Chapter 6

The "Carney eight," as they were being called in Laredo, were called into Capt. Johnson's office a week after the explosion in the ammunition dump. "Well, men, y'all did an outstandin' job! A note of commendation has been put in your permanent file in the Ranger headquarters in Austin. Furthermore, I'm sure y'all will be pleased to hear that yer pay has been increased by $1 per month. That don't often happen, so y'all should realize how big an impression you made on the high command. Congratulations and ya're dismissed.

"Sean and Ezra, hang around a minute."

"Ya got sumpthin' fer us, Cap'n?"

"Yeah, Ezra, I do. There's been a rash of kidnappin's between here and Eagle Pass. It looks like the work of one gang an' I want y'all to look into it. The last one was in Anderson. Put a stop to it the best way y'all kin."

"Yes, Sir, Cap'n. We'll leave as soon as we kin git off."

The two men saluted and left the captain's office. They stopped to pick up their saddle bag of spare clothes and went to saddle their horses. Within half an hour, they were on their way to Anderson to talk to the marshal.

When they got there, they got a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant and went to see the marshal. He was in his office. "Hello, Stan, it's been a while since we seen ya."

"Hello, Ezra, it sure has. How're y'all doin'?"

"I'm doin' pretty good, but Sean, here, complains that he's getting' a little long in the tooth."

"Yeah, I kin see that. How old are ya, Sean. I'd guess 'bout 23."

"Close enough, Stan. But ya didn't say nothin' 'bout how big a liar Ezra is."

Stan grinned and said, "What brings you boys to my neck of the woods?"

Ezra, the usual spokesman for the pair, said, "The cap'n wants us to look into the rash of kidnappin's goin' on around here. What kin ya tell us?"

"Not a hell of a lot, I'm afeared. 'Bout a week ago, Johnathon Albert's son, Joey, disappeared. He paid a $500 ransom and the boy was returned. Joey said he was blindfolded the whole time, so he couldn't tell me anythin'."

"Ya think that we could talk to Joey? We, bein' Rangers an' all, might impress him enough to git some details he fergot to tell ya."

"It's sure as hell worth a try. They live just down the street a ways. Let's go see 'em now."

It was only two short blocks, so the marshal walked, but, naturally, the two Rangers rode their horses. The hitched their horses in front of the house and the three lawmen went up to the front door. When they knocked, the door was opened by a young woman who looked to be about 25-30 years old.

"How do, Mrs. Albert," said the marshal, as all three men removed their hats. This here is Rangers Woodpacker and Murphy. They'd like to talk to Joey 'bout the kidnappin'."

"Certainly! Come in, gentlemen. I'll call Joey. His father is still at his store. It'll be a few hours 'til he comes home."

Sean said, "Thank you, Mrs. Albert. We'll talk to Mr. Albert, later. Right now, we'd just like to talk to Joey."

"Very well, Mr. Murphy. You gentlemen please sit in the parlor an' I'll call Joey. He's workin' in the barn."

Mrs. Albert returned with Joey and introduced him. They sat down and Sean started the questioning of Joey, "Joey, we need to hear every little bit of information ya kin give us, even ifen ya don't think it's important. So I need ya to answer my questions as completely as you can, even if they sound silly."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Murphy."

"OK, then, pretend that there ain't nobody here but ya an' me. Don't worry 'bout embarrassin' me, 'cause ya can't. Just say what ya think. The first question is: how many men were there who kidnapped ya?"

"I don't know. They kept a blindfold on me most all the time."

"Ya must have some idee. They had to talk some time, an' I bet they belched and farted a few times."

Mrs. Albert gasped at this and Sean frowned at her. She blushed and sat quietly after that.

"Yeah, let me think a minute. I think there were three men. One cooked, one was a lookout, an' one stayed with me. I think they rotated jobs 'cause one man farted a lot and he really stank. He wasn't in the cabin the whole time. I think the other two made him the outside lookout as much as he would stand fer."

"Now that's useful information, Joey. Ya're doin' good. How many times did they feed ya?"

"Six... No, seven times. I never had nothin' but beans an' coffee. I really got tired of them beans. Them men weren't good cooks, like my ma! An' I never farted so much in my life!"

"Did they ever take yer blindfold off?"

"No, sir, 'cept when I went to the outhouse."

"Describe everythin' ya saw, everythin."

"Yes, sir. The cabin had one door and no windows. They kept an oil lamp goin' the whole time. There wuz two sets of two stacked bunks along two walls. There wuz a little wood-fired-stove they cooked on. The outhouse wuz about 20 feet from the door; I don't know where the well wuz. The cabin wuz in a pecan grove. I never saw a barn or sheds or nothin'. I can't think of anythin' else."

Sean asked several more questions, but got no useful information, so he figured that was it for now. "Thank ya, Joey. Ya've been very helpful."

"Ya're welcome, Mr. Murphy. Kin I go back to the barn, now?"

"Ask yer ma."

"Thank ya, Mrs. Albert. Joey told us a lot. We'll go see Mr. Albert, now, ifen ya will excuse us."

"Yer welcome, Mr. Murphy. I'm glad we were able to help you. I hope you cotch them awful men. Goodbye."

They walked out to the horses. "That was pretty smart questioning, Sean. You got a lot more from the boy than I ever got."

"It comes from practice, Stan. I do a lot of questionin' witnesses."

"Yeah," Ezra commented, "we know that there are three men and their hideout is a tiny cabin in a pecan grove. Pretty good fer this early in the investigation."

At Jesse Albert's general store, they waited until the place was empty of customers and started to question him. Sean asked, "How did the kidnappers contact ya?"

"They left a note on Joey's pillow. Ya want to see it? I got it here in the store." Albert reached under the counter and handed a piece of paper to Sean.

The message said, "We want $500 for the child's safe return. Put the money in gold in a carpet bag and leave it by the lone oak tree in the meadow five miles north of Anderson tomorrow night. Don't tell the marshal."

"I did what they said and Joey was returned the next night."

Sean said, "Thank ya, Mr. Albert. Ya've been very helpful. Is there anythin' else ya kin tell us?"

"No, that's it."

"We'll need to keep the note fer evidence, Mr. Albert. We'll be back if anythin' comes up. Goodbye"

They went back to the marshal's office and Ezra said, "We need to look at where the money wuz left, jus' in case there's somethin' we kin learn there. Stan, kin you show us the place?"

"Sure, soon as I git my hoss. I meet y'all in front of the office in 10 minutes."

True to his word, Stan showed up within 10 minutes and led the two Rangers to the lone oak tree in the meadow. "I didn't find anythin', but y'all are more experienced trackers than me, maybe y'all kin find sumpthin'."

All three dismounted and the two Rangers began casting around for sign. They were hopeful of finding something, since it had rained the afternoon before Albert left the money and had not rained since then. There were plenty of tracks around the tree, the problem was in sorting them out.

Ezra commented, "This here must be Albert's tracks, they're shoes, not boots. Stan, let me see your boot sole fer a minute. Yeah, them's yer tracks. Here's a different track. Look, you kin see he was carryin' sumpthin' heavy when he walked away from the tree. An' here's where he left his hoss; there's some hoss shit here. Let's foller his tracks away from the tree."