Counterfeit
Chapter 14
The train stopped at several local stations before it finally picked up a little speed and started heading across open country. For a while they both looked out of the window, then Dillon noticed that the girl was sleeping. He wanted to rest but decided it would be safer to stay awake and watch. He knew the trip was going to take several days, but thought that the further they got from Richmond the safer they would be. He should have known better.
All went well until a small stop just east of St. Louis. Several men boarded at some obscure stop, and Matt was sure he recognized at least three of them from Colter's house and hoped they hadn't seen him. He watched as they went to the back of the train and started working their way forward. He took some money from his pocket and pushed it into 'Jimmie Mathews' hand, speaking quietly to her
"If anything happens, just stay out of those men's way, they will not recognize you like you are now. Somehow make your way to Dodge City Kansas. Look for Dr. Adams, he has an office on Front Street, look for his name, Dr. G Adams. Remember that. Now go sit next to someone else and turn your face to the window, don't look back here."
For a second or two she sat there looking at him, then, amazingly she did as he asked. Now he just had to look after himself and that he was used to doing.
He put his hand around the small gun in his pocket and moved along the carriage until he was standing on the metal plate between the first and second cars. The train continued to roll, the men were moving slowly through the second carriage carefully looking at the passengers there. The closer the train got to St. Louis the better, let them take their time. The first man stepped out of the second car and on to the metal plate of the first one where the lawman was standing. He saw Dillon immediately and went to open his mouth and to call the man behind him but Dillon's fist moved faster, there was a short scuffle and just as the second man arrived the first was falling over the side of the car and onto the ground. Dillon did not have time to watch him as he was dealing with the second man, the third man came running and Colter's men between them had the big man cornered. He silently cursed the small gun that seemed to be hung up in his pocket. With all three of them on the plate between the first two cars, there was little room for movement. He managed to land a few punches but there was not enough room to get a good swing and there were two of them trying to take him down. All he could do was throw himself off the train, it was moving slower now and would not be a bad fall, one of the men drew his gun and fired just as he jumped. Matt felt it burn a pathway into his right leg, and what had been a controlled jump from the train became an agonizing roll down an embankment.
He lay at the bottom of the hill trying to catch his breath, blood was spurting from his leg and there was little he could do to stop it.
The two remaining men looked around for Mr. Colter's niece but found no trace of her. They certainly did not notice the scruffy kid sitting next to a woman with a baby on her lap. Neither did they notice when that same kid left the train with a different family. They stayed in the first car until it pulled into St. Louis, then one of them went to the telegraph office.
TBC