Chapter 24: Dawn

Blogtober 2020 Day 24 Entry

The lawmen awoke at dawn and followed the trail into Winfield. They entered the general store.

“Can I help you?” the proprietor asked.

The driver approached the counter. He pulled open his jacket to reveal a brass badge, star in circle.

“James Gray,” he said. “Kansas Marshalls. We’re looking for two boys who escaped from custody two days ago. One’s tall and light-haired, the other short and thin, dark-haired. You seen ’em?”

“Yup,” the proprietor said. “Couple of days ago. They was a mess, clothes ruined, stinkin’ like hogs.”

“Did they buy anything?” Gray asked.

“Yup,” the old man said. “Hoss n’ saddle each, and fancy new duds.”

“What did the clothes look like?” Gray asked.

“Brown trousers for both,” he said, “Red shirt and black vest for the tall one. Blue plaid for the little guy.”

“Hats?”

“White ten-gallons for ’em both.”

“Any other men with them?” Gray asked.

“Mayhap there was, but no one else came in the store,” he said.

“You didn’t follow them outside?”

“Not my business. They paid cash, and a lot of it,” he said. “Soon’s they left, I put the bills in the safe. Only a damn fool leaves that much money lyin’ around. I ain’t askin’ to get robbed.”

“Thank you for your time,” Gray said.

“Hey, what them fellers wanted for, anyway?” the proprietor asked.

“Murder,” Gray said. “Robbed the Wells Fargo office in Prairie Junction. Shot the man behind the counter.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. They didn’t look like killers.”