Deadly Is the Night

by Dusty Richards

  “You buy it?”

  “Yeah, because I can sell it for more than that if you and Ty don’t want it. But what do you think?”

  “I’ll buy it. He can farm it. He gets on his feet, he can pay me. I’ll need the location. How did you ever get it?”

  “A guy in Illinois inherited it. He wanted a quick sale and I made one by mail.”

  “Thanks. I know the place. I’ll go tell Ty.”

  “Thanks. Your family doing all right?”

  “Yes, except my poor wife is pregnant again. Guess that happened like on the tenth day you breed a mare, huh?”

  “I don’t know, Bo. I am not that lucky.”

  “Sorry. She was married to her first husband for ten years and they never had anything. Now—”

  “Like Ben Ivor when he married Kathrin and now they have two. She’d never had any kids before she married him nor did he have any with his first wife.”

  “I am pleased. Hadn’t been for you sobering me up, I’d probably died of exposure out behind Whiskey Row. When do you get possession of this eighty?”

  “The lease on it ran out first of the year. You and Ty can have it now.”

  “I better go see how his mowing equipment is. I ordered a dozen mowing outfits for several places today. He may need one, too. Where’s Liz?”

  “Teaching school with Lisa out at the ranch. They are teaching English to the children so they can attend regular school.”

  “If it isn’t reforming drunks you are into that. My buddy Chet Byrnes. Come by and visit and bring Liz with you.”

  “I will do that.”

  Chet finished up his business and stopped by to talk to Jesus and Anita. Jesus was splitting firewood for her range and welcomed the break. Chet quickly noted how Anita had taken on the role of wife and not servant.

  As they enjoyed a cup of coffee, Jesus teased him about when they stayed with the Mormon folk and not having coffee to drink.

  “Tell him what we talked about, Jesus?”

  “Anita and I went to see Bo about getting a place of our own. He asked if we had money to buy a place. I told him maybe not a big place, but we could afford a ranch and we wanted it between here and your place.”

  “I think it shocked him that a Mexican family our age had that much money,” she said.

  “Does he have a place listed?”

  “We get to go look Friday at a place he said that is like what we described.”

  “I will still be here then?” Jesus asked.

  “I have no plans for now. Hold his feet to the fire. Other words don’t pay the first price he tells you.”

  She laughed. “We told each other that.”

  He went on back to the ranch house and his bookkeeping chores, still amused by Anita’s response. Those two, in time, would make a great team if not ranchers on their own. No matter they would rise to the occasion.

  Jesus and Anita would get themselves a ranch. But for now he had two good men to support him. He was still busy looking at invoices and bank deposits when Liz came in.

  “How are we doing?”

  “All right. JD is selling more beef. He makes his own way now, selling enough beef to cover his costs. I think by next year they will find even more markets for their cattle than they have now. And in the future his citrus and grapes will make money, too. The upper ranch at Hackberry has made money. The Windmill Ranch and our sales to the Navajo Agency is the greatest source of our income. Tom’s big operation has moved ahead of the other ranches since it is the largest. The Hereford division will really make us money now we have the bulls we need. Toby’s ranch and the Oracle place will take a few years before they even make a nickel, but they will make it and be good sources of income.”

  “Good. You need to go to Oak Creek and do something nice for them. They send us peaches, apples, strawberries, and vegetables all summer long.”

  “I will ride up there and see what they need. They do make money with that operation.”

  “I think the fruit and produce they bring us is worth a lot.”

  “That is all my end. I see you and your school project have moved six students to the real schoolhouse and they are all doing well there. Everyone is making a big fuss about them and that will encourage more to go there.

  “You seem to have something on your mind, Liz. What is bothering you?”

  “I am just tired of winter I guess. I know you have lots to do to keep you busy and the telegraph business is waiting offstage. But I’d like to take a trip somewhere with you.”

  “I’ll see what we can do. Just give me a few days to catch up here.”

  “Oh, I am not rushing you. You get time, I’ll be ready.”

  “I am thinking I want to go up and see Toby and Talley. They have been pushing hard to make that place a ranch and I don’t want them to quit. We can go down to the Verde and spend the night at the big house, then get up the next morning and ride to Toby’s before dark. Does that suit you?”

  “Wonderful. When?”

  “Next Monday.”

  She kissed him on the cheek and left him to deal with the rest on his desk.

  Monday rolled around quickly. That morning his men were ready and had packhorses loaded in case they had to camp somewhere along the way. The weather looked open and mild. The four rode out the gate with three packhorses and the trip began.

  By noon they were at the Verde Ranch. Rhea and Adam welcomed them to the big house. Miguel and Jesus rode off, after unloading the packhorses and grabbing her flour tortilla–wrapped beef and frijole burritos, to go look at the Herefords.

  Adam and Liz talked about sheep riding. Chet walked down looking for Tom. Millie came to him and said, “Tom’s went somewhere to check on something. He never said where or what, but he’ll be home by dark. We’ll come over to talk to you both when he is back, but I want you to know something. Tom and I have talked about it. Today, we think you did the right thing for Cody and Sandy, but I could have killed you when they got married.”

  “I wore a steel vest that day.”

  She broke out laughing. “You needed one. Chet, that girl of mine writes me a nice letter every week. And she is learning a lot of things about cooking and how to do things from Susie. I am pleased with her and him—growing together.”

  “That would be great. Do come over. Liz was fed up with winter lockdown and came along to check on Toby’s progress. As for Sandy learning from Susie—You know Susie was my mainstay in Texas. I knew you two became close friends when she lived here at the big house. I have nothing for Tom; just was going to visit.”

  “He loves to talk with you. I recall coming back here when you took this ranch back from those crooks. I never thought you’d get it done. But you prevailed and thank God for all of us. Tom, Hampt, and Sarge were the only help you had.”

  “We’ve come a long ways.”

  “Oh, much more than that. I’ll be up there to the big house when Tom gets here.”

  On the way back to the house, he spoke to a few cowboys coming in.

  “We’ve begun calving and so far this open weather sure helps,” a hand called Ruff told him.

  His partner agreed.

  “Keep after them, guys. Thanks.”

  “Hey, we all like this outfit. You keep it going and we’ll worry about calving.”

  “Thanks.”

  His two men were still off looking at the Herefords. Rhea and Liz were playing with Adam when he walked in.

  “See Tom?”

  “No, he’s off checking on things. He’ll be back later. I’m taking a nap.”

  Liz stood up. “We are planning a meal and Adam is helping us.”

  “You have things under control. How is Victor?”

  “He’s fine. Went to check on his fencing project at the new farm.”

  “Okay, all is good. Just wake me up when Tom comes.”

  She winked at him and he went to find their bed upstairs. His boots and gun belt off, he lay down and soon he slept.

  Over
supper Tom and Millie joined them. He’d gone to look at some cut fencing his men reported. They’d fixed it and came in and told him they thought someone probably wanted to ride across their fenced pasture as a shortcut. No cattle had been driven through the opening.

  “Made me mad that someone cut my fences. We have gates at intervals. A guy cuts your fence thinks he can. We only have fences on land that we own.”

  “That sure has you stirred up,” Chet said.

  “If I catch him I’ll kick his butt, hard.”

  “No idea who he was?”

  Tom shook his head. “Just some jasper passing through I’d bet.”

  “We’re going to see our man at the eastern division and how he is making it.”

  “He told me next time he came to town, he was bringing his wife to visit us.”

  Chet smiled. “I told him to go easy on the work and do that.”

  “He is real serious about making it a good ranch.”

  “He and Spencer are both trying too hard. I told him not to push too hard. Told them they need to take time with their wives.”

  “Spencer’s is Hispanic, isn’t she?” Rhea asked.

  “Yes. She has two small children. Her husband was killed in a horse wreck last year at the Diablo Ranch.”

  “I thought he took a woman out of a—a house?”

  “He did. She didn’t want to live on a ranch so he gave her the fare to go back home. She never left Preskitt and now takes care of some man who is in bad health.”

  “Lucinda Marcos is Spencer’s wife and she is beautiful,” Liz said. “I met her. You’d love her, Rhea. Her children are very sweet and they love Spencer.”

  “Did you like the site they are building on?”

  “Yes. But I don’t want to live down there. Preskitt’s summers have spoiled me.”

  All around the table laughed.

  Chet spoke up. “Rhea, you fixed a great supper and we appreciate all you do with Adam.”

  Everyone agreed.

  * * *

  They rode out early. Chet was feeling good. Miguel’s horse bucked some. Nothing fancy, simply feeling he had a few kinks in his back to get shed of. Miguel could ride almost anything, never got mad at an animal and somehow managed to make it behave. A good sideman to ride with. He matched Jesus.

  They made the T Bar X Ranch, but when they came in sight of it no smoke was coming out the chimney. Chet held his hand out and stopped Liz. “Something’s wrong here. That front door is wide open.”

  “I’ll go check it,” Miguel said, and jobbed his horse to charge up there. Chet and Jesus drew their handguns. They looked to the pine-clad slopes for any sign of threat. Liz had her .30 caliber Colt in her hand.

  Chet shouted to Miguel, “Watch yourself. They may be lying in wait.”

  “Where is Crystal Hayes at? She usually stays home.”

  “No one seems to be here. But they trashed the house.”

  “What do you think is wrong?”

  “I have no idea. Something is bad wrong here. I hope Miguel doesn’t find any bodies.”

  “Oh, that would be horrible.”

  “Liz, you and I know this is still a raw country. Anything can happen, isolated as this place is.”

  “Ain’t no bodies. But they sure made a mess of the house,” Miguel said, reaching them. “Looks like the work of some drunken Indians to me.”

  “Good enough. Jesus is checking the rest of the place.”

  Just then Jesus came from the back of the house. “Whoever they are they stole the horses that they had.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “Time to move on. Nothing we can do here. Better see how Toby is getting on up ahead. Liz, bring the packhorses. Someone needs to ride point. Let’s hustle. I don’t like this one bit.”

  “Go,” he said to her, and went to beating on the packhorses to run.

  Jesus took the point and Miguel dropped behind him. All four of them were looking everywhere while loping their horses for the ranch road that led into the old rustler’s place.

  A million things flew through Chet’s mind. Most of the Apache renegades were down in Mexico. But who knew anything for sure? Why didn’t they burn the ranch house? They used to do that every time.

  His roan horse was running smoothly and Liz was holding her horse back. He slapped the slowest packhorse with his rein to make him go faster.

  She nodded her approval and they pushed up the road. Chet worried about an ambush where the road went into the pine forest. In the clear open country they could see anyone coming, but the forest offered cover and the road into the ranch was heavily tree lined.

  They reached the ranch sign and turned north onto the narrow road leading into the ranch.

  “If we get attacked, let loose of the packhorses,” he said to Liz.

  She nodded grimly. If it was only him and his men he’d feel a helluva lot better. Now he had her safety to defend, but no need to regret the trip. They’d been lucky thus far.

  Some hatless riders appeared on the road. Jesus shot his pistol at them. They panicked and fled north. Had they burned the ranch and killed his crew? Miguel spurred his horse past Chet and Liz and also shot at the fleeing riders.

  “Let the packhorses loose.”

  Determination showed as Liz bent over, urging her horse on, and she shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “Damn it, turn them loose.”

  No reply. He rode in to press the packhorses to run faster. He could see the ranch house and new barn structure. The braves had ridden off to the west to avoid the new barbed-wire fencing on the right side of the drive.

  He heard someone shouting and waving for them to come on up to the house. It was Toby with a rifle—at least he was alive. Then several men and women came out onto the porch.

  “Look there’s some of his neighbors,” Liz shouted, a smile replacing her grim look.

  Chet slid his horse to a stop and Toby ran to meet them. “Thank God you came. It’s been hell up here. My neighbors all came here when things broke loose, knowing me and my brush cutters had plenty of rifles and ammo.”

  Folks were hugging each other and some of the women were crying.

  His wife, Talley, wet eyed, said, “I kept saying if only Chet could come save us like he did me before. And you did. God I love you, Chet Byrnes.”

  “Hey, let me help them unsaddle the horses.”

  “No,” Jesus told Chet. “You take everyone back into the house. We can do this.”

  Liz had his arm. “You hear your guardian tell you what to do?”

  He smiled, shaking his head. She steered him across the porch to the front doorway. Inside he unbuttoned his heavy coat and Cecil Hayes began telling how they learned there was a war party roaming the rim. “A friendly Apache came by and warned us they were coming. We decided there were more guns up here than defending our places.”

  “They ransacked your place,” he said to Crystal. “But didn’t burn it.”

  “No,” she said. “That would signal the army to find them.”

  “The army is up here?”

  “We understand they are.”

  Her husband, Cecil, shook his hand. “Damn sure good to see you.”

  “I am glad to be here. We haven’t had any Indian problems since Cole shot an Apache that we captured herding cattle to the Navajo. That was over three years ago.”

  “Well, we have it again.”

  “Have they attacked you here since you came over here to Toby’s?”

  Cecil said, “They tried but those Mexicans working for him laid down a barrage of rifle shots that stopped them. They lost some horses and bucks. They have not tried anything like that since. They did burn some of his brush piles out on his meadows, which saved his men doing it. I want to tell you I thought you’d hired a kid. But he’s serious and knows what to do.”

  “I thought he’d make the grade.”

  Toby, Jesus, and Miguel came in and the women serve them cake and hot coffee.

  “Boss man,
we have done all we can. Those Apaches got a good taste of .44/.40 ammo two days ago. I got some boys than can sure use gun sights. You see the army?”

  “Didn’t see anyone on the road.”

  “We thought they were coming,” Crystal said.

  Chet shrugged and turned to Toby. “How is your food supply, Toby?”

  “Good. That big snow storm taught me to have a good supply on hand in winter.”

  “You’ve done well. I’m proud of all of you. We were just coming to see your progress. Never dreamed to find this.”

  “When Cecil Hayes and his wife came over and told me about them bucks being on the warpath, I told him I had some sharpshooters and plenty of ammo. Those men all fought shoulder to shoulder to turn them back. Those Indians never expected that kind of firepower. No one of us was even scratched.”

  “I think they were mostly young bucks. We are lucky Geronimo is down in the Sierra Madres,” added Hayes.

  “Lucky or not, these boys have really been a big help.”

  Chet smiled at him. “I saw all that cleared land. Looks great. Your mowing machines are ordered.”

  “I won’t be settled until we find mother cows for this place.”

  “Keep working. They will come.”

  “I know. Just anxious. Thanks.”

  The barn builder Harold Faulk came over. He shook Chet’s hand. “Things have been pretty busy up here. Me and my family sure appreciate the work you give us.”

  “I may have another job down near Oracle. We are building a new ranch headquarters on a new place I bought, and they will need corrals there.”

  “We’ll get the barn done here and we’ll come over to Preskitt and make the deal. Save it for us.”

  “I will. Coming here I certainly didn’t expect an Indian attack. Glad no one was hurt.”

  Things were crowded with everyone sleeping on the floor of the main room heated by a large wood-burning stove a ranch hand kept going. No one complained. Two men stood guard even though everyone knew that most Apaches were so fear filled about being killed in the night and not going to their heaven, that they would not attack.

  They ate well the next morning. Jesus and Miguel did some scouting and found no fresh signs, but that didn’t mean they were gone, merely being more guarded about their movements. Still the pair found nothing but empty camps where the Indians had been.