At that moment, the saloon doors swung open and an angry, retired, Irish first sergeant marched through the door. “What’s this I hear about me bonnie sister being insulted on the streets of this town by that blackguard Bull Westin?”
“That’s been took care of, Pat—and plenty well it was,” Cecil Starit spoke up from behind the bar. “This here friend of yours, Major Josh Logan, took it upon hisself to pummel Westin to a bloody pulp. He posted Westin out of town, then he all but called Ruffcarn a rustler. Mighty pleased was I to hear the likes of what I heard. And him just as cool and calm as a summer’s evening.”
First Sergeant O’Reilly turned to Logan, “It’s in your debt I am. If there’s ever a thing you need of me, it’s yours. ‘Tis a sad thing that I couldn’t have taken part or at least seen the action.
“But now I have a piece of news. I no longer call the U.S. Cavalry home. Today I’m me own man and ready to go to work for you. The Colonel even gave me my favorite horse as a retirement gift.”
“Congratulations, Pat. That’s little enough for the years of service that you’ve given this country. You deserve it. It’s good to be working with you again.
“Now let’s get to planning. I want to find those cattle and get them returned to Mr. Nance. Next, I must find out what Ruffcarn is up to. I know he wants the ranch, but I’d like to know why and how he’s planning to do it.”
Ruffcarn stomped into the King 7 Saloon. “Gimme a drink!” he yelled at Bartholf. Bartholf was a huge man. Ruffcarn had known him for many years—not as a friend, but as an enforcer for Pierce. The man’s arms were the size of most men’s thighs. His white shirt was sorely tested trying keep those shoulders contained, but today Ruffcarn was enraged over his talk with Logan. He kicked one chair out of the way, stomped across the saloon, and pulled up another at Pierce’s table.
Pierce pulled at the bottom of his black vest and smoothed the brim of his black, wide-brimmed felt hat. He watched with unblinking dark eyes as Ruffcarn dropped into his chair.
Bartholf brought a drink over to Ruffcarn, set it down, and walked slowly back to the bar.
“Bring me that blasted bottle,” Ruffcarn yelled, slamming the empty glass on the table.
“You’ve worked yourself into a mighty hefty mad, Ruffcarn.” Pierce said. He pulled a small silver knife from his vest pocket, where it was held by a delicate silver chain. With the steady hands of a surgeon, he began to methodically clean his fingernails. “You have a reason, or is this just your day for mad?”
Ruffcarn’s head shot up at Pierce’s remark. He grabbed the bottle out of the huge hands of Bartholf and poured himself another drink, sloshing some onto the table. “Don’t needle me, Pierce. I’m not in the mood for it. I’ve just come from talking to a dead man. He don’t know it yet, but he’s already got a plot in his name up on Boot Hill. He’s gonna find out he can’t shoot his mouth off at Jake Ruffcarn and live to talk about it.”
“Jake, before you start talking about a dead man, you better make sure he can’t shoot something else besides his mouth, or you might end up with dirt in your face,” Pierce said and smiled. The smile never moved above his mouth. It showed perfect white teeth below a drooping handlebar mustache. His eyes remained as cold as a Texas blue norther.
“I surmise you must be referring to this Josh Logan. From what I’ve heard, you might be rousting out the wrong man. He doesn’t appear to be a man who takes too kindly to being pushed.”
Ruffcarn glared at Pierce. “He’s working for Nance. He’s taken a job as his foreman. So how does that grab you—partner?”
“Keep your voice down, Ruffcarn,” Pierce snapped. The silver knife stopped for a moment, then slowly started working on the next nail. “We had an agreement, and I expect you to keep it. I don’t want anyone to know we’re partners, at least not yet. You shoot your mouth off like that again and you’ll have more trouble than Josh Logan. You understand me?”
Ruffcarn sat back slightly in his chair. The whiskey was doing its work. He was starting to relax. He realized the mistake he’d made with Pierce. This was definitely not a man to cross.
He’d known Pierce for a long time. They’d been in business before in New Orleans. He couldn’t say they were friends; men like Wesley Pierce didn’t have friends, but they did work well together, at least as long as they didn’t cross each other.
Pierce was slick, but Ruffcarn had always felt he was smarter than Pierce. Maybe that was why Pierce had stuck with him for so long. This deal was shaping up to be the best they’d ever done. His partner was right. For now, they needed to make sure there was no obvious business connection between them.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Ruffcarn said. “Logan got under my hide like a festered mesquite thorn. Plus, I've been in this forsaken dust bowl for a year, and you just showed when the fort opened.”
Pierce closed his silver knife, curled his long fingers toward himself, and examined his fingernails. He slipped the knife back into his vest pocket. “I know you’ve been out here for a while, but this is going to pay off big for us. So get a grip on yourself, and let’s talk. If Logan is working for Nance, that puts a whole new light on things. You’re right in that he needs to be stopped, and stopped quickly. Maybe you ought to sic Bull on him.”
“Bull? He isn’t looking too good after the beating he got from Logan.”
Pierce adjusted his vest again before answering. “He doesn’t have to look good to squeeze the trigger on that Sharps. Just get him out of town and let him finish off Logan while he’s headed back to the ranch. That way it could have just as well been Comanches.”
Ruffcarn thought for a moment, then said, “That would work. I was thinking we have Bankes brace Logan as he comes out of the saloon today. Bull could be standing by as insurance.”
“Jake, why take the chance? Logan could be faster than Bankes. I doubt it, but he could be. In that case, you’d lose Bankes.”
“Yes but—”
“And,” Pierce continued, “if Bull kills him away from town, no one is the wiser—no questions and no investigations.”
Bull Westin was sitting at a table in a dark corner of the saloon, working on his third drink. The doctor had sewn up his nose, but it would never be the same. Bull’s labored breathing could be heard from across the room.
“If you send Bull out as if he’s leaving town, he can wait in those scrub oaks south of town. All he has to do is determine which direction Logan is going when he leaves, get ahead of him, find the right spot, and boom, your troubles are over.” Pierce smiled his icy smile again.
Ruffcarn thought for a moment. Pierce was slick. It would never do to have him for an enemy. This plan had merit. If something happened to Logan on the way back to the Rocking N, it would get blamed on the Comanches. Also, Logan was a Yankee. With the exception of Penny and that Irish bartender, he wouldn’t be missed. Penny was just a drifter, so he didn’t count at all. As far as Starit, they would have to deal with him sooner or later, but there was no rush.
“That’s a good idea, Wesley. When do you think we should do it?”
“Well, Jake, what’s that old saying, ‘there’s no time like the present?’” What say we get it done right now?”
Ruffcarn leaned back and looked over at Bull in the corner. “Bull, if you’re feeling up to it, why don’t you join us.”
Bull Westin stood and shuffled over to the table, dropping into a chair with a groan.
“Have a drink, Bull,” Ruffcarn said, leaning over and filling Bull’s glass. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve sure felt better, Mr. Ruffcarn, I surely have.”
“Bull, I’m concerned about you. Logan told me to tell you to get out of this country or he’d kill you.” Ruffcarn shook his head in sympathy. “Why, it just doesn’t seem fair to beat a man up, and, after he’s beaten, post him out of the country. It just doesn’t seem right.”
“I ain’t leaving, Mr. Ruffcarn. That is, not unless you say I must.”
“I�
�m sure not going to tell you to leave, Bull. But I’d hate to see Logan gun you down.”
“He ain’t gonna do that, Mr. Ruffcarn.” Bull wiped gingerly at his nose. “Not if I get him first.”
Jake Ruffcarn rubbed his chin, contemplating Bull’s last statement. “Why, Bull, that might be a good idea. But Logan could be mighty fast with a gun, and though I know you’re good with your fists, you may be no match for Logan.”
Bull’s attempted smile turned into a grimace, showing his broken teeth. “Mr. Ruffcarn, it would pleasure me something fierce to blow a .52 caliber hole through that blue-belly’s brain pan.”
“That would do us all some good. Why don’t you wait outside of town, figure which way he’s going. Then you can get well ahead of him, and … well you know what to do after that. Just make it quite a ways from town. If Logan disappears, they’ll blame it on the Comanches.”
Bull shoved his chair back and stood. “Reckon I’ll just get goin’ then, Mr. Ruffcarn.”
“You do that, Bull,” Jake Ruffcarn said as Bull shuffled out the back door of the saloon.
“That’s that. All we have to do is wait.”
“We’ll see,” Pierce said. “We’ll just see.”
Chapter 10
Logan and O’Reilly joined Scott Penny at his table.
“There’s two things we need to do fast,” Josh said as he was sitting down. “First, we need to reinforce the Rocking N. Right now Mr. Nance has only two hands and Juan Alvarez working for him. He’s a retired ranger, and I’ve a strong feeling that Alvarez can be a real catamount. So those two men, even though they’ve a mite of age on ‘em, are powerful protection for the ranch. But the three of us added to that crew will only make seven. With the Comanches and Ruffcarn, I figure we need at least two more men.
“The other thing we need to do is find those rustled cattle. I know they could already be out of the country, but I’ve got a hunch that they’re stashed somewhere on, or close to, the ranch. There’s at least 300 head missing. At ten dollars a head, that’s over three thousand dollars. That’s a big loss for the ranch, and we need to find them and get them back pronto.”
Scott Penny leaned back in his chair, balanced on the back two legs, pushed his hat back, and said, “I might be able to help on both counts. If they're still there, I know some boys down Brownwood way who were looking for work a while back. Good men who ride for the brand. If you like, I could ride down there after we get back to the ranch and see if they might still be looking.”
Josh nodded. “Tell Mr. Nance what you’re doing and that I said it was okay and head on down there. And Scott, we’re not looking for gunslingers. We’re looking for good cowboys who aren’t afraid of a fight. I don’t want any professional killers working for the Rocking N, and I know Mr. Nance won’t stand for it.”
“Boss, these are good boys. They sure as shootin’ aren’t afraid of a fight, but they know how to work cattle. Now there might be three of them there. Are you up to hiring that many?”
“No more than three. If they’re riding together, so much the better. Men work better when they work with friends.”
O’Reilly sat quietly, listening to the conversation.
“Boss, I’ve also got an idea where those cows might be. Now not sayin’ I haven’t thrown a wide loop once or twice, but I had nothin’ to do with rustlin’ Rocking N stock.” Scott stopped for a moment.
Josh gave Scott a steady look and said, “I believe you, Scott. If I hadn’t already made up my mind about you, we wouldn’t be talking right now.”
Scott nodded and continued, “There’s a place over on Pecan Bayou; nice little flat with good grass and water in the creek. It’s way over on the northeast side of the Nance ranch, and with the few hands they have, nobody ever goes up there. I heard some of the boys talking and I’d bet that’s where they’ve got ‘em stashed.”
“Okay,” Josh said, “here’s what we’ll do. Pat, here’s a list of supplies. You and Scott get a rig from Tiny. Get it loaded up with the supplies and head for the ranch. I’m going to talk to Colonel Sturgis while you and Scott are loading up. Then we’ll meet for lunch at the Diehl’s and be on our way.
“By the way, Pat, is there anything I should know about the colonel?”
Pat nodded. “A good man he is, Josh. A graduate from the Academy. He made Brevet Brigadier General in the war. He’s a career cavalry man, devoted to his country and his men.”
“That surprises me. He’s been buying all of his beef and horses from Ruffcarn. I suspected there might be something between the two.”
“No chance of that,” O’Reilly said. “He’s an honest man; a tough man, but an honest one.”
“Okay. Thanks, Pat. I’ll approach him a little differently than I had planned. Anything else?”
Both O’Reilly and Penny shook their heads no.
“We’re burning daylight, so let’s get moving,” Josh said, as he pushed back his chair and stood.
O’Reilly and Penny stood as Josh did, and they started for the door together.
“Thanks, Cecil,” Josh said, as he strode for the swinging doors.
“Aye, a pleasure it is. You boys keep your peepers open. That Ruffcarn is a bad man and doesn’t much like losing,” Cecil Starit said as the three walked to the doors.
“Save some of that sweet rye whiskey for me return, there, Cecil. I’ll be back before you know it,” said O’Reilly as he went through the door.
“Boss,” Scott said, nodding toward the south side of town. “Looks like Bull took you at your word.”
Josh watched Bull Westin ride out of town. “I hope so. I don’t like the man, but I prefer to kill no man.”
“Aye, that I understand. But it’s an open eye you best keep. For that man is a back-shooter if ever I saw one and, in me humble opinion, begs for killing,” O’Reilly said, then spat into the dirt.
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Josh said as he started toward the fort headquarters. Scott and Pat walked down to the livery stable to pick up the wagon Tiny was holding for them.
Josh mulled over the plans for the day and for the next few days or weeks. Hopefully it wouldn’t be weeks. Now, late into August, if he didn't leave soon, Callum would be out there by himself. His brother was a good man, but with the two of them working together, they might get all of the building done before the major storms started blowing in. Chancy and he would have to push it to make it there before the cold set in, even if they left now. It was going to be a race against time, to find the cattle and block Ruffcarn’s plans to take the Rocking N, but however long it took, he would find those cattle and stop Ruffcarn. Callum would understand.
Josh, out of habit, removed his hat as he walked into the newly built administration building and stepped up to the Sergeant’s desk.
“Josh Logan to see Colonel Sturgis.”
“What’s your business with the colonel?” the sergeant asked, as he looked the big man over. His gaze momentarily stopped at the calvary issue hat, trousers, and boots that Josh wore.
“Who is it, Sergeant,” boomed a voice from the back office.
The sergeant came to his feet and moved to the door of the colonel’s office.
“Sir, a Mr. Josh Logan to see the colonel.”
“Well, don’t keep him waiting, man. Send him in.”
“Yes Sir,” the sergeant replied. “You can see the colonel now.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Josh said as he entered the office.
Colonel Sturgis rose to his feet, stepped around his desk, and extended his hand. “You must be Major Logan. A pleasure to meet you. First Sergeant O’Reilly has told me much about you.”
Josh shook the extended hand. “Nice to meet you, Colonel. But it’s no longer Major, just Josh or Logan.”
Josh made a quick appraisal of Colonel Sturgis. The silver leaves on his shoulder boards indicated he was a lieutenant colonel. Sturgis carried command well. His dark, curly hair, mustache, and goatee rode on a confident leader. He didn’
t look like a man that would deal in shady practices, and O’Reilly liked and trusted him. That carried weight.
“Have a seat,” Colonel Sturgis offered as he returned to his chair behind the cluttered desk.
“So, Josh, what brings you to Texas? It’s certainly a great distance from Michigan.”
“Yes, sir, it is. My home is actually Tennessee. I enlisted to serve with the 6th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry when it was formed in Grand Rapids. Currently I’m on my way to Colorado. Hoping to start my own ranch there.”
“Interesting. I heard of a Captain Josh Logan with the 6th Michigan in reference to the Battle of Cedar Creek. Might that be you?”
“I was there; can’t speak to what you heard.”
“Major Logan, what I heard spoke to your exceptional leadership in thwarting Early’s attack.”
“Thank you, Colonel. I was only following orders. A lot more men than just me stopped General Early.”
“Well, have it your way. I heard your actions were aggressive and exceptional. If I remember correctly, you received the promotion to major after that action. Congratulations. Now what can I do for you?”
“Colonel, I mentioned I’m headed to Colorado. This, I hope will be only a short detour. A good friend lost his life while saving mine in the Cedar Creek battle. Before he died, he asked me to take a message to his family. That was my initial reason for being here.
“Have you heard of Bill Nance?” Josh asked.
“I have. He owns the Rocking N ranch south of here. Good operation, from what I hear. I believe he was a ranger for quite a few years.”
“That’s him. It was his son who was killed at Cedar Creek protecting me.”
“He supported the Union?” Colonel Sturgis asked. His eyebrows lifted and his head moved slightly forward.
“He did. Mr. Nance gave his son for it, not to mention the loss of friends. He’s asked me to be his foreman until the rustling matter is cleared up.”
“Rustling? I’ve not heard of any major rustling taking place around here. Certainly there’s a cow or two taken now and then, specially by the Comanche, but that’s all that’s reached my ears.”
Logan's Word: A Logan Family Western - Book 1 (Logan Family Western Series) Page 8