She laughed all the way down the lane to the house. “Thank God, you haven’t given up on me.”
“I won’t. We may get some rain this afternoon. Clouds gathering and all.”
“Good, we can hide out and be by ourselves.”
“Amen.”
CHAPTER 18
The next morning at breakfast, Chet was already at the table when Liz joined him.
“Are you going to get those women food today?”
“Yes, they stayed here last night. And we can get what they need today when we get them moved.”
“Good idea.”
He went out and spoke to Raphael and they squatted on their boot heels to talk. The land prep for the frijoles planting next spring was complete. They’d leveled it into borders, and Chet felt they were on the right track. The pipe project to water it came next. A young man from Preskitt had surveyed and staked it out for them.
“I think we can water it alright,” Raphael said.
“That will be a big savings for us if it works.”
Raphael laughed. “Vaqueros are like cowboys, they don’t like to grub sagebrush.”
Amused, Chet agreed. “How many bulls do you need for next year?”
“Twelve?”
“I’ll have to find them and get them here.”
“That would make all my bulls either Shorthorn or Hereford.”
The cool wind that swept through, moving a few pieces of trash along, reminded him they would soon be having winter. The two men squatted around the corner of the white-washed barn, out of the breeze.
“Winter is coming.”
Raphael nodded. “I am so grateful to have this job. Cold weather never bothers me anymore. We will have a good celebration tonight. Gracias.”
“You and your people are an important part of the ranches. Thank you, mi amigo.”
He went back to the house, kissed his wife seated at the table on the cheek, and stole his boy from Rhea so she could eat. Then he went in the living room with him in his arms, talking to him about Raphael needing more bulls. Finding good bulls for all the ranches was a constant demand on Tom. Even he wondered where they could get more of them—Arizona without rails was like an island. Besides, the Southern Pacific’s effort to get across New Mexico to reach Arizona was weak. It would take a long time to get to the northern part of the state covered by a rail connection.
After breakfast, they loaded the women and children, a sullen outfit despite the fact that Raphael’s cook had fed them supper the night before and breakfast that morning. They’d slept in a clean warehouse and no one had hustled them. He knew they, no doubt, figured their men couldn’t easily contact them in town. But that was not his fault. Warrants had been sworn out with the sheriff for the ones that shot at his men.
Raphael had a wagonload of wood to go with them to town that morning. Jesus planned to take the lead woman to get the groceries and get back after noon. So it looked like that bunch was all set. And the ranch women, as he called them, the wives of the employees, were hustling around getting ready for the fandango.
Liz and Jimenez worked the golden colts on lunge lines. The young man had really worked them while they were gone, and when they got back, she was proud of his progress.
When she worked the colts, Chet could see how far they’d progressed. He could have watched her every move, working the two and so involved, but he left to check on the books. Millie had come up and worked on them. Everything looked current and well done—his operations were doing great. He needed to get Liz involved, but so far things looked good.
Jesus was back in mid-afternoon. The women had food and were settled, so that was over. Cole and Valerie came back with him, ready for the big fandango. Valerie kissed Chet on the cheek and thanked him for her husband being home for a few days.
Late in the afternoon, a wire came from the marshal’s office in Tucson.
CHET
I HAD WORD YOU WERE BACK HOME.
A GANG HELD UP THE ARIZONA
NATIONAL BANK IN THATCHER TWO
DAYS AGO. THREE MEN. TWO DESCRIBED
AS ARMY DESERTERS AND A BREED
NAMED LOGAN BLUE WERE DESCRIBED
AS THE GANG MEMBERS. THERE MAY
BE TWO OTHERS INVOLVED, BUT WE
HAVE NO NAMES OR FACES. THE TOWN
MARSHAL TOBY HANKS THINKS TWO
MEN CASED THE PLACE BEFORE THE
ROBBERY WAS HELD. THEY STOLE
OVER TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE
UNUSUAL LARGE SUM WAS THERE FOR
SOME PAYROLLS. THE LAW THERE
THINKS THEY HAD INSIDE HELP AS
WELL. THE POSSE LOST TRACK OF
THEM IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS. BUT
THEY SUSPECT THEY WENT NORTH.
COULD YOU MOVE THAT WAY AND
LEARN ANYTHING? I KNOW IT WILL BE
A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK SITUATION,
BUT YOU HAVE THE REP.
PAUL CONNORS THIRTY-TWO DESERTER
U.S. ARMY. CONVICTED. ESCAPED WHILE
BEING TRANSFERRED TO PRISON IN
KANSAS. KENNETH SATTLER TWENTY-
EIGHT DESERTER U.S. ARMY ESCAPED
WITH CONNORS IN NEW MEXICO.
LOGAN BLUE PART APACHE MEXICAN
AROUND THIRTY YEARS OLD. KILLED
TWO AGENCY POLICE. WAS WITH THOSE
TWO WHEN THEY ESCAPED FROM THE
GUARDS MOVING THEM TO PRISON. LET
ME KNOW YOUR PLANS. I UNDERSTAND
YOU ARE BUSY RANCHING. I HAVE
WARNED FEDERAL LAWMEN IN NEW
MEXICO AND COLORADO TO BE ON
THE LOOKOUT. THANKS.
ACTING US MARSHAL GREG ERSKINE
Liz had taken the boy from him to allow him to read it. “Bad news?”
“Any time the acting U.S. Marshal sends you a wire this long, there’s trouble attached. A gang of three to five men held up the bank in Thatcher and got away, headed north. Two are Army deserters, and one is a breed who killed two Indian police. There may be two more. He doesn’t know much more, except they eluded the posse sent after them. Probably Hanks included some businessmen on horseback for the search, and they’re usually a poor excuse for a posse.”
“What will you do?”
“See if we can find them over east. It may be a futile trip, but if they went north they either went to Horsehead Crossing on the Little Colorado and pushed on to Utah, or rode for New Mexico.”
She smiled at the baby boy who she had laughing, and shook him gently. “We leave in the morning?”
“I won’t tell you no, but these chases are never nice.”
“Chet Byrnes, I will be with you and those two nice partners of yours. It will beat me rolling over at night in bed without you.”
“I agree. It is just more tough camping out and riding hard after ghosts.”
“Oh, now we are ghost chasers?”
“At times, it will seem like that. I better get hold of Cole and tell him. He and Valerie can stay here tonight. They can get her back to town tomorrow.”
“Jesus is here?”
“I think so. When I don’t have plans, he helps Raphael. I’ll catch him. You need to go to town and get anything before we ride out?”
Liz nodded. “Yes. I can take your wire back to him. I will be back in time for the celebration tonight. Why do you look so grim?”
“I worry about you getting in on these tough cases.”
“I understand, but I obey you and keep my head down.”
“It isn’t you. It’s the worthless madmen we run down that worry me. Give me that boy back. Rhea needs him, and you need to make your plans. I’ll write the wire for him and you can send it.”
“He is fun to play with.” She held Adam out for Chet to kiss.
“I’ll take him back to Momma Rhea,” Liz said, and took him to the kitchen.
He heard her tell Anita they’d go to town. He put the last newspaper back on the stack. His next move needed to be to get those girls a buckboard hitche
d and find Jesus.
The boys at the barn rushed off to hitch up a team. Liz and Anita promised to make a short trip. They left in a cloud of dust and he smiled. They wouldn’t miss any part of the festivities.
After the women left, Chet found Jesus busy replacing a girth on a saddle.
After he spoke to him about the robbery, Jesus made a grim face. “Bank robbers. We need to try to head them off?”
“Yes. Can we leave tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. Liz is going along?”
Chet smiled. “She says so. She’s going to town to deliver my answer and get some things. We need to tell Cole we’re leaving, so he and Valerie can stay here tonight.”
“I will find him. These men must be desperate criminals?”
“Bank robbers and Army deserters, plus a breed who killed two Indian policemen.”
“Real nice citizens, huh?”
“Real nice ones.”
Jesus asked, “Where were they going?”
“North from Thatcher. The posse lost their trail the first day.”
Jesus shook his head. “I bet you said, ‘businessmen ain’t posse men.’”
Chet clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re learning, partner.”
“Where will they go from there?”
“What I know about that country is that it’s damn near as tough as any. The gorge for the Salt River is up there, and they say it rivals the Grand Canyon in depth and high sides. Maybe west of that would bring them out at Young. That’s Mormon country. We were up there chasing other outlaws above the Tonto Creek—Salt River Fork.”
“Oh, yeah, the ferry deal, where they sunk one.”
“That’s the place. The ferry was cut loose and crashed in the rapids.”
“Will they go to Horse Head Crossing?”
“There or New Mexico. I would suspect they’d go to New Mexico. Lee’s Ferry is the only way to get out of Arizona on the north side.”
“I know that well. Sounds like another wild goose chase.”
“You and Cole have been in many cases we solved. We will do all we can on this one.”
“And Liz will ride with us. I really love her. She never complains, she’s funny, and she works hard as any man you could hire.”
“She spoiled me bad on the cattle drive. I’d be ready to kick someone in the ass and she’d say, ‘He don’t know any better,’ and I’d relent.”
“She is a man’s woman. But you knew that before Cole and I did. She has a way of supporting you, and she is not like most women. She doesn’t need any big deals to be sympathetic, but is sincere.”
“I’m glad I found her or she found me. I worry about her riding with us. But she came to be with me and I understand that.”
Jesus nodded. “I will get the supplies packed and be ready to leave at dawn.”
“Good.” He thanked him and went over where all the ranch women were working on the fandango. They were singing and doing lots of food preparation.
“Señor, do you need something?” a middle-aged gray-headed wife asked.
“No, you girls have it under control.”
They laughed at him calling them girls.
“Patron, we are so glad you have these events, we don’t care about the work to get ready. You want a fandango, we are ready anytime.”
A cheer went up to support her words.
“I know who you are,” he said. “I applaud all of you.”
He went back to the house and found Monica in the kitchen, baking pies and cookies.
“They are all mad; they didn’t want a fandango.”
“Oh, yes, they are so mad.” She shook her head. “Crazy man, they love them. Did your wife get off?”
“She went to deliver my telegram, and must be shopping. Are you worried about her?”
“No.”
“Should I send someone to check on her?”
“No. Just my motherly ways. Tell me, you are happy?”
“Yes. Is that wrong, in your opinion?”
“No. I have said before, Marge would be unhappy if you had not picked up your life.”
“I know you were so close to her, closer than maybe I even was. And she and I had a great life. This woman is a different person. I love her and she fills my life, but in a different way, but it doesn’t matter. I am really glad she came along.”
“So am I. You would be a bear to live with.” Then she laughed and turned away from him like she had things to stir. But not before shining tears filled her eyes. God bless that woman.
He went and read more of his papers until he heard some shouting in the yard. It was five o’clock by the big grandfather clock. He hurried to greet them.
“Hey, you two stayed in town all day?” he shouted at them from the back door.
They were getting hatboxes and dresses in tissue paper from the buckboard.
“No, we were getting fixed up to represent you tonight.”
“Good.” He went down to help them and kissed her.
“You two will be sparkling.”
“We hope so, don’t we, Anita?”
“This lady I work for is radiant in any clothes. She bought me a dress to wear tonight.”
“Ha, will Jesus like it?”
She looked over at him. “I certainly hope so.”
He hugged her. “Anita, he will be pleased.”
“No big deals today?” his wife asked, loading his arms with dresses.
“Not a one.”
“No more wires in town or much mail. We still are leaving in the morning?”
“Yes, and see what we can find.”
“Good. I will be ready.”
She glanced at the house. “I bought Monica a dress to wear, if she will come to the event tonight.”
“That was sure sweet of you.”
“If not, she can wear it to church on Sundays.”
“They are really working hard to get ready.”
“I suppose Anita and I can help them.”
“They will be fine.”
“I know you are pressed by our leaving.” Anita held the back door open for him.
“Here, while you are not cooking, try this dress on.” Liz filled Monica’s arms with a tissue paper–covered outfit.
“You should not have—”
“Go try it on.” She headed her toward her room.
Chet carried Liz’s packages upstairs, and Anita took hers to her room.
Alone in the bedroom, she put down her things on the bed and then hugged his neck. “I count my blessings here every day. Not because you are so generous with me, but because I know I can count on you. I never have had any doubt but that you would support me as your wife.”
“Good. I never doubt you, either. I really enjoy our life together. I never expected you to want to traipse along on these law trips, but I love having you there.”
“Where are Rhea and the baby? I bought her a dress for tonight.”
“She laid him down for a nap a while ago.”
“Will Victor come tonight?”
“It depends where they’re at in getting ready for the next cattle drive.”
“Good.” She squeezed him tight. “This wife business is busy, too. More fun than I expected.”
“I hope you stay this happy.”
“Why would I change?”
“I have no idea. When you get time, thank the women who are working so hard on the party. They like the attention.”
“Yes, I’ll go do that.”
“We better see if Monica likes her new dress.”
She kissed him. “For being my man.”
They went downstairs, where their housekeeper looked great in the new dress.
“Does it fit?” Liz asked.
“Perfect, but kind of fancy for me.”
“No. No. It looks wonderful.”
Chet went to catch up on the latest newspaper she’d brought in. His mind wandered onto looking for the outlaws in a land as vast as the territory. Maybe a needle in a haystack mi
ght be easier to find. But outlaws were not the smartest individuals and usually they showed off enough to be found.
The party was a big success. Several came from the Camp Verde Ranch. Hampt and his crew attended, and Chet danced with his wife, May, and several others. He also danced a waltz with Kathrin Ivor who was showing her second pregnancy.
“I’m so glad you asked me to dance, Chet,” she said. “I believe we never danced before. Now, you dance with both me and the baby.”
“You and Ben are happy?”
“Oh, yes, he is a good man. He may run me off, for I keep getting with babies.”
“I doubt that. I know it’s a long ways from Utah, but you’ve done a great job of becoming a wife and mother.”
“You know how beholden I am to you, for letting me have a new chance?”
“Kathrin, we both are lucky we didn’t freeze to death coming back. Jesus still thinks Utah is the Arctic. And no regrets. I’m proud of you.”
“Good. I see your new wife and you have fun.”
“She is a swell person. I wasn’t looking to remarry and she wasn’t, either.”
“She was very smart; she chose the right man.”
“It was that time.”
They both laughed.
He wondered if their talk had settled her any. Susie had even noticed Kathrin’s concern about him. He’d never made any pass at her or said anything. He knew he’d helped her out of a bad situation. But she didn’t owe him anything.
“You having fun?” Liz asked, sweeping up in her new dress.
“I am. Are you?” he asked as they swept the wooden floor in the hallway of the barn. “That dress is beautiful. And the two girls’ dresses look great. Did Monica come down?”
“No, but she says she will wear it to church Sunday.”
“Good. I see Victor made it.”
“He and Rhea are a fine couple.”
“Monica must have the boy?”
“Yes, she does.”
“I am going to talk to Hampt, Tom, and the others. We need to rise early, so we can’t stay up all night.”
“Yes, my love, but these fandangos raise my blood up.”
He hugged her tight and kissed her. “I love you.”
“Me, too. Tell them I said hi. Oh, I told Valerie that she gets the next dress. I really forgot her when I got the others. She was almost embarrassed when I told her I would. When I get back, I am going to take May to town, too, and get her some dresses. Can I do that?”
Arizona Territory Page 19