Ironhorse

86

We left Berkeley’s black breed with Gobble Greene in Standley Station and set off again in the Ironhorse steaming north up the winding rail. Gobble told us his horse was a big dun gelding with a dark mane and tail. And if we happened to find him, he’d like to have him back.

“I’m a bad judge of character,” Berkeley said.

Berkeley shoveled a load of coal into the firebox.

“Like I told you, I never saw Lassiter’s color,” Berkeley said. “You damn sure did, Virgil. You saw it.”

“Goes with the territory of being a lawman,” Virgil said.

“Well, hell, I’m a lawman, too,” Berkeley said. “Don’t forget I’m the constable-elect of Half Moon Junction.”

“You’re a pimp,” Virgil said, “who happens to be a constable.”

Uncle Ted laughed and slapped his knee.

Berkeley stopped shoveling and looked at Virgil.

“Course,” Virgil said, “with all that shoveling, you don’t smell like a pimp no more.”

Virgil took a final pull on his stubby cigar and flicked it out of the cab. He looked at Berkeley without an inkling of a smile, but Berkeley knew he was being ribbed.

Berkeley looked at me and Virgil and smiled.

“Well, hell,” Berkeley said. “Anyway, I did not see it coming, Virgil.”

Virgil didn’t much care for having friends like most men do. I suppose I was Virgil’s friend. Friendship, however, was not something Virgil was much concerned with. Virgil tolerated some men but avoided most. I could tell, however, Virgil genuinely liked Berkeley. He knew how much Berkeley cared for his horse, too. The relationship between a man and his horse Virgil understood well. Virgil knew that what had happened to the black Thoroughbred had deeply offended Berkeley. And it prompted Virgil to provide something he was not accustomed to providing: friendship.

“Double-dealing’s one thing,” Virgil said. “Stealing money is another. Stealing a man’s horse is altogether another. But riding a horse into the ground...”

Virgil shook his head.

“That’s ’bout as low as a man can go.”

Berkeley stood tall, looking at Virgil.

“It is,” Berkeley said. “It damn sure is.”

Berkeley shoveled a few more scoops of coal, closed the door on the firebox, and we traveled for a while in silence. The air was cooling off some as the Ironhorse continued to climb in elevation. After a while, Berkeley set his carpetbag in the center of the cab and opened it, showing us what was inside.

“Help yourself there, gentlemen.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Uncle Ted said.

Uncle Ted fished himself out a piece of jerky and a wedge of hardtack.

I got out some jerky from the bag and handed a piece to Virgil, a piece to Berkeley, and got some for myself.

“Got nothing other than water in there for the whistle?” Virgil said.

“A good pimp always provides,” Berkeley said.

He pulled out a full bottle of whiskey from the bottom of the bag and handed it to Virgil. Virgil twisted out the cork and took a drink. He handed the bottle to me. I took a drink and handed the bottle to Uncle Ted.

“No, thanks,” Uncle Ted said. “I only partake when I know I can get took.”

I handed the bottle to Berkeley, and he took a swig.

“So, this mining business?” Berkeley said. “What do you figure, Virgil? Do you think Lassiter and Wellington had a place near here? A meeting place of some sort?”

Virgil nodded slowly.

“Hard to know what to speculate,” Virgil said. “What do you allow, Everett?”

“Well, what we do know for certain,” I said. “Like Hobbs said, Lassiter has a history with the mines. Lassiter also believes the money is with Wellington.”

Virgil nodded.

“And he knows the Northbound Express did not make Tall Water Falls,” Virgil said. “Now he is in route, destination or no destination, but I believe as we are hunching on, that there is a destination.”

“Lassiter don’t know about the ransom demands, though,” Berkeley said as he passed the bottle again. “At least I don’t think there is any way for him to know.”

“That’s right,” Virgil said. “Be hard for him to know that.”

“I’d say there is some place,” I said. “Some backup place for a rendezvous.”

“Rendezvous!” Uncle Ted said, “I like that. Rendezvous... That’s French.”