The Two Sams

by F. M. Worden

  Mrs. Jones and Sylvia came in and announced the two of them have decided that Sylvia would stay with the Jones’ for a while. Sam told them. “That’s real good, I know Mrs. Jones can help you Sylvia, I’ll go bring your things.”

  The Major told them he would take Sam to the hotel in his buggy and bring her things back.

  As the two men started to leave Sylvia stopped Sam, “I’ll always love you Sam for what you done for me.” Sam smiled and told her she would be a friend forever.

  The two men went about getting her things, Sam gave the Major seven hundred dollars. “It belongs to Sylvia, give it to her when she leaves.” The Major assured him he would.

  The next morning found Sam and his Dunn horse on the Texas and Pacific railroad bound for west Texas. He dropped off at a station that was in a short days riding distance of San Angelo. When he rode into town he found the Mayor and had a meeting with the town council.

  “I’m only here til we find yer Sheriff or ya hire a new one.”

  He asked if anyone had gone to look for the lawmen. He was told the two lawmen had gone west along the Middle Concho River to see about some stolen horses. “When he didn’t return his deputy went to look for him, he ain’t come back either.”

  Sam told them he would go take a look the next morning and asked if anyone would like to go with him, no one volunteered, he was put up at the local hotel.

  The next morning he and the Dunn rode on the Middle Concho road west, at each farm house he came to he asked if they had seen the lawmen, no one had.

  About ten miles out he rode into a farm house yard to ask questions, no one answered his call. He ground tied the Dunn and walked to the back of the house, he heard voices coming from the barn. He walked over and peered through a crack in the door, he saw a woman and two men, having an argument, he strained to hear their conversation. The woman was telling the men they must kill and bury the men in the root cellar, Sam had found the lawmen.

  With the Schofield in hand and cocked, he burst through the door. In loud voice called out, “Raise your hands high, I’m the law, move and you’re dead.”

  With their hands raised the three screamed, “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot.”

  He made the woman tie the men to a post and asked her, “Show me the root cellar, keep your hands where I can see em.” She let out a string of cuss words that burned his ears.

  In the cellar he found the two lawmen, both in pretty bad shape, neither one was able to talk or walk. He went back, untied the two men and made them carry the two lawmen and put them in a wagon. He retied them and made the woman hitch up two mules, then loaded all the men in the wagon, made the woman drive and proceeded to town, there he locked all the perpetrators in jail.

  The two lawmen came around soon to tell their story, the law breakers got the drop on both the unsuspecting officers, each one was put in the cellar and forgot about, both men thought they had seen their last days, both men thanked Sam for finding them.

  Sam telegraphed Major Jones with his report, the Major sent orders for him to proceed to Fort Stockton and report to Captain McNelly.

  It was gonna be a long hot ride, on the second day a light rain was a welcome change. Moving southwest he hit the Pecos River and made camp for the night. Some time near morning a sound of cattle being driven woke him up. He moved on foot along the river bank and saw a herd of cattle being driven across the river by a half dozen Mexican Vaqueros.

  The next morning he followed the tracks all the way to the Rio Grande River. He returned back northwest to Fort Stockton, and reported to Captain McNelly and told him of the cattle taken into Mexico.

  The captain asked Sam to go back to the place he saw the crossing and watch for any others crossing. “My company is strung out and will take a few days to round the men up, I’ve been after a man named Juan Cortina, he’s been rustling cattle and horses for some time, it’s time we put a stop to him. Before you leave have you heard of the massacre of Colonel Custer and the whole Seventh Cavalry in the Dakota Territory?”

  “No, not a word, I’ve known some of the troopers in that unit, I have a good friend who is a scout with Seventh, did you hear any names?”

  “No, what’s his name?”

  “Charlie Reynolds.”

  “I’ll try and find out about him.”

  “I hope he wasn’t killed,” Sam said with a lot of concern in his voice.

  “What I can surmise, a lot of the tribes, got together to make the attack,” Captain McNelly said.

  “I left that country in 67, all the tribes were unhappy with their treatment by Washington, I’m sure the war chiefs were spoiling for a fight, Sitting Bull and Red Cloud wanted to have an all- out war years ago, now they can have it. I’m sorry it happened, I knew it was gonna get bad up there, I better get on my way.”

  After gathering up some chuck and grain Sam rode back to the crossing he had found and camped in a grove of trees near the river bank. It was near the Big Canyon creek where it emptied into the Rio Grande. That night he observed another herd crossing into Mexico.

  The next morning he took a walk to the Big Canyon creek, he saw a horse stuck in a bog, the horse was sunk in up to his belly. Sam went back and saddled the Dunn returned to help the horse out of the bog, with a rope around the neck of the struggling animal he managed to free him. After he got the horse out of the bog, he took him back in the trees, the horse was so tired from his ordeal he could hardly stand. Sam could see, even though caked with mud, this was a well bred animal. To his surprise this beautiful horse was a black stallion, Sam fed a little grain and the horse began to revive. He hobbled his front feet and let him graze on fresh green grass.

  Captain McNelly came with his company of twenty-five rangers. All the Rangers the next morning crossed into Mexico, this was an illegal maneuver as no Ranger company had made such a move before.

  After a day’s ride the Rangers found the stolen cattle in a small ranch, the Rangers surrounded the small casa and captured ten Mexican cowboys. Unknown to the Rangers the rustlers were in cahoots with a Mexican General, the General came to get his share of cattle and had with him a large contingent of troops, seeing the situation he surrounded the Rangers.

  McNelly wouldn’t give in, even after the U.S. Government commanded him to give up, he refused a direct order from the President of the United States. Many telegraphs were exchanged, the siege went on for several weeks, McNelly was steadfast in his demands of the return of the cattle and the surrender of the rustlers. Finally a compromise was made, the cattle would be returned, the rustlers were to go free.

  The Rangers and the cattle returned to Texas. At Fort Stockton Captain McNelly was ordered to Austin and was relieved of his command for provoking an international incident, he left the Rangers. Sam was ordered to San Antonio and given a six month unpaid suspension for his part in the fiasco.

  On the way back to Fort Stockton Sam had picked up the black stallion and was told the horse had been stolen from the King Ranch. “Where’s the King ranch located?” he asked the commander of Fort Stockton.

  “Way down south, damn near in the Gulf of Mexico. You should turn that horse loose, he’ll find his way home.”

  “I think I’ll take your advice and let him go.”

  Sam and the Dunn with a pack horse started for San Antonio, out a few miles the stallion was turned reluctantly loose, he ran, jumped and kicked, ran circles around the horses and rider, made quite a show. As Sam rode off the stallion fell in beside the Dunn and stayed there the rest of the trip.

  “Guess we will have to take you home old feller.” He was talking to the horse, they were on the long hard trip to south Texas and the King ranch.

  The three rode into the ranch land of King. A sign told Sam they had entered the ranch land of Richard King. It took several more days to reach the headquarters, on the way they met many cowboys and vaqueros who laughingly told him the ranch house was just over the hill, fifteen or so hills later the horses and rider entered the fenced g
rounds of the hacienda of the King ranch.

  A crusty old cowhand came out to meet them, after spitting a long stream of tobacco juice, this long bearded face asked, “Where in hell ya get our old hoss? He’s been gone a long time.”

  Sam was impatient. “I want ta talk to the boss of this outfit. Can ya go fech him?”

  The bearded one spun on his heels went into the house and returned with a man, who said he was Richard King.

  Sam spoke to the two men. “I brung this old horse a long ways, I’d shore like to buy him, if you’ll sell him to me.”

  King looked at Sam hard. We thank you for your time, but he ain’t for sale at any price, you can put him in that pen over there.” He pointed to a horse pen west of the house. Sam dismounted and the stallion followed him into the pen. Sam shut the gate, returned, mounted the Dunn and started to leave, the black stallion went crazy, rearing, kicking the pen and pawing up a storm.

  King yelled, “Turn that damn horse loose before he tears the whole pen down.”

  The bearded one rushed over and opened the gate. The horse trotted to Sam and stood pushing against him with his head.

  “That’s the God damn’est thing I ever saw,” King told the people standing there. “Mister, whatever your name is, you just got yourself a horse. Put your horses in the pen and come on in the house, I gotta have a talk with you.”

  Sam unsaddled the Dunn and pack horse, all three horses were put in the pen, then he went to the house.

  In the house King invited Sam to have supper with his wife and himself. Sam asked if he could wash up first, he was shown a wash basin and after washing he sat down at the King’s table.

  At supper Mr King told him he had never seen a horse take to a man as the stallion did.

  “I saved him, got em out of a bog, guess he remembers me for that.”

  “I want to hire you to oversee my horse herd, a man like you don’t come along every day, you have a way with horses, I like that. Give you top hand wages.”

  “No sir, I can’t I’m with the Rangers, been ordered to Sam Antonio, I just came to see if I could get the stallion.”

  “I knew you were no ornery cowhand the way you carry yourself and wear that pistol. The trail north of this house will take you right up to San Antonio, we’ll see you have enough grub to get there. You can stay the night in our bunk house, I want to tell you about this horse you now own, he’s one of the best Kentucky has ever produced, I purchased him as a yearling several years ago, we used him as the ranch stud for two years. We don’t know when he was stolen, possibly last fall. He was out on the range with his mares, we have six of his sons, they’re out of our best mares. You are a good judge of horse flesh, take him and keep him, he’ll be as good for you as he was for us, he’s the fastest horse on four legs I’ve ever seen.”

  Sam said he would and thanked them kindly for their hospitality and the black stallion.

  After a hardy breakfast of steak, eggs and plenty of good strong black coffee, cooked by a Chinese cook, he took the trail to San Antonio. Four days later he reined up at the headquarters of the Rangers in San Antonio, Major Jones welcomed him as he entered the office.

  “We been expecting you for some time, where you been?”

  “I took a little detour to the King ranch,” a smiling Sam told him.

  “My God man you took that horse all the way down there? Guess you know you’re on suspension? I’d call it a small vacation. You can bunk over in the Ranger barracks and eat at Lupe’s Café. No pay, but the State of Texas will take care of your bills while you’re on leave.”

  “Sounds good to me, don’t ever recall have-n a vacation before, I like this State of Texas.”

  “Was it pretty rough down in Mexico?” the Major asked.

  “We damn near starved, McNelly was right, the government was wrong to have him fired.” Sam was bitter and showed it as he spoke. “I know you’re right. McNelly is a good man and friend, it’s a shame to lose a man like him.”

  Hayes seemed as mad as Sam. He told Sam that he had no news of his black friend, who was with the Comanche Indians.

  Sam put his horses in the Ranger barn. Fed them and went to the Ranger barracks. A young Mexican boy showed him his room, Sam met two other Rangers living there.

  “It’s time to eat,” Jay Jones said. He was the brother of Major Jones, Jay and Hop Anderson invited him to Lupe’s Café for supper. “You’re about to meet a good looking woman.”

  As the three entered the café Jay told Sam, “This is the best looking woman in all of Texas, I tell you she’s a pretty thing, they say she’s a real hellcat when she gets mad.”

  The aroma of Mexican cooking filled the air. Sam told the two he was hungry enough to eat a whole cow. Then he saw her, his heart jumped a beat just look-n at this Mexican beauty, black haired, black eyed with cream colored skin, this voluptuous woman came to greet them.

  “How’s the Rangers doin this fine evening?” she said in a seductive voice. A big smile on her face. With a hand she leaned on Sam’s shoulder.

  He couldn’t help himself when he said, “If you ain’t the best looking woman in Texas, I’d shore like to meet her.”

  Lupe took the flattery in stride and motioned for a white coated Mexican boy to come and take their order. She introduced herself to Sam, as she presented her hand for him to shake. “I’m Lupe Moreno, I own this café.”

  Sam took her hand in his right hand he squeezed hers and with his left he rubbed the top of her hand and up her bare arm a-ways. Anyone could tell she liked it. She gave him a big beautiful smile, she pulled a chair next to him and sat with a hand on his shoulder and asked his name.

  “Sam Duncan.”

  “Where you from? You make my blood rise, how come you so handsome?”

  He laughed hard and told her, “My Ma and Pa had a little to do with that.”

  “They did a good job, you are one good looking man.”

  All during supper she sat and watched every move Sam made, he had a bad time eating as he did the same to her. She asked him to walk out with her, she wanted to show him some of San Antonio since he had just come to town. Sam was ready for a relationship with a woman, this woman could fill the bill very well.

  They walked down by the Alamo, she told him the history of the place. Then they sat on a bench and watched the river flow by as it turned dark. He walked her back to the café, her apartment was next to the café. He took her in his arms and planted a gentle kiss on her lips, breathlessly she asked if he wanted to stay the night? He backed up, hands raised and told her, “Not tonight, maybe tomorrow night.”

  Back in his room he washed up and went to bed and tried to sleep, was he ready for this woman? he asked himself. Sleep came and he dreamed of Fawn and his love of her. All the rest of the night she was in his sleeping subconsciousness.

  He was awakened by the crowing of a rooster off in the distance, he was wringing wet with sweat. After dressing he went to the horse barn, fed and groomed the horses, his mind kept thinking of Fawn, her presence seemed to be everywhere, she was like a beautiful memory hanging over him. He saddled the Dunn and took a long ride, Fawn’s presence rode with him, she told him many times, “Be your own man Sam, be your own man.”

  Her Indian father always said he was his own man, she liked that in a man, he knew Fawn would understand. A light rain was falling when he returned to the barn, the night was fast approaching. He felt hunger for the first time that day, time to see Lupe.

  At the café he had ordered and was eating when Lupe came in and asked, “Where you been? I sent a boy to look for you, you afraid of me?”

  “Ho no, I took a ride, let’s take a walk after I eat.” Again they walked to the river and sat on a bench and talked.

  He told her he had a wife that died and he didn’t think he could ever love another. She said she didn’t care, she just wanted a man to make sweet love to her. “I’m not the marrying kind, ya take me that way or not at all.” Sam agreed to that kind of relationship
.

  The days and nights that followed the two became good friends and lovers. Sam had a lot of time on his hands, spent a lot of the time with his black stallion, the horse was the best he had ever been on, he had a stride so long he fairly flew over the ground on flying hooves. He loved to ride the horse. He was also the smoothest one he had ever been on.

  The blacksmith’s son told him match races will start soon. He should race the black one. “You’ll make lots of dinero with him.”

  Sam told him, “I have no rider or race saddle.”

  “I, Charlo Lopez, will be your rider, I have a saddle, I rode last year and won many races, we win many together now with your Negro Caballo.”

  This small Mexican boy meant what he said. A more wiry boy Sam had never seen, he agreed to go in partners with him. “We’ll split his winnings 50-50.”

  The first of the year the races started and the black and Charlo did win every race they matched. Sam made so much money he hoped it wouldn’t end.

  Lupe became jealous of his horses and told him so. “You spend more time with your horses than me.”

  He could see they were drifting apart fast, she became more bad tempered and hard to get along with. Jay told him she had put a knife in one of her lovers as he slept, that was enough for Sam, he broke it off, in three days she had another lover in her bed.

  Spring time in south Texas is a beautiful time of year, Sam was enjoying his horses and the forced time off, some how he was ready for some action. Time hung heavy on his hands. Tom Gilman, another Ranger who had been put on unpaid leave, became a close friend. Tom backed Sam at the match races when needed, they rode together and practiced their shooting together, in the few months they were buddies and became good friends.

  In the last of April, Major Jones came to San Antonio and wanted to have a talk with Sam. Sam asked about Sylvia. Major Jones said, “She worked in a dry goods shop for a while, all she talked about was going to San Francisco, California. She felt her ordeal was finally behind her and she was ready to go on her own, she had a thing about California. We hope she has done well there. I gave her the seven hundred dollars and she had saved some more. With misgivings we put her on a train bound for the west coast. Sam, I came down to see you, the United States Government asked me to find a man and recommend him for the U.S. Deputy Marshal’s job in the Arizona Territory, in the town of Tucson. I told them you’re the man for the job. How about it, will you take the job, Sam?”