by Dan Arnold
I guess he has to work hard to fill up the pages with something besides advertising.
“Mr. Starnes, I have another appointment this morning, so I can only give you a few minutes of my time.”
He got right to the point.
“Tell me, Sheriff Sage, is it true the men who robbed the bank have escaped?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Where I heard it is irrelevant; I have my sources. Is it true or not?”
“No comment.”
“Oh no, Sheriff, not this time. I know for a fact those men have escaped. I don’t believe you want me to write that you refused to comment on the facts.”
I considered my response.
My policy had always been not to comment about anything to the press. It had worked well for me, but this time I wanted to try to do a little damage control.
He seemed to sense that.
“Mr. Starnes, I will make a statement, if and only if, you will consider my concerns and handle this matter in a way that will be impartial and not become a cause for public concern.”
He glared at me.
“I’ll tell you what I won’t do. I won’t do a whitewash job for you, or help you try to make this department look any less incompetent.”
I gave him a cold stare.
“Alright, I’ll hear what you have to say, but I’ll print whatever I see fit.”
I chuckled and shook my head. This guy was hopeless.
“I know you will.”
“Well then, Sheriff, go ahead and say your say and try to make your case.”
I could see there was no point in trying to explain my concerns to him, so I gave him my statement.
“Early Saturday night, a person whose identity is unknown at this time, broke into the County Clerk’s office in the courthouse, crept downstairs and ambushed one of the deputies on duty. That deputy is now on leave recovering from injuries he received in the incident. The unknown man then assisted three prisoners in escaping. Two other prisoners remain incarcerated at this time, awaiting trial. The three men who escaped were suspects in an ongoing criminal investigation, but have not, as yet, been arraigned on the charges which prompted their arrest.”
Starnes was furiously scribbling in his notebook. He looked up at me.
“Sheriff Sage, where were you while all this was going on?”
“It was my wedding night.”
That shut him up for a moment.
“Why didn’t you have more deputies guarding the prisoners?”
“I gave you my statement.”
“Do you have any idea where the escaped prisoners may have gone?”
“You have my statement.”
“Are they armed?”
“I’ve said all I’m going to say.”
“Are they somewhere here in town?”
I stood up and walked over to my office door, opening it. I decided to add one thing to my previous statement.
“We have reason to believe the escaped prisoners have left the immediate area and that they pose no threat to the citizens of Bear Creek.” I indicated the open door. “Thank you for you cooperation, Mr. Starnes. As I said, I have another appointment.”
“Wait a minute. You said you had some concerns. What are your concerns?”
I paused for a moment. “I’m concerned about you.” I looked him in the eye. “I’m concerned you will write a deliberately inflammatory story sensationalizing the escape and frightening the community. I would consider such action unwise, irresponsible, and an affront to this department.”
“Is that all?”
I nodded.
“If I were you, I’d think about that last statement. Goodbye, Mr. Starnes.”
“Huh!” He said, as he walked out of my office.
I stuck my head out into the hallway and saw Wes Spradlin talking to an older couple who were seated on a bench outside the Tax Office. When he saw me he excused himself and came over to my office. I brought him in and pointed to the chair most recently vacated by publisher Starnes.
“Busy day at the courthouse,” he commented, sitting down with his broad brimmed black hat in his lap. “I’ll understand if you can’t get away to go up to North Fork today.”
“Actually, I plan to do exactly that.”
I paused to gather my thoughts. I suppose some strain was evident on my face.
“Is something bothering you, John?”
I chuckled.
“I guess you could say I have a love/hate relationship with the press. I love to hate the newspapers.”
He nodded. I figured his relationship with the press had not been particularly positive either.
“And, there’s something else …”
He just looked at me, waiting and expectant. I decided to tell him the whole thing.
“We had a jail break on Saturday night after the wedding. Three prisoners escaped with the help of a fourth man. It was the holdup men that killed Ted Johansen during the bank robbery last week. One of my deputies got clubbed in the head by the fourth man and he’s pretty sick; concussion I expect.”
He nodded and continued to wait for me to go on.
“We think the fugitives may have gone up to North Fork.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“I just wanted you to know this won’t exactly be a pleasure trip. Two of my deputies will be going with us, and I plan to apprehend those men, if we find them there.”
He nodded again.
“Okay, fine with me,” he said.
He studied me for a moment.
“I take it there’s more to the story?”
I sighed, as I thought about what to say next.
“You should know these men are particularly dangerous. They intend to kill me on sight. Now, I know you’ve become a man of the cloth, and I don’t want to put you in danger…”
He held up a hand to stop me.
“John, I can take care of myself. I’m more concerned about you. I’ll help in any way I can, but you need to focus on what has to be done. Would it be better if I stay here until after you do this?”
I shook my head.
“No, this trip up there with you gives me a pretense to be in North Fork. If anyone sees me and recognizes me they’ll see that I’m with a preacher and might not think about me looking for anyone in particular. I’m going to try and avoid being recognized, but I can’t make any promises.”
“So, basically speaking, you want to use me as a disguise.
“Simply stated.”
“Ok, I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Well, there is one more thing.”
He chuckled.
“Yeah, there usually is.”
“When we get up there, I’m going to have to lay low and avoid the people on the streets and in the saloons and gambling halls, until we know exactly where those men are. Would you be willing to help look for them, the outlaws I mean? They don’t know you, so they wouldn’t be tipped off if they saw you. One of my deputies, Bob Logan, will be looking for them and they don’t know him either.”
Wes looked at me with kind of a wry smile.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s just interesting to think of Bob Logan as one of your deputies.”
“You know him?”
“Only the same way he knows me—just by reputation. You know how it happens. I’ve seen it happen to you right here in Bear Creek. People talk about a person who has done violence on one or more occasions, what they’ve done and what they’re rumored to have done.
Newspapers need sensational stories to sell more newspapers and attract more advertisers, so they love shootings and killings. Pretty soon a man’s name gets known and stories get exaggerated.
I’ve heard that Bob Logan is a bounty hunter and, occasionally, a killer for hire—the kind of man I used to be. Different from me though. His reputation is that of a man unseen, like a snake under a cupboard, or a scorpion in your boot, ready to strike at any moment. He’s also been kn
own to change his appearance and hide practically in plain sight.
I heard all those things about him, but then I met him at your wedding. Now that I’ve met the man, he is considerably more civilized and intelligent than I would have expected from his reputation alone. I expect he would make an excellent deputy. I understand he has a background as a detective.”
I considered my answer.
“He worked as a Pinkerton agent before I hired him as a detective. I’ll let you decide for yourself. I’ll tell you this though—he’s a little bit of everything you’ve heard about him and one thing more.”
“What is that?”
“He’s my friend.”
Wes smiled.
“I hope you will consider me a friend.”
“Thank you. I expect it’s an imposition to ask for help in searching for escaped outlaws.”
“Not at all, but I’ll need a pretty detailed description of the men we’ll be looking for.”
“We’ll go over all the details and do some further planning on our way up to North Fork. Can you meet us at my house at about one o’clock?”
28.
I was on my out, when Charlie rushed into my office.
“I’m sorry, John. I forgot all about it. I have to testify at those danged court hearings this afternoon. You know those two fellas, the assault, and the livestock theft. It plumb slipped my mind when you told me about those Thorndyke boys maybe being up in North Fork. You could take Ed or Shorty or somebody to go in my place, but I’m gonna need at least one deputy to help escort the prisoners.”
“Don’t worry about it, Charlie. We have to take care of business and that includes court appearances. With Felix out and Bob and me gone, it leaves just you, Ed and Shorty to handle the jail and escort the prisoners to and from the courtroom.”
“Yeah, but you can’t go up to North Fork with just one deputy. You’d better form a posse.”
“We don’t even know for sure they’re in North Fork, and I already told you why I’m not taking a posse up there. No, Charlie, the situation hasn’t changed. The plan stays the same.”
“John, you don’t have enough man power to round up four armed men. Maybe you could take Tom or someone from the police department.”
“Tom is also tied up in court this morning, and this isn’t his responsibility. Besides, I think we can handle this on our own.”
“You mean you want to handle it on your own. I don’t blame you for that, John, but it’s too dangerous. Think of Lora . . . and them kids.”
I gave Charlie a sharp look.
“Sorry, John. Okay, you’re the Sheriff, and it’s your decision. But I expect it’s a good thing you’re taking a preacher with you.”
***
Although it was a beautiful sunny day in Bear Creek there was thunder rumbling in the far blue mountains, when I ran into Tom on the street.
“Good morning, Chief Smith. If you’re done in court this morning, perhaps I could request the assistance of the police department in locating some missing persons.”
“Well howdy, John. The police department stands ready to assist the sheriff’s department in any way we can. Who has gone missing?”
“I can’t seem to find my wife or the two children who are accompanying her this morning.”
He chuckled.
“Problem solved and persons located! They’re with my wife over at the railroad depot.”
“Huh! What are they doing over there? I wouldn’t have thought to look at the depot.”
“Lora thought the children would enjoy watching the 12:10 to Denver come in to the station. Becky went along for the fun of it.”
“We’re supposed to be heading for the house about now,” I grumbled.
“Yeah, it is pretty much lunchtime. Court’s adjourned till one thirty. I’ll go down to the station with you. I need to round up my wife as well.”
I was feeling pressed for time. Bob and Wes were supposed to meet me at the house at one o’clock. I was hoping to enjoy whatever Consuela had cooked up, with just my little family, before Bob and Wes got there.
***
As we walked down to the station I told Tom what we were planning to do.
“I’ll go with you up to North Fork if you like. It seems to me you might need a couple more men than you have.”
I like Tom, and he’s as good a policeman as he had been a good deputy, but two of the Thorndykes knew him by sight. If I got him killed, neither Becky nor my wife would ever forgive me. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself either.
“You were mighty handy the first time we caught them. I appreciate the offer Chief, but it’s a little out of your jurisdiction, and I think we can handle it.”
He shrugged.
“If anyone could handle it, it would be you and Bob. Still, having more men might prevent bloodshed.”
I thought about it. I’d had four deputies and Tom with me when I arrested them the last time. Was I looking to start a fight? No, I wasn’t. I really did believe Bob and I could handle them. In my opinion, the Thorndyke boys were basically cowards. In all the killing they’d done, they always had an advantage. Whenever I’d directly confronted them in the past, they folded up real quick. If Bob and I could catch them off guard from two sides, I was pretty sure they’d surrender without a fight.
We heard the train whistle as we approached the station. As the train came chugging to a stop, we stepped up onto the platform. Lora, Becky, and the kids were down at the other end. We waved at each other. I could see the kids were fascinated by the train with all the smoke, noise, and steam.
The conductor stepped off, followed by a couple of passengers.
Tom and I joined Lora and Becky with the kids at the far end of the platform, taking a moment to watch the passengers getting on and off. One of the men who had gotten off the train caught my eye. There was something about his body language. He didn’t seem to have a particular destination in mind.
Lora and I said goodbye to Tom and Becky and started back the way Tom and I had come across the platform. As we passed the man I’d noticed earlier, I noticed he was wearing a gun in a tied down holster.
I leaned into Lora’s ear.
“Take the kids and go straight to the livery stable. The team is hitched and ready to go. I’ll be along in a minute. I think there might be a problem here.”
She shot me a worried look. I smiled in a way that I hoped would be reassuring.
“I’ll catch up to you in minute,”
I turned back toward the man.
Tom saw me, and I caught his eye, glancing over toward the man with the tied down gun, whom I could now see was pretty young—maybe twenty years old or so.
I approached the man straight on.
“Howdy, you look like you might be lost.”
He grinned, a kind of one-sided, crooked grin.
“Are you from around here?” he asked.
“Yes, sir, I am. Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for a man named Wes Spradlin. Have you heard of him?”
Tom had left Becky’s side and was coming toward us.
“Yes, I sure have. He lives right here in town, mister… ?”
“I’m Luke Watson. Maybe you’ve heard of me?”
I shook my head.
“Watson is a pretty common name, I guess. Say, Mr. Watson, that sure is a fancy gun rig you have there.”
He narrowed his eyes, with a sneer on his face
“What’s it to you?”
“Me? Oh, nothing really. It’s just that there’s a city ordinance against carrying handguns in town.”
Tom had stopped about ten feet directly behind the man.
“Don’t mean shit to me. Where does Wes Spradlin live?”
“Why do you want to see him?”
“That’s none of your damned business.”
“Actually, it is,” I said, as I opened my jacket with my left hand so he could see both my badge and my gun.
He spread his legs and put his h
and above his gun.
“I said it ain’t. Are you feeling lucky?”
That’s when Tom hit him. Tom had drawn his gun and taken two quick steps up behind Watson. Watson sensed Tom’s approach and started to draw and turn at the same time. Tom’s gun barrel came down on Watson’s head. He collapsed like somebody had let all the air out of him.
“That was smooth, Tom, very smooth,” I said.
Tom tossed me the man’s gun.
“Yeah, well he had it coming,”
Tom handcuffed the man’s wrists together behind his back. He frisked the man thoroughly, and came up with a knife and a derringer, both of which he dropped into a pocket of his uniform jacket.
I examined the man’s revolver. It was a new model Colt, chambered in .44 caliber. It had five notches filed into the grip, a tin horn trademark.
Watson was waking up as Becky approached.
“Becky, honey, I’ve got to take this fella down to the jail. Would you mind going to the house alone. I’ll come along and have my lunch in thirty minutes or so.”
Becky nodded.
“Okay, I’ll see you there.”
She turned and walked away.
Watson sat up.
“What’d you hit me for?” he asked.
“You’re under arrest for unlawfully carrying a handgun within the city limits of Bear Creek, failure to surrender your weapon, attempted assault on a peace officer, and whatever else I can think up between here and the jail,” Tom said, hauling Watson to his feet.
“I’ll see you, John. You be real careful up there in North Fork,”
I handed over Watson’s gun and watched Tom march him away.
I found myself smiling.
Tom hadn’t lost his edge.
29.
As we drove down the hill from the center of town, Wes Spradlin’s buggy was parked in front of the house, near Bob’s horse where it stood tied at the hitching rail.
“So much for lunch alone with the family.” I thought.
I dropped Lora and the kids near the house and drove the team down to the barn. As I was unharnessing the horses, Wes and Bob came out to join me.
“Have you seen the storm up there in the mountains? It appears to be headed this way,” Bob said.