by Lou Bradshaw
We weren’t more than five miles from the gap that led into the MB, when I spotted dust up ahead. I didn’t expect they could have gotten around us, but I wasn’t taking any chances. So the first place I could get off the trail and under cover, I took it.
“Amigo,” I said, “we may have some trouble up here. I’m going to saddle Dusty and put you on him. If it’s them, I want you to hunker down on that horse, cause I’m going to give him a slap and send him home… You just hang on there for dear life… Ya hear?”
I got Dusty ready, and rigged a hackamore on the gray. Then I pulled my Winchester and took a place near the opening to watch. If it was that bunch, chances were good that they’d ride on past for a ways, until they picked up our tracks before they turned back. That’s when I’d give the buckskin a whack and start emptying saddles… It wouldn’t matter if it was man or woman. Or if it was front or back… I’d buy the boy as much distance as I could.
Watching the dust cloud, I saw it come closer and closer. The dust in this country comes back as soon as the top layer of dirt drains or dries out, so all the rain the other day didn’t mean much on the surface. It looked to be more than a few horses, which gave me cause to make sure I was fully loaded with cartridges…. I was. I had my rifle, my six-gun in the holster, and the pistol of that fool who wanted me to pay for his night on the town.
The riders started coming into view, but at first I couldn’t make out any features. It wouldn’t matter anyway; I didn’t know many people in Taos County except for them that lived on the MB connected.
When they got closer to where I could see better I could pick out individuals, and one of them was wearing a clean white shirt, black vest, a gray hat, and a badge. He looked an awful lot like Sheriff what’s-his-name. So I was beginning to feel a whole lot more comfortable.
As they drew close enough to be sure, I led the horses out, with the boy still sitting in that saddle by himself. The posse pulled to a stop and we walked closer. The lad was waving to the sheriff and called out “Hey, Sheriff Nelson.” That’s right… Nelson I thought.
“Well howdy there, Andy, boy. We sure are glad to see you… I thought you was a vaquero with that sombrero.” The little fella giggled. That’s a sound that there ain’t nothing like.
“You and Mister Cain out for a little ride, are you?”
Then he turned to me and said, “Cain, you’re gonna make some mighty fine people, pretty durned happy… Let’s get that boy home to his ma.”
As we rode, I told the sheriff about the way they had tried to throw us off by making a big half circle. I told him about how old Jimmer had stumbled onto them, and how they had shot him down. I handed over his saddle bags and the message that Ben should get his claim. I mentioned in passing that there were only five of them now, and if he wanted to arrest me for killing a skunk, he’d have to find the body first. He didn’t pursue it.
“What about the woman?” he asked, “I guess we’ll have to go up there and get her out.”
“Well now, Sheriff, that’s where this whole thing kinda makes a knot in the rope. You see, that Rita gal ain’t exactly the person we all had her figgered for. It seems that she happens to be Mrs. Frank Dooly. That fella that tried to stand me up… the one who’s no longer livin’ told me a lot about her. It sounds like she’s more or less the boss of that outfit. I know when she calls the tune, the rest of ‘em dance a jig”.
“Well, I’ll be a….” Then he looked at the lad, who was looking up at him and finished with, “nanny goat.” And rolled his eyes.
I just chuckled and said, “I reckon.”
The sheriff filled me in on what he’d found out. “No wonder, Frank Dooly didn’t ring no bells. He was just a two bit player in that gang that Ben and the Rangers shut down over in Texas, when he went over there to buy those white face cows. Some of ‘em were hung, but Dooly and some of the others went to prison.
About eight or nine months ago, him and about a dozen other cons were sent to the infirmary with high fevers. They were cured over night… in fact the whole bunch disappeared over night… leavin’ a dead guard behind… It’s thought that they got a hold of something to make ‘em look sick. The doc thought he had an epidemic on his hands.”
“The Rangers caught three, killed two, and figured the rest scattered.”
“Sheriff, I’m thinkin’ that maybe they all didn’t scatter… how long has that Rita gal been workin’ at the MB?”
“Maybe five or six months… Yeah… I see what you’re gettin’ at.”
“I’d guess they’ve cut their losses and took off on the run, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Ben beefed up his manpower for a while… they might try to run off some cattle or some of those high dollar horses.” I told him.
“Ben ain’t back yet… The news we got was, he’s ridin’ three good horses and switchin’ off, and he was a long way up the line when they finally caught up with him. But the boy’s got to sleep some time.”
“Every time he goes through a town of any size he sends a telegraph and they bounce it up to us…. I still don’t know how that all works but it seems to.”
“You might want to send one to him and tell him not to kill his horses or hisself.”
The sheriff thought about that for a second and called a halt. Then he quickly scribbled a note and handed to me. It read:
To Ben Blue
S. Cain got the boy back safe. Slow down.
Nels
I handed it back to him and said, “You coulda a saved some money by leavin’ off the S. Cain.”
He waved me off and handed the note to one of the riders saying, “You get this to the telegraph and tell them to send it down the line to anyplace he might stop.” The rider took off with a jump leaving a lot of dirt and dust flying, as he headed for town.
When we reached the gate at the gap, which marked the entrance to the MB connected’s range I asked the boy, “Son, can you ride a pony by yourself?” He said he had a pony and could ride it.
I called a halt, and then I dismounted and handed him the reins and swung onto that Jake horse bareback. “Well, amigo, you’re gonna ride your daddy’s horse right on up to the door.”
There wasn’t a horse on the ranch that was more trusted than that Dust colored horse, especially with me on one side and the sheriff close by on the other side. We rode on up to the house in a tight formation. When we reached the ranch yard near the back door, we pulled up and the sheriff called out. “Hellooo the house… Miz Blue… We got you a little red headed vaquero out here that wants his ma.”
Within a half a second, that kitchen door flew open and Patty Anne, closely followed by Maria, came flying out of it. She made a beeline toward the boy, and it was a good thing she was ready to catch him because he was out of that saddle in a blink. I never saw such hugging and kissing and bawling in my life. But then, I don’t normally spend a lot of time with folks.
Us hard crusty men folk just kinda backed up and gave ‘em room. None of us looked at his neighbor for fear of what we might see or what might be seen.
Chapter 6
It took a while for all the commotion to settle down, the little man was pretty much a mess, if you consider the amount of dirt he was carrying around. So after all the hugging and loving he was subjected to, Patty Anne stuck him in some soapy water and scrubbed a couple layers of hide off him, and then she put him down for a nap… he was ready for it.
After coffee and some of Maria’s biscuits with butter and honey, Nelson thanked the posse and turned them loose. We were sitting at the table, Nelson and me, talking about what to do next.
“I don’t know if you’ve got many options, Sheriff. I figure they saw the game was busted and they lit out. By the time you can mount another posse, they’ll be over in Colorado robbin’ and killin’ miners and prospectors.”
About that time, Patty Anne came back into the kitchen from tending to the baby. She sat down at the table with a horrified look on her face. “Shad, I was so excited to get m
y son back that I forgot all about Rita…. What happened to her… is she still with them… is she….?”
“Don’t you fret none about her, ma’am, she’s in trouble but it’s all her own doin’.” I went on to tell her what I’d learned and what the sheriff had found out about her husband, Frank Dooly.
“Why that little…” She stopped herself before she could get down to the real good stuff. “I’ve got a notion to strap on a six shooter and go get that…mmph!”
“Patty Anne, you got enough to take care of with them two little tykes… you just let me take care of ‘em. If your man wants a piece of ‘em, he can have what’s left over. Otherwise, I’ll just send him the ears…. But tell him to take some time and enjoy his family before he takes to the trail.”
“Shadrac, you’ve done enough… you don’t need to be runnin’ off into those mountains and getting yourself hurt or worse…. Let the law take care of them.”
The sheriff cleared his throat and said, “Ma’am, Cain and I were just talking about that. By the time I mount another posse, that bunch will be in Colorado and out of my jurisdiction. About the only thing I can do is send some civilian volunteers along with Cain. You can bet I’ll send flyers to let the Colorado law know about ‘em, but that’s a slim chance.” Then he asked if I wanted some volunteers.
“Not unless they’re single and too ugly to ever catch a wife…Cause I’d rather not have anybody with me that his mind someplace else…Unless his name is Rubio. But that don’t look likely does it?”
“I’m afraid Rubio’s days on the long trail are slipping past him, Shadrac.” Patty Anne commented with a sigh.
Digging into my shirt pocket, I pulled out the letter that was to give Ben instructions for paying the ransom. It hadn’t been opened. I just took it from Cheese Face’s body folded it and stuck it away. I gave it to her and told her, “You can keep this as a remembrance, or you can toss it in the fire. When I took it off that fella, I had no idea if Ben was gonna have to pay the ransom or not.”
I told them, “If it’s all right with you ma’am, me and Dog will camp out in the bunkhouse with Rafe tonight and get on the trail tomorrow morning before it gets cold.”
“You’re more than welcome to sleep in the main house, Shad. I know we’ve had this discussion before, but the offer still holds.”
“Thank you kindly, Patty Anne, but I’m afraid that old Rafe might be lonely out there with all the rest of the hands gone… but I would like to get a peek at that new little red headed princess.”
She led me and Nelson into a room with two little beds. One was full of a sleeping red headed boy and the other, was a crib that had a tiny red headed baby with her thumb in her mouth. I was just awestruck by those little critters, and uttered something that didn’t sound at all manly. Nelson wasn’t much better, nor was he any more manly.
As we were tiptoeing out the door I heard, “Mithter Cain.” I turned to see that Andy had his eyes barely open.
I went to the bed and asked, “What is it, Amigo?”
“Thank you for finding me.” I ruffled his hair and he went back to sleep.
The sheriff went on back to town, and I went to the bunkhouse to go over my gear and catch a little sleep before suppertime. Rafe Baker had turned the horses into the corral and stripped the saddle from the buckskin. My roan was there in a stall, so I gave him good bait of grain and put some extra in a sack to take along. He seemed happy to see me, but he didn’t say anything. I imagined that he would be getting a little tired of the good life and be ready for the trail. But like I said… he didn’t say anything.
When I finished messing with my horse, I went back to the bunkhouse. Dog was layin’ on the porch waiting for me. I opened the door and he slipped in behind me. I found an empty bunk and unrolled my bedroll on the webbing. By the time my head hit the pillow, I was asleep with Dog on the floor beside me.
The dinner bell was the next thing I heard. Rafe was just washing up for supper. He said, “I reckon that dog must know me by now, he didn’t even growl when I came in.”
“He probably thinks you’re too tough to chew on, or maybe he don’t figure you’d taste all that good.” I washed up and ran my fingers through my hair to keep from scaring the womenfolk.
Maria had outdone herself with chicken enchiladas refried beans and all the peppers a man could wish for. There was something special about putting your feet under the table of a happy woman who loves to cook… everyone was happy again, even Rafe showed a rare smile.
They had put together some supplies for the trail. I told them that I’d take them out with me tonight, so I wouldn’t be bothering them in the morning. Maria, who rarely says much told me, “Señor Chadrac, wheen I see a light een the bunkhouse, I wheel be putting eggs een the skillet and bacon een the pan…. You come and eet!” That was not a suggestion, it was an order, which I would happily obey.
~~~~~ 0 ~~~~~
I didn’t know if it was Dog’s growling or Bakers snoring that woke me, or maybe it was a mixture of both. Whatever it was, I came awake and could hear the sound of horses approaching the ranch yard. Slipping on my boots, I picked up my Winchester, which was standing against the wall close at hand. Opening the door a crack, I looked out and saw a big hombre climbing off of Ben’s big gray gelding.
“Welcome home, Blue, didn’t you get the message?”
“Is that you, Cain? No, I sent my last message from Santa Fe. Espanola was all closed up for the night. I figured to be home before they could get it out here anyway… What was the message?”
“Well, we got the boy back. He was a little dirty and a might gamey, but he weren’t no worse for wear.”
“You go on in and say howdy to your wife… and I’ll see you in the mornin’…. Go on… I’ll take care of these horses.”
~~~~~ 0 ~~~~~
Being well after midnight when Ben rode in, I didn’t figure on him being up at the crack of dawn. So I waited around and enjoyed another helping of ham and eggs. A man born to live his life in wild country doesn’t often get such luxuries. Well I’m a man that never passes up such an opportunity.
The sun was climbing up the shoulder of that big blanco mountain due east of the hacienda when Ben hauled his sorry looking self into the kitchen. He sat down to a heaping plate of the same fare I’d just finished. He thanked me over and over, but I told him, I’d count on him when one of my youngens gets taken away.
He smiled a sly little grin and said, “When do you figure that’s gonna be… just so I’ll know to be available.”
“Cain, Patty Anne told me you’re ridin’ after that bunch… Give me a couple of hours and I’ll be ready to go.”
“No sir, I reckon your family needs you more here than I need you on the trail. You ain’t in no shape for it right now. Give yourself a couple of days or even a week, and then see how you feel about it. I’ll leave you plenty of sign. So you won’t get yourself lost out there in the woods.”
“Besides I got Dog, and he’s got a much better nose than you have… You know, that critter led me right to a spot where your boy stood and peed on a tree. I doubt that you could do that.” Maria found that to be fairly funny.
I went ahead and told him how to get to the cabin up on Blackmon’s Creek. That would be my starting point and I’d work out their trail from there. He knew the creek, and the valley running north to south where Jimmer was shot.
As I was scooting back from the table I told him, “That’s a fine boy you got, he’s about as tough as whang leather. He can ride anything that wears hair if it’s named Dusty, and he never cried once…. Seriously, was I you, I’d stay close to home for a bit. That bunch could be a bit vengeful.”
Patty Anne and the youngens came into the kitchen as I had my hand on the door latch. The little fella started waving and called out, “Bye bye, Mithter Cain.”
I waved back to him and said to his pa, “Don’t worry about bein’ in a big hurry. If you don’t make it in time, I’ll save you their ears.”
> Closing the door, I heard Patty Anne ask, “Ben, he wouldn’t really take their ears… Would he?”
“Na, he’s just funnin’…. Or at least…. I don’t think he would.”
Chapter 7
Me, Dog, and the roan turned up Blackmon’s Creek and crossed over to the north bank at the place where old Jimmer had been gunned down. Before I went up to the cabin, I scouted for tracks leading up the north to south valley but found nothing new. So I rode east toward the cabin.
I avoided the overhang where I’d camped in the rain, mainly because that fella’s body was unburied and it might set up a pretty potent aroma. And there was the outside chance that his ghost might be hanging around, and I didn’t desire any company.
That was part of the reason I had persuaded Blue to stay with the family. Oh I was sincere in all I’d said, but I work alone… always have for the most part. I don’t mind company as long as I don’t have something important going on. Blue is by no means a pilgrim, he can get along in wild country as well as the best, but I would worry about getting him or anybody killed and be too cautious.
Furthermore, that bunch had got my dander up by coming along and stealing that little kid from his mama. Even if it hadn’t been the son of a good friend, I’d have still been on the warpath. And the way they shot down that harmless old Jimmer, well that was just the icing on the cake.
They say that man is the top critter on earth. We have big old brains that make us smarter than all the rest. But sometimes those brains get us to thinking down the wrong trails. When that brain starts a person to thinking they can do what they want because it’s what they want no matter who it hurts…well it just gets me steamed.
Besides all that, I rode into Blue’s ranch yard thinking only of setting my feet under Maria’s table, but they’d made me change my plans. One of the things I never really got accustomed to really good cooking. Ma died when I was young, and Granny only knew two ways of cooking… burnt and chard. After she was gone, Pa and me just kinda made do to keep our bones covered.