by Joe Corso
Jesse pointed to the little velvet bag. “Put the diamonds back in the bag and see if it’ll fit into the pouch with the money. We’ll split everything later.”
Charlie nudged Jesse. “I told you that I don’t want any money, but diamonds are different. I’ll take my share of them.”
“Now let’s take Parker to his bank and have him make a withdrawal for us.”
Jesse tilted his head and nodded. “Good idea; we might as well strike while the irons hot.” He turned to Parker. “Close the safe. Someone might come in here and notice the open safe and think somebody robbed the place - and we sure don’t want to give anybody the wrong impression now, do we?”
Meanwhile, Buntline, who had been busy scribbling notes in his journal, stopped writing for a moment and wiped his brow. Then he quickly bent over his pad again and resumed his scribbling, trying hard to save his thoughts to paper knowing that the boys were packing up and would be heading back to town soon.
CHAPTER 21
Charlie and his friends rode the furrowed trail back to town with nervous caution, watching for any sign of an ambush from the men they released earlier - but their fears were unfounded. The men kept their word, didn’t break their parole, and apparently left town as they promised they would. Longstreet was glad; he didn’t want to kill a man just for doing his job.
The men tied their horses to the hitching post in front of the bank, but only Parker, Cole, and Longstreet entered the bank, the rest of the boys waited for them in the Longhorn Saloon. Jesse wanted to go with them, but Charlie was afraid that in a fit of temper, Jesse would kill the teller. He was like that. You could never trust him not to do something unexpected. Charlie was concerned because his brother Robert had to live in this town after the Kid and his friends were gone, so instead of taking Jesse, Charlie chose Cole instead.
When they entered the bank, Charlie leaned close to Parker and spoke to him in a low voice. “You will act natural when you ask the teller for your safe deposit box. After we empty it, you’ll write out withdrawal slips and then you’ll go to the counter and withdraw all the money in your accounts, but we’ll be with you when you do it, so be careful.” Charlie grabbed Parker by his arm. “I hope these three accounts are all you have because if I find out that you were holding out on us, we’ll be back to take care of you.”
Parker almost panicked. “No. I swear these three accounts are the only ones I have. I swear it.”
Charlie and Cole looked at one another and nodded. “Okay, we believe you. Now calm down and take a deep breath. We don’t want you upset and we don’t want anyone to suspect that you’re being robbed, because if they sound the alarm, we’ll be forced to kill some people, including you, and you’d be responsible for it. Now, if you cooperate, you just might survive this day. You see, you don’t mean much to us alive or dead, so behave yourself and do as we say, and you’ll live. You still own the bank and a few other businesses and from what little I know of you, Ted, whatever you lose today, you’ll make up in a year or two. So when we approach the teller’s window, just relax and act natural and remember it’s only money.”
Parker knew of the gang’s reputation and he’d do exactly what they wanted him to do. They robbed banks and trains and they killed people with impunity and he was determined not to become another one of their statistics, but it bothered Parker that he could never get back at them for taking his money. Right now, he couldn’t worry about that because he had the problem of trying to remain alive at the end of this day - so he promised himself that he would be cooperative and do whatever they asked of him.
Parker smiled, showed his key to the teller, and said that he needed access to his safe deposit box. The teller was about to refuse Longstreet and Younger access to the small room where bank patrons could open their boxes in private, but Cole had his hand in his jacket pocket and pressed metal against Parker’s side and Parker smiled. “That’s all right, Clark. These men are with me. We’re concluding a business deal and there are a few items I need in order to complete our business. So we need privacy for a few minutes.” He smiled again and handed the clerk his key.
When the box was opened, Cole nudged Parker aside and was delighted to see stacks of cash piled high in the large deep box. Charlie reached under his coat, pulled out a canvas bag, and began filling it with the cash from the safety deposit box. There was another velvet bag in the box. This one was a little larger than the one they took from the safe at the ranch. When Cole opened it, he found it too was filled with diamonds. Cole looked at Parker, who just shrugged and explained that diamonds was the safest way to transport money across great distances. That made sense to Charlie, who experienced the dangers of traveling across the country alone. He knew diamonds took up no space and would be much easier to hide than cash. Cole tossed the diamonds to Charlie, who placed them in the bag with the cash.
Parker turned to leave, but Longstreet stopped him. “Not so fast, Ted.” Charlie waved the three bankbooks and handed him three withdrawal slips. “There’s a lot of money in these accounts, so fill out these withdrawal slips.” Parker was hoping not to have to part with the last of his money, but Longstreet killed that hope when he handed him the withdrawal slips. While Cole walked with Parker to the teller’s cage, Charlie carried the canvas bag filled with money out to Jesse, who had been leaning against the wall outside waiting for him. After he handed Jesse the bag, Charlie walked back into the bank and to Cole who was at the teller’s counter. “Did you complete the withdrawals?”
Cole raised his right hand and showed two fingers. The clerk was working on the third account. When he finished, Cole whispered to Parker, “Tell the clerk to put the money in a satchel or carry bag of some sort.” As it turned out, the clerk, on his own initiative, stacked the money in two valises, which he then handed to Parker. Cole patted Parker on his arm like they were old friends. “The valises look pretty heavy, Ted. Let me carry them for you.” Cole took the valises from Parker then the three men walked out of the bank, crossed the street, and escorted Parker to his horse. Cole told Parker to mount his horse and ride away before he changed his mind and killed him. “And don’t you be going to the law telling them that we stole anything from you, we wouldn’t like that. In fact, we’d be real mad and when we Youngers get mad, people start dying. Now, get out of my sight.” Parker leaped on his horse and rode off, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
Cole and Charlie walked across the street to the hotel where the boys were waiting for them at the bar. “Joe, is the back room empty?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah. Wait a minute and I’ll open it for you.”
Once they were settled in and the door was locked, Cole dumped the money on the table. “Ned, you’re good at figures. Why don’t you count the money?”
Buntline quickly put his journal aside and stared at the stack of money piled high on the table. “I get a share of this, right, Cole?”
Cole laughed. “We’re a team, Ned, and we share and share alike. You’ll get your share when we do the split. But we can’t split the money until you count it. So start counting.”
When Buntline finished, each man’s cut came to twenty-five thousand dollars, which was an enormous sum in the post Civil War era. Jesse handed everyone their share, then a towel was spread out on the table and the two velvet bags of diamonds were emptied on it. After counting the diamonds, they each received fifty-four diamonds. Cole suggested that Charlie was entitled to a finder’s fee for setting up this job - and since he refused his share of the money, he suggested they take a vote to give him an extra twenty diamonds from each of them. Cash was important to the boys, not diamonds. Everyone agreed that giving Charlie the extra diamonds was fair. Charlie now had two hundred fourteen diamonds. There was no question that when the diamonds were converted to cash, it would make him a relatively wealthy man.
CHAPTER 22
As the boys headed to the bar to celebrate the haul, Charlie noticed a familiar figure standing at the bar, waving to him. “Well,
I’ll be damned. It’s Hank. It’s good to see you. What are you doing here? I thought I’d see you at the ranch this morning.”
Hank waited for the Kid to down his drink and signal for a refill before speaking. “I want to level with you, Kid. I figured you fellas would be coming out to the ranch this morning, so I thought it’d be better if I made myself scarce. I’ve been here all morning waiting for you boys to return. I looked out the window and I saw Cole talking to Parker. I never saw him looking so scared. Then when Cole pointed to his horse and I saw him get on it and ride away like the devil was chasing him, I figured that you fellas must have really cleaned that sombitch out good.”
The rest of the gang was curious at what was being said and crowded around them so they could hear. “What are you going to do now, Hank? We cleaned Parker out this morning and we didn’t leave him with a dime to pay you with.”
Slinger thought for a moment as he stared into his empty glass. “Guess I’ll go back to Parker’s ranch and collect my things and then I’ll head back home to Texas.”
Charlie was curious and he asked Hank, “If Parker asks where you were this morning, what will you tell him?”
“I’ll tell him that I was in the bunkhouse asleep when you fellas came in, pointing your guns at us and telling us to leave or you’d kill us. I’ll say that I had no choice, so I lit out with the rest of the men and no one will be there who can say otherwise.”
Charlie tilted his head, wondering how Hank knew all of this.
Hank noticed the look on Charlie’s face and understood his concern. “Yeah! I know everything that happened this morning. Some of Parker’s men stopped in town to pick up some supplies to take on the trail with them … I pulled one of them aside and asked him what happened. He told me what you fellas pulled. Pretty clever, if I say so myself. But don’t worry about me getting paid. Parker owes me a month’s wages and now that I know he can’t pay me, I’ll take that nice horse and fancy saddle of his and we’ll call it even.”
Like all men with a pocket full of other people’s money to spend, the boys were in a generous mood. Cole took off his hat and called for quiet. “Look, fellas. Hank came to town to warn us that Parker was sending some of his men to grab the girl, and when Charlie asked him if Parker kept any money at the ranch, he told us about the cash in the safe and the money in the bank. Besides, Charlie, he was responsible for the best payday we had yet. I think that’s worth something - don’t you? What do you say we give him a few dollars traveling money so he won’t go home broke?”
The men all agreed and threw a hundred dollars each into the hat. Even Charlie threw two twenty-dollar gold pieces into the hat. Cole extended the hat to Hank and told him to take the money. Hank hadn’t expected this show of generosity and didn’t know what to say. So he just nodded and without counting the money, he put it in his pocket, thinking that it must be close to a thousand dollars.
“Now you be careful with that poke of yours. Some fearful outlaws like the James gang might sneak up on you in the middle of the night and take all that money away from you at the point of a gun,” Clem Miller said jokingly.
Frank nudged Charlie to get his attention. “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Can’t take the chance of Parker telling the sheriff that we stole his money. The sheriff might get righteous and try to take us in.”
Charlie shook his head. “Never happen, Frank. Not with the paper I’m holding.”
“That might be so,” Frank said. “But we’re leaving anyway. We done what we came to do - now we’re heading back to Missouri - only this time we’re taking the train back.” There was irony in that remark, but Charlie let it pass.
The gang embraced Charlie before they left, and then they waved goodbye to Hank. As Jesse turned to leave, he winked at Charlie. “You were right, Charlie, there was a great business opportunity for us in this town. Gotta go. You take care now.”
Charlie felt a lump in his throat as he watched his friends mount their horses.
Hank stood next to him, watching as they rode off. He looked at Charlie. “You know, Charlie. When I tell people that the James gang actually gave me money instead of robbing me of it, they’ll never believe me.” Hank shook his head. “I’ll never understand people, especially that bunch. Well, I better go and get my things. I have a bad taste in my mouth from this town and I’d like to get away from it as fast as I can.” Hank mounted his horse and as he rode away, he said goodbye to Charlie with a wave of his hat.
Charlie felt blue. His friends had all left, and he was alone. Everything suddenly was quiet and dull; he needed to be with someone. The street was quiet and he was about to cross and go to his brother’s store when a gruff voice asked, “Where the hell do you think you’re going, Kid?”
Charlie pulled his gun quick as a cat and spun around and was about to shoot when he found himself staring into the cherubic face of Ned Buntline. “That was real close, Ned. A little too close - I almost plugged ya. Next time, give a man warning before you go calling out his name from behind his back. I could have killed ya.” With the gun still in his hand, Charlie surprised Buntline by embracing him. “What the hell are you still doing here, Ned? I thought you left with the boys.”
“Nah! Why would I ride off with them when you’re the reason I came here in the first place? And where in hell were you heading just now?”
Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess to my brother’s store. With the boys gone, I was feeling kind of lonely. I never thought I’d be glad to see an old pain in the ass like you, but I am. I’m real glad you decided to stick around, Ned.”
Buntline gave the Kid a thin-lipped smile. “Me too, Kid. Come on. Let’s go into the hotel and have ourselves some lunch while we discuss our plans.” Charlie tilted his head and looked at Buntline. “Plans?”
Because of the popularity of Buntline’s books, Charlie was famous throughout the country. But fame brought problems - and danger for the Kid. Now whenever Charlie played cards or sat down to eat, he developed the habit of sitting with his back against the wall ‘cause it gave him a better view of who came and went. After finishing lunch, they sat sipping coffee and enjoying their conversation.
Buntline asked Charlie, “Have you made any plans yet?”
Charlie was quiet for a moment - thinking. Had he made plans? Was Abby part of those plans? He thought about the question as he sat absently twisting a napkin with his fingers. Finally, he said, “Well, I know Abby would like to get married.”
Buntline pursed his lips. “Is that what you want, Kid?”
“I don’t know, Ned. I’ve gotten used to her and I enjoy being with her.”
Buntline nodded. “But are you in love with her? That’s the big question.”
Charlie looked at him and didn’t say a word. “Well, are you . . . in love with her? It’s a simple question, Charlie, are you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what love is, Ned. I like being with her, and well, I guess I love her, but I really don’t know what being in love is.”
Ned rubbed his hands together. “Okay, then. I have a suggestion for you. Come to New York City with me. I have an idea for a stage play based on the Lone Jack Kid that I’ve been toying with. The play is completed, but I’m still going over it - refining it. I guarantee you that the play will be a success, and I know we’ll make a ton of money with this show. I’ll put you in the lead and we’ll take New York by storm. Give yourself a little time to find out if you really are in love with Abby. And if you find you are, then tell me and I’ll get your skinny ass on the first train to Virginia City and you can marry the girl.” Ned could see that his words hit home. The Kid was thinking about it. He hadn’t refused to go and he didn’t say “no” to the idea. He mulled it over in his mind. In fact, he was looking for an excuse, a reason to go with Ned . . . then a tapping sound coming from the room interrupted his thoughts.
Tap, tap, tap - Tap, tap, tap.
“Damn it, when will this end?” he said to himself and Buntl
ine heard it. He was being challenged again. The Kid looked at Buntline with fire in his eyes. “It’s all because you had to put that damned tapping in the book. Why in hell’s name did you do that for, Ned?”
“Why, to sell books, Kid,” Buntline replied innocently.
Tap - tap - tap.
The Kid noticed a man standing by the door, staring at him. The man smiled and said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I’ve been waiting for your friends to leave town Kid, and now that they’re gone and you’re alone - I’m going to kill you.” As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the room dove for cover.
“Go home,” Charlie told the man. “You don’t have to do this. I don’t have a problem with you and you don’t have any with me so - just, just go home and forget about this business.”
The man smiled grimly. “No good, Kid. Only one of us is going to walk out of here alive. Now stand up or I’ll kill you where you’re sitting.”
Without taking his eyes off of the man, Charlie stood and stepped away form the table.
Joe the bartender pulled a shotgun from under the bar and yelled, “Take your fight outside and not in here. Go on now, get out of here.”
“Like the man says. What say we take this fight outside, Kid?” The stranger backed out through the swinging doors and onto the wooden sidewalk. He took a quick look behind him and stepped down the three steps and onto the dirt street, still backing up, giving Charlie room plenty of room to face him. Funny how when something is about to happen as grim as a gunfight, people just seem to come out of the woodwork to watch it happen. Town residents peeked curiously through store windows; many stepped out onto the wooden sidewalks, making sure to stay close to the walls. Mothers held their children close, afraid they’d wander into the street and into the line of fire. Morbid curiosity, the Kid thought.
“Call it, Kid.”
