asked.
“The next car up has a kitchen and a dining car,” Gryder said.
“This is really something,” Heck said. “I think I need to turn in my badge and get a federal one.”
“Judge Parker won’t like that,” Clint said.
“Who cares?” Heck asked. “It don’t matter what he offers, it can’t match this.”
“Marshal,” Gryder said, “you’ll have to sleep up front in a passenger car.”
Heck looked at the sofa.
“That’ll do nicely for me,” he said.
“But you can’t—” Gryder started.
“If I’m gonna keep Clint alive, I’m gonna have to be close by,” Heck said.
“He has a point, Will,” Clint said.
“Fine,” Gryder said. “The sofa is yours. I’ll be in the passenger car.”
He looked at Carla, who gave him a look back. They both knew where she was going to be sleeping.
“Fine,” he said. “I’m going to go and tell the crew to get under way.”
When Gryder was gone, Clint looked around and said, “This isn’t going to be too bad.”
Andy George waited for the last of his men to enter the saloon. Chris Ritter and Brian Castle were already there, each having a beer for breakfast.
“Do we know his schedule?” Ritter asked. “I mean, what stops he’s gonna be makin’ along the way?”
“Yeah, we know,” George said.
“So where are we gonna do it?” Castle asked.
“We’re gonna have to watch his first few stops, see what their routine is,” George said. “Once we got that figured out, we’ll hit ’em.”
“What about the lawman?” Ritter asked.
“We don’t kill him unless we have to.”
“I don’t wanna kill no deputy,” Castle said. “’specially not one of Judge Parker’s.”
“Well, we won’t,” George said. “If we don’t have to.”
A couple of men entered, and since Ritter had recruited them, he went over to greet them, and brief them on the plan.
“What about the woman?” Castle asked.
“We’ll talk about that,” George said. “Let’s keep that between us.”
“Yeah, okay,” Castle said. “She’s good-lookin’, though.”
“Yeah, she is,” George said.
Another man entered, recruited by Castle, who walked over to him.
George waited for all the men to get a beer in their hands, and then turned to address them…
Henry Chapman watched as Clint Adams entered the train with his team. The only one who worried him was the lawman, Heck Thomas. The manager and the girl wouldn’t be a problem.
This job was a little different from the others he’d done for the congressman. The old boy must’ve really been worried this time, because he’d taken the shackles off Chapman.
“Do whatever you have to do,” he’d been told.
He turned to mount his horse.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Their first stop, later that day, was a town called Round Rock.
“Last election Turner barely took Round Rock,” Gryder explained to Clint. “So we have a good chance here.”
“What do I say?” Clint asked.
“Whatever you say,” Gryder answered, “say it loud, and firm.”
“But…exactly what do I tell them?”
“You’ve been doing well so far,” Carla said. “Just do what you’ve been doing, Clint.”
“To tell you the truth,” Clint said, “half the time I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
“That’s okay,” Will Gryder said. “Half of the people out there won’t even be able to hear you. Clint, you’re the Gunsmith. They just want to be able to say they saw you.”
“Well…okay.”
“Marshal,” Gryder said, “I’d appreciate it if you’dstep out onto the platform with Clint, and stand just behind him.”
“That’s what I’ll do,” Heck said, “and I’m a deputy.”
“Yes, fine. Carla, you just stand next to Clint and do what you’ve been doing.”
“Which is what, to your mind, Will?” she asked.
“Stare at him adoringly.”
“I’ve been doing more than—”
“He knows that, Carla,” Clint said. “Where are you going to be, Will?”
“I’ll be out in the crowd, listening to
“The next car up has a kitchen and a dining car,” Gryder said.
“This is really something,” Heck said. “I think I need to turn in my badge and get a federal one.”
“Judge Parker won’t like that,” Clint said.
“Who cares?” Heck asked. “It don’t matter what he offers, it can’t match this.”
“Marshal,” Gryder said, “you’ll have to sleep up front in a passenger car.”
Heck looked at the sofa.
“That’ll do nicely for me,” he said.
“But you can’t—” Gryder started.
“If I’m gonna keep Clint alive, I’m gonna have to be close by,” Heck said.
“He has a point, Will,” Clint said.
“Fine,” Gryder said. “The sofa is yours. I’ll be in the passenger car.”
He looked at Carla, who gave him a look back. They both knew where she was going to be sleeping.
“Fine,” he said. “I’m going to go and tell the crew to get under way.”
When Gryder was gone, Clint looked around and said, “This isn’t going to be too bad.”
Andy George waited for the last of his men to enter the saloon. Chris Ritter and Brian Castle were already there, each having a beer for breakfast.
“Do we know his schedule?” Ritter asked. “I mean, what stops he’s gonna be makin’ along the way?”
“Yeah, we know,” George said.
“So where are we gonna do it?” Castle asked.
“We’re gonna have to watch his first few stops, see what their routine is,” George said. “Once we got that figured out, we’ll hit ’em.”
“What about the lawman?” Ritter asked.
“We don’t kill him unless we have to.”
“I don’t wanna kill no deputy,” Castle said. “’specially not one of Judge Parker’s.”
“Well, we won’t,” George said. “If we don’t have to.”
A couple of men entered, and since Ritter had recruited them, he went over to greet them, and brief them on the plan.
“What about the woman?” Castle asked.
“We’ll talk about that,” George said. “Let’s keep that between us.”
“Yeah, okay,” Castle said. “She’s good-lookin’, though.”
“Yeah, she is,” George said.
Another man entered, recruited by Castle, who walked over to him.
George waited for all the men to get a beer in their hands, and then turned to address them…
Henry Chapman watched as Clint Adams entered the train with his team. The only one who worried him was the lawman, Heck Thomas. The manager and the girl wouldn’t be a problem.
This job was a little different from the others he’d done for the congressman. The old boy must’ve really been worried this time, because he’d taken the shackles off Chapman.
“Do whatever you have to do,” he’d been told.
He turned to mount his horse.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Their first stop, later that day, was a town called Round Rock.
“Last election Turner barely took Round Rock,” Gryder explained to Clint. “So we have a good chance here.”
“What do I say?” Clint asked.
“Whatever you say,” Gryder answered, “say it loud, and firm.”
“But…exactly what do I tell them?”
“You’ve been doing well so far,” Carla said. “Just do what you’ve been doing, Clint.”
“To tell you the truth,” Clint said, “half the time I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
“That’s okay,” Will Gryder said. “Half of the people out there won’t even be able to hear you. Clint, you’re the Gunsmith. They just want to be able to say they saw you.”
“Well…okay.”
“Marshal,” Gryder said, “I’d appreciate it if you’dstep out onto the platform with Clint, and stand just behind him.”
“That’s what I’ll do,” Heck said, “and I’m a deputy.”
“Yes, fine. Carla, you just stand next to Clint and do what you’ve been doing.”
“Which is what, to your mind, Will?” she asked.
“Stare at him adoringly.”
“I’ve been doing more than—”
“He knows that, Carla,” Clint said. “Where are you going to be, Will?”
“I’ll be out in the crowd, listening to
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