Drummond Takes a Hand

by Alan Irwin

  ‘No!’ he said. ‘There’s an alarm cord tied round my neck. It goes through a staple on top of the pole, then into the hut. I watched Luke Brent rigging it up. I reckon that any pull on it would raise the alarm. Before you cut me down you’ll have to cut the cord and tie it fast somewhere, without pulling on it.’

  Roy felt for the cord, cut it with care, and tied it off around the staple. Then he cut the rope holding Will to the cross-pole, and lowered him to the ground. Quickly, he cut the ropes binding Will’s hands and feet, then asked his friend how he was feeling.

  ‘Mighty thirsty,’ Will replied, ‘and my arms feel like they don’t belong to me. Let’s walk up the ravine out of sight of the shack. Then I’ll get my arms working again, and we’ll decide what to do next. I don’t think anybody’s going to notice I’m missing until the look-out’s relieved at four o’clock.’

  They walked up the ravine for a short distance, then Will sat down while Roy went up to his horse and brought back his water canteen and some food for Will. He also handed him a loaded six-gun and some spare cartridges. Will tucked the gun under his belt, and pocketed the cartridges. Then he ate and drank the food and water. While doing this he told Roy what had happened since he had followed Frost to the hide-out.

  ‘So Luke Brent’s in the shack, then?’ said Roy.

  ‘I was coming to that,’ said Will. ‘He ain’t here. He rode off right after Frost left yesterday. Before he left I overheard some of them talking. I got the idea that Brent was riding somewhere to find a few men willing to join the gang. I don’t know when he’ll be back. But how come you’re here yourself, Roy?’

  ‘Heard in Amarillo,’ said Roy, ‘that you were chasing Clint’s killer. Figured you might need a hand.’

  ‘Looks like you were right,’ said Will. ‘Now we’ve got to figure out how to capture the three men in the shack, and the look-out.’

  After a brief discussion, they walked back to the picket line, collected a coil of rope lying on the ground, then advanced on the shack. Quietly, Will opened the door and stepped inside, with Roy close behind him. Each of them was holding a six-gun in his hand. A lighted oil lamp, with the wick turned well down, was standing on a table. Three men, all asleep, were lying on bedrolls on the floor.

  Will turned up the lamp, and Roy quickly removed the six-guns lying close to the three sleeping men. Then he joined Will and they both stood looking down at the men lying on the floor.

  Curtis was the first one to become aware of their presence. Disturbed by the increase in lighting, he stirred, and his eyes opened. He stared up at the two men looking down on him, and his hand reached out instinctively for his gun. But it was not there.

  ‘Just stay exactly where you are, Curtis,’ said Will, ‘or I’ll shoot you.’

  The sound of his voice woke the other two men, and they also were ordered to stay down. Then all three were told to lie face down. While Will held a gun on them, Roy gagged them, and bound their hands and feet with the rope they had brought with them. Then he turned the lamp down low, in preparation for the arrival of the look-out. They had already decided that the best way to capture him was to wait in the cabin until he arrived at the end of his spell of duty. But first, they had to provide something which would give him the impression, as he came up to the shack in the dark, that the prisoner was still hanging from the pole.

  Using two of the bedrolls and some rope they fashioned a dummy which should fool the look-out provided that, as expected, he went straight in to join the others. They suspended the dummy from the pole and returned to the shack.

  Sitting down inside, they talked, keeping their voices low so as not to be overheard by the prisoners. Roy told Will about Anne’s concern for his safety and said that she was just about to organize a search for him when Roy arrived.

  ‘I reckon she’s taken a shine to you,’ said Roy. ‘She sure is a fine looking lady. Some folks have all the luck.’

  ‘I’m hoping you’re right,’ said Will. ‘I aim to get a lot better acquainted when we get back to Laringo.’

  They settled down to wait for the arrival of the look-out, and just over half an hour later they heard the faint sound of a cough as he approached the shack. They both moved to a position which would be behind the door when it was opened. As Jackson stepped inside, closing the door behind him, Will stepped up and jabbed the end of his gun barrel into the side of the outlaw’s neck, while Roy took his gun. Then Jackson was ordered to lie face down on the floor with the others, and his hands and feet were tied.

  Since they did not know when Luke Brent was due back, or how many men he would have with him, they decided that the prisoners be moved to Laringo as early as possible. One by one, their hands and feet were untied, and they were ordered on to their horses. Then their hands were tied behind them. Roy collected his horse from outside the ravine, and he and Will led the four prisoners towards Laringo. When they were approaching the outskirts of town they halted, and Will checked the ropes round the prisoners’ wrists, after ordering them to dismount and lie face down on the ground.

  ‘I’ll go on ahead, Roy,’ he said, ‘just like we planned. I won’t be long. Keep a close watch on these four, and use your six-gun if anybody tries anything foolish.’

  He went on alone, and rode behind the buildings until he reached the rear of the telegraph office. He dismounted and walked round to the front. As he entered, Frost, in the middle of transmitting a message, turned his head to see who had come in. He froze as he recognized Will and saw the Peacemaker in his hand. There was a gun in the drawer in front of him, but he decided it would be foolhardy to go for it. Will took him, at gunpoint, through the rear door of the livery stable, where Mason happened to be in conversation with two Texas Rangers called Parton and Rooney. They had called in briefly at Laringo, on their way to Amarillo.

  When Will and his prisoner entered, Mason had just finished telling the rangers about the disappearance of Will and the departure of Roy to search for him. Surprised and relieved, he greeted Will and introduced him to the rangers, who looked curiously at Frost.

  ‘We heard about you going after Luke Brent,’ said Parton. ‘Who’s this man with you?’

  ‘This is Frost, the telegraph operator and Wells Fargo agent in town,’ Will replied. ‘He’s been passing information and messages to the Curtis gang. They have a hide-out about fourteen miles east of here, and Luke Brent’s joined up with them.’

  ‘This is real interesting,’ said Parton. ‘We want Curtis just as much as we want Brent.’

  ‘As far as Curtis is concerned,’ said Will, ‘my friend Roy is holding him and three of his men prisoner just outside town. And another two of his men are buried in the cemetery here. The bad news is that Brent’s still on the loose. He’s away somewhere, recruiting more members for the gang. Don’t know when he’s due back.’

  Astonished, the two rangers stared at Will.

  ‘This is great news,’ said Parton. ‘My partner here will take care of Frost. I’ll come with you to bring the prisoners in. Then we’ll take them all into Amarillo.’

  As Will and the ranger rode off, Mason hurried to the doctor’s house. Anne answered his knock. He knew that she had been waiting, with increasing anxiety, for news of Will.

  ‘It’s good news, Anne,’ he said. ‘Will’s back safe with some prisoners, and Roy’s with him. They’ll be bringing them into town shortly.’

  Anne went outside and it was not long before she saw the approaching group of riders. As they drew near, Will broke away, then stopped by her. She smiled up at him.

  ‘Good to see you again,’ she said. ‘We’d pretty near given you up.’

  ‘It’s good to be back,’ said Will. ‘For a while there, I figured I’d never have the chance of seeing you again. Just now, I’ve got to go along to the livery stable, but I’d like to see you later, and tell you what’s happened.’

  ‘I’ll be waiting,’ she said.

  Will went along to the stable, where all the prisoners, includ
ing Frost, had been assembled inside. Parton took him aside.

  ‘The liveryman’s agreed to let us keep these prisoners in the stable overnight,’ he said. ‘Then we’ll take them to Amarillo tomorrow. We’ve identified Curtis and three of his gang, Tobin, Jackson and Lester. We’ve seen pictures of them all. This is a real good haul. But I’m sorry Brent ain’t with them. You figure to stay on his trail?’

  ‘Maybe Roy and me will ride out to the hide-out in the morning and wait around there a while in case Brent comes back,’ said Will. ‘But about tonight. D’you want any help guarding the prisoners?’

  ‘No thanks,’ Parton replied. ‘We’ll both stay in the stable, and take turns guarding them.’

  Will had a few words with Roy, and it was agreed that they would ride out to the hide-out the following morning, and keep it under observation from cover, in the hope that Brent would return. Then Will went to see Anne, and they were joined by her brother. Will told them what had happened at the hide-out, saying that Brent was not among the prisoners captured. He said he intended to return there with Roy the following day. If there was no sign of Brent during the next few days, they would come back to Laringo.

  When Will had left, the doctor sensed that his sister was deeply worried. He asked her why.

  ‘For a while there,’ she said, ‘I thought it was all over, and there was no more danger for Will to face. Now I’m back to worrying again.’

  ELEVEN

  Luke Brent reached his destination late in the evening, and found Wilson sitting in a poker game in the saloon. The gambler was a tall, slim man with a long, hard face. He was neatly dressed in black. He carried a pearl-handled Colt .45 revolver in a right-hand holster, and a derringer pistol concealed inside his clothing. Although a crooked gambler, and occasional robber, he had not yet been identified as a criminal by the law.

  He showed no sign of recognition as he saw Brent come in, walk up to the bar, and order a beer. But five minutes later, he pulled out of the game and on his way out passed just behind Brent, who was standing alone. As he did so, he gave him the number of his hotel room. Five minutes later, Brent left and walked over to the hotel. The lobby was deserted. He went up to Wilson’s room, and the gambler let him in.

  They sat down, and Brent explained the operation that was being planned, emphasising the high likely value of Wilson’s share of the proceeds.

  ‘As a matter of fact,’ said the gambler, ‘I was thinking of moving on. I ain’t been doing too well lately. When d’you want me?’

  ‘Tomorrow,’ Brent replied. ‘I figured we could leave here in the morning.’

  Wilson agreed to this, and Brent took a room at the hotel. The following morning they left after an early breakfast, and arrived at the ravine around noon. Brent’s first inkling that something was wrong came when there was no challenge from the lookout. Cautiously, the two men rode into the ravine and up to the shack. There was no sign of the Curtis gang or the prisoner. All the horses were gone.

  ‘Either the law’s picked them up,’ said Brent, ‘or Curtis got wind of the law heading this way, and they all lit out, taking Drummond with them.’

  ‘What do we do now, then?’ asked Wilson.

  ‘We’ll head for Laringo,’ said Brent. ‘Maybe they’ve been taken there. Nobody knows you there, so you can ride in on your own and find out if anything’s known in town about what’s happened here. I’ll stay outside of town myself.’

  The two men rode towards Laringo. They met or saw nobody until they were just in sight of town, when they saw a buckboard approaching them. It was driven by a homesteader called Slater. They stopped just before he reached them, and he pulled up.

  ‘Howdy,’ said Brent. ‘That place we can just see ahead. Would that be Laringo?’

  ‘It sure is,’ said Slater, a naturally loquacious man. ‘Just come from there myself. Went in to pick up some supplies and see Doc Kincaid. But he’s just left for Amarillo for some kind of conference tomorrow. You going into Laringo? If you are, you’ll be hearing all about the capture of the Curtis gang.’

  ‘I’ve heard about them,’ said Brent. ‘It’s time they were picked up. Where were they caught?’

  ‘In a hide-out east of here,’ the homesteader replied. ‘Four of them. And the rangers are holding Frost, the telegraph operator, as well. Seems he was in cahoots with the gang. They’re holding them all in the livery stable till tomorrow, with the two rangers guarding them.’

  ‘So the rangers caught up with them,’ said Wilson.

  ‘Not exactly,’ said Slater. ‘They were brought into town by a man called Drummond and a friend of his. The two rangers just happened to be in town at the time, so they took over the guarding of them in the livery stable till tomorrow. Then they’ll be taken to Amarillo.’

  They left the homesteader and rode on for a short distance while digesting the news. Then they stopped to talk.

  ‘We’ve got to try and rescue them,’ said Brent. ‘Otherwise I’m on my own. And you can guess how long it would take me to find enough good men to make up another gang like the one I had before.’

  ‘Just a minute!’ said Wilson. ‘I took on to help out in a robbery, not to free prisoners from the law.’

  ‘I can guarantee,’ said Brent, ‘that Curtis would pay a high price for his freedom, and I’m willing to chip in myself.’

  ‘What plan d’you have in mind?’ asked Wilson.

  ‘The time to free them is tonight,’ said Brent. ‘It was a stroke of luck, getting that information from the homesteader. We’ll set up some sort of diversion in town, and surprise the two rangers guarding the prisoners in the livery stable. You’d better ride into town alone when we’ve talked the plan over. See if you can get any more information, and try and get a look inside the stable. Then come back to me. We’ll both ride in later, after dark.’

  After the two men had settled on a plan, Wilson prepared to leave. As he was riding off, Brent called out to him.

  ‘Don’t forget to check the doctor’s house,’ he said.

  When Wilson reached Laringo he rode straight to the livery stable, dismounted, and went inside. Near the back of the stable, the liveryman was speaking to a Texas Ranger. He walked up to them, and spoke to Mason. He could see no sign of the prisoners, but guessed that they were lying in an empty stall at the back of the stable. Six stalls were occupied by horses.

  ‘Howdy,’ he said, noticing the four gunbelts and six-guns lying on the floor near the ranger. ‘Can you feed and water my horse? I aim to leave for Amarillo in an hour or so.’

  ‘Sure,’ said Mason, and Wilson left the stable. The ranger, who had been keenly observing him, put him down as a professional gambler.

  Wilson walked along the street until he came to the doctor’s house, marked by the shingle outside. He walked up to the door, stood in a small porch, and knocked on the door repeatedly. There was no answer. Unobserved, he walked round to the back and inspected the door and window. Then he walked along, past the rear of the livery stable, before returning to the street. As far as he knew, his movements behind the buildings had not been observed. He went into the saloon, and had a drink at the bar. The customers were still talking about the capture of the outlaws, but he learnt nothing of importance to add to what he already knew. After a while, he returned to the stable, and Mason brought his horse out.

  ‘I heard in the saloon about the prisoners you’ve got in there,’ said Wilson. ‘It’s sure good to hear that the law’s caught up with them at last.’

  Fifteen minutes after Wilson rode out of town, Anne returned to the house after a visit to see the liveryman’s wife, a close friend of hers.

  When Wilson reached Brent, in hiding outside town, he told him what he had seen in Laringo.

  ‘Those weapons and horses inside the stable are just what we need,’ said Brent, ‘and now we know the doctor’s house is empty, we can use it like we planned. We’ll ride in after midnight.’

  In Laringo, not long after the departure of Wilson, W
ill and Roy went along to the stable, and offered to keep a watch, in turn, outside the stable, during the night, in case a rescue attempt was launched by friends of the prisoners. They also said that they were willing to ride to Amarillo with the rangers on the following day, to help guard the prisoners on the way. Both the offers were gladly accepted, and it was arranged that during the forthcoming night Roy would cover the period until midnight, when he would be relieved by Will until four o’clock. Will then left Roy and went to see Anne. He figured that the time had come for a serious talk with her. She led him into the living-room and they both sat down.

  ‘I’ve been thinking a lot about us lately, Anne,’ he said, ‘and it just hit me today that without you around I’d be a very lonely man. Up to now I’ve been thinking mostly of capturing Brent, but that don’t seem so important now, and I’m giving up the chase. The law will catch up with him one day. What’s important to me now is trying to persuade you to marry me so that we can spend the rest of our lives together.’

  She smiled at him. ‘What made you think I’d need any persuading?’ she asked. ‘I was mighty grateful for what you did at the Sinclair homestead, but even without that I knew right away that you were the man for me. I’ve been waiting quite a spell for the right one to come along.’

  ‘So,’ said Will, relieved and happy, ‘we can set the date for the wedding. How’s your brother going to take this?’

  ‘Andrew’s a good brother,’ she replied. ‘He’ll be happy for me. He’ll miss my help, maybe, but plenty of doctors out here manage pretty well on their own.’

  ‘Roy and me are helping the rangers take the prisoners to Amarillo tomorrow,’ said Will. ‘When I get back we’ll fix a date for the wedding. And we’ve got to decide on our plans for the future.’

  ‘Have you anything in mind?’ she asked.

  ‘It has to be something we both agree on,’ said Will, ‘but I did have one idea. There’s a valley in Wyoming where I have some friends who’d be real pleased to meet up with you. I thought of buying some land there and running a small cattle ranch. It’s mighty nice country up there, and a great place to bring up a family. How does the idea strike you?’