“Yes sir,” Will answered right away.
With a sneer of contempt on his face, Ben locked his gaze on Will’s eyes for a long moment before glancing at his partner. “Come on, Brock, let’s go take care of these horses before supper.” He turned his horse away then and headed for Darlene’s cabin, where they would leave their saddles before turning the horses out to graze.
Silent, but fascinated witnesses to the initial confrontation between the stranger called Walker and the two train robbers, Pop and Coy hesitated for only a moment longer before returning to the fire where Slim was still tending the beef. “I was startin’ to wonder if you was gonna let me finish this butcherin’ by myself,” Slim complained. When his remark failed to inspire the sarcastic comeback he expected, he noticed the blank expressions on both faces. “What’s eatin’ you two?”
“Them fellers ain’t brothers, a-tall,” Pop said. “And their names ain’t Brown. They’re Ben Trout and Brock Larsen, outta Kansas, and all that big talk they’ve been doin’ ain’t just hot air. They held up the Katy over in Muskogee and killed a train guard and a U.S. Deputy Marshal that was after ’em.”
“I swear . . .” Slim responded. Like his partners, he was properly impressed. After a long moment, he came out with the thought they were all thinking. “I wonder how much money they got away with?”
“I was wonderin’ that myself,” Pop said.
“For a minute there, I thought Ben and Brock was fixin’ to throw down on ol’ Walker,” Coy said. “He had his backbone raised up there till he found out who they really are, didn’t he, Pop? Then he found his proper manners right quick.”
Pop nodded while he thought about the confrontation. “You know, boys, Ben and Brock are holdin’ a helluva lot of money. And Walker is mighty mysterious about what he’s tryin’ to keep secret. It seems to me like we’re suckin’ hind tit, us havin’ to rustle a few cows just so Elmira don’t throw us out. Maybe we oughta be figurin’ out some way we can cut ourselves a piece of the pot.”
“Yeah?” Slim responded. “Whaddaya got in mind? ’Cause if you’re thinkin’ about takin’ on Brock and Ben, I ain’t sure the three of us are enough to handle that job.”
“What about Walker?” Coy asked. “The three of us oughta be able to take care of one man, specially if we jump him when he ain’t lookin’.”
“The trouble is, we ain’t sure if Walker’s got anything or not,” Slim said. “We might end up with nothin’ but two extra horses and some campin’ supplies. We know those other two are settin’ on a whole sack of money.”
“The way Walker’s been so free and easy with his money sure looks to me like he’s got plenty to spare,” Coy said.
“You know somethin’?” Pop interjected then. “We can’t jump Walker as long as he’s here. We might have more’n Brock and Ben after us if we gun him down while he’s at Sartain’s. There’s rules among outlaws, and we might have to answer for goin’ against another outlaw where he’s supposed to be in a safe hideout.”
“You might be right,” Coy said. “It wouldn’t do for word to get around that we jumped a man at Sartain’s. But he’s been sayin’ he ain’t gonna be here long, so there ain’t no reason we can’t follow him and take care of him away from this place.”
“I got a feelin’ we ain’t the only ones thinkin’ about tailin’ Mr. Walker,” Pop said. “I’m thinkin’ the best thing for us to do is talk to Brock and Ben. Maybe we could join up with them on this deal. We might end up ridin’ with them on some other jobs.” No one had a better suggestion, so they decided that it wouldn’t hurt to present their proposition. They had little to lose, for their prospects were pretty slim at the present time.
* * *
It was no coincidence that Ben Trout and Brock Larsen were talking about the stranger calling himself Walker at the same time the three cattle rustlers were. They agreed with Pop and the others when they figured a man that mysterious about what he was carrying on his packhorse must have something he couldn’t afford to lose. As far as Brock was concerned, simple curiosity was reason enough to shoot the son of a bitch and see if he really was carrying cash from a mine holdup. This was what Pop suspected Walker was into, and told them so when he and his two partners approached them at Darlene’s cabin.
“If you’re lookin’ for Darlene, she ain’t here,” Brock called out when they knocked on the door of her cabin. “She’s helpin’ Elmira fix supper, and she’s gonna be busy for the rest of the evenin’ after supper.” He had already reserved her services for the entire night.
“We ain’t lookin’ for Darlene, we’re wantin’ to talk to you and Ben,” Pop called back.
In a few moments, the door opened and Ben stood in the doorway. “Whaddaya wanna talk about?” he asked.
“Me and the boys have been lookin’ for somebody to join up with, and we were thinkin’ maybe you and Brock might be takin’ on some extra guns,” Pop said.
“What for?” Ben replied. “We don’t need nobody to help us.”
“We ain’t sayin’ you do,” Pop came back quickly, “but with five, instead of just two of you, we could take on some bigger jobs with less risk.” He went on to extol the talents of Slim and Coy and his own long experience in operating outside of the law. “We been workin’ this territory and parts of Kansas, too, and there ain’t been nobody come close to catchin’ us.”
Ben looked at him and grinned. “Maybe ain’t nobody been lookin’ for you,” he said. “Don’t look to me like you boys got anythin’ goin’ for you but a few stray cows that wandered offa somebody’s range.” Pop was about to reply when they were interrupted by Darlene at Elmira’s cabin, beating on a triangle dinner bell with an iron striker.
“Damn, I’ve been waitin’ for that,” Brock exclaimed. “Let’s go eat while it’s hot.”
“I’m right behind you,” Ben said. “We ain’t et nothin’ since sunup this mornin’, and right now I could et the south end of a northbound mule.” Aware of the frustration in the faces of the three would-be gang members because of his apparent lack of interest, he said, “Let’s go eat, and we can talk about it after supper.”
Disappointed, but trying not to show it, Pop replied. “Sure, Ben, let’s go eat, then we’ll talk about an idea or two me and the boys have about makin’ some money.”
* * *
Will could hardly miss the outright curiosity displayed on the faces of the five outlaws seated at the table when he walked in. Making an effort to do so casually, he pulled a chair back, placed his saddlebags beside it, and laid his rifle across them before he sat down. “Something smells good,” he offered in Elmira’s direction.
“Somethin’ smells kinda fishy, too,” Ben Trout piped up. “You don’t even go to the outhouse unless you’re totin’ those saddlebags with you.”
Will shrugged. “Just a habit, I reckon.”
“You ain’t never been here before, so I reckon you don’t know that ain’t nobody gonna bother you at Sartain’s,” Brock said. “If they did, their life wouldn’t be worth a plug nickel after that. Ain’t that right, Elmira?”
“That’s the way it’s been ever since Elmer Sartain built the first cabin,” Elmira replied.
“And that’s the way it oughta be,” Will said, making an obvious attempt to change the subject. “Pass me that bowl of beans.”
Darlene picked up the bowl and walked it down to Will’s end of the table, but Brock wasn’t content to let the issue pass. “Just what the hell are you totin’ in them saddlebags?” he demanded. “You’d think they’re full of gold.”
“I wish they were,” Will responded immediately. “There ain’t nothin’ in ’em that would interest anybody but me. It ain’t worth anybody else’s time to talk about it, so why don’t we just enjoy this fine supper and forget about my saddlebags?”
Brock wasn’t ready to drop it, and he was about to insist on seeing the contents of the bags, but Ben interrupted. “He’s right, Brock, it ain’t nobody’s business but his’n, so le
t the man eat in peace.” His furrowed brow and the faint smile on his face were signal enough to let Brock know they would take care of it later. Although reluctant, Brock nevertheless took his partner’s cue and turned his attention back to his supper. Will, fully aware of the silent signals between the two, was satisfied that the seeds of curiosity were successfully planted. The only real concern now was whether or not they could restrain that curiosity until he had left the camp.
When he finished his supper, he complimented the women on a fine meal. “I’ve got to take a quick trip up toward Coffeeville, over the line in Kansas,” he said to Elmira. “Then maybe I’ll be back to stay a spell.” He gave Darlene a smile and said, “I’ll have a little more time to collect on that money I gave you then. I’m gonna turn in early tonight, ’cause I wanna get an early start in the mornin’.” None of the five outlaws said anything, but there were five pairs of eyes focused intensely upon him as he picked up his rifle and saddlebags and headed for the door. Before closing the door behind him, he glanced at Pop and said, “I’ll go fetch some more wood for the fire before I turn in. It’s liable to be a cold one tonight.”
“Yeah, much obliged,” Pop replied, and shot a quizzical look at Coy. After the door was closed, he remarked, “That jasper is sure keepin’ his cards close to the vest—makes me wanna know what he’s holdin’.”
Outside the door, Will paused for a moment to listen, but the talk was subdued. So he couldn’t hear what was being said, but he felt sure he was the topic of the conversation. He couldn’t help thinking that he might be playing a foolish game. One man in an outlaw camp, against five outlaws, two of them confirmed murderers, I must be crazy, he thought. Well, I’m the one who dealt this hand, so I guess I’ve got no choice now but to play it out. One thought that stuck in his mind was the urgency to get out of the camp before they worked themselves up to attack him. He knew his odds were a great deal better if he was out in the open, away from this cluster of cabins and free to pick his place to fight. The only way he was going to be able to do that would be to leave tonight, because he doubted he would be allowed to sleep through the night. So he wasted no more time trying to listen at the door.
He was counting on his announced intent to cut more firewood to discourage any questions they might have, should one of them happen to see him moving about outside the cabin. He was also counting on the five of them to linger at the table to decide what to do about him. He needed that time to make his escape. There was the possibility that they would join up to come after him, but he seriously doubted Trout and Larsen would be willing to split any gains with Pop and his two partners. They likely would see no need to.
After threatening for most of the day, a light snow began to fall, which added to his concern for a moment, before he realized it would most likely help him in leaving a trail. Hustling to get away before anyone knew he was gone, Will ran to the cabin and picked up his saddle and a couple of the packs he had brought inside. He headed for the back of the hill at a trot, the best he could do with the load he was carrying, and whistled softly when he reached the horses. Hearing his whistle, Buster came to meet him, the bay following close behind. He saddled Buster and tied the packs on the bay, then tied both horses to a tree limb to make sure they didn’t wander while he ran back to the cabin to get the balance of his packs.
He had just reached the cabin door when he was startled by a voice from the darkness on the other side of Elmira’s cabin. “You need a hand with that wood?” Eddie called out.
“No, thanks, Eddie, I’m about done,” Will called back. “I’ve got one more armload back there, and that’ll do it for the night.” He went inside the cabin and closed the door, then he went quickly to the window. While he watched, Elmira’s young son emerged from the darkness, casually walked to his mother’s cabin, and went inside, having answered nature’s call. Will immediately picked up the rest of his packs and headed out the door, well aware of the fact that, had he been a few seconds later, Eddie would have seen him. He hurried to his horses and quickly tied the remaining packs in place. Halfway amazed that no one was onto him yet, he stepped up into the saddle and turned the buckskin toward the creek.
CHAPTER 6
“What are we gonna do about that jasper?” Brock wanted to know.
“I’ve been thinkin’ about that,” Ben replied. “He’s done got my curiosity up now, so I’m gonna have to see what he’s up to. I think we’ll pay him a little visit tonight.” He glanced up when Eddie came in the door. “Before you set yourself down again, how ’bout takin’ a look at that cabin across the creek and see if ol’ Walker went to bed like he said?”
“I just saw him outside a minute ago,” Eddie said. “He’s been totin’ wood in for the fireplace. He said he’s goin’ after one more load before he’s done.”
“Sounds like he’s fixin’ to crawl in his bedroll, like he said, and leave outta here early in the mornin’,” Brock said. “Why don’t we give him time to get to sleep, then pay him a little visit?”
“Hell,” Ben replied, “we might as well go pay him a visit right now. Ain’t no need to wait.”
“What’s the hurry?” Brock protested. “He ain’t goin’ nowhere till mornin’, and if we let him go to sleep, he won’t have a chance to use that Winchester he’s always got in his hand.” Truthfully, Brock was not particularly worried about Will’s skill with a rifle. Darlene was the principal reason he wanted to wait until later to attack the stranger. He had been anticipating a visit with her ever since he and Ben had returned from Clem Scully’s trading post on the Arkansas. He had his mind set on hustling her next door to her cabin as soon as she had finishing helping Elmira clean up the supper dishes. “Besides,” he added, “it would be downright impolite not to finish up this jar of corn whiskey Pop brought to supper.”
Fully aware of the real reason behind his partner’s preference to wait, for Brock had talked about very little else all the way back from Scully’s, Ben couldn’t help but grin. Brock always fancied himself a favorite with the ladies. “I reckon there ain’t no real hurry. Anyway, you ain’t much good till after you’ve cured your itch. Hell, I might have a little go-round with her myself.” He turned to favor Darlene with a smile. She responded with a fabricated smile of her own. “That settles it, then,” Ben said. “Pass me that jar down here.”
Silently listening up to that point, Pop decided it was time to enter the conversation. “That’s what we was talkin’ about before supper, don’tcha know? Me and Coy and Slim was fixin’ to see what Walker was up to before you boys got back from Scully’s. But we figured we’d wait to see if you wanted to join in with us—seemed like the decent thing to do. I got a feelin’ he might be carryin’ enough to give us all a good payday. And he wouldn’t have no chance to do much about it with five of us against him.”
Ben’s dark eyebrows lowered in a heavy frown. “I don’t see as how me and Brock need any help in handlin’ that coyote. I expect we’ll skin him and hang him up to dry before he even knows what’s happenin’.”
This was the reaction that Pop had hoped not to hear. One thing that he, Slim, and Coy had in common was a reluctance to butt heads with men known for savage violence, like Ben Trout and Brock Larsen. Of the three, Coy was the most likely to throw his weight around in the right situation, but this was not the right situation. Like Pop, Coy knew he couldn’t stand up to Ben Trout, but he was reluctant to give in to the two gunmen. “That may be right,” he said in response to Ben’s statement. “But me and Pop and Slim wouldn’t have no trouble handlin’ Walker, either, and we was fixin’ to do that very thing. But we figured it’d be the right thing if we was to cut you boys in on the deal. Now you’re talkin’ ’bout cuttin’ us out. That ain’t the right thing to do.”
“Is that so?” Brock started before being interrupted by Elmira.
“I’ve been listenin’ to all your talk about jumpin’ Walker,” she said. “Maybe you’ve done forgot about the reason this place has lasted for so many yea
rs. Anybody on the run can come here without anybody botherin’ ’em. If word gets around about what you fellers are talkin’ about doin’, it’s liable to put me outta business. If you’re gonna do it, then wait till he leaves my place. Don’t do it here.”
“Hell, old lady,” Brock snarled, “I don’t give a damn about your business. That ol’ boy might be carryin’ a sackful of money, and I don’t see no sense in chasin’ him out on the prairie to get it when it’s right under our noses.”
“That’s right,” Pop was quick to agree. “And we might as well all go in together on this deal. We’re stayin’ in the same cabin, so he won’t think nothin’ about it when the three of us come in later on. If you and Ben come in, he’s liable to have that rifle ready for you.”
“Not if we wait for him to get to sleep,” Brock said.
“All right,” Ben decided, tiring of the argument. “We’ll all be in on it, cut the money five ways.”
“Six ways,” Elmira piped up then, since it seemed they weren’t planning to do their dirty business away from Sartain’s. “You’re takin’ money that rightfully belongs to me.”
“How the hell you figure that?” Ben asked.
“You heard him say he was plannin’ on comin’ back here to stay for a while,” she replied. “So he’da been spendin’ some of that money with me.” She looked around the table, meeting every eye. “That’s money I’ve got comin’.”
“Seven ways,” Darlene interjected then, not to be left out of the split. “He’s already given me money down to guarantee he’d be givin’ me a lot more.”
“All right, damn it,” Ben finally blurted. “We’ll go in together on it. He better have as much as everybody thinks he does. We’ll split it, but his horses and saddle belong to me and Brock.” He gave Elmira a sharp glance. “And seven ways is all. Eddie will share your cut with you. Now pass that jar back up here.”
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