“Where’d the man go when he left he livery stable?”
“Straight to Wild Joe’s Saloon,” Jud said. “That was yesterday so I don’t know if he’s back in there today or not, but that’s what most strangers do when they come to Smiley.”
Josh never did like wastin’ time, so he headed up the street toward the saloon. The wanted poster on Emery Reeves described him as a tall man with tough, hide-like skin, as someone might have from years of sun exposure. He was prematurely gray, and had a gourd-like, warty, gnarled nose. It also said he wore two pistols.
Josh looked over the top of the swinging doors, only to see one man standing there talking with the bartender. He stepped up to the bar.
“Did a tall feller wearin’ two pistols come in here yesterday?” he asked.
“What do you wanna know for?” the bartender said.
“I was needin’ to find him, that’s all,” Josh said.
“What for?” the bartender said.
“You always this rude to people who come in here,” Josh said. “No damn wonder you only got one customer.”
The bartender laughed out loud and stuck out his hand. “Aw, hell,” he said. “I was just funnin’ with you. I’m Wild Joe. What’ll you have? It’s on the house.”
Josh shook hands and ordered a drink.
Wild Joe brought Josh his drink then stared at him for a moment. “You a law man, ain’t you?”
“No, I ain’t,” Josh said. “Why?”
“Because that tall feller you asked about is up there in a room with one of my barmaids,” Wild Joe said. “Before he took her up there, he said he’d give me twenty dollars if I’d let him know if anyone came in here askin’ about him.”
“What room is he in?” Josh asked.
“What do you wanna know for,” Wild Joe said, then threw back his head and laughed again. “He’s in room number four.”
“Well, he said he’d give you a twenty if you’d let him know if someone was askin’ about him,” Josh said. “But, I’ll give you a hundred if you’ll go up there and knock on his door and tell him Josh Logan is downstairs wantin’ to talk to him.”
“A hundred?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, give it here,” Wild Joe said.
“I will after you go up there and tell him and get back down here,” Josh said.”
Wild Joe grinned and headed for the stairs while Josh headed out the front door. He ran between two buildings and came into the alley just as Reeves climbed out the window onto the balcony.
“Hands up, Reeves,” Josh yelled.
Emery Reeves answered by pulling his pistol and firing a quick shot. Josh ducked back around the corner, and at the same time, Reeves climbed back in through window and ran for the door. Josh hurried back around to the front and pushed through the swinging doors just as Reeves was about halfway down the stairs.
“Throw ‘em up, Reeves,” Josh said.
Reeves fired a quick shot that missed, but Josh fired two quick shots of his own that struck Reeves in the chest. He tumbled headfirst over the rail and landed on his back across the bar, then slid off on the floor.
“Damn,” Wild Joe said, as gunsmoke filled the room. “What was that about?”
“He’s wanted for robbery and murder,” Josh said. “Now, if you and your other customer will carry him out to the sidewalk, I’ll go get the sheriff.”
“No need for that,” Wild Joe said. “Here he comes now.”
Sheriff Homer Walker came through the swinging doors with his revolver in his hand. “Everyone stay right where you are,” he yelled. “What’s goin’ on in here, Wild Joe?”
“This man,” he said, pointing at Josh, “shot that one,” he added, pointing at Reeves, who was sprawled out on the floor.”
Josh holstered his Colt and turned toward the sheriff.
“Sheriff, I’m Josh Logan and that man is Emery Reeves, a member of the Wolf Gang. I’ve a wanted poster for him.”
“Emery Reeves?” Sheriff Walker said. “I got a wanted poster for him, too. Are you a lawman?”
“No, sir,” Josh said. “Sheriff Riley down at Victoria sent out them wanted posters. He asked me to try and capture Emery Reeves. Reeves decided to fight it out instead of surrenderin’, so when he fired at me, I shot him.”
“Well, if you ain’t a lawman, you oughta be,” Sheriff Walker said. “I been hearin’ about the Wolf Gang for a long time.”
“I hate to pack him all the way back to Victoria, but I will if you don’t want to bury him,” Josh said.
“We’ll bury him,” Sheriff Walker said. “What about the reward that’s out on him? You want to come back here and get it, or what?”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d have it sent to the bank in Victoria if it ain’t too much trouble,” Josh said.
“It ain’t no trouble,” Sheriff Walker said. “I got to report the shootin’ anyway, so where the reward is sent won’t matter.”
“Reeves rode in here on a buckskin horse that’s down at the livery stable,” Josh said. “I guess you can report that too, and do whatever they tell you to do with him.”
“I ain’t gonna report about no horse,” Walker said. “As far as I’m concerned, you can have him.”
“Alright then,” Josh said. “Write me out a receipt for Reeves and I’ll be on my way. There’s still six more left in the Wolf Gang, and I intend to bring ‘em all in or shoot ‘em, like I did Emery Reeves.”
“I heard they’re a bad bunch,” Sheriff Walker said. “Is this one the leader?”
“No, the citizens of Victoria hung the leader. This one robbed the store in Helena and killed Soapy Wooten.”
“Yeah, good old Soapy,” Sheriff Walker said. “I heard he got killed, but I didn’t know Emery Reeves is the one who did it. Word around here is it was Lem Olsen that killed him.”
I don’t know for sure which one of ‘em killed him,” Josh said. “But I aim to make ‘em both of pay for it.”
“I sure hated to hear it,” Sheriff Walker said. “Old Soapy was from here in Smiley. Everybody knew and liked him.”
“He was a good friend of mine,” Josh said. “That’s why I went after Reeves first. Someone said it was him that did it.”
Josh turned around and handed Wild Joe the hundred dollar bill he promised him then went to the livery stable and saddled Macho, and leading the buckskin, rode back toward Charco. He wanted to leave him with Ana’s palomino at Chalky Newsome’s Circle N Ranch. When he left the Circle N, he rode on into Victoria to check on Will Jensen and see if he could learn more about the Wolf Gang.
Caretaker Willie Sneed grinned and shook Josh’s hand when he stepped off Macho and led him into the livery stable.
“I was wonderin’ when you’d come back,” he said. “Got any news on the Wolf Gang?”
“Yeah, some,” Josh said. “I caught up with Emery Reeves up at Smiley. But he wouldn’t give up without a fight, so I shot him.”
“One more bad one gone,” Willie said. “How many’s left?”
“Six more,” Josh said.
“What’d you come back down here for?” Willie asked. “Somethin’ goin’ on I should know about?”
“I came back to talk to Sheriff Riley,” Josh said.
“He’ll be glad to see you,” Willie said. “He comes in here every few days askin’ if I’d heard from you.”
“Sheriff Riley, I need to talk to Jensen,” Josh said when he got to the sheriff’s office. “I caught up with Emery Reeves up at Smiley. I tried to bring him in but he decided to fight it out and I got the best of him.”
“I’m glad to hear he’s gone,” Riley said. “I put Will Jensen in the last cell and hung a canvass over the side wall so no one could see who’s in there.”
“How does Old Jack like his new home out at Willie’s?” Josh asked.
“He likes it fine,” Riley said. “Some days when it’s real quiet here in town I take Jensen out to Willie’s place and let him spend some time with Old Jack
. I know he’s been in an outlaw gang, but I like that boy.”
“When’s his trial?” Josh said.
“To be truthful,” Sheriff Riley said. “I ain’t even contacted a Judge yet. I was afraid word would get out that he was in here and another mob would storm the jail and drag him out and hang him.”
“Probably a good idea,” Josh said. “Be sure and let me know when his trial is set.”
“I will,” Riley said. “I’ll probably contact the Judge in a day or so. And I hope it’s alright with you,” he added, “but Crazy Chester took a likin’ to Jensen after he broke his wooden gun and Jensen carved him out another one. Hell, he comes in here every day and sits back there and talks to him.”
“It’s alright with me,” Josh said. “But you said you were worried a mob might come and drag Jensen out if they found out he was in here. Ain’t you afraid Crazy Chester might mention it to someone?”
“Crazy Chester ain’t much of a mentioner,” Sheriff Riley said. “Hell, I don’t think he talks to anybody except me and Jensen.”
“Alright then,” Josh said. “Whatever suits you, suits me.”
“I just wanted you to know about it ‘cause he’s back there right now,” Riley said.
Josh nodded at Chester as he walked past him and stepped in the cell.
Crazy Chester nodded back and followed him in the cell and sat down on the edge of a bunk.
“Hello, Will,’ Josh said. “You said Pedro went home, but did you ever hear him say where his home was?”
“Yeah, and I should have mentioned it earlier, but I was more worried about gettin’ hung by givin’ myself up than about where Pedro was from. It’s a little village called Oakville.”
“See my gun?” Crazy Chester said, pulling it out of his belt and showing it to Josh. “Will made it for me. He’s my friend.”
“That’s a fine lookin’ gun, ain’t it?” Josh said.
“Yeah,” Chester said.
“The next time I come back to Victoria I’ll make you another one,” Josh said. “Would you like that?”
“Yeah,” Chester said.
“Alright then, I’ll be seein’ you,” Josh said, as he turned to go. “Thanks, Will,” he added.
It was about sixty miles down to Oakville, so Josh let Macho rest that night. He left out early the next morning and made it to Oakville that night. The town part of the village consisted of a bank, a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, a small church, and seven saloons. It had been overrun by horse thievery, cattle rustling, and robberies so bad that Texas Rangers had to be called.
The old wooden jail was full most of the time and citizens could shoot the prisoners through the jail bars in the absence of the sheriff. So a two-story stone building was erected, which put the jail cells upstairs and the sheriff’s office downstairs. Sheriff Wiley Perkins was a no-nonsense officer and did the best he could, but rowdy cowboys, trail hands, and miners kept him constantly on the go.
Josh pulled Macho to a stop in front of the livery stable a little before dark and tied him to the hitching rack. Caretaker Otis Clark was unloading a wagon load of hay so he just nodded and told him to go ahead and unsaddle his horse and put him in a stall. When Josh finished taking care of Macho, he went outside and helped Otis finish unloading the hay.
“You’re the first one that ever offered any help around here,” Otis said, handing Josh a cup of coffee. “Here,” he said, with a wide smile. “It’s all the pay you get.”
“It’s all I need,” Josh said, with a smile of his own. “I been in the saddle all day and it was startin’ to tell on me, and my horse.”
“Where’d you come from?” Otis said.
“Victoria.”
“Why’d you come to this rough little hamlet?” Otis said. “There’s a lot better towns to go to than this place.”
“If it’s so bad, why are you still here?” Josh asked.
“Two reasons,” Otis said. “One reason is my wife’s family lives here and she won’t leave. The other reason is I’m broker than hell.”
“Do you know Pedro Aguilar?” Josh asked, knowing he was taking a chance because Otis could be friends with Pedro and go tell him Josh was in town looking for him. But he’d always gotten better information from livery stable caretakers than anybody else.
“Yeah, I know that skunk,” Otis said. “He’s from here, but he comes and goes. From what I hear, he only comes back when the law’s after him. Why are you askin’ about him?”
“I’ve a score to settle with him,” Josh said.
“Others have tried to settle scores with Pedro and ended up beat all to hell, or dead.”
“He’s that bad, is he?”
“Yeah,” Otis said. “He’s one tough hombre.”
“I heard he was here in Oakville so I came lookin’ for him.”
Otis laughed then frowned. “I wouldn’t be in no big hurry to settle a score with Pedro Aguilar, if I was you.”
“Is he here, or not?” Josh said.
“Yeah, he’s here,” Otis said. “He’s right up there in the Gold Digger Saloon. Are you goin’ after him?”
“I’m goin’ up there right now,” Josh said. “And, yeah, if he’s in there I aim to settle with him.”
“Well, he’s in there because I saw him go in about an hour ago,” Otis said. “I never liked him ‘cause he’s a damn bully. So if you’re goin’ up there right now I’d like to be in there when you take him on, if you would allow me that.”
“Go in there if you want to,” Josh said. But if you give him a warnin’ I’ll have a score to settle with you, too.”
“I ain’t warnin’ nobody,” Otis said. “I just wanna be there when you meet up with him.”
“Well, hurry on up there,” Josh said, “because I’ll be right behind you.”
Pedro Aguilar was a giant of a man. Standing over six feet tall and weighing two hundred pounds, he was domineering and overbearing, and verbally and physically abusive to everyone he met. He was big-boned and barrel-chested, and didn’t give a damn what others thought.
Josh had been chased around through the hills of south Texas by Tom Burch and his outlaw friends longer than he cared to admit, and he’d had enough. It was time for revenge. He stepped through the swinging doors of the rowdy Gold Digger Saloon just in time to see drunk, loud, Pedro Aguilar strike a man so hard it sent him skidding across the dusty floor on his back.
“Pedro Aguilar!” Josh yelled.
Aguilar turned and stared.
“Don’t yell at me,” he said, and started walking toward him.
Suddenly there was silence. Josh moved his hand closer to the handle of his revolver and nodded, indicating for Aguilar to go for his gun.
Instead, Aguilar ducked his head and charged. There was a sharp crack then a faint groan from Josh, as Aguilar struck him with a huge fist, dropping him face first to the sawdust covered floor of the saloon.
Almost in the same motion he kicked at Josh’s head, but Josh flipped over and jerked his gun out of the holster. Aguilar knocked it from his hand, focusing entirely on his face. Pain in a man’s eyes aroused him tremendously. Josh scrambled to his feet and backed against the bar, his eyes blurry, desperately trying to catch his breath.
Aguilar hesitated for a moment, purposefully allowing him to regain his senses. As they stood facing each other, he struck Josh a blow that glanced off the side of his forehead.
Josh lunged forward, meeting him head on, striking him in the mouth with his fist, knocking him over on his back. Aguilar struggled to his feet and spat out his two front teeth, his large face reddening, his eyes watering.
He reached for his gun, but Josh beat him to the draw and fired, the shot glanced off the top of Aguilar’s shoulder, causing him to stagger backward a few steps. He fired again and the bullet whizzed over Aguilar’s head. Aguilar spread his arms out wide, gritted his teeth, and charged forward.
Josh raised his sights and squeezed off his last shot, the bullet striking Aguilar just abo
ve his left eyebrow. His head snapped back and he pitched forward, landing on his face in the dusty floor, just inches from Josh’s feet. Out of ammunition, Josh stood his ground as gunsmoke filled the room, watching Aguilar’s broad shoulders rise and fall until he lay still.
Oakville Sheriff Wiley Perkins hurried across the street and looked over the top of the swinging doors with his revolver in his hand. He stepped inside and yelled.
“Drop that gun, Mister.”
Josh turned and looked at Sheriff Perkins for a moment, then holstered his Colt.
“I said drop it, not holster it,” Perkins said.
“Sheriff Perkins,” Josh said. “I’m Josh Logan. I have a wanted poster for Pedro Aguilar that Sheriff Riley from Victoria gave me. He probably sent you one, too.”
“Yeah, I got one,” Sheriff Riley said. “But I didn’t know Aguilar was in the saloon or I’d have arrested him.”
“It don’t matter now, does it?” Josh said.
“No, it don’t,” Perkins said, as he ordered four men to pick Aguilar up and carry him over to the doctor’s office. “He don’t need a doctor,” he added, “but doc’s the one that takes care of the dead here in Oakville. He’d also take a look at your bloody nose, if you wanted him to.”
“Sheriff Perkins, I apologize for the disturbance,” Josh said, shaking his head and wiping blood from his face. “I tried to take him peacefully, but he chose to fight.”
“I understand,” Perkins said. “That’s all he does when he comes back to town, is fight and raise hell. I just got the wanted poster on him in today’s mail. The stagecoach don’t come out here but once a week.”
“If you’ll take care of his burial I’ll get my horse and head on out. There’s still five more members of the Wolf Gang still out there, somewhere.”
“Speakin’ of horses,” Sheriff Perkins said. “What are you gonna do with the Paint horse Aguilar rode in on?”
“That’s up to you, Sheriff,” Josh said.
“Well, I don’t want his horse or anything else of his around here,” Perkins said. “So, take him if you want him.”
“If that’s what you want, then yeah, I’ll take him,” Josh said.
“Alright then, “I’ll send a message to the governor that you captured Pedro Aguilar and have the reward went to where?”
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