CHAPTER TEN
Becky went to the bank and was admitted to the Henry’s office without difficulty. She and Julia had that privilege. Though if Becky was coming to office, Henry knew it must be important. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Oh no,” Becky assured him. “I had an idea on how to catch these horse thieves.”
“Which is?”
“Use Flash as bait to catch the thieves.”
“You mean risk losing my horse.”
Becky hesitated before saying “yes.”
Henry pondered for a moment and Becky used the opportunity to her advantage. “If your bank were robbed or Julia abducted, wouldn’t you want those responsible brought to justice immediately?” she asked, not realizing the plight her cousin was now in.
Henry smiled slightly. Becky had maneuvered him into a corner, but he gave his agreement. “Where’s Julia right now?” he asked.
“At Mrs. Dalton’s boarding house,” Becky replied. “A new boarder named Amanda Pryor is in fact a Pinkerton investigating the thefts. Julia is trying to get her to go along with this idea.”
“All right. I suppose we should pass this along to Sheriff Burke.”
“Please do. I’ll go over to the boarding house and see how Julia and Amanda are doing.”
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At that time, Julia and Amanda were doing quite poorly. They struggled frantically at their bonds, but the ropes refused to budge. Emma Dalton stood before them with a menacing expression on her face. “Struggle all you want,” she gloated. “It will serve you no good. My contact will be here shortly with a wagon. There’s a railroad line near Denver that should take care of you quite nicely.”
The two captives glanced at one another. Julia knew from personal experience just how ruthless Emma could be when dealing with a threat.
“I hope your cousin comes along, Miss Sterling,” Emma said. “I’d like to get a second chance at that mare of hers. Perhaps even a hold of all her horses.”
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Becky rode to the boarding house and immediately saw Lillybelle still tied out front. As chatty as Julia could be, Becky knew her cousin to be short and to the point when the situation demanded it, and this situation certainly demanded it.
An approach from the backside was definitely in order. She took the long route around back and crept toward the house. She crouched beside an open window and listened for any information she could gather.
“Here comes the wagon,” Emma said. “Harriet, you and Frances get those two out of the root cellar. Bonnie and I will take the buggy while the rest of you go with the wagon.
Becky moved to a position where she could see wagon. Two captives where obvious, with wrists bound behind their mouths and gags stretched across their mouths. Julia and Amanda, but there was not much Becky could do, badly out numbered as she was. He best course of action was to get out of there as soon as possible and get help.
Becky hurried out of there. She mounted Atalanta and left the scene at full gallop.
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“Sounds like hoof beats,” Roberta Parker remarked.
“You’re right,” Frances James said as she re-tied Julia’s ankles. “Whoever it is will be long gone when we take care of these two. Isn’t that right Miss Sterling?”
The gag would have muffled the unladylike response Julia yearned to use.
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Becky galloped out of town, toward the ranch before she stopped and decided to turn back. From there, she cantered back to the boardinghouse, which was devoid of anybody other than Hannah. She then went to the Sheriff’s office, where Henry was waiting with Sheriff Burke. “It’ll take a bit to get enough men to form a posse,” Burke explained. “It’s hard to get men who can break away from their work, even for something like this.”
“Sheriff, it’s gotten much worse,” Becky said. “They’ve taken my cousin and Miss Pryor prisoner.”
Henry was shaken by this news and started for the door, but Burke stopped him. “Hold on there, son,” the sheriff said. “Let’s wait ‘til Frank and Bill get back. Miss Carson, where were they going?”
“I didn’t hear,” Becky said. “But they said they were going in a wagon and a buggy.”
“Like the ones that went by about ten minutes ago,” Henry said.
Just then, men on horseback started to appear in front of the office. “Sorry it took so long,” Frank said. “It took us a while to get all these men.”
Burke briefed the men on the situation. There was a murmur among them when Julia was mentioned. She was well liked in the community, as was Henry and their upcoming wedding was eagerly anticipated.
“Very well.” Burke said. “Bill you and Miss Carson watch things here while the rest of us go after the horse thieves.”
“I’m going with,” Becky said firmly.
“I’m sorry Becky, but you’re emotionally involved.”
“And Henry isn’t?”
Burke chuckled and said, “I can’t argue with you there. Time’s a- wastin’, let’s mount up.”
The posse mounted and set off in pursuit of the thieves. Becky found herself out front, not so much to take the lead but due to Atalanta’s speed. The wagon and buggy had a head start on the posse, but traveled at a slower speed.
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Emma Dalton had no illusions about her situation. Eventually a posse would be formed to track her down. Her best chance was to get into the next township—even better, the next county—before it could catch up to her. Of course, it would have been easier to flee under the cover of darkness, but she couldn’t wait that long. It had not been an hour since she passed the outskirt of Cedar Springs when she heard the hoof beats approaching.
“Somebody’s after us,” Bonnie remarked.
“A posse,” Emma said. “Better armed than we are, no doubt,” She knew the firearms in her little caravan consisted of a shotgun in the wagon and old four barrel Sharps pepperbox she kept on her person. Hardly a match for the Winchester rifle she knew Burke would have, and the weapons the posse would carry, mostly Colt revolver, but surely with another rifle or a shotgun. Perhaps I can convince a jury I’m a desperate widow, she thought.
Still, she decided to make her pursuers work a bit harder to get her. As the posse drew closer, Emma noticed a widening of the road ahead of her. There was just enough space to allow two vehicles to pass in opposite directions. “Hee-ya!” she exclaimed and steered around the wagon.
The wagon stopped and it’s occupants swarmed out and ran to sides of the road. The posse caught up to the wagon. While Henry freed the two captives, Burke sent various members of the posse after those fleeing on foot. Becky saw the buggy moving rapidly away. She immediately set off after it at full gallop.
The horse pulling Emma’s buggy was not as fast as Atalanta and had the burden of a vehicle and three occupants. Becky rapidly closed the gap. She eventually drew abreast of the buggy, but had the sense to stay beyond the grasp of any of its occupants. Finally, Becky drew abreast of the horse pulling the buggy. She held Atalanta’s reins in her teeth as she reached out and seized those of the other horse.
The buggy slowed down noticeably. Emma realized she was beaten. She had even failed to draw the posse’s attention away from her cohorts. Three horses came up to the buggy. Burke led the way, followed by Mary Slane’s husband Tom, while Julia double with Henry. “Drive your buggy back to the wagon, Mrs. Dalton,” Burke instructed.
When they re-joined the wagon, Emma saw her cohorts sitting by the side of the road. They were bound at the wrist and ankle, as was the wagon driver. “It’s too far for us to make you walk back to town in tow,” Burke announced. “So I have another thing in mind, something just as humiliating. You will go into town draped over the horses. Any back talk from any of you and you all get gagged. Understand?”
Burke was not acting out of cruelty. His friends and neighbors had their property stolen, one of his prisoners had escaped, and his daughter had been assaulted. He had been humiliated both personally and professionally, so he believed a little public humiliation was in order for the horse thieves.
Emma, Bonnie, and Michelle were tied at the wrist and ankles. One by one, the captives were loaded onto the horses. Henry and Julia would take the wagon back into town, with Flash trailing behind, while Becky and Amanda took the buggy, with Atalanta behind them.
When the group reached the jail, Julia noticed Bonnie and Harriet had tears streaming down their cheeks. Any sympathy Julia might have had for the two women was tempered by the fact they or their cohorts tried to have her murdered in a most vicious fashion.
“Do you think they’ll hang?” she wondered aloud as Becky and Amanda joined them.
“It’s hard to say,” Amanda replied.
“Even after Mrs. Surrat there are some people still reluctant to put a noose around a lady’s neck,” Henry noted.
“Stealing horses, aiding an escape from jail, and attempted murder,” Becky said, then paused for emphasis. “Doesn’t sound very ladylike to me.”
Just then, a workman approached and said to Henry, “Mister, we just put the finishing touches on your new house.”
“Very good,” Henry said. He then turned to Julia and said, “We can start ordering furniture.”
Becky watched them leave the scene. Very soon, Henry and Julia would be married and beginning a new chapter in their lives. Julia’s arrival in Cedar Springs had brought about a change in Becky’s life and she could not help but wonder about what kind of change, if any would Julia’s marriage bring to their lives.
THE END