Sharon Poppen

by Hannah

  “It does. How long did she say she’d have the horse?” Hannah asked

  “Paid for a week, thirty-five dollars. Wouldna rented it to most folks for that long, but I trust Martha.”

  “Thirty-five dollars? That’s a lot of money. Martha usually have that kind of money.”

  “Ya know, ma’am. Surely did surprise me that she had that and more, ‘cause I saw some more bills when she opened her purse to pay me. Was curious that’s for sure, but didn’t seem right just comin’ out and askin’ ‘bout it.”

  Hannah agreed. “No, it would have been awkward. But, you’ve helped us a lot. Now, will you get our horses? We need to move fast if we have any hope of finding her.”

  “Whoa there!” Liam butted in. “I need some food before we go riding out to God knows where.” He put up a hand to stop her response. “And, you do too.” He turned to Zach. “Get our horses ready, saddled and all. We’ll be back in about an hour.”

  “I’ll have ‘em ready.”

  “Liam, really we need –

  “Hannah, we need to eat.” Liam took her arm and guided her toward the door. They almost ran into someone as they exited. After making excuses to the new arrival, the couple headed for the hotel.

  “Hey, boy,” the new arrival greeted Zach who had already started back toward the stalls that housed Liam and Hannah’s horses.

  Zach turned, expecting to see a cowpoke, and was surprised to find a dandy all dressed up in a suit, tie and fancy shoes. A gambler, Zach decided.

  “Need a horse.”

  “For how long?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “Sorry, sir. Can’t rent one for that long. Got a couple you can buy.”

  “That’ll be fine. Let’s see them.”

  After Zach turned and motioned for him to follow, the dandy latched the livery door. He reached into his pocket where he carried a small Derringer. He slipped his finger behind the trigger, but kept the gun in his pocket as he followed Zach toward the back of the stable.

  Zach stopped, leaned against a center post and pointed to a couple of mares nosing each other thru the bars of their stalls. He’d heard the dandy latch the door and was prepared for trouble. When he’d first taken the livery job a few years ago, he’d been roughed up by unruly or drunken cowpokes a couple of times, before hiding several guns amidst the oats and tack.

  “Here ya go. What’da ya think? They’s good stock.” Zach jammed his hand into a burlap sack of oats hanging on the post, clutched his Colt revolver and slid his finger into place. He turned to face the dandy. The hand in the pocket didn’t surprise him. In fact, he was relieved because he knew he could shoot right thru the sack whereas the dandy would have to draw his gun.

  The dandy walked over to get a closer look and Zach saw his arm move.

  “Wouldn’t do that if’n I was ya,” Zach advised.

  “And why not?” The dandy’s smirk quickly faded as he turned to see the unmistakable barrel of a gun protruding from the grain sack.

  “Ya’d be dead or in bad shape before ya even got that baby gun otta yer pocket. That’s why? Now turn yer back to me and pull yer hand otta yer pocket real slow, and then raise botha them over yer head.” Zach had played enough poker to recognize an opponent’s moment of decision and hoped this fella would fold his cards.

  The dandy scowled, but did as he was told. Zach pulled his gun from the sack, but kept it leveled at the dandy.

  “Now turn back around here and tell me what’s so all fired important that ya’d shoot a man to get a horse.”

  “Well, pardner,” the dandy shuffled his feet a bit and hesitated a moment. “See, it’s sort of an embarrassing situation I’ve gotten myself into.”

  “I’m listenin’.”

  The gambler shrugged and offered Zach a you-got-me look. “I’m broke.”

  “And?”

  “I need to leave town.”

  “And”

  “I’m embarrassed to say, my luck at cards ran out last night and I’ve no money to rent or buy a horse.”

  Zach held his tongue. He’d found that when dealing with folks, if you kept your own mouth shut and let them do all the talking, the listener had a better chance of finding out the truth.

  “Hell,” the gambler said, “I wouldn’t have shot you.”

  “Do I look like a fool?” Zach spit some tobacco juice and kept his gun at the ready.

  “No, you look like a good judge of character.” He extended his hand, which Zach ignored. “My name’s Ben. Honestly, do I look like a killer? All I was going to do was tie you up, take a horse and ride off. I was planning on sending you a fair price for the animal when my luck improved.”

  “Sure you was,” Zach snarled.

  “I was.”

  Zach detected a great deal of menace in the dandy’s demeanor and his gut told him to take the varmint over to the sheriff. But then, he’d have to close down the livery. Lord knows when he’d get back and that nice young couple wanted their horses. He went against his better judgment and decided to settle for running the dandy off.

  Zach motioned toward the door with the barrel of his gun. “Well, Mr. Ben Honest. Keep your hands up and start walkin’ toward that door. I’m gonna let ya walk. I’m not gonna call the sheriff. Just get yer hind end outta here.”

  The dandy hurried to the door and unlatched it. He glanced back at Zach who’d followed him to just inside the livery door. “Look, can’t you see your way to –

  “Git, I said.”

  The dandy turned and almost ran into Hannah. Without a word of apology, he hurried away.

  Coming in out of the bright sunlight, Hannah and Liam found themselves targets.

  “What’s this all about?” Liam asked as he moved in front of Hannah.

  Zach lowered his gun. “Damn …, uh excuse me ma’am. That feller that nearly run over ya just tried to steal a horse from me.”

  “Steal a horse?” Hannah asked.

  “Yep. Mean hombre. Tried to pull a baby gun on me.”

  “Baby gun?” Liam asked.

  “Yeah. One a those little ones with a fancy handle.”

  “A Derringer?”

  “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “Nope. Just said he’d done lost all his money and needed to get away. Swore he intended to pay me back, but I could see that was a lie.”

  A commotion rose out on the street and people could be heard yelling. Zach, Liam and Hannah hurried outside to see a man in front of the general store yelling for the sheriff as a crowd of cowboys began to gather around him. One of the cowboys turned and rushed down the street.

  Liam called out, “What’s happened?”

  A young cowboy under a large new Stetson kept moving, but called out. “Some dude done stole our horses.”

  “Sheeit, the bastard done it.” Zach blushed and nodded to Hannah. “Sorry, ma’am. I knew I shouda walked ole Ben Honest right over to the sheriff.”

  “Did you say Ben?” Hannah asked.

  “Yeah, he said his name was Ben, and then asked if I ‘honestly’ thought he’d a killed me.”

  “Liam, Sarah said the baby’s father’s name was Ben.”

  “You’re right.” Liam watched the sheriff emerge from his office and head toward the crowd. “Hannah, can you help get our horses ready while I wander over and listen to what’s going on?”

  She took a few steps in the direction of the crowd, but Liam touched her arm.

  “Please? Get the horses. You’d be the only woman over there. You’d distract the conversation. I think I’d hear more without you being there.”

  She sighed, gave Liam an I’m-not-liking-this scowl, and went back into the livery.

  “Help her,” Liam told Zach.

  As Liam walked toward the crowd, Zach called to him. “Watch yerself. He’s one evil hombre. Ya can see it in his eyes. Ya hear?”

  “Yes, I hear you. I’ll watch my step. Go help Hannah. I have a feeling we’re going to need t
hose horses as soon as I get back.”

  Liam moved to the edge of a mob numbering about a dozen and the sheriff who was trying to get everyone to stop talking so he could ask some questions.

  As a last resort, the lawman pulled his pistol from his holster and held it above his head. “Don’t want to fire this thing, but I will. Unless, ya’ll shut up so I can get a grip on the situation.

  The men quieted down.

  “Now, whose horse got taken?”

  “Ours.” Three young cowboys, barely out of their teens, stepped out of the crowd.

  “Three horses?”

  A red shirted youngster became the spokesmen. “Yeah, sheriff. We was coming out of the general store and I saw a fella sitting atop my horse. All duded up. Looked like a gambler or something. No hat. I yelled for him to git off, but he turned and rode off. Had the reins of my pardners’ horses so he towed them along with him. Never said a word. Just rode off. Right fast, too.”

  “You didn’t take a shot at him?” the sheriff asked.

  “Naw,” said red shirt. “Our foreman said it wasn’t a good idea to go into town wearing pistols just to pick up supplies. All we had was our rifles, and they was on our horses.”

  “Who’s your foreman?”

  “Dick Granger. From the Stanfield spread over near Carrizo Springs. We was to pick up some stallions on tomorrow’s train from Kansas City. Buck here,” he pointed to the cowboy wearing a new Stetson, “ain’t never been to San Antonio and he done lost his hat two days ago in that dust storm. Old Dick sent us so’s he could get a new one and to get some supplies and some …, well …”

  “Whiskey,” The sheriff finished for him. “What direction did the horse thief go?”

  “Headed south.”

  Some yelling down the street caught everyone’s attention. A man was riding toward them leading a couple of horses. “Horses! Anybody lose some horses.”

  “Over here,” called the sheriff.

  “Hey,” the cowboy in the new Stetson hollered. “That’s my horse and that’s yours Toby.” The cowboys hurried over to claim their horses. “Where’d ya find ‘em, mister,” asked Buck.

  “They was loose. Standing on this here road ‘bout where the town ends. Seeing the saddles and guns, I figured they hadn’t been tied securely to some hitching post and just wandered off.” He turned to the sheriff. “What’s going on?”

  “Believe we got us a horse thief. You only find two horses? No sign of a rider or another horse?”

  “Did pass a fellow riding hard, heading south, just before I found these two. He was dressed kind of fancy and looked like he was running from something.”

  The sheriff mounted his horse. He looked at the three cowboys. “You want to ride with me and my deputy and see if we can chase this fellow down?”

  As the sheriff, his deputy, and two of the young cowboys rode off, Liam headed back to the livery.

  Hannah waited just inside the door with the horses saddled and ready to go. “I heard some of it.”

  “Sounds like the man we’re looking for.”

  “Say, is Martha in trouble or danger?” Zach asked.

  “We don’t know,” Hannah told him. “We need to find her before this Ben does.” Hannah mounted her horse and watched Liam do the same.

  Zach held the bridal of Hannah’s horse. “I’d like ta help.”

  “You already have with the information you’ve give us.” Hannah saw the genuine worry etched on his forehead. “We need to get going. The best way you can help is to keep your ears open and get word to Janey if you hear anything that could help us.”

  Zach released the bridal and nodded. “I’ll do that. Ya find Martha, ya tell her not ta worry ‘bout old Ketchum. I’ll help them girls. Ya tell her that.”

  “We will.” Hannah promised and Zach slapped her horse’s flank.

  Chapter 22

  A Sale or Two

  Hannah and Liam had been riding for about a half hour at a good pace.

  “Need, to rest the horses,” Liam called to her as he slowed down.

  Once they were trotting side-by-side, Liam voiced what was on both their minds. “Wonder why we haven’t caught up with the sheriff yet?”

  “I kept expecting to.”

  Liam was staring down into the dust of the road. “Lots of horse prints. Can’t tell if they were from a single rider or a group.” He stood up in his saddle and strained to see ahead. “Nothing.”

  “Zach said an easy crossing was just south of town. Do you think we missed it?”

  “Hope not.” He’d refocused on the road.

  “He seems to care about Martha?”

  “Who?”

  “Zach.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I hope she’s all right. I hope the baby is all right. I sure wish we’d have taken more notice of that Ben fellow. I’d bet he’s the one.”

  “Uhuh.”

  “Those girls have had a tough life. I hope we find Martha and that baby before she really gets herself in trouble.”

  “Uhuh.”

  Realizing that she was basically talking to her self, she taunted Liam. “I bet he eats snakes and drinks blood.”

  “Uhuh.”

  “Liam!”

  He looked up, startled. “What?” His hand moved to his gun as he looked nervously about.

  “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

  He smiled. “Guilty.” Before she could say another word, he pointed to the ground. “A couple of horses left the road right here.” He pointed to a small path leading to a copse of trees along the river. “Follow me.”

  Once the couple was on the edge of the San Antonio River, they reined their horses and dismounted. Being careful not to step on the hoof marks in the sand, they studied them, the river and the barren land on the other side.

  “Do you think we’ve found where they crossed?” Hannah asked.

  “I’d be tempted to put money on it.”

  “If we’re wrong, they’ll get further away from us.”

  He nodded. “It looks pretty barren over there.”

  “And where in Texas doesn’t it look barren?”

  Liam smiled in agreement and then moved toward Hannah. He cupped her face in his hands. “You are so beautiful.”

  Her eyes twinkled, but she moved back. “Not now. We’ve work to do.”

  He was not to be denied. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Her rich earthly aroma from the sweat of the ride worked its magic and he kissed her.

  She brought her arms up to protest, but his urgent lips brought her to circle him in her arms and just as she began to relax into the moment, he stepped back away from her.

  “Look.” He pointed across the river.

  A little dizzy from Liam’s kiss and embrace, Hannah steadied herself by clutching Liam’s arm and looked across the river. The gravity of the scene brought her senses to full alert. A wall of sand was headed toward them. It filled the entire horizon, blotting out sky and earth.

  “Liam! It’s coming straight at us.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the horses. “Up.” He lifted her into her saddle. “We need to outrun it,” he said as he mounted his horse and spurred it away from the river.

  Hannah stayed alongside him as they raced up the small trail and down the sandy road into town. Buckets, papers, an odd assortment of clothes and the occasional hat swirled in a frenetic dance, warning everyone of the coming storm.

  Zach needed the couple’s help to open the doors admitting their horses to shelter, and then Hannah and Liam threw themselves into the wind and headed for their hotel. Arriving just as a couple of clerks were about to slide a panel of wood against the hotel’s oak and stained glass doors, the couple hurried inside. Liam helped the clerks secure the panel in place.

  “A wall of sand is coming,” Liam told the clerks and some hotel guests who’d gathered in the lobby.

  The older clerk shrugged. “Happens every so often. Don’t usually last long, but
it sure leaves a messy calling card when it moves on.” He started back to the desk.

  A young woman clinging to the arm of a man asked, “Are we safe?”

  The clerk continued walking. “Probably.”

  The woman cuddled closer to the man and tried to stifle her low keening. The other clerk scanned the faces of the hotel guests and then tried to ease their concern. “These storms come through from time to time when the weather’s been particularly dry. They do cause some damage, but it’s always been to things, not to people. If you just stay inside, I believe you’ll be safe.” After several sighs of relief and some nods, he urged them to stay on the first floor. He said the dining room always had lots of free coffee while they waited out the storm. As he turned to go back to the desk, he smiled. “And I swear old Cookie always serves the best sweets at times like this.”

  Hannah’s impatience got the best of her. She looked up at Liam. “How long do you think it will last? Do you think the baby will be all right? Do you think it’ll clear up out there in the desert giving Martha the chance to get even further away? Do you think Ben found her before the storm came up? Do you …”

  Liam stooped down and interrupted Hannah’s litany of questions with a soft kiss.

  “Liam!” she whispered loudly. “What will people think?”

  He grinned with mischief. “They’ll thank me for putting a stop to your non-stop questions.”

  “But, the questions are …”

  “Yes, they are a concern.” He cocked his head toward the wind trying to break through the boarded up doors. “But, regardless of the answers, we can’t do a thing until we can safely go outside again.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Now, how about something to eat?”

  “Liam, you have one of the biggest appetites of any person I’ve ever known.”

  He took her arm, leaned close to her ear and whispered, “You’ve no idea.” Before she could respond, he guided her toward the dining room.

  *****

  Hannah watched Liam mop up the last of his chicken gravy with a buttered biscuit, but her mind was preoccupied with the things Janey had told them about Ketchum, the owner of this hotel. Hearing Janey ask a couple a few tables away if they needed anything else, she turned to watch the girl. Hannah noticed that the woman at the table was the same woman who’d been so frightened in the lobby. She was crying and her husband was patting her hand and talking softly.