Deadly Is the Night

by Dusty Richards

  Traveling, he and his team learned how to feed a two-and four-year-old, rock them to sleep, change diapers on both children, and how to move them with their minimum things. The four-year-old boy was Carlos, a cute dark-eyed boy, and the two-year-old was a pretty girl named for Bonnie at the ranch.

  Chet decided that he and Miguel would go a day ahead to set up for their arrival. Jesus and Fred stayed with Spencer and his family.

  Finally, leaving the stage, the buckboard was waiting for them in Preskitt. “How are she and the babies doing?” Liz asked him, concerned, on the ride home.

  “Better than the men are.”

  She burst out laughing.

  “It wasn’t funny.” He clucked to the team. “They will be here tomorrow night. She is a very lovely lady. Spencer is lucky.”

  “What are your plans?”

  “Bring them to the house. Show him the plans and work out a way to do it. We will hire her a nanny, and by the time we start the weather will be warm. We can move her tent along with construction so she will be close to him.”

  “I am glad you have it all figured out.”

  “Close to doing that. Any more telegrams?”

  “No just more mail. How did the new place look?”

  “He almost had the bunkhouse built. Frisco says he can continue but slower. No problem about that. The men agreed it would be a fine ranch headquarters. Just sorry that because of the children we couldn’t travel like the men and I did. Faster. But they are sweet kids. He found a good woman like I did.”

  “Jesus found him for you, didn’t he?”

  “Yes. He had cowboyed for Tom on the Verde Ranch but needed more money, so he was working on building the headquarters at Center Point. Jesus saw lots of things in him. He can certainly get things done.”

  “All these leaders you found started with Tom and Hampt, didn’t they?”

  “Sarge, too, and several good men besides them.”

  “Did you ever believe you’d have all this to do?”

  “No. I came here at the right time. People are still discovering the territory. But figuring how to make it pay was the next step. Arizona will have more competition in the future, but it will hold as we are until the railroad comes to north Arizona. Then we can compete with the rest of the U.S.”

  “Ten years away?”

  “I hope so or sooner.”

  When he pulled up to the ranch, in the dark, Raphael stepped up and welcomed him. “Always good to see you.”

  They shook hands. “It’s getting warm down in the valley.”

  “Oh, it will be hot, but we will have better weather than that. You find your man?”

  “He will be here tomorrow.”

  Miguel and Lisa had been kissing. He stepped over. “I am ready to go when you get ready.”

  “You have at least two days of putting up with him, Lisa.”

  “Thanks. I don’t mind sharing him with you. The reunions are fun.” They were off.

  “Anything go wrong?” he asked Raphael.

  “No.”

  “Then I am going to get some sleep. Talk later.”

  “Yes.”

  He herded her under his arm. “I wish at times I could fly. These trips take so long.”

  “You might fall off the eagle you choose,” she teased.

  “Probably would. But we will be getting back on track tomorrow after Spencer gets here.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  “I have some food,” Monica said, standing in the kitchen before her range.

  “Good. I am hungry. I missed your food.”

  “You’re all set. I’m going to bed.”

  “Thanks.”

  He watched her leave. “Is she feeling bad?”

  Liz nodded.

  “Sorry.”

  “She won’t go see a doctor. Nothing I can do.”

  “One more thing to deal with, huh?”

  After eating, putting the dishes in the sink, he dragged himself upstairs and at last dropped into bed, hugged her, and fell asleep.

  * * *

  He didn’t wake until noon. Took a bath, shaved, put on fresh clothes, and Liz fed him.

  “Monica’s in bed. That is how bad she feels.”

  “Wonder what she has wrong?”

  “She won’t talk to me about it.”

  “Should we send for a doctor?”

  “She refused that twice this week. Chet, I don’t know what to do.”

  He saw she was crying. “She’s like a mother to me. She won’t listen to anything I say.”

  “That is her way. You or I could not influence her.”

  Liz crossed herself. “I may ask the priest to come today.”

  “Do that. It would help you and maybe her, too.”

  “That sounds so final.”

  “It is all you can do.”

  She sent a driver to bring the priest back to the ranch. The father arrived at dark and spoke to her.

  His two men, Spencer, and his family arrived on the late night stage. The welcome was quiet.

  Monica died in the night.

  Lisa volunteered to cook breakfast with some of the other women in the morning. Liz accepted her generous offer.

  Things were pretty solemn in the big house, except for the children who had no idea about the love for the woman taken in the night. Her body was carried from her bedroom, wrapped in a blanket, and taken to her church for burial that afternoon as she had directed.

  The ranch’s population attending the service, there at the church, had overflowed into the street. There were others there as well. She was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery and everyone filed back to the ranch on every conveyance and saddle stock they had.

  Chet hired some taxis to take the others who did not have rides. Lisa and her crew had food set out in the great barn back at the ranch.

  Liz took the workers aside, thanked them, and told them they were a great tribute to her friend Monica and how much she appreciated them. Lisa hugged her and told her they all loved both Monica and her, and knew how deep her feelings were on her loss.

  After a time, Chet and Spencer left the group and went into his office to go over the line building plans step by step.

  “First we need a surveyor to stake the line and mark each pole hole.”

  “Sixty some feet apart except across hills that may require more to provide clearance,” Chet told him.

  Spencer shook his head at the numbers. “That means thousands of poles.”

  “Right. A glass insulator bolted on each one.”

  “It all has to be there. Workers, holes dug, and tamped in. Insulators on every pole standing up. Then wire stretched on each of them and secured to the insulators.”

  “One slip in supply and we pay for men to sit on their asses. If we start at New Mexico we will be two hundred miles from Gallup at Center Point. That’s a two-or three-week haul to get it there.”

  “You will need a real supply person to keep that going,” Chet agreed.

  “Any break in the supply link will cost you money.”

  “We can’t start it without half our needs ready to lay out. Then supply will really call for fast delivery.”

  “There are bound to be problems in delivery.”

  “Yes, but we must minimize them for this to work. When you get that many people working, it is the same as building a house. You need the lumber and nails there and ready.”

  “Look over this schedule they sketched out here.” Chet handed him a new folder.

  Spencer made a discovery. “They have a livestock contractor to supply beef. Why not hire some hunters to harvest a few antelope or deer? That would be cheaper and a much easier deal the way we will move. We can hire a hunter for a dollar and a half a day.”

  “Good.”

  “When we get a week under our belt we may need to hire more workers.”

  Chet nodded. “What else can you see?”

  “The lack of material; one item will suspend our construction.”<
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  “I will go over that with Hannagen. You will be there for that meeting.”

  Spencer said, “Cole has too much to do to work on our pole needs.”

  “I know. I have a man coming from Toby’s outfit. Harold Faulk and his family are your kind and I think they can handle it.”

  “That the Harold and his family that built the pens?”

  “Yes. He knows northern Arizona and the people. He would be worth talking to.”

  “I met him when we were running down the stage stop raiders.”

  “He works hard. After you talk to him, when you feel everything is ready, I think we need to go over to New Mexico and see if they can supply the material all the way.”

  “I’ll read through all these reports again in our room. You moved Lucinda and the children up here so smoothly. Thank you. She even brags on you. Moving two small children can be tough, and you did a helluva job. I think this telegraph business will be exciting. You’ve done a good job starting to set this up.”

  “And now I’ve dumped it on you to get it done.”

  “Hey, I am honored to be here.”

  Lisa told them to come eat supper; the others were already at the table.

  Chet thanked her, then, moving to Liz, put his arm around her shoulder. “You have a replacement for Monica?”

  “Lisa and I talked. She will look for someone that fits. She told Miguel she wanted to handle it until we find a suitable replacement. Food may not be as good but she cooked with Monica for months before she was married. He doesn’t mind. He gets to eat here.”

  “Good. It will work.” When Chet came inside the kitchen he asked them to bow their heads, he would pray. He made it short, mentioned Monica and how she would be missed. Amen.

  CHAPTER 26

  Harold Faulk and his family arrived in two loaded large farm wagons the next day. Liz welcomed them to the house and more bedrooms were filled. Chet and Spencer worked more on plans, and they had a talk with Harold about procuring thousands of poles for the line.

  Harold sat in the circle of three. He looked very serious and finally spoke. “I think we should start buying poles for cash. That would be the best way to get them. There is no work up there at Center Point. A cash price on poles will make folks bring them in.”

  “Can we get thousands of them?” Spencer asked.

  “Price is right, they will bury you with them.”

  “Chet, what do you think?” Spencer asked.

  “You went up there to work on the headquarters to make money. What else could you have done when you finished?” Chet asked.

  “Nothing,” Harold said. “That’s why I drove down here to find work with you. We can get hand bills printed on wanting poles and my family will pin them up all over.”

  “What do you think?” Spencer asked.

  “We establish a price. I think Harold can handle it. Then we’ll need teamsters to haul the poles.”

  “They’re around.”

  “My man Fred will take you into Preskitt tomorrow to get the bills printed. Think what you want to say. I’d say start at a quarter a twelve-foot-tall solid pole.”

  Both men agreed that was fair.

  “Your wife may need to shop. Take her with you,” he said to Harold, going for dinner.

  “I bet she does.”

  “Your daughter might want to go, too?”

  Harold agreed. “My boy Ray is riding with vaqueros today. He won’t care. But Claire will be excited to go along.”

  Things moved along smoothly. They devised a way for Harold and his wife to handle the pole payments at the Center Point headquarters and for the collection to be there. There was enough land there to stack plenty of poles.

  Fred took the three Faulks to town on a buckboard. Chet noted that Fred did not miss any chance to talk to the cute tomboy Claire. He kept his observation to himself until Liz mentioned it. “Your man sure liked that buggy-driving business today I bet?”

  “Oh, yes. Claire is the toughest working girl he’s ever spoke to in his life.”

  “You warn him?”

  “No.”

  She laughed. “I guess he will find that out himself.”

  “They are just kids. I am not worried.”

  “What were you doing at that age?” she asked.

  “Busy running a Texas ranch full time. My dad had already lost his mind.”

  “I bet you were looking for a female during that time.”

  “There were not many to see. Not working out there.”

  “Oh?”

  “Not like we have here. A near full house,” he said.

  “We do. Lisa is doing a great job. She has talked to me about her doing it full time.”

  “What does her husband think?”

  “She says they talked about it.”

  “I am not opposed. You want her, you hire her.”

  “I will think about it. She has a life to live, too. Monica didn’t. So I don’t expect the same from Lisa.”

  “Summer is close. I want to move on the telegraph deal, so we will be leaving again soon.”

  “I understand. Do railroads come next?”

  He smiled as he shook his head. “I am not a big enough player to do that.” He hugged her and kissed her cheek.

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “Thanks. I want to check on some things before I go to New Mexico.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Planning for then. Or the next day. Might even be after that. I want to run up to check on Toby. I have a feeling something might be wrong over there. He’s done well but I need to follow my gut feelings.”

  “Didn’t Harold just come down from there?”

  “I know, but before I get buried in stringing telegraph I want to be certain those two kids are all right.”

  “Want me along?”

  “I’d rather make a flying trip up and back.”

  “Who’s going?”

  “Miguel and Fred.”

  “Takes two days to get over there.”

  “We’ll try and make it faster.”

  * * *

  Chet and his two men hurried over on the General Crook Road to the eastern division. They went by the Hayes place, but they didn’t stop. It was late when they got to the dark ranch house.

  “Hello the house,” Chet shouted.

  A lamp come on in the house. “That you, Chet?”

  “Yeah. Sorry to wake you.”

  “Something wrong?” Toby asked, opening the door.

  “No. Just checking that you two were all right.”

  “Come in. One of the boys putting the horses up?”

  “They are. Sorry to wake you and Talley. You haven’t had any more Indian troubles?”

  “We have not seen one since you left here.” Talley stood by Toby in her robe.

  “Go back to bed. They’re bringing bedrolls. We’ll sleep on the floor tonight.”

  “You three. Is there only three of you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll make some pancakes. I know you have not eaten. Why were you that worried about us?”

  “Yes, I was. I must have had a bad dream to worry about you two. I felt something was bad wrong up here. Strange feeling I guess, Talley. You both should know that Harold and his family got to our place. They’re going to buy poles at Center Point to string our wire on. Spencer thought we could do that job as well, short as this country is. Paying twenty-five cents cash for a twelve-foot-long pole.”

  “Man, I know some guys would get after that,” Toby said.

  “How many will you buy?” Talley asked.

  “Way over two thousand are needed.”

  Talley was still thinking about Chet’s worry. “I appreciate your coming all the way here on your worry. As bad and hard as my life was, this man you have running this ranch is the greatest man on earth to me. I am living up here, wild Indians and all, in a real heaven. We never have a cross word. He keeps me in firewood and he really worries about me. I m
ean when I came up here, I thought more slaving and complaining. I don’t have none of that and ain’t nothing going to shatter that. Not renegade Indians, bears, or mountain lions. But I am proud you thought enough of us to come save us even if we didn’t need saving.”

  She put down the mixing bowl and came over to squeeze his hand. “Thanks, Chet Byrnes. Tell that lovely wife of yours I won’t ever forget that dress she gave me for our wedding. I am where I belong.”

  “Good. Then forget I came clear over here.”

  They rode back the next day seeing no sign of Indians.

  “You think Jesus bought that ranch he was talking about while we were gone?” Fred asked them while riding.

  “I guess we will know when we get home.”

  They spent the night with Rhea, Victor, and Adam at the Verde Ranch. When they rode up the mountain the next day, Liz and Lisa were coming out of the house with two picnic baskets headed for the buckboard.

  “Hey, ladies, where you going?” Chet asked.

  “Jesus and Anita bought that ranch. Come along; we are having a picnic lunch over there.”

  “You want Fred to drive?”

  “Lisa can do it. Oh, Miguel, you are moving to the big house when you get home. She wants to be the chief cook and bottle washer for a while.”

  He smiled big and winked at his wife. “I figured she would. Saves us buying food, huh?”

  “That too.”

  From the Preskitt Road they crossed a small spring-fed creek and there sat the large white house with a barn and corrals at the end of the drive. All fenced and tight. In a bright new yellow dress, Mrs. Martinez stood waiting with her husband all decked out in a white shirt and vest.

  “Welcome to the Triple M Ranch. We don’t have much furniture, but we did buy some benches until we find some.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “How were Toby and Talley?” Jesus asked him.

  “Kind of like the Martinez bunch.”

  “How is that?”

  “Damn proud of what they have. Talley told me she was having the dream life she never thought she would find.”

  Anita came and took his arm. “I want you to bless this place. The priest is coming Sunday after church, but I have been around you a lot these past years and you have done this for many people. I want you to bless it for the two of us.”