Shot in the Back by William W. Johnstone Page B

back; let me yell at her so she can mind the store.”
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    Half an hour later Jesse joined the sheriff and five more men to go out in pursuit of the bank robbers. Jesse couldn’t help but sense the irony. Here he was, part of a posse, when there were so many times in his past that he had been the pursued and a posse had been the pursuer.
    â€œYou got ’ny idea where to look for ’em, Sheriff?” Lindell, one of the members of the posse, asked.
    â€œWe got word from someone that they saw four men going into Twin Peaks Canyon.”
    â€œWhoa, hold it,” one of the others said. “There’s four of ’em goin’ to be holed up at Twin Peaks, and we’re goin’ after ’em with just six men?”
    â€œWhat’s your problem, Sarno? There are six of us, only four of them.”
    â€œBut they’ll be there, hidin’ behind the rocks in the canyon. Don’t you see? They’ll have the advantage. We need more men.”
    â€œHow many more men?” Jesse asked.
    â€œI’d say at least four more. I mean, without at least ten men, we don’t have a chance against ’em.”
    â€œA posse that large is hard to handle,” Sheriff Wallace said.
    â€œAnd we may as well be ringing cowbells to tell them where we are,” Jesse said. “With a posse that large, all we would do is scare ’em off. We wouldn’t have a chance in hell of actually capturing them.”
    â€œHow would you know?” Sarno asked.
    â€œI’ve been around a few posses,” Jesse replied without being more specific. “Six people is all we’ll need.”
    â€œYeah?” Sarno replied. “Well, six may be all you need, but five is all you’re goin’ to have. ’Cause I ain’t goin’ with you.”
    The posse members had been inside the sheriff’s office, and they looked on as Sarno walked out.
    â€œThen we’ll do it with five,” Wallace said. “Unless some more of you decide to leave.”
    â€œI’ll stay,” Lindell said.
    One by one the others made the commitment to stay.
    â€œAll right, stop by Suzie’s Café; I’ve already made arrangements for her to make lunches for us. Also, make certain that you have water and ammunition.” Sheriff Wallace looked over at Jesse. “I’d say twenty rounds each, at the county’s expense. Can your store handle that?”
    â€œWe can handle it,” Jesse said.

    Two hours later, Sheriff Wallace halted the men at the beginning of Twin Peaks Canyon.
    â€œDamn,” he said.
    â€œWhat is it?”
    â€œI think Sarno may have had a point. If we start into this canyon, they’ll have cover and position on us. If they start shooting at us, we won’t have any maneuvering room. We’ll just be hanging out there.”
    â€œI’ve got a suggestion,” Jesse said.
    â€œAny suggestion is welcome.”
    â€œSuppose I go this way”—he pointed up—“around the mountain.”
    â€œOver the top? That’s a mile high.”
    â€œNot over it, just around it. If I’m lucky, I can get down into the canyon behind them.”
    â€œYou want someone to come with you?”
    â€œNo, if there are two of us that just doubles the chances of being discovered. I’ll go alone. Give me about half an hour, then start into the canyon. Make as much noise as you can going in.”
    â€œWhy would we want to do that?” Wallace asked.
    â€œI know what he means,” Lindell said. “If we make enough noise, it will draw their attention toward us and give Frank a better chance of getting in behind them without being seen.”
    â€œExactly right,” Jesse said. “Larry, will you keep up with my horse? I’m going to have to do this on foot.”
    â€œAll right,” Sheriff Wallace agreed.
    Jesse climbed up the side of the east mountain of Twin Peaks, figuring that