TIME TOURISTS
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Agua Fria, New Mexico, 23 Oct 1878
“Ranger Yates?” said the man who had just approached the Arizona Ranger.
“Who’s asking?” the Ranger replied. He was facing three men, one of them the local sheriff, the other two wore stars of different sorts.
“Relax, Ranger, you’re among friends,” said the taller of the two men.
“What kind of friends?” Ranger Yates asked.
“I’m Cole, from the Texas Rangers,” said the taller man.
“I’m Petrick, US Marshal for Southern New Mexico,” the second man said. “Of course, you have already met the local sheriff.”
“Ranger, Marshal… Sheriff,” Yates replied. “What do you want?”
“I want the same thing you do,” Ranger Cole replied. “I have a warrant for Texas Red, for bank robbery and murder. Dead or alive.”
“I have a federal warrant for Texas Red,” Marshal Petrick said, “for train robbery and murder. He stole from the US Postal Service, and that makes this a Federal case.”
“Whatever you fellas are going to do,” the Sheriff said, “I won’t interfere. I just want to keep the citizens of this town safe.”
“They’ll be safer when Texas Red is gone,” Ranger Cole said. “And the less you tell him, the safer you will be.”
“We can’t all arrest him,” Ranger Yates said. “Seems we have different interests.”
“We don’t have a problem,” Marshal Petrick said. “You can take him to Arizona for trial on the state charges. There are Federal courts in Arizona that can handle the train robbery. We just need to get this done before a New Mexico ranger shows up and wants to try him here.”
“As long as he hangs,” Ranger Cole said, “the State of Texas will be satisfied. The location of the gallows isn’t an issue. I’ll help you arrest him, and ride with you to the train station. I’ll need you to write a letter that you have him in custody.”
“I’m not sure about that,” Ranger Yates said. “I’m here to arrest an outlaw, not write letters.”
“I’ll take care of the paperwork,” Marshal Petrick said.
“You need their help,” the Sheriff said. “When you meet Texas Red, he’ll have his boys with him. Four of ‘em, just as guilty as he is. One against five is asking for trouble.”
“I’m not worried,” Ranger Yates said.
“You can trust us,” Ranger Cole said. “If I meant you harm, I would have shot you in the back already. If I wanted to grab Texas Red on my own, I could just wait until you try. You’ll either be dead or holding an empty revolver. Better if I stand beside you.”
“Your assistance in taking Texas Red to a Federal court in Arizona is most welcome,” Marshal Petrick said. “The courts here are so corrupt they’d let him escape.”
“Look, Ranger,” Cole said, “we’re brothers, of a sort. When you walk out into that street, I’m going to be right beside you. Do you really want to fight me before you fight Texas Red?”
“And I’ll be on your left,” Marshal Petrick said. “If you don’t want to fight beside us, you can wait until we arrest him and follow us to Texas.”
“Well, you seem to be trustworthy types,” Yates said. “It’s eleven o’clock. We need to be ready.”
“Sheriff,” Marshal Petrick said, “the Federal government appreciates your cooperation. I’d suggest you go get the civilians off the street.”
“Good idea,” the Sheriff said, beating a hasty retreat.
“Don’t condemn him,” Marshal Petrick said to Yates. “He keeps the town safe and has an arrangement with Texas Red to keep his criminal activities out of this county. The Sheriff knows he cannot take on Texas Red and win. He’s got a wife and kids, and Texas Red has killed twenty men, including six who came here to arrest him.”
“Give the man some grace,” Ranger Cole said. “Now, let’s go arrest a varmint.”
“You keep saying arrest,” Ranger Yates said. “You really think he’ll surrender peacefully and follow us to a court that will put a noose around his neck?”
“We all swore to uphold the law,” Marshal Petrick said. “We have to give him a chance to surrender, but we have to be ready for the most likely outcome.”
“Fine,” Yates said. “Stay beside me, not behind me. I don’t have time to watch the two of you and Texas Red.”
“No problem,” Marshal Petrick said.
“No argument,” Ranger Cole said. He unslung the bag that had been over his shoulder and unzipped it to expose a shotgun. “This is Matilda, my special lady.”
“Single barrel?” Ranger Yates said. “That’s just stupid. You get one shot.”
“Matilda holds seven rounds of buckshot,” Ranger Cole said, “and reloads mechanically after each shot. I can empty her in four seconds. Matilda could harvest wheat if that was what I asked her to do. I’ll be on the right and start with whichever one of Red’s boys is on that side and sweep across.”
“I’ll be on the left,” Marshal Petrick said, removing his overcoat to reveal a curious pistol on his right hip and a second one under his left armpit. Both pistols were more square than round, without an obvious cylinder.
“And I suppose those pistols will harvest corn?” Ranger Yates said.
“Probably,” Marshal Petrick said. “Each has ten rounds in a spring-loaded magazine and reloads itself. I can empty the magazine in five seconds. I’ll start from the left and work to the right.”
“This will be interesting,” Ranger Yates said.
The three walked into the street at twenty past eleven. Texas Red and his gang were near the well in the town square. The three law men walked toward Texas Red, stopping at 40 feet.
“You are under arrest,” Ranger Cole said.
“US Marshal. Drop your weapons and raise your hands,” commanded Marshal Petrick.
“Yeah, whatever, just do it,” Ranger Yates muttered under his breath.
“You three fools need to walk away while you can,” Texas Red said. His gang burst out laughing. Then one of them started to draw his pistol.
Ranger Cole fired three times, two shots taking down members of the gang and the third hitting Texas Red in the legs. Marshal Petrick fired three times, two gang members receiving a .45 slug in the chest, while Texas Red took one in the shoulder.
Not that Texas Red felt anything. Ranger Yates fired one shot to smash the Winchester rifle that Texas Red had been holding. By that point, the other gang members were on the ground. Texas Red, staggered by the hits he had already taken, laughed in defiance. “You cannot take me!” he fumbled to draw his revolver with his left hand. Ranger Yates shot him, once in the chest, and he went down.
“All yours,” Ranger Cole said to Ranger Yates.
“Simplifies the paperwork,” Marshal Petrick said. “No money wasted on a trial.”
“Or on rope,” Ranger Yates remarked. “I suppose we split the reward money?”
“Nah,” Marshal Petrick said. “You can have it all.”
"Texas and Federal law don't let us claim rewards. See you another time,” Ranger Cole said. He looked at his watch. “We need to go.”
“I need to get my coat from the bar,” Marshal Petrick said.
“I need my gun bag,” Ranger Cole said. “Have a good day, Ranger Yates.”
“Yeah, about that,” said Ranger Yates, but the other two lawmen were already walking away.