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The one thing Matt had noticed about the men that wintered here, they stuck together. No one would have turned the Mexican over to these men. He knew that instinctively. They just didn't ask right.
"I reckon we don't know of anyone like you are speaking of. We live pretty peacefully…" Ferg explained.
"Oh yeah, then why is this up here?" One of the younger lawmen hollered as he pointed out the noose hanging from the rafters.
Everyone turned to look.
"To remind everyone to be peaceful…" Matt told him.
"Oh, you’re a funny man, aren't you?" The young one faced him, his gun almost in Matt's ribs now.
"Get that gun out of his belly!" Ferg demanded.
The head ranger called the young man off.
"You're welcome to have a look see, but most of us will be leaving as soon as the weather is decent." Coon informed them. "And as long as you are here, you'll conduct yourself with some manners. We didn't rob your bank, mister. And the next person you jab with that gun might get more than he asked for."
The lawmen spread out and walked around the room looking at the people that slumbered, the big Mexican didn’t move, and they walked around him without paying much attention.
"You boys want some coffee?" Matt asked.
"No, we'll be movin' on. We been trackin' these boys for a while. They got a pretty Mexican woman with them, so if you see them, contact the nearest Sheriff and let them know. The woman is part of their gang, and we'll take her in too."
"We'll do that," Ferg promised.
The older lawman eyed them all, then slowly they left. But before doing so, he walked straight up to Ferg, even though he wasn't as big, he also wasn't intimidated by him. "We find out you are harboring them, you'll be going to jail too."
Afterward they were gone, the big Mexican came up from the floor.
"Is that so," Ferg smiled. "Just how many you aim to take back to Texas mister?"
"As many as I have to." The man said, glancing around one more time, he backed out the door.
For several long moments, no one said a word, waiting to be sure they had ridden off before speaking.
Then the big Mexican jumped up.
"I thank you, amigo. You could easily have turned us in." He said with appreciation.
"Not to a bastard like that I wouldn't," Ferg stared at the big man a minute, "If you don't cause trouble here, you'll have no troubles with us."
"Then we will act accordingly," The Mexican promised. "It is the way we live. But I must tell you, I do not understand why you did not turn us in." The Mexican asked.
"I wouldn't turn anyone in unless I knew for a fact, they did something. You see, we hung a man not long ago for killing a black woman. There was plenty of proof that he had done it. And that's why that noose is hanging from the rafters. To remind everyone to behave." Ferg explained. "We are all fair here. This place is meant for shelter, we want to keep it that way. You got problems it's not our concern. But no one comes in here pokin' their guns at us and expect us to turn anyone in. It won't happen."
"It is a very good reminder. The noose." The Mexican laughed.
"We thought so." Matt said.
"Did you rob the bank?" Ferg asked, sizing the man up as he spoke.
"Si, we did."
"I hope you buried it somewhere away from here." Ferg told him.
"Si, the money is still in Texas. We will go back there when the law forgets us. The money, it belongs to the people."
"What people?" Matt asked curiously.
