Stay Away From That City . . . They Call It Cheyenne (Code of the West) (26 page)

Children cried.

A few women fainted.

It took two hours for troops from Ft. Russell to restore any sort of order to the city. Six gang members were in jail. DelGatto and Merced were in coffins. Strappler and three others were in the hospital. The Denver Pacific had brought in its cars and was about ready to depart. The mayor and several city councilmen sat in the terminal along with Tap and Carbine Williams.

Angelita and Pepper were inside the baggage room as Dr. Herbert Smythe, recently of Boston, examined Baltimore G
omez.

The door swung open, and Angelita skipped out with a smile that revealed her beautiful white teeth and a dirt-smudged tear streak that ran from her cheek to her chin.

“Daddy’s doing superior. Dr. Smythe said the medicine they gave him at the hospital helped him sleep through everything. Guess what else? Dr. Smythe is on his way to Denver too. He said he’d ride with Mr. Williams and Daddy just in case he could be of help.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.” Tap smiled. “Ca
rbine, go help the doc get Baltimore loaded up. That Denver train has got to pull out in a hurry if it wants to be close to keepin’ its schedule.”

“Oh, he can’t go in there yet,” Angelita shouted.

“Why not?”

“Mrs. Andrews is gettin’ an exam.”

“She’s . . . wh-what?” Tap stuttered.

“She told the doctor about being dizzy and stomach-sick lately, and he offered to give her an exam.”

“Look, Andrews,” Mayor Breshnan interrupted, “the council is quite serious about that offer. We’ll provide you and Mrs. Andrews with lodging at a hotel—”

“What about me?” Angelita interjected. “I’m with them.”

“Yes . . . yes, the little girl also. And all your meals plus—”

“I’m not a little girl,” Angelita insisted.

The mayor flashed an annoyed look at her. “Plus we will pay you one hundred dollars just to stay until June first.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Two hundred dollars?”

“Nope.”

“This is highway robbery.”

One of the councilmen nodded and cleared his throat.

“All right,” the mayor continued, “three hundred dollars. But that’s our last offer.”

Pepper was still buttoning the sleeves of her dress as she strolled out of the waiting room. The sparkle in her eyes, the sheen of her blonde hair, the glow of her cheeks contrasted with the worry and anxiety of the past several days.

She slipped her hand into Tap’s.

“You ready to go, darlin’?” he asked.

“Yes. I believe everything’s still loaded in the wagon. Angelita, you’d better go kiss your daddy goodbye.”

“What about that marshal position, Andrews? What’s your answer?”

“Mayor . . . it really isn’t personal. I’m just not the right one. You keep Cheyenne, and we’ll find a little more breathin’ room out on the prairie. It just might be that the best thing you ever did was fire me. Come on, darlin’, let’s get loaded up.”

“Tap, I need to talk about—”

“On the trail, Pepper honey. We’ve got the rest of the afternoon to visit.” He ushered her out the front door of the building just as a flood of passengers swarmed the depot.

It took another half hour for all the goodbyes to be said and the Denver train to pull out. Finally Tap, Pepper, and Angelita drove east out of Cheyenne. Onespot and a tired Brownie were tethered to the back of the buggy.

The sun dropped far behind their shoulders, and a springlike breeze blew up from the south.

“It’s like a horrible, heavy load bein’ lifted off my shou
lders.” Tap sighed.

“You mean, leaving Cheyenne?”

“No, that whole Hager-Merced-DelGatto confrontation. For the past week it’s been like a boot heel crushing me down. Did you know there wasn’t even any Mexican silver on that train?”

“Really?” Pepper held onto his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. Angelita sprawled across them both with her head mainly in Pepper’s lap.

“The railroad agent said they must have confiscated the goods at the border.”

“So there was nothing to rob on the train?”

“Not on the U. P., but the Denver train did have $500,000 dollars’ worth of gold.”

“Will there be a reward for saving that gold?” Angelita piped up.

“No. No one will want anyone to know what kind of a scheme he was involved in.”

“I, for one, will miss that big U. P. Station,” Angelita inte
rjected. “It was a nice place to work. Did I show you this?” She held up a twenty-dollar gold piece.

“Where did you get that?” Tap asked.

“I sold the doctor the authentic pistol that fired the bullet that killed Mr. Merced.”

“You sold DelGatto’s .45?”

“He certainly didn’t need it anymore. And this time I didn’t lie.”

“Did he give you an
ything to help you feel better?”

Pepper continued to lean on Tap’s arm. “He said there was nothing he could do.”

“It’s kind of what we figured then? Just one of those things you got to live through?”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“What’d he figure? A couple weeks of feelin’ poorly? That cold last winter surely lingered in my chest for weeks.”

“I’m afraid it will last more like nine months.” Each word butterflied in her stomach.

“Are you kidding? What kind of cold is that? Didn’t he have any medicine?”

Angelita sat straight up. “I don’t believe this. Mrs. A
ndrews, you married the world’s dumbest man.”

“He is a little dense about some things.”

“Dense? What about?”

“Your wife is with child, you dolt,” Angelita hollered.

Tap yanked the reins back and stopped the wagon in the middle of the Pine Bluffs road.

“I’m going to have a baby?” he shouted.

“I do believe I’ll be doing most of the work.”

“I told you, didn't I? I said you could still have a child."

“Yes, but it isn’t here yet. I also warned you, I might not be able to carry it the full term.”

Tap slapped the reins, and the wagon lurched eastward. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a father.”

“Well, I certainly hope it’s not a girl,” Angelita piped up.

“Why?” Pepper asked.

“Because your husband doesn’t understand women.”

“Maybe he’ll learn.”

Tap held the reins with one hand and squeezed Pepper with the other. “Mrs. Andrews, did I ever tell you you’re the most beautiful woman in the world?”

“Why, yes, I believe you did mention it once or twice.”

“Oh, brother. Are you two going to kiss?”

“There’s a real good chance of it.”

“On the lips?”

Tap ruffled Angelita’s hair. “You can hide if you want to.”

“Are you kidding? Now we’re finally getting to the good part.”

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