Free The Border Empire by Ralph Compton Page A

many years ago, they are known as los Tejanos Diablos.” 10
    â€œI was once one of them,” Wes said, “and while they can do nothing to help me, they know of my reasons for being in Mexico. I’ll make you a promise. Help me smash this band of outlaws, and you’ll be welcome in the United States for as long as you wish to stay.”
    â€œIt is a temptation, señor, to one who has no country of his own.”
    â€œYou’ll have a country,” Wes said, “if we get out of here alive. What do you know of Sandlin, the leader of the gang?”
    â€œNothing,” said El Lobo. “I hear the name, but nothing more. I join them when I am but seventeen summers. That be three summers past.”
    â€œThat makes you two years older than me,” Wes said. “How much do you know about the Sandlin gang?”
    â€œThere be many,” said El Lobo. “Per’ap hundreds. They be in Hermosillo, Nogales, Guaymas, Santa Rosalia, Namiquipa, Chihuahua, and many villages to the south which I do not know. There be many segundos. In Chihuahua is Wooten, in Namiquipa is Kazman. Of the many others, I do not know.”
    â€œWe’ll have to root the varmints out as we come to them,” Wes said. “I reckon you’ll know where to find Wooten and his bunch in Chihuahua?”
    â€œSí,” said El Lobo. “You shoot two in the cantina, and four when you escape the lodging house.”
    â€œAnd three more out of the bunch that gunned you down,” Wes said. “As far as you know, there’s only the three who escaped my ambush and Wooten himself in Chihuahua.”
    â€œSí,” said El Lobo.
    â€œBueno,” said Wes. “When you’re able to ride, we’ll start with them.”

Chihuahua, Mexico. July 7, 1884
    Jake Kazman listened incredulously as Wooten told him of the strange events of the past two days.
    â€œTwo men in the cantina,” Kazman said.
    â€œThree,” said Wooten gloomily. “The ’breed was hit high up, but it nicked a lung.”
    â€œFour men that night, and four the next morning,” Kazman said. “That’s eleven dead men, in two days. There’ll be hell to pay when word reaches Nogales.”
    â€œWell, by God,” Wooten said angrily, “if you go takin’ word to Nogales, don’t forget to tell ’em about you losin’ seven men an’ a herd of horses.”
    â€œI’m in no hurry to get word to Nogales,” said Kazman soothingly. “If all this is tied together somehow, it could be a vendetta, a conspiracy.”
    â€œMeanin’ what?”
    â€œSomebody’s got a powerful mad on,” said Kazman. “He gunned down seven men and then let the horses drift, an’ that says he’s after us. Maybe all of us. When word of this gets around, this hombre’s got to look almighty tall, an’ bulletproof.”
    â€œOr we’ll look like damn fools,” Wooten said.
    â€œNow you’re gettin’ the drift,” said Kazman. “Any trouble with the Mex law here over the shooting?”
    â€œNo,” Wooten replied, “but the old Mex woman at the lodgin’ house raised hell. I had to pay for the sheets an’ for cleanin’ up the room where the woman was killed.”
    â€œKeep it quiet about the woman bein’ killed,” said Kazman. “Don’t even mention there was a woman involved. Two hombres gunned down three of your men in a cantina. From there, they escaped, and in a gunfight later that night, four more men were killed, without killing or capturing the hombres. But your story gets a mite thin when you send seven men after the killers and only two return.”
    â€œDamn it,” Wooten snarled, “that’s how it was. How do you aim to account for them horses that never made it to the border?”
    â€œI’ll be forced to tell the truth,” said Kazmari. “My boys was