Even though Ace was sure he hadn’t ever seen any of those men before, he recognized their type right away. They wore range clothes, but their hard, angular faces, their cold eyes, and the way their hands never drifted far from the butts of their guns told him they weren’t regular cowboys even though they might be expected to do ranch chores.
The men were gun-wolves, hired more for their skill with their Colts than any talents they might have at roping and branding.
“Calloway!” the leader snapped as they all came to a stop. “I hear your boss has three of my men locked up in your jail.” He had just a hint of a Scottish burr in his voice to show his ancestry.
Ace had no doubt it was Angus McPhee, owner of the Tartan Ranch.
Calloway confirmed that by saying nervously, “Uh, Mr. McPhee—”
“I want them turned loose! Now!” The tone of the cattleman’s voice made it clear that he was accustomed to getting whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it.
To Calloway’s credit, he didn’t back down, even though it was obvious he didn’t relish this confrontation. “You’ll have to take that up with Sheriff Maddox—”
“I’m taking it up with you,” McPhee interrupted again. “You sorry excuse for a lawman.”
Calloway’s already flushed face turned even redder. “You’ve got no call to talk like that.”
“I’ll talk any way I please, you—” McPhee stopped short, but not because someone else had broken in to what he was saying. He fell silent, frowned, and leaned his head to one side to peer around the bulky figure of Deputy Ernie Calloway. “Good Lord in heaven, what do we have here?” he demanded as he stared at Ling.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Ace and Chance edged protectively closer to Ling standing between them.
Calloway said, “You were talking to me, Mr. McPhee—”
“Step aside, sonny,” McPhee barked, brushing past him.
Once again Calloway wasn’t allowed to finish his sentence. Acting out of instinct, his hand moved toward the butt of the gun on his hip. “You can’t push around an officer of the law!”
Before he could touch the revolver, all five of McPhee’s men stood tense with their hands poised over their own guns, ready to draw. Ace had no doubt that they were a lot faster than Calloway. If the deputy pulled iron, the air would be full of bullets in the blink of an eye.
Calloway realized he’d be endangering the whole town by pushing to a showdown and probably would be the first one to die. He froze with his fingers still several inches away from the gun butt.
McPhee didn’t seem the least bit worried about any gunplay. It was almost as if he felt like he would be protected somehow from the flying lead . . . like a bullet wouldn’t dare touch him.
He stood in front of Ling and nodded politely. “Ma’am, I don’t recall seeing any Chinese ladies around here lately. You don’t work for Miss Hettie, do you?” He answered his own question. “No, you don’t look the sort to be one of her girls. What brings you to a place like Fort Benton?”
She was saved from having to answer by the gravelly voice of Sheriff Bud Maddox, who rumbled, “McPhee! I heard you were in town. Looking to cause trouble, as usual.”
McPhee swung around to glare at the sheriff as Maddox strode across the street toward the group of people gathered in front of the café. Maddox carried his shotgun as if he were ready to use it. McPhee’s men backed off a little to give him room. Even those hardcases didn’t want to tangle with a man wielding a double-barreled street-sweeper like that.
Ace had no doubt they could kill the sheriff if they wanted to, but more than likely he would blast most or all of them to kingdom come before he died.
McPhee lifted a hand in a slight motion that made his men retreat even more. He and Maddox glared darkly at each other, two powerful, stubborn men, neither of whom wanted to back down.
“I didn’t come here to cause trouble,” McPhee said after a moment. “I had a new safe shipped in on the riverboat, and my men and I are here to pick it up.”
“A new safe?” repeated Maddox.
“The best they make,” McPhee declared proudly. “Came all the way from New York.”
“You wouldn’t need a safe if you’d just put your money in the bank like normal folks.”
The rancher blew out his breath contemptuously. “Why trust somebody else to look after my money when I can do it myself?”
“The bank here in Fort Benton’s never been robbed,” Maddox pointed out.
“And no one’s ever stolen from me, either,” McPhee shot back at him. “If anybody ever tried, he’d find himself decorating a limb on the nearest tree before he knew what happened to him.”
“You can’t take the law into your own hands—”
“A man’s got a right to protect what’s his!”
The two men clearly hated each other, thought Ace. While they were arguing and distracted, he figured it might be a good idea to slip away and get Ling out of McPhee’s sight. The cattleman’s scrutiny had made her uncomfortable.
He caught Chance’s eye and inclined his head toward the hotel. Chance nodded his agreement, put a hand on Ling’s arm, and steered her in that direction.
No one seemed to notice them leaving as Maddox and McPhee were still jawing at each other.
The sheriff asked, “Is that blasted safe of yours loaded on a wagon?”
“It is,” replied McPhee.
“Well, then, there’s nothing stopping you from getting out of town!”
“Nothing but the three men of mine you’ve got locked up for no good reason!”
“They were brawling. They have to answer to charges of disturbing the peace.”
McPhee waved a hand dismissively. “That’s just an excuse for you to cause trouble for me, and you know it!”
That was the last of the confrontation Ace saw over his shoulder. They had reached the hotel.
“What’s going on out there?” asked the clerk as they walked through the lobby.
“None of our business,” Ace replied.
The clerk looked out the window. “Oh, I see now. The sheriff and Angus McPhee are going at it again.”
“Does that happen often?” Chance asked.
“Often enough. One of these days, things are really going to blow up between those two. I don’t want to be around when it does!”
Ace felt the same way. Maybe they ought to rethink their plan to stay in Fort Benton for a while, he mused as he went up the stairs with Chance and Ling.
“I did not like the way that man looked at me,” she murmured.
“Well, don’t you worry about him,” said Chance. “He won’t bother you. Ace and I will see to that.”
* * *
The rest of the day passed quietly enough. Ling said she was still tired and planned to lie down in her room. Ace and Chance spent the afternoon in their room across the hall, keeping the door open so they’d be able to see if anybody went up to Ling’s door.
To pass the time, they played cards. Not poker, because that was business and Chance didn’t relax by doing what he did for his livelihood. Doc Monday had taught them that.
Anyway, given Chance’s skill at poker, that wouldn’t have been much of a contest. They played cribbage, and Ace was good enough at that to win from time to time, often enough to keep things interesting.
“Did you see the way that fella McPhee looked at Ling?” Chance asked.
“You mean the same way most fellas would, including you and me?”
Chance snorted. “We’re chivalrous enough that we at least try not to stare too much. I know, sometimes it’s difficult. Like when she was coming down the stairs wearing that dress . . .” Chance cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and turned his attention back to his cards.
“McPhee worries me,” Ace said after a moment. “A man like him is used to getting what he wants. And anytime he doesn’t, he probably just takes it.”
“Yeah, I thought the same thing. But he should have gone back to hi
s ranch by now. Sheriff Maddox was doing a pretty good job of trying to run him out of town.”
“The sheriff was outnumbered,” Ace pointed out.
“Remember, Deputy Calloway said that basically, McPhee’s law-abiding. I don’t reckon he’d let his men shoot Maddox just because they don’t get along.”
“We can hope not,” said Ace, “but sometimes men get carried away and do unexpected things . . . especially when there’s a beautiful woman involved.”
“And Ling sure fits that description,” Chance said, nodding slowly. “Maybe one of us should go check and see if McPhee and his men are still in town.”
“We can do that later. As long as we’re sitting here in front of her door, I suppose she’s safe enough.”
They played for a while longer, then set the cards aside and stood up as they heard footsteps coming along the second-floor corridor. Ace went to the open door, leaned on the jamb, and looked along the hall to see Deputy Ernie Calloway approaching.
“Deputy,” Ace said with a friendly nod. “Get tired of sitting down in the lobby pretending to read the newspaper?”
“I was just doing what the sheriff told me to do,” Calloway said. “That’s my job, you know.”
“What brings you up here now?”
“Checking on you,” the deputy replied in a straightforward manner. “Making sure you hadn’t snuck out the back way.”
“And taken Ling with us, you mean?”
Calloway glanced toward the door on the other side of the hall. “Well . . . I reckon she’s in there?”
Ace nodded. “She told us she was going to lie down for a while. I believe her. But if you don’t, I reckon you can knock on the door and see for yourself. Of course, if you do, you’re liable to wake her up . . .”
Calloway waved off that suggestion. “No, I don’t reckon there’s any need to disturb her.”
“Listen, there’s no reason for you to go back down and sit by yourself in the lobby. If you’re supposed to keep an eye on Chance and me, why don’t you come on in? We’re just playing cards. We can play three-handed.”
“You’re sure? It is pretty boring down there, listening to Cyrus Heimerdorf snore.”
“That’s the clerk’s name?”
“Yeah. And he can sleep twenty hours a day if you let him.”
Ace chuckled and motioned with his head. “Come on in.” He told Chance that Calloway would be joining them.
Chance grinned. “Good. I don’t know that I’ve ever played cribbage for money before, but there’s always a first time.”
“Not today,” Calloway responded instantly. “My wages aren’t good enough to risk any of them gambling with a—” He stopped speaking and shook his head.
Chance cocked an eyebrow. “You were about to say something insulting?”
“No. Let’s just say I’m not a gambling man.”
“Fair enough. It’ll just be a friendly game. Of course, if you decide to make a friendly wager . . .”
“I won’t.”
Once they had settled down and started playing, Ace asked, “What happened between the sheriff and that fella McPhee?”
“Oh, they snorted at each other and pawed the ground for a while like a couple old bulls, then McPhee and his men rode out, taking that new safe of his with them. They’ll be doing good if they make it back to Rimfire without that big old thing busting down the wagon they were hauling it in.”
“McPhee doesn’t trust banks, eh?” drawled Chance.
“Angus McPhee doesn’t trust much of anybody or anything, I’d say,” Calloway replied. “But he was one of the first ranchers in these parts, back in the days when there wasn’t anything around here except hostile Indians and lobo wolves and blizzards. He’s survived and prospered this long, so I reckon you can’t find too much fault with what he does.”
“Did he convince the sheriff to release those three prisoners?” Ace asked.
Calloway shook his head. “No, sir. Sheriff Bud’s just as stubborn as McPhee is. Those men are still locked up, and they will be for a few days, until the judge schedules a hearing.”
“I’ll bet McPhee didn’t like that.”
“Oh, he was just bellering out of general principles, I think. He doesn’t really care that much about Kiley, Doakes, and Stebbins. They fancy themselves hardcases, but McPhee’s got a lot tougher men than them riding for him.”
They continued to play while they were talking, but the game and the conversation came to an abrupt end when the door of the room across the hall opened and Ling peered out curiously. Instantly, the Jensen boys and Calloway were on their feet.
“Everything is all right?” she asked.
“Everything is fine,” Chance assured her. “Did you have a good nap?”
“This one is very rested.” If she had been lying down, it wasn’t possible to tell by looking at her. Not a hair was out of place, and there wasn’t a crease in the silk dress.
Ace took his watch from his pocket and flipped it open. “Be time to go get supper in a little while. How’s the food in the hotel dining room, Deputy?”
“It’s fine,” Calloway said.
Ling smiled at him and asked, “You will join us again, Deputy Calloway?”
“Uh . . . no, I reckon not. It’s obvious by now that nothing else is gonna happen, so I think I ought to go back to the sheriff and tell him he can stop worrying about you folks.”
“See, once you get to know us, we’re not so bad,” said Chance.
Calloway looked like he wasn’t convinced of that, at least where the Jensen brothers were concerned. He took off his hat and told Ling, “If you need anything while you’re in Fort Benton, ma’am, you just send for me. I’ll be glad to take care of any problem you might have.”
She nodded. “This one is grateful to you, Deputy.”
Calloway was clearly reluctant to leave, but he did anyway, clapping his hat on and heading for the lobby.
Ling asked, “Have you decided what you will do with this one, Mr. Chance?”
He frowned. “That’s not my decision to make. You can do whatever you want, Ling. That’s the way it works here.”
“And if this one wants to travel with you and be your servant?”
“Well”—Chance sighed—“I don’t reckon there’s much I could do about it.”
“Good. That is settled, then. Let us go and eat.” She smiled at the brothers. “This one is hungry!”
They ushered her ahead of them, and as they went down the stairs, Ace whispered to Chance, “You just agreed to let her ride with us. That’s a terrible idea!”
“Try telling her that.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The roast beef in the hotel dining room was all right, as Deputy Calloway had said. The other guests who were eating there kept trying not to stare at Ling, Ace could tell, but they weren’t doing a very good job of it.
She either didn’t notice or pretended not to. Judging by the amount of dignity she displayed, she was more like a princess than a slave.
When the meal was over and they walked into the lobby, she asked, “What will you do now?”
“What would you like to do?” Chance asked her. “It’s not like Fort Benton has a lot of opportunities for entertainment unless you like hanging out in saloons.”
“That is what this one’s master always did.”
“Haggarty?” Chance grunted. “I’m not surprised.”
“How about you?” asked Ace. “What did you do while he was playing poker?”
“Whatever needed done. Sometimes there were clothes to wash or mend. Mostly this one just waited until her master required something of her.”
“Well, that’s over and done with,” Chance declared. “You can do whatever you want now.”
“Really? This one thinks she would like to—” Ling stopped speaking as the need for a yawn came over her. She lifted a hand to her mouth and covered it daintily.
“How about turn in early?” Ace suggested. “After that l
ong riverboat trip, you’re bound to be worn out. Why don’t you get a good night’s sleep, and in the morning we’ll figure out our next move.”
“That has already been decided. This one will go wherever Mr. Chance goes.”
“Now hold on.” Chance shook his head. “No, there’s no point in arguing about that now. Like Ace said, we’ll talk again in the morning.”
“Very well.” Ling bowed to him. “Good night, Mr. Chance.”
“You don’t have to—”
She had already turned to Ace and repeated the bow. “Good night, Mr. Ace.”
“Good night, Ling,” Ace told her. “Sleep well.”
“This one is sure she will.”
The brothers stood there and watched her go up the stairs. So did Cyrus Heimerdorf, behind the desk.
After a moment, Chance snapped at the clerk, “What are you looking at?”
The man turned away and busied himself by fussing with the hotel register.
“I guess now we can go spend some time in one of those saloons,” Chance said once Ling was gone. “It’ll be nice to play a real game instead of cribbage. Makes me feel like an old English lady.”
Ace grinned and waved a hand toward the door. “After you, Duchess.”
* * *
It was a profitable evening. Ace and Chance returned to the Western Lodge some eighty dollars richer than when they left, thanks to Chance’s skills at the poker table and a timely bit of good luck here and there.
Ace had spent the time nursing a beer and watching the goings-on in the saloon. Several times, townsmen had come up to him and congratulated him on the fight he and Chance had had with the trio of McPhee men.
“Those fellas are used to comin’ in here, swag-gerin’ around, and doin’ whatever they want,” a bearded old-timer had said. “They can get away with that down in Rimfire, since McPhee durned near owns the place, but this ain’t Rimfire. ’Bout time somebody give ’em what they had comin’ to ’em.”
“We didn’t really do anything except defend ourselves and the lady with us,” Ace explained.
“That China gal? I didn’t lay eyes on her myself, but I heard plenty! Fellas say she’s one o’ the purtiest things ever stepped off a riverboat.”
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