Day after the Robbery in the western sequel

This past Saturday, I did the book signing at the Rotary Craft Fair in Alton, NH.  I was very pleased when the first person who purchased a book said, "I loved your western and I understand you have a sequel out to the book."  I showed her "Silver Lake's Transformation and she walked away a very happy reader.

Because of her comment, I plan to continue my postings of Silver Lake's Transformation since so many people are enjoying westerns today.

Here is:  A Day After the Robbery.

After breakfast, Todd and Lenny take the wounded robber to the sheriff’s office and place him in into one of the two cells.  Doc told them he should have his wound looked at every couple of days and he could do that in the cell.

Todd heads down to the livery stable, Todd asks Sam, “Have you ever seen the brand before on the horse I brought in last night?”

“No, sheriff, I’ve never seen that brand.  You might want to visit with Jeff the blacksmith and describe it to him.  Maybe, he’s fixed shoes on horses with that brand.”

Todd visits with Jeff and comes up with the same negative answer.  He doesn’t recognize the brand either.

Todd heads back to the office.  Inside Lenny tells him, “Our prisoner doesn’t want to answer any questions.”

“Does it surprise you?”

“Hell no!  Is there any information on the brand?”

“None, you stay in the office today except for afternoon rounds.  I’m going to try and find out where his partner wound up.”

Before he leaves town, Todd walks into the general store and checks with Randy to see what they might have taken.”

“So far I’m missing a 12 ga. shotgun, ammunition, and two revolvers of .44 cal.”

“I’m heading out to find the partner of the one we have in a cell.”

Robbery in Town

The two lawmen like this town, it is quaint, yet still moving forward.  Todd wonders how long it will be before another saloon moves into town.  He envisions the next one to have dancing girls and those who rent rooms by the hour.

As they walk near Maggie’s and Randy’s general store, they both hear someone stumble in back of the store. 

Todd moves into the alley and Lenny crosses the street to back him up.  They hear someone yell, “Danny wait up, don’t leave me.”

The sound of a horse taking off at a gallup is very evident.  As Todd nears the end of the general store he sees a rider climbing onto his saddle.

“Hold on there, I have questions for you.”

The rider spins his horse around and fires two shots at the sheriff.

Todd takes careful aim and fires once, knocking the rider out of the saddle.

Lenny yells out, “Todd, you okay.”

“Yeah, I’m okay, come back here and help me get this guy to the doc.”

Lenny nears the end of the buildings and looks around before he ventures over to where the wounded man is lying.  “What happened, I hear three shots?”

“Two were his and one was mine.

Jose Arrives

Jose arrives at the J & T at 8:00 am.  He is a half hour early.  Tyler sees him coming onto the ranch and he walks out to meet him.  “You’re up bright and early.  Actually you are a half hour early.”

“I couldn’t sleep, I was so excited.”

“I understand,” says Tyler.  I’ve been through some of the same feelings.”

“Look, secure your horse to the rail post after you water him.  I am going to finish my breakfast and then I will be out to work with you.”

“Si Senor!

“Jose, put your gear in the bunkhouse.  There are four unoccupied bunks, so take your pick.  I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

When Tyler exits the house he sees Jose admiring the horses in the corral.

“I see you admire good looking horses.”

“Oh yes, and these are beautiful.”

Tyler looking for extra ranch hands

Arriving at Jose’s house, Tyler dismounts and after securing his stallion he knocks on the door post.

A Mexican woman, with dark black eyes that match her hair, answers, “What can I do for you?”

“My name is Tyler Martin and I wish to speak with Jose about a job.”

“Miguel said you would be calling, Jose didn’t think it would be so soon.  He is running an errand in town.  Come in, would you like some coffee or water?”

“Coffee would be fine.”

Jose’s mother pours him a mug and sits down at the table with him.

“Miguel told us you are looking to hire more hands.  My husband and I feel it would be good experience for him to learn something besides farming.”

“I agree, but how does Jose feel, does he want to learn ranching or be a farmer?”

“When Jose heard you were hiring he tried very hard to persuade Miguel he was right for the job.”

Miguel Arrives at the Ranch

Carla’s brother Miguel arrives at the J & T ranch.  He is not expected, so he is wondering who he will find home when he knocks on the door.

Katiana answers the knock and she is pleased to see him.  They give each other a hug.

“Is Tyler around, I have some information for him?”

“Tyler is working the lower range today.  Joan is here, let me get her.”

Joan comes into the living room where Miguel is standing.  “Miguel, it’s so good to see you.  Is Tyler expecting you?”

“Not really, but he is waiting for word from me.”

“Can I pass on the message for you?”

“Of course.”

“Before we continue let’s sit down,” says Joan.

“Thank you.”

“Would you care for something to drink?”

“I am fine.  Tyler visited me about ten days ago looking for two ranch hands.  I found them for him.  They are Jose and Manuel.  They are aware of Tyler’s plan to train them one at a time.  Both young men are anxious to start.  They hear from their relatives who already work here, how this is a great place.”

First Day On the Job

At six the next morning, Todd and Lenny rise and do a quick shave and change into some fresh clothes.  They know Maggie opens at 6:30 for breakfast and they plan to be her first customers today.

Entering Maggie’s establishment, they take a seat by the front window to notice what happens in town this early.

Maggie walks around from the kitchen and is a little surprised to see them.  “Are you two going to accept the positions?”

“Effective today, we’re on the payroll,” says Todd.

“Oh my god, this is wonderful.  You don’t realize how everyone in town is going to feel knowing the two of you took the jobs.  Not only do we have a sheriff but a deputy as well.”

Riding Into Town

Todd and Lenny stroll over to the saloon.  Inside the bat wing doors they see one man behind the bar and three men sitting around one table chatting.  They are not playing cards just having casual conversation.

Both men walk to the bar.  “Are you Jake?” asks Todd.

“Yes, I’m Jake what can I get you?”

“We’re Todd and Lenny, Peter suggested we get a drink before Maggie opens for dinner.”

“Gentlemen, whatever you want is on the house.  I suppose Peter told you about our meeting this evening.”

“Yes, we are aware of it.  We’ll be there.”

“I understand you spent three days at Tyler’s place,” says Jake.

“We’re old friends!” said Lenny.

“How about pouring us some beers!” says Lenny.

“Coming up, is there anything else you want?”

“No, except we might need a refill on these before Maggie opens,” says Lenny.

Next morning

Carlos looks over at Joan and dares to say, “Would you like to join me this morning when I head out to your dad’s ranch?”

“I would enjoy that.   I’ll be ready to leave in about fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll saddle your horse for you.” 

“Carlos, we’ll have lunch at the S&R.  I can handle my own saddle.  One man dotting over me is enough right now,” as she glares down at Tyler.

Todd and Lenny pick up on her comment, but let it drop.

Tyler gives her his big smile from across the table.

Todd, Lenny and Tyler are the three left at the table.  Drinking coffee, Lenny says, “Do I really have to go into town, I want a job here.”

Tyler laughs and says, “Yeah, and in six months you would be bored silly.  I know you better.”

Todd and Lenny arrive

“However, that’s not the big news of the day.”

“So share with us what did you learn in town.”

After he is finished talking, the three women are shocked that this happened around Silver Lake.”

“I cannot wait for your two friends to arrive after hearing what has been going on in this town.”

As Joan makes that statement, Tyler hears horses entering the yard and rises from the table.

Looking out the window, Tyler says, “Todd and Lenny just arrived.”

Tyler and Joan walk out of the house onto the porch.

Todd and Lenny dismount and give Tyler a big smile.  Todd is the taller of the two but only by a couple of inches.  Both men have mustaches and have broad shoulders with big hands.

Tyler walks down the steps and greets both men as they walk around their horses.  He grabs a hold of each one and gives them a hug.

Leo's Office

When Peter enters the office, Leo stands.  “Peter, this is Seth and Jonathan from a Salt Lake City investment firm.  They just informed me the stage was robbed and four men were killed. The gold the stage was carrying is missing.”

“Leo, why wasn’t the town council informed this shipment of gold was arriving?”

“We were trying to keep the shipment a secret,” remarks Seth.

“Somehow, someone found out about it.  I’m sure it wasn’t from anyone here in town.  It seems no one even knew about it.  Henry just told me he only learned this afternoon, there was gold on today’s stage.”

“Have a seat, Peter,” says Leo.

Frustrated, Peter sits next to Jonathan and asks, “What happens next?”

Robbery Scene

It took forty-five minutes for Seth and Jonathan to get close to the scene. They see buzzards circling.  Seth says, “Shit, I knew we would find a mess.”

They ride closer and see the horses tangled together lying on their sides, two trying desperately to get upright, the stagecoach overturned, and four bodies nearby.

Jonathan is the first one to dismount.  He checks three of the bodies while Seth checks the fourth.  All four of the men are dead from gunshot wounds.

Jonathan turns to the horses.  “Seth, help me, we definitely have two dead horses and the middle two might have to be put down.  I think we can save the third pair.”

Stagecoach Ambush

Herman lifts his telescope when he sees a cloud of dust coming around the bend created by the team of running horses.  To his surprise, and pleasure, there are two men sitting up on top of the coach.  One is the driver and the other is holding a shotgun.

Herman sends Clyde to tell their brothers the gold is on this wagon and to make sure they follow the plan.

Clyde gets back into position up on the ridge and they wait patiently for the stage to come near their ambush.

As the coach approaches Clyde takes a shot at the lead horse in front of the driver.  Immediately the right front horse is shot from the gulley by Ernie.  Both horses fall and momentum causes the remaining four horses to topple over the two fallen animals.  The coach is lifted upwards by the momentum and rises on top of the horses.  There is nothing the driver can do; the stage topples on its side.  Two horses are probably dead and the other four might be injured.

The driver and the man riding shotgun have been thrown to the ground and two men riding inside of the coach are desperately trying to get outside. 

Checking the sites for a holdup

While Herman rode along with his brothers to get an idea of how to set up the ambush he felt pleased with their three choices.  Each one had its advantages and disadvantages.  After reviewing the three sites he made a decision.  It was the last of the three sites they looked at.  Herman saw the third site gave them a good field of vision towards the route the stage would be coming to Silver Lake.  It had a rise off to one side which gave him the height to keep a keen lookout and crops of boulders to set up behind to fire down at the coach.  The opposite side of the route had a gulley about ten yards from the road.  It would be perfect to hit the stage from both sides of the road without being seen.  It also had some trees at the other side of the rise they could picket the horses and the mules.  The only issue they had was there was no water and they would have to carry in their own each day.

Planning the Stage Robbery

That night while eating dinner at their campsite, the Stevens brothers talk about the three possible ambush sites they feel are good places for a holdup.

Herman listens as each of his brothers gives their personal opinion on which one they feel they should use.

When his brothers are through Herman says he’ll think about each site and when they ride out tomorrow he will select one of them to station themselves on. 

“Are we going to wait in the sun all day for the stage?” ask Dick.

“No, we have an idea of the time frame the coach should arrive.  We’ll get there a couple of hours earlier each day.”

Shooting in Town

Clyde walks through the swinging bat wings and moves up alongside a young cowboy at the side of the bar who seems to have had more than his share of liquor.   He positions himself with the cowboy to his left side.

Clyde orders a beer and begins small talk with the gent on his right.  A half hour later the man on his right exits the bar and Clyde follows him outside.

As the man begins to walk towards his horse Clyde yells out, “What did you say you dirty bastard?”

The man is startled by what he just heard and begins to turn around.

“Don’t you draw on me you son-of-a-bitch,” Clyde draws and shoots the man in the middle of the street.

The shooting draws a crowd from the saloon and Clyde runs towards his horse.   No one is paying any attention to him.  They are in shock.

A local shopkeeper is lying in the middle of the street shot through the heart.

“Jesus,” says Jake.  What the hell happened out here?”  I heard yelling then a shot.

Stevens Gang

Herman Stevens sets up the second part of his lawman study about the security of Silver Lake.  Clyde, his brother will go into town in two days and incite a fight between himself and someone at the bar.  He will aggravate a situation to force the man to draw on him.  Of course Clyde will win over these locals. 

With a robbery and a killing happening Herman wants to see how much spine the town council has.  This will give him the idea on how to hit the stagecoach.  Herman picked up word of the gold shipment back in Salt Lake City, now the plan must be how to hit it when it comes through.  That is, if it is really coming through.  However, Herman didn’t feel it was merely a rumor.

Joan Looks At Tequila

Joan is looking towards the corral through the screened porch door.  Tequila is lying down but she is squirming around acting very uncomfortable.  Joan exits the doorway onto the porch and heads for the corral.  Tequila is due to drop her foal anytime.  It will be her first and she might be starting now.  Joan looks at her through the rails and she is sure she will be delivering soon.  Turning back to the house she enters and tells Adriana and Katiana to go out to the corral to comfort Tequila.  She heads for the barn and saddles her mare to go and locate Tyler.  He wants to be here when she delivers.  She thinks she remembers where he was going.

Seeing Tequila beginning the birthing process forces Joan to realize what she will be going through in a matter of months.  Joan rides at a gallop to find Tyler.

Back to Camp

Mid-afternoon Ernie, Tom and Dick ride into their base camp where Herman and Clyde are waiting for their return.  The three men dismount and remove their saddles, blankets and bridles from their horses.  They stake the horses out in areas where they can graze.

Herman is the first to speak, “What did you find out?”

Tom replies, “There is no sheriff and won’t be one for at least three to four weeks.  The town has two men coming from Nevada for interviews and isn’t planning to talk to anyone else until they meet these dudes.”

Clyde says, “So we have three to four weeks to make our move before there is any official law in town.”

“It looks that way,” said Ernie.”

“Clyde and I were thinking while you were away.  In a couple of days we want the three of you to go back into town and do a robbery.  We want to see what kind of local citizen action that generates.  It will tell us a great deal about how much resistance we could face if we rob the stagecoach.  We are wondering if they would form a posse to come after us.  We also need to find out when the money run comes in.”

Dick replies, “We should have something planned before we leave camp so the three of us know what we intend to do and there is no foul up.”

“Good idea,” says Herman.

Feeling Things Out

After lunch, Tom, Ernie and Dick walk over to the saloon.  As they enter through the bat wing swinging doors they notice there is no one inside of the saloon except the bartender.  They walk over to the bar.

“The lady in the restaurant told us the owner of this place is on the town council.  Will you be that person?” says Tom.

“Yes, I am on the council, what can I do for you?”

“We came into town to see if the sheriff’s position is still open.  We heard you didn’t have a sheriff when we were up in Salt Lake City,” remarks Ernie.

“Right now it’s not filled, but we have two candidates coming in from Nevada and until we meet with them we aren’t speaking with anyone else.”  Jake doesn’t have a good feeling about these characters.

Joshua Returns

Meanwhile in Carson City the telegraph office’s delivery boy brings a message to the sheriff’s office.

Todd reads it and says, “Well I’ll be damned.  Listen to this Lenny," and he goes on to read the message.

Lenny says, “I never thought we’d hear of Tyler Martin again.  Damn it sounds as if he’s done real well for himself.  Good for him.  What do you want to do Todd?”

“The interesting thing is we’ve given the city council ninety days to find a new sheriff.  We have four deputies here besides ourselves, so we could take the time off to meet these dudes from Silver Lake.  If Tyler recommended us, I suspect it would be a good fit for us.  I’m getting tired of deputies who do nothing and whine and cry.