West and Gordon relaxed in the sitting room, each having their own glass of bourbon. Although Jim preferred tequila, he'd settle. Prescott was asleep now, resting comfortably.
"Jim do you really believe him, that there was a real dragon that did this?"
"Part of me does, and part of me doesn't, let's face it you and I have seen some strange things traveling across the country. Could a dragon really exist, after all these Chinese have brought some strange things with them to this country?"
"Maybe. They did after all invent gun power, so who knows what else they could have bought with them." Gordon added.
"I thought that was he Greeks?"
"No gun powder was discovered around 850 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, but it wasn't until the Song Dynasty around 904 A.D. when it was first used as a military application against the Mongols."
"Really? " Jim raised his eyebrows as he swallowed another shot of bourbon. "So you think the Chinese brought a dragon egg over here, hatched it, trained the animal and are using it as a means to rob payroll shipments now?"
"I think that's a far fetched stretch of the imagination, but who knows?"Artie said.
"Well we need to find out who's behind it before anymore innocent people are hurt. No one's going to want to travel anywhere by stagecoach, whether there's a payroll on board or not?"
"Agreed, maybe we need to look at this from another angle. Who would benefit by this, not just the money from the shipments that is...but people have to travel where the railroad doesn't go."
"Another company in competition with the Overland Express? That's a pretty extreme method to get rid of the competition...killing off passengers?
"Well this is the third time it's happened, so...obviously someone has some sort of plan going on?"
"Hell of a plan, killing off innocent people." Jim said.
Artie looked up, noticing that there was a red glow shining through the front windows facing out to the street. Being on an upper floor it offered a good view several blocks away from the hotel as Gordon pulled the heavy green and gold fringed curtain aside to see what it was all about.
"Jim," he said with concern in his voice, " better have a look at this?"
His partner joined him at the widow, looking at the light from a substantial fire burning several streets over from the hotel, and then came the muffled sounds of a clanging bell sounding as a horse drawn fire wagon raced down the street taking the turn at a breakneck speed.
"A fire, that's not anything unusual in this city?" West said.
"True, but I'm estimating the location of that fire... is right about where the stagecoach station is located as I recall?"
"Now Artie, that is interesting. What say we head over there?"
"My thoughts exactly James."
The two secret service agents put on their coat and hats, after cinching their gun belts around their waists. They left Bill Prescott asleep in bed, assured that the effects of the opium still coursed through the man's system. West adjusted his gun belt again on his hips as they took the elevator down to the first floor, then exited through the front of the hotel, mounting their horses waiting for them at the hitching post, heading off at a gallop towards the fire.
When they arrived two streets over, it was as if Prescott had described the scene for them in advance. There were several severely burned bodies lying on the ground around the night stagecoach that was remained intact and undamaged. It had been getting ready to depart for Fort Mason to deliver the payroll as it's first scheduled stop.
The difference in the scenario this time was that there were two seemingly terrified witnesses describing a horrible rumbling noise, a large dark figure of a beast breathing out the fire that burned the people as they exited the stage after a strange ghost-like, disembodied voice had ordered them to do so.
"Where did it go?" West asked a man dressed in black, who stood to one side shaking terribly.
"Why I don't know? It was right there, this dark creature, " he said pointing to a spot on the street, "then it was gone, like magic."
At first his instinct was to check to see if the fellow had been drinking but then when he realized the man he had just questioned was a preacher, West thought otherwise.
Gordon was kneeling over one of the burned corpses, examining it as best he could under the circumstances. The local constabulary had arrived and was trying to disburse the crowds that were gathering around the gruesome sight. West walked up to his partner as he rose, now turning to the spot where the witness said the creature had stood.
"What are you thinking Artie?"
"Smell that?"
"If you mean burned flesh, then yes." Jim said.
"No there's something else an underlying odor more like... like kerosene." Gordon wafted the air in front of his face with his hands, trying to take in more of the scent. "Yes it's definitely s strong smell of kerosene."
Other than the street lamps which were far enough away, there was nothing in the immediate area that could have given off such an odor.
The two men looked at the spot on the road where the beast supposedly stood, but the only thing they could see were a set of wagon wheel tracks that dug deeply into the dirt, as it it had been carrying a heavy load.
A lovely blond haired southern belle stepped forward, dressed in a lacy layered ensemble in a lighter shade of blue; she was cooling herself furiously with a hand fan.
"My goodness that was horrific, that terrible creature! " Then when she spotted the nearby bodies lying in the street she swooned, right into the arms of James West.
Artemus Gordon simply rolled his eyes as Jim caught her, lifting her into his arms. "They just follow you like moths to a flame don't they?"
"Hey, I'm just being gentlemanly, can't let a lady fall in the dirty street can I?" he grinned.
.
She awoke finding herself laying in bed in a strange room, with three handsome men looking down at her.
"Oh my" she gasped, "where am I and what happened to me?"
Jim sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, taking her hand in his.
"You witnessed the terrible attack of on the stage and fainted Miss...
"Oh the name is Julie Sarah Thayer of Virginia." Her drawl was quite evident.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Thayer. My name is Jim West, this is Artemus Gordon and our friend here is William Prescott."
"Excuse me Miss Thayer, your name sounds very familiar to me?" Artie said.
"Oh yes, that's because my I'm named for my Aunt Sarah, Sarah Amelia Thayer, she's the wife of the Secretary of the Treasury, the former Governor of Massachusetts George Boutwell."
"Really?" Artie looked at his partner with interest."
"And what may I ask is a daughter of Virginia doing all the way out here by herself in San Francisco, especially near that ill-fated stage coach?"
"Oh that was terrible wasn't it. My, that's the third time I've seen it happen! I'm beginning to think I'm some sort of jinx!" she suddenly became very flushed and Jim handed her a glass of water.
"You mean to say you were on each of the the stage coaches that were attacked?"
"Why yes, I was on them," she smiled strangely.
"And how is it you managed to survive and no one else did?" Artie asked, " That makes you the only living witness to all three incidents, and you never came forward?"
"Ahem?" Prescott cleared his throat," don't forget me gentlemen. And I have to say that I don't exactly remember you being on the stage that I was on Miss?" he said accusingly.
"Oh you don't, well that's a shame." Sarah reached into the bodice of her dress, producing a small red ball, raising her arm then smashing the projectile against the floor, producing a cloud of red foul-smelling smoke that filled the room.
They all dove for the floor, and when the noxious smoke cleared, the woman was gone, and William Prescott lay dead on the floor.
There was a small dart protruding from his neck and using his handkerchief, Gordon removed it. Then gave it a sniff. "Aromatic, tarry odor," he concluded," curare."
"Damn!" Jim cursed, dusting off his clothing, feeling like he was in some sort of drug induced haze from what ever was in the red smoke.
"Smell that Jim?." said Artemus Gordon.
"This time I do."
"Kerosene," they both said simultaneously.