Lone Jack Kid: The Buffalo Hunt (The Lone Jack Kid Book 3)

by Joe Corso

  When it was time to leave, Charlie leaned close to Faro. “I almost shot one of your men tonight, but I managed to avoid killing him. The second man was about to shoot me, but my dog got to him before he could fire a shot and he crushed his wrist. Do me a favor and keep them out of my way. So far, I haven’t killed anyone in this town and I’d hate to start with them.”

  Faro frowned. “Yeah, I heard about that. Well, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t want to spoil your evening. I’ll tell them to forget about going after you, or they’ll answer to me.”

  The two men shook hands and parted as friends, albeit unlikely friends.

  When the men were on their way back to their hotel, Anthony shook his head. “Whew, when we first went into that place, I thought we would have to shoot our way out.”

  Charlie agreed. “Funny how things work out. I thought the same thing, but I have learned from experience to let things play out, because sometimes you’ll get a surprise… and this was one of those times.”

  Alexis chuckled. Charlie looked at him in surprise.

  “This is the first time I heard you laugh, Alexis. What was so funny?”

  Alexis put his arm around Charlie and Charlie knew that the grand duke must have finally accepted him as a friend.

  “You are what I was laughing at. It seems that your president sent me an escort that is anything but dull.”

  Everyone laughed, including Charlie, who nodded his head.

  “Yeah, I see your point, Alexis.”

  Chapter 26

  Four men boarded the train and took their seats as their horses were secured in stalls in the horse car at the rear of the train. Ban-Chu lay down contentedly in the restricted space at Charlie’s feet. This was the last leg of the long journey Charlie and Wild Eagle had begun at Fort Smith. When they arrived in Omaha and delivered Alexis safely to General Sherman, it would finally be over and Wild Eagle could return to his tribe. And Charlie? What would Charlie do? Maybe it was time for him to look for a home to replace the one he’d lost when he returned from the Civil War. Could he start a new life with Rose and Marsha? If so, where would he want to live? He knew he didn’t want to be a farmer. He did consider buying a little ranch somewhere and raising horses and cattle, but where? Well, he couldn’t think of that now. He would just have to bide his time, figuring that when he saw the land, he would know it was the place to settle down.

  Charlie took off his heavy coat and rolled it into a ball to use as a pillow. He leaned back and buried his head in it in an attempt to get some sleep. The clackety-clack of the train lulled him into a deep slumber. The train began to labor and slow down as it climbed a steep incline between the mountains, and just as it reached the top, the wheels locked and the train shuddered as it screeched to a halt, its great steam engine puffing and clanking from the built-up pressure.

  “What in hell is going on?” asked an aggravated Charlie, irritated at having been awoken from his first good sleep in weeks. Anthony stuck his head out of the window and pulled it back in quickly.

  “Train robbers. The train is being robbed. Bandits are robbing the mail car.”

  Charlie pulled his guns out one at a time and checked to make sure all the chambers were loaded. Each man did the same except for Wild Eagle, who cradled his loaded Winchester. Charlie pointed across the aisle and told Anthony to take a seat on the other side. He told Alexis to stay in his seat and comply with the robbers if they should get by him.

  “Wild Eagle, stay near, but put a little distance between us. They’re liable to start shooting, and if we’re close together, we’ll make an easy target.”

  The grand duke refused to do as Charlie ordered; instead, he pulled out his gun and waited. “I’ll sit here where I can participate in whatever happens.”

  Charlie tilted his head toward Anthony, who shrugged.

  “I know, I know, but what can I do? I’ll do my best to see he doesn’t get hurt, but the next few minutes are likely to become difficult to control.”

  Charlie’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing better happen to Alexis or all our asses will be in a sling.”

  Suddenly, they heard the unmistakable sound of running footsteps above them on the roof of the car.

  “I count three men, and they’ll be coming through the back door any minute so get ready. Quick, Anthony, get to the rear of the car. When those men come through the door, shoot them. Me and Wild Eagle will cover you from here.”

  Anthony bolted from his seat down the center aisle, past frightened passengers to the rear of the car. He took a position by the door with his gun held high, waiting for the robbers. Charlie made sure he stayed out of sight, but cautiously took a quick sidelong glance into the next car. Masked men were pointing guns at passengers, taking money and valuables from them. Anthony shot the first man who rushed in through the back door of the train. Wild Eagle shot his partner as he turned to shoot Anthony. Wild Eagle quickly levered another round into his Winchester and fired at the third man, but the man slipped out the back door and climbed back up to the roof of the car.

  Charlie knew what the man intended to do, so he opened the door and waited between cars for the man to leap over to the next car. As the robber was about to jump, Charlie shot him. The force of the forty-four caliber bullet hitting him at close range knocked him off the roof and onto the berm on the side of the tracks. Three men were now dead and the immediate threat neutralized, so Wild Eagle leaned out the window and began picking off the men trying to get into the mail car. The passengers armed with guns began firing from windows. The barrage of gunfire coming from inside the cars and killing the robbers convinced them that their plan had been thwarted. They turned their horses and hightailed it away from the barrage of gunfire licking at them like a swarm of mosquitoes on a hot day.

  When the dust had settled, most of the passengers retrieved their valuables. Wild Eagle dragged the two dead men onto the rear platform where no one could see him, where he scalped them and threw them unceremoniously off the train.

  When Charlie looked at Wild Eagle, the Indian smiled.

  “Is good we fight together like brothers.”

  Charlie laughed. “Yeah, last time we fought against Indians and now we fought against white men. It does feel good, doesn’t it?”

  The train remained still for about twenty minutes while the railroad officials on the train investigated the damage and questioned the passengers. Then the train lurched and hissed and the wheels skipped a turn or two, trying to get traction on the slick iron rails as it began to pull away. Charlie, Wild Eagle, and the two visitors to America sat back in their seats, looking at the scenery passing by. A conductor spotted Charlie sitting by the window, reloading his guns.

  “The Union Pacific Railroad Company would like to thank you men for helping to stop this train from being robbed by the Bradley gang.”

  “The Bradley gang? I never heard of them.”

  “You never heard of Red Bradley and his gang?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, it doesn’t matter. They didn’t get much from the passengers. And you men stopped them from robbing the mail car, which was carrying the $110,000 mining payroll.”

  “Wait a minute,” Charlie said. “Those men were all wearing masks, so how can you be sure they were the Bradley gang?”

  “We weren’t sure it was them until we found the men you killed and took a look at them…the ones your Indian friend scalped. But even if we didn’t take a look to confirm it, that gang is the only one that has been robbing businesses, banks, and sometimes even our trains, like today.”

  “Don’t you have a sheriff who can go after that gang and arrest them?”

  “Salt Lake City has a sheriff, but he’s only one man with two inexperienced deputies. Besides, that gang operates out of his jurisdiction. We need a federal marshal who can track them down and bring them to justice.”

  Chapter 27

  Charlie arranged with the conductor for their horses to be taken from the horse car when the tr
ain stopped for water about a mile ahead. Ban-Chu bounded down the steps and walked alongside Charlie and Lone Eagle to the horse car where their horses were waiting. The plan now was for Alexis and Anthony to continue on to Omaha where they would meet General Sheridan. They would inform Sheridan that Charlie and Wild Eagle were tracking the Red Bradley gang, and when they brought Bradley and his gang in, he and Wild Eagle would meet them as planned in Omaha, or on the North Platte, depending how long it took to catch them.

  Charlie and Wild Eagle rode back to the site of the train robbery and looked for the robbers’ tracks. Wild Eagle pointed toward a copse of woods.

  “Eight men go south… that way.” He remounted. “Come, we find them.”

  After an hour of riding, Wild Eagle pulled back on his reins, dismounted, and studied the ground.

  “Men slow down. Think they are safe. Look, one horse lose shoe. They go slow now. Soon we catch them.”

  They traveled for another half hour until they caught the smell of coffee wafting towards them by the cool mountain air. The bandits had stopped to make camp and were brewing coffee. Charlie and Wild Eagle halted a safe distance away, dismounted, and tied their horses to a low-hanging tree. They moved slowly closer to the camp and soon heard chatter. One of the men was talking angrily to the others.

  “What the hell went wrong back there?”

  Another man answered. “Charlie, Richie, and Sonny were surprised when they entered that one car. They were all shot to hell, and when Sonny tried to get back to us, he was shot off the roof of the car. Whoever these guys were, they were good.”

  The leader sneered. “Yeah, good enough to stop us from getting a good payday.”

  “What do we do now, boss?”

  “I have to think on that, Bill. It’s getting a little hot here, so maybe we’ll head south until things cool off a bit. Maybe we’ll head down New Mexico way.”

  While the men were talking, Charlie whispered to Wild Eagle, “Move to the other side of the camp and take a position where you can cover my play. I’m gonna confront these men and I know one or two of them will go for their guns. I’m just worried about the ones I can’t see, so that’s where I want you positioned to cover me. Shoot the men that I don’t see.”

  When Wild Eagle was in position, Charlie called out in a loud voice, “You’re surrounded. Drop your guns and raise your hands. Anyone who tries anything funny will be killed.”

  Three men ducked as they pulled their guns and began firing. Charlie had the advantage of having his gun in his hand and shot two of the desperate men while Wild Eagle shot the third.

  “Anyone else care to open the ball?”

  The leader, Red Bradley, asked, “Who are you men? And what do you want with us?”

  “I’m a federal marshal and I’m here to arrest you for the attempted holdup this afternoon of the Union Pacific train. I’m coming out now, so keep your hands where I can see them. If any of you make a false move, you’ll be shot.”

  Charlie stepped out of concealment and into the clearing, keeping his gun trained on the men facing him.

  “Unbuckle your gun belts and let them drop to the ground.”

  The men did as they were told.

  Charlie pointed to the horses. “We have three extra horses now, so take their rifles and secure them to the horses.”

  The men wondered who Charlie was talking to… then Wild Eagle stepped out of the shadows and over to the horses.

  “A white man with an Indian? Say, what’s your name, Marshal?” Bradley asked.

  “The name is Charles Longstreet, but it’s Marshal Longstreet to you.”

  One of the gang mumbled to Bradley, “He don’t look like a marshal I ever saw. He looks like one of us. He looks like a gunfighter. Don’t he look like a gunman to you, Red?”

  “Yeah, now that you mention it, he does. Look at the way he has his gun tied down, and he’s wearing that side holster of his kind of low.”

  Then, like so many others, Red thought his name sounded familiar. “Say, Marshal, you said your name was Longstreet, right?”

  “That’s right.”

  “I read about a guy named Longstreet, but he wasn’t a marshal. That wouldn’t be you, would it?”

  “Did you read that in a dime novel by Ned Buntline?”

  “Yeah, that’s the book I read.”

  “Then that person would be me.”

  “You? You mean to tell us you’re the Lone Jack Kid?”

  “That’s exactly right. I’m the Lone Jack Kid himself.”

  “Well, we don’t have no beef with you, Kid. Why are you dogging us?”

  “I hear tell you boys have been rather annoying these days. I’ve been asked to put a stop to it… and that’s exactly what I intend to do. Now to be fair with you and to show you that I’m not a hard-hearted guy, I’ll give any one of you the chance to stand up before me and pull your iron. If you win, why then, you’ll be free to go. Anyone?”

  One man stood and faced Charlie.

  “I’m fast with a gun, Kid, and if the stories written about you aren’t on the money, then you’re a dead man; and, if they’re true… well, I still think I’ll beat you in a one-on-one fair fight.”

  A second man stood.

  “If you two are thinking of ganging up on me, you’re wrong. My friend with the Winchester pointing at you will kill one of you and I’ll finish off the other one…Ban-Chu.”

  The wolf stood and Charlie pointed to the men sitting before them.

  “Watch, Ban-Chu.”

  The wolf came to attention with his ears up.

  “Now, which is it to be, boys?”

  The second man that stood to face Charlie took one look at Wild Eagle holding his Winchester and then at the wolf and sat back down.

  “It’s just us now, so whenever you’re ready, you can pull that hog leg you’re wearing.”

  “Kill the bastard, Blackie. Show him what you’re made of,” Bradley said. He knew that if Blackie killed Charlie, what was left of the gang could ride away as free men.

  Charlie quietly chastised himself for causing this face-off, knowing that one of them would be killed. He challenged the men, thinking no one would take him up on it, since they knew who he was. But, after winning so many contests when challenged by men looking to make a reputation for themselves, he knew it was only a matter of time before someone faster than him would end his short but notorious life. When he thought about what his flippant remark caused, his hand twitched for a second. He flexed his gun hand, opening and closing it a few times to loosen it.

  “Anytime you’re ready, Blackie.”

  Charlie no sooner finished saying the words when Blackie turned to his side innocently, as if he was about to say something to Bradley. He used the move as a ruse to hide his hand as he pulled his gun from his holster. Charlie’s life depended on always being aware of something suspicious, something out of the ordinary. So when Blackie turned toward his friends in a seemingly innocent move, he knew at that moment that he was going for his gun. When Blackie turned to fire, Charlie fanned two quick shots into Blackie before he could squeeze off a shot. When the shots thudded into Blackie’s chest, it felt as though a horse kicked him. The force of the bullets catapulted him back over the campfire and he staggered backwards until a tree stopped him. He slumped into a sitting position, dead at the base of the poplar tree. The remaining four men watched nervously as Wild Eagle calmly cut off a piece of Blackie’s scalp from the front of his head. He secured the bloody scalp to the stock of his Winchester so the blood would dry as he herded the last of the Bradley gang along the dry mountain trail for their trip to justice in Omaha.

  Charlie pointed at the gang members. “Get on your feet. Now grab a shovel and bury your friends.” When the dead men were buried, Charlie ordered the men onto their horses. “Mount up, you’re coming with us. Are you ready to ride, Wild Eagle?”

  “Yes. We go now.”

  Chapter 28

  One week later, the train robbers we
re in the custody of Omaha’s sheriff, George Lehman. There were rewards on each of the men, ranging from $150 to $500, but Red Bradley’s reward of $1000 was a fortune in 1872. Once the men were behind bars, Sheriff Lehman handed Charlie an envelope. He opened it and read the letter inside. It instructed him to meet General Sheridan at North Platte. In the letter, the general wrote explicit instructions on how to get to their camp in North Platte. While Charlie read the letter, Sheriff Lehman went to his safe to get the reward money.

  Charles Longstreet

  United States Marshal & Fort Smith Indian Agent

  If you have succeeded in capturing the Bradley gang, meet us in Freemont, which is near Omaha. If you were not successful in catching the bandits, as commander of all U.S. military units in the western United States, I will use the military to aid you in capturing Bradley and his gang. Rest assured, we will catch the bandits.

  Should we not be in Freemont when you arrive, then take the Mormon Trail west past Columbus until you get to the Pawnee village. That is where we will stop to rest our horses and spend the night. I expect we’ll be gone when you get there, so continue west until you get to Fort Kearney, where we will restock our supplies and spend the night. The following morning, we’ll leave for North Platte, which should take us two to three days, depending how fast we travel. I hope you can join us there in time for the buffalo hunt.

  Respectfully,

  Philip A Sheridan,

  General in Charge of the Army

  Sheriff Lehman handed Charlie a thousand dollars of the reward money.

  “That’s all the money I have on hand, Kid. Give me an address to send the balance of the money to and I’ll send it there when it comes in.”

  “Here’s a little something for you, Sheriff.”

  Charlie handed the sheriff a hundred dollars and put the rest of the money in his saddlebags.