Blood on the Verde River (14 page)

Disgusted, she tossed the rifle out on the ground and came out shaking her head.

“I'm going to tie you up, Olson. Get on your belly,” Chet commanded.

“What're you going to do with me?” Olson asked as he got down on the ground.

Chet holstered his gun. With a rope he'd found on the packsaddles, he tied Olson's hands behind his back, watching the woman closely where she stood outside the door. She didn't move.

He left Olson lying on the ground and picked up the rifle. Then he saddled a horse for him.

“What will we do without him?” she asked when Chet had him in the saddle and had led him to the shed.

“I have no idea.” Chet jerked the fresh hide out of the stack, rolled it up, and tied it on the saddle behind Olson. “You should have thought about that before he stole the cattle.”

“That's easy for you to say.”

“Yes, I guess it is. Maybe when he gets out of jail he'll not steal any more cattle.”

She ignored him.

Damn. She'd gotten under his skin. He knew there were some small kids in the house she'd have to feed. “I'll speak to the Methodist preacher. He may have food and things for you.”

She barely nodded, looking doubtful as Chet led the horse and Olson away.

At the side canyon, he mounted the roan and rode back to town in a long trot, leading Olson's horse. He wasn't going to take him in. Roamer could do that.

Sundown was settling over Thumb Butte, the great landmark west of town when Roamer came out of the lighted doorway and frowned. “Who's he?”

“A rustler. Hailey Rasmussen came by and asked me to help him. He had rustlers stealing his cattle. I learned Olson sold meat from time to time and found this fresh hide with Rasmussen's Double K Bar brand on it in his shed. There are more of them out there.”

Roamer grinned at him. “I guess you want me to take him in, huh?”

“Yes, if it doesn't make any trouble for you. Hailey will be in in the morning and swear out a warrant for his arrest.”

“You don't want to make a deal out of it, right?”

“Right. My wife is at Jenn's Café wondering where the hell I am.”

“Oh, I'll handle it. Thanks.”

“Thank you.” Chet tossed Roamer the lead rope, spun the roan around, and rode hard for Jenn's.

“Where have you been?” Marge asked when Chet entered the café, wrinkling her nose at the hide smell attached to him.

“I found the thief. Roamer is jailing him. Let's go home.”

“It was Olson?” Jenn asked in mild disbelief.

“You bet. He had the fresh hide in his shed bearing the brand.”

Closing up, Bonnie and Valerie came over to hear Chet's short story. They laughed about it.

Bonnie said, “We could have told Mr. Rasmussen you'd find his rustlers.”

Valerie agreed. “Our citizen lawman rides again. We love you, big man.”

“You have any supper?” Marge asked.

“I can eat at home. Get your coat on.” Chet was anxious to return home.

“I'll make him a sandwich. You can drive,” Jenn said to Marge, and the two girls rushed off to fill the order. He washed his hands in a bowl behind the counter, laughing and shaking his head. “You're making too big a fuss.”

They were soon on the wagon seat, his horse tied on back, and Marge clucking to the horses, while he tried to hold the huge ham sandwich in both hands. They climbed the tall hill and turned to the east, heading for the valley under the stars.

As his hands clutched the cheese, ham, sourdough bread, and its sweet sourness filled his mouth he thought another matter settled and he was going home with his bride. He was so glad that have her in his arms and be warm under the covers in another hour. He took another bite. What a huge meal those girls had made for him.

Chet met Rasmussen at the turnoff to town in the predawn light. He drew up his horse. “You need to go sign a warrant out at the sheriff's office. I turned your thief—a man named Olson who lived down this road—over to deputy Roamer. I found a hide with your brand on it in his shed.”

“Damn. Folks said that I needed you. How did you do all that?”

“Asked a few questions, went out to his place, found the hide in a pile, and took him over for Roamer to put him in jail.”

“Oh, thanks. Say, I wondered if I was too strong asking your cook out?”

“No, we love her. She said she thought you were a gentleman and we told her to meet you.”

“Good. Now what do I owe you?”

Chet shook his head. “Not one thing. I hope no one else will steal another cow from you or me.”

“You know you should be the sheriff here.”

“No, I am a businessman with lots of irons in the fire.”

“Glad you helped me.” Rasmussen stuck out his hand.

Chet shook the offered hand. “Good. I'm going home and get some work done.”

“You need anything call on me,” Rasmussen said and they parted.

 

 

Chet rode up to the holding ranch on the high plains early the next morning. He was anxious to see how things went at Gallup and the various sale points and figured Sarge and his bunch should be back from the drive.

Mid-morning, he stopped at the Verde ranch and had coffee with his sister, the new
Mrs. Times
. Tom and the crew were after a mountain lion that had been eating calves. Some guy named Lowe brought his hounds out to tree the cat and the whole crew spread out to get the killer.

“Well, how are things going?” Chet asked Susie as they shared coffee and cake.

“Very good. Tell Marge thanks. She was like a mother and very frank about many things I wondered about. Leif's a great partner and we caught trout, thanks to the boys.” She laughed freely.

“Good. I'm going on up to Sarge's and see how they did with the Navajos. They should be back.”

“Ride safe. I'll tell Tom you came by. He seriously runs this ranch. Leif says he's really been impressed how good Tom is at it.”

“I appreciate him,” Chet agreed, kissed her cheek, and left.

The ride northeast grew cooler as the day went on. He chewed on some jerky and pushed his bay horse all day. Past sundown, he finally arrived.

Sarge met him at the house when the dogs heralded his arrival. “I wondered who was coming to see us. How have you been?”

“Good. How did the trip go?”

“Fine.” Sarge turned to the young man who had come from the barn. “Clarence, will you put the boss's horse up?”

The man took the reins from Chet and replied, “Yes.” He waited while Chet undid the bedroll then led the horse to the barn.

Chet took the bedroll with him to the house. Sarge showed him inside. The crew was playing cards for toothpicks at the large round table.

“You missed a good drive boss,” a bald man named Harp said. “We got no arrows in our saddles this time.”

Another offered, “An Indian woman named Blue Bell sent you her best regards. Said you gave her a horse when hers died on the road.”

Chet nodded, recalling her. “How was she?”

“Damn good-looking. I'd give her my horse, too.”

They all laughed.

Chet and Sarge went off into the kitchen to talk about the trip. Sarge lit a candle lamp and poured some coffee. “We can get you some food. Victor's turned in. He gets up at three.”

“Let him sleep. I'm fine. Any problems?”

“No. Some guy named Chester for the agency told me we were doing great at this delivery business, but he worried about winter. I told him we were a big outfit and could use feed wagons to drive the cattle if we needed to.”

“Good. We may need to get some of those rigs up here in case we do.”

Sarge agreed. “I talked to two ranchers up near Gallup. They'll sell us hay at ten dollars a ton, but want us to buy it now. The hay is good and I'm certain the cattle would eat it. My horse did and he's fussy.”

“Let's buy twenty tons, just in case. That would be a small expense. Make sure we get that hay you tried on your horse.”

“I can do that. How do I pay for it?”

“I'll make out a draw on the bank in Preskitt and have the money sent to them.”

Sarge agreed. “They'd also like to sell you some cattle.”

“Do they know what we need?” Chet asked.

“I told them we take only fat cows or big steers.”

“Let's try that. I understand markets are short all over. We will buy twenty-five head from them at sixteen cents a pound. That would get them over a hundred dollars if they weight around seven hundred pounds.”

Sarge nodded. “Those two men I met, Arnold and Kibley, are anxious to do business with you.”

“Maybe we could trade cattle sales for their hay.”

Sarge frowned. “I was pretty straight with them. I thought we would buy the hay. The purchase of their cattle was up to you.”

“Well, we can afford the hay. You're going to send the word to them?”

Sarge nodded he would. “I will ride over there and make the deal this week. I think if we go early, we can bunch those cattle at the Egan Ranch for a week or more. He has the water and facilities to hold them.”

“Good. I won't worry about your operations and we'll keep sending you cattle. You did good over there.”

Sarge looked satisfied. “Buying those cattle will seal our deal and connection with them. We needed that. Thanks.”

Chet nodded. “I never gave us a chance at doing this, but it seems to be working and will insure lots of jobs.”

“How's Jenn doing in Preskitt?” Sage asked.

“Doing great. I saw her two days ago.” Chet told about him going after her daughter in Mexico and the rustler deal.

When he finished, Sarge shook his head. “When I went to work at the Camp Verde ranch I could not believe you could ever straighten it up. You and Tom did that. Then those Hartley brothers flooded the country with their cattle. It's been a hard ride, but we're finally seeing some good things happening. I worried a lot when you put me in charge up here. I know you said I could handle it, but I stayed awake nights fretting about it. First trip and we did it. Damn Indian raids—whew. You really helped me and offering to buying hay and cattle from Arnold and Kibley will really take some worries off my shoulders.”

Chet nodded. “Good. Whenever the government gets the money to pay our script, the entire operation will be on track.”

Sarge laughed. “Oh, they will.”

Chet agreed.

 

 

After breakfast, Chet made out a draw for the hay and gave it to Sarge in case the cattle trade didn't work. He thanked all the hands working with Sarge, had a good visit with Victor the Mexican cook, and headed back to Camp Verde.

The weather had warmed some. The cottonwoods along the water sources had begun to turn golden yellow from the overnight frost as he short-loped the bay horse. He passed the mail wagon heading west and waved at the contractor on the seat. The man had a great record of getting the mail though to Preskitt from Gallup.

Past sundown, which came early, he was at the Verde headquarters and a hand put up his horse. Tom came from his house and Susie did the same from her porch to greet him. They went in to her table and Leif joined them, all anxious for Chet's report.

“Well, Sarge had a good trip. He found us a hay supply near Gallup in case we get a big snow. We are also buying twenty-five head of cattle from the same two ranchers to help with each drive. Sarge made the deal and thinks we are really covered.”

Tom and Leif nodded.

“He really did a great job on that,” Tom said. “I worried how we'd handle a hard winter. Oh, we got three lions. We think that will stop the calf slaughter.”

“One was a big tom. Must have weighted two-fifty,” Leif said.

“That was a big one.” Chet had shot lots of them in Texas, but two-fifty was real large.

“We paid Lowe fifty bucks for each cat he treed,” Tom said “He and his dogs were worth it, and he will come back anytime we need him.”

“Good. We will need to get more cattle ready since we are buying most of them and get them up to Sarge. Tom, use your list of sellers less the twenty-five from each rancher Sarge has set up.”

“He will have feed up near Gallup if we send a two month's supply of cattle?” Tom asked.

“I think so. But check with him before you send them. They had no problems on the last trip.” Chet turned to his sister. “Susie, do you recall the Indian woman whose horse gave out near here? We gave her a horse to finish her journey?”

“Blue Bell?”

“Yes. She thanked Sarge and his crew for the horse again.”

“She was a very impressive lady.”

Chet agreed. “So we will have feed over in New Mexico and two ranchers there would help us hold any cattle delivered early, too.”

Susie fed him while they talked about ranch problems. The man Chet originally hired to cut the hay up at Hackberry wanted out of the contract as Chet had expanded the hay acreage in the valley by renting more irrigated land. Tom was taking over the hay contract and cutting it himself with ranch help. The change was agreeable to both sides, so no one was mad. But he was getting his own hay equipment and going to do his own and some custom work. The ranch would set up their own crew.

Tom also mentioned they needed a crew to cut hay up at Sarge's, as well.

Chet agreed. “We can find a farmer to run that. We will need equipment for the Hackberry operation and Sarge, too.”

Leif added to the conversation. “There is a blacksmith down at the wagon camp. I'd like you to consider him for the job if he will stay. He can make about anything. He made that spit for the steer we cooked for the wedding.”

“What do you think?” Chet asked his foreman.

“We could use him if we're going farming,” Tom said. “He can repair about anything.”

“He's a real inventive guy,” Leif said.

“What will he cost?”

“Maybe fifty, sixty a month and he'd need a house.”

“I've never met him.”

“Johnny Carter. He's in his thirties and great at working iron and fixing things.”

“Where will we put him up?” Chet asked.

“There's a house could be fixed down the road on the Laird farm you bought.” Tom said.

“Can we talk to him tomorrow?”

“Oh, I bet we can,” Leif said.

“Let's do that.” Chet felt satisfied a blacksmith would be a good addition to the ranch staff.

They went over everything on their minds until he decided he better get some sleep and headed upstairs.

Chet was at the cowboy breakfast in the cook shack for oatmeal or pancakes and syrup. He met some new hands and talked to Hoot.

“This dang place gets busier and busier. It ain't the same place I hired on working for you,” Hoot complained.

“You want to retire?” Chet asked.

“Hell no. But when will it stop?”

Chet shook his head. “I don't think it will.” Personally, he hoped it didn't.

“Well, I'll tell you when all these cowboys overwhelm me.”

“Thanks. I count on you.”

Chet left Hoot and went to find Tom, then he and Tom went down to the wagon train camp and met Carter.

A powerfully built man, he listened to their offer while wearing a blanket jacket against the cool wind. His wife Andi served them fresh coffee in the shelter of the wagon that cut down the breeze.

“Thanks. That is a fair offer. I need to talk to Andi a minute. Excuse me.”

Chet nodded for him to go ahead and Tom agreed.

Alone, Chet asked Tom. “What shape is that house in?”

“It needs some work, but we can get that done in a few weeks. Some plastering and roof repairs. It isn't a bad house. Lot's better than a wagon bed.”

“He ever make a windmill?” Chet asked.

“I bet he can.”

“Good, Windmills would help our range management.”

Tom agreed.

John came back. “Andi likes this valley. She'd about do anything to move into a house. Hayden Mills might be paradise, but if that house is livable I'll take the job.”

Chet shook John's hand. “You and Tom can go inspect it. We will make it very livable for you and your family.” He nodded to Andi. “That house will work, I promise you. Nice to have you as a part of the ranch.”