At five of twelve, we fetch the horses, ride them easy to the bank, then dismount out front. We need not tie them as, being outlaws’ horses, they are trained to stand waiting. Wade, who has let his beard come in to appear rough, totes his parcel hiding the rifle into the bank. He’ll take up a spot at a writing table, make like he has something to do.
We come in a few minutes later, me alone, then Virgil and Harry together. I’m in line behind two customers when I glance at Wade, who nods.
In the next couple seconds, he pulls down his mask from under his hat, and calls out, “Throw up your hands.”
We all drop our masks, having kept faces low until then. Once we’re covered, we leap to action and I’m surprised when Wade doesn’t shoot the guard like he’d said. Instead, he disarms the man, has him stand in a corner, rifle on him. Harry herds the customers over with the guard, while Virgil and me go behind the counter and start bagging money, which is greenbacks and gold. I’m shoving loot into my bag when I hear a shot, and only then realize I’ve taken my eyes of the cashier, who I now see has a gun. I also see Virgil fall.
Without thought, I draw my pistol and shoot the cashier, then finish filling my bag. I also take up Virgil’s bag since he’s not moving and likely dead. We’re now in trouble because those shots will draw attention.
Rushing outside, we find Evan and Leland on their horses, and I throw each a bag of money, then climb into the saddle, as Wade and Harry do likewise. It’s as we start out that gunfire comes calling.
We pull our guns and return fire as we attempt to take flight, but a bullet downs Evan’s horse, throwing him and his sack of money to the ground.
As the others take off, I circle back, shooting with one hand, offering the other to Evan, who takes it. I pull him up behind me. We ride off, but as we depart town, there come more shots, and I see men with rifles upstairs at a hotel.
A bullet catches Leland, and down he goes with the other sack of money. Nobody stops to see his fate.
We ride like hell and the horses of the fallen men ride with us, being used to such escapes. Once we’re well out of town, we stop and Evan changes to Leland’s horse, and we set off again, headed for Boyer’s place.
The one horse absent a rider gallops like he’s got a man aboard, which strikes me as an awful sight. Two men lost, no money gained. That weighs as well, but hard riding soon chases off all thought save outrunning the posse that will surely, in such an organized town, be forming right now.
We’re a sweaty mess when we reach Boyer’s. Changing mounts requires shifting saddles and gear, Boyer and his son looking on.
It’s Wade who says, “Virgil and Leland are shot and we lost all the money.”
Nobody offers comment as there’s no time. Aboard fresh horses, who are eager to run, we set out again, more hard riding. The first set of horses has no trouble keeping up. Free of riders, they’ve got new energy.
Night is coming on when we stop among some rocky hills. Wade climbs to the top with binoculars to see if we’re being followed. “Don’t see anybody,” he says when he comes back to us, “but that don’t mean they’re not coming. We’ll rest a spell, then move on.”
When darkness falls, gloom settles over us and I find the lack of a glowing fire appropriate. Nobody says a thing. We’re all feeling the same, struck by the loss of our friends as well as loss of the money. One would be bad enough, but both has never happened.
* * * *
Before sunup, we start out again, riding until we reach a hardscrabble town, where we take a quick meal and water the horses.
“We going home?” I ask Wade.
“Seems safe to do that. I think the posse fell back.”
Food doesn’t taste good, but I swallow it anyway, needing energy for the rest of the ride. The horses are tiring, as are we, and the last leg of the ride is outlawry at its worst. Usually this part is tolerable because we’ve money. Now all we have is loss.
* * * *
Noble’s place looks powerful good when we ride in. The sun is high, everything warm and inviting. I think on a bath at the river and some of Hannah’s good cooking.
As we near the house, I note no kiddies about. There’s usually a couple in the garden or chasing around, but I figure maybe it’s schooling time, Hannah giving them their lessons. Noble is absent, too, but he could be anywhere.
We head for the barn, Wade in the lead, me and Evan back with the horses, Harry and Dewey in the rear. As Wade dismounts at the barn, a shot comes from nowhere and he grabs his neck before falling to the ground.
For a second, I sit stunned because this makes no sense. But then more shots come, bullets whizzing past, and when one sends my hat flying, I call out, “Behind the barn,” and turn my horse there.
As we rush for cover, Harry falls.
“They’re up in the rocks,” I tell Evan and Dewey.
“Who?” asks Dewey.
“The law, no doubt.”
“How’d they get here before us?” he asks.
“I don’t think it’s the posse,” I venture. “This is pure ambush. They were in place, waiting on us. Word of us here must have gotten out.”
We pull rifles from our saddles, then I tell Evan to put our saddles on fresh horses. “We have to get out of here.”
As he does this, Dewey and me do battle, shooting to where we see rifles firing. We don’t gain anything in
