Ten Guns from Texas

by William W. Johnstone

  “I believe you said you like Scotch,” the bartender replied.

  “Aye, but you said you dinnae have any.”

  The bartender smiled, then reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle of Haig. “Don’t always believe everything a bartender tells you.”

  “Well now, ’tis m’ thanks I give you.”

  Duff had just finished his drink when Sheriff Wallace and Deputy Bullock came running into the saloon with guns drawn.

  “Hog Jaw, what the hell’s goin’ on here?” Wallace asked authoritatively.

  “There ain’t nothin’ goin’ on,” the bartender replied. “It’s done gone on, ’n it’s all over now.”

  Wallace held his pistol for a moment longer, then, seeing that nobody else was holding a gun in their hand, he holstered his. Bullock, seeing the sheriff put his gun away, did the same thing.

  “What the hell?” Wallace asked. “Is that Woodson?”

  “Yeah.” Slim pointed toward the back of the room. “And you’ll find Jenkins back there, a-lyin’ in the middle of that busted table.”

  “Who shot ’em?”

  “I shot them,” Duff said, turning to face the sheriff and his deputy.

  “You,” Sheriff Wallace said. “You’re the one that kilt all them men for doin’ no more ’n cuttin’ a fence on public land, out near the Slash Bell, ain’t you? What was your name? MacCallister, was it?”

  “Aye, ’twas and still is my name. Duff MacCallister.”

  “What’d you shoot these two men for, MacCallister? Was they tryin’ to rustle cows, too?” Wallace asked with a humorless laugh.

  “I shot them because they were shooting at me.”

  “Who shot first?”

  “The first shot came from the deceased gentleman lying on the broken table back there. The second shot came from him.” Duff pointed to Woodson, who was lying on his back, the pistol still in his hand. “I shot just a split second later than both of them.”

  “How do you know that you didn’t shoot just a second before he did?” Wallace asked.

  “Because if I had, he would have nae got his shot off,” Duff explained.

  “So, let me get this straight. You’re a-sayin’ that they was both of ’em a-shootin’ at you, ’n they started out a-shootin’ a-fore you, but you still kilt ’em both?”

  “Aye,” Duff said with a nod of his head. “That’s the way it happened.”

  “I don’t believe you, mister,” Sheriff Wallace said.

  “If you will notice, Constable, the beer glass from which I was drinking is smashed, and there is a bullet hole in the window. Both missiles came from the guns of the deceased.”

  “He’s tellin’ you the truth, Sheriff,” the bartender said. “He come in here ’n didn’t do no more ’n order hisself a beer when Woodson started tryin’ to pick a fight with him.”

  Wallace frowned. “What for? What did he do to get Woodson all angered up?”

  “He didn’t do nothin’ atall. It’s like I said, all he done was order hisself a beer.”

  “Where does Jenkins fit into all this? Did Jenkins try an’ pick a fight with him, too?”

  “No, ’n that’s the hell of it,” the bartender said. “Jenkins was standin’ up on the balcony up there, ’n he’s actual the one who shot first. Then this fella shot back at him, then him and Woodson shot at each other, ’n, well . . . you see what happened.”

  The sheriff looked at Duff. “Did you know Woodson and Jenkins?”

  “No,” Duff replied.

  “Then why in the hell did they just commence a-shootin’ at you for no reason atall?”

  “As near as I can gather, it’s because I’m a Scotsman.”

  “That don’t seem like reason enough to me,” Sheriff Wallace said.

  “Well now, I tend to agree with you, Constable,” Duff replied. “Sure ’n nobody else has tried to shoot me just because I’m a Scotsman. At least, not since I arrived in the United States. So ’tis my thinking that ’twas for some other reason.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere,” the sheriff said. “And what reason would that be?”

  “Do you remember the attempt the Fence Busters made on Mr. Bellefontaine’s cattle the other day?”

  “I remember his fence gettin’ cut. Seems to me like there warn’t no cattle stoled.”

  “None were taken, ’tis true. But it isn’t because they didn’t try. These two men”—Duff nodded at the bodies—“were riding with the rustlers. It could be that they feared I might recognize them and tell the law that they were there.”

  “I thought Bellefontaine said it was the Fence Busters that done it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I happen to know that neither of these men belonged to the Fence Busters,” the sheriff said.

  “You know the identity of all the Fence Busters, do you, Constable?”

  “What? No, why should I?”

  “Exactly. Why should you? That means that these men could very well be members of the Fence Busters, and you would nae know about it.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, iffen you put it that way, I reckon you might be right.” Wallace turned to his deputy. “Bullock, you’d better go get Ponder ’n tell ’im he has a couple customers.”

  “All right, Sheriff,” Bullock said, turning toward the door

  The sheriff turned back to Duff. “Let me ask you somethin’, MacCallister. Are you getting some sort of payoff from Ponder?”

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because he’s had more business from you in the last few days than he’s had in the previous month.”

  Hog Jaw chuckled. “Damn if you ain’t got that right, Sheriff. Damned if you don’t.”

  Near Miller Creek Draw

  Rosalie had been in the cabin for two days, and though she no longer had a rope around her neck, her hands and feet were still tied. Blankets and quilts were spread on the floor, and though it was not as comfortable as a bed would have been, it was better than sleeping on the dirt floor.

  “Hey, Peabody, how long did Muley say he would be gone?” Morris asked.

  “Why do you care?”

  “I give ’im some money to buy a bottle of whiskey.”

  Peabody shook his head. “He didn’t go to town to buy whiskey. He went to buy vittles. You know that Kendrick don’t want nobody drinkin’ out here. Especially since we’re keepin’ watch on the governor’s daughter.”

  “Yeah? Well Kendrick ain’t here now, is he?”

  “It don’t matter none whether Kendrick is here or not. I’m here, ’n as long as Kendrick says there ain’t goin’ to be no drinkin’, then there ain’t goin’ to be no drinkin’.”

  “It don’t seem right, spending all this time out here without so much as a single drink.” Morris looked over at Rosalie.

  She was leaning against the wall, sitting on the blankets with her knees drawn up in front of her.

  “You know what else don’t seem right? It don’t seem right to have a good-lookin’ woman like that, ’n not be able to enjoy it none.” A satanic smile spread across his lips, and he reached down to grab himself. “You a virgin, little girl? ‘Cause if you are, I’ll break you in just real gentle. I ain’t never had me a virgin before.”

  “You touch that girl, ’n Kendrick would more ’n likely kill you,” Peabody said.

  Peabody’s words eased Rosalie’s immediate fear, but what he said next brought another stab of fear.

  “He’ll prob’ly want her first, seein’ as he’s the boss. Then I expect he’ll pass her around.”

  “Yeah,” Morris said. “I still won’t be gettin’ me no virgin, but that won’t bother me none. She’ll just be broke in good by the time I get her.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Merrill Town

  Jug and his friend Poke were having dinner at Ma Ling’s Chinese Restaurant.

  “How long are they a-plannin’ on keepin’ her in the Miller Creek Draw cabin?” Poke asked.

  “I don’t know. Muley
didn’t say.”

  “I can’t believe Muley actually told you where they was keepin’ the girl.”

  “He didn’t exactly come out ’n say it. I sorta had to trick ’im. What I said was, ‘You’re a-holdin’ that girl there, ain’t you?’ ’N then he got all nervous, wanted to know how I knew ’n all. Then he wanted me to swear that I wouldn’t tell Kendrick.”

  Poke laughed. “Muley never was the smartest in the bunch, but we ought not to be talkin’ about such things out in the open like this, Jug. You never can tell who might be listenin’.”

  “What are you worried about? You think any o’ these Chinamen might hear us? Hell, if they heard us and could understand what we was sayin’, which most of ’em can’t, it wouldn’t make no difference to ’em. You think a Chinaman’s goin’ to give a tinker’s damn ’bout the governor’s daughter?”

  Poke and Jug were speaking in conversational voices, with absolutely no concern over the fact that Wang Chow was sitting at the table next to them, eating with chopsticks.

  “Do you think you know where they are a-keepin’ ’er?” Poke asked.

  “Yeah, I got me a damn good idea.”

  Poke put up a hand. “Well, don’t tell me, ’cause I don’t want to know. ’N if you ask me, I’m just as glad we ain’t with the Fence Busters no more, neither. It seems to me like takin’ the governor’s daughter was just about the dumbest damn thing they coulda possible done. What the hell was they thinkin’ about, anyway? They don’t really think they’re goin’ to get away with it, do they?”

  “To be honest with you, I don’t have no idea what the hell they was thinkin’ when they took her like they done.”

  A young and very attractive Chinese woman approached Wang’s table. She smiled, and nodded her head in a quick bow. “Wang Xian shen, would you like more rice?” she asked in Mandarin.

  “Shi, xie xie,” Wang replied in the same language, cupping his rice bowl in both hands and holding it out to her.

  As the girl walked away, Jug spoke to Wang. “Hey, Chinaman. I think that girl likes you.”

  “Wo ting bu dong,” Wang said.

  “What the hell did you just say?”

  The attractive young Chinese girl translated Wang’s response for them. “He said that he does not understand.”

  “You mean he don’t speak English?”

  “He does not understand,” the girl said again.

  “What the hell? If he don’t speak English, what’d he come over here for?” Jug asked.

  The girl shrugged, then went on toward the kitchen.

  Jug smiled, then turned his attention away from Wang and back toward Poke. “I told you we could talk in here. Now, I’ve got a question for you. Just how much do you think the governor would be willin’ to pay to find out where at they are a-holdin’ his daughter?”

  “Why are you askin’ me a question like that? You ain’t a-plannin’ on tryin’ to rescue her, are you, ’n maybe see if you can’t get a reward from the governor? ’Cause if that’s what you are a-thinkin’ about, well, you can damn sure do it by yourself. I’m tellin’ you right now that I ain’t a-goin’ up against Kendrick,” Poke said, speaking emphatically.

  “We wouldn’t have to go up against him,” Jug replied. “Leastwise, not so’s anyone would know anythin’ about it. But what iffen we was to tell the governor where the girl is, and he was to send someone else to rescue her? Why, don’t you think he’d be a mite thankful for that?”

  “Yeah,” Poke said with a broad smile. “Yeah, I would go along with somethin’ like that, iffen we don’t have to be actual involved none. Only thing is, we got to be just real careful that it don’t get out to Kendrick nor any of them Fence Buster boys that we was the ones that told where she is.”

  “I don’t think we got to worry none about that,” Jug said. “Only one we’re goin’ to tell is the governor, ’n you know damn well that he sure as hell ain’t goin’ to tell nobody.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I reckon you’re right,” Poke agreed.

  “What do you say we take a ride on up to Austin ’n start doin’ some business with the governor?” Jug asked.

  At that moment, the young Chinese girl returned with the rice, put it on Wang’s table, then stepped back and made a very obvious bow. “We are humbled that you have chosen our place to take your meal, Zongshi.”

  “Why do you address me as a master?” Wang asked.

  “My father says that you are a Shaolin priest. Is that so?”

  “Here, I am as all others,” Wang replied.

  Their conversation was entirely in Mandarin,

  “Did you see that?” Poke asked after the young woman left. “Why do you think she bowed to that Chinaman?”

  “Who knows why the Chinese do anything?” Jug replied. “Come on. Let’s go see the governor.”

  * * *

  “You didn’t hear the location of the cabin?” Duff asked when Wang reported on what he had overheard at Ma Ling’s Chinese Restaurant.

  “No, they did not say.”

  “But they are going to tell the governor.”

  “Shi.”

  “All right. Why don’t we grab Elmer and just take a ride up to Austin?” Duff suggested. “By the time we get there, those two men will have already told him where Rosalie is being held. All we have to do then is gather up the others and go get her.”

  Austin

  “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but the governor doesn’t see just anyone who walks in off the street. You must have an appointment,” Fitzhugh said.

  “Yeah, well, here’s the thing,” Jug said. “Me ’n Poke here, we know where the governor’s kid has been took, ’n we thought he might like to know that.”

  “’N maybe he’d even like it enough to give us a reward for tellin’ ’im,” Poke added.

  “You say you know where she is?”

  “Yeah, we know where she is,” Jug said.

  “Tell me where she is being kept,” Fitzhugh said. “You tell me, and I’ll give the governor the information. And if your information proves to be accurate, I will see to it that you are adequately rewarded.”

  Jug shook his head. “No, sir. The only way the governor’s ever goin’ to find out where his kid is, is if we tell ’im our ownselves.”

  “And your names are?”

  “We done tole’ you. I’m Jug and this here is Poke.”

  “I will need your whole names if I am to announce you to the governor.”

  “Oh. Well that would be Jug Bitters and Poke Connelly.”

  “Very well, Mr. Bitters and Mr. Connelly, if you two gentlemen will just wait here for a moment, I’ll see if the governor will receive you.”

  “He sure is sorta sissified, ain’t he?” Poke commented as Fitzhugh stepped into the governor’s office.

  “Yeah, well people that works in offices most often is kinda like that,” Jug replied.

  A moment later, Fitzhugh returned. “The governor will see you now.”

  The governor was standing as the two men stepped into his office.

  “Are you really the governor?” Poke asked.

  “Yes. I understand you have news of my daughter.”

  “I ain’t never actually seen a governor before,” Poke said.

  “Mr. Connelly, you said you had news of the governor’s daughter,” Fitzhugh encouraged.

  “Oh, yeah. Well, it’s actually Jug that knows.”

  The governor turned to Jug. “You would be Mr. Bitters?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where is my daughter, Mr. Bitters?”

  “Don’t tell ’im nothin’, Jug, till he tells us how much money he’s goin’ to give us.”

  “Gentlemen, if you have actual information, I want to hear it now,” Governor Ireland said. “Otherwise, I will put both of you in jail for attempted extortion.”

  “Attemptin’ what?”

  “Mr. Fitzhugh, would you get Captain Brooks in here? Tell him I am charging these two men with extortion, and I want them transp
orted immediately to prison.”

  “No. Now, there ain’t no need in you a-doin’ that,” Jug said. “They’re a-keepin’ ’er in a cabin that sits in Miller Creek Draw.”

  “Thank you very much, gentlemen. I am most appreciative,” the governor said.

  “How much?” Jug asked.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “How much is it that you appreciate us a-tellin’ you this?”

  “If I find that my daughter is there, I will be most appreciative.”

  “Yeah, that’s what you said. What I want to know is how much money are you going to give us?”

  “If, indeed, my daughter is there and we are able to get her back, I’ll give you one hundred dollars each.”

  “Yeah, but what about givin’ us somethin’ now?” Jug asked.

  “I’ll give you ten dollars apiece now, and the rest once Rosalie is safely back.”

  “All right,” Jug said, holding out his hand. “Give us the money.”

  “Mr. Connelly and Mr. Bitter, if we don’t find my daughter there, you will be arrested for extortion.”

  “I ain’t a-worried none about that, ’cause she’s there, all right,” Poke said.

  Governor Ireland took out his billfold and gave each of them a ten-dollar bill.

  With huge smiles, the two men took the money, then left the office.

  “Do you think they were telling the truth?” Fitzhugh asked.

  “I don’t know, but I think we will have to follow up on it. I want my daughter back, and I plan to leave no stone unturned until she is safe. I want you to ask Captain Brooks to come see me.”

  “But didn’t the note caution you against using the Texas Rangers?” Fitzhugh asked.

  “Please, Mr. Fitzhugh, just do as I say.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  * * *

  Wang, Duff, and Elmer were dismounting in front of the capitol building just as Jug and Poke were coming out the front door.

  “Those are the two men I heard talking,” Wang said.

  “Good,” Duff said. “That means they have already spoken with the governor. Let’s go see what they told him.”