by Joe Corso
The sheriff walked to the bar and said a few words to the men standing at the bar. “I’d like to sit here and have a drink with you boys, but I’m afraid I can’t. I might get to like you fellas and that might interfere with me doing my job. I made an agreement with Charlie and I intend to keep it. I know what you boys have to do and I’m gonna do my best to be elsewhere when it happens.” Then Wheeler looked each of them in the eye. “I’m asking you boys to try and keep your troubles out of my town. I understand that certain unforeseen problems like what just happened sometimes can’t be avoided and I can overlook that. But I’m asking you not to put me in a position where I’ll be forced to act like a lawman, especially with people I like.” He looked at Charlie as he said it.
Cole Younger put his arm around the sheriff. “Don’t worry, sheriff, we’ll watch ourselves. We don’t intend to cause you or Charlie any problems . . . unless?”
“Unless what?” the sheriff asked nervously, wondering what he meant by his use of the word “unless.” All the boys stared at Cole, wondering what he was about to say.
Cole grinned. “Unless . . . Unless, you don’t have a drink with us. If you do, we promise to behave.” Everyone at the bar relaxed and the tension dissipated like the sun breaking through a misty fog. The sheriff smiled. “Well, when you put it that way, guess I’m obliged to have a drink with you.”
The sheriff put down his empty glass and took a step back. “Remember, boys, I’m counting on you to keep your business out of town.” Then he turned and walked out through the swinging doors and headed to the comfort and safety of his jail.
CHAPTER 17
THE PARKER RANCH
Since Parker discovered who came in on the eleven thirty train, he became restless. It was true that he had twice the men Longstreet had, but most of his men didn’t take part in the war’s atrocities, and they certainly never rode with the two butchers, Quantrill and Bloody Bill Anderson. When he thought about what he had to do, he shuddered. Parker was filled with uncertainty of how he could even the odds, even though they were 2 to 1 in his favor. Then an idea began to form in the back of his mind. “Hank, do you remember the first encounter we had with Longstreet?”
“Yeah, it was over that pretty young girl from the wagon train. Three of our men had a little too much to drink and they began to harass and frighten the girl, then the Kid stepped in and stopped them.” Hank remembered that day clearly.
“Yeah, that’s the girl. Her folks bought the Cummings place. The old man’s started to farm the land. He’s already cleared the first five acres.” Parker was thinking clearly now.
“I’ve been keeping tabs on him. Nothing happens in Virginia City without me knowing about it. The city is growing fast and I intend to be its largest landowner. But that’s beside the point. The important thing is to figure a way to neutralize Longstreet and his friends, and I think I may have found the answer. Look, Hank. I want you to take three men and go out to the Cummings place. Wait for the girl to leave and then, when she’s alone, grab her, and then bring her here. If Longstreet has the hots for her, then she just might be what we need to stop him. He’ll come for her; don’t worry about that, and his friends will come with him - and when they do, we’ll be ready for them.”
“What if Longstreet doesn’t come? Or what if he comes alone?”
Parker smiled grimly. “Even better. Cut the head off a snake and the body dies. When he’s dead, there won’t be any reason for his friends to remain here.”
“I don’t know about that, boss. Those boys served with Longstreet in the war, and they’re joined at the hip. If you take them on, I think you’ll be biting off more than you can chew.”
Parker waved his hand. “Nonsense. Once he’s dead, they’ll leave on the next train out. Trust me on this.”
Hank just nodded. He was getting nowhere trying to reason with him, so without another word said, Hank left him and headed to the bunkhouse.
Hank Slinger grew up on a cattle ranch in Dallas, Texas before serving briefly in the Confederate army. Shortly after enlisting, he was wounded at the second battle of Bull Run when a mini ball ripped through his thigh. The doctor told Hank that he might have to remove his leg, but Hank took that decision away from him when he pointed his revolver at the doctor and told him to repair the leg as best he could, telling him that if he removed his leg he would kill him. The leg stayed on, and in time it healed, although he walked with a slight limp and when it rained, it caused him pain where the ball tore through ligaments and muscles in his leg. When he was discharged, he returned to his father’s ranch in Texas and when he was asked about the war, he would never discuss his time in the army.
Parker first met Hank when he drove a large herd of cattle to Virginia City. After negotiating a price, Parker bought the herd. To celebrate the sale, the two men parked themselves in the local saloon for a few drinks. Parker needed someone to run his ranch and he was impressed with the way Hank handled the herd - and the men who rode with him. After a few more drinks, Parker offered him the ranch foreman’s job at a lot more money than he was making at that point. Anxious to see the country, Hank accepted Parker’s offer and for the last four years, much to Parkers delight, he was the man who ran his ranch.
Slinger wasn’t a gun fighter, but he wasn’t averse to using his gun; after all, he used it in the war to kill Yankees, but he didn’t like using his gun indiscriminately like some men did. And even though he worked for Parker, being a Texan, he related to Longstreet and his friends. Slinger was interested in cattle and ranching and not in fighting someone else’s battles. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when Parker ordered him to kidnap the girl. He didn’t like the idea of kidnapping anyone, especially a young girl and then hold her hostage? Just to get back at a competitor? No! He wouldn’t do it. He drew the line there.
As Hank Slinger was about to open the bunkhouse door, he stopped, and pulled his hand away as if the handle was a hot coal. Instead, he saddled his horse and headed to town. He tied his horse in front of the Longhorn Saloon, but instead of going in, he turned and walked across the street to Longstreet’s store.
“Is the Kid here?” Susie, who was busy restocking shelves with merchandise, looked at him suspiciously. “Why do you want to see him?”
“Look, Mrs. Longstreet, I didn’t come in here to cause trouble. There’s something important I have to tell him.”
CLICK.
Hank Slinger recognized the cocking of a gun’s hammer. The Kid, ever cautious, had been standing by the window, keeping his eye out for trouble. He spotted Hank walking toward the store, so he stood behind a rack of clothes so he wouldn’t be seen. “What do you want Slinger?”
“Can I turn around? I have something important to tell you, something you should know about.”
“Turn around slow like, and if you make a move for your gun, I’ll plug ya.”
Slinger shook his head and held his hands up in supplication. “Look, Kid. Besides being Parker’s foreman, I’m a rancher; always have been. When Parker offered me the foreman’s job, I didn’t have to be a math wizard to see that I’d make a lot more money than I ever thought possible, so I jumped at the chance. To tell you the truth, I turned a blind eye to Parker’s shenanigans as long as he didn’t include me in them. I did my job and he did whatever the hell he needed to do to increase his fortune and become a big man in Virginia City.”
The Kid waved his gun. “Get to the point, Slinger; what did you want to tell me?”
“I’m getting to it, Kid. I resented it when he began to involve me in his business. You may not believe this, but I’m no gun hand. I’m a rancher - period. Do you know what he asked me to do today?”
“No. What?”
“He ordered me to get three men and go out to the Cummings place, grab your girlfriend, and bring her to him. Figured he’d have a bargaining chip when it came time to deal with you and your friends. And just so you know it, I’m a Texas boy and I served under Robert E Lee at the second battle
of Bull Run. I was wounded there and almost died on that battlefield. Put me out of the war.”
The door opened and Frank and Cole walked in. Longstreet waved them over. “Frank, Cole, I want you to meet Hank Slinger. He’s okay. He’s Parker’s foreman and he served in the war under Bobbie Lee.” Slinger put out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I heard a lot about you boys. I know that you fellas fought bravely for the Confederacy.” Hank lowered his gaze and shook his head. “To put it plain and simple, I don’t like fightin’ against my own kind.”
Cole and Frank noticed the gun still in the Kid’s hand. Holding a gun was natural to the Kid and he didn’t realize that it was still pointing at Hank. Embarrassed by his rudeness, the Kid holstered his gun and put out his hand. “Thanks, Hank, sorry about the gun. I appreciate you coming here to warn me. I better be getting out to the ranch before Parker’s men get there.”
Slinger waved his hand in dismissal. “Relax, Kid. Nobody’s going anywhere until I say so, and I’m not going to do that until I know that you’re there waiting for them. I don’t like the men Parker’s hiring lately. Gunslingers, ex-army men, soldiers of fortune, and anyone looking to make an easy dollar, and he’s willing to pay big money for their guns. That’s why they’re flocking to him.”
Longstreet relaxed. “How many men does he have?”
“Right now, he has fourteen men, including me, but more will be coming as word gets around that he’s paying good money to any man who’s good with a gun. When I get back to the ranch, I’ll send Parker’s three best Yankee gunmen to Saunders’ ranch. If you can take those three out, that’ll reduce Parker’s force considerably because the rest are not gun hands, they’re mostly ex-Yankee soldiers who are just looking to survive. Well, that’s what I came to tell you. Now I better get back before I’m missed.”
As Slinger turned to leave, Longstreet grabbed his arm roughly, with more force than he intended. “Wait. I have something to ask you.”
Slinger turned and looked down at the Kid, who was still squeezing his arm. He looked sideways at the Kid and pulled his arm free from his hand, annoyed at the Kid. “What did you want to ask me?” he asked gruffly.
Charlie was out of line and he knew it. “Sorry, didn’t mean to grab you like that, but I have to ask you something while I have the chance.” The Kid reached over and smoothed Slinger’s sleeve, then said. “I want to break Parker financially. Do you know if he keeps any money at his ranch?”
When Slinger heard the question, he relaxed. He could almost guess what the Kid was planning. “As a matter of fact, he keeps large amounts of payroll cash in his safe.” Hank had a hint of a smile on his face as he looked at Frank and Cole and Jesse, who had just walked in and was listening to every word he was saying. “He also owns the town’s only bank.”
That got Jesse’s attention. “Where’s it located?” he asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
“It’s in the middle of town, a few stores down from here.” That information brought a smile to Jesse’s face. “Besides cash, he also keeps his bonds, deeds, and mortgages there.”
“Deeds and Mortgages?” the Kid asked.
CHAPTER 18
Charlie and the boys had been waiting two hours for Parker’s men to arrive. While waiting, they talked about how they would rob the ranch and the bank. Jesse grinned and spoke through tight lips. “I see what you mean when you wrote about a business opportunity. The bank alone would make this trip worthwhile - and the safe back at the ranch is the cherry on the cake.”
Buntline, who’d been busy writing notes on his thick note pad, hadn’t said much. He turned to the Kid. “Why would you want to rob them both at the same time? Why not rob them one at a time? And how are you planning to do it?”
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know how to plan a robbery, Ned. That’s Jesse’s line of work. If anyone can make it work, it’s him; you should ask him how he’d do it.”
Ned turned to Jesse. “How about it, Jesse? How would you handle this?”
Jesse thought for a moment, then said, “Well, we could rob them one at a time, but if we did, we’d have to rob the bank first because that’s where most of his money is. We’d have to be fast because if he discovered the bank was robbed, he’d protect what he had at the ranch. But if we robbed both the bank and his ranch at the same time, he wouldn’t be expecting that. Besides, taking his money, he’d lose all of his mortgages and deeds because we’d take them too.”
Charlie raised his hand and said, “Look, guys. I’m not interested in Parker’s money, you can have it all. When I sent you the wire, I mentioned a business opportunity and that was his money. I don’t want his money. I want the deeds and mortgages.”
“Why take the mortgages and deeds and not the money?” Frank questioned.
“I’ll give the mortgages and deeds back to the people he stole them from.”
Clem Miller, who was silent up until now, spoke up. “I don’t care about deeds and mortgages; that has no value to me. I can’t spend paper; just give me the money ‘cause that I can spend - and Charlie, as far as I’m concerned, you can have all of the paper.”
Then all the men echoed, “That’s the way I feel too.”
“Everybody agreed?” Frank looked around the room at the faces of the men. “Who’s for giving Charlie the paper in exchange for his end of the cash?” He received a resounding “YES” in reply. “Well, I guess Charlie gets the paper, then.” He turned to look at Charlie. “You know, Charlie, we’d still give you a share of the cash, and you can still keep the paper.”
“Thanks, Frank, but a deal’s a deal. You fellas keep the cash and I’m happy with the paper, but I appreciate your consideration.”
“Hell, Charlie, you’re one of us, and we always share equally.”
Charlie put his arms around Frank affectionately. “Thanks, Frank. It’s good to hear you say that, but the deal stands. I’ll take the paper.”
Jesse added to the conversation. “The only problem that needs to be worked out is the timing of the robberies.” He turned to Charlie. “Charlie, the sequence of events has to be precise. Like when we planned a raid in the army. For starters, we have to neutralize Parker’s men either by ambush and surprise, or lure them into a trap, but one way or another, we have to neutralize them. When that’s done, then we can rob his bank and ranch without worrying about having to fight his men. It would have to happen fast. One, we neutralize Parker and his men. Two, as soon as we complete that phase, we immediately rob his bank and ranch. And three, we leave Virginia City right after the robberies and head back to Missouri. Once we’re on the road, we’ll travel away from the rail route because with a train, a posse could catch up to us in no time. For the moment though, let’s take care of the three men he’s sending for the girl and we’ll finalize our plans later tonight.”
Charlie agreed with what Jesse said, but he added another thought. “Listen up, guys. We should rob both the bank and the ranch like Jesse says, but if fate intervenes, we could get lucky.”
Jesse looked at Charlie curiously. “What do you mean we could get lucky?”
“What if we get lucky and find ourselves in a position where we can rob Parker at the ranch and then take him with us to the bank. If that happens, then we can have him withdraw all of his cash without having to fire a shot. It’s just a thought and probably wouldn’t happen, but let’s keep our options open just in case the opportunity presents itself.”
The men chuckled and Frank said, “Fat chance of us being that lucky. Money never just falls into our hands. We have to wrench it out, or blast it out from a bank or a train in order to get to it. But it would be nice if what you just described happened.”
The Kid knocked on the door to the back room. Mrs. Saunders opened it. She had a frightened look in her eyes and Charlie couldn’t help noticing it. Charlie patted her on her shoulder to reassure her. “Mrs. Saunders, don’t you fret none, everything is going to work out fine. But I have to ask a favor. I want one o
f my friends to dress up in a woman’s outfit, and we hoped that maybe we could borrow some clothes from you. I’ll need a large hat and a scarf to cover his face. I want Parker’s men to think Abby is leaving the ranch and riding to town in her buggy.”
Mrs. Saunders thought for a moment, going through a mental inventory of her clothing. “I think I have just what you want. I’ll be back right back.” Mrs. Saunders left, and in a few minutes, she returned with the clothing. She scanned the men in the room and pointed to Bill Chaldwell. “I think he should wear the clothes. He’s the thinnest and I believe the clothes should fit him.”
Jesse looked over at Chaldwell. “Put them on, Bill. You’re gonna be the bait. I don’t want those men to see your mustache and beard, so wear the hat low and the scarf high so that your face is covered. Now go change into those clothes. Clell, you ride in the boot; we’ll cover you with a blanket so no one will see you hidden there. It’s not unusual for a woman to have a blanket to keep her warm on a cold morning. Don’t worry. We’ll be close in case you run into trouble. Wait until Parker’s men try to stop you, then open up on them.”
THE PARKER RANCH.
“Did you send men to the Cummings ranch to pick up the girl like I asked you to?”
“Yes, sir. I sent three men to the ranch with instructions to wait until she leaves and then grab her.”
“Good. Who did you send?”
“I sent Sam Lewis, Billie Gould, and Felix Huntley.”
“Why those three? Why’d you send my three best gun hands to pick up the girl? Why not three other men?”
