Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

56

Jeb Collier had his brother Ben prepare breakfast for six of the eight men in camp.

“Not for you two,” he told Wilson and Roberts.

“Why not?” Dave Roberts asked. “I’m hungry.”

“You can get yourselves some breakfast after you get to town,” Jeb said. “Have your horses taken care of, get a room, and then go find a place to have breakfast—and do it in that order.”

“Why that order?” Roberts asked.

“Because I want you to follow my orders the way I give them to you,” Jeb said. “Is that easy to understand?”

“I guess,” Roberts said.

“Well, get mounted and study on it while you ride to town,” Jeb said.

“Let’s go,” Clark said to Roberts.

While the others ate, Clark Wilson and Dave Roberts saddled their horses, mounted up and left camp.

“Clark’s your segundo?” Delay asked.

“He was my second for a long time before I went inside,” Jeb said, “but since I’ve been out I’ve been thinkin’ about changin’ that. I need somebody more like Tanner.”

“Tanner and me have ridden together a long time,” Delay said. “I never had somebody watch my back as good as him.”

“I’m gonna have to give it some thought when we’re done with all this,” Jeb said. “That’s for sure.”

“I been noticin’ somethin’,” Dave Roberts said to Clark as they rode toward town.

“What’s that?”

“Jeb’s been leanin’ a lot on Delay and Tanner,” Roberts said. “You’re supposed to be his right hand.”

Clark frowned.

“Yeah,” he said, “I noticed that too.”

“So what are you gonna do about it?”

“I’m gonna think about it,” Clark said. “Maybe I’ll take my cut from this bank job and go my own way.”

“You could get your own gang together.”

“Yeah, I could.”

“And if you do, you’ll need a second.”

Clark looked at Roberts.

“You volunteerin’?”

“You got any other takers?”

“I ain’t even sure what I’m gonna do, Dave,” Clark said, “but I’ll keep this conversation in mind.”

“That’s all I ask.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence, each alone with his own thoughts.

An hour later Jeb sent Samms and Leslie on their way to Pearl River Junction. James, on roof duty at City Hall, saw Wilson and Roberts ride down the town’s main street. He’d spotted them farther out and had waved his white towel at Thomas, who was right across the street. Dan Shaye and Sheriff Cotton had also seen the signal from their vantage points, so as the first two robbers entered town, they were being well watched.

Shaye joined Cotton in front of his office as the two men rode by.

“Know them?” Cotton asked him.

“No, you?”

Cotton shook his head. “Never seen them before and neither one matches Belinda’s description of Jeb Collier.”

Shaye kept his eyes on the two men, who—if they were part of Jeb Collier’s gang—were well trained and kept their eyes forward.

“I could brace them, as strangers in town,” Cotton said. “Ask a few questions.”

“I suggest you wait and see who else rides in today,” Shaye said. “Could be they’ll ride in at one-or two-hour intervals. Of course, it could also be they’ll ride in on different days.”

“And,” Cotton said, “could also be these two men aren’t even connected to Collier.”

“If we have seven or eight strangers ride into town today,” Shaye said, “I’m going to have a hard time believing that’s a coincidence.”

“Lawmen,” Roberts said to Clark.

“I see ’em,” Clark said. “Keep your eyes straight ahead. We ain’t doin’ nothin’ but ridin’ into town. Let’s just find the livery stable and get the horses taken care of.”

“How about a drink first?” Roberts asked. “There’s a saloon right there.”

“Let’s do this the way we were told, Dave,” Clark said. “Besides, that saloon is right across the street from the sheriff’s office. Let’s just hope it ain’t the biggest one in town.”

“I just thought a cold beer would go down good right now.”

“It might,” Clark said, “but is this the way you’d carry out my orders if you were my segundo?”

Roberts had no answer for that.

“Besides which,” Clark added, “it’s too damn early and the saloons are still closed.”

From his vantage point James was looking down at the two men and could not see their faces. He could, however, see his father and the sheriff. When he looked that way, Dan Shaye shook his head, indicating that neither of these men was Jeb Collier.

While Clark and Roberts took care of their horses and secured hotel rooms, the sheriff and his deputies remained where they were. The only one who had not seen the men ride in was Thad, as he was making rounds at the south end of town. Unfortunately, that meant that he saw Wilson and Roberts ride into the livery and recognized them as strangers. Contrary to the orders he had received not to brace strangers, he decided to go into the livery and talk to them. He felt this was a way he could prove his worth as a deputy.

Wilson and Roberts had turned their horses over to the livery owner and were turning to leave when Thad Hagen entered the stable.

“Mornin’, gents.”

Both men stopped short at the sign of the badge, but then noticed the youth of its wearer.

They were not impressed.

“Your momma buy you that badge, boy?” Wilson asked.

“I’m a duly appointed deputy.”

“You?”

“I got some questions for you fellas.”

Wilson made a rude noise with his mouth and he and Roberts started past Thad.

“Step aside, Deputy.”

“Now hold on—” Thad said, grabbing Wilson’s arm. The man turned quickly into Thad and hit him solidly on the jaw. The deputy staggered back, but didn’t go down.

“Dave,” Wilson said, “the deputy wants some trouble.”

“Might as well give it to him,” Roberts said and the two outlaws waded in, swinging their fists.