The Ten Per Cent Gang by I J Parnham

Author:I J Parnham [Parnham, I J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Culbin Press
Published: 2015-04-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Eight miles out of Valance, Creed edged closer to the window and peered outside.

A broken fence came into view, its haphazard line snaking across the plains. This fence marked the edge of a ranch long since abandoned, but Creed knew its significance.

With a tip of his hat to Jonah, he stood and headed from the car. The wagon rider guarding the door to the freight car sneered at Creed, but with a short mocking bow, he let him enter.

Creed took a long pace into the car and tipped his hat to Drago. Drago looked up, shaking his head.

‘Get out,’ he said.

‘You had a right to say that when I was out of my territory.’ Creed raised his eyebrows. ‘We’ve just passed over the county boundary. This is my territory and as the legally appointed—’

‘Yeah, I understand. I suppose I could accept your help.’ Drago licked his lips. ‘I could do with ten per cent more assistance.’

Several men chuckled at Drago’s humor, but Creed shrugged.

‘I have one suggestion to make the shipment safer.’ Creed leaned on the train wall. ‘I’ll need two of your strongest men to come with me.’

Drago sighed. Then, with a few brisk gestures, he ordered two men to go with Creed.

Five minutes later, the two men staggered back into the car, carrying the strongbox, Creed leading them with a fixed smile on his face.

The men maneuvered the strongbox to the middle of the car. With a nod to each other, they dropped it for it to land with a huge thud.

Drago pushed from the wall and strode to the box. He kicked it, then faced Creed with his hands on his hips.

‘How will this tin box make the shipment safer?’

‘It covers your only weak point.’

Drago backed away from the box, shaking his head. He pointed at the men surrounding the shipment, then the men guarding the doors.

‘I’ve got a dozen men guarding a solid railway car. Nobody that I don’t consider welcome gets in here, and you want to put the shipment in there to make it safer?’

‘You’ve got it. If you get any brighter, you could be a lawman.’

Drago pointed a firm finger at Creed. ‘One more insult and Marren County will need a new lawman. I’m not putting anything in there. It’s useless.’

‘It’s security, in case a raid gets past your solid walls and even more solid men.’

Drago glanced at his men and chuckled. ‘Are you telling me you have a dozen more armed guards hiding in there?’

Drago’s men laughed, but Creed bent down to pat a firm hand on the box.

‘No. It’s just covering your weak spot.’ Creed pointed at the cash shipment in the crate. ‘That crate is too portable. If Bell raids us and gets away with the shipment, he faces this box. It’s too sturdy to break into straight away and dynamite will destroy the cash. So he’ll have to take it with him and as it’s heavy, it’ll slow him down.’

Drago sneered. ‘He’ll still break into it.’

‘He will, but it’ll take time, and I’ll use that time to catch him.

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