Dark Journey Home (54 page)

Texas Jake, crouching down, held tight to the reins,
then whipped the team into action as they raced down the trail, then into the
narrow pass. 

Inside the coach Olivia gasped with shock, and Amelia
swore a very unladylike oath.  The older rancher’s face turned white as his
hair, while the man in the rear seat, who wore the badge, laid his rifle on the
seat next to him and methodically drew a six-gun from its holster.

Outside, racing against the harsh cold wind and
lightly falling snow, the cowhand, Harry, let out a wild whoop, then began
firing at the five horsemen, who now were running down from the foothills
toward the stage as it entered the pass.

Clumps of wet soil flew from the hooves of the horses and
the iron wheels of the stage, as the cold wind began to blow harder, turning
snow flurries into a fine layer of sleet, covering the bags atop the coach. 
There’d been a small tarp covering some of the baggage, but the strong wind had
blown it off, and the tarp was now hanging down the left side of the stage,
covering the window and blocking the view from the inside. 

The approaching outlaw gang had gained distance and
were now coming near the left rear of the coach, firing in the direction of the
driver and his companion atop the bench on the front of the stage, while Logan
and Harry, riding along the right of the vehicle, had slowed to return several
rounds of fire. 

Claude rode along next to the right window, and called
to the women, “Keep your heads down.”  He shouted.  Then the very distinguished
Lord Claude Beckford slowed to make his seventeen-shot Winchester rifle spit
fire.  This was nothing like his duck shooting expos back in England, there the quarry hadn’t been shooting back.  Through the excitement, Claude thought to
himself, “Just like the old days of fighting pirates on the ‘high seas’.”  He
grinned to himself, as he let off another round towards the outlaw horsemen. 

With the tarp covering most of the left front window,
Olivia and Amelia couldn’t very well make out what was happening and both
feared for their men outside, though each had faith in them at the same time. 
The snow was thickening over the other windows, making visibility almost
impossible from the inside of the coach, though from the rear seat, the armed
lawman was managing well, making use of his artillery and shooting through the now
open rear window with both six-guns.    

The outlaws, inexperienced in the rugged ways of the
west, fresh from the Midwest, and formerly east coast, were quickly losing the
battle, and as the firing was over within minutes, it was almost laughable.  Three
of the gang members slowed to ride around a large boulder, then attempt to
climb the rocky cliff.  Longtree had winged two of the outlaws, putting them on
the wet ground, and out of the running. The team had pulled the stage halfway
through the narrow pass, and when they came to a flat open space between two
cliffs, Morgan pulled the winded team to a halt.  He’d been grazed on the left
shoulder, though not bad enough to slow down the tough old-timer. 

Logan and Harry raced their horses after the three
retreating outlaws, and at the same time uncoiled ropes from their saddles.  The
two then swung lassos to drop around two of the three horsemen, pulling them
off their horses, onto the rocky ground, as the third slowed, and raised his
right hand in surrender, while holding onto the reins with his left. 

Then Logan and Harry pulled their mounts to an abrupt
halt, while tightening the ropes around the two struggling outlaws on the
ground, quickly finishing hog-tying the two, then turned their attention to the
older remaining outlaw, who had surrendered, however, Lord Beckford had that
one under control, at the tip of his rifle. 

Logan
loudly informed
one and all of the, now glaring, gang members that they needed to take a course
on how to shoot straight from the back of a running horse.  Obviously, most of
their previous crimes had been done on the ground, and not from the back of a
horse, as they surely were not experienced in that practice.  Their aims left a
lot to be desired. While the captured outlaws glared, the two injured ones on
the ground had pulled themselves up to a sitting position and were now loudly
cursing.  Logan and Claude both warned them about the pitfalls of cursing where
there were ladies present. 

One mile back on the trail, Sergeant O’Brien had been in
a heated discussion with Lieutenant Harrigan.  He now touched his heels to the
sides of his horse, putting the pinto into action, then loudly yelled back at
the officer, “We’ve waited too long as it is……sir!  I’m headin’ out.  The rest
of you can suit yourselves.”  With that statement flung back, he raced the pinto
down the trail to the opening of the pass, ahead of the troop of soldiers, who
were now looking in the direction of the Lieutenant for their orders.  That
officer was busy grumbling about the weather, but angrily waved the troop to
follow the sergeant.  The snow continued to cover the ground with a thin layer
of white.

Logan
almost laughed
out loud, and Claude shook his head, at the sound of a bugle off in the
distance.  Just then Sergeant O’Brien rode up behind the stage while turning
the air blue with his cursing.  He came to a halt, then quickly dropped to the
ground. 

“That damn young Lieutenant ain’t worth the powder
it’d take to blow ‘im to hell.”  He shouted, as he surveyed the situation, then
said in a calmer tone of voice, “I see you folks have things under control and
have a couple of roped coyotes to boot.”  He nodded, then began shaking hands
all around, offering, “Damned if I didn’t miss all the fun.  The Colonel gave
orders for us to watch for that gang, but our young officer had his mind on
other matters.  Well, we’ll at least take the prisoners off your hands an’ haul
‘em back to the fort.  They’re wanted, you know.”  He finished lamely.

Olivia and Amelia had stayed inside the coach, as did
the worried rancher.  Just as the rest of the cavalry rode up with the young
Lieutenant, shoulders straight, proudly in the lead, the lawman, who wore the
U.S. Marshal’s badge, stepped down from the stage and began crunching booted
tracks into the thin layer of snow, as he walked slowly toward the group of
men, who now had all five of the outlaw gang tied up and were discussing the
situation at hand.

Lieutenant Harrigan began speaking with his best voice
of authority, “My men and I will take charge of the prisoners.  You men are
dismissed.”  He waved a hand towards the group of men, including Logan and Lord
Beckford. 

Logan
, his anger
rising, was the first to speak, “Harrigan, we are not under your authority to
dismiss or not dismiss.  We were having a private conversation here, on whether
or not to turn our prisoners over to you.  We’ll let you know what we decide.” 
He turned back to the others. 

“You disrespectful scoundrel.  You will from now on
address me as ‘Lieutenant Harrigan’.”  The Lieutenant ordered, and when Logan ignored the taunt, Harrigan turned to the waiting soldiers and gave them an order,
“You men gather up the outlaws’ horses.  We will return to fort Laramie, with our prisoners.” 

The old-timer, Texas Jake Morgan, stepped in, “Sorry,
sonny,” he began, “these men are our prisoners. You have no authority over us,
and this is a local matter here in Johnson County.  We took ‘em, an’ we keep
‘em, to turn over to local authorities up the road a piece.”   He was deliberately
pushing the young Lieutenant to see how he could handle a situation like this,
and he looked him up and down with scorn in his eyes. 

“Now see here,” Harrigan began, but he was interrupted
by another voice, and this was definitely a voice of authority, not to be
denied.  The quiet man wearing the star on his vest had spoken.  “Wrong on both
counts, gentlemen.”  He began, “With all due respect to you, Mr. Morgan, I do
believe that I have put enough of a two-bit piece into this fight, and being as
I have tailed this gang all the way from Dodge city, Kansas, I believe these
outlaws belong to the United States government.  I just happen to be a U. S. Marshal.  Name’s Bill Holbrook, and I represent the government in this matter.”

Harrigan began to sputter, but the U. S. Marshal lifted a hand to hush him, and the Marshal continued talking, “These men are wanted
for train robbery, which is a federal offense, and for bank robbery in Dodge,
as well as a few other locations.  When I spotted them outside of Ft. Laramie, I figured they’d follow the stage.  They had seen that rancher carrying a
large sum of money, after selling a herd in Dodge, so I took a chance and
bought a ticket on the stage.” 

He gave a chuckle here.  “I didn’t figure on so much
help in capturing the thieves.”  He turned to the other men in the group, “The
Colonel and I figured we might need help from the cavalry.”  He glanced in the
Lieutenant’s direction.  “Though how much help we’d get depends on who is
leading the troops.”  His deep voice dripped with sarcasm as he pulled a cigar
from his vest picket, bit off the end, and struck a match to light it.

Lieutenant Harrigan pulled himself up straight.  “My
troop will accompany you to Fort Laramie, Marshal and, upon arrival, we will
decide who is to take charge of the prisoners.  Then be assured, I will
volunteer to deliver them to the Fort Dodge officials.” 

“That is a most reassuring statement, Lieutenant
Harrigan, but I guess you didn’t hear me right.”  Marshal Holbrook stated
matter-of-factly, as if talking to a child.  “I was told by Colonel Winters
that you were to lead your small troop all the way to Buffalo, making sure the
stage reached that location safely, in case of an Indian raid.  Do you not
intend to follow orders….....sir?  There have been rumors of renegades in the
immediate area, and I do know that you were told of that fact.” 

“I believe this present situation calls for me to use
my own judgment, in any case.”  The Lieutenant sputtered. 

Sergeant O’Brien, who had been standing a ways behind
the others, spoke up now, “Lieutenant……sir.  The Colonel gave me written orders
that I was to report to him as soon as anything happened on the trail, also to
remind you, sir, to stay on the trail……..all the way to Buffalo.  He made that
order clear.  So being as I am heading back to the fort anyhow, and you are
going all the way to Buffalo, I will accompany the Marshal back to Fort
Laramie, and you can believe those prisoners will be well taken care of.  Being
as you had no part in the capture, I don’t believe it would be wise for you to
show your face back at the fort at this time anyhow.”  With that the Sergeant
walked back to his horse, climbed aboard, then sat waiting. 

Logan
grinned, Claude
chuckled, and the others turned to go back to the stage.  Without a backward
glance, the Lieutenant motioned to his men, threw a dark look in the sergeant’s
direction, and mounted his horse, then digging spurs into the sides, raced
northward up the narrow pass with his men following.  Each soldier trying his
best to avoid smiling.

Cold wind continued to blow, but the snow flurries had
diminished somewhat, leaving a distinct damp chill to the air, as Logan,
Claude, and Harry tied their horses to the back of the stage, planning to ride
inside the coach for a few miles.  Morgan and Longtree had assisted in getting
the prisoners mounted on horseback, then bade farewell to Sergeant O’Brien and Marshal
Holbrook, who immediately rode in the direction of Fort Laramie, with lead
ropes attached to the prisoners’ horses.  They planned to stay at the fort
overnight.  Holbrook had been assured by Sergeant O’Brien that he would request
enough leave to accompany Holbrook back to Fort Dodge with the prisoners. 

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Longtree was busily tucking the loose tarp back around
the damp luggage atop the stage while Morgan assured Logan and Claude, “Should
be at the town of Comfort by suppertime, won’t be none too soon either, these
old bones can use a rest.  We should make good time, once we get out of this pass
that is unless we run into another gang of would-be dangerous men.”  He
chuckled at his own humor, then he added, “In the mornin’, Longtree an’ I’ll be
runnin’ this stage on to Buffalo, where we have lodgings for the winter
months.  We’ll park the stage at the stable, then head back down the trail with
the spring thaw.  Harry will ride on with us, as he works for a spread outside Buffalo.”

As Texas Jake Morgan walked to the front of the
vehicle, he added, “Oh, an’ I feel the really bad weather will hold off for a
while, least ‘til you folks get up to your pa’s ranch out of Freeman.  Wish you
all lots of luck.”  With that he and Danny Longtree climbed up to the bench on
the front of the stage.