by Joe Corso
“Let’s see now. We’ll need a room for you folks, one for Fuzzy, one for Wild Eagle and me, and two for Anthony and Alexis. Here’s some money. Go into the hotel and book five rooms. Fuzzy tells me the hotel offers bath services. Get a bath for you and your family and put it on my bill. Meanwhile, me and Fuzzy are going to the general store to pick up more supplies.”
Anthony asked Charlie what he should do.
“Go with Wild Eagle and take the horses, wagon, and burro to the stables. Tell the man to feed and groom the animals. Tell him to give them good feed. Here’s some money. If he needs more, we’ll be at the hotel. Peter Baker is reserving rooms for us, so I’ll meet you back at the hotel when we finish buying our supplies. Come on, Fuzzy; let’s go find that general store.”
Ban-Chu padded alongside Charlie as they walked to the general store. The wolf was disappointed that he had to wait outside, but the storeowner didn’t allow pets in his store, especially wolf pets.
“Fuzzy, start taking the items we’ll need off the shelves while I look for a shirt. I think I’ll tell Peter to bring Rowena here so she can buy a new dress. The one she’s wearing is all torn up from the other day.”
He picked out a shirt he liked and brought it to the counter. He took a dollar out of his leather pouch, but before he could place it back in his pocket, something struck him in his temple. Everything started to go black, but he stayed on his feet. One of the men spun him around by his shoulder and punched him in his face, knocking him against the counter, but he still remained on his feet. The second man held Charlie while holding a gun on both the man behind the counter and Fuzzy. The first man began pummeling Charlie with both hands.
“Did you get the money from the register, Luke?”
“Yeah, Lefty, I got it. And I got what he had in the tin box behind the counter.”
“I got this dude’s money so let’s get out of here.”
When the two men opened the door to leave, Ban-Chu ran through the open door to his master, who lay bleeding on the floor. Sensing that his master was hurt, the wolf wanted to attack the two men, but the closed door blocked his way. This saved Ban-Chu’s life. The men would have surely killed him if he went after them. The wolf returned to his master and began licking the blood off his face.
Fuzzy turned to the proprietor of the store.
“Come on, mister, help me get my friend back to the hotel where someone can tend to him.”
They walked with Charlie’s arms around their shoulders. His face was a mess and his eyes slits, but he was awake and, with help, he could walk.
“Oh my God, what happened to Charlie?” Rowena almost shouted.
“Two men robbed the general store just as we were buying supplies. They robbed the store owner of every cent he had and they took Charlie’s money.”
Wild Eagle pumped a round into his Winchester. “I find men and I kill them.”
Charlie raised his hand weakly. “No… don’t do it. I will find them and take care of them. Get me some water. I’m thirsty, but I’m feeling a little better now.”
It was true that Charlie felt better… a little better. Because, in reality, he felt as if a herd of horses had just run over him. Still, he was on his feet and thinking clearly. Although he tried not to show it, he still felt as if he had been beaten with a steel bar. He reached for the leather pouch that held his money, but remembered it was stolen. He searched his pockets and found some loose change. Enough to buy the drink he needed to clear his head.
Feeling strong enough to walk now, he told his friends, “I’ll be right back.”
Wild Eagle picked up his Winchester by the door. “I go with you.”
Charlie didn’t argue; he just turned and walked out of the room with Wild Eagle and Ban-Chu following close behind.
The hotel didn’t have a bar, so they walked a few doors down to the Oasis Saloon and through the batwing doors to the bar. The bartender was a rough-looking man with his hair parted in the middle and wearing a large mustache. His face had a scar running across his forehead and down his cheek. He looked at Charlie, his one eye closed and the other just a slit, his face battered, and then his gaze fell on the Indian.
“Two drinks. No offense, but give us the best whiskey you have and not the rotgut you give the miners.”
The bartender stood there for a second, staring at Charlie. He was about to tell the bruised and battered man that he didn’t serve Indians in his establishment but thought better of it. Instead, he reached under the bar and poured two drinks.
“Pour one for yourself.”
He poured a third drink and picked it up. “Here’s to you catching up to whoever did that to you.”
Charlie leaned back and drank the whiskey in one gulp. “Another round please. And don’t you worry none about me catching those two polecats. Because they’re dead men, only they don’t know it yet.”
The bartender listened to Charlie and the funny thing was he believed every word he said. He put out his hand and Charlie took it. “I’m Chet and this is my place. Do you mind me asking who you are?”
Charlie never mentioned that he was the Lone Jack Kid, but this one time only, he’d make an exception. “My name is Charles Longstreet. Some people know me as the Lone Jack Kid. I never told that to anyone and I’m only telling you who I am because I need information on the two thieves that waylaid me and stole my money. Their names are Luke and Lefty. Now, do you know anyone with those names? I’m asking you this once, and if you don’t know who they are, then that’s fine. But if you do know who these men are and you lie to me, then I’ll consider you to be with them, and when I get them, I’ll come back for you. Now, do you know anyone with those names?”
Chet gulped and poured another round of drinks. “These are on me, Kid. Yeah, I know those two. They ride with Farrington’s gang from time to time. They’re not regulars of Levi’s, but they do hire on from time to time.”
“Did you know they robbed the general store today and they got me at the same time?”
“No. I didn’t know that. It’s a rule we have that’s mutually agreed upon that we don’t bother them and they leave us alone. This is the first time that rule has been broken.”
Charlie leaned on the bar, the whiskey having relaxed him. “Tell me about Lefty and Luke.”
Chet was quiet for a few heartbeats. “Those two aren’t regular members of Levi’s gang because he doesn’t like killing if it can be avoided. Those two are trigger happy, so Levi only uses them on certain jobs.”
“I see. Where can I find them?”
“My guess is, since they pulled a robbery in Price, they’re either heading away from here…”
He was quiet a moment.
“Or they could be laying low in Robbers Roost for a few months. One thing is for sure. They wouldn’t dare tell Levi about what they did here in Price. But Levi will find out about it when one of his men comes in here for a few drinks or spends some of his money on the card tables, and then they’ll have to leave.”
“How can I get to Robbers Roost?”
“That’s gonna be tough because sometimes as many as two hundred men can be holed up there. They have lookouts posted on the approaches to their hideout, and they don’t take kindly to strangers coming there unannounced.”
“You seem to know a lot about their comings and goings. Can you take me there?”
“Are you loco? If I took you there, I would be betraying their trust and they’d kill me in a heartbeat.”
“Can you get a message to Levi and tell him that the Lone Jack Kid would like to have a word with him? Maybe my name might catch his interest. He might be curious. Can you do it?”
Chet was about to pour another round when Wild Eagle put out his hand.
“No more whiskey for me.”
“What’s with the Indian?” Chet asked.
“His name is Wild Eagle, he’s the chief of the Kaw Indians. He’s my friend and blood brother and a man you wouldn’t want for an enemy. Now, can you get w
ord to Levi?”
Chet absently rubbed his mustache, then emptied his glass and wiped his chin with his sleeve. He nodded. “Yeah, I can get a message to Levi, but what’s in it for me?”
“Those two creeps stole my money. When I get my money back, I’ll hand you one hundred dollars.”
Chet’s eyes lit up. That was more money than he made in a month.
“It’s still early. I’ll get someone to watch the bar and ride out to Robbers Roost. If Levi is there, I’ll give him your message.”
“Listen, if Farrington is at his hideout and you talk to him, don’t tell him what his two men did. He might talk to them and they could make a run for it. Just tell him that the Lone Jack Kid would like to have a friendly meeting with him, maybe even over dinner. He can name the time and place. He can even bring as many men with him as he wants. I don’t care. Just let him know that it’s important that I talk with him.”
Chapter 20
Chet returned late that night. “Farrington said he’d be happy to meet with you, but he didn’t give me a time or date.”
Charlie smiled inwardly because he knew he would have told him the same thing. He waited all the next day for a message or some sort of note to be delivered, but nothing came. The following morning, he was awakened by a knock on his door. Ban-Chu growled, but Charlie patted him on his head.
“It’s all right, boy. I’ll see who it is.”
Charlie quickly put on his pants, grabbed his six-gun from the night table, and walked to the door.
“Just a minute.”
He turned the lock and stepped aside.
“Come on in.”
The door swung open, but no one entered. Instead, a voice with a note of amusement in it said, “I’m coming in, so don’t go and shoot me. And whatever you do, don’t sic that wolf on me.”
Levi Farrington smiled as he stared at the gun in Charlie’s hand.
“You won’t need that iron you’re holding. Your wolf scared me half to death.” He chuckled.
Charlie threw the gun on the bed. Then he went to the basin and splashed water on his face.
“Sorry about that, Levi. You are Levi Farrington, or am I mistaken?”
“You’re not mistaken. I’m Levi Farrington and you must be the Lone Jack Kid.”
He said this with a smile on his face, as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
“I’m guilty of being him, and I’m glad you decided to accept my invitation. Have you had breakfast yet?”
Levi smiled easily. “No, as a matter of fact I haven’t.”
“Good. Suppose we talk over breakfast, if that’s all right with you?”
“Sounds good to me.”
They walked down to the dining room, with Ban-Chu following close behind. They both chose the table against the wall. Since only one of them could have the seat facing the entrance, they flipped a coin for it. Charlie won the flip with a light-hearted toss and positioned his chair flat against the wall. Levi swung his chair on an angle so he too was in a position to see who walked through the door.
“I’m looking at your face, Kid.”
Charlie put up his hand to interrupt him. “My friends call me Charlie, and I’d like you to call me Charlie.”
“Okay, Charlie. Is what happened to your face why we’re having this talk?”
“What happened to my face is a small part of what I want to talk to you about. First, let me say that it took balls to come here to meet with me, and I appreciate it.”
Farrington waved it off. “It was nothing. When I heard you rode with Quantrill, and after reading those books about you, I wanted to meet you. Now tell me what this meeting is about.”
Charlie looked into Levi’s eyes before he spoke. “Do you know anyone named Lefty and Luke?”
Levi didn’t hesitate. “Sure, the guys you mentioned are Luke Wheeler and Lefty Kahler. Why do you want to know?”
“I’d appreciate it if you would set up a meeting between those two and me.”
Levi was confused. “Why?”
“When we meet, I’m going to kill the both of them.”
Levi laughed. “What? You’re gonna shoot them in the back?”
“Nope. I’m going to face them both and give them the chance they never gave me. I’ll face off against the two of them in the street.”
Levi scratched his head. “You mean to tell me you’ll face both of those men, by yourself?”
“That’s right. They beat me half to death and they stole my money while they were robbing the general store.”
“What? They robbed old Seth?”
“Yes. I took my money out to pay for a shirt and the next thing I knew I was hit on the head. Then they gave me a beating. I won’t do that to any man and I won’t brook it being done to me. I’ll kill those men the very next time I see them. I wanted to tell you this to your face so you’d understand why I’m going to do it. I’m asking you to keep out of this fight. It’s between them and me and I’m giving them a better break than they gave me. At least with two against one, the odds are in their favor.”
Farrington barely controlled his temper. “I use those men once in a while, but they broke my rule when they robbed a store in this town and beat up a civilian. They’re gonna shit when I tell them who it was they beat up. But don’t worry. The boys and me will make sure they attend the party. When do you want to open the ball?”
“Is tomorrow at noon too soon?”
“Nope! They’ll be here tomorrow, even if I have to hog tie them and drag them here myself. You know, since I read those dime novels, I wondered if the stories about you were true. I guess they were.”
“Make sure they have my money with them. I want you to hand it to me before I kill them.”
Levi smiled and shook his head. “Boy, am I glad I decided to meet with you. Say, before I forget, I read that you rode with the James and Younger boys.”
“They’re my friends. We knew each other from before the war and we fought in that war together.”
Levi was curious. “Have you ever rode with them?”
“No, I never have.”
“Well, that being the case, would you consider joining my gang?”
Now it was Charlie’s turn to laugh. “No, Levi. I appreciate your offer, but I’m afraid I have to refuse.”
Levi smiled. “I understand. But you still have to face two of my men tomorrow and if you don’t survive, then you won’t have to worry about my offer.”
“No, but if I do survive, that means I’ve killed two of your men. Will that be a problem for you? Or will we part as friends when it’s over?”
“If you survive tomorrow, you will have earned my friendship and my respect.”
“Wait a minute, you mean I have to kill those two snakes to earn your respect?”
Levi laughed out loud and slapped Charlie on the shoulder. “No, not because you’ve killed two of my men. You’ll have earned my friendship and the friendship of my entire gang because of the show you put on. It’s all about entertainment, man. If you’re still alive when the smoke clears, we’ll step into the hotel, have some lunch, and then we’ll find some soft women and have ourselves some fun long into the night. Just make sure you win.”
He got up to leave, but before he walked out, he stopped by the open door and tipped his hat.
“So long, Charlie. I’ll see you out in the street in front of the hotel tomorrow at noon.”
Chapter 21
Charlie watched from the dining room window as twelve horsemen pulled up in front of the hotel at noon. They dismounted, tied their horses to the hitching post in front of the hotel, and waited. While they waited, Levi put his hand out palm up to one of the men. The man looked as if he would kill Farrington if he turned his back on him, such was the look of hate on his face. But he complied and handed Levi a small leather pouch. He must be one of the thieves, Charlie thought.
As the hotel clock began to chime noon, Charlie got up from the table and walked toward the hotel’s swinging d
oors. He stopped for a moment and looked out onto the street. Across the street, he noticed spectators lined up, as if expecting a circus performance and old Seth who owned the general store was one of them. Charlie adjusted his guns, pulled the brim of his Stetson down so the hat sat low over his eyes and stepped through the doors onto the wooden walkway. Charlie surveyed the men standing in the street in front of him, and then motioned for the men to separate and move to either side of the street. They complied and Charlie stepped down the three wooden steps into the rutted dirt street, never taking his eyes off the three men standing about twenty-five feet in front of him. One of the men was Levi Farrington.
When Charlie took a position in the middle of the street, Levi walked toward him. He tossed Charlie the leather pouch, which Charlie caught easily with his left hand. He lifted the pouch twice, testing its weight, then gave Levi a slight nod. Levi’s lips twitched into a smile and he stepped closer to Charlie.
“Luke Wheeler is faster on the draw, so get him first.”
Charlie’s eyes narrowed as he ground his teeth, looking at the two men. “Which one is Luke?”
“He’s the one wearing the red bandanna.”
Levi backed up a few steps, then turned and walked over to the rest of his gang, standing on the wooden sidewalk in front of the hotel, waiting for the action to begin. Levi and his pal Allen Prewitt were especially interested in seeing if the stories about the Lone Jack Kid were true.
Prewitt nudged Levi.
“He doesn’t look nervous to me. Does he look nervous to you, Levi?”
“No. I have to hand it to him, he’s got a pair of cast iron balls, that’s for sure. Now we’ll get a chance to see how fast he is with a shootin’ iron. Look, they’re beginning to circle. It’s starting.”