Ralph Compton - Death Rides a Chestnut Mare

“Bucko,” he said to Burris, “you’re just a little too damn lucky to suit me.”

Burris was caught totally by surprise, and as he went for his gun, his opponent fired.

But a second shot blended with his own, and he fell across the poker table. All eyes turned to Danielle, who still held a smoking Colt steady in her hand. Sellers was already kneeling over Burris.

“Is he alive?” Danielle asked.

“Yeah,” said Sellers, “and he wasn’t cheating. Some of you take a look at his cards.”

They examined the cards Burris was holding, shaking their heads.

“That damn Winters had to be the worst poker player in town,” said the house dealer. “When he’s a big loser—which is most of the time—he’s got to have a dog to kick.”

“He won’t be drawing any more bad poker hands,” one of the men said. “He’s stone cold dead.”

One man had gone for a doctor, while another had gone for the sheriff. Doctor Avery and Sheriff Barnes arrived together.

“He’ll live,” the doctor said after examining Burris.

“Who’s responsible for this?” the sheriff asked, his eyes on the dead gambler.

Chapter 12

“I shot him after he gunned down a friend of mine, Sheriff,” Danielle said.

“The hombre Elmo Winters shot wasn’t cheating, Sheriff,” said a house dealer. “Elmo had a mad on because he was losing, like he usually does.”

“I’ll want you to come with me to the office,” Sheriff Barnes told Danielle.

“Not until I’ve seen my friend back to the hotel,” said Danielle.

“Me and the doctor can handle that,” Herb Sellers said. “You got a stretcher, Doc?”

“Yes,” said Doctor Avery. “I’ll go get it.”

“Some of you tote Elmo Winters over yonder to the carpenter shop,” Sheriff Barnes said. “I’ll ride out in the morning and see what Jubal and Ebeau wants to do with him.”

Danielle followed Sheriff Barnes to his office, the lawman saying nothing until they were inside. Then he spoke.

“You can start by telling me who you are and what you’re doing in town.”

“I’m Daniel Strange, Sheriff, I mostly make my living gambling. You have some fine saloons here.”

“We also have some snake-mean hell-raisers here,” said Sheriff Barnes. “Elmo Winters, the hombre you shot, has family. There’s his pa, Jubal, and his older brother, Ebeau. I’ll tell you this for your own good, kid. Don’t stay in town long enough for Jubal and Ebeau to find out you shot Elmo.”

“I had cause to shoot him,” Danielle said. “Are you denying that?”

“No,” said Sheriff Barnes, “he’s had that coming for a long time. But his old daddy and his brother won’t settle for anything less than an eye-for-an-eye. I’ll ride out in the morning and tell them, so you got a little time.”

“I have business here, Sheriff,” Danielle said, “and I’m not leaving until I’ve seen to it. I want peace, but not the kind that comes with the grave. You can tell Elmo’s kin that if they come gunning for me, they’d better be wearing their burying clothes. Now, is there anything more you need from me?”

“I reckon not,” Sheriff Barnes said. “There’ll be an inquest tomorrow, but I think I’ll be able to justify the shooting to the satisfaction of the court. There’s witnesses aplenty.”

“I’ll be here at least through tomorrow if you want anything more of me.”

Leaving the sheriff’s office, Danielle returned to the hotel, knocking on the door to the room occupied by Herb Sellers and Jesse Burris. Herb opened the door and Danielle closed it behind her.

“How is he?” Danielle asked.

“Better than you’d expect, him being shot at such close range,” said Herb. “I want to thank you for buying in. I’m sorry to say it took me as much by surprise as it did Jesse, and if Winters had got off a second shot, it would of been the end of Jesse Burris. What did the sheriff want?”

“Mostly to warn me to get out of town,” Danielle said. “Elmo’s pa, Jubal, and his brother, Ebeau, are the kind who’ll likely come looking for me.”

Jesse Burris slept, the doctor having given him some laudanum, and for a long moment, Herb looked at his sleeping friend. Finally, he spoke.

“Jesse will be sorry he dragged you into his fight, Daniel, and I’m sorry, too. Both of us are big enough to stomp our own snakes.”

“We’ve all been taking our chances,” Danielle said. “Some men are poor losers. Elmo Winters was one of them. If his pa and brother come looking for trouble, they’ll find it. How long does the doctor think Jesse will be laid up?”

“Maybe a week,” Herb said. “I cashed in his chips, and he’d won more than four hundred dollars. I won about half that, so we’ll be able to afford the hotel until he’s healed. Do you still aim to visit the Kansas-Pacific tomorrow?”

“Yes,” said Danielle. “I aim to learn something helpful if I can. If I can’t, then I want to know it. Then I can move on.”

“I’ll stay close by,” Herb said. “If Winters’s kin come looking for you, I promise you’ll not have to face them alone.”

“I’m obliged,” said Danielle, “but it was me that shot Elmo Winters, and I bought in of my own choosing. I’m not afraid of his pa or his brother. The only way they’ll get me is to shoot me in the back.”

Danielle returned to her own room. She bolted the door from inside and placed the back of a chair under the knob of the door. For a long time she lay awake, unable to sleep, yet too exhausted not to.

Danielle was awakened by a knock on her door.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“Herb,” a voice replied. “I’m about to have breakfast and thought you might join me.”

“I will,” Danielle said. “Give me time to get up and get dressed.”

Danielle dressed hurriedly and found Herb waiting in the hall.

“How’s Jesse this morning?”

“Sleeping,” said Herb. “No fever yet. The doctor’s coming by sometime today.”

Danielle and Herb had breakfast in a cafe, neither talking much, for it seemed there was little to be said. Danielle was thinking ahead to her meeting with Alan Steele, at the Kansas-Pacific offices, and was at a loss as to what she must do or where she must go if the railroad man refused to cooperate with her. Herb interrupted her thoughts.

“How long do you aim to stay here?”

“At least today and tonight,” Danielle said. “It’s near nine o’clock, and when I leave here, I’m going straight to the Kansas-Pacific offices. Go on back to the hotel, and I’ll tell you what I learn, if anything.”

The railroad terminal was a bustle of activity when Danielle arrived. In the outer office, a different telegrapher sat at the instrument, which was clattering out a message. Danielle waited until the machine was silent before speaking to the telegrapher.

“I’m Danielle Strange, and I need to talk to Alan Steele. Tell him it has to do with the recent train robbery.”

The telegrapher wasted no time in getting the message to Steele, and Danielle was led down a hall to Steele’s office. She entered, closing the door behind her. Steele nodded to a chair, and she sat down. Steele was a heavy man with bushy eyebrows and a ruddy face. His eyes met hers, and Danielle spoke.

“Mr. Steele, I’d like to help you find the men who recently took a military payroll from one of your trains.”

“You’re a bounty hunter, then,” said Steele.

“No,” Danielle said. “Last spring, a gang of outlaws robbed and murdered my pa. I have the names of those who are still alive. Gaddis and Byler, who robbed you, were part of the bunch I’m looking for. Another is Chancy Burke. All three men are from Waco, and they’ve been riding together. I have reason to believe they were working together on this robbery, and that they may be planning others.”