WANTED
DEAD or ALIVE
for MURDER and ROBBERY
CLETUS ODOM
Unlike the wanted poster for Matt Jensen, this reward poster did have a picture of Odom. It was a woodcut, but evidently taken from an actual photograph, because Matt saw a striking resemblance between the picture and the man he had seen robbing the train.
Looking around to make certain he wasn’t being observed, Matt tore the dodger down from the gray, weathered plank siding of the barn, and stuck it in his pocket. He was standing at the fence with his arms folded on the top rail when Rittenhouse came back. He handed Matt a ten-dollar bill and a brown paper bag.
“I know you said you didn’t plan to eat, but there’s some fresh baked bread and ham in the sack. I thought you could gnaw on it a bit while you were on the trail.”
“Thanks, Mr. Rittenhouse. I appreciate that.”
“No problem,” Rittenhouse said. “Say, whatever happened to your pa anyway? I never heard from him again after we was all mustered out. Course, him bein’ an officer and me just a private, I didn’t expect to. But I have wondered about him from time to time.”
“My father died some years ago,” Matt said.
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
Matt didn’t elaborate, though he could have said that his father hadn’t just died, he had been killed. He could also have gone on to say that he himself had personally killed, or watched the hanging of, everyone who had been involved in one way or another with the murder of his father, mother, and sister.
“It was a long time ago,” Matt said.
“Yes, and as they say, time heals all wounds,” Rittenhouse said.
At that moment, Jimmy came out, riding a saddled horse, while holding on to a line which six other horses were attached to. He swung down from the horse, then handed the reins to Matt.
“I’ll hold the string until you’re good mounted,” Jimmy offered.
“Thanks.”
Matt hopped up into the saddle, then reached down for the string. Jimmy handed it up to him.
“Don’t run ’em too hard because it may be they’ll have to take out a coach first thing in the morning.”
“I’ll take care of ’em.”
“You should arrive just before dark. Go right to the relay station. They’ll be lookin’ for them and they’ll no doubt meet you when you get there.”
Matt nodded, then reached down into the sack to pull out a sandwich. He took a bite, waved at Rittenhouse and Jimmy, then, slapping his legs against the side of his mount, rode out of the station.
When Odom, Paco, Bates, and Schuler reached the little town of Quigotoa, they stopped in front of the saloon.
“Ha!” Bates said as he dismounted. “I’m goin’ to get me a whole bottle of whiskey and a woman. No, two women. I ain’t never in my life been able to do nothin’ like that before.”
“You ain’t goin’ to do it now neither,” Odom said.
“What do you mean, I ain’t?” Bates replied. “I got my share of the money comin’ to me, don’t I?”
“Yes, and we’ll make the split here,” Odom said. “But then we are goin’ to go on our separate ways before we start spendin’ any of it. We won’t be spendin’ any of it here in this town.”
“That don’t make sense,” Bates said.” Why not spend money here? It’s our money now, ain’t it? So what’s the problem?”
“Think about it, Bates,” Odom said. “If the four of us come into a little place like this, then suddenly start spending money like it was water, don’t you think some people might get a little suspicious?”
“Hell, I don’t care whether they get suspicious or not,” Bates said. “What difference does it make?”
“It makes a difference to me,” Odom said. “Like I say, we’ll split the money here, but you ain’t goin’ to start spendin’ it till we all go our separate ways. Once we do that, you’re on your own, and you can do any damn thing you want.”
“
“See, even Paco agrees with me,” Odom said.
“Paco’s a damn Mexican,” Bates replied. “What the hell do I care what a damn Mexican has to say about anything? What about you, Schuler?”
“I need a drink,” Schuler replied.
“Ha, I ain’t never seen you when you didn’t need a drink,” Bates teased.
The four men stepped into the saloon and looked around. It was nearly empty.
“What the hell?” Bates said. “Is this here saloon open?”
“
