Paulson shook his head. “No. I’m gonna take Guy. He ain’t been there before. It’s about time he met Ace Erickson anyhow.” He glanced around. “Boys, we ain’t gonna be safe ’til we’re back on that ranch. Let’s ride for it!”

  The quartet of failed train bandits jabbed spurs into their horses’ sides and picked up speed to clear the hell out of eastern Texas.

  Chapter Ten

  Stavanger, Texas, was barely stirring in the early morning when Guy Tyrone and Ned Paulson, trail-dirty and travel-weary, rode up the main street on horses that were close to being blown. Both men showed the strain of not only the grueling trip they’d been on, but also from almost getting themselves blasted by the shotgun at the aborted train robbery.

  Guy, his practiced eye developed as a sheriff in various towns, gave Stavanger a professional appraisal. He figured the place as a town that needed a cleaning up by professional starpackers. It was small, but the saloon called the Ace of Diamonds that dominated the main street was fancy and imposing. But even more telling than its appearance was the fact that it was the only drinking establishment in the place. That meant a town boss, and that was a sure sign of plenty of trouble for any decent folks living there. They would be the helpless and unfortunate, innocents caught up in a situation like that.

  “Here we are,” Paulson said. “This is where the brains of our operation keep themselves.”

  “They don’t seem too brainy to me after what happened to us,” Guy said.

  Paulson turned his horse in toward the hitching rack of the saloon. Guy followed him, also dismounting and flipping his reins over the rail. The two walked up to the saloon’s door that was closed tight. Paulson banged on the portals.

  A voice inside hollered, “We’re closed.”

  “This is Paulson. I’m here to see Ace Erickson,” he said testily. “Open the door. Now!”

  “Just a minute,” the voice said. After a bit of scuffling, the door opened and a bartender looked out at them. “Oh, hi, Ned. C’mon in. Mr. Erickson is back in his office.” Not knowing Guy, he gave him a look of curiosity.

  “Never mind,” Guy said in a menacing tone. “You got more to worry about than me.”

  The bartender didn’t want any trouble with the slim, young man. “Whatever you say.”

  “I hope Maxwell Banter is back there with the boss,” Paulson said.

  “He is,” the bartender said quickly, returning to complete his pre-opening inventory of stock. “I think they’re both anxious to see you.”

  “And I’m right anxious to see them,” Paulson said, continuing to lead the way as they went to a door at the rear of the building. He rapped and called out, “Boss, it’s me, Ned.”

  “Let yourself in, Ned,” Ace Erickson called out. Paulson opened the door. “Howdy.”

  Ace displayed a friendly smile. “How are you, Ned? Who is this with you?”

  “This is a new man, name o’ Guy Tyrone.”

  Guy nodded. “Howdy.”

  “That’s Ace Erickson there,” Paulson said. “And Mr. Banter.”

  “Welcome to the crew, Guy,” Ace said with a friendly nod. “I think Gustavo Fairweather mentioned meeting you. Have you settled in yet?”

  “Not too good,” Guy answered. “But I’ll let Ned explain.”

  “Sounds serious,” Ace replied. He glanced at Banter. “Doesn’t it, Max?”

  Maxwell Banter, sitting in a chair by the desk, gave Guy a disdainful look, then turned his attention back to his cup of coffee.

  Ace smiled. “You didn’t waste any time getting here after the job. Are the boys that anxious for their cuts?”

  “There ain’t no cuts, Boss,” Paulson said. “As soon as that goddamned baggage door opened, hot lead instead o’ cold gold poured out at us.”

  Now Maxwell Banter was interested. He got to his feet. “What?” he asked anxiously.

  Paulson glared at the lawyer. “That’s right. The first thing that come at us was a shotgun blast.” He pointed to Guy. “It damn near took his head off.”

  “Willy Kemp was right behind me. He got it full in the chest,” Guy said.

  “Jess and Shorty died o’ lead poisoning too,” Paulson said. “I don’t know if it was the law or railroad detectives in that car; but they was squatting in there waiting for us.” He kept an angry eye on Maxwell Banter. “We was bushwhacked.”

  Ace frowned in puzzlement at Banter. “I thought that was all set up.”

  “It was, Ace,” Banter said. “I can’t figure out what could have gone wrong. My contact said no one suspected anything. There was only going to be a couple of men in the baggage car.”

  “There was four or five,” Paulson said.

  Guy thought it best to keep things as confused as possible by garbling the facts. He didn’t want any good information getting back to anyone who might figure out what happened. “I think there was more, Ned. I swear I seen a dozen. I think they was railroad detectives.”

  “They couldn’t be!” Banter exclaimed. “My contact is one of the detectives for that line. He assured me that only a couple of clerks would be there. One would be our man who would pop the door open the minute the robbery started.”

  Guy made a mental note to mention a railroad detective and baggage car clerk as part of Erickson’s gang. Charlie Delano could do something with that.

  Erickson walked to the door and hollered out at the bartender. “Go fetch Gustavo Fairweather quick.” He closed the door. “We’ve got to get some more men.”

  “We sure as hell do, Boss,” Paulson agreed. “All that’s left is me, Guy, Lee Fenney, and Elmer Sherman. That ain’t enough to pull off any jobs even if they’re fixed in advance.” He looked at Banter. “And if things ain’t fixed proper, we’ll all be wiped out on the next one anyhow.”

  “You listen to me, Paulson!” Banter snapped at him. “This is the first one that went wrong. So don’t start getting high-handed with me.”

  “If your sneaky friends don’t foller through, I’m likely to get killed,” Paulson said in a low, cold tone. “So I’m gonna get real high-handed.”

  Ace Erickson spoke up. “We’ll not get anywhere by becoming angry with each other. Something went wrong this time. We’ve paid a price. What we must do is find out what it was, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

  Guy didn’t want them to find out a thing. He decided to stir things up some more. “It's hard enough to rob a train under normal circumstances. And it’s a hell of a situation when you’re expected and they’re ready and waiting for you.”

  “You shut up!” Banter snarled.

  Guy scowled. Here was a chance to throw some blame around. “If you can’t fix things up, at least don’t warn ’em about us.” He decided to elaborate a bit more with some exaggeration. “Jess Garbel was an old friend o’ mine. We was in prison together.”

  “I told you to shut up!” Banter yelled. “Everybody shut up!” Ace Erickson commanded. “I don’t want any arguments or accusations. This won’t solve anything. We’re in a dangerous business and things can go wrong now and then.”

  A knock on the door was quickly followed by Sheriff Gustavo Fairweather’s entrance into the office. “Joe said you wanted to see me, Ace.”

  “Yeah,” Erickson said. “We’ve lost three men on this last job.”

  “Yeah,” Paulson said. “Shorty, Jess, and Willy.”

  “What happened?” Fairweather asked.

  “They was waiting for us, Gustavo,” Paulson said. “The damn baggage car door opened and there was twelve or so railroad detectives in there shooting like the Fourth o’ July.”

  “I think maybe they was fifteen of ’em,” Guy said.

  Fairweather sighed. “That’s bad. I reckon you boys are shorthanded now.”

  “We ain’t got enough to do things proper,” Paulson said.

  “Looks like I’m gonna have to do some hiring,” Fairweather said.

  “Right,” Ace said. “We’ve got to have more than four men. And we want some damned good ones.”

  “That’s the only land I know, Ace,” Fairweather said confidently.

  Erickson pointed to Maxwell Banter “In the meantime, I want you to find out what went wrong. If things just got out of your contact’s control, that’s one thing. If he’s pulled a double cross, then—”

  “—then I’ll deal with it,” Fairweather said. “That’s something we can’t let slide.”

  “I’ll leave for Dallas today,” Banter said.

  “What do you want us to do, Boss?” Paulson asked.

  “You boys lay low out at the ranch,” Erickson said. “Tell everybody that we’ll find out what went wrong. In the meantime, I’ll send out some women and whiskey. That should put them back into a better mood.” He thought a moment. “And I’ll give ’em each a quick hundred in greenbacks to make up for losing out on a good cut.”

  “The boys will appreciate that, Boss,” Paulson said.

  “Makes me feel better,” Guy said agreeably. He had to admit that Erickson treated his men right. The outlaw boss knew how to buy loyalty.

  Ace went over to his safe in the corner of the room. After working the combination, he took out four hundred dollars. He tossed the bundles to Paulson. “Tell the boys the women and whiskey should be there by day after tomorrow. And you two treat yourselves to some drinks before you head out.”

  “Thanks, Boss. We’ll go back after we wet our whistles,” Paulson said. “Both of us and our horses is damn near done in.”

  “Nice meeting you, Boss,” Guy said, following Paulson out to the saloon. They went to the bar and bellied up.

  Paulson signaled to the barkeep. “The boss says to give us a snort or two.”

  “You bet, Ned,” the man said. He set up a bottle with a couple of glasses.

  Guy quickly poured himself a stiff drink and tossed it down. “That was a real dust-cutter.”

  A feminine voice interrupted the drinking. “How’d it go, Ned?”

  Guy, startled, turned and looked into the face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He grinned. “Howdy, ma’am.

  “Hello,” she said, looking intently into Guy’s handsome face. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before,”

  Paulson introduced them. “Miss Dinah, this is our new man Guy Tyrone.”

  Guy nodded to her. He could tell she found him pleasing. That was something he always enjoyed with women. “I’m pleased to meet you, Miss Dinah.”

  “And I’m pleased to meet you,” she said. “Mind if I join you two for a drink?”

  Paulson also sensed the woman’s attraction to Guy. He spoke quickly. “We got to go.”

  “Ace said we could have a couple of snorts,” Guy protested.

  “And I say we’re going,” Paulson said. “Goodbye, Miss Dinah.”

  Guy smiled at her. “I’ll see you again. I’m sure.”

  “I hope so,” she said.

  “Let’s go, Guy!” Paulson snapped.

  They went outside to their horses. Guy was testy about leaving so quickly. “How come we couldn’t stay there and talk to that pretty gal?”

  “I’m saving your damn life,” Paulson said. “That’s Ace Erickson’s woman and he don’t want nobody getting extra friendly toward her.”

  “That’s a shame,” Guy said. The two mounted up and headed out of town for Grogan’s ranch. “That was right nice of Ace Erickson giving us each a hundred dollars like that.”

  “Yeah,” Paulson said in agreement. “He figures it as an investment. A little extra touch buys loyalty.”

  “Don’t it, though,” Guy remarked.

  The pair rode slowly across the countryside, keeping to cover as much as possible. They feared no posse or lawmen would he out hunting them in Denton County. But it was always best in that line of work to keep out of sight as much as possible. They went down into draws, followed creeks, and rode through stands of trees. Only when the terrain was too rough for travel did they get on the open trails. By the time they got back to the ranch, it was late afternoon.

  “I think I’ll try to get another deer or a coupla rabbits,” Guy said. “The thought of more biscuits and beans turns my stomach.”

  “The boys will appreciate that,” Paulson said. He reached back and pulled a pack of bills from his saddlebags. He tossed it over. “You might as well get your cut now.”

  “Thanks, Ned,” Guy said.

  “I want to warn you again about Miss Dinah,” Paulson said. “She’s poison as far as you’re concerned. Savvy?”

  “Sure,” Guy said with an easy grin. “I ain’t given her another thought. It’s hunting time, so I’ll see you later. Wish me luck.”

  “I sure as hell do,” Paulson said with a grin and wink. “I’m hungry too.”

  Guy rode out of the ranch yard with a feeling of regret beginning to build up in his gut. He had begun to tire of his role as a spy. Somehow he felt like a backshooter after Jess Garbel, a man he’d known before, along with two others died when the job between Longview and Marshall went awry. Guy knew he would have to have a long, hard talk with Captain Charlie Delano about the situation. Sneaking around behind other men’s backs wasn’t his style.

  Guy rode past the cottonwood tree where he was supposed to leave messages, heading straight for the camp where Charlie and Gideon should be. He only stopped a couple of times to make sure no one was following from the ranch. When he was thoroughly convinced he was all by himself, he went straight to the bivouac and found the other two Texas Rangers.

  Guy dismounted and hobbled his horse in front of their cookfire. “I hope you two son of a bitches is happy,” he said. “I almost got my head blowed off by a shotgun poking outta that train.”

  “That was me,” Gideon said.

  “I know it was you!” Guy snapped. “I seen you.” Gideon went on. “I shot the feller behind you.”

  “That don’t make me feel much better,” Guy said. He squatted down and helped himself to the coffee. “I’m tuckered, let me tell you.”

  “We ain’t exactly fresh ourselves,” Charlie said. “We left the train in Longview and come straight back here. We got back early this morning.”

  “Well, I come by way of Stavanger,” Guy said. “And I finally met Ace Erickson.” He glanced at Charlie. “I think your plan has gone to hell. Shooting up three men ain’t doing nothing to that gang. Or Gustavo Fairweather is hiring some new pistoleros as quick as he can. So, Erickson still can’t be reached.”

  Gideon wasn’t worried. “Next time we’ll have to kill ever’ one o’ the bastards.”

  “Yeah?” Guy said, “Just remember I ain’t a real member of that gang when you start massacring ’em.”

  “Sure,” Gideon said with a slow smile. “I’ll work on that, Guy.”

  “We’re gonna have to get a setup where we can get ’em all in one fell swoop, that’s for sure,” Charlie said. “And as quick as that’s did, we’ll move into Stavanger and take out Erickson and Gustavo Fairweather.”

  “At any rate, I got some news for you,” Guy said. “The inside men on that job for Erickson was one o’ the railroad’s detectives and a baggage car clerk.”

  “What’re their names?” Charlie asked.

  “Don’t you think I’d tell you if I knowed?” Guy asked. “I just can’t figger out how you two got on that car.”

  “It was easy,” Charlie said. “We used the authority granted us by the Texas Rangers and just, rode along. As soon as the train stopped for the robbery, we went into action.”

  “You was lucky you wasn’t backshot by somebody,” Guy pointed out. “I think one o’ them fellers was on the train.”

  “We kept on the alert,” Gideon said.

  “I did too,” Guy said. “Hell! I had to!”

  “You knowed this job was dangerous,” Charlie pointed out.

  “I ain’t bellyaching about that,” Guy said. “But let me tell you something. I feel like a backshooter doing all this spying. I’m getting to know them fellers. I ain’t exactly pals with ’em, but when you ride with other men a feeling develops between you. A loyalty, if you know what I mean.”

  “Now let me tell you something,” Charlie said. “Them new pals o’ yours is killers. They’ll murder innocent bank tellers or baggage car clerks to get their way. The son of a bitches is a blight on the great state o’ Texas. And if you’re a true Texan, you’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of ’em.”

  “They’re lower’n snakes’ bellies, Guy,” Gideon said. “They don’t deserve no consideration or fair play ’cause they sure as hell ain’t gonna live by any kind o’ rules themselves.”

  “Getting rid o’ them bastards is gonna save innocent lives,” Charlie added.

  Guy was thoughtful for several moments. “It don’t seem so bad when you put it in that light.”

  “You got to keep your eyes and ears open,” Charlie said. “As soon as you can get the news of another job, write up ever’thing you know and put it under that rock by the cottonwood. We’re gonna be working on getting ever’ one of ’em the first chance we get.”

  “Like I said, fellers,” Guy cautioned him. “Keep in mind I’ll be in the middle of the crowd.”

  “You’ll have to figger out when to pull back,” Charlie said. “We can’t help you none on that.”

  “Sure,” Guy said. “I can take care of myself. At least I better.” He finished the coffee and stood up. “Well, I gotta go get rabbit or a deer or something.”

  “Good luck,” Charlie said.

  “That’s a real dumb thing to say to a feller in my situation,” Guy said. “If I had any good luck I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

  “At least you’re making extry money,” Gideon pointed out. “Except for this last job maybe.”

  Guy grinned to himself. He’d decided not to tell them about the hundred dollars.

  Chapter Eleven

  Guy Tyrone came awake slowly, almost hesitantly, as if even in sleep he subconsciously knew that a great deal of discomfort awaited him when he entered the world of full wakefulness. The final act of regaining full consciousness brought unwelcome and painful sensations to the Ranger as his head pounded with an awful ache.

 

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