Dillinger - Jack Higgins [23]
He moved forward and said, 'Villa!'
Villa looked up sharply. For a moment his face was clean of all expression and then he smiled. 'Eh, patron. We meet again.'
'Put down the gun,' Rivera said.
As the bandit hesitated, Dillinger shouted to Fallon. A moment later, the first bandit lurched in from the luggage van holding his head, Fallon behind him.
Villa shrugged and dropped his gun on the table.
'Take them to my compartment,' Rivera said.
Fallon pulled the young Indian girl up from the end table and pushed her after the others. 'She was in it, too.'
'What about the conductor?' Dillinger said.
'Dead.'
As they reached Rivera's compartment, the engineer sounded the steam whistle three times, the emergency signal, and braked sharply.
The train slowed to a halt and Dillinger looked out of the window. A bunch of steers were milling across the track, a dozen or fifteen peons on horseback vainly trying to urge them on. Suddenly they turned and galloped forward with shrill cries, drawing revolvers and firing as they came. When they reached the train they dismounted.
Dillinger ducked back inside and turned to Villa. 'Friends of yours?'
The bandit grinned. 'I don't think they're going to like the way you've been treating me, amigo.'
There was an outburst of firing from the rear of the train. A mounted trooper galloped past the window and then another. Rivera pushed Villa forward. 'Three times they've made this trip to Juarez, my friend. They were beginning to lose faith in you.'
Dillinger looked out and saw mounted troopers of the Federal cavalry emerging one by one from the box cars at the end of the train. Most of the bandits were still trying to remount when they were surrounded. They tried firing back, but it was no use. They were outmanoeuvred and outnumbered. It was all over.
Rivera pulled on his jacket and turned to Fallon. 'You stay here with Villa. If he makes the slightest move to escape, shoot him.' He nodded to Dillinger. 'Bring the others outside.'
As he jumped to the ground, the young officer in command of the troop walked forward and saluted. 'Lieutenant Cordonna. They informed me in Chihuahua that you were travelling on the train, Don Jose. It would seem we have been completely successful.'
'Not quite,' Rivera said. 'They murdered the conductor.'
'Which one is Villa?'
'He is at present under guard in my compartment. He, of course, must be held for public trial in Chihuahua, but the others ...'
Cordonna shouted to his sergeant. 'Bonilla, how many have you?'
'Fifteen, Lieutenant.'
Cordonna looked at the two bandits from the train. 'These also?' Rivera nodded and pushed them forward. 'What about the girl?'
Dillinger swung round quickly. 'She's only a kid.'
'Like all Americans you are a sentimentalist,' Rivera said. 'I would remind you that it was the girl who carried the arms on board, relying on the fact that she wouldn't be searched. She is directly responsible for the conductor's death.'
Cordonna grinned. 'What a pity. I could find a better use for her.' He sent her staggering towards Bonilla. 'Six at a time. Detail ten men.'
The windows of the second-class coach were crowded with faces, but there was no sound as the troopers pulled carbines from their scabbards and dismounted. They marched the bandits a little way from the train and lined up the first six on the edge of a small hollow.
Cordonna strolled toward them, paused and barked an order. The sound of the volley echoed back from the mountains.
Cordonna and Sergeant Bonilla drew their revolvers and moved forward as two of the fallen started to scream. Dillinger glanced at Rivera's impassive face, then looked across at the Indian girl.
Dillinger turned, climbed up into the train and went along to Rivera's compartment. Villa was sitting on the bunk and Fallon lounged in the doorway, the barrel of his revolver propped across his left forearm.
'I'll take over here,' Dillinger said.
'If you think I'm going to get