Sheriff Tucker

by Laszlo Endrody

  “So that’s where I got the Liz name for my daughter,” I thought to myself.

  We got started the next morning after a big breakfast, and I told the kids that this would be breakfast and lunch. We would get some rolls later. I was hoping to make Shreveport in eight days and Vicksburg in 16 to 17 days. From there, we would go by ship up river to St. Louis and then home. After we got underway, we were making good time.

  That night we made camp in a nice place off the road a little. We made coffee and cooked some beans to go with the leftover ham pieces, it was a good meal. The next night we stayed at a stage station again and we had a good meal and fed and watered the horses and slept in the wagon.

  In the morning while I was having a cup of coffee, a young man went over to my Arab and patted him. He then came over to me and asked if we could talk.

  “Go right ahead,” I said. “But just to let you know, that horse is not for sale.”

  “That horse belonged to my brother. He went to war on that horse. The saddle on the horse was his saddle too,” he said.

  “I got that horse in the war with that saddle,” I told him.

  He went back and talked with a young girl and an old man and then they rode off in a carriage. We left as well. We fed the horses some more oats at lunch time, and then we went on and camped off the road a ways that night. After we ate, Buck told me that the fellow that talked to me went by with their carriage again. I told him that I would be back soon. I wanted to say something to that man. I felt that I should have explained to him that his brother was dead. Seeing that horse only gave them hope that he may be alive somewhere. Then some shooting started. I saw Buck on his yellow racing after me.

  The carriage was being attacked by five men on horses. I pulled my Henry and shot one of the men and he fell off his horse. Another was dragging the girl from the carriage, and then Buck started shooting. We had all five on the ground. That young man came over and thanked me for the help.

  “Who are these bandits?” I asked.

  “They are Comancheros. You saved my sister from them. They would have given her to the Comanches.”

  “I wanted to tell you about your brother,” I said. “I should have explained to you before that your brother is dead. Seeing his horse may have given you false hope.”

  Buck was bringing in the guns and money. There was quite a lot. I told him to put everything in their carriage and to tie the horses in the back. The old man came up to me and introduced himself as John Alverez. He asked us to come to their home where we could talk; it was only a short distance away. I said it would only take a little while and we could catch up with them.

  We caught up and followed them to a big ranch with big corrals. They had cowboys that took care of the horses, they even brushed them. Buck said they were trying to spoil the horses. They had a big dinner for us, and after dinner I told them the story of being at the Confederate hospital where they took my lower arm off.

  “Two Confederate officers were riding in with one covered in blood and the other was helping him. Then the shelling started, and the hospital got a direct hit. I found the doctor and everyone else inside the big room dead. I wanted to help like they helped me, but everybody was dead. There was nothing I could do. There were two horses in the stable, so I took them both and rode out of there. So if one of those officers was your son, he died that day. That’s why I rode after you, so I could tell you this,” I explained.

  “You and your son rode after us and saved our lives,” the old man stated. “You are brave. You will be our friend forever.”

  “Would you please send out some men with shovels to bury those bandits?” I asked.

  He said it would be taken care of in the morning.

  “What about all of that money you put in our carriage?” he asked.

  “I don’t want anything off of those bandits,” I said. “All of those new guns can go to your men to help protect this ranch.”

  “Where are you heading?”

  “Vicksburg, to get a boat going to St. Louis,” I told him.

  “If you come back to Texas, please come to visit us,” said the old man.

  Liz went over to look at his jacket that he was wearing. A Mexican had made that jacket, it was very beautifully made.

  “Where can I buy a jacket like this for my father?” she asked. Two of the ladies said they could fix her up and left the room. They came back with a nice jacket and made me try in on, it fit me real nice.

  “I can be a bull fighter with this jacket,” I remarked.

  “You will need a white shirt to go with that. We will give you one to wear tomorrow,” said one of the ladies.

  They let us sleep in a big bed. I slept with Liz but Buck wanted to sleep in the wagon. Buck did not have any spurs on his nice new Texan boots, so they gave him a set of Texan silver spurs. He sure liked them.

  That next morning, a lady brought me a white shirt and came to comb Liz’s hair. We had breakfast with them. The cowboys hitched up our horses and put our riding horses in the back. They gave us four sacks of cracked corn to take with us. We said our goodbyes and left there with a basket of food for later.

  “It is nice to have friends,” Liz said.

  Everywhere we stopped people would speak Spanish to us, but we talked back in English. Most everyone in Texas could speak Spanish.

  When we got to Longview, I wired my wife Liz and reported our progress. I gave her our ETA at Shreveport. We left town without getting an answer back from her. We were making good time.

  In Shreveport, we went to a hotel and put all the horses in a corral. They were fed some good hay and oats and the horses had plenty of room to roll around. We had a nice dinner and breakfast. I sent a wire home that we would be in Vicksburg next, and then on a ship headed for home. I got an answer from dad. He gave me three ships and their ETA in Vicksburg, and stated that rooms would be reserved for me and the kids.

  We left town the next day after we did some shopping. We went to a bank and I converted some pesos into dollars. We made out like bandits. Both Buck and I used the Mexican officer’s money belts. We both had some Mexican gold and added a thousand U.S. into each money belt. We had 6,000 dollars in one of the saddlebags. We were rich. We bought two more dresses for Liz. She looked like a little lady. Buck and I went to the barber shop and got a haircut and I got a nice shave. We left town in good shape and started to travel.

  We stopped at a stage station again and had some cooked food and fresh rolls. The butcher had no ham, so he sold us some smoked loins. I had him chop it up for us; the kids sure loved it.

  When we got to Monroe, we went to a hotel. It took us five days to get there. We wired home and gave them an ETA of five days, firm. We got a wire back that the ship George Washington would be in Vicksburg in eight days with two rooms reserved. The next day I got 15 sacks of oats for the trip north. We got started in the afternoon after the usual shopping.

  We camped out the first night off the road a ways. We warmed up some ham and had some rolls. I made some coffee and there was enough left for in the morning. We ate breakfast that morning and I wanted to make it a long day of traveling so that we could make our ETA.

  We got to a stage station around 11:30 a.m. I asked if we could buy some food. They invited us in and said they had some good stew. We had some and I gave them a dollar and we went out to the wagon. After I put the nosebags away, we rolled on out.

  We crossed a creek with clean water and let all the horses drink. We camped again that night and for the next two nights.

  Finally, we pulled in to Vicksburg. We went to a hotel and got a room, Buck stayed with the wagon and the horses were in the hotel stable. We ate in their restaurant, dinner and breakfast.

  The next day we went to the shipping office and booked passage on the George Washington. We had two rooms reserved. Another gentleman came in and Liz told me to look out th
e window. I looked and the man was pointing a gun at the gentleman behind us. My gun came out and I shot at his gun. Buck came in and handed the gun to me saying, “You ruined this one.”

  I handed the gun to the gentleman and said, “He was aiming at you. Keep this as a souvenir.” He was shocked that someone wanted to kill him.

  He asked the clerk if he had a room for him on the Washington. “Yes, Mr. Vandorn,” answered the clerk, “Right next to Mr. Belden here.”

  “Are you related to Mr. Belden, the chairman of the Union Pacific?” he asked me.

  “I am his son, Johnathan.” We shook hands. “I am coming from the prairie and heading home.”

  “I am going up there to back him as the chairman. There is a takeover attempt for chairman of the U.P.” Mr. Vandorn stated.

  “How much is it for the two rooms?” I asked the clerk. “I have a wagon and nine horses.” I paid him and Vandorn asked if he could talk to me outside.

  Four rough looking men were sitting across the street. “Watch those men Buck,” I said. Buck had already pulled his jacket away from his gun.

  One of the bandits hollered, “Hey Vandorn, we have something for you,” and pulled his gun. Buck shot him in the arm and the one next to him in the knee. I shot the other two in the shoulder, and they both fell. A sheriff and two deputies came, and I told them that those two men tried to kill Mr. Vandorn.

  The sheriff knew Mr. Vandorn and said, “It looks like you have a good helper here. Which one of you got Bexter over there?”

  “I guess my son got him,” I said.

  “There is a five-hundred-dollar reward on him, dead or alive,” the sheriff told us.

  “Please give the reward to an orphan’s home in my son’s name, Buck Belden,” I told him.

  “That is very generous, Mr. Belden. Looks like Bexter here will be limping to his hanging.”

  The deputies disarmed the bandits and got a wagon to haul them to the doctor and then to jail. Mr. Vandorn asked me to come out to his place. I told him I had my family with me, and he stated they were also invited. I also told him that I had a wagon and nine horses, and he told me to bring everything with me.

  “We have stables and corrals, it will be no problem,” he assured me.

  “I need to get us some decent clothes,” I said. “Can you point me in the right direction?”

  “Sure I can. Go to my tailor, he can get you fixed up before we sail,” he stated.

  “How do I find your place?” I asked.

  “That’s easy, you can follow me.”

  I paid our hotel and harnessed up and followed Mr. Vandorn to his place. Mr. Vandorn told me that he voted 700,000 U.P. shares and the attempt on his life must prove that a takeover was being planned. He had to vote his company’s shares. He said that he was chairman of J.G. Whitney Company and the shares belonged to J.G. Whitney. We met his sister and she took Liz shopping. Mr. Vandorn sent for his tailor and measured Buck and I for two suits each. He said that they would be ready before sailing. Mr. Vandorn told me that the tailor had several people working for him and he would have our suits in no time. The tailor showed me several materials and had me scheduled for a fitting in two days. We had a good time with the Vandorn’s; they had servants and a woman cook. Buck, of course, took care of our horses.

  I rode in to town and sent a wire to dad, telling him that we were staying with the Vandorn’s: Mr. Vandorn is coming for the board meeting. Two attempts were spoiled by us to assassinate him. We are with him to safeguard him. We are all coming on the Washington. -Love to all, Johnathan.

  I gave the telegrapher a dollar extra, so he could send the wire out when I got a reply. When the wire came they sent it out immediately, it read: Do everything you can to safeguard Mr. Vandorn. Get a proxy from him, we will need his vote and there needs to be a seat on the board for him. Your wife Liz is now in his seat, she is doing a fine job. Love from all.

  I suggested to Mr. Vandorn that I would go aboard as soon as the ship arrived to make arrangements with the captain in bringing him onboard my wagon.

  Buck and I got our two suits on time with new white shirts, so we could dress up like gentlemen.

  Chapter Twenty One

  When the ship came in, I was there on the dock with the agent. As the agent went onboard, I went with him. The captain invited me to his room and I explained the situation with Mr. Vandorn and the multiple attempts on his life, as well as the necessity of him making the U.P.’s board meeting. He understood the problem and liked the idea of coming aboard with my wagon. He suggested we do it at midnight and said that our rooms would be ready. He said the pilot’s room next to his was empty and he would have Mr. Vandorn in there and would put a mate in with him.

  We were there at midnight and went onboard with the wagon. They told us where the wagon would be chained to the deck. We had to pull the tongue and all nine horses were tied up to the port side of the house. Buck stayed with the wagon and Liz and I went up to our room and slept until morning.

  I went down with Liz to get Buck to have breakfast, and another wagon came on board with four-in-hand with a riding horse in the back. The mate wanted the wagon and his five horses next to ours. His wife and two girls got off the wagon and Liz went over and told them that the other wagon was hers. Liz wanted the other girls to come up with us to eat. I introduced myself to the girl’s parents and told them that the girls could come up with us to eat, but they said that they were deck passengers. I told them that my daughter invited the girls to come up and eat with us, and then I asked him if he could watch things for me, so my son could also eat with us. He said he would be glad to watch our horses and wagon. I asked him where he was heading. He said St. Louis to look for work; he needed to make some money so he could go back east with his family. I told him that I might be able to help him get a job.

  We went up to eat and I talked to the steward and gave him 20 gold. I told him that we had invited some children that may not be in first class to eat with us, and he stated that it wouldn’t be a problem and that I could invite anyone I wanted to my table. Those kids had a good time. They had eggs with little sausages and hotcakes with syrup. The desert cart came by with cakes, pies, and rich creamy rolls that the kids had never had before. Buck had never had a breakfast like that before either. After breakfast, I checked on Mr. Vandorn and he was having breakfast in his room.

  I took the kids on a long walk to see the ship. Then we went back to the wagons and talked with the girl’s parents. I found out that they had sold two of their horses to be able to buy passage and they had very little grain. After talking to him, I told the agent that I needed five more sacks of cracked corn. The girl’s dad offered to take care of our horses and watch our wagon, so Buck could be with us all the time. I told him that he was hired.

  We sailed right on time. We visited Mr. Vandorn a lot and got be good friends. We talked about the west and wild horses; his brother raised thoroughbreds in Kentucky. I told him that my plan was to have a ranch out west and raise horses and cattle, somewhere close to the railroad so shipping would be easy.

  Two nights after sailing, two men tried to break in to Mr. Vandorn’s assigned room and found a mate in there with a gun. They both were captured and taken below. I asked the captain about them, and he said they would never come aboard his ship again. The chief mate and bosun had handled bandits like them before. They would dump them off somewhere for a long swim.

  Mr. Vandorn decided to give me a proxy to vote his company’s shares, if for some reason he didn’t make it. We even had the master witness it.

  In Memphis, we loaded a lot of cargo and deck passengers. We were there for two days and then sailed. There were four men with guns who got into the wheelhouse and hit the pilot from behind and took the wheel from the quartermaster at gunpoint. They drove the ship going full ahead into the west bank. The master rushed to the bridge and put the telegraph full astern, b
ut the ship was fast. The engine room called the bridge stating that they had a bad steam pipe break and they wanted to stop the leak. The pirates went below. They had a boat alongside and got into the boat. The chief mate was supervising the tarping of the bailed tobacco deck cargo, and he saw the pirates and ran to his room to grab his shotgun. Then he ran to the side and let go with both barrels with the eight-gauge and made a big mess in that boat. The boat drifted with the current.

  The foremast was down, and all the sailors were stripping off the riggings. They hauled the mast and secured it on the starboard promenade deck. The doctor was busy in the engine room where some of the gang had been burned.

  I went to see Vandorn and told him that Buck and I would have to go with our two horses and ride to St. Louis or try to get a train. The captain’s main concern was if he was taking water or not; they were taking soundings and the ship was dry. I went to see him and asked him how I could get off the ship. I told him I had to ride. He I could jump my horses from the bow and then ride. I told Buck to saddle our horses. I told Liz that we had to ride. She cried, but I told her to look after Mr. Vandorn for me. I told the girls that they could have the other room for their mother, and I told their father, Mr. Jensen, that he was working for me and gave him 40 in gold. He promised that everything would be done. I told him if there were any problems, to see Mr. Vandorn. I arranged everything with the chief steward and they even fixed some food for us to take with us.

  We jumped our horses ashore and rode north on the rail next to the river. A couple of hours later, we came to a dock; a big steam tug was tied up to two big barges. I went down and asked the captain to assist the George Washington because she had gone aground. He said he had to get steam up first and then he would go. I asked him how I could get to St. Louis the fastest. He said he would run me over to the other side and I could take the train and we could catch the train in Covington and be there tonight.