19
A
T DUSK DANIEL HOBBLED his horse and removed five pairs of handcuffs from the saddlebag. By the time he started toward his prey, night had wrested daylight into bed and tucked in the land. Daniel stalked forward while he crouched through the prairie grass. Ahead were the shadowy outlines of the Hardy Gang he had been tracking since Kansas. The five-man crew guffawed. “Ooh-wee,” exclaimed John, the one Daniel suspected was the leader. “It’s payday, boys.” Another man leaned toward John. “Lemme count the money.” “I don’t think so,” said John, his gun gleaming in the fire’s dancing flames. They stared at one another while the others had quieted. The wood popped and crackled, and coyotes howling carried on their conversation during the two men’s stand-off. Someone cleared their throat, which Daniel assumed was John. “We wait till we get to Ma’s.” His suspicions were right. John was the leader. After months of studying the wanted posters and their robberies, Daniel refused to let them elude him again.
As the gang continued their discussion, Daniel gazed at the sky. The nighttime dots couldn’t be seen, making the night as complete as his skin. Daniel traced a folded letter’s ridges in his pocket. A whisper clung to his lips. Betsy would have enjoyed doting on their niece, her namesake. It had been three years since she and their babe became a part of the dots that adorn the evening sky. A slight lump bulged against Daniel’s throat. In those three years, he never returned to their home on Tommy’s ranch despite his best friend’s encouragement for a visit. Truth be told, it pained him knowing life continued without his wife. “I gotta take a piss,” said John. He rose and stumbled near where Daniel hid. Daniel froze, taking shallow breaths. The fire was too far away to expose his position on this dark night. He closed his eyes. A decade later, and he still found men wearing their Confederate coats. John displayed its full view when he had turned around. Memories of Massa Reeves and his plantation made Daniel shiver on this warm night. His back burned.
