Hard Ride to Wichita

by Ralph Compton

  “I was gonna say something along those lines, except it was which one of you two smelled better than the other.”

  “I like my version better,” Carlo said.

  “There was a shop owner by the name of Bickle who told us you’d left town, probably heading to Wichita. So,” Frank said while still patting the horse, “what brings you here when the rest of us were gathered in another part of the state? And don’t go on about bounty hunters, because I didn’t see many of them in these parts.”

  Carlo felt his muscles twitch again. Several times in the last few seconds, his stomach had clenched at his tenuous position much as it would if he was leaning back in a chair and teetering on the precipice of falling over. Any shift of his weight in that chair had to be done quickly or it was all over. “I had some business to conduct,” he said.

  “Did you, now?”

  “That’s right.”

  “What sort of business?” Frank asked.

  The man in front of Carlo was several years younger, but had been chiseled into a formidable presence by the hardships of war and a life on the run. The bloody days of brother fighting against brother had a similar effect on many men, leaving every family member scarred and stronger for the experience.

  “You remember that double-dealing captain that hunted us down just to make us pay a toll for crossing into this state?” Carlo asked.

  “The one selling the guns that were stripped from some of his own dead soldiers?”

  “That’s him. He’s the one who sent some of those bounty hunters after me. After all of us, really, but they found me first.”

  “Makes sense,” Frank said. “He’d only be doing his job by hunting us. Doesn’t make the rest of what he does any easier to swallow, but at least he’s doing some of his duty.”

  Carlo spat on the ground as if it were someone’s face. “When those bounty hunters came for me, the first thing they did was try to recruit all of us. I was to pass along a message to Anderson that if we joined up with his bunch and took orders from Granger, our days of being hunted by troops and bounty hunters alike were over.”

  “I would have liked to pass that along to the others. We’ve all been holed up for so long we could use a good laugh.”

  “That’s what I thought any of you would say,” Carlo told him. “Which is why I decided to take the opportunity I was given.”

  “What opportunity would that be?” Frank asked.

  Carlo reached into his pocket for the poker chip he’d acquired outside town and tossed it through the air. Frank caught it in one hand, turned it over, and studied the picture drawn on it.

  “That came from a place called the Red Bison Billiard Room,” Carlo explained. “Obviously there’s more than just billiards being played there.”

  “This isn’t exactly the only billiards room in Kansas.”

  “Maybe not, but it seemed important to some of Granger’s men. After what he pulled when we first rode into this state, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on that strutting bastard so bad I could taste it.”

  “You’re not the only one. Without him making things difficult for us, we could have free rein in this state and a good part of Missouri, besides. That captain is dug in worse than a tick. Even if he ran his men by the book, he’d be enough of a problem. Him being crooked only makes things worse.” Turning the poker chip over by rolling it across his knuckles, Frank asked, “You think he can be found at this billiard hall?”

  “I’ve got reason to believe so,” Carlo replied. “I need to have a look-see for myself before doing anything that might scare him off.”

  Frank shook his head and sighed. “You and your scouting. Enough to test the patience of a saint.”

  “I go in alone and I should be able to keep from being noticed. If more than one of us goes anywhere near Granger, we’ll be spotted for sure. That happens and he moves to some other place he’s got staked out.”

  “Or he tucks himself into a fort or some other armed camp,” Frank said.

  “Which makes things messy.”

  Although only in his early twenties, Frank wore his scars with the weariness of someone twice his age. When he grinned, he looked more like the young man he truly was. “We like messy,” he said. “Messy is what we’re here to be.”

  “Messy, yes,” Carlo said. “Not dead. If the rest of the men were all here, I’d say we burn that billiard hall to the ground with Granger and as many of his soldiers in it as we could fit. We could even flush him out and hunt him like the mangy dog he is. But the rest of the men aren’t here.” Studying Frank a little closer, Carlo asked, “Are they?”

  Frank let the question hang in the air for a few moments before saying, “Not yet. It’s just like I said before. Most were in the northeastern part of the state. Anderson and the rest are pretty well scattered for now. Given some time, I’m sure I could round up a few reinforcements.”

  “Given enough time, I’d like to round up all of them. Lord knows they all deserve to carve off a piece of Granger for themselves. That captain is slippery, though, and he could be moving along any day. If he’s here, I’d like to make the most of the opportunity to nail him to a wall.”

  “And I’d like to help in any way I can.”

  “Much obliged, Frank. Let me do some more scouting and I’ll let you know what I find. After that, we can put something together that will shut Granger down for good.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Frank said as he once again offered his hand.

  Carlo shook it firmly.

  “Now that I found you,” Frank continued, “I ain’t about to spend another night in this stall. There’s a hotel not too far from here called the Horse Tether. I’ll stay close to there all day tomorrow. That give you enough time to see whatever it is you’ll be out to see?”

  “More than enough.”

  “Good. I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Sure you don’t need any help before then?”

  “I appreciate that,” Carlo replied, “but I’ll need to move swiftly to keep from being seen. That’s best done when I’m alone.”

  “Figured that’s what you’d say. Of course, the last time you went off to scout on your own, we didn’t see you again until . . . well . . . now.”

  “There’s a war on,” Carlo said with a weary shake of his head. “Things tend to derail awfully quickly sometimes.”

  Frank’s eyes narrowed in a way that Carlo found particularly troubling. “Yeah,” he said. “They do. Think you’ll know something by noon tomorrow?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  Frank nodded. “That’s good to hear. Try not to get sidetracked again. If you’re too late, I’ll have to come looking for you.”

  Carlo did a good job of hiding it, but he did not like the sound of that.

  Chapter 23

  Carlo and Frank parted ways amicably. When they left the stable, Carlo said he had to pick up some supplies and walked in the opposite direction from Frank. Every step of the way, Carlo was expecting to see another familiar face look out from a nearby store. Fortunately he saw nobody of concern. Even more fortunate was the fact that Frank didn’t walk in the direction of the hotel that both he and Luke had mentioned. After rounding a corner, Carlo broke into a run.

  He didn’t head to the Horse Tether straightaway. Instead he took the cautious route in the event that someone had accompanied Frank and simply hadn’t been spotted yet. Carlo cut down alleys, crossed through empty lots and used any shortcut he could find to take a crooked route to the hotel in hopes of beating Frank there.

  The Horse Tether wasn’t a large hotel but was prominently displayed at a corner that received a good amount of traffic from newcomers to town. Carlo was panting like a tired dog when he stepped inside and looked around.

  “Can I help you?” asked a cheerful woman behind a long desk adjacent to the door.

 
Carlo was about to ask where the restaurant was but spotted it on his own through a doorway to his right. Leaving the clerk without saying another word, he stepped into the dining room to find about a dozen tables. Three of them were occupied. One of those occupants was Red.

  Approaching the table, Carlo said, “We need to get out of here.”

  Red had his face buried in a bowl of stew. Startled by Carlo’s entrance, he looked up and asked, “Where did you come from?”

  “Listen to me. We need to go. Where’s Luke?”

  “He’s out scouting like we agreed. He told me to stay here in case you showed up.”

  “Come on,” Carlo said as he looked out a large window with a good view of the street.

  Red stood up and took his time wiping his face with a rumpled napkin. “I didn’t think you’d come back so soon. Fact is, I thought you’d probably take some time to yourself and not be back until tomorrow. That’s why I took some time and had something to eat.”

  “You’re always eating, Red. Now just come outside with me before I knock you over the head and drag you out.”

  Red followed Carlo to the front door. As soon as they stepped outside, Carlo cursed under his breath for not trying to find another way from the hotel that didn’t put them in plain sight to anyone on the busy street. Since they were already through the door, Carlo kept his head down and hurried toward the front of a nearby steak house.

  “What is wrong with you?” Red snapped once they finally stopped moving.

  “Which way did Luke go?”

  “Answer my damn question!”

  Facing Red, Carlo replied, “Someone else is coming for Granger.”

  “That ain’t too big of a surprise, considering what kind of business he gets up to.”

  “They’re not the sort of men we want to cross.”

  “How do you know?” Red asked. “What are they to you?”

  “I met up with one of them while I was on my own—”

  “I knew it!” Red exclaimed. “There was always something shady about you, and I figured you had your own plan running.”

  Carlo tried his best to watch the street while also watching Red. “Just let me finish what I was saying.”

  The younger man’s teeth were clamped together and his breath was making his chest swell. “The way you snuck around in Wendt Cross. The way you did all that talkin’ without hardly saying much of anything at all. I knew there was something wrong, but Luke wanted you along to help when the lead started to fly and I should’ve put my foot down.”

  “Red, stop talking for a second!”

  Although he did stop talking, Red made a quick reach for the gun tucked under his belt.

  Carlo was even faster as he plucked the Smith & Wesson from Red’s grasp. “We need to find Luke, and we need to find him fast.”

  Still shocked that his weapon had been so easily taken from him, Red blinked and sputtered for a second before asking, “Why? What’s going on?”

  “There are other men coming after Granger and they’ll be meeting up at that hotel. When was Luke going to come back?”

  “Probably around noon like we agreed.”

  “Do you know which way he headed?” Carlo asked.

  Red had composed himself once again after being taken away from his meal less than a minute ago. “Who are these other men you’re talking about?”

  “They’re dangerous. That’s all you need to know right now.”

  “The hell it is. Gimme back my gun.”

  “You just need to trust me,” Carlo insisted.

  “I don’t even trust that there are any other men at all. After all you’ve been spouting on about since me and Luke first laid eyes on you, it’s hard to say when you’re not just talking to hear your own voice.”

  Carlo was about to defend himself when a rumble rolled through the air as well as the ground beneath their feet. Both he and Red turned toward the sound to find a trio of horses thundering down the street, kicking up dust and scattering people in front of them. As the horses raced past, Carlo shoved Red into the shadow provided by an awning and turned so his back was to the street and he could watch the horses by glancing over one shoulder. He only caught a fleeting glimpse of the riders’ faces, but that was enough to draw a curse from the back of his throat.

  “What?” Red asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Here,” Carlo said as he slapped the Smith & Wesson into Red’s open hand. “Take this. You might need it.”

  “I will? Why?”

  Carlo had already started running along the boardwalk in the wake of the thundering horses. Shoving past several locals who were still rattled after nearly being trampled while crossing the street, Red caught up to Carlo with a few long, powerful strides.

  “Tell me what’s goin’ on right now or I swear I’ll shoot you in the leg!” Red shouted.

  “Those are men I used to ride with,” Carlo said without slowing down. “I thought I’d left them behind, but they caught up to me. They must’ve been following me.”

  “For how long?”

  “Hard to say. I thought I was free and clear, but someone must have picked up my scent somewhere along the way.”

  Red matched Carlo’s pace step for step, even as they cut across small sections of town to try to catch up to the group of horses. It wasn’t difficult following them. All they had to do was listen for the beating of hooves against packed dirt and the surprised voices of those who were pushed aside.

  They’d emerged from between two buildings to come out onto one of the narrower streets that cut through Wichita. Although the horses weren’t in sight, the dust they’d kicked up still hung in the air. Carlo got his bearings and ran across the street to head for another alley.

  Red remained at his side, dodging an elderly couple out for a stroll and leaping over a water trough instead of taking the time to go around. “What difference does that make to us? If they want to talk to the captain, we just wait, and if they kill him, we can head home and be done with it.”

  “Because,” Carlo told him, “it could also be that they want to burn Granger’s camp to the ground along with the town he chose to build it near.”

  “Why the hell would they do something like that?”

  “Because that’s what they do.”

  When he made it to the next street, Carlo recognized several storefronts from when he’d passed them earlier. He and Red had managed to get ahead of the horses, but not by much. The riders thundered past the next corner and moved on.

  “I know where they’re headed,” Carlo said. “I just thought we’d have a bit more time before they went there. Looks like the schedule’s been changed around a bit.”

  Carlo was on the move again and Red was still with him. This time, however, the younger man got a step ahead of him so he could ask, “Where are they headed?”

  “To a billiard hall called the Red Bison.”

  “That’s where that poker chip came from,” Red replied.

  “You know about that?”

  Red nodded. “Luke asked around and found out right before he left the hotel.” Bolting ahead another couple of steps, Red planted his feet and stood in front of Carlo like a wall. He stopped the other man before they could cross the next street. “What do you and those riders have to do with Granger?”

  “Buying guns from him, mostly,” Carlo said. “Sometimes dynamite or powder. We always knew Granger was playing both sides of the fence, but we figured we’d just burn him down if he decided to try to hurt us. Granger made his play by sending bounty hunters after us in droves and cutting us off from the supplies we bought from him. Doing all of that and then sitting back like nothing is wrong is like spitting in a man’s face. The men I rode with don’t take kindly to that sort of thing.”

  “Is Granger working with the Rebs?” Red asked in a harsh whisper.
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br />   “He’s working for himself. He doesn’t care about blue or gray. His only concern is the color of a man’s money or the weight of his gold. I thought I’d be able to trade with him for one last deal.”

  “Your ticket onto that boat.”

  “That’s right.” Carlo looked down the street, but the horses were long gone. “I thought if I could get what I needed before I was missed from the men I’d left behind, I’d be long gone before they started looking. If I got far enough away and stayed there for a long enough time, they’d eventually stop looking. The way they were going, odds are they wouldn’t last much longer anyhow. That’s a big reason why I wanted to break away from them in the first place.”

  “And the rest of what you told us before?”

  “Is true.”

  Now Red looked in the direction the horses had gone. “You think those men will set fire to Wichita just to get to Granger?”

  “That’s the least of what they’ll do.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Red asked before leading the way across the street so they could continue to cut across town.

  Carlo caught up to him and said, “Don’t go rushing in. We’re to hang back and watch until we see an opening. Otherwise, we’ll only be giving those men more targets to shoot at and everything from there will only get worse.”

  “Sounds to me like you think you’re already on their bad side.”

  “I’m not sure what side I’m on with them, to be honest.”

  Thanks to them being able to bypass streets to take the most direct route possible, they were within sight of the Red Bison just as the mounted gunmen were reining their horses to a stop. Standing in the shadow of an alley, Carlo watched the three men dismount. He recognized all of them. Frank was among them, speaking to the others in a rush. Most likely, he was talking about strategy for storming into the billiard hall and flushing out their target.

  Carlo was wound so tight that he reacted to the sound of approaching footsteps by drawing his pistol and pivoting to meet whoever was coming. Luke had his gun drawn as well and kept walking toward him and Red without being deterred by the weapon currently aimed at him.