expect us to eat weeds, does he?”

  “Whether or nae you eat what he prepares, will be your choice,” Duff said. “Aye, ’n ’twill be your loss if you decide you dinnae wish to partake of the fare.”