With the mention of Tom Daly, all the pieces were beginning to come together. This place, Grassy Creek, surely had to be Ansel Beaudry’s destination. Will told Moon about his encounter with Daly and the shooting of the outlaw called Whip. Moon nodded confidently, then went on with his story. “Brinker’s plannin’ to build another cabin for Darlene, just like she had on Muskrat Creek,” he said, “and another one for a bunkhouse for their customers. Slim didn’t go with ’em. He stayed there at Sartain’s. I stop by to see him every once in a while.”
Will paused to consider all Moon had just said, astonished that it had been done in the year not yet passed. And it was all news to him. Elmira Tate was evidently still going strong, and Darlene Futch, too. Elmira had taken over the business of hiding outlaws when Elmer Sartain died, and she was strong enough to deal with the kind of customers who fled there. Equally tough, but several years younger, Darlene provided for the lonely needs of those so inclined to seek her particular services. Will wondered if they still knew him as Mr. Walker, the name he had given them when he had been there before. The only way they might know he was actually a deputy marshal is if Moon had told them. And Moon wouldn’t do that. At any rate, his decision was made. He could continue his search for the tracks of Beaudry’s gang, in case Moon was wrong, but Grassy Creek was where Beaudry was headed. He was sure of it. He had taken Moon’s advice before and it had never proven wrong. To strengthen it, he knew that Tom Daly was riding with Beaudry, and Moon had just said that it was Daly who guided Elmira to Grassy Creek. That was enough to persuade him to rely on Oscar Moon once again. “Will you take me to Grassy Creek?”
“If you’ll wait till I take care of this deer,” Moon replied. It didn’t bother him that he was operating on both sides of the issue, as long as his customers on the lawless side never found out about his friendship with Will Tanner. Will was a special friend of his and the only lawman who was.
“I’ll help you butcher it,” Will said, “but first, I’d best go get my horses.
When he returned with his horses, Moon was especially interested to hear about the black gelding with the fancy saddle. “Like I said,” Will reminded him, “I shot the fellow that was waitin’ for me at Stillwater Creek with Tom Daly. That’s his horse.”
Moon gave the horse a good looking-over, then commented, “He sat a fancy saddle, didn’t he?”
The rest of that day was spent smoking the meat, so Moon could carry it on his packhorse. They dined on fresh venison that evening for supper with Will no longer worried about falling too far behind Ansel Beaudry. He decided that Moon was right, Beaudry was heading for Grassy Creek. It still stuck in his craw that the outlaws had managed to lose him, however. Marshal Dan Stone was probably wondering what was going on. It had been over a week since he had left Fort Smith, but there were no telegraph wires in this part of the Nations, so there was no opportunity to check in with Stone to keep him abreast of his progress. He was at least two hundred miles from the telegraph on the MKT Railroad, but he could start back as soon as Moon took him to Grassy Creek. He was 99 percent sure the outlaws would be holed up on Grassy Creek. He had to be one hundred percent sure, however, and that meant he had to see the men he trailed settled in at Grassy Creek. He never was one to act on assumptions.
The more he thought about the job he was charged with, the more he wondered if he wasn’t on a fool’s errand. Moon’s questions and comments didn’t help matters. “After you see these jaspers with your own eyes, whaddaya aim to do about it?” Moon had asked. Will told him that it was his duty to report the location of the outlaws, then a posse would be sent to take the outlaws in custody. More than likely, the Marshals Service would call upon the military for help. Oscar interrupted his chewing on a large piece of venison while he gave that some consideration. “That’s gonna take a heap of time for you to get somewhere that you can tell ’em where they’re holed up. It’s gonna take longer’n that for them to throw a posse together and longer again to get ’em out here. Seems to me like a helluva waste of everybody’s time. Those boys up at Grassy Creek might likely be long gone by then.” Will shrugged helplessly. He realized he had no argument. “You still gotta see ’em with your own eyes, though. Right?” Moon concluded.
“Right,” Will answered, and pulled another slice of roasted venison from the fire. As he blew on it to keep it from burning his lips, a random thought came to him. Dan Stone was not the only one wondering about him. Sophie’s most likely fit to be tied, he thought. As soon as it occurred to him, he hastened to discard it. I’ll think about that some other time.
Chapter 7
It was only after they had traveled a full day and were resting their horses with a half-day’s ride left to reach the hideout, that Moon confessed. “Well, I’ll be . . .” Will started when he heard. “Why didn’t you tell me you were headin’ to Grassy Creek all along?”
Moon shrugged. “I figured you’d find out when we got there. That’s where I’m takin’ this meat—for Elmira,” he quickly stressed. “I ain’t gonna tell nobody where Grassy Creek is, but I can’t help it, if some lawman follows me to it.” He shrugged again as if blameless.
“I reckon not,” Will agreed. He understood and respected Moon’s position and his simpleminded idea of right and wrong.
After resting the horses, they continued on until reaching the Washita River, where Moon pulled up and waited for Will to ride up beside him. “I expect this is about as far as you oughta be ridin’ with me. I’m goin’ on up Grassy Creek, so you’ll have to follow me from here if you wanna see the creek. It’s easy to miss it if you don’t know what to look for. Just keep a sharp eye out for a rock ’bout the size of a washtub, shaped like an arrowhead ’cause that’s where Grassy Creek empties into the river.” He paused to make sure Will understood before continuing. “The creek comes down through the trees from a little slope that runs parallel to the river. It gets pretty narrow by the time you get to the cabin, and anybody up there can see you comin’.” He paused again. “You ain’t plannin’ on chargin’ up there, blazin’ away, are you?” Will assured him that he was not. “Good, ’cause I wouldn’t want ’em to think I led anybody up there, especially a lawman. No offense.”
“None taken,” Will replied.
“Even if you tried that, they’d most likely shoot you down before you got to the clearin’.” He gave his horse a nudge with his heels and started off along the river. “Take care of yourself, Will,” he called back over his shoulder. “I won’t likely come back down till after breakfast in the mornin’.”
“I will,” Will answered. “You do the same.” He gave him seventy-five yards, then started out after him.
The path along the river was narrow and well hidden by weeds and tall grass. The trees were so dense along this stretch of the river that Moon was soon out of his sight, causing him to be more careful to search for the rock. He almost rode past it, but reined Buster back when the horse’s hooves splashed through some water. Then he saw the rock, almost hidden by the grass growing around it, and realized that the narrow grassy bed was actually a creek bed, the grass growing on the bottom was obviously the reason for its name. The creek was squeezed in on both sides by the thick growth of trees on its banks. Moon had not lied when he had said that the only path up to the cabin was the creek, itself.
Although only late afternoon, the trees were so thick that their branches formed a ceiling overhead, making the creek seem like a dark tunnel as it gradually climbed upward. He continued on up the middle of the creek, that being the only path possible, until he thought he heard the sound of voices ahead, possibly challenging Moon. He stopped at once, alerted to the fact that he would certainly be challenged as well, should he ride a few yards more. Leading two horses, one of them saddled with the property of a late member of their gang, he would most likely have little time to explain. He had to admit they had found a hard place to attack, and he carefully turned Buster around and squeezed past the two horses he was leading.
&nbs
p; Once he had returned to the river again, he decided the next thing he wanted to do was to scout above the site of the camp to see if he could get a look at the layout from behind to determine if the creek was the only way into it. Moon had said he wasn’t coming back until morning, so he was going to have to make camp where he could keep out of sight and wait for Moon to return. Moon could tell him for sure whether Ansel Beaudry and his gang were actually there. Eager to scout the woods behind the camp while the light was still good, Will went downstream until beyond the line of trees that hugged Grassy Creek. Then he rode along beside them for a distance he estimated to be beyond the outlaw hideout. He pulled his horses inside the tree line and tied them there while he continued on foot, working his way back to the creek. He could see at once that it would be hard to ride a posse or a platoon of soldiers into the backside of the camp. With some difficulty, he finally managed to push through the bushes to a stone ledge where he could see the log cabin sitting beside the creek in a small clearing. He could not see any back way into the hideout, at least not on horseback. Maybe a man on foot could climb over the ledge, and even that might be somewhat difficult.
At first glance, he wondered where they were going to put the other cabins Moon said were planned. The clearing looked only large enough now to support the one large cabin, a small barn, a smokehouse, and an outhouse for the two women, all located in a small pasture, already crowded with horses. Will counted a dozen horses, two of them he recognized as Moon’s. It is not going to be easy to attack this camp, even with a large posse, he thought, as he surveyed the log cabin wedged up against the creek. He shrugged then. My job is done, he thought, I found them. At least I’ll know for sure when Moon comes back down in the morning. Even though that was true, it didn’t feel right to ride away and leave it up to a posse, whether it be marshals or soldiers, to come and attempt to arrest Beaudry and his men. He shook his head and backed slowly away to return to his horses.
* * *
Ansel Beaudry sat at the big table in the center of the front room, a coffee cup half-empty before him. “Who the hell is this Oscar Moon jasper?” he asked Tom Daly. He glanced toward the kitchen door where he could see Moon inside talking to Elmira. “I thought you said nobody knew about this place.”
“Oscar ain’t nobody,” Tom replied. “He brought Elmira over here from Buzzard Creek. He helped build this place. You don’t have to worry about Moon. He ain’t gonna cause you no problems, and he’s right handy in bringin’ Elmira fresh meat, like that deer he brought with him. And it ain’t always deer meat, most of the time it’s prime beef. No, sir, Moon’s all right.”
Ansel glanced at Bo Hagen. “He damn sure better be, ain’t that right, Bo?”
“That’s a fact,” Bo replied.
“We’re gonna be spendin’ a lotta money in this damn squirrel’s nest ’cause I plan to be here for a while,” Ansel said. “So I’m gonna want me and my men to be taken care of like we were in a fancy hotel.”
Elmira walked in from the kitchen in time to hear Ansel’s last statement. “And that’s what I’m plannin’ to do,” she said. “We ain’t been set up here but a few months, but I ain’t heard no complaints from nobody. You boys were lucky you got here right after Tyler’s son brought in a heap of supplies, so we ain’t been short of nothin’.”
“He sure as hell didn’t bring enough whiskey, if them three bottles is all there is,” Luther Curry replied. “We’ll drink that up in two nights.”
“As long as you wanna spend your money on it,” Elmira responded, “that ain’t no problem. Tyler’s place ain’t but half a day’s ride from here. It’s over the border in Texas, so he gets all the whiskey he can sell.” She stood in the middle of the doorway, hands on hips, and grinned confidently. “Now, you boys ready to eat? ’Cause it’s on the table.” As they filed by her, she nodded toward Moon, already at the table, and said, “Don’t let Moon get a head start on you, he’ll be hard to catch.”
Moon didn’t look up to acknowledge her remark. His plate full, he was already working hard to empty it. Having spent a good many years dealing with folks who operate on the wrong side of the law, he was a pretty good judge of people, and it didn’t take long to determine he was in the midst of evil without conscience. While he didn’t want Elmira to be deprived of the money they would spend while they were there, it would suit him just fine if Will Tanner was able to bring a cavalry patrol down upon them. Consequently, he was making an effort to learn their names, so he could report them to Will. There was little doubt who the leader was, so it was Ansel Beaudry’s name he learned first.
Moon’s obvious concentration did not go unnoticed by Beaudry, who fancied himself a judge of people, too. “You don’t talk much, do you, Mr. Moon?” Ansel asked.
Moon looked up from his plate then, aware that all conversation at the table had stopped and all eyes seemed to be upon him, awaiting his answer. He was smart enough to realize that Beaudry’s tone was evidently a signal to his men that he was not convinced that Moon was to be trusted. He looked at Beaudry and grinned. “Not when I get a chance to set down at Elmira’s table,” he said, and took a big bite out of the biscuit he was using to load his fork. “Besides, I found out that too much talkin’ always seemed to let folks see how little I knew about everythin’.”
“’Bout the only way to shut him up is to set the table for supper,” Elmira stated, coming to his rescue. Beaudry hesitated a fraction of a second, then chuckled, causing the other men to laugh.
Their attention was drawn away from Moon then, when Darlene walked into the kitchen. “Looks like I’d best get me a plate before it’s all gone,” she commented.
“I expect you’d better,” Bo Hagen remarked. “You might have a hard night’s work ahead of you.” That brought another round of laughter.
“Only a jackass brays before he does any work,” Darlene shot back, turning the laughter back on him.
The mood seemed to be light and cheerful around the supper table, even though Elmira was concerned about pleasing Beaudry. He seemed to fancy himself as someone who expected to be catered to, and he had already complained about the crowded conditions. Even with two rooms available to house the five men, he thought he should have a private room, since he was paying a lot to stay there. She tried to explain that they were still in the building stage and Tyler Brinker was planning to build one or maybe two more cabins. “That doesn’t do me a helluva lotta good right now, does it?” Beaudry had responded, prompting her to offer her own room to him and make herself a bed in the pantry. She didn’t expect him to accept her offer, but he did, and she was forced to move most of her belongings out of her room. She first offered to let him share her room with her, but he replied that he wasn’t that desperate. She told Darlene that she wanted to tell him to haul his royal ass somewhere else, but she couldn’t. They needed the money, and these boys were carrying plenty. In their present situation, she didn’t even have a room for her son, Eddie. He was sleeping in the barn with Moon. She wasn’t surprised that Moon said he was leaving right after breakfast.
After supper, Bo grabbed one of the bottles of whiskey sitting on the sideboard and retired to the front room. He was joined at the big table by Cecil Cox and Tom Daly. Beaudry and Luther Curry remained at the kitchen table, finishing off the rest of the coffee while they speculated on the best towns to target after they had lain low long enough. In a little while, Darlene joined the three in the front room. “How ’bout it, honey?” She sidled up beside Bo’s chair. “You still brayin’, or are you plannin’ to put your money where your mouth is?”
He tossed a drink of whiskey back, then smirked at her. “I ain’t drunk enough yet. When you start to look halfway decent, I’ll let you know.”
“You do that,” she came back. “The drunker you get, the higher the price goes up.” She turned at once to Cecil. “How ’bout you, honey, you wanna play house? I’ll give you a gettin’-acquainted price.” He got to his feet right away and followed her back to her ro
om.
Bo and Tom Daly were joined by Moon, who sat down for a drink before retiring to the barn for the night. Bo poured him a drink, and before long, they put quite a sizable dent in the bottle. The conversation naturally centered on the camp there on Grassy Creek and the plans that Tyler Brinker and Elmira had for it. “That’s a far piece from where it is right now,” Bo commented. “I ain’t been here but one night and I’m already gettin’ cabin fever.” He nodded toward the hallway door Darlene and Cecil had just gone through. “And ol’ Darlene looks like she’s about ready to be turned out to pasture.”
“Darlene can be right comfortin’ on a cold winter night,” Tom said in her defense.
“Maybe so,” Bo allowed, “but it ain’t winter for a spell yet.” He picked up the half-empty whiskey bottle and inspected it. “We’re gonna be outta whiskey before you know it. How far is it to get some more—that feller’s store—Brinker, was it? How far is that from here?”
“Half a day’s ride,” Tom answered.
“What else is over there?” Bo persisted. “Any women that ain’t old enough to be your mama?”
Tom and Moon both laughed. “Yep,” Moon answered. “There was two the last time I was over there. Brinker’s got a store and a saloon in the same big room. He’s in Texas. He don’t have to worry about the law comin’ down on him.”
“Now, that sounds more like it,” Bo declared. “I might take me a little ride over there tomorrow. We’re gonna need more whiskey, anyway. So we might as well go ahead and get it.”
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