The Bridge

50

Virgil and I got the clothes from the back of the buckboard and stuffed them into a gunnysack.

“Since it’s freezing cold like it is,” Joshua said, “it’d be best we put the bodies in here.”

Joshua opened a shed connected to the back of his office.

Virgil and I put the bodies of the lawmen side by side on the floor.

“You want me to get them ready to be buried right away, I reckon?” Joshua said.

“I do,” Virgil said.

“I got one box built for Old Bill Gibbons, but he ain’t dead just yet, so I can use that one,” Joshua said. “Just have to build two more.”

“Get ’er done,” Virgil said.

“Will do,” Joshua said.

“With the weather like it is,” Joshua said. “Be hard as hell to dig a hole in this ground.”

“Hard ground or not,” Virgil said. “Need to get it started. Get some men to the cemetery with some pickaxes. Pay ’em, I’ll cover it.”

“You want me to put them side by side?” Joshua said.

Virgil looked at me.

I nodded.

We left Joshua and drove the buckboard to the open yard behind the Appaloosa Livery and unhitched our animals.

Salt came out to meet us. He took our horses and walked them into the barn.

Salt watched Virgil and me as we removed our saddles from the buckboard and walked to the barn. He could tell something was up, something different. but he didn’t say anything and neither did we.

I took the gunnysack full of the clothes discarded by the killers with me as Virgil and I left the livery barn and started walking toward the sheriff’s office.

We walked the three blocks without saying anything. The fact of the matter was we’d hardly talked at all, all the way back to Appaloosa from the slaughterhouse.

We crossed the street to the opposite boardwalk and as we neared the office we saw Book coming up the boardwalk from the opposite direction.

He saw us, waved to us, and hurried his pace toward us.

“Not real interested in this,” I said. “Talking to them.”

“No,” Virgil said. “I know.”

“These boys are gonna take this hard.”

“They will.”

“Driskill was like a father to them,” I said.

“He was,” Virgil said.

Book kept moving toward us.

“Boys to men, today,” Virgil said.

“It is,” I said.

“Hey,” Book said, as he got closer to us. “Got some good news.”

“What’s that, Book?” I said.

We met directly in front of the sheriff’s office door.

“Found the whereabouts of the cattleman you’re searching for,” Book said. “Chastain told me to find you. I have been looking all over for you. Wanted to let you know right away.”

Chastain opened the door. Skinny Jack was right behind him.

Chastain had heard us.

“That’s right,” Chastain said. “You were right, Swickey runs a big spread across the Rio Blanco.”

Virgil kicked his boots against the jamb a bit and walked into the office. I did the same and followed Virgil inside. Book followed me and I shut the door behind him.

The door between the office and cells was closed.

“Got a direction on him?” Virgil said.

Chastain nodded.

“Know where to find him,” Chastain said.

Virgil nodded.

“Good,” Virgil said.

“Got a wire back from the Territorial Cattlemen’s Association,” Chastain said.

“Where is he?” Virgil said.

“Like you said, he’s on the Blanco near Loblolly Mills,” Chastain said.

“Loblolly,” Virgil said. “That’s just due east of here.”

“It is, fifty, sixty miles. I didn’t want to start inquiring any more than we done,” Chastain said. “I didn’t contact no one in Loblolly. I don’t want to let him know we’re looking for him.”

Virgil nodded.

“What do you want to do?” Chastain said.

“Sit down,” Virgil said.

“What?” Chastain said.

“The three of you sit down,” Virgil said.

Chastain looked to Book and Skinny Jack and nodded to the chairs. Chastain sat behind the desk; Skinny Jack and Book sat opposite him.

Virgil walked the length of the room and when he got to the rear wall he turned to face the men.

They were looking at him, expectant.

Virgil walked slowly over to the desk. He put his hand in his pocket and one by one pulled out and placed the badges of Sheriff Driskill, Deputy Karl Worley, and Deputy Chip Childers on the desk in front of them.