Chapter 21

"Well, boys, this is a crazy one. There's a new gang operating out of Eagle Pass an' they're runnin' a protection racket. They say that they will protect a family from having their daughter stolen an' sold to a Mexican brothel. This is the filthiest kind of racket I kin imagine, an' I want it stopped right now! Y'all kin git more information from Capt. Sanderson. Cotch the next train to Eagle Pass an' stop them bastards!"

"Yes, Sir, Major. Sean an' I will git right on it!"

They caught the overnight express and were in Capt. Sanderson's office the next morning. "Well, boys, I'm right glad to see y'all. We kin use all the he'p we kin git on this shitty business. We ain't got much to go on. Three fathers have come in to the sheriff with complaints, an' we have a composite description of the man what was makin' the offer of protection. Here's the file an' we..."

Just then, the sheriff burst into the office, "Joe! We had our first kidnappin' last night! Jed Upson's daughter was kidnapped around 3:00 or 3:30 AM! I'm headed out to his place right now! Kin ya send somebody with me?"

"Calm down, Ed. This here is Ezra Woodpacker an' that there is Sean Murphy, sent here from Austin to he'p us. They're first class detectives an' have solved some big cases, so I'm expectin' good thin's from 'em.

"Boys, this here is Sheriff Ed Hopkins. Draw some hosses from the corral and go with him. I can't tell ya no more, any how."

Sean and Ezra drew the horses and put their own tack on them, along with their shotguns. They were ready to ride with the sheriff in only a few minutes. He led them at a fast lope and they arrived at the Upson ranch at 10:00 o'clock.

"Jed, I brung two detectives with me. Show us where your daughter wuz when she wuz kidnapped sos we kin start huntin' fer her."

"She wuz in her room sleepin', an' the bastards busted in the winder an' grabbed her. They wuz gone afore we knew what happened. My wife discovered that Jenny wuz gone when she got up to start the mornin' coffee. Right away, I sent one of the hands in to fetch the sheriff."

"I hope y'all ain't messed up the tracks, cuz Ezra, here, is a first class tracker. Let's turn him loose to see what he kin come up with."

They went to the broken window and found the tracks left by the kidnappers. There appeared to be two men and they were carrying something when they left. The tracks led to where they had picketed three horses. The horses made a clear trail as they left the site.

Sean went to fetch the horses while Ezra studied the tracks. "I couldn't find nothin' special 'bout the tracks, so I hope the trail stays this clear. Otherwise, I could have a might of trouble follerin' 'em."

The three lawmen mounted the horses and Ezra led the way. The trail led to the west toward the Rio Grande, about 10 miles away. The sheriff remarked, "Shit. I hope they ain't headin' fer Mexico. I've been havin' some trouble with the Federales lately. I don't know why, but they ain't as cooperative as they used to be."

Ezra held up his hand and said, "We're in luck! The trail leads to that there cabin back in the trees. I kin see three hosses in a rope corral an' there's smoke comin' outa the chimney."

Sean suggested, "Let's hide our hosses and see what we kin learn 'bout the setup afore we go bustin' in. We don't want the girl hurt ifen we kin he'p it."

They picketed their horses in some bushes out of sight of the cabin and sneaked up to a window. When they looked through the window, they saw two men sitting at a table drinking coffee and playing cards. There was a bunk along one wall and a 15 year old girl was lying on it. She was tied up, but she appeared to be unharmed.

Before they could act, a man rode up, hitched his horse, and went into the cabin. "Howdy, boys. The boss couldn't make it sos he sent me. I brung yer instructions. We're sposed to check her to see ifen she's a virgin. Ifen she is, we can't touch her, cuz she's worth a shit pot more money than ifen she ain't. But ifen she ain't a virgin, we kin have a little fun afore we delivers her to the whore house in Tia Maria."

"What ifen she is a virgin, but we say she ain't?"

"Ya kin take that chance ifen ya want to, but I ain't crossin' the boss. Ya remember what he did to Nathan when he went against orders."

"Yeah, ya're right. I don't want to end up eatin' my own balls and prick!"

"OK, y'all hold her an' I'll check her cunt."

Ezra whispered, "Let's grab 'um while they're checkin' the girl. They won't be payin' attention to nothin' else!"

The men went over to the bunk and untied the girl. She was flipped onto her back and one man held her arms over her head. Another pulled her legs up toward her chest. The third was just reaching for her crotch as the lawmen burst through the door with guns drawn. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! Y'ALL'RE UNDER ARREST!" shouted the sheriff.

Startled, the man holding Jenny's legs jumped back and reached for his gun. Ezra shot him before he got far with that maneuver. Jenny kicked the man fumbling at her crotch and the sheriff whacked him on the head with his pistol. Meanwhile, Sean covered the man holding Jenny's arms.

Sean ordered, "OK, back away! Any funny moves will get ya plugged like yer friend. Face the wall an lean against it with yer hands over yer head. Ezra, git his gun, ifen you please.

"Ed, check on Jenny, ifen you please."

"She looks OK. Jenny, how do ya feel? Ya OK? They didn't hurt ya, did they?"

"No, sir. I'm OK. Just a little sore from ridin' so far with my bare ass pressin' on the saddle. They didn't let me use the stirrups, the bastards!"

"Ya want to slip on the dead man's pants fer the trip back? They're too big, but should do fer that long. Ya kin have his boots, too, ifen ya want 'um."

"Yes, sir, I think I do."

A groan stopped this conversation. "Hey, Sean, Ezra. This here yahoo looks like he's comin' around. Y'all think I should plug 'im?" Ed said, with a prodigious wink.

Ezra said. "No. Ifen he don't cooperate, then ya kin plug him."

"I'll cooperate! Jus' don't shoot me! What cha want me to do?"

"Ya kin start out by tellin' us yer boss's name."

"Oh, no! Ifen I do that, he'll kill me fer shore."

"Ifen ya don't, I'll kill ya. Take yer choice and do it now!"

"OK, OK! My boss's name is Cyril Ackroyd."

"That's too dumb a name fer ya to have made it up, sos I believe ya. Where kin we find 'im?"

"I don't know! Honest! He jus' shows up when he wants us to do sumpthin' fer him. I jus' met him 'bout 6 months ago. He says he's from someplace called Liverpool. He' got a funny accent what's sometimes hard to unnerstan'."

"How does he contact ya?"

"Sometimes he waits fer us at the Silver Dollar or the Golden Nugget saloons. Either that, or he leaves word with the bartender 'bout where to meet 'im."

"What does this here Cyril Ackroyd look like?"

"He's a dandy dresser. He's got black hair an' he usually wears what he calls a 'bowler' hat to cover his bald spot. He's short, about 5 feet tall, and almost as wide, but it ain't fat. He's about the strongest man I ever met. He damn near broke my hand when I shook hands with him. He's got a hook nose an' a mouth full of gold teeth. He has a mustache an' a goatee. Ya'd never fergit him ifen ya ever saw him."

"OK, I'll stick y'all in my jail in Eagle Pass. I'll detail a guard to look after y'all. That should keep y'all safe from Cyril Ackroyd 'til yer trial. Sean, he'p Jenny git dressed, ifen ya please, while Ezra an' I git these yahoos on hosses."