The Vanishing Corpse

The Vanishing Corpse

“Hurry up, Ned! Grab the strongbox and let’s git outta here!” Ned did not want any witnesses; he shot both the stagecoach driver and the guard. They quickly emptied the strongbox of the gold. They rode off in separate directions so a posse couldn’t track them. Ned, on his bay stallion, galloped toward Fate, Texas. The stagecoach driver crawled toward the guard; the man was dead. A Texas Ranger came upon the stagecoach driver. He lay in the dirt, propped up against the wagon wheel. “What happened, Jake?” “Matt, I been driving stagecoaches for nigh on to twenty years; never been robbed before.” Matt quickly removed his extra shirt and staunch the flow of blood: “I’ll take you into Royse City; there’s a doctor there.” Matt promptly rigged a travois behind his horse. The men arrived in Royse City by the early evening. Matt pulled the travois right up to Doctor Joseph MacIntosh's office. “Doc, hey Doc, I got a badly wounded man out here. Open up!” The doctor quickly opened the door: “Bring him in and put him on the bed.” Matt did as he was instructed: “Found him on the trail, propped against the stagecoach. He lost a lot of blood, Doc.” Doc turned to face Matt: “Matt, I don’t know if he will survive, at least not yet.” Matt turned to leave, and Doc returned to the wounded stagecoach driver.

Matt rode out of town on the big bay stallion; he needed to return to the scene of the crime. He turned the horse toward the west. He wanted to see if there was any evidence of where he found the stagecoach driver. He returned to his thoughts; night came quickly, and he bedded down under an oak tree.

Ned left Fate, Texas, his thoughts on plans for the money in the strongbox. He had no intention of returning to the scene of the crime; however, something gave him pause. He dug his spurs into Mister Jones’ sides. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made to return. Ned did not remember leaving any evidence; the stagecoach driver and the guard were both dead at his hand. He bedded down for the night just outside of Royse City. The next morning he rode toward the place where he had Killed both men. He found the guard where he buried him behind some bushes. He quickly dug a hole behind the same bush and filled it in. Then searched for the body of the stagecoach driver. Just as Ned mounted his big bay, he heard hoof beats of another horse. He forced the big bay into a gallop, hoping to put distance between him and whoever else was near. He galloped to Royse City, where he hid out. He changed his name to Thaddeus Tarkington, then purchased a gingerbread-style home. He became a solid citizen.

Matt heard the big bay in the distance; he determined that it was more important to find evidence of whoever murdered the guard. He began by striding toward the bush that appeared out of place. He then dug up the body of the guard. He drew in a deep breath. It was his old friend Jock MacDonald. Matt vowed revenge. He thought, ‘Poor Jock, I have to make this right somehow.’ He remembered the grizzled face and the crazy smile Jock gave most folks. Matt wrapped old Jock’s body in a blanket. He then buried him and carved his name on a wooden cross. Matt mounted his big bay stallion and followed the other horse’s tracks. Ned backtracked, mixing up the tracks he made: he thought, ‘Now track me’. Ned hid behind mesquite bushes and watched Matt ride by. When Ned felt safe to return to Royse City, he promptly went to visit his girl, Jenny Mason. She knew him as Thaddeus Tarkington, bank owner. “Thad, oh, I am so happy you are here and just in time for the barn dance tonight.” Thad smiled down at sweet Jenny; he felt safe enough now to ask for her hand in marriage. He strode to his bank and withdrew a hundred dollars. He strode to the telegraph: “Jake, I want to send a telegraph to Winston’s Goldsmith Shop.” Jake turned to face Thad with a nub of a pencil in his hand; Thad began: “Enclosed is fifty dollars for a diamond ring band with a large diamond set in the middle of the ring. Thank you. Thaddeus Tarkington. “

Thad returned to his office at the bank and then strode toward his home. He changed his clothes and prepared for the barn dance and his proposal of matrimony to his sweet Jenny. Several weeks later, a very happy couple went on their honeymoon. Ned had everything he ever wanted.

Jed Warner, the stagecoach driver, waited patiently for Matt to arrive from Six Shooter Junction. Matt was escorting Jed back to the Wells Fargo office in Royse City. Matt rode into town on his big bay stallion, and his heart was happy that Jed was ready to return to his job at Wells Fargo. He rode up to Doc’s office, and there sitting on a chair was Jed: “Dang Jed, you sure are lookin good. You ready to return?

Matt and Jed rode into Royse City when Jed noted the bank: “Who is that Thaddeus Tarkington?” Matt dismounted; he replied, “New banker in town.” Matt and Jed heard from Mandy, a saloon girl, that there was a barn dance that evening. The men decided to go. Around sunset, the square dance began. Matt and Jed strode into the barn and waited for their turn to dance with a pretty girl. Jed sat silently; he was not much for dancing. Thad/Ned arrived with Jenny on his arm. Jed stared at the tall, broad-shouldered man with the beautiful red-haired woman. He’d seen the man once before but could not place him. He watched them dance as his memory flooded back to the day he was shot. He recalled the face of the man who shot him and left him for dead; that man was dancing with the red-haired woman. The dance ended; Matt bowed to his partner, then returned to where Jed sat. Matt saw terror in Jed’s eyes: “Hey pard, what is wrong? You look like you saw a ghost.” Jed looked Matt square in the eyes: “The sidewinder that shot is over yonder with the pretty redhead.” Matt followed Jed’s finger, then nodded: “We will visit Thad tonight; since this is Halloween night, you can be your ghost.

Jed and Matt slowly strode toward Thad’s home. Matt quietly opened the window and motioned Jed to climb in. Jed quietly climbed the stairs and found Thad’s bedroom. He silently opened the door: “WAKE UP, YOU SIDEWINDER”. Thad’s eyes flew open, his mouth agape: “I thought you were dead.” Jed smiled: “No, I ain’t dead, but you are gonna hang fer Jock’s death.” Matt, his Colt.45 pointed at Thad: “You are under arrest for the murder of Jock MacDonald and the attempted murder of Jed Colter. Matt put the Colt in Thad’s back as they headed for the Sheriff’s office.