Jaco made no reply to the mayor’s inquiry. He simply pulled the trigger, and the mayor died with a shocked expression on his face.
Jaco left the mayor’s body lying on the floor, then walked back to the Red Dog Saloon. “It’s like I said, Puke. We ain’t got no mayor. You’ll answer to me.”
“Yes, sir!” Puke replied proudly.
“The first thing I want you to do is take care of the mayor’s body, then round up every member of the town council and put them in jail.”
“What are we puttin’ ’em in jail for?” Puke asked.
“Someone killed the mayor,” Jaco replied. “It’s likely one of them done it, thinkin’ maybe with the mayor dead, they could become the new mayor.”
“Yeah,” Puke said with a smile. “Yeah, more ’n likely it was one of them that kilt the mayor. And the sheriff ’n his deputy.”
“No, the sheriff ’n his deputy, and Lou Miller, killed each other. We all seen it happen.”
“That’s right,” Puke said. He glanced over to Owen Hayes, his deputy. “That’s just how it happened, ain’t it?”
“That’s the way I seen it,” Hayes said.
“Once you get the city council all rounded up and put in jail, then I want you to go to every business in town ’n tell ’em we’re havin’ a town meetin’ here in the saloon at four o’clock this afternoon.”
“How we goin’ to do that?” Puke asked.
“It’s simple. You tell them they will either attend the meeting or you will shoot them.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I mean that near ’bout ever’one that’s on the city council also owns some kind of business in town.”
Jaco stroked his chin for a moment, then nodded. “All right. I’ve changed my mind. You don’t have to put them in jail. Come to think of it, it wasn’t none of them that killed the mayor, it was Lou Miller. Just bring ’em to the meetin’, ’n I’ll set everyone straight.”
Chapter Twenty
There were only twelve business establishments in town, and that included the mortuary and the feed and seed store. By four o’clock, everyone in town had heard of what happened to the town marshal, his deputy, and the mayor. All showed up for the meeting, including every member of the city council.
“The preacher ain’t here,” Puke said. “I tried to get him to come, too, only he said he wasn’t goin’ to go into no saloon, whether it was for business or not.”
“That’s all right,” Jaco said easily. “I’m sure word will get back to him about what we’re goin’ to do here.”
“What are we goin’ to do, Jaco?” asked Rafferty, the owner of the grocery store.
“We’re goin’ to change this town. And the first thing I’m goin’ to do as the new mayor is ask all of you that’s on the city council to resign.”
“What do you mean, as the new mayor? What happened to Ned Urban? I haven’t heard anything about him resigning.” The councilman was incensed.
“I’m sorry to say that Urban is dead. He was shot and killed by Lou Miller. When the city marshal found out about it, he and the deputy came to arrest Miller . . . right here in the saloon. Miller resisted arrest, and they had a shoot-out. They wound up killin’ each other.”
“Yeah? Well, that may be so, but how does that make you mayor? By rights, we as the city council would appoint a temporary mayor until a new mayor can be elected.”
“All right. Go ahead and appoint me. That can be your last official act before all you resign. As mayor, I won’t be needin’ any council.”
“Look here, I don’t know what this is about, but I ain’t goin’ to vote to appoint you, and I ain’t goin’ to resign.”
“Putt?” Jaco said.
Putt shot the protesting councilmen.
“As I said, gentlemen, your last official act, before you resign, will be to appoint me. Now, all who agree that I should be the new mayor, raise your hands.”
The councilmen looked at each other nervously, then, with shaking hands, they raised them in a unanimous vote.
“Good,” Jaco said. “Now, as your new mayor, I accept your resignations. As participating businessmen in this town, I’m sure you will all be interested in what I have to say.
“We’re goin’ to make it a place where the only law is our own law, ’n any outside law ain’t welcome. It’s goin’ to be a place where someone with a price on their head can feel welcome.”
“My word!” one of the businessmen said. “Are you talking about turning Shumla into an outlaw town? That is what you’re talking about, isn’t it?”
Jaco shrugged. “I suppose I am.”
“Absolutely not! I’ll have no part of this!”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jaco said, and to the shock of everyone present, he pulled his gun and shot the businessman who had spoken out.
Two former members of the city council lay dead on the floor.
“Here’s the thing about an outlaw town,” Jaco said, continuing his talk as if nothing had happened. “The outlaws that do come here is goin’ to need food, and liquor, and tobacco, and clothes, just like everyone else. The only difference is . . . they don’t have no place else they can go to get such things, except right here.”
“How’s that any different from now?” Morris, the owner of the saloon asked. “Most of the folks that come into my saloon is from here. They ain’t goin’ to someplace like Van Horn to buy a beer.”
“What do you think a beer costs in Van Horn?” Jaco asked him.
“Why, it costs a nickel, same as it does anyplace else,” Morris said.
“You’re right. It does cost a nickel in Van Horn. But that ain’t the same it costs anyplace else. ’Cause here in Shumla, if anybody buys a beer from you, it’s goin’ to cost ’em a quarter.”
“Look here, I like a beer ever’ now ’n then, my ownself,” said Silas Dunn, the owner of the meat market. “Are you tellin’ me I’m goin’ to have to pay five times as much for a beer as I do now?”
“Why not?” Jaco replied. “You’ll be chargin’ five times as much for your pork and beef, so you’ll have more money. Ever’one will be chargin’ five times as much.”
“What about me ’n my girls?” Sherazade asked. “Right now, it don’t cost but a dollar for a visit.”
“Same thing,” Jaco promised. “Anybody wants to visit one of your girls, it’s goin’ to cost ’em five dollars.”
Sherazade smiled.
“We may have a problem you haven’t considered,” Rafferty dared to say.
“What problem is that?”
“If you turn this into an outlaw town, where are we going to get the goods to sell? I can tell you right now, there won’t be any freight companies who are willing to come into a lawless town.”
“You don’t worry none about that,” Jaco said. “You’ll get your groceries all right. You’ll have to pay more for them, but you’ll get them.”
“You keep sayin’ ever’thing is goin’ to cost a lot more,” Morris said. “But what I want to I know is, where’s all this money goin’ to come from? We can’t just all start chargin’ more unless there’s more money to begin with.”
“Oh, there will be more money,” Jaco said. “There will be a lot more money. You see, I have plans for the outfit I’m putting together. We’ll find places to get more money, and, we’re going to need someplace safe to come back to. Shumla will be that safe place, which means this is where we’ll be spendin’ the money.”
“Yeah!” Morris said with a big smile on his face. “Yeah, I like that.”
“In fact,” Jaco said with a smile, “you’ll all be making so much money that you won’t even miss the twenty-percent taxes you’ll have to pay.”
“Twenty-percent taxes? What twenty-percent taxes?” Dunn asked.
“When you have people livin’ here like the ones we’re goin’ to have livin’ here, it’s goin’ to take a special kind of law to keep order in the town. And that law is goin’ to be expensive.”
“Are yo
u talkin’ about Puke Cage?” Morris asked.
“Puke will be wearin’ the badge . . . but I’ll be the law,” Jaco said pointedly.
Eagle Pass, Texas
Sheriff Jason Bowles was at the train depot when Cal Hanson arrived with the three hundred head of cattle he had brought with him.
“So, you’ve arrived safely, I see,” Jason said. “I got Duff’s wire, and I’ve made arrangements for you to keep them in the holding pens until Duff arrives with the rest of your cattle. I’ve also hired some cowboys to drive your cattle out to your ranch when you’re ready.”
“That is very decent of you, Sheriff. Do you know if any of the men would be willing to stay on with me? I shall require a number of men to help me operate the ranch.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to find enough good men from this group. In the meantime, you are to be our guest tonight. Melissa insisted on it.”
“That is most gracious of you,” Hanson said.
As sheriff of Maverick County, Jason and his family lived in a house supplied by the county. It wasn’t very large, but it was a nice house, and it was immaculately kept by Melissa.
Hanson was greeted by Megan when he arrived at the house.
“Miss Parker, how nice to see you again.”
“I take it you had no trouble driving the cattle to Cheyenne,” Megan said as Hanson stepped inside.
“None at all, and I must say, it was all very exciting. I hope I learned something from Duff and the others.”
“They are good teachers and you are an intelligent man, so I’m sure you did.”
“My, something smells very good,” Hanson said.
“You have my sister to thank for that.”
Melissa shared a trait with her sister, in that she was very talented. But while Megan’s talent was in designing and sewing dresses, Melissa’s talent was in cooking. She was much more than just a “good” cook. She was a gourmet cook.
Dinner that evening started with a soup of chicken giblet consommé with egg. That was followed by leg of lamb with mushrooms and black olives, roasted potatoes, asparagus, and dinner rolls. Desert was a peach pie.
“Oh, my,” Hanson said, touching a napkin to his lips after the meal was concluded. “I haven’t dined this elegantly since the officers’ mess of the Royal Horse in Calcutta. I much appreciate the invitation.”
“Ha, believe me, Mr. Hanson, Melissa appreciates you coming as much as you appreciate being here,” Jason said. “She is always ready to show off her skills.”
“As indeed she should be. And, if we are to be neighbors, shouldn’t you call me by my Christian name? It is Cal.”
“Very well. Cal it shall be,” Jason replied. “Who is coming with Duff?”
“Elmer and the Chinaman will be traveling with Duff.”
“Wang is coming with him?” Jason asked.
“Apparently Wang requested to go along so that he might see Texas.”
Jason smiled. “I can understand that. Texas is a wonderful place, and I feel sorry for anyone who doesn’t live here.”
“For heaven’s sake, Jason, don’t take on so about Texas. It isn’t fitting,” Melissa said.
“Say, I have a marvelous idea,” Hanson said. “As soon as all the cattle have been moved out to my ranch, I should like to host all of you for a gala.”
“For a what?” Timmy asked.
“A festive event.”
“A party,” Melissa said when she saw that Timmy still didn’t understand.
Timmy smiled. “Oh, good! I like parties.”
Shumla
As news of what Jaco was doing spread through the town and out into the surrounding area, the people who wanted no part of it began leaving the community. Some tried to sell their houses, but finding no buyers, simply loaded their belongings into a wagon and left, leaving the houses standing bleak and empty. Some burned the houses behind them, rather than let someone else move in and take over.
Jaco moved in quickly, establishing ownership of the abandoned properties by way of quitclaim deeds. Within a short time the only people left in Shumla were those who were complicit with Jaco or those who were unable to leave for one reason or another and had become victims of the new order Jaco had established.
But while many of the residents of the town were leaving, new ones were coming in. The news wasn’t universally disseminated, but spread through the outlaw circuit by word of mouth. Word was, the town of Shumla had become an outlaw town, and anyone who was on the run was welcome there. Also, there was a moneymaking opportunity for anyone who would be willing to join a group being put together by a man named Jaco.
The Israel brothers, Lenny and Larry, having heard word of such an opportunity, decided to explore it. They thought they were on the right road, but they hadn’t seen any signs indicating that Shumla was ahead.
“You think this is the right way?” Larry asked.
“I think so,” Lenny answered.
A few minutes later, they encountered a wagon loaded with furniture coming toward them. A stern-faced man was driving the wagon, a sad-faced woman sitting beside him. Back in the wagon, sitting on some of the furniture, were a young boy and a young girl.
Lenny held up a hand to stop the wagon. “Tell me, mister, we’re lookin’ for the town of Shumla. Is this the way?”
“Yes, it ain’t no more ’n a couple miles on down this road,” the man replied, pointing back.
“Movin’ are you?”
“We aren’t movin’. We’re bein’ run away from our own home,” the woman spat out.
“What do you mean, you’re bein’ run off?”
“It has turned into an outlaw town,” the woman said.
“Martha, you’ve said enough now.” The man slapped the reins against the back of the team and the wagon started moving again.
“D’ya hear that, Larry? It must be true, what we heard,” Lenny said as they continued toward the town.
“All she said was that this here was a outlaw town. She didn’t say nothin’ a-tall about some feller puttin’ together a gang.”
“Well, I reckon that won’t be too hard to find out,” Lenny said.
Fifteen minutes later, the two men dismounted in front of the saloon. They brushed some of the dust off their clothes.
“My mouth is as dry as this sand,” Larry said. “I can damn near taste me that beer now.”
“Yeah, well, let’s quit talkin’ about it, and get us a beer.” Going inside, they each put a nickel on the bar and ordered a beer.
“That ain’t enough,” Morris said. “It’ll cost you each a quarter.”
“A quarter? Why, there ain’t nowhere in the whole state of Texas where a feller has to pay a quarter for a beer.”
“There is now,” Morris said. “If you want a beer in this saloon, you’ll have to pay a quarter.”
“Is there another saloon in town?”
“This is the only one.”
“This ain’t right,” Lenny complained.
“If you don’t like it, you can take it up with our mayor. That’s him, sittin’ back there with that real pale-lookin’ feller. Mayor Jaco.”
“Jaco?”
“Lenny, that’s the feller we’re lookin’ for.”
“Looks like we’ve found him. Give the man a quarter.”
“A quarter?” Larry scrunched up his face.
“You want a beer, don’t you?”
“Well, yeah but—”
“But nothin’. Give him a quarter.” As Lenny spoke he put his own quarter on the bar. Then, with beer mugs in hand, the two approached the table where Jaco was sitting with the whitest looking man either Lenny are Larry had ever seen. They stared at him in curiosity for a moment.
“You two boys got business with me or did you just come over here to gawk at the albino?” Jaco asked.
“Oh. Uh, we got business with you. We hear you are putting together a gang.”
“And you want to join the gang?” Jaco asked.
“Yea
h.”
“You ever used them guns?”
Lenny answered. “Yeah. Does it matter?”
“It matters. See that feller over there in the corner, sittin’ all by hisself? I want you to walk over there and kill ’im.”
“What? Why?”
“He’s plannin’ to start his own gang, and I don’t need the competition. If you’re goin’ to be in my gang, you’re goin’ to do what I tell you to do. I want you go over and kill ’im.”
“Want me to do it, Lenny?”
“Nah, I’m the oldest. I’ll do it.”
Lenny walked over to the table, raised his pistol, and shot the unsuspecting man in the forehead. Returning his pistol to its holster, he walked back to Jaco’s table.
“You boys are hired,” Jaco said.
Chapter Twenty-one
Eagle Pass
“I shall require a mount,” Hanson said the next morning to Ernie Taylor, one of the four cowboys Jason had found for him.
“Clem Northington has some good horses for sale down at the stable. Me ’n Barnes will come with you ’n help you pick one out, if you’d like.”
“Yes, thank you, that would be splendid.”
Fifteen minutes later, the three men were standing outside the corral. Taylor pointed to a horse. “That looks like a good one there.”
“Ain’t that the horse that Coleman brung in?” Barnes asked.
“It’s a good horse,” Taylor repeated pointedly.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t say it wasn’t a good horse. I just said it was the one that Coleman brung in.”
Clem Northington came toward the three men then. He spit out a stream of tobacco before he spoke. “Kin I he’p ye?”
“Indeed you may.” Hanson pointed to the horse that Taylor had indicated. “I am in the market for a horse, and my friends here have recommended that one.”
“They did?” Northington asked, looking at Taylor and Barnes questioningly.
“Yes. Would you saddle him for me so that I might give him a trial ride?”
MacCallister Kingdom Come Page 14