by Tell Cotten
“Is that a fact,” I said dryly.
“Yep, but that’s not all he’s saying,” Lee said as he kept my interest. “He’s also telling a tale about Rondo that I ain’t never heard before, and I thought I’d heard ’em all.”
“And what’s that?” I pressed.
Lee was enjoying himself, and he took his time. He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a cigar, and bit off the end.
“It seems this feller knew Rondo during his childhood,” Lee said as he struck a match on his saddle horn and lit his cigar. “He’s telling everybody that Rondo was a right mean youngster, and that he even shot one of his own kin.”
I was startled, and I jumped in the saddle.
“You mean you really did shoot one of your own kin?” Lee looked at me with his own startled look.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” I replied, and then I explained about my childhood incident with Jake Bellows.
When I was through I asked Lee, “What’s this feller’s name?”
Lee grinned.
“Calls himself Mr. Smith.”
“Sounds fake,” I said.
“It does, don’t it?” Lee agreed. “Yep, if’n I was a betting man, I’d say that his real name was Jake Bellows.”
“It might be,” I shook my head in disbelief.
“I reckon we can find out tonight. You can get a good look at him then,” Lee said as he thought the situation over. “You know, even if it is him, he might not recognize you. You’ve probably changed a lot since he’s seen you last. Remember, Lieutenant Porter didn’t recognize you.”
“You could be right,” I said as I moved over and pushed up a slow moving cow.
Lee turned his horse to leave. But, before he did, he flashed me a grin.
“Yep, like I said; this here cattle drive is going to be mighty interesting.”
“It’s looking that way,” I agreed, and then Lee was gone.
I rode over to Ross and told him the situation.
Ross listened in disbelief, and he frowned irritably.
“He seemed like a good hand, so I took him on. I’m sorry now that I did it,” Ross said.
“It ain’t your fault,” I said. “There’s no way you could have known.”
“What do you figure on doing now?” Ross wanted to know.
“I’ve got to know if he recognizes me,” I answered. “If he does, then we’ll have a problem. If he doesn’t, then things will be just fine.”
Ross nodded in agreement.
“Sounds good to me. When do you want to talk to him?”
“If it’s all right with you, I’ll meet him tonight after we’ve made camp,” I replied. “And, it might be a good idea if’n you and Lee were with me. Things could get ugly.”
“I’ll be ready,” Ross replied.
I nodded and rode back to my spot.
***
Evening time finally arrived.
We held the herd up in a little gully. Ross got everybody set on the night watch, and then me and Ross rode into camp.
Lee was already there.
Me and Ross tended to our horses and joined Lee. The cook brought us some grub and coffee, and we sat around a small fire and ate.
“Before you rode in I found your ‘Mr. Smith,’” Lee told me.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“He’s by the main campfire, telling stories.”
We finished eating, and then I put down my plate.
“Well, let’s go meet him,” I said.
I stood, checked my six-shooter, and walked towards the main campfire.
Lee and Ross followed, and it was a good feeling to know that they were there.
Chapter sixty-eight
It didn’t take long to spot Mr. Smith.
Sure enough, it was the same ol’ Jake Bellows from my childhood. He still had that pudgy, bully-like look about him, and he was sitting right in the middle of everybody as he told a story with a smug look on his face.
My heart pounded as I walked up in front of him. He had just finished telling his tale, and he looked up curiously.
“Howdy,” I said. “I’m Joe Lenders.”
“Joe Lenders,” Jake repeated the name slowly. “I’ve heard of you. You’re supposed to be the straw boss of this here outfit. Funny, I ain’t seen you around any.”
“I’ve been busy,” I said with a smile.
Jake studied my face.
“Seems like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Jake said.
My heart jumped, but I managed to stay calm.
“Oh?” I asked.
Jake frowned in thought, but then shrugged.
“Oh well, it don’t matter none. I would have remembered if I had met you before. I never forget a face.”
“Is that right?” I smiled as I tried to hide my relief.
“Yep,” Jake nodded seriously. “Man in my line of work has to remember who his enemies are.”
“And what is your line of work?” I asked.
“Right now I’m just a cowhand. But, I’m known for being a gunfighter,” Jake replied arrogantly.
“You don’t say,” I said as I tried to look impressed.
Jake nodded.
“You’ve probably heard of me. I’m Jake Smith.”
“Sounds sort-a familiar,” I replied.
“Really?” Jake said, and he added quickly, “Well, I’m not surprised. I’ve got quite the reputation. In fact, it’s a good thing you’ve got me on this here cattle drive. If we run into any trouble I’ll come in mighty handy.”
I nodded as I tried to keep a straight face.
“Well, Jake, it was good meeting you. Reckon I’ll be turning in now,” I said.
“Sure thing,” Jake said, and then he shook his head in confusion. “I still think I’ve seen you before.”
I shrugged, and then I walked away while Jake sat there with a thoughtful look.
I rolled out my bedroll, and after a bit Ross and Lee joined me.
“He recognized you, but he can’t place you,” Ross commented as he rolled out his bedroll next to mine.
“And everything will be fine as long as he doesn’t figure it out,” I replied.
“Sooner or later, I think he will figure it out,” Lee speculated.
“Hopefully, we’ll be in Abilene by the time he does,” I replied.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Lee warned. “If’n I was you, I’d keep that gun of yours real handy.”
“I always do,” I smiled.
We turned in after that. I slept light, and I was up before breakfast. I grabbed some cold biscuits, and then I saddled up Desperate and rode out.
On my scouting trip I had found a cow trail that had some good buffalo grass, and we were getting close to it. I didn’t want to miss it, so I figured I’d better find it again and make sure we were heading towards it.
It was getting late in day when I finally rode back to the herd. I unsaddled and picketed Desperate in the dark, and then I walked up to the chuck wagon.
It was then that I noticed the extra company.
Ross and Lee were talking to two men off by themselves, and Lee had an amused look on his face.
The visitors had their backs to me. The first thing I noticed were their blue uniforms, and my heart gave a nervous leap.
“Here he comes now,” I heard Lee say.
They turned around. I looked at their faces, and a surprised jolt passed through me.
One of them was a big fellow, and I noticed that he carried a Henry rifle by his side.
The other feller was smaller, much like myself. His body was hard and in shape, and his sharp, quick like eyes didn’t seem to miss a thing. He had the look of a gunfighter, and he wore his six-shooter low and tied down. Unlike Jake, this man was dangerous, and I knew it with just one glance.
I already knew who they were, but Lee introduced us anyhow.
“Joe, this here is Lieutenant Yancy Landon. And this big feller is his brother, Cooper Landon. I was just te
lling ’em about you.”
Chapter sixty-nine
My lips were dry, and my heart thumped wildly.
“Oh?” I tried to act calm. “What was Lee telling you?”
Yancy and Cooper were looking me over, and their curiosity sharpened when they saw my face. Yancy and I had the same facial features, and we also had the same build. Anybody that looked close enough could tell we were kin.
“You’re Joe Lenders?” Yancy spoke with uncertainty in his voice.
“That’s me,” I said.
I smiled and tried to look relaxed, but I was plenty worried on the inside.
“Well now, Joe,” Yancy said with a soft drawl. “Lee was just telling me how you stopped Ryan Palmer from stealing some horses.”
“I did,” I agreed as I shot Lee a questioning look. “Course, Ross here had something to do with that too.”
“Ryan Palmer used to ride with Ben Kinrich’s outfit. I reckon you’ve heard of him?” Yancy watched me closely.
“Who hasn’t?” I laughed shakily. “He’s supposed to be a real salty character.”
“Him, and Rondo Landon,” Yancy declared. “They killed a good friend of mine a couple of years back in Midway, and ever since then I’ve been looking for ’em.”
I just stood there looking uncomfortable, and Yancy continued.
“You may not know it, but Lee here used to ride with ’em, and I was just asking him if’n he knew of their whereabouts.”
“Oh?” I asked nervously.
“I’ve known Lee since the war. Matter of fact, I even helped him and Rondo’s pappy escape,” Yancy said as he shot Lee a dark look. “If’n he knew where Rondo or Kinrich was I figured he’d tell me, seeing how he owes me one.”
Lee didn’t reply. Instead, he just looked down guiltily at the ground.
Yancy glared at Lee, and then he turned back to me.
“Chino was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die that a-way,” Yancy declared.
I felt as if I had been hit in the stomach.
Yancy waited for me to say something, and I’m sure I looked guilty as I stood there searching for words.
I finally managed to say something.
“So, what brings you here?” I asked.
“Kinrich,” Yancy replied sharply. “I’m sure you’ve heard, but herd cutting is his latest specialty.”
“We’ve heard,” I nodded.
“I’ve got twelve men camped ’bout a mile back, and I figured we’d just trail along behind your herd and keep a sharp look out. If Kinrich makes a move we’ll be ready to move in right quick and lend a hand.”
“We’d appreciate the help,” Ross spoke up.
Yancy suddenly thought of something, and he turned to Ross.
“How well do you know your crew?” Yancy asked.
Ross frowned as he thought on that.
“Some better than others,” Ross finally said.
“I’d keep an eye on the ones you don’t know too well,” Yancy warned. “We’ve learned from past herds that Kinrich likes to get at least one of his men in with the crew. It makes it easier for him when he hits the herd.”
Jake Bellows came to mind as soon as Yancy said that.
I looked around and spotted Jake sitting off by himself. He was looking curiously in our direction, but when I made eye contact he looked away.
While I was looking at Jake, Yancy was looking at me with the same kind of look, and I knew that he was suspicious of me. Looking back now, I can’t blame him for thinking that way.
“Thanks for the warning,” Ross said. “We’ll keep our eyes open.”
Yancy was still looking at me, but he finally looked back at Ross.
“We’d best be going. We just wanted to let you know that we’d be around.”
“’Preciate it,” Ross said.
Yancy nodded, and he and Cooper walked over to their horses.
After Yancy was mounted, he looked down at me.
“We’ll be seeing you soon, Joe,” he said dryly.
“Sure,” I waved my hand.
They started to ride off, but suddenly Yancy stopped and looked back at me again.
“Oh, and Joe?”
“Yes?” I asked.
“Don’t be getting lost in the fog now. It can get real thick this time of year. Especially in the mornings when you’re riding down a narrow valley.”
Yancy’s comment startled me.
We stared at each other, and then I answered softly, “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You do that,” Yancy replied curtly, and then they rode out.
I watched them leave, and then I turned to Lee.
“Just what exactly did you tell him, Lee?” I demanded to know.
“Nothing more than I had to,” Lee replied defensively.
“That ain’t what it sounded like,” I replied curtly.
“What else could I do? I had to tell him something. Least I didn’t tell him you were Rondo.”
“I think he figured that much out by himself,” I replied. “I wonder what kept him from trying to take me?”
Ross spoke up.
“He probably figured if he tangled with you he might run off Kinrich, and he’s probably hoping to get the both of you.”
“You’re probably right,” I agreed as I sat down by the campfire and poured a cup of coffee.
After that we sat there in silence.
As for me, I kept thinking about what Yancy had said, about Chino being a good man and all. Now, Kinrich had killed Chino. But, I had killed that lawman up in Kansas, and he too had been a good man.
It suddenly occurred to me what I had to do. I just couldn’t live with that lawman’s face haunting me, and I finally knew how I would deal with it once and for all.
“I’ve made a decision,” I suddenly declared.
Ross and Lee looked up.
“Oh?” They asked.
“Soon as we get the herd to Abilene, I’m going to turn myself in to Yancy and confess about killing that lawman,” I said.
“Are you crazy? That’ll get you hung for sure!” Lee exclaimed.
“I don’t really care one way or the other,” I replied stubbornly. “I broke the rules, and sooner or later I’ve got to pay.”
“Them rules of yours again,” Lee grumbled. “That lawman ain’t the only person you’ve killed. How ’bout them others?”
“Killing a feller doesn’t bother me; long as I follow the rules,” I replied. “But, that lawman was a good and honest man. I broke the rules when I killed him.”
Lee looked at me in disbelief.
“How exactly did these rules of yours get made?” Lee wanted to know. “Are they written down on a piece of paper someplace?”
I shook my head.
“No, I’ve just been thinking ’em up,” I admitted.
“You’re sounding like Kinrich now,” Lee replied with disgust. “Kinrich made up his own rules too, remember?”
“He made up rules so that he could do whatever he wanted,” I replied. “My rules are different. They’re as simple as black and white. You can only do right or wrong, and I was wrong.”
“You know them stupid rules of yours are going to get you killed,” Lee warned.
“So be it,” I said.
Ross spoke up.
“If you turn yourself in, I’m sure you’ll get a fair trial,” Ross reasoned. “Mebbe you’ll get lucky and just get a long prison sentence.”
“Mebbe so,” I said. “But no matter what, I ain’t giving myself up until this herd gets to Abilene. I owe that to Mr. Tomlin.”
Lee tried to talk me out of it for the rest of the evening. But my mind was made, and Lee finally gave up.
Soon afterward we all rolled out our bedrolls, and it wasn’t long until everybody was sound asleep.
That is, everybody but me. I didn’t go to sleep for a long time.
Chapter seventy
Two weeks passed without any trouble.
I did my best to sta
y away from Jake Bellows. However, Yancy’s warning had raised our suspicions about Jake, and Ross and Lee were keeping a close watch on him. But, so far he hadn’t done anything out the ordinary.
That is, until the day that Ross loped up to me with a worried look.
“Something's going on,” he said.
“Oh?” I asked.
“It’s Jake. He went back to the remuda ’bout an hour ago to switch hosses, but he’s never showed back up,” Ross explained.
“Well now, that’s real interesting,” I said. “I wonder where he went to.”
“I was wondering the same thing,” Ross replied.
“Want me to go find out?”
“I reckon you’d better,” Ross answered. “I’d go with you, but if’n we both went everybody might start wondering what we were up to, and I don’t want to start anything like that. Lee ain’t around neither. I sent him up ahead a little while ago to find that creek you found.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle it,” I told Ross.
Ross still looked worried.
“You be careful,” he said.
I nodded, and then I trotted back to the south. I moved at a brisk pace, and soon the herd and the remuda were a long ways behind me.
I took my hat off and mopped the sweat from my face as I squinted at the sun. It was mid-afternoon, and I figured there was still about three or four hours’ of daylight left.
I rode in a big circle as I looked for sign. I went about four miles, and then I found what I was looking for. What I discovered was a pair of horse tracks, not even an hour old yet, heading west.
“What are you up to, Jake?” I asked curiously as I fell in with the tracks.
The tracks were easy to follow, and I rode at a fast pace. Jake must have known exactly where he was going, for he rode in a straight line.
Twenty minutes later, the tracks started getting real fresh. There were several tall cottonwood trees up ahead, and I slowed my pace as I approached them.
I was real quiet as I rode up into the trees. The trees offered good cover, so I pulled up Desperate and listened for a bit.
At first I didn’t hear it, but then I heard the distant murmur of somebody talking. I could also smell campfire smoke.