Ralph Compton Train to Durango, page 24
“Between two and three million,” said Hawk. “Our wagon should be arriving tomorrow on the train. We’ll load up and leave late at night when everybody’s asleep. With luck, nobody will know we’re gone until it’s too late to stop us.”
Denbow laughed. “Not a bad deal for us, considerin’ that all we contributed is the little gold and silver we’ve been able to dig.”
• • •
Denver, Colorado, April 17, 1885
Silver, Wes, and El Lobo were up before first light.
“Breakfast,” said Monique, knocking on their door.
Reaching the dining room, they found the table already set.
“Usually Monique and me don’t get up for a couple more hours,” Louise said, “but we made an exception. Now when it gets light enough to see, you’ll be ready to go.”
“We appreciate your sacrifice,” said Silver. “It’s important that we don’t lose sight of our man. If he’s as spooked as I think he is, he’s about ready to run. There’s one more important step, and that’s to follow him to his headquarters.”
“But if he suspects he’s being followed,” Louise said, “will he go there?”
“He’ll likely have no choice if he’s to get his affairs in order,” said Silver.
Silver, Wes, and El Lobo didn’t delay at the breakfast table, but returned to the room from which they could observe the Hogan house.
“One of us should go to the stable, saddle the horses, and bring them in behind this house,” Wes said. “If we wait for him to saddle up and ride, we may lose him.”
“I go,” said El Lobo.
“Bueno,” Silver said. “Get the horses back here as quickly as you can. I have an idea we’ll be needing them pronto.”
Chapter 16
Denver, Colorado, April 18, 1885
Drade Hogan had spent a sleepless night, thinking, planning, and cursing the woman who had led his enemies to him. While he had seen nobody the night before, he was now virtually certain he had been followed from Madame Renae’s to his own house. Now they would trail him to his newly rented suite, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent it.
“Come on, damn you,” he growled aloud.
Hogan had no doubt that Silver and his men would be coming, but he consoled himself with the thought that it mattered not how much they knew about him, as long as they did not leave Denver alive. Today, Kent, Hollis, and Bidamer were to report to him, as was Blanton Hood. While Hogan couldn’t stop Silver and his friends from following, he could surround himself with killers for hire. He finished his coffee and reached for his hat. Then he did something he hadn’t done since leaving California. He buckled on a gunbelt, thonging down the holster on his right hip. Drawing the Colt, he broke it and thumbed in a sixth shell. From a closet, he took a Winchester and made sure it was fully loaded. He then stepped out the door and started around the house to saddle his horse.
“There he goes,” said Silver, watching Hogan from the upstairs window, “and he’s fully armed. Where the hell is Palo with our horses?”
“He hasn’t had time,” Wes said. “He’ll be here by the time Hogan’s ready to ride. We can wait for him out back, and it’ll save him having to come up here.”
“Good thinking,” said Silver. “Come on.”
In the hall, they met Priscilla, her wet hair evidence that she had been bathing. Again she wore not a stitch, nor did she have a towel.
“None of you have come to see me,” she said. “I’m not accustomed to being ignored by men.”
“Sorry,” said Silver, “but we have women of our own, and any one of them is as well endowed as you. I reckon we can enjoy the view, but that’s as far as we go.”
They left her standing naked in the hall. Reaching the back stairs they could still hear her saying some very unladylike things about men in general and a certain trio in particular. Reaching the alley behind the house, they waited. A short time later, El Lobo rode in, leading the other two horses.
“Get down,” Silver said. “We can’t ride out until Hogan does.”
They peered around the corner until Drade Hogan rode out into the street. Reining up and standing in his stirrups, he looked all around before riding on.
“He knows,” said Wes.
“I want him to,” Silver replied. “I want him feeling like a trapped rat, with nothing on his mind but escape. Then he’ll take us to the gold, wherever it is.”
They waited until Hogan was far down the street before following. Twice he turned and looked back.
“He see us,” said El Lobo.
“It won’t matter,” Silver said. “He knew last night he was being followed. Unless he’s a fool, he knows by now that we used Madame Renae and that extra key to get to him. I won’t be surprised if his headquarters is surrounded by gunmen.”
“But when he leaves there, we can follow him wherever he goes,” said Wes. “When he goes after the gold, he won’t feel easy with too many killers around. Tempt a gun-thrower with enough gold, and he’ll forget who his friends are.”
They continued following Hogan, remaining as far behind as they dared. Eventually he reined up, dismounted, and led his horse around a brick office building.
“We won’t go any closer,” Silver said. “There’s bound to be a back door and a stairway. Palo, take your horse with you and watch the back door, but be careful not to allow anybody within this office building to see you.”
El Lobo rode up the street well beyond the building in question. He circled in behind, coming down an alley from the far end of the block. Dismounting, he led his horse until he was in a position to see the back of the building. There he waited, just out of sight, until Kent, Hollis, and Bidamer reined up behind the place. Each man removed from his saddle boot a Winchester, and thus armed, they entered the building by the back stairs.
“Who are you?” Hogan asked in response to the knock on his door.
“Bidamer, Hollis, and Kent,” said a voice.
Hogan unlocked the door, allowed them to enter, and then locked it behind them.
“Well, ain’t we jumpy this mornin’,” Kent said. “The hobgoblins been after you?”
“I am in no mood for your perverted sense of humor,” said Hogan. “The three men in question have been following me since last night. Where the hell were the three of you?”
“Checking out all the saloons,” Bidamer said. “If you expect us to become your bodyguards, it’s fifty dollars a day for each of us.”
“All I want of any of you is to rid me of the three men following me,” said Hogan. “That is, if you can. Don’t expect to find them lurking in the halls or in broom closets.”
“Then we’ll wait until you’re ready to leave here,” Bidamer said, “and we’ll follow anybody that follows you.”
“I’m here for the day, and I have work to do,” said Hogan. “I strongly suspect this building is being watched. If I’m not expecting too much, will the three of you get out of here and start earning that bounty? I’ll be here until five o’clock.”
“We’ll look around some,” Bidamer said, “but we ain’t protectin’ your carcass for free. When and where we earn that bounty is our business.”
Without another word, the three departed, leaving Hogan alone with his thoughts. He looked for them to return at five but suspected until then they would spend their time in a saloon. Quickly, Hogan composed a telegram to his contact in Santa Fe. While its content would be meaningless to anyone else, a prearranged code would relay a message starting a chain of events that would allow Hogan to escape with the gold. When the heavy wagon reached Durango, a coded telegram would be sent to Hogan. Then only Hawk and Denbow stood in his way. But they could be eliminated.
• • •
Durango, Colorado, April 18, 1885
The canvas-topped wagon Elias Hawk had bought in Santa Fe arrived on a railroad flat car. Hawk and Denbow were there to take it away the minute it was unloaded.
“When certain people discover we’re gone,” said Hawk, “somebody will remember this wagon showing up and us driving it away. We must get it away from here and out of sight as quickly as we can.”
“When Hogan gets the word, he’ll know damn well we didn’t need it to haul personal goods,” Denbow said. “Let’s load all the stuff and get away from here tonight.”
“I think we’d better do just that,” said Hawk. “The shortest distance to the Gulf of California is cross-country to Yuma, Arizona, but we don’t know the territory, and there may be some trouble getting a wagon through. We have an extra wheel and a spare rear axle.”
“My God,” Denbow said, “if we make twenty miles a day, it’ll still take us almost a month. Ain’t there some faster way we can go?”
“Not to get us out of the country,” said Hawk. “One month from today, Captain Diaz will anchor his sailing ship in the Gulf of California. While I was away, did you arrange to buy two more horses?”
“Yeah,” Denbow said. “Couple of miners decided they wanted mules to work their gold claims, so I arranged to buy their horses. Two hundred dollars apiece. I didn’t get ‘em because I ain’t paid for ‘em yet.”
“Soon as we return to the mine, take enough double eagles to get the horses,” said Hawk. “Tonight we’ll load the wagon and head for Yuma.”
“What about grub for us and grain for the horses?”
“I bought adequate supplies and grain in Santa Fe,” said Hawk. “What do you think is under that wagon canvas?”
“By God, you think of everything,” Denbow said admiringly.
“I try,” said Hawk. “If we had bought supplies here in Durango, it would be something else for somebody to tell Hogan when he comes looking for us.”
When they reached the mine, Denbow took one of the horses and four hundred dollars in gold to pay for a second team. When he returned with the newly purchased horses, it was only an hour shy of sundown.
“We’d better rearrange everything in this wagon and load the gold while it’s still light enough to see,” Hawk said.
“We ought to take an extra wheel off our old wagon,” said Denbow. “Just in case.”
“I doubt there’ll be room,” Hawk said, “and it would add to the weight of the load. The spare that came with the new wagon will have to do.”
Hawk removed the wagon canvas, and all the supplies and sacks of grain were moved to the rear. One by one, the heavy metal containers of gold double eagles were lifted into the wagon box, near the front. When the task was finished, Hawk and Denbow were exhausted from the effort. When they had rested, they again secured the wagon canvas as tight as they could over the load. It was near midnight when they harnessed the teams to the new wagon. They returned to the tunnel for one last look around.
“Leave that door to the inner room standing partially open,” Hawk said. “When Hogan comes looking for us, I don’t want him to have trouble getting in there.”
“What about them trip wires and scatterguns?” Denbow asked.
“Leave them armed,” said Hawk. “Remember the old code: Do unto others as they’d do unto you, but do it first.”
Mounting the wagon box, they left the claim in which they had labored for the metal to make Drade Hogan a wealthy man. Nothing dampened their spirits except realization of sudden death if Hogan discovered his loss and caught up to them.
• • •
Denver, Colorado, April 17, 1885
Shortly after Drade Hogan had sent the coded telegram to Santa Fe, there was a knock at the door.
“Who are you?” Hogan demanded, his Colt in his hand.
“Blanton Hood,” came the response. “I got to talk to you.”
Again without invitation, Hood seated himself beside Hogan’s desk.
“Well,” said Hogan, eyeing him distastefully, “have you accomplished anything?”
“Yeah,” Hood replied, “I took your advice and lined up eleven gun-throwing hombres. Trouble is, they want some money in advance, and I ain’t got it.”
“And you’re expecting to get it from me,” said Hogan.
“It’s that, or tell this bunch the manhunt’s off, and turn ‘em loose,” Hood said.
“How much?” Hogan asked.
“I’m payin’ ‘em fifty dollars a day and grub,” said Hood. “They want three days’ pay in advance.”
“I’ll advance you two thousand dollars,” Hogan said. “Just don’t forget it comes out of any bounty money due you.”
“I ain’t the forgetful kind,” said Hood. “Now tell me somethin’ about these three you’re wantin’ salted down.”
“I’ve never seen them up close enough to give you a description,” Hogan said, “but the three of them have been following me since last night. I’ll leave here at five, and I have no doubt they’ll follow. I’m sure they’re watching this building right now.”
“We’ll wait until they follow you home,” said Hood. “It’s too damn busy around here. Shooting would bring the law down on us pronto.”
Hood returned to the old deserted warehouse on Cherry Creek, where his assortment of killers waited. They eyed him expectantly, saying nothing.
“A hundred and fifty dollars for each of you,” Hood said, “and when we gun down the hombres in question, each of you will get another thousand dollars, no matter who fires the shot. Our work begins at five o’clock, and I’ll expect all of you here no later than half past three.”
They trooped out, mounted their horses, and rode toward town, leaving Hood to wonder if they might just keep on riding. Except for Ginsler and Arrington, the gang consisted of the nine men remaining after Hampton, Lawton, and Damark had been locked up in the jail at Dodge.
“Well, don’t look so damn whipped,” said Illivane to his disgruntled companions. “This ain’t Indian Territory, but fifty dollars a day’s better than nothing.”
• • •
“This is just one hell of a long day,” Wes said, as he and Silver continued to watch the front of the office building.
“It is, for a fact,” said Silver, “and I doubt Hogan will go anywhere until he’s ready to call it a day. Why don’t you find a mercantile, buy a jug, and fill it with water? Palo must be almighty thirsty, and I know I am.”
“I’ll do it,” Wes said, “and I’ll give Palo a slug of it before coming back here.”
Wes brought the water, spent a few minutes with El Lobo, and then joined Silver. The boring, seemingly fruitless vigil continued.
“Four o’clock,” said Silver, looking at his watch. “He should be leaving pretty soon, if only to go home.”
“Something’s startin’ to bother me,” Wes said. “Suppose this coyote’s not as spooked as we think he is? He could wear us out without doing one damn thing illegal.”
“He could,” said Silver, “but he won’t. I have a hunch he had a serious falling out with Madame Renae, and testimony from her could drop that failed ambush right into Hogan’s lap. Even if nothing else goes wrong, you don’t ignore a woman with a serious mad on.”
Somewhere in the distance, a tower clock struck five times, and as the tones faded and died away, Drade Hogan left the office building. His horse had been picketed in the shade of a tree, and he began saddling the animal.
“I’d better get the word to Palo,” said Wes. “I’ll stay with him until Hogan rides out, and we’ll join you on the back trail.”
Hogan rode out, keeping his horse at a trot and not looking back. Silver didn’t follow immediately, and when he did, it was with caution.
“What did you see?” Wes asked, when he and El Lobo caught up to Silver.
“Nothing,” said Silver, “but I think the hunters may be about to become the hunted. I suspect, from Hogan’s actions, we’re about to be followed.”
“We won’t be doing Monique and Louise any favors, having a bunch of killers follow us back to the house,” Wes said. “They could set the place afire and shoot anybody trying to escape.”
“That’s precisely why we aren’t going to follow Hogan home. We’ll go another way, leave our horses at the livery, and enter the house by the back stairs,” said Silver. “If his hired killers can’t find us, it’ll worry the hell out of Hogan, wondering where we are and what we’ll do next.”
“Bueno,” El Lobo said. “El Diablo modo.”
Reaching the livery, they led their horses inside and unsaddled them. They took their Winchesters from saddle boots and made their way the several blocks to an alley that would allow them to reach the back of the house without being seen from the street. They entered the house through the kitchen and dining area.
“We’re just getting supper started,” Louise said. “It’ll be ready in less than an hour.”
“Good enough,” said Silver. “Is Priscilla in the hall, or is it safe for us to go up?”
Louise and Monique thought that hilariously funny. Silver, Wes, and El Lobo mounted the stairs and hurried to the room at the end of the hall.
“I hope we got here ahead of Hogan,” Silver said. “I want to see his reaction when he discovers we didn’t follow him.”
“Well, hell, we know where he lives and where his office is,” said Wes. “We don’t have to follow him, unless we think he’s about to skip town.”
“That won’t come until he’s made some arrangements to escape with the gold,” Silver said. “Even if it’s in Denver, he’ll be careful not to lead us to it.”
“I don’t know why,” said Wes, “but I don’t believe it’s in Denver. If it’s not, then he’s having to rely on somebody else to secure it for him. I’m wondering whom he can trust to hide millions in gold, without the possibility of a double cross.”
“Maybe nobody,” Silver said. “From what I’ve seen of the Golden Dragon, Hogan’s the kind who will use others as long as he can, killing them when their usefulness is done.”
