Ironhorse

12

Virgil tipped his head for me to move toward the door. I followed him out to the platform. We stood just outside the doorway, where we could talk out of earshot of the others.

“What do you allow, Everett?”

“They’re rough company.”

“They are.”

“We’ve shot ’em up pretty good, though,” I said.

“We have.”

“Got more to go.”

“We do,” Virgil said.

“The hand that made it out the back will be spreading the gospel of what went down.”

Virgil shook his head a bit as he looked back into the coach.

“Most assuredly he will,” Virgil said.

“They’ll be buzzing ’round like wasps,” I said.

“Yep,” Virgil said. “Chewing on their next move.”

“What do you figure that’ll be?”

“Shot up like they are,” Virgil said, “I’d imagine they’re more than interested how they’re gonna get off this train.”

“They might jump.”

“Don’t think so,” Virgil said, shaking his head. “Not in the dark with no horses.”

“They’re well aware the train didn’t stop for their horses.”

“That they are.”

“They’re none too happy about that,” I said.

“Nope,” Virgil said. “Don’t expect they are.”

“What do you think the riders will do?”

Virgil shook his head a bit.

“Hard to say.”

“Don’t think they’d stay where they were going to meet up.”

“No, don’t think they would.”

“You shooting that getaway rider might have got the other two riders running the opposite direction.”

“Might,” Virgil said. “Or keep on riding north to the next water drop?”

I pulled out my watch.

“That’d be about an hour twenty from now,” I said. “Standley Station.”

We thought about that for a moment.

“One thing for certain Vince and them know and don’t like,” I said.

“That you and me are on board?”

“That, and the fact they lost control of the engine,” I said.

“That’s right.”

“What do you think their move would be if this train don’t stop at the next water drop?”

“They got two choices,” Virgil said. “Come at us, or wait till the engine runs dry and the train stops.”

“This train passes the next drop,” I said, “they’ll come at us.”

“More than likely,” Virgil said. “Vince has got bargaining chips, too.”

“The governor.”

“Yep,” Virgil said. “And his wife.”

“We could stop at Standley Station and play it out there,” I said.

Virgil thought about that, then shook his head.

“Better off with them sequestered on this train,” Virgil said.

“’Spect that’s right.”

“Is,” Virgil said.

“Don’t want them spread out,” I said, “holding the governor and his wife as hostage.”

“No, we don’t.”

I stepped on the grab-iron ladder toward the edge of the coach. I took a few steps up and edged up just a little, looking back over the top of the train. It was dark, but there was enough light to see there was nobody coming at us. I dropped back to the platform.

“Keep lookout for me,” I said. “I’ll make sure the engineer keeps us on the move, get my eight-gauge while I’m at it.”

Virgil nodded and climbed the ladder, looking back over the coach with his Colt at ready. I climbed the ladder on the tender and made a fast trip to the engine cabin.