Valley of Bones

by Dusty Richards

  He turned around and sat on the floor, his back against the bed, as tears rolled down his cheeks. How long did she fight to stay alive to tell him all that? The door opened the door, and Lisa stood in the doorway. Seeing Chet, she broke into tears.

  “She’s gone, isn’t she?”

  “Yes.”

  He struggled up. Then he hugged her. “She was such a star in my life. I should never have left her.”

  “No.” She pushed him back a little. “She knew how many important things you do for all of us. She never wanted or expected you to stay behind. When I told her I was sending for you, she told me not to bother you, that you had things to do and your men needed you. But I couldn’t stand for her to die without her talking to you—”

  She burst into bawling. Chet pulled her to him, her tears soaking his shirt. “I sent for you anyway.”

  “You did the right thing. She told me what I must do with my life.”

  “I have it on paper, too. She was afraid she’d slip away before you came.”

  The doctor came in and took her pulse. “I am sorry, Chet. I can’t tell you what took her. Could we do an autopsy and maybe have an answer? I know that is cruel sounding but it might tell us more.”

  “She would want that for other women.”

  The doctor covered her up. “Will you tell all the ladies or should I?”

  “I will.”

  “They will appreciate that.”

  He nodded at the tearful Lisa, and she opened the door.

  He raised his arms. “Let us pray.”

  He got on his knees with all of them. “Join hands for strength. We need each other’s strength this afternoon.”

  “Our father in heaven, we thank you for my lovely wife’s strength. Our time together was way too short, but it made for many brilliant days sharing our lives together. From her wading in the Santa Cruz River, to driving the herd of cattle to Ogallala that summer with the lost black cowboys we found. Lord, we shared miles of stage lines, telegraph wires strung, and ranches built. Even Washington, D.C. Today we are sending you this magnificent woman for you to hold in your palm and protect. Thank you, God, for the job she did convincing other women to find better lives. They did, and they, too, have lost a good friend. But we have fine memories that will carry us forward as she would want us to do. Bless her, sir, for all of us—Amen.”

  He rose to his feet and began hugging and thanking each wet-eyed woman for their support of Liz.

  He told Lisa and Val, after people had left, that the funeral would be in two days, because the doctor wanted an autopsy, which might tell them why she died. They agreed.

  He thanked them. And then he rode back with Lisa and Val to the ranch.

  The house was silent save for Josey’s tears when she learned the sad news. Chet dragged himself aimlessly around until he finally went to bed only to toss, turn, and wake up many times. Elizabeth was dead.

  Lisa woke him before dawn and she was crying again.

  She collapsed on the bed and he had to hold the telegram up to the faint light to read it.

  MIGUEL IS DEAD. SHOT BY ARNOLD’S MEN. ARNOLD ESCAPED. WE DON’T KNOW WHERE. WE SHOT AND CAPTURED ALL HIS MEN. FOUND THE RIFLE. SPENCER AND I AND THE OTHERS DID ALL WE COULD. WE ARE BRINGING HIS BODY BACK. I HOPE YOU DID BETTER. JESUS

  “Lisa—I am so sorry. He was such a brave man. I will personally find this Arnold and have him hung.”

  “Chet, he was doing what he loved. Riding with you. Making plans for the future and this ranch. He could read and understood so many things after riding with you. That was his life. That was what he wanted to do.”

  “But it does not make it any easier. Girl, we both lost a good part of our lives. I want Liz buried in the Catholic cemetery. Wouldn’t Miguel want to buried there, too?”

  “No. Where will they bury you someday?”

  “I haven’t thought much about that. Why?”

  “I know him well. He’d want to be buried near you. He came up here from Mexico, and you made him important. Rose up from being a peon in his homeland to being a U.S. Marshal. Put him near your final resting place.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Please, can you hold me? I remember coming here with you, and your wife told me she couldn’t think of a better place for me, and what a better person I would be if I listened to and learned from her. I did that, thanks to her. She gave me the strength to trust Miguel. I had started my life over. She told me how I should act with him. When I said that I was soiled, she told me that I didn’t smell soiled. We laughed at that. Then she told me that that would be a new day in my life. That things might not work with this man, but that I should act like a real woman, not a hand-me-down or someone who has to accept just anyone. She told me that if he was worth anything he would have to respect me and if he did I would have a real good man. He did that.

  “We have no children. Your wife wasn’t the only one. Maybe God planned it that way?”

  “You had some good pages in your life. We will find more. I hope you stay and care for my house like you did before. But if you find it is too hard I will understand and you may leave.”

  “I fear I am much like he was. Even as your housekeeper, I want to be around you.”

  “Lisa, I thank you.”

  “Chet, you’ve lost a wife a few years ago, how did you recover?”

  “Not easily. Being busy helps. I went off and buried myself in the border problems. That’s when Liz came along.”

  “I heard her story. She wanted a gold horse and came by to see a U.S. Marshal camped at a ranch.”

  “And we had the last supper on Santa Cruz River. It was pretty. I gave her a bath. She and I made love in a hay pile—so every time I smelled hay—”

  “I’m sorry—but it was a pretty story.”

  “I have the memories. My first wife paid my expenses all over town until I made her take the money back. Besides I was engaged to Rocky’s mom back in Texas, but I came back and wanted to go look at some new country. She came camping with me. Susie said that she wouldn’t do that, but she did. I married her to save her reputation. Liz wanted to meet me at the border. I was going to send Jesus to get her. Maria, the woman at the ranch, told me if it were her, she’d go back home if someone else came to get her. So I went. I nearly messed up both times.”

  Lisa smiled. “You have some good pages in your book, too.”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me about the lost herd sometime. Your bath will be ready in ten minutes. Breakfast in thirty.”

  Josey ate breakfast with him. Raphael came to talk after he finished.

  “I am sorry I was not there. Miguel was far too good a boy to lose,” Chet said.

  “He had been your shield. You’d have felt worse. That young man was right where he wanted to be, and he would’ve made a helluva good foreman. They will be back to tell what happened. Lisa said he would like to be buried by me.”

  “That would be great.”

  “I am having Liz buried in the Catholic cemetery.”

  “Yes, and Miguel would be honored to be with you.”

  “We will decide where when we need to.”

  “You are going to be all right?”

  “I guess I have to be. Now, four women have died in my thirty-five years.”

  “That is bad odds.”

  “Yes. And now we have to look for the man you want to replace him.” They shook hands.

  Damn, he hated that Miguel was dead. He liked him like another brother, this man from Mexico who made himself strong—from a simple worker, who walked many hot miles to rise above his birth, to becoming a lawman.

  He finally slept, only to wake for no reason at all in a panic. And there was no wife in his bed to hug or love. He felt empty.

  The next day he found Lisa crying.

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  She raised her head. “No, I am just feeling sorry for myself.”

  “You are entitled to that, but it only makes it worse.
Trust me.”

  “Maybe I will take up knitting. They say it can help.” She blew her nose in a handkerchief.

  He pulled her up to her feet. “Go take a hot bath. That helps some.”

  “I can try that. When will they be back—”

  “Maybe today.”

  She nodded and patted his arm. “I will get better.”

  They came back like a badly defeated army. Raphael immediately took Miguel’s body to the funeral home.

  Jesus’s wife was there, and they hugged in the yard. Fred and Josey cried together.

  Lucinda and Spencer held each other and shook their heads. Val was there, with Rocky, to support Chet.

  Jesus came over.

  Chet asked him, “What happened?”

  “We ran into a wall of fire. They were waiting for us.”

  “How could they have been warned we were coming?” Chet asked

  “I don’t know. We didn’t even get inside the yard before they went to shooting at us. Miguel was shot three times. No one else was hit on our side and we got all of them, finally. But Arnold had fled. When we searched the house, we found the rifle we have been looking for. I didn’t expect a trap.”

  “I wouldn’t have, either. He is the first one we have lost. Arnold didn’t leave any addresses or papers saying where he might have gone.”

  “No.”

  “I hate this for Lisa.”

  “Everyone—we all hate for her and you. Tomorrow is the funeral.”

  “I got back in time for her to hold on long enough to tell me to live my life. Lisa wrote down things she selected for me to do if I didn’t get back in time.”

  “They know why she died?”

  “They are doing an autopsy today. Maybe they’ll find something. I don’t know.”

  “I am taking Anita home. We will be at the funeral and Miguel’s will be the next day?”

  “Yes. And, Jesus, know that I don’t blame you for anything. It could have been either one of us shot there, too. All I know is that I want Arnold caught.”

  Jesus nodded.

  He went back to the empty house and sat down in a chair. When Josey woke him, he found that he had actually slept through the night.

  “You need to get dressed, so we can leave for the funeral.”

  He nodded and went upstairs to get ready.

  * * *

  Chet rode in the buckboard with Val and Cole. His son Rocky sat with him in the second seat.

  “Dad, I know Liz can’t ride with me anymore. Could you find me another riding partner?”

  “Rocky, don’t ask your dad questions today,” Val said to him.

  “He’s fine, Val. I’ll find another rider to ride with you, son. I promise.”

  “Liz was pretty nice to do that.”

  “She was wonderful, and she loved us both.”

  He bobbed his head in agreement.

  Chet knew she’d rode with Rocky around the orchards, but he had no idea how often. More than he’d imagined, he now thought. He would find another to share his son’s passion for riding. Who could it be?

  At the church, many people waited to tell him how sorry they were. Hampt took it harder than May. Tom and Millie were distraught over it. The priest did a good job.

  Somehow he managed to get through the service but it wrenched him inside out—Liz was dead, and he would not be able to share his life with her anymore. Why had he not noticed her weakening? Perhaps he had been gone too much? Was that it? Was it neglect? Hell, he didn’t know. He had no answers.

  For the first time in years, he wanted a bottle of whiskey to numb himself. His brain danced around like a dust devil blowing around the open plains. He now had to face the raw world without her. His mind traveled back to when his first wife fell off her mount. The fall had broken her neck. And there were others. Tomorrow Miguel, a good man, would be another to bury. Damn. When would the sad things stop piling on top of him? It was all so bad.

  He went to bed early but tossed and turned. With sleep not coming, he sat up in the dark and tried to plan his future without Liz. That did no good. In exhaustion he finally fell asleep.

  Josey made breakfast and told him that Lisa was all right. She and Fred were taking her to the funeral.

  Fred, Spencer, who had just arrived, and Chet ate breakfast together and told Chet, again, what happened when they went to arrest Arnold.

  “It was like Jesus said. We rode into the yard in the predawn, and as we spread out they opened fire. There were five of them waiting for us. We had a running gunfight and Miguel went down. We tried to get to him but there was too much shooting. Our shots began to take a toll, and when there was no more shooting, we ran to him, but he was dead when we got there,” Spencer said.

  “How could they have been warned?” Chet asked.

  “We never found out. They fought to their deaths. We found the rifle in the house. Arnold didn’t know we had the serial numbers or I’d bet he’d never left it. But he was gone. He may have even been gone before we arrived. We stacked them in the house and burned them all, so we had no way of knowing who they were or if they were wanted or not.

  “We all took it hard—Miguel’s death and the fact Arnold escaped.”

  “I had no doubt that you all did everything right. When things get settled, some of us will go find him. Arnold will leave this world. What did you think of what was left of the ranch?”

  “You interested in it?” Spencer asked.

  “It is in our region. Heaven knows how many cattle he has. I’ll sic Bo onto finding out what he can if he already doesn’t know anything.”

  “The main house has been leveled.”

  “We’ve built houses from the bottom up.”

  Spencer nodded. “I just want you to know Jesus did a good job and so did all of us. Miguel simply got caught in their line of fire.”

  “I have so much on my mind. I sat up last night trying to think of what I can and will do. Nothing came to mind. I thought my life was set with her. I didn’t see it coming. Perhaps I didn’t want to. Oh, I’ll live, and I know I have to get over it. She held death off long enough to tell me to go on.”

  “You will.

  “Lucinda is staying home with the kids, so I will be by to get you before lunchtime,” Spencer told Chet.

  “Is eleven all right?”

  “Fine. The funeral is at two.”

  After breakfast, and after Spencer had left, he went and took a bath and shaved. Then, dressed, he read the Miner newspaper. Lisa came by to check on him. On his feet, he hugged her lightly. “I hope I can give you strength for today.”

  “You will, and you already do. I hope you aren’t mad about me deciding to have Miguel placed in your cemetery.”

  “No. Not mad. I really liked him. He was a third arm to me. I completely agree he should be there.”

  “Thank you. This will be the longest day in my life. Second only to the day you started back to here with me in tow. I thought I’d lose my mind being dragged off to Arizona. But it was the start of my new real life and one I cherish.”

  “Good. You know we can talk, anytime?”

  “I know that. You had it bad yesterday, and I simply don’t want to drag you down even more, today.”

  “I promise I won’t let it happen.”

  The funeral was as sad as the day before. All the ranch help came in their white clothing. The Catholic church was full of families. Babies cried and there were many wet eyes. All stayed for the graveside services.

  The priest knew how much the Byrnes family did for their people, and if he had problems, Chet, or someone from one of the ranches close by, quietly fixed it for him, so he, himself, had no problem with where Miguel would rest.

  The father told them this was Miguel’s place—to someday be near his boss. Lots of heads bobbed in approval. No one complained.

  Chet went there with Spencer, but decided to ride home with Cole. They talked about the cattle. The young bulls were busy catching the open cows. Calving in la
te May wouldn’t hurt anything. He liked April and early May but those dates could be backed up in years to come.

  They would always remember that Miguel had shown them how to tell if a cow was bred or not.

  * * *

  They had a quiet meal at the house.

  Lisa came to Chet, hugged him, and thanked him for all he had done, then said, “I want to keep my job.”

  “I had no other plans but that.”

  “That is good.”

  “Don’t let yourself become insecure. The ranches are here. This house is here. I need you here.”

  “Fine. I know I will be better in time.”

  “Life is for the living. Remember that. We can’t bring them back and we have the hard part—rebuilding without them. Rocky asked me yesterday to find him a new riding partner. I guess she rode with him often?”

  “When you were gone, even as she grew weaker, Liz went with him almost every day.”

  “Well, we will find someone to ride with him.”

  “He is so grown up. I can’t believe he starts school in a few weeks. The ranch children will look after him. They already include him in a lot of the things they do.”

  “Good, and I will also pay him more attention.”

  Lisa excused herself as the day finally pressed down too hard on her and she found herself crying. He hoped that she didn’t revert to her old ways over the loss of her husband. She had been doing so well.

  * * *

  When Lisa left, Chet made sure everyone at the house had rides home, keeping Bo and his banker aside. He then told Bo to look up Arnold’s ranch, see what he could find out, and if it was available. Then he asked his banker, Tennant, if there was anything that the banker knew about Mac Arnold and the ranch.

  Tennant said, “With him gone, I bet there are bankers that would like a portion of their money back, so you might be able to get it. Why would you want it?”

  “Good. I want to know because where it’s at, that place will almost touch the train tracks, and with the train coming sometime, it will make the price of it soar. If we can beat anyone to it, we can make some money on it.”

  Bo promised, “I will have info on it in ten days. My wife sent her blessings to you. She could not come with me yesterday or today. She is very close to having our baby.”