The Gallows Pole

by M. Shaunessy

“I don’t know,” said Jacob, “We’re not really experts in the area, we could get lost, or worse.”

  “Not too worry,” explained Barns, “The route you’re takin’ is pretty much straight forward. You’ll be ridin’ the Cottonmouth Express to Albuquerque and back. And for extra security, me and m’ boys will be ridin’ behind you.”

  “The Cottonmouth Express?” Jane said unsurely, “That sounds dangerous.”

  “Don’t be discouraged ‘bout the name Ma’am,” Barns said, “No one has ever gotten bit on that route. So, whadya say?”

  Jacob and Jane looked at each other still unsure about Barns’ proposal. Jacob never drove a sta-gecoach before. The only thing he drove that was close to it was a one horse driven hay wagon. Yesterday he saw the six horses pulling the stagecoach. He’d knew he’ll drive it off the road and get himself killed, but he then thought about his brother and what he said before about responsibility.

  “Alright, I’ll drive it,” he said.

  “No, we’ll drive it,” Jane corrected him, “I’m coming too.”

  “But Jane, it’s dangerous,” Jacob retorted, “I won’t allow it.”

  “Jacob, you’re not going to ride that by yourself hun, that’s dangerous.” said Jane, “You’ll need a shotgun rider with you.”

  “She’s right,” said Barns, “It’s required by law that two people must ride any stagecoach carrying any valuables. She goes with ya.” He looked to Jane and asked, “You have any experienced with any kind of gun?”

  Jane looked back the sheriff and replied, “Not really, but I do some fancy knife throwing.”

  The sheriff sighed in disappointment then said, “I suppose that’ll have to do. All right, we de-part today at noon. Be prepared.”

  He stood, shook hands with Jacob and Jane, thanked them and exited the saloon. Jacob looked to Jane with a worried expression on his face, as she knew that this did not bode well for Gabe, but they had to do it in order to free him.

  Jacob had little experience with handguns. He was pacifist man. He hated war and violence and usually thought that settling them with logic and reasoning. Jane on the other hand hated fighting as well, but she is always careful and can defend herself with her knife. When they both met at Washington University, Jane had told him while they were dating that her father was a corporal during the civil war, and started to teach her how to throw a knife, since it was very unladylike to handle guns at that time. Now, after years of practicing, she will have a chance to put that skill into use. Just as her father told her, ‘Use that skill wisely in your travels’, what better way than in Wild West.

  Chapter 6

  The Ride of El Cato

  The grandfather clock struck twelve times as Jane and Jacob strolled down the steps from their room. They were not sure what to bring with them as they had never done this before. Jake was in his light leather jacket and his new cowboy hat that he just recently brought at the local general store. Jane had to change too. Instead of a flowing dress, she had to wear a brown denim skirt and vest to match. Jacob commented that she looked like Annie Oakley as she giggled at that remark.

  They both set outside in the balmy weather as the two saw Sheriff Barns and the three men Jacob had had been playing poker with. Art, Luke, and Bart were already on their horses, but Barns was standing next to the yellow painted stagecoach that had ‘Wells Fargo’ label painted on its door in red. Jacob saw the four horses instead of six and wondered why.

  They heard a couple of snickers coming from Art and his friends as Barns ignored it.

  “You two look great,” Barns said, “Now get on board. We got lot of gold to transport.”

  “How much?” Jacob asked as they walked over to him.

  “Enough for it to get stolen,” Barns replied as he helped Jane first on to the step and into the driver’s box.

  Jacob was next; he climbed over to where Jane was sitting. He never knew how high he was until he looked down towards the rear horses. He bent down and grabbed the harnesses from the front boot.

  Barns nodded to them as he walked over and mounted his brown steed. He then trotted back over and said, “You two get goin’, we’ll be on your tail about quarter mile back of ya. That way we won’t raise any suspicion. Got it?” They nodded in acknowledgement, “Good, now ya got any questions?”

  “How many bandits you think there are in that group who robbed the stage coach yesterday?” Jane asked.

  “Not quite sure,” he replied “But on alert at all times.”

  With that, Jacob snapped the harness a couple of times and horses moved forward, pulling the stagecoach down the street at a slow pace. As they passed few buildings, including a blacksmith shop, they saw that they were coming to the edge of town. Jacob then picked up the speed by snapping the harness one more time. It was bumpy ride as the stagecoach drove faster down the dirt road.

  Fifteen minutes went by as the dust and wind hit their faces. Jane kept looking back to see if the sheriff was following them. With the dust trail the coach was leaving, it was hard to tell from her viewpoint where he was.

  “I’m sure he is back there Jane,” Jacob comforted her.

  She looked back to Jacob then to the road ahead. The road itself stretched towards the flat horizon that met the sky ahead. Jane looked around and saw nothing, but dry cracked desert, very few shrubs, raggedy green Creosote Bushes, and the skinny looking Saguaro Cacti. It looked pretty to Jane, but she wondered how anyone could live out here in this desolated wasteland.

  “I cannot understand how anyone can survive this ride,” Jane said.

  “I’m sorry that you’re not enjoying it,” Jacob apologized.

  “Well it’s too bumpy, and I think I swallowed a bug,” she said as Jacob chuckled in her attempt to lighten the mood.

  “That’s not-,” But deafening gunshots cut her sentence off and made the horse stop short and run in random directions.

  The coach shimmied left and right violently as they tried to hold on. They then heard yips and yells as Jacob fiercely try to pull the reins and stop the horses.

  Jane then saw them. Five horsemen rode out of nowhere as two of them blocked the road. Jacob finally made the horses stop the carriage as he saw one of them wearing a large sombrero approach him.

  He aimed his Colt at Jacob’s head and ordered in a heavy Spanish accent, “Ok amigo, you and your chica friend off the carriage.” Jane hesitated as her hand moved slowly to her leg as he said to her, “Not so fast Señorita. Hand up both of you. Paco! Verifica en el transporte!”

  They both did as their assailant ordered. Once on the ground, Jacob looked at the leader. His dark skin, messy black beard and his fowl alcoholic breath gave him the impression that they were not going to live long enough to tell their tale. However, where was Barns Jacob thought?

  Paco, the thin mustache, fellow, was confused when he opened the coach door and looked inside. It was empty

  “Lo sentimos El Cato, su vacío,” Paco said.

  “¿Qué?” El Cato wondered.

  Suddenly they heard more gunshots and rumbling as sheriff Barns and his men were coming at an alarming rate.

  El Cato frowned and said to his men, “Se trata de una instalación, Paseo! Paseo”

  He then at the last minute grabbed Jane by the arm. She screamed Jacob’s name as the El Cato hoisted her up with one arm and said before he rode off in to the desert, “Adios Amigos.”

  Paco fearfully tried to mount his horse but someone shot him off. The bullet flung himself back against the coach. The bullet wounded his shoulder.

  “Jane!” Jacob cried fearfully.

  He looked franticly around and saw Paco’s horse. He quickly mounted it while Paco grabbed his leg. Jacob kicked his wounded shoulder as Paco winced in pain. Jacob then snapped the reins and the horse shot in to the desert like a bullet itself.

  Barns were there first. He drew his gun and aimed it at Paco.

  “Son, you’re under arrest,” Barns said to him. He then ordered to Art, �
��Get those sonofbitches!”

  Art hesitated and questioned, “Out there? Tha’ place must be crawlin’ with cottonmouths.”

  Barn’s eyes glowed at him then moved his gun barrel over to Art, “I ain’t going to repeat my-self.”

  Art nodded then rode in the direction. Two minutes later, he heard a horse’s whiny and saw that it Art’s threw him off. He fell on the dry hard dirt basin, back first. He tried to move but could not. He then heard a hissing sound. He looked about and saw that a brown striped snake slither towards him. The next thing Barns and his men heard was dreadful scream. Barns then cursed. He looked ahead and saw that Jacob and the bandits were too far out to catch up. He frowned, said nothing to the others moment and trotted back to town.

  “Take the coach back with us, will ya,” Barns ordered.

  Jacob was definitely gaining on the bandits. He figured that he was at least two acres between them. First it was Gabe now Jane. Jacob thought what he did do to deserve this. The horse he rode on galloped through the light brambles.

  One of El Cato’s men informed him that Paco made it out into the desert. El Cato however was too busy struggling with Jane’s fit as she wiggled her body. However, it was no use to her. El Cato had too strong of a grasp. The Mexican leader took a quick peek behind his shoulder and lo be hold was Paco, or at least that’s what he thought he saw. He slowed his horse down a bit to let him catch up. He squinted he eyes and got a better look. It was not Paco. It was Jacob. El Cato frowned and picked up his pace as he continued to ride towards a small mountain range in the distance.

  Jacob lost track on how long he was chasing them, but as he saw the mountain range getting bigger, he’d knew he would lose them in the valleys. He wanted to slow them down somehow. If only he had a gun on him, he could shoot a warning shot towards El Cato. He glanced down at the saddlebag of the horse and saw a holster for a customized rife. In addition, there sat inside was an 1876 Winchester rifle with half of the butt sawed off.

  Now when he was young, his father taught him how to shoot a rifle. At first, he thought they were so loud; his ears could not stop ringing for a week. His first shot of course he missed the target, a beer bottle. The second shot, after he asked his father for some cotton for his ears, he nailed the second beer bottle. After that, he still was not sure about them. They were dangerous and violent weapons. His father told him that guns could be more than killing machines; they can be useful tools as well.

  He wondered if Paco’s gun was loaded as he took it out with his right hand. He struggle with the butt of the rife as he was trying to ride while handling the elongated gun. As soon as his hand reached the trigger, he held it up. Aiming it was not easy as he rode. He only wanted a warning shot as he pulled the trigger. The shock from the blast threw itself from Jacob's hand as he cursed.

  El Cato looked back once more hearing the blast, slowed his horse and told his men the same. The Mexican gang slowed to a stop and turned their horses around. Jacob saw this and won-dered what El Cato was doing. Perhaps he is willing to give up. As soon as he got within twenty yards, El Cato and his men drew their weapons at him. Jacob immediately pulled the reins on his horse to force it to stop.

  “You’re pretty brave Señor!” Shouted El Cato and asked, “But are you brave enough to stop my bullet?”

  Jacob raised his hands and said, “W-Wait! You wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man. Would you?”

  “Please don’t!” Jane pleaded.

  “You’re sheriff friend killed my brother!” said El Cato, “Now I will kill you!”

  “No! That not true!” Jacob said, “He’s alive! He just got wounded! Shot in the shoulder!”

  “You lie!”

  Jane assured him, “Please sir, my fiancé never lies.”

  Perhaps El Cato thought this was a trick.

  “You have no gun?” he asked.

  “Look, I’m no gunfighter. Heck, I don’t even like guns,” Jacob replied, “I just want my girlfriend back that’s all.”

  “Trató de disparar El Cato,” one of El Cato’s friend commented.

  “Sergio’s right! You tried to shoot us! Missed, but shot at us,” El Cato pointed out.

  “I was only trying to get you to stop!” He replied, “I was hoping we can talk this out like true gentlemen.”

  El Cato started to laugh as so did his men, and then said, “You are new around here, aren’t you?” Jacob just nodded and Jane confirmed it, “I tell you what amigo; since you are new here, I will give you break, just because I’m a nice guy.”

  Jacob sighed in relief.

  “Now get off my brother’s horse,” said El Cato, “Sergio, conseguir el caballo de mi hermano.”

  Jacob dismounted as Sergio, the medium built man with the black long mustache on his face gal-loped over. He took the reins of Paco’s horse and walked it back. Jacob saw him smile, and he did not like it.

  Jane’s expression was horrified as she exclaimed, “You’re not just going to leave him out here?! Are you?!”

  “Let’s go amigos!” El Cato shouted to his men.

  But just as they turned their horses, Jacob cried, “Wait! Wait!” El Cato turned his head, “I think we have common enemy here! Judge Marshal has both our brothers. And soon they’re going be hung unless we do something about it.”

  El Cato ignored him and trotted away.

  Jacob quickly jogged up behind him and said, “Marshal and Barns is going to make your brother talk.”

  El Cato laughed and replied, “He don’t speak English amigo.”

  “Well I’m sure they’ll find someone who can translate. Then they’ll find your little hideout.”

  Jacob was right, El Cato thought, and then wondered, “What do you propose we do amigo?”

  “We team up. We get the money to bail both of them out.”

  “And how much do you think your brother’s bail money is?”

  “One thousand dollars in less than three days.”

  El Cato then laughed hardily, “One thousand? You gotta rob a-” he then thought for a moment, turned to Sergio and asked, “Sergio, la cantidad de oro que iba a estar en ese tren íbamos a robar mañana?”

  “Sobre diez de los grandes,” he replied.

  He then thought some more as he looked at the two tourists then said, “You know, you two may come in handy. I tell you what, we will ride you back to our camp and we’ll cut a deal. Ok?”

  “Alright, that sounds fair.” Jacob said unsurely as he wondered what kind of deal he was talking about.

  El Cato laughed heartily again and said, “I told you I was nice guy! Sergio, Que este hombre paseo a caballo de Paco.”

  Soon after Jacob remounted Paco’s horse, they all rode towards the mountain range. He fully did not trust El Cato. Nevertheless, what choice did he have, none for now?

  Chapter 7

  The Deal

  The sun finally sat over the rocky desert horizon as Judge Marshall lit his small hurricane oil lamp that was on his table. The lights in office at the courthouse were dim as he gazed his eyes over at the sheriff. Barns knew that he was not pleased at what he told him by look in his eyes.

  “He did what?” Marshall asked harshly.

  Barns swallowed and repeated, “Jones, he…went after him; on one of the bandit’s horse.”

  Marshall frowned at that news. He knew that if Jacob was alive, and found out what they were doing…The federal government would cut off his funding.

  “Well, let’s hope, for your sake Tom, that he doesn’t make it back,” he told him.

  The little makeshift village that El Cato led them to was astonishing to Jane, but Jacob was not impressed, even it was the first time he had seen a village with adobe houses built. The village was cleverly located between the mountains and settled in a little valley. El Cato said that this was only temporary. Even if he said, they had been living here for a couple of years now. Jane noticed several Mexican women wandering about doing odd jobs like sewing, cooking and farming maize from a small field nea
rby.

  However, as the sun set behind the mountain ridge, they knew it was time for dinner. El Cato’s helpers, as he called the women in the village, have prepared a few long tables and wooden chairs outside. They placed colorful plates and glasses of all different sizes on the tables. El Cato, his men and the two guests he invited, Jane and Jacob, sat as the helpers served dinner.

  “I never had a burrito before,” Jane said as young woman placed a large wrapped like corn tortilla in front of her. Jane inhaled the luscious smells of rice and beans and said, “Smells delicious.”

  “Wait until you taste it senorita,” El Cato retorted. “Vamos a ir un poco de música!”

  As the mariachi band started to play a festive tune, Jane picked up her burrito, and took a small bite. He mouth began to burn as she dropped her dinner back on the plate. El Cato laughed as Jacob handed her a glass of water. She took it and gulped it all down.

  “That wasn’t funny,” Jacob said to El Cato.

  He smiled to them and replied, “I’m sorry Señor. A bit too spicy?”

  Jane nodded embarrassingly, “Just a little.”

  “Perhaps, Señorita, you would like something a bit mild? Eh?” El Cato proposed. He turned to his helpers and told her in Spanish to find Jane something for her to eat, like fruit. The helper smiled, nodded to him and left to her kitchen in one of the adobes.

  “El Cato. That’s an unusual name,” Jane said, “How did you get it?”

  The Mexican looked at her and replied, “My brother, a long time ago. You see, back in Mexico, I lived in a small village, just like this. Well, we were playing out by an abandon silver mine when he found an old stick of dynamite. We thought it was a dud, so he threw it deeper in the mine. It was no dud. The blast shook the entire cave, so I grabbed my brother Paco and we ran towards the entrance. Rocks and beams were falling all around us. We barely got out alive. My brother told me I had reflexes of a cat. And from that moment on…” He took a sip of his tequila and continued, “I became El Cato. My real name’s Jose.” He then smiled at her.