5

“How’s that again?” Fargo said.

The marshal ignored him and went in.

In a chair by the desk the middle-aged woman shook and sniffled. Deputy Wilkins was patting her lightly on the shoulder and saying, “There, there, Mabel. There, there.”

Coltraine motioned for Wilkins to move aside and squatted next to the chair. Clasping one of the woman’s hands in his, he said gently, “Mabel? I need to ask you some questions. Are you able?”

Mabel sniffled some more, and nodded. “It was horrible. Just horrible. They barged in, shouting and waving their guns.”

“Tell me everything,” the lawman said. “What they did. What they said.”

“I was at my desk preparing a letter Mr. Brenner needs to send to Cheyenne when that awful Hoby Cotton and his brothers and that Timbre fellow with the scar stormed right in. Mr. Brenner was in his office with Amanda and came out and demanded to know what the uproar was about. And do you know what Hoby Cotton did?”

“I wasn’t there,” Coltraine said.

“He shot poor Ed Zeigler in the head and laughed and said that Mr. Brenner should guess.” Mabel dabbed at her nose with a sleeve and the marshal took a folded handkerchief from a pocket and gave it to her.

“When you can, go on.”

Mabel nodded. She blew her nose and said, “Sorry,” and crumpled the handkerchief in her lap. “Anyway, Mr. Brenner moved toward Ed, and Hoby Cotton hit him with his six-shooter. Then Hoby shook him and told him to open the safe but Mr. Brenner refused. Even with blood streaming down his head, Mr. Brenner looked that ruffian right in the eye and refused.”

“Brenner was lucky Cotton didn’t shoot him.”

“Hoby almost did. But then Amanda came running, yelling at him to leave her father alone. And do you know what that monster did next?”

Coltraine waited.

“He grabbed Amanda and shoved his gun in her face and told Mr. Brenner that if he didn’t open the safe, he’d do to her as he’d just done to Ed.”

“So Brenner opened the safe.”

“What else could he do?” Mabel said. “See his daughter gunned down in front of his very eyes?” She shed more tears and sniffled. “Mr. Brenner went to the safe and opened it. He had to do it quickly, too, because Hoby had pulled back the hammer on his revolver and was saying as he’d by-God do it if Brenner didn’t move faster.”

“How much did they get?”

“I don’t know. Only Mr. Brenner would,” Mabel answered. “They stuffed some burlap sacks with everything from the safe and the teller’s drawer and even rifled my drawers looking for more. Then that Timbre, who was looking out the door the whole time, said as how he saw you and the deputy and that people were coming from all over and they’d best fan the breeze. And they left.”

“Did the others say anything? Hoby’s brothers, for instance?”

“I didn’t pay much attention to them. It was Hoby Cotton I was watching.”

“Think, Mabel,” Coltraine urged. “It’s important. They might have let drop some clue to where they’re headed.”

“I don’t recall a word about that,” Mabel said. “And if you head right out after them, you won’t need a clue. All you’ll need is a good tracker.”

“I’ve already thought of that,” Coltraine said, and looked over at Fargo.

“Hell,” Fargo said.

Coltraine squeezed Mabel’s hand and stood. “Deputy Wilkins will take you back to the bank. Do what you can to get me a tally on how much they stole.”

“Why is that so important?”

“It just is.” Coltraine eased her out of the chair and guided her to the door, where Deputy Wilkins took over and escorted her from the office.

“I have to attend to the bodies and go talk to the banker,” Coltraine said. “Stay put until I get back.”

“Hold on,” Fargo said. “I didn’t volunteer to track for you.”

“You’re doin’ it whether you want to or not.”

“You can’t force me.”

“You did see them take the girl? She’s only eighteen. And you know what they’ll do to her.”

Fargo frowned. “She’s the only reason I’d agree. But I’d like to be asked.”

“Fair enough. I’m askin’. But you still have to pay your fine.” Coltraine opened the door. “Your Colt is in the middle drawer on the left. We leave in half an hour.”

“The sooner, the better. Every minute you waste . . . ”

“I know,” Coltraine said gruffly, and was gone.

Fargo reclaimed his Colt and made sure five pills were in the wheel. He spun it a few times and twirled it into his holster and patted it. Going out, he watched as a buckboard rattled around a corner and several men prepared to load the bodies.

A pall of gloom had settled over the town and every face was either downcast or stamped with fury.

Deputy Wilkins returned and asked where the marshal had gotten to. “This is terrible, just terrible,” he remarked. “Amanda is the sweetest gal anywhere. If that Hoby Cotton touches her . . .” He stopped and balled his fists.

“There were six of them,” Fargo said.

Wilkins absently nodded while watching a body being lifted. “Hoby Cotton and his brothers, Granger and Semple. Then there’s Timbre Wilson, Abe Foreman, and Rufus Holloway.”

“You know all their names?”

“I should. They’ve been terrorizin’ the territory for goin’ on half a year now. They’re snake mean, every mother’s son. That Hoby is the worst. He’s killed four men that the marshal and me know of.”

“Why isn’t he behind bars or been hung?”

“You think the marshal hasn’t tried to catch him?” Wilkins said. “Must be fifty times or more we’ve gotten a tip on where they are and it’s always the same. They’re gone when we get there.”

“Fifty times is a lot.”

“Maybe it was only forty. The thing is, they never make camp in the same place twice. They’re always on the move. And they have more hideouts than you have fingers and toes.”

“Have you tried a tracker?”

Wilkins nodded. “Jonas over to the general store did some when he was younger but he hasn’t been of much use. We used an old hound once that belongs to a farmer but all the dog did was sniff a lot and run in circles.”

“I guess that tells me why the marshal wants me to go along.”

“He does?” Deputy Wilkins seemed to grow concerned. “Listen to me, mister. I don’t know you from Adam but if you’re helpin’ us then you deserve to know. Those men are hard cases.”

“I reckoned as much.”

“You have to be careful. If they find out you’re after them, they’re liable to turn on you. They’ve done it before. One time the marshal went out with seven men and he was the only one who made it back.”

“I don’t die easy,” Fargo said.

“I hope not,” Deputy Wilkins said earnestly, “for your sake.”