We were getting close to Taos where Javier and Agatha would be getting off. He said that he had a job riding for Alonso Ortega just south of Taos. I didn’t know Ortega personally but I knew of his outfit and his brand. He raised quality beef and was good to his men. A little different from other cattlemen of the time; up towards the mountains he also raised a number of sheep. It would be a good start for Javier and his new wife. The shame of it was the thoughts of her father that she must carry with her. Hopefully Javier would make up for them. I was glad that the Chapmans were with them. He told me they were going on down to Santa Fe for a little preaching at a tent meeting and would vacation at the same time. He’d need prayer, New Mexico is tough on preachers.
I wasn’t sure of how many more stops we had to make. One, two, for sure water would be needed. Folks that had boarded the train tended to sit away from us once they saw that I had a prisoner who was handcuffed. That was fine with me. Too much conversation is not good. I would have liked to get a little more from Hendricks; I would have liked for him to tell me who the third man was and that Martin was behind it all, but he was a loyal man, very close-lipped.
Now that’s a good quality at the right time and for the right reason. Why, our Lord was fairly tight with his words the night He was arrested, but with good reason. Others show allegiance by riding for the brand, but this time the brand was on the wrong side of the law, not only the written law, but moral law as well. Most of the time, they blab about how they’re going to escape and get me, or how they were framed. They would whine about this and moan about that and whimper that life wasn’t fair. Hey, live on the dark side of the law and it’s a rough life.
The whistle screamed and I could feel the train slowing. There was a water stop ahead. I dared not let down my guard, I had learned that much from experience. In fact, I had a notion to move across the aisle from Hendricks and bring the Greener to my lap. I don’t necessarily think it was a sixth sense, though some would say so, but I think things that come to my mind are actually from the Holy Ghost. We take things in life far too often for granted, and I knew from life that we need to listen to those inner promptings.
My eyes danced from the window on my side then to the window near Hendricks. I also watched anyone suspicious in the car. Nothing, and that caused me to smile. The whistle blew, and we would momentarily be on the way. I started to place the Greener next to the side when there was a blast of a rifle and a bullet shattered the window next to Hendricks. I heard him groan. I saw a man next to the tank take aim; I thrust the shotgun through the broken window while leaning over Hendricks and fired. It was a distance, but I saw that I hit the man causing him to slump down falling from his perch.
The door in the front of the car burst open, catching me by surprise. I was only expecting one other man. Dropping the Greener I pulled my pistol. The man was brazen. He should have fired when he entered, but instead walked up to the couple. He didn’t even glance my way, I reckoned he thought that his pardner had shot me; it didn’t seem they were interested in Hendricks at all.
I’ll give it to the Parson. He waited until the villain was right up against the seat. When the man raised his gun, a large sneer appeared on his face, Parson Chapman leaped into him, knocking him away, the gun discharging into the ceiling of the car. That gave me time to move forward, and I prayed that the Parson would fall to the floor. I shot. The bullet hit the man below the ribs. He grimaced then looking my way brought his gun to bear on me. I was not one to waste time, I fired twice again, both bullets striking the man knocking him back on the poor dear lady in the seat behind. She shrieked, trying to push him off her.
By this time, the preacher was up trying to help as was Javier. I looked around, making sure that there was no one else. “Dale! Shut that door and stand in front of it!” He was busy aiding the dear lady, so Javier jumped to the job. The engineer must have heard the shots because the train had not moved. As I reloaded my pistol I waited for the conductor, then glanced at Hendricks. He was bleeding terribly. I saw a large shard of glass embedded in his face, and I couldn’t tell if he was alive or not. I wanted to make sure no one else was coming to his aid, or his demise before checking on him.
When the conductor showed up, he was wide-eyed. “Stand here,” I ordered, “but come closer. If he says anything I want you to hear.” I bent over picking up my Greener to hand to the conductor. Hendricks opened his eyes, he was bleeding severely. As he turned his head, I could see another piece of glass in his neck. His eyes became glassy…