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ESCORT DUTY

Jantallian

A fox, a goose and a bag of beans … an ancient puzzle

1

Slim Sherman could tower. Right now he was towering over Jess Harper. His face was dark with worry and disappointment.

"You mean you left them?"

"Yeah." The younger man sounded as if he couldn't care less.

Slim did, though. "But I gave my word!"

"Y' didn't give mine!"

That was true enough - but not enough. It took them both right back to where it had all started

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Actually it all started some time before they got involved or rather became involved through no wish of their own. This circumstance had its origin in a curious, but seemingly harmless, conversation between two of their old friends.

"They ain't gonna like it," Jonesy asserted in melancholy tones.

"They aren't being asked to like it," Mort Cory pointed out, "just to get on and do it."

They were sitting outside the Sheriff's Office in the middle of a hot day, gazing moodily along the street in the direction of Cheyenne. A half-empty jug of luke-warm lemonade stood on the sidewalk between them.

Jonesy took a swig from his glass and continued to point out the obvious: "They're gonna be hot an' thirsty an' worn-out an' it goes without sayin' Jess'll be starvin'. You ain't gonna get any action out o' them, 'cept takin' a cold bath an' eatin' a good meal an' gettin' a couple o' beers down their throats."

"They can do without," Mort said firmly. "They'll survive."

"Yeah, but that kind o' survival usually involves a wrecked stage or a lost horse or somethin'."

"Look, whose side are you on?" Mort was becoming increasingly exasperated with the reiteration of his own forebodings.

"Mine. After all, I gotta live with them, ain't I?"

"Slim'll be fine."

"An' Jess'll be ornerier than a cougar in a cage. You know what he's like if y' try to push him where he don't wanna go!"

"He'll do it if Slim makes him." Mort was clutching at straws here, as the words 'make' and 'Jess Harper' did not readily combine and he had a feeling Slim would probably just try to take on the task by himself.

"You really sure it's them you need?" Jonesy was reading his mind again.

"Who else can I trust?" Mort suddenly heaved upright in his rocker, his eyes fixed on the bend in the main street. Two horsemen rode into sight and pulled in to the Livery Stables.

"Horses'll be done in too!" Whose side was Jonesy on!

"Then they can get fresh ones!" Mort had not been in a good temper to start with and the conversation had done nothing to improve it. He drew a deep breath, steeling himself to override any and all opposition to his orders.

Presently two unmistakable figures emerged from the stables and made their way down the street towards the watchers. The taller of the two strode along, planting his boots firmly on the earth, with the rock-solid confidence of one who is thoroughly secure in his own integrity. A half-pace behind him, the gunman stalked, alert, poised, light-footed - every sinew and muscle coordinated in an unmistakable signal that said 'don't mess with me!'

"Like watchin' a cougar stalk a stallion, ain't it?" Jonesy grinned.

Mort nodded absently. Stallions were amenable to discipline, but no-one ever put a bridle on a wild cat.

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"Y' want us to do what?" The snarl of disbelief and total lack of co-operation in Jess's voice was unmistakable. "You ain't even paid us for what we just done!"

"Yeah? Well, if you want to be paid for anything, get this job done first!" It was not the most tactful approach, but Mort knew he had more or less zero chance of selling the idea convincingly to Jess anyway.

Even Slim, equable though his temperament was, did not show any great enthusiasm for Mort's latest deployment of their forces. Now he said: "Let's get this straight. You want us to ride to somewhere south of Elk Mountain and bring Max Storner back here so that he can turn state evidence."

"Storner and the two women he wants safeguarded," Mort amended.

"Y' want us to protect a double-dealing villain an' a couple of tarts?" Jess sounded totally disgusted. He was scowling formidably and tension was visibly radiating from him.

"I want you to make sure that a man who can give invaluable information to the law gets here alive!" Mort snapped. "And if he wants his women protected as part of the deal, so be it."

"But why us?" Slim asked, quite reasonably. "We've just done an escort duty for you."

"Yeah, an' got ambushed an' shot at an' chased half way to Cheyenne!" Jess amplified.

"Oh dear!" Mort said sarcastically. "I'm sure you're in need of considerable patching up."

"Yeah!" Jess ignored the sarcasm; he was, after all, sporting a grubby looking bandage round his left arm. He glowered at Mort and pointed out, "I had in mind a bath an' a meal an' a nice ev'ning with the girls in the saloon –" He paused and then continued meaningfully: "An' maybe a bit of a rough-house, just to keep the idle law officers o' this town occupied!"

"You even start on that programme and you'll be spending the evening in here in a cell!" Mort stated coldly.

Slim grabbed Jess by his uninjured arm and physically restrained him from his immediate reaction to this threat. He knew Mort Cory was a reasonable man and he could not believe that the sheriff would be putting this kind of pressure on them for no reason. "Care to tell us what this is really about, Mort?"

"It's about escorting a key witness safely so that he can help us break up some of the biggest gangs in the territory."

"And the women?"

"He won't come without them."

Slim sighed. "I don't see why it is so urgent that we can't at least get cleaned up before we start."

"Believe me, it's urgent!" Mort looked intently at his young friend, willing him to co-operate and not ask all the rest of the questions. "Would I ask you otherwise?"

"Ask?" Jess exploded.

"Shut up, Jess!" Slim said briefly. "Alright, Mort. I give you my word I'll do my best. Tell me where to go. "

"Y' can go t' hell, as far as I'm concerned!" Jess told him coldly. "An' don't think I'm comin' after you to get y' outta whatever mess you end up in!"

There was a little pause. "I won't need you coming after," Slim told him. "Never met a mess yet where you weren't in it right up to the neck alongside me."