Shorty?”
“Yes, that’s the one,” Jessup said without explaining his pianist remark. “What took you two so long? Did you have some trouble at the depot?”
“No, they’re goin’ to put Shorty on tonight’s train,” Deekus said. “Major, you remember we was wonderin’ why Tex, Cracker, and Brandt didn’t come back last night? Well, we don’t need to wonder about it’nymore. They got ’em all in jail, right here in Braggadocio.”
“Why are they in jail?”
“Beats me,” Deekus said. “I think they broke a window or something.”
“Are you telling me they put them in jail for breaking a window?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Deekus said. “Ain’t that the way you heard it?” he asked Arnie.
“Yep. They broke out the window over at the newspaper office, and the sheriff—”
“He’s not a sheriff, he’s a town marshal,” Jessup said.
“Yeah, well, the marshal, he put all three of ’em in jail.”
Jessup stood up, and when his two riders started to stand as well, he held up his hand. “No, I’m going to see about Tex and the others. You two stay here and finish the bottle.”
“All right,” Deekus said enthusiastically.
“And don’t get into any trouble. I’ve got one dead and three in jail now. I can’t afford to lose any more men.”
Leaving the saloon, Jessup walked down the street to the jail. He stopped just outside the marshal’s office and looked in the window. Instead of the marshal, he saw a deputy leaning back in a chair, his feet propped up on the desk.
When Jessup went inside the little building, the deputy took his feet down and sat up quickly.
“Major Jessup,” the deputy said, flustered that he had been caught napping.
“You know who I am?” Jessup asked.
“Yes, sir, just about ever’one in town knows who you are.”
“Except the piano player. He didn’t know who I was.”
“You’re talking about Mr. Hawke? Well, he’s new to town. Mr. Hawke has only been here a couple of months, so he’s never been around durin’ cattle-shipping time.”
Tex and Brandt were sleeping off their drunk on cots in the cell. Only Cracker was awake, and seeing Jessup, he called out happily.
“Major! I knew you wouldn’t let us rot in here. Tex, Brandt, wake up! It’s the major come to get us.”
“I’ll settle with you men later,” Jessup said, his voice showing his displeasure with them. He turned to the deputy. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Truman Foster. I’m a deputy here.”
“Well, Foster, where’s Trueblood?”
“Trueblood ain’t here,” Foster answered.
“I can see that. Where is he?”
“He took the train down to Plumb Creek this morning,” the deputy said. “He’ll be back in tomorrow mornin’. Is there somethin’ I can do for you, Major?”
“Yes,” Jessup answered. “You can tell me what the fine is for my men, so I can pay it and get them out of here.”
“See that, fellas!” Cracker said. “I told you the major wouldn’t let us down.”
Again Jessup frowned at the three cowboys, but this time he said nothing.
Deputy Foster shook his head. “No, I’m sorry but I can’t do that,” he said.
“You can’t do what?”
“I can’t let you pay their fine and get them out.”
“I know there are damages. A broken window, I think? I’ll pay that as well.”
Again Foster shook his head. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? It’s not like they killed someone. All they did was get drunk and break out a window. Why the hell can’t I just pay their fine and damages?”
“Well, for one thing, I don’t know what the fine is, or howmuch the window is going to cost,” Foster said. “Marshal Trueblood said they was too drunk to go before the judge yesterday. They’re going tomorrow.”
“You mean it’s going to be three days before they even get charged?”
“Yes, sir, it looks like it,” Foster said.
“Then how about releasing them to me until tomorrow?” Jessup said.
“Yes, that’s the one,” Jessup said without explaining his pianist remark. “What took you two so long? Did you have some trouble at the depot?”
“No, they’re goin’ to put Shorty on tonight’s train,” Deekus said. “Major, you remember we was wonderin’ why Tex, Cracker, and Brandt didn’t come back last night? Well, we don’t need to wonder about it’nymore. They got ’em all in jail, right here in Braggadocio.”
“Why are they in jail?”
“Beats me,” Deekus said. “I think they broke a window or something.”
“Are you telling me they put them in jail for breaking a window?”
“That’s what it sounds like,” Deekus said. “Ain’t that the way you heard it?” he asked Arnie.
“Yep. They broke out the window over at the newspaper office, and the sheriff—”
“He’s not a sheriff, he’s a town marshal,” Jessup said.
“Yeah, well, the marshal, he put all three of ’em in jail.”
Jessup stood up, and when his two riders started to stand as well, he held up his hand. “No, I’m going to see about Tex and the others. You two stay here and finish the bottle.”
“All right,” Deekus said enthusiastically.
“And don’t get into any trouble. I’ve got one dead and three in jail now. I can’t afford to lose any more men.”
Leaving the saloon, Jessup walked down the street to the jail. He stopped just outside the marshal’s office and looked in the window. Instead of the marshal, he saw a deputy leaning back in a chair, his feet propped up on the desk.
When Jessup went inside the little building, the deputy took his feet down and sat up quickly.
“Major Jessup,” the deputy said, flustered that he had been caught napping.
“You know who I am?” Jessup asked.
“Yes, sir, just about ever’one in town knows who you are.”
“Except the piano player. He didn’t know who I was.”
“You’re talking about Mr. Hawke? Well, he’s new to town. Mr. Hawke has only been here a couple of months, so he’s never been around durin’ cattle-shipping time.”
Tex and Brandt were sleeping off their drunk on cots in the cell. Only Cracker was awake, and seeing Jessup, he called out happily.
“Major! I knew you wouldn’t let us rot in here. Tex, Brandt, wake up! It’s the major come to get us.”
“I’ll settle with you men later,” Jessup said, his voice showing his displeasure with them. He turned to the deputy. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Truman Foster. I’m a deputy here.”
“Well, Foster, where’s Trueblood?”
“Trueblood ain’t here,” Foster answered.
“I can see that. Where is he?”
“He took the train down to Plumb Creek this morning,” the deputy said. “He’ll be back in tomorrow mornin’. Is there somethin’ I can do for you, Major?”
“Yes,” Jessup answered. “You can tell me what the fine is for my men, so I can pay it and get them out of here.”
“See that, fellas!” Cracker said. “I told you the major wouldn’t let us down.”
Again Jessup frowned at the three cowboys, but this time he said nothing.
Deputy Foster shook his head. “No, I’m sorry but I can’t do that,” he said.
“You can’t do what?”
“I can’t let you pay their fine and get them out.”
“I know there are damages. A broken window, I think? I’ll pay that as well.”
Again Foster shook his head. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? It’s not like they killed someone. All they did was get drunk and break out a window. Why the hell can’t I just pay their fine and damages?”
“Well, for one thing, I don’t know what the fine is, or howmuch the window is going to cost,” Foster said. “Marshal Trueblood said they was too drunk to go before the judge yesterday. They’re going tomorrow.”
“You mean it’s going to be three days before they even get charged?”
“Yes, sir, it looks like it,” Foster said.
“Then how about releasing them to me until tomorrow?” Jessup said.
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