He was a
great gunman and he was pretty good in scheming up ways of dodging the
law and picking the best booty. He had these five men, and then he had
his daughter, Joan. She was better'n two ordinary men herself.
"Three years that gang held together and got rich--fair rich. They made
it so fast they couldn't even gamble the stuff away. About a thousand
times, I guess posses went out after Piotto, but they never came back
with a trace of 'em; they never got within shootin' distance. Finally
Piotto got so confident that he started raidin' ranches and carryin' off
members of well-off ranchers to hold for ransom. That was the easiest
way of makin' money; it was also pretty damned dangerous.
"One time they held up a stage and picked off of it two kids who was
comin' out from the East to try their hands in the cattle business. They
was young, they looked like gentlemen, they was dressed nifty, and they
packed big rolls. So wise old Piotto took 'em off into the hills and
held 'em till their folks back East could wire out the money to save
'em. That was easy money for Piotto, but that was the beginnin' of the
end for him; because while they was waitin', them two kids seen Joan and
seen her good.
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