Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” –Revelation 7:12(NKJV)
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When I arrived at the depot, I saw Charlie behind some barrels just off the platform across from the baggage car. There was a man and from what I could tell, a railroad worker lying on the ground in front of the car. Steam was flowing from the engine causing me to grin. Smart man, that engineer. When the shooting started, he cut off the engine then he and the fireman hightailed it out of the area.
I ran to where Charlie was watching. “What’s the scoop?”
“Robbery. From what I can tell there are at least three men inside the….” Shots were fired from the other side of the train interrupting his information. We looked at each other, then came a shrill whistle. “Mateo,” we said at the same time.
He began where he left off. “At least three men inside. I’m not sure if there is another baggage man inside or not. They shot one throwing him on the ground,” he pointed to the man with his gun.
“Have they said anything? Made any demands?” Then came the shot from inside the car. I didn’t like the sound of that; it could mean that they shot the other worker. “Let me move over to your left. Mateo has the other side covered. Do you want to handle this, Sheriff?”
Giving me a wry smile, “We’ll play it by ear. When you get in position, I’ll move up to the train.”
I scrambled away moving behind some crates twenty feet from where Charlie was situated. I hollered, “You, in the train! This is your only chance to surrender! Throw out your guns and come out!”
There was no reply, then the side door began to open. Upon the sound I lifted the Greener in position to fire. I was hoping that they would throw down their guns. A hand appeared, holding a gun. There was a quick shot at nothing in particular, then a face emerged. I fired, blood spewed followed by a thump. The door quickly closed. When I fired Charlie ran to the train.
Being in that baggage car they had no windows. They didn’t know how many men were outside the car, or that Mateo had taken the men holding their horses. I yelled again, “I’ll give you one more chance! Throw out your weapons and come out!”
“We’re coming!” came a voice from the car.
Charlie leaned down under the car. “Mateo, go to the rear, I have a feeling.”
Moving from my position I ran to the side of the baggage car, that way I could cover the door or the sliding door. They were coming out the door between where Charlie and I stood. Two men, holding their guns up. I didn’t like it.
“Drop them!” ordered Charlie.
A shot to my left splintered the frame, I turned to fire and at the same time I heard another shot. The man who fired at me crumpled to the ground. Then chaos broke out with the two men firing at where Charlie was standing. He was safe, behind the passenger car, but dared not show himself. We waited, they would soon empty their guns and had nowhere to run.
Then a shot came from inside. When that happened there was a lull. Charlie and I both moved to the opening between the cars. He fired at the men and I cut loose with the other barrel, then drew my pistol. Suddenly it was quiet and it was almost haunting after all the noise.
“Coming out!” hollered Mateo. He had gone in through the door where the other thief had come out. “Worker inside, shot and in a bad way,” he informed us as Charlie went up the steps to check on the men that we shot. I went to the downed worker lying on the ground by the train. He was bleeding and unconscious, but still alive.
Doc Jones had left the diner right behind us, went to his office to get his bag and was now on the scene. I waved at him to come check on this man. “There’s another one inside the car,” I informed him, then moved to check on the man that Mateo and I shot.
Two hours later, Charlie, Doc, and I were sitting back in the diner. Mateo had decided to go to see Luciana to let her know he was all right. “Terrible, just terrible,” muttered Doc after taking a swallow of coffee. “There was just no sense in them not surrendering.”
“Desperate men do strange things, Doc,” remarked Charlie. “They should have surrendered,” he paused, shaking his head. “One of them would have been tried for the murder of the clerk inside the car, though.”
“Four dead criminals, one railroad worker,” murmured Doc. “At least one will pull through. He was shot just over the hip, the bullet went straight through. No vitals were hit.”
“Shame this had to happen just before Thanksgiving,” said Charlie.
“Killin’ is always a shame,” I stated matter of factly. Then looking from one man to the other. “But we can be thankful that we’re here and that Mateo is fine.”
We were sitting at the table, quietly thinking of the morning, when Nick Parsons walked through the entrance…