Reese Bennett removed his cowboy hat and wiped his shirtsleeve across his forehead. It was just too danged hot to be riding across Texas in a train car filled with money. Hot and very dull.
"And another thing." Reese bellowed. "Why'd the Captain have to send the four of us? Two would have been plenty enough to guard this here army payroll." He plopped his hat back onto his head and pouted. "What are the other two fer? To watch the money and make sure it don't grow a set a legs and walk away?" He growled.
"Now Reese." Joe Riley said from under his hat.
Reese did a double take. He figured Joe had been taking a catnap.
"Reese, why don't you just sit back and close your eyes. Heck, treat this like that vacation you never took. See Texas by rail." Joe continued in a lazy voice.
"See Texas by rail, huh? Well I tell you what Joe Riley, I seen more of Texas on the back of old Cactus than any city folk on a train ever will." Reese grated, his gravelly voice rising ever so slightly.
Chad stood up to stretch his legs. "Would you knock it off, Reese? None of us are exactly thrilled to be here, so quit reminding us already."
Reese frowned. "Well I can't help it fellas, this train is driving me plumb loco."
"Don't worry, Reese." Erik said with a smile. "In another day or so, we'll have this payroll delivered to the army and be back in Laredo." He paused to pick up his deck of cards. "We will look back on this assignment and laugh the next time we are in a perilous situation."
"I'd rather be laughing now, if it's all the same to you." Chad said, sighing deeply and sitting back down. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to convince Sue Ellen to prepare that nice picnic we were supposed to be at right now?"
Joe lifted his hat. "Aw that girl is crazy about you, Chad. It probably took about five minutes." He smiled. "And just you think, she did give you a rain check, didn't she? Well by the time this night is over, we still have that picnic to look forward to."
Chad rolled his eyes. "Well we could have had two picnics, Joe."
Joe's smile disappeared and was replaced by a sheepish expression. "Oh yeah."
"Now that negative thinking is going to get you nowhere." Erik Hunter stated crisply. "So Captain Parmalee tricked us all into volunteering for this assignment. What's done is done."
"D-ohh." Reese groaned. "The Captain, he tricked us real good: 'How would you men like to see a lot of money'. I'll tell you fellas; I never would have guessed that our own Captain Parmalee had a single crooked bone in his body. See a lot of money."
Chad took his hat off and used it to fan his face. "Aw calm down Reese, if you really think about it, the Captain didn't lie."
"Yeah." Joe agreed. "We just weren't smart enough to figure out what he was up to."
Erik shrugged his shoulders. "I prefer to think we heard what we wanted to hear."
"What we heard, what we didn't hear, it don't make a bit of difference. We're stuck in his here hot dusty railway car while Cotton and Jesse are probably on that picnic with Sue Ellen and the other girls right now." Reese whined.
Chad smiled. "But remember Reese, we are on a very important mission. Yes, when we get back, we'll be heroes."
"For escortin' an army payroll on a train?" Reese demanded. "I think the heats' finally fried your brain, Chad Cooper." He took his hat off and slapped it against his thigh. "No one ever called a payroll escort a hero."
Joe patted Reese on the arm. "Oh I don't know Reese, the army will be mighty glad to see us."
"D-ohh, you guys."
"Now Reese, you don't think Sue Ellen and the girls would excuse us for just anything, do you? I added a few more little tidbits to liven things up a bit." Chad replied, a serene smile on his face as he continued to fan himself.
Erik smiled back. "Just what did you tell the ladies, Chad?"
Chad put his hat back on his head. "Oh, this and that. You know, rampaging Apaches, bloodthirsty Comanche, mangy Mescaleros."
"Did you even mention the army payroll?" Joe asked.
"Well of course I did, Joe." Chad replied. "Now you know I wouldn't want to be caught in a lie. You remember what happened that other time with Kim and her daddy." He shrugged. "I just told Sue Ellen we would be escorting the payroll through hostile territory."
Erik nodded approvingly. "And I assume you didn't forget to mention that it would be a miracle if the four of us made it home alive?"
"As a matter of fact, those are the exact same words I used." Chad nodded, looking very pleased with himself.
Joe was grinning. "Well danged if we're not going to have us a right nice time at that picnic when we get on back to Laredo." He looked like he could practically taste Sue Ellen's crispy fried chicken already.
"Now all we've got to do is get this bucket of bolts to move a bit faster." Reese replied with a frown. "Hey Joe, you think if we went and volunteered to shovel coal up front, they'd speed this buggy up a might?"
Joe shook his head. "No Reese, this is the fastest one of these rigs will go." He raised an eyebrow. "Any faster and it could jump the track."
Reese gulped audibly and looked around with a new worried expression on his face. "Oh, I never thought of that."
"Don't you worry none about that, Reese." Chad said with a wave of his hand. "The chances of that happening are about one in one hundred. They build these things really well these days, and heck, this one is the newest state of the art design."
Reese still looked skeptical.
"Reese, Reese, Reese." Erik smiled. "Riding a train is safer than riding a horse."
"Oh you think so, do you?" Reese asked in a disbelieving tone. "Hey, what was that?"
The train had felt like it ran over something large. Instead of the smooth ride, the boxcar felt like it was bouncing. A high-pitched squealing, grating sound accompanied the ride.
"Might I suggest everyone hold on to something?" Erik yelled over the noise.
"Safer than a horse, my foot!" Reese bellowed, reaching for the handrail. His hat fell off and he made a lunge for it.
"Reese!" Chad yelled. "Look out!" The strong box that had been attached to the top of the cargo shelf came loose and slid off slowly.
Reese turned in time to see it coming, but did not have time to duck. The box took him to the floor with a loud thump that would have been earsplitting if the train had not been rumbling and squealing, deafening it's passengers.
"Here we go!" Joe yelled as the train car started tilting one way, then the other, the ride getting rougher and rougher. "Hang on, she's gonna tip!"
Erik grabbed Reese with his free hand and tried to pull him to the side. "Chad, can you reach the strong box, its got Reese pinned!" He yelled.
Chad seized the dangling ropes and heaved with all his might, until the train car seemed to leap off the ground. The strong box lifted off the floor as the train hit the ground again. One extra pull on the rope, and the strong box now landed in Chad's reluctant arms, smashing him against the side of the boxcar.
Joe cringed at the sight. Now that had to hurt. He looked over at Erik on the opposite wall of the boxcar, one arm hooked around the bar on the wall, the other curled around Reese Bennett's chest. "You keep a hold of Reese, Erik, I'll see if I can get a hold of Chad."
Erik smiled and nodded.
Chad shook his head. "No Joe, I'm okay over here, this danged box has me pinned real good. I'm not going anywhere. You hang onto something or we'll end up scraping you off the ceiling when we finally..." He was cut off when the train finally lost its balance and tipped over with a thunderous roar. A few seconds later and all motion ceased. All noise ceased, except for the echoing buzz in their ears.
II
The dust seemed to take forever to settle. Joe Riley rolled his eyes to the right, then to the left. The train car was still in one piece, but it was now resting on its side. He gazed up at what was now the roof and sighed. It was a good thing they made these trains with a door on each side. There would have been no way of telling how long it would take to get out if there had only been one door, and it had landed on the bottom. Well, time to get up. He shifted and sat up. Miraculously, nothing and nobody had landed on top of him. He got up with a gasp and leaned against the wall for support. His right ankle felt like there was a spear sticking through it. Danged if it wasn't sprained. He sighed heavily and set out to find his fellow rangers. There had not been a sound since he had come to. Maybe the others were hurt as well.
The first person he found was Reese Bennett, unconscious with a bump the size of a small apple on the back of his skull. Nothing else appeared to be wrong with him. Hopefully that hard head of his would have at least kept him safe from any further brain damage. Joe carefully lifted Reese up and moved him to a more comfortable position and off of Erik. Erik was showing signs of coming to, and he'd probably wish he hadn't. His left arm was sitting at the most awkward angle. Joe frowned. They would have to splint it and fashion some sort of sling. Nothing else seemed to be wrong with Erik, so Joe made his way to the strong box, which still held Chad nice and safe.
"I was wondering when you were going to get here." Chad wheezed.
"Sprained my fool ankle." Joe replied, hopping. "You got any damage, or you just bein' lazy?"
Chad smiled. "A little of both, I suspect. My ribs feel a might tender." He shrugged. "You think you'd be able to remove this here box so as I can move?"
"Anytime." Joe said. He gripped the box and gave it a shove.
Chad's left hand automatically went to his right side. "It's probably just a pulled muscle."
"Uh huh." Joe nodded. "Or maybe a cracked rib." He turned at the sound of Erik's groan. "Erik's awake. You just set here a bit while I go check out my other patients, Chad."
"Right, Doc." Chad replied, straightening out his legs.
Joe got up and hopped over to Erik.
"Hey Joe, you ought to take that boot off." Chad advised.
Joe grimaced. "Yeah, I know, but if I do, I'll never get the danged thing back on."
Chad carefully got up, every movement looked painful. Something had to be cracked in there. "If you don't take it off now Joe, I'll be cutting it off later. You really want to lose a good broke-in boot?"
Joe looked down at Erik, who was looking back up with pain-clouded eyes. "Tell it to me straight, Doctor. Will I live?" Erik asked, a smile threatening for form.
"Well Erik, it looks like you went and broke that left arm of yours." Joe replied, patting him on the right shoulder.
Erik sighed. "Well, I guess that means no more handstands to impress the ladies for awhile."
"You know Erik, the ladies are even more impressed by the fellows who can do a one-handed hand stand." Chad said with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes.
Erik's eyebrows shot up. "Be my guest, Chad."
"Yeah." Joe agreed. "I'd surely like to see you stand on one hand, Chad. How could I have known you all these years and you never told me you could do that?"
Chad rolled his eyes.
"D-ohhhh." The gravelly voice of Reese Bennett was finally hears. "What happened? Where am I?"
Erik turned his head. "You forgot: Who am I?"
"Ya smart aleck." Reese groaned, trying to sit up. His face turned green and he hastily lay back down and closed his eyes.
"Hey Reese, you okay?" Chad came over with a concerned look on his face.
"Sure." Reese replied. "Just resting my eyes."
"How's your head, Reese?" Joe asked.
Reese opened his eyes a crack. "Fine. I'm just fine." He scowled. "Safer than a horse, huh? Well Cactus never crashed or tipped over."
"Hey Joe, I wonder if the engineer crew made it okay." Chad replied.
"We'll check on them just as soon as we tend to ourselves." Joe said, already looking for a suitable splint for Erik's arm.
In a matter of time, they had managed to splint Erik's arm. He had not been impressed when Joe concluded that Erik's own crisp white linen shirt would make for the perfect sling. Chad's undershirt cut into a long strip was suitable for binding Chad's ribcage, with some left over to wrap Joe's bootless right ankle. Reese just needed to rest.
Joe got up and hopped to the cargo shelf, which was miraculously still attached to the wall. He could hear something scratching from outside.
"Hey fellas, I think we're bein rescued." He said with a big smile.
"Well it's about time." Reese growled from his prone position. "Hey, you think they got any eats on this train?"
Chad shook his head. "Leave it to Reese to be thinking of his stomach when we don't even know who's out there. It could be some gang after this here payroll."
Joe frowned. "Oh yeah." He took his gun out and stood beside the door that was being pried open.
It came open and the engineer poked his head in. "You four rangers okay in there?"
Joe put his gun away and stepped aside to let him in. "We're a little banged up, but we'll be okay." Joe replied. "How about the rest of the crew?"
The engineer nodded. "Jethro and I are okay, we just some scrapes and bruises. Luckily for us this train is running on a skeleton crew and wasn't carrying passengers."
"What do you mean this train ain't carrying passengers?" Reese bellowed, sitting up. "What do we look like, chopped liver?"
"I believe the gentleman means paying passengers, Reese." Erik said with a smile.
"What? Oh yeah." Reese said with a bewildered smile. "Of course."
Chad sat down on the strong box. "So what exactly happened, Stan?" We jump the track or something?"
Stan shook his head. "No, no. Near as I can tell, the track was damaged and we derailed. I'd say we're about fifty yards off the track."
Chad took his hat off to fan his face. "How close is the nearest station?"
Stan shrugged. "Twenty odd miles the way we were going, along the tracks."
"Twenty miles." Chad repeated, wiping the sweat out of his eyes. If they had not been assigned to guard the army payroll, two of them could have started off for the next station, but with each ranger injured, there was no way they could afford to lose even one to go get help.
"Yeah, well Jethro and I will head out in a little while." Stan said, wiping his brow with his shirtsleeve. "We're just checking out the damage first." He nodded, looking around. "I'd say you four in his car probably suffered the most damage."
"How's the track look?" Joe asked, reaching for a slim wooden rail that had come off the wall of the car. He tested it against his weight.
Stan scratched his head absently. "Actually, that was where I was heading. We haven't had a look at it yet."
"Why don't I join you?" Chad suggested, getting up stiffly, gritting his teeth.
Erik got up as well. "No, I think it better if I go. I am at least fairly mobile." He smiled.
Chad sat back down with a stifled groan. "Alright, you twisted my arm."
Erik smiled wider and followed Stan out. "Just as long as you don't twist mine."
* * *
A short time later, Erik and Stan returned, both looking hot, sweaty and tired. "Reese, where's the canteen?" Erik asked, stumbling in.
Reese growled. "How am I supposed to know, Erik? I'm seeing two of everything."
Joe grabbed the canteen from under Reese's head and handed it to Erik. "Here Pard."
"Hey, I was using that." Reese whined, trying to make his head more comfortable now that his hard pillow was gone.
Erik took a long gulp and handed it to Stan. "Thank you Joe." He sat down on the floor and leaned his head against the wall.
"So how are the tracks?" Chad asked, not liking the expressions worn by Stan or the usually fancy dressed ranger.
Stan shrugged wearily. "Looked like someone took a stick of dynamite and blew them away on purpose." He handed the canteen back to Joe. "If they were fixing to rob this train, wouldn't they have stuck around to collect their loot?"
Joe frowned. "No need to. We ain't going nowhere. They can take their sweet time about coming back." He sighed.
"I expect they'll be here before long." Chad said, putting his hat back onto his head. He sure could have used a shot of Red Eye just then.
Stan nodded. "You boys okay here by yourselves if Jethro and I head to the next station?"
"Of course we will." Reese exploded. "We're rangers, not babies."
Joe patted Reese on the arm. "That's telling him, Ranger Bennett."
Chad rolled his eyes. "We'll be okay, Stan. Between the four of us, we've got five and a half good gun arms. We have plenty of bullets and guns."
Reese sat up with a puzzled expression. "Five and a half? Where'd you learn to count?"
"Now Reese, you heard Chad say: 'good gun arms', didn't you?" Joe asked with a straight face. "You only count as a half cause you're seeing double."
Reese scowled. "D-ohhh you guys." He pulled out his gun. "I can outshoot any of youse guys any time. Double vision or not."
"Reese, put that thing away or you'll accidentally shoot one of us." Chad said. "Then we'll be down to three and a half good gun arms."
Stan smiled. "You sound like you'll manage." He checked his pocket watch. "It's about half past three." He wiped his forehead with his sleeve again, his dark hair wet with sweat. "Don't expect us back until at least tomorrow morning."
"Well you be careful." Joe said. "You got any water to take along?"
Stan nodded. "Yeah, we have plenty thanks." He waved and headed back out.
Reese rolled over and sighed. "Boy I'm hungry. How about you guys? When did we eat last?"
"Breakfast this morning." Chad replied. "I don't know how you could be hungry Reese. You were shoveling Miss Maude's flapjacks into your gullet so fast you didn't even realize you swallowed that floral centerpiece of hers."
"I never did that!" Reese exploded.
"Why don't we declare a truce." Erik suggested. "It's going to be a long day, and perhaps it would go smoother if we tried to get along."
Chad folded his arms across his chest. "We're getting along just fine, Erik. Needling old Reese here just happens to help pass the time, and it keeps him from thinking about his aching head."
"I'm not thinking about nothing but that big empty hole in my stomach." Reese whined. "All this talk isn't satisfying my hunger none."
"Okay, okay. Hey Joe, how do you feel about doing a little hunting?" Chad asked, reaching for a rifle. He handed it to Joe's questioning grasp. "Five dollars says you bag us a nice plump juicy jackrabbit."
"No bet."
"I got ten that says he don't" Reese said. "He can't hunt with that there bum foot of his."
Joe looked hurt. "Since when has my feet had anything to do with my aim, Reese?" He grabbed his makeshift cane and hobbled out the door of the train car. The sky was a vivid blue, and he could see the heat waves rising up from the ground. There was no wind; it was just hot.
Chad and Erik joined him.
"What's the matter?" Joe asked. "You two don't want to keep o'l Reese company?" His eyes scanned the sparse grassy landscape coolly, looking for any movement.
Chad took his hat off and wiped his brow. "No, it's too stuffy in that tin can. I was kind of hoping there'd be a little more air out here, but it's just as hot."
Erik nodded. "Why couldn't our train have derailed in front of some nice cool oasis?"
"With nice shady palm trees." Joe said wistfully.
"And lots and lots of girls." Chad added with a leer.
Erik nodded. "Oh, we couldn't forget that."
"And each one of them is carrying a full bottle of Red Eye." Reese's gravelly voice joined in.
Chad frowned. "Reese, I thought you said you were seeing double. Now what are you doing walking around like this? Do you want to fall flat on your face?"
"I'm better now, honest." Reese said, standing up straighter. "Just a little dizzy every now and then."
"Well sit down." Joe replied.
Reese scowled. "I ain't sittin till I've seen them rail tracks. I want to see what the damage is. Maybe we can fix 'em while we wait for help."
Erik shook his head. "No way Reese. First of all, we don't have the materials, and second, they are too damaged for us to even think of putting a bandage on them."
Reese rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm not puttin' no bandage on them tracks. What do you take me for, an idiot?"
"Suit yourself." Erik replied.
Chad laughed. "Yeah Reese. If you want to tire yourself out walking around in this heat, you go right ahead."
Reese frowned. "And just what are you and Erik going to be doing while Joe and me are doin' all the work?"
"Well they'll be gathering fire wood." Joe smiled, slapping Chad on the back. "Aren't you now?"
Chad made a face and groaned, clutching his ribs. "Ow! Oh, I don't know Joe, these ribs of mine are still mighty tender."
"And I only have one arm." Erik reminded them.
Joe shrugged. "It gets awful cold out here at night. You fellas want to try it without a fire?"
Chad glanced at Erik. "Shall we?"
III
Reese popped the last piece of hot meat into his mouth and smiled. "That was real nice, Joe. Real nice." He replied after swallowing. "Miss Maude couldn't have done better."
The fire crackled, sending a spray of sparks up toward the black inky sky.
Erik was sitting so close to it that he might as well have been in it. "This is the last time I use my shirt for a sling." He lamented, huddling his bare arms in close.
"It ain't that cold." Reese growled, wiping his mouth with his arm.
"Ssspeak for yourself." Chad chattered, caution winning out on comfort, he sat a safer distance from the unpredictable roaring campfire. "At llleast you've got yyour undershirt ssstill."
Joe rolled his eyes. "Aw don't be such a sissy. You're still wearing half of it around them ribs."
Chad just glared at him and rubbed his arms.
"Hey." Reese perked up. "You hear something?"
Erik turned his head. "Horses?"
"Yeah." Joe replied. "Maybe we should get under cover, just in case they're...hostile." He sent Chad a knowing look.
They scrambled to their feet and got back into the train to grab some weapons and ammunition.
"Reese, you sit on this here strongbox and you shoot anyone who walks through either door who doesn't know your name." Joe replied, pushing Reese down onto the payroll. "You guard that thing with your very life."
"I ain't sittin out no fight!" Reese exploded. "Oh, oh, oh." He clutched his head, sitting down.
Chad rolled his gun chamber along his forearm to check the bullets. Satisfied, he looked up at Reese. "You ain't sittin out no fight Reese, you're supervising."
Reese grinned in the dim light. "Yeah? Hey, kind of like the Captain, huh."
Erik rolled his eyes, picking up his own gun to double check. "Yes Reese, exactly like the Captain." He followed Chad and Joe out of the train car door and found some cover behind an enormous rock. The thunder of hooves grew louder. Whoever their visitors were, they were in a hurry, and they didn't care who they spooked. The campfire would alert whoever was coming that somebody was there, so the Rangers would just have to wait and see.
"Maybe it's an army patrol." Chad suggested hopefully, squinting out into the darkness.
"We're about to find out." Joe said, bringing up his rifle to aim. "They're just in range."
A crack to gunfire from the approaching riders heralded the unanswered question. The newcomers were not friendly.
"Here we go!" Chad yelled, peaking over the rock to fire a few shots, now nice and warm. He ducked under the volley of return fire.
Erik peaked around his corner and fired a few shots as well. He was rewarded with a pained yelp and a horse's whiney.
"One down, eight to go." Joe replied coolly, keeping low and firing a few shots. Another yell and the distinct sound of a body hitting the ground could be heard.
"Two." Erik smiled.
"Only nine, huh?" Chad smiled. "Three each. That's not bad.
"Well you'd better hurry up, Chad, cause you're already one behind." Joe teased.
"Well you try firing straight with a couple of cracked ribs." Chad spluttered, sneaking back up to fire a few more shots. This time one of his bullets found a target and the rider flopped bonelessly off his speeding mount.
"I thought you said you just had a pulled muscle." Joe said. He nodded towards Erik. "You notice his injury seems to get worse and worse? Next thing we'll know he'll be in traction."
"I did notice that." Erik replied with a slow smile as he finished reloading his gun one-handed.
Chad rolled his eyes. "Aw will you two just shut up and shoot?"
"Okay, you don't have to be rude." Erik replied, getting back into position and poking his head around the corner. "Ah, here comes one now." He fired a few shots and the figure fell. His horse raced away.
The last standing attackers must have realized they were no match for the rangers, so they turned tail and rode back out, leaving their wounded stragglers behind.
Joe smiled. "Music to my ears. Come on you two invalids, let's just mosey on over there and find out who these varmints are."
The four wounded men surrendered without any further fight, and within a short while, the rangers had rounded up the stray horses and restocked their arsenal, adding the rifles and pistols used by their tied up, patched up prisoners.
"Hey fellas!" Reese's voice echoed from within the train car. "Is it okay to come out yet?"
"Yeah, come on out." Chad yelled, rubbing his hands near the fire to warm them up again.
Reese ambled out with a wide smile. "Hi fellas. You have any trouble?" He stopped to regard their prisoners. "Silas Dalton, you rat-faced coyote. I thought you hung!"
"You know these guys, Reese?" Joe asked, sitting down against the rock they had used for cover just a few minutes ago.
"Yeah." Reese answered evenly. "Silas Dalton was tried for murdering a family a few years back." He frowned. "A little short on help, huh? He used to ride with seven other men."
Erik shrugged. "We frightened the other five bandits away." He got up and went into the train car.
"You mean to tell me you let the rest of those mangy lizards get away?" Reese exploded, taking his hat off and slapping it on his thigh. "Of all the incompetent..."
Chad rolled his eyes. "Reese, you were supervising us, remember? Besides, we are all injured. We're not exactly at one hundred percent efficiency here."
"Oh." Reese said, looking sheepish. "Yeah. I forgot." He sat down next to Joe with a long groan. "You think they'll be back tonight?"
Erik re-emerged from the train car wearing his red jacket loosely over his shoulders. Catching the tail end of the conversation, he shook his head. "Not tonight in the dark." He sat down across from Reese with a sigh. "They tried that already and lost nearly half their number. They'll wait for dawn."
"Sounds logical." Chad said. He yawned into his hand. "What say we get some shut eye? I'll take the first watch.
IV
Reese rolled over with a snort. Erik nodded towards Joe. "You think he'd be upset if we let him sleep all day?"
Joe squinted in the early light of day. He put his hat on to shade his eyes. "You know Reese, we'd never hear the end of it." He reached over to jiggle the old ranger's shoulder. "Wakey, wakey, ranger Bennett."
Reese's eyes opened a slit and he scowled. "I'm awake, I'm awake. Quit poking, Joe." He sat up with an enormous yawn and stretched. He looked around. "Hey, where's Chad?"
"Did I hear someone ask for me?" Chad asked, walking back into the camp. He had a pot and a reddish-brown colored canister in his arms.
"And just where were you and what were ya doing?" Reese asked, a suspicious look transforming his face.
Chad grinned. "Well I went on a little hunt, and guess what I found." He opened the container and took a deep breath. "Ah."
"You found coffee?" Reese asked with a hopeful expression. "Hey Chad, you didn't happen to find a little bottle about so big with whiskey in it, did you?"
Chad shook his head. "Sorry. Stan and Jethro probably took it with them."
Reese shrugged. "Coffee it is."
Joe lifted the brim of his hat up. 'You seen any other action?"
Chad poured an amount of coffee into the pot and paused. "Well, now that you mentioned it, I did notice some dust clouds toward the east."
"And you were going to tell us this when?" Erik asked, handing Chad on of the canteens.
"Hey, one thing at a time Erik. I figured we'd have time for a quick coffee before our guests arrived."
"Work first, refreshments later." Reese replied gruffly.
Chad sat the coffeepot among the remaining hot coals of the fire and got up. "Okay, it won't be ready for a while anyhow."
The sound of far off riders could now be heard.
"Ha, you rangers are in for it now." Silas Dalton said.
Reese glared over at the prisoner. "And who said you could take that gag off, Dalton? Nobody here wants to hear your ugly slimy voice." He got up and repositioned the gag. "Now, ain't that nice? Ain't that nice. When Silas Dalton ain't talking, it sounds like the angels are singing." He stood there surveying the camp. "You guys think we should leave these clowns out here in the open, or should we lock them away in the train nice and safe?"
Joe got up and hobbled over. "Let's get them out of harms way." He leered over at Silas. "Wouldn't want a stray bullet to accidentally hit these poor boys now, would we. Nosiree. And that's the pure gospel."
"Alright boys, you heard the man." Chad said, his gun out and trained on the tied up prisoners. "Up you get. And no funny stuff."
The prisoners stiffly got to their feet and were herded into the train car. "Okay Reese." Joe replied. "They're all yours."
"Well I don't want 'em." Reese said. "I'm not sittin in that train car again whilst you guys get all the fun."
Erik propelled Reese into the train behind Silas. "Reese, we haven't the time to argue. We can finish our stimulating conversation over coffee after we have apprehended the rest of the bandits." He handed Reese a gun when the latter turned with his mouth open, ready to start yelling. "Remember, you are supervising."
"D-ohhh." Reese scowled. "We ain't finished with this Hunter. When I get back to Laredo, I'll make the three of you guys wish you were never even born!"
Joe smiled and closed the door to the car. "Come on, let's get into position. Erik, you take the rock, Chad, see if you can get under the train. I'll take that tree."
Erik nodded, finding a good vantage site behind the rock.
Chad found the spot Joe meant under the train and climbed in with a groan. Hopefully he wouldn't have to get out again in a big hurry. He watched Joe maneuver himself up into the heavy branches of the tree. His buckskin fabric clothes rendered the ranger nearly invisible if a person did not already know he was there.
Chad shook his head, listening as the riders got closer and closer. They were not too well organized if they thought they could storm the rangers a second time and come out ahead. Silas Dalton must have been the leader, and without him, the rest of the gang had not been able to come up with a better plan.
"Okay, they're in range!" Joe yelled across the camp over the clamor of hooves.
Chad propped himself up, aimed the rifle at the leader and fired a split second after the newcomer did. Still hostile. When would they ever learn? One of his bullets found the man and he dropped off his horse. Chad ducked low when one of the other riders started firing on his position.
He looked over at Erik to see if the Dutchman could help him out.
Erik fired a few shots around the rock, hoping to attract the attention of the rider heading towards Chad. These bandits were acting a lot more desperate in the bright light of day. Hard and fast, were they brave or stupid? He aimed and fired again, hitting the man high to the right shoulder. They were definitely stupid. Two down, three to go.
Joe sat ready in the branches as the other riders approached and jumped from the tree, landing on top of the only hombre from the group he recognized. Hank Dalton. Old Hank had a glass jaw and a real thirst for cheap whiskey. Joe pulled back his fist for the final blow, but Hank was already out like a snuffed candle from the fall he took. Joe looked up just in time to see one of the bandits firing Erik's way. One of the bullets hit home.
"Erik!" Joe yelled, leaping for cover.
A volley of rapid-fire bullets accosted the two bandits from the direction of the train. Chad hit one, and the other dove for cover.
"Erik!" Joe yelled again.
There was a short pause. "I'm fine. Just shoot the dirty scoundrel who ruined my best jacket!" Erik called back.
"Done!" Chad yelled back. "Okay, you heard the man, Mister! You are the only one left. You want to walk out of here on your own two feet or dragged back to Laredo tied to the back of a horse?"
They heard the gun hit the dry ground and the last man stepped out of hiding, his hands in the air. "Don't shoot! I know when I'm licked." His eyes were downcast.
Joe walked over warily, eyeing the rest of the downed train robbers. "Okay Pard," he waved his gun. "This way. You can help bring in your gang."
Chad squeezed himself painfully back out from under the train breathing heavily. "Next time we do this, you're the one crawling under the train." He said to Joe, clutching his ribs. "If they weren't cracked before, they sure are now."
"Well we couldn't very well have a man with cracked ribs jump out of a tree, now could we." Joe declared with an innocent smile.
"No we couldn't." Chad agreed. He watched as Erik joined them, his right arm hanging limply at his side, blood dripping off his fingertips.
Chad laughed. "Sorry Erik, but isn't this going to severely hamper your card playing abilities?"
Erik rolled his eyes. "If I had the use of my arms, I think I would throttle you." He smiled politely.
The train door slammed open and Reese poked his head out. "Can I come out now? It's dang stuffy in here."
"Okay, okay." Joe replied. "You can tie up the prisoners."
Reese grinned widely and ambled out, carrying a long rope.
* * *
At about noon, Stan and Jethro made it back. They had a horse between the two of them.
"Well?" Joe asked once the two were sitting down and had their fill of coffee. "Did you get some help?"
Stan shrugged wearily. "The whole station was destroyed. People dead, communications cut. Just a terrible, terrible mess."
"We fixed the telegraph the best we could and sent a wire." Jethro stated, rubbing his temple. "I don't know if it went through or not."
The men sat in the quiet heat for another hour or two. The rangers wondered if they would ever get home and sample Sue Ellen's delectable fried chicken, among other things.
The sound of hooves alerted them to more company.
"Oh just wonderful." Chad drawled tiredly. "Haven't we had enough excitement for one day?"
Reese rolled over. "I don't care what youse guys say. I am NOT going to sit in that train car again and guard the strongbox or them sorry prisoners or ours." He sat up and loaded his gun. "It's Erik's turn to guard them. He don't even count as a half a good gun-arm anymore."
Erik smiled. "Thanks for your vote of confidence Reese."
Reese nodded.
Joe shook his head. "Erik can't guard anything with two bum arms."
"How about Stan and Jethro then?"
"It's not their job, Reese." Chad replied evenly. Now get back into that train car before it's too late." He herded Stan, Jethro and Erik in as well.
"It sounds like a lot of riders coming." Erik said, stalling.
Chad closed the door firmly. "It does, don't it?"
Joe nodded, watching them approach. "Well now, would you look at that, I think we're about to be rescued." There were at least fifteen riders, with a wagon as well. The men wore blue uniforms. "Looks like the army wants their loot." He smiled.
* * *
The ride back to Laredo was pleasant if uneventful. The army took their payroll, having received the wire Stan and Jethro had sent. They feared the worst when they had seen the massacred train station and were pleasantly surprised to see the payroll all accounted for, the rangers and train personnel all relatively in one piece, and the mangy outlaws captured and ready for delivery to the nearest jail.
Captain Parmalee read over the report one more time, then looked up at his four rangers appearing little better than death warmed over. All four of the rangers were stifling loud groans and overacting their aches and pains.
"Oh, oh, oh." Reese clutched his head. "So you see captain, this assignment was no ride in the park I'll tell you that. I haven't seen straight in days. Poor Erik is so helpless that he needs to be fed by someone else. Chad can barely breath because of those broken ribs of his, and Joe can't walk but for a cane, and not very fast at that..."
Captain Parmalee narrowed his eyes. "So you are asking for a few days off or so for recuperation, am I right?"
"Oh yes sir." Reese nodded vigorously, then caught himself and slowed. "Yes sir."
"Alright." Captain Parmalee sighed. "You four report to the barracks and get some rest. You look like you need it."
"Thanks Captain." Joe said, getting up. The others were about to follow suit when the door to the Ranger's Office opened and Sue Ellen floated in, smelling of lilacs.
"Oh Chad, boys. I'm so glad you're back." She gave Chad a kiss and hug. "You boys won't be disappointed. I've got our picnic all ready." She grinned, throwing her long blond hair over her slim shoulders.
Captain Parmalee cleared his throat, his eyes about as narrow as they could go and still see. "I'm sorry Miss, but these four rangers are in to shape to go anywhere but to bed." He took her elbow and guided her back to the door. "I'm afraid it's going to be about a week or two before you can have them. They have some pretty serious injuries." He looked over his four rangers with a penetrating stare.
Sue Ellen pouted over her shoulder. "Aw. Poor boys. Well, we'll just have to give you another rain check. See you in two weeks." She left with a rustle of her long royal blue dress.
The four injured rangers sagged back in their chairs. Defeat. Two more weeks.
THE END