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Ty Fisher and the Army Gold
© 2005 by W.R. Benton
CHAPTER 1
“You are going to hang Ty Fisher. I think you are the one responsible for the theft of the army payroll, as well as the death of all six of my men. You can be sure, when I am able to prove you're behind this, you'll stretch.” The young Captain spoke as he sat behind his desk leaning forward and pointing with his right index finger.
Ty, feeling his anger growing by the second, bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut. He'd be found with the empty payroll chest on his packhorse and a freshly minted twenty dollar gold piece in his pocket. If the guard had not been standing behind his chair with a rifle and bayonet, he would have whipped the hell out of the Captain for even suggesting he was a thief. Instead, he gripped the chair with both hands and looked the Captain in the eyes as he said, “Look, Cap'in, I'm a lot of things, but I have nevah stol' a thang in my life.”
The Captain gave a sneer and replied, “You deny the chest and coin were found in your possession?”
“No, sir, I had ‘em but fer a good reason. I found ‘em over by where your men were kilt. That chest had some papers in it and while I could have simply rode away after findin' it, I decided to bring the whole shootin' match to the post. And, the gold piece I found at the same place I found the chest. Look, I never tried to spend that money and if-un you think of it a spell, I was headin' to this post when your men met me.”
The Captain stood, walked to the window, and as he glanced out he said, “That is true Mister Fisher, however, do I need to remind you that you are in serious trouble? I suggest you tell me where the rest of that gold is and that you tell me very quickly.”
Ty gave a loud laugh and replied, “Cap'in, you're a smart man, now think on this a spell. If I was part of the group that stolt that money, why in the world would I only have a twenty dollar gold piece? I'm shore the man that just held their hosses fer ‘em got mo' than that.”
The Captain walked back to his desk, pulled the bottom drawer out, and removed a bottle of rye whiskey. Pulling out two water glasses, he added a good three inches to each glass and then replaced the cork in the whiskey bottle. As soon as he'd placed the bottle back in the drawer, he handed one of the glasses to Ty and said with a grin, “Alright Fisher, I've thought on it. If you didn't have anything to do with taking the army payroll, then any idea who did?”
“Cap'in, when I got there, I noticed the hosses used by the robbers wore shoes. Now, that don't mean it was white men that kilt yer men, but I've known few Injuns with any use for money. A Injun might kill ya fer your hoss, hair, or yer gun, but money they jess don't have a need fer. And, ‘sides the daid men wasn't scalped nor cut up like a Injun would do to ‘em.
As Ty moved forward in his chair he continued, “I'm sure it was white men, ‘cause I found come cigarette butts and a empty bottle of whiskey where they had waited. Near as I can tell, there was ‘bout ten of ‘em. One was a big man and he moved around a lot, like he was lookin' fer your boys to show up. He was a impatient kind of feller, I'd guess.”
“It remains to be seen if it was white men or not Fisher, but what else did you see while you were there?”
Ty gave a sly grin and said, “They wait ‘bout four hours fer your boys to show up, and to me that means they knew ‘bout the money a-bein' with yer men and the route yer sol'jer boys would take. I ‘spect somebody tipped ‘em off on all that stuff.”
The Captain put his hands behind his back and walked to the window once more. He was concerned about the deaths of his men, but more so about the fifty thousand dollars that was missing. As he thought of the words spoken by Ty Fisher, an interesting thought suddenly entered his head.
Turning abruptly from the window he asked, “Fisher, would you be willing to assist the United States Army in recovering the lost payroll? Now, before you answer me, I am willing to pay you fifty dollars a month, plus a five hundred dollar reward for the save recovery of the payroll. Additionally, I'll let you have as many men as you need to do the job.”
Ty was uneducated, but he was not a fool by any stretch of the imagination. He knew the army well enough to know this suggestion of the Captain's had been the plan from the very beginning, or something like it. The army knew from the start he'd not stolen the money, but by placing him under arrest they thought to scare him into helping them. He gave an inner chuckle at the way the system always worked. Ty knew this small army post near Omaha was not different than any other he'd been at.
Looking the Captain in the eyes, Ty replied, “All right, suh, I'll take the job, and I only want one of yer men, Ser'ent Major Armitage.”
The young officer gave a big grin and asked, “Why Armitage? He's as old as these mountains and about to retire in a few months.”
“I know the man and I can trust ‘em, suh. When I go after them fellers that solt the money, I don't need a big group of men. What I'll be a-needin' is one good man I can ‘pend on, completely.”
The Captain walked back to his old oak desk, pulled the chair out and sat down. Placing his hands under his chin, he glanced at Ty as if he was considering the suggestion, then he smiled and said, “Well . . . If ya want Armitage, you've got ‘em. But, I think you're a fool for only taking one man.”
Ty gave a loud laugh and said, “Suh, I've been called worser names than that and by me family too!”
The Captain smiled, got up, walked to the door of his office and as soon as he'd opened the door he said, “Orderly, go get the Sergeant Major. Tell ‘em to get over here right now.”
The Captain walked to his desk, removed Ty's pistols from the top drawer, and handed them to the mountain man as he said, “I suspect you'll be needing these.”
Ty took the pistols and placed them in his belt. He was sure at that point he was a free man, but he'd also agreed to take on a job and he'd do that job if he could. He had little to go on, but he knew ten men with that kind of money would want to spend it and that would help him in many ways. Ty knew cash money was hard to come by in the west and most people saw very little of it during the course of a year. Most things were traded for, or bought on credit against next year's crop, or the selling of cows or horses. No, he thought, fellers spendin' a lot of cash money will be easy to find.
At that moment there was a loud knock at the door and the Captain, who was back once again setting behind his desk, yelled a loud, “Enter.”
Sergeant Major Armitage walked into the room and stopped about three feet from the Captain's desk, giving a sharp salute he said, “Ser'ent Major Armitage, reporin' as ordered, suh!”
The young Captain's salute was more of a casual wave than an actual salute and he gave the old crusty sergeant a grin as he stated, “At ease, Sergeant Major.”
The next five minutes was spent explaining to the Old Sergeant what had happened to the army payroll and the sign that Ty had found. The Sergeant listened closely but didn't say a word. Finally, the Captain informed Armitage that he was to pack his field gear and accompany Ty Fisher out to look for the men who had robbed the payroll.
“I be beggin' the Captain to ‘member, I got me thirty years in here shortly suh. In six months I intend to retire to a spot of land I saw up north, but I will do me dooty ‘til that time suh.”
The Captain grinned and replied, “Armitage, you stay on the job ‘til the time comes for your retirement, or until you two catch those men. Either way, you'll retire on time and I personally promise you that. You're a good soldier Armitage and the army will loose a good man the day you walk from this post. Now, do you have any questions about the mission?”
“No, suh. I know Mister Fisher here already, he's scouted fer us a few times. If the job can be done, we'll do ‘er. He's a good man, suh.”
The Captain stood and snapped a crisp salute as he said, “Dismissed.”
Ty and Armitage had no sooner left the Captain's office than they both broke out into big smiles as they made their way to the livery stables. Ty's horse was there and the Sergeant Major wanted to cut a good horse for the trip.
At the stables a young corporal walked up and the Sergeant Major yelled out, “White, cut that big bag for me and get Mister Fisher's hoss as well! I want ‘em both saddled and ready to ride in ten minutes!”
“Shore, Ser'ent Major, I'll have ‘em outside and ready to go as soon as you get back.”
“Come with me Ty, I got some gear to gather up and some rations to get a-fore we leave. You can have a glass of whiskey while I pack.” The old Sergeant spoke as he turned and quickly started walking to his quarters.
Ty glanced around at the army post and had to admit, he was not impressed one bit by its appearance The place was made up mostly unpainted pine boarding, tents, and a couple of building with false fronts, one of which was the saloon and the other was the trading post.
“Nope, no whiskey for me right now Armitage. I want a clear head when we ride out of here. You go do your packin' while I go to the tradin' post and get some supplies. I had no idea when I woke up this mornin' I'd end the day workin' fer the army. I'll meet you back at the hosses in a few minutes.”
Ty noticed as soon as he'd entered; the trading post was typical of most western stores. It was filled with the odds and ends a person needed to survive out west, guns, ammo, beans, and bacon. While there were other items in some stores, most of the stores carried very little in the way of luxury items. The store owner knew a man in the west need beans and knives, not wine and silk.
“Can I he'p ya, suh?” A rail thin man of middle age wearing gold rimmed glasses asked as he looked up from a ledger he'd been writing in.
“I need some grub and other goods. I want five pounds of beans, two of cornmeal, five of coffee, five pounds of bacon, two of salt pork, a pound of lead, and two pounds of powder. Oh, and throw in ‘bout two pounds of chewin' ‘bakker to go with all of that. What's a-gonna cost me?”
The thin man did some figuring on the ledger and replied, “That'll come to six dollars and twenty cents. Is that cash or credit?”
“Cash, I don't use credit, if-un I can he'p it. I'm workin' fer the army, but I don't wanna have to pay you when I finally get paid.”
The clerk gave a laugh and said, “They do be slow ‘bout payin' a body. And, now with that payroll missin' they'll be even slower. Hell, we waited most of a year fer that-un and it was stolt.”
Ty pulled out an old gold coin that he'd kept for emergencies and threw it down on the counter with a loud slap as he asked, “You give me a discount fer cash?”
“You bet I will! I ain't seen no real spendin' money in a coon's age. I can let ya have all of this stuff fer five dollars even.” The clerk said with a huge grin on his thin face.
“Ya got a deal. How long will it take ya to get that order ready to go? I'm on army business and need to leave as soon as I can.”
“You wait right heah and let me weigh yer stuff. I'll have all this fer ya in less than ten minutes. Is that fast ‘nough fer ya?”
“That's fine. I'll look this place ovah as you do yer work.” Ty replied as he turned and made his way down the first aisle of goods. He saw a plow, spurs, bridles, and a few big barrels filled with various goods, from pickles to salt pork. Ty had always been amazed by the smells in stores and loved just looking at all the goods. As he walked back to the glass counter he immediately saw a knife unlike any knife he'd ever seen before. The blade had a weaving pattern in the steel and both sides of the blade seemed to take an edge. It was the steel of the blade that caught his eye and he knew right off he wanted the knife.
“Storekeeper, how much is this knife heah?” Ty asked loudly so the man could hear him from the rear of the store.
The thin man walked behind the counter and asked, “Which knife are you interested in, I got a big selection heah.”
“That one,” Ty said as he pointed with his right index finger, “the one with the colored blade.”
The storekeeper reached in, removed the knife, and grinned as he said, “This is a fine knife and it is only made in Spain , or so I was tolt. I ain't nevah seen one like it a-fore but the steel is shore purty ‘nough fer any feller. And, you can put a edge on this thang sharp ‘nough to shave with.”
“Where'd ya get it from?” Ty asked as he took the knife from the man and felt the razor sharp edge with his thumb.
“A old boy come in heah, oh, ‘bout six months back and needed some grub. He didn't have no money, so he traded that knife. He claimed the knife was from some damn place called Damascus , or some such. I'd never hear'd of the place and tolt ‘em as much at the time. If-un you want ‘er, I could let ya have it fer two dollars.”
Ty grinned, put the knife in his belt, and pulled out two dollars in coin. Handing the money to the storekeeper he commented, “I don't really know if-un this knife is any good ‘er not, but I like the wave it has in the steel and the color. I do know, how some ever, them Spanish men and Mexicans know how to make a mighty fine knife.”
“I got most of yer order ready. Let me get the chewin' ‘bakker and it's ready to go. Listen, I appreciate yer business, so I slipped a pound of hard candy wrapped in wax paper in with yer order fer free. It ain't often I get a cash payin' customer ‘round heah.”
Ty made his way back to the livery stables a few minutes later to find Sergeant Major Armitage waiting beside his horse. The old Sergeant had also had the Corporal give him a mule to carry their supplies, which surprised Ty because he'd rarely had the money to afford a pack animal in the past. He also knew right then, the army was damned serious about catching those men and recovering the stolen gold, or they would never have given up a mule.
“Let me load up and we'll hit the trail Armitage. We've still got a few hours of sunlight left.” Ty spoke as he started loading his supplies on the back of the Missouri mule.
“Where we goin' furst Ty?” The Sergeant asked as he bent over to checked the cinch on his horse. Armitage knew it would be just like Corporal White to leave it loose so the old Sergeant Major would fall on his behind as he mounted.
Ty had walked to his horse and was adjusting the bridle as he said, “We're gonna go back to where this all happened furst, to see if we can pick up a trail. I know we won't find much at the site, not since you sol'jer boys buried them daid fellers and messed the tracks all to hell, but we'll take us a look see and mayhap we can find somethin' I missed the furst time.”
Both men mounted and walked their horse slowly from the army post, heading north as they traveled. Ty noticed it was not even noon yet and the day had already been a rough one. Only out heah, he thought, can a man have everythin' normal one minute and then have his whole life change or end fer ‘em in a few seconds.
