Warlock

“Go home and get some sleep,” Carl said, and slumped down in the chair at the table. “We are all right here.”

“I’m staying,” Pike Ski

“Stay then. Chick, you and Pete go get some sleep. We’ll be taking them into Bright’s in the morning.”

There was muttering among the men bunched in the doorway. A muffled shout went up outside. The possemen pushed out the door, spurs clinking and scraping.

When they had gone, Pike Ski

“Didn’t take you long,” Ga

Carl laughed. “We ran onto them just before they hit the river. Pony and Calhoun, that is. They separated but we rode them down easy. Ted and Pike here kind of flushed Billy out of some trees down there and—”

Pike said abruptly, “It was Billy shot Ted.”

“He was shooting at me,” Billy said, in a harsh voice, from the cell. “What was I supposed to do, sit and let him do it?”

“Carl,” Pony said. “You are not going to let those bastards take us out of here, are you, Carl?”

“Shut your face,” Pike said. “You chicken-livered ugly little son of a bitch.”

“Thought you wanted me to let you go,” Carl said. “Thought you told me I might as well, for a jury up at Bright’s would do it anyhow. Save me trouble, you said.”

“I got something to tell you, Bud Ga

“Never mind,” Billy said. “Never mind, Bud.”

Ga

“You are so God-damn sure you caught your road agents!” Pony yelled.

“Hush!” Carl said.

“Be damned if I do! You got the wrong people! You—”

Carl got up, swung swiftly and hit Pony in the face through the bars. Pony fell backward, cursing.

“Wrong people!” Carl said, rubbing his knuckles. “You just happened to pick up that strongbox where somebody else dropped it, I guess.”

“One wrong, though,” Calhoun said quietly, and laughed; he moved back as Carl raised his fist again. Ga

“Listen to those boys yell out there,” Pike said.

Ga

Carl passed bowls of meat and potatoes into Calhoun. Pony threw his to the floor. “Go hungry then,” Carl said.

Pike took a steak in his hand and wolfed it down, and Carl attacked his hungrily too. Ga

“Bud,” Billy said. Pony and Calhoun had retreated into the darkness. Ga

“I don’t know,” he said. Carl was pretending not to listen.

Pike said, “You might’ve thought how come there was a posse after you in the first place.”

Ga

“Sit there and lap your supper!” he shrilled at Carl. “They are coming! Can’t you hear them coming?”

“We’ll stop them,” Carl said, “if they come. You can quit wetting your pants.”

“Bud,” Billy said again.

“Never mind it now, Billy,” Ga

“Long ride to Bright’s,” Carl said, over a mouthful. “You boys in there better get some sleep.”

“We’ll never get to Bright’s!” Pony cried.

“Oh, hush that!” Calhoun said.

Bud—Ga

“What good would that do?”

“No good,” Billy said, and disappeared. The cot springs creaked. Ga

Someone beat on the door with the flat of his hand. “Carl!”

Carl grunted and rose. He wiped his mustache, hitched at his shell belt, and glanced significantly at Ga

Ga

“You are going to have to give them up, Carl,” Red Slator said loudly, as he and Fat Vint backed up to join the others in the doorway. Close behind these two, Ga

“Get out of here, you miserable sons of bitches!” Carl said.

“You can’t stop us!” Charlie Grace shouted, and cheers went up from the dark, featureless mass behind them.

“See if I don’t,” Carl said. “If you think a bunch of pimps and drunk bullprods is going to bust this jail, you are mistaken. Get out of here!”

“We will tramp you down!” Vint yelled blusteringly. “You hear, Pike?” He looked at Ga

“Get out of here!” Carl said, in a level voice.

“We’ll get out of here taking them with us!” Slator said. “We are going to hang the murdering bastards and bust over you if we have to, Carl Schroeder. You know what’ll happen at Bright’s; by God, everybody knows. They’ll get off sure as hell, with McQuown to send up lying hardcases by the dozen and scare the jury green too. You know that, Carl!” The men in the doorway began all to shout at once, and the shouting gathered power outside until the whole world seemed to be shouting.

Carl waited until the noise had subsided a little; then he said, “Red, I’d like to see them hang as much as you. I caught them and lost Ted Phlater doing it.” His voice rose. “And we went out and caught them while you and this bunch was sitting on your slat-asses drinking whisky. So I will be damned if you will take them off us now the hard work is done! Now get!”