Jed was so furious that his responding tone was sarcastic. “Did Fletcher make any mistakes? No, but he saw and heard my daughter acting like she has no wits under her fancy hat! How could a Lane be so foolish and shameful?”
Mary Louise frowned. “I can’t do anything right in your eyes, can I, Father? Sometimes I think the only child you love is Jessica. You keep me here like a prisoner just to punish me. That’s mean and unfair. If I had the money, I’d leave tomorrow and you’d be rid of me. I could have a wonderful life back East, meet the right man to marry, and be happy. I can’t do those things here.”
Jed worked hard to control his temper. “You’re unhappy because you’re defiant, lazy, and disrespectful.”
“Only because I’m forced to be that way to stand up for myself. If Mother were still alive, she’d make you face the truth. Let me go, Father. Please.”
“Not until you straighten yourself out, girl, if you can. I’m scared it’s too late; I’m scared you’re ruined for good. And that’s a bloody shame, Mary Louise.”
“You mean I’ll be straightened out when I start looking, acting, and working like a man as Jessica does. Even if I did that to please you, you wouldn’t let me leave any more then than you’ll let Jessica leave now and have a life of her own. She isn’t your son, Father. You’ve ruined her by treating her like one. What man would want a rough and ill-mannered tomboy for a wife?”
Before he could prevent it, Jed’s hand lifted and slapped the hateful girl. The blow sounded loudly in the quiet room, causing the startled Jessie and Gran to jump in the kitchen.. “Don’t you ever talk about your sister like that again! I wish you were only half the woman she is! If you keep up this way, girl, everybody around here will see you get a strapping every day. I’m warning you, Mary Louise, you’ve tried my patience too long. I never thought to see the day when I struck one of my children in anger. See what you’ve done to me.”
The blonde rubbed her stinging cheek and glared at her father. “One day you’ll be sorry for what you’ve done to me.” She stormed from the room and slammed the door.
Jessie and Gran exchanged worried looks.
The older woman embraced her elder granddaughter. “Pay no mind to her, child,” she soothed. “She’s just rattling on to get her way. She’s going to be trouble around here, just like that drifter is.”
“Navarro is nothing like Mary Louise, Gran. I’ll see to Papa.” Jessie found him sitting on the edge of a chair with his hands over his face. “Papa…?” she began hesitantly.
His expression exposed anguish as he lifted his head to meet her sympathetic gaze. “I hit her, Jess; I struck one of my own children in rage. Worse, it felt good. That girl will be the death of me. If I let her run off like she is, she’ll be in all kinds of trouble. I’m tempted to do it to teach her a lesson, but your ma would cry in her grave. It’s a battle of wills now, and I have to win.”
“I know, Papa, and I’m sorry.” Jessie couldn’t blame Mary Louise’s cruel words on the heat of anger, because she believed her sister meant them.
Breakfast passed in strained silence at the Lane table. As soon as his food was consumed, Jed left to begin his chores and orders. Tom returned to his job as tally keeper. Jessie helped with the branding. Mary Louise didn’t apologize to anyone this morning. Yet she must have taken her father’s whipping threat seriously, for she did all of her chores without being prodded, did them right and without complaint, but in cold silence.
The men returned with the herd by noon. Matt and two hands left immediately to get them to Fort Davis before their Tuesday deadline.
“Some of us better ride fence, Papa,” Jessie suggested. “Fletcher knows the hands will be spread out with chores so he’ll think it’s a good time to attack. I’ll go with Navarro if that’s all right with you. I’ve been flanking all morning so I can use a break. You want to come along?”
Jedidiah Lane was still stinging from Mary Louise’s words and feelings last night and was distracted by the problems surrounding him. “I’ll stay here and see how I can help the boys, Jess. You and Navarro be careful-like. Keep an eye on those bulls. We’d be out of luck without them. See you at supper.”
While Jessie was speaking with her father and preparing to leave, Tom told Navarro what had happened in the house last night. Navarro promised not to break his confidence with anyone, including Jessie.
As they checked out several areas and clustered herds, neither Jessie nor Navarro mentioned the spiteful incident with Mary Louise. They talked little, as both seemed caught up in their own troubled thoughts. As dusk approached, they returned to the corral. While unsaddling their mounts, Matt and the two hands rode in, with one wounded. Davy was assisted down and carried to the bunkhouse for Hank to doctor him.
Matt explained how they were attacked, the horses rustled, and Davy shot. “They were waiting to ambush us, Jed. We were penned down for two hours while the others got a head start. No need to try and track them in the dark; they’re long gone by now. Besides, we can’t spare the hands to go after them.”
“You boys are safe; that’s all that matters tonight. There’s no way we can gather more horses and get them to the fort on time. I’m sure Fletcher is on the road with replacements. That troop will be mounted and gone before we arrive.”
“Davy took one in the wing, but he’ll be fine in a few days. Bullet passed clean through and didn’t do much damage, just a lot of bleeding.”
“You sure we can’t track and overtake them?” Navarro asked.
“They headed straight for the border. With the lead they had, they’d be in Mexico before we could catch up. Those were strong horses; they can run ’em fast.”
Mary Louise joined them, and Jessie suspected it was only because she wanted to be around Navarro. The blonde spoke to the men and behaved politely for a change as she listened to the grim news. Her hair traveled down her back like shimmering gold. Her sapphire eyes matched the color of her fashionable dress and matching slippers. Jimmy Joe’s and Miguel’s gazes lingered on her.
“Did you tell Fletcher about the horses being sent to Fort Davis?” Jed asked.
“I didn’t have to, Father. There were many people around the boarding house when Captain Graham gave me that message for you. Everyone heard it.”
“It was Fletcher; I’m sure of it,” Jed murmured.
“Why don’t you send someone to the fort to see if he drove horses there?” Mary Louise suggested in a cultured voice. “If he did, that means he had to know yours would be stolen. Certainly that would be a clue to his guilt, Father. If he didn’t take advantage of the rustling, he didn’t know about it.”
“But, Papa,” Jessie injected. “He won’t try to make a sale in our place. He’s too clever to expose himself in such a simple way. That means we can use Navarro’s plan tonight. Fletcher will expect us to guess he won’t fill the contract. He’ll expect us to gather more horses in the morning to drive over and explain our delay. That troop can’t leave without new mounts. What he’ll do is rustle the horses in the west pasture to stop us. If we set a trap for his men like Navarro suggested, we’ll get them. Then we’ll have our proof for the law.”
“You’re right, Jess. He’ll think that we’ll try again tomorrow, not tonight.”
“We should get moving, Mr. Lane, before his men reach that area.”
“You boys heard Navarro; let’s grab some supplies and get riding.”
Nothing happened all night. Their anxiety made it a long one, and a lack of campfires made it chilly. The hands took shifts sleeping and watching the group of excellent horses. At dawn, they headed for the corral with the stock.
By the time they arrived, Navarro suspected why Fletcher hadn’t fallen into their trap. “He’s more cunning than I realized, Mr. Lane. He guessed we set a trap for him. He probably laughed all night thinking about us sitting out there getting tired and aggravated. I think I know what he’s up to now. He believes we’ll expect him to make another strike on the trail today
so we’ll send nearly all our hands as guards. That will leave the cattle unprotected. That’s where he wants to strike. He doesn’t want a small herd of horses; he wants a large herd of steers. That loss will hurt you most. I say you send only a few men with the horses; we’ll set another trap for him with the rest. What do you think, sir?”
“Tarnation! You’ve got a good head, Navarro; you think like he does. That’s what the snake is up to, I’m sure of it. Matt, take two men and get these horses to Captain Graham. Tell Sheriff Cooper what happened on the trail and here last night. Tell him to expect some prisoners tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t do that, sir,” Navarro advised. “Not unless you trust this lawman completely. If he’s being paid by Fletcher not to help you, he could warn him and ruin our plan.”
The older man scratched his graying auburn head. “Toby Cooper seems an honest man, but you could be right again. We’ll surprise him and Fletcher with our success. You seem to know what to do, so I’m putting you in charge here.”
The desperado nodded. “We should get the steers gathered into one area—a place with plenty of trees and hills for good hiding places. We don’t want any saddled horses or guards in sight to give us away so I hope all or most of you can ride bareback when the time comes to chase them. If he has anyone spy on the house today, he’ll think the boys stopped branding to take those horses to the fort so that shouldn’t look suspicious. Tom, Gran, and Hank should work in the garden or keep to their chores to show some life around the house. Jessie should ride with us; she’s an expert shot. We don’t know how many rustlers he’ll send so we best use every one we can.” Navarro knew he hadn’t mentioned the blonde standing nearby, but she was Jed’s problem.
“Everybody get your supplies and weapons ready,” Navarro instructed the watchful hands. “We need to get moving and concealed before he strikes again. I don’t expect him to come at us until dusk or tonight, so it’ll be a long wait again. But that’ll give us time to get ready for ’em.”
“What do you want me to do to help, Father?”
Jed glanced at the blonde in surprise. “Your chores will be nice, Mary Louise.”
“I’ll tend Jessica’s, too, while she’s gone.”
“Thank you,” Jessie told her, wondering what the girl was trying to pull. She was up to something; of that, the redhead was certain.
The hidden men stayed on silent and motionless alert all day. At mealtimes, they munched on cold biscuits stuffed with ham and washed them down with water from canteens. Their horses grazed nearby, ready to be mounted for the pursuit. Navarro, had arranged them in a semicircle, with the herd flanked by a lengthy pointed top hill. With Matt and two hands gone, Hank at the ranch, and Davy in the bunkhouse wounded, that left Jessie, Jed, Navarro, and nine hands to face Fletcher.
It was only an hour past dusk when the action began. Masked riders galloped toward the gathered steers, passing between the Box L watchers. Fifteen men entered the attack area, making the odds fairly even. At a signal from Navarro, the Box L hands opened fire on the rustlers. The startled bandits reined up mounts, some so fast that the animals nearly tripped.
Firing back, the villains rushed for cover or escape. It was obvious to the bandits that they had ridden into a clever trap, but there were gaps between the Box L hands and many of the rustlers fled without injury. A few were wounded, but kept riding homeward. Some were trapped as the Box L hands jumped on their horses and closed the holes in their defense line. Two rustlers were killed and two were captured.
Navarro took control of the prisoners while the hands hurried off to settle down the frightened stock. He glanced at Jed and Jessie and remarked, “Their horses don’t carry a brand; that’s smart. But we know who you boys work for: Wilbur Fletcher.” As he yanked off their masks, he taunted, “Didn’t he tell you that rustling is a hanging offense? I don’t recognize any of them. Jed, Jessie, do you?”
None of the three did, which struck Navarro as odd since he had spied on Fletcher’s ranch, and the Lanes had lived near Fletcher for years. The same was true when the hands returned; no one recognized these strangers.
“This your first job for Fletcher?” Navarro questioned. “He hire more men?”
“Who’s this Fletcher?” one surly man scoffed. “We been ridin’ fur days from Mexico. We only wanted to cut out one steer to carve an’ eat. We’re starvin’. No call to shoot my friends. I’ll pay you, an’ we can ride on, mister.”
“The only place you’re riding is to jail,” Jed informed the two cutthroats. “You’ll be sorry you hired on with Fletcher to ruin me.”
“You’re talkin’ crazy, old man. We don’t work fur nobody in these parts.”
“We’ll see who’s crazy when you’re swinging from a rope.”
The villain’s eyes grew colder and narrower. “No hungry man will hang fur goin’ after a little meat when he offered to pay fur it.”
“If you aren’t cattle thieves, why the masks?”
“Keeps dust outta yore nose when yore ridin’.”
“Yep, grass stirs up a lot of that,” Navarro said wryly.
“Papa, we need to move fast. We’ll get these men and bodies on the way to the sheriff before Fletcher’s men report back to him. You’d better guard the house good tonight. He may attack to get our evidence.”
“You going, Jess?”
“One of us needs to tell our side to Sheriff Cooper. I think you’re needed here more than me to give orders. We should meet up with Matt and the boys on the trail. By now they’re camped somewhere on their way back home. If we don’t
hook up tonight, we’ll probably join them tomorrow. Don’t worry, Papa. Navarro and I can take care of ourselves on the trail. We’ve had practice.”
“I don’t like you two riding alone. Fletcher’s men might come after you.”
“He’ll expect us to take his boys back to the ranch tonight, then haul them to the sheriff tomorrow. If he attacks anywhere, it’ll be at home. You need all the hands there with you. Navarro and I can manage two bound men and two bodies.”
“I suppose you’re right. But don’t take any chances, Jess.”
“We won’t, Papa. We’ll turn them in, make a report, then come home. If we meet up with Matt, I’ll keep him with us and send the other hands home.”
“What about supplies?” Jed fretted.
“We’ll take what’s left from here. We’ll make do.”
Navarro had held silent. His heart had been pounding in anticipation of being alone with Jessie on the way back, until she mentioned they’d probably have company. “I’ll take care of her, sir. You have my word of honor.”
As Jessie prepared to leave, Jed told him, “Remember your word, son, ’cause I won’t forget it. That girl’s my life, so guard her good.”
Navarro was a little unnerved by the man’s subtle threat. “I will, sir.”
Jessie and Navarro reached the town of Fort Davis at dawn. Their journey had been slow and cautious over the hilly and mountainous terrain. They headed for Sheriff Cooper’s office and awaited his arrival.
The tall and lanky lawman didn’t join them till seven. His gaze swept over the two scowling prisoners sprawled on his porch and the two bodies tied over horses at the hitching post. “More trouble, Miss Lane?”
“Plenty, Sheriff Cooper. We caught these rustlers red-handed.” She explained their successful trap, then remarked, “Wilbur Fletcher’s men.”
“How do you know that?”
“We know.”
“I can charge them and hold them for the judge next week, but where’s your proof they work for Mr. Fletcher and he’s behind your trouble?”
“He’s to blame, Sheriff. Take my word on it.”
“I wish I could, Miss Lane, but the law says I need evidence to arrest a man.”
“You mean you still won’t investigate him?”
“I can ride over to his place and ask questions. But if he’s guilty, he won’t confess. You men got anything to say?” he asked th
e sullen culprits.
“We’re innocent, Sheriff. We wuz just ridin’ along an’ they attacked us. Accused us of bein’ rustlers an’ brung us here.”
“He’s lying! They were masked and trying to steal our herd! I have twelve witnesses who’ll back up my word this time.”
“That’s enough proof for me to hold them.” He checked the dead men, then rejoined Jessie and the quiet stranger at her side. “Don’t know any of them. No brands on those horses to tie them to Mr. Fletcher. Haven’t seen you around, either,” the lawman remarked to Navarro.
The deceptively calm fugitive extended his right hand and responded, “Navarro Jones, Sheriff. Hired on with the Lanes three weeks past. From Colorado.”
“We lost Big Ed in an accident, and Davy was shot Monday.” Jessie interrupted, eager to take the sheriffs attention away from Navarro. “None of the regular seasonal wranglers returned to sign on for spring roundup and branding, and no new ones came by, either. We’re short of men, and we can’t get our work done with them attacking us. We think Fletcher’s behind it. Have you seen any of his men talking with wranglers in town?”
“Nope, but it’s mighty curious none of them came around for jobs like usual. What about you?” he asked the desperado.
“I hired him in San Angelo,” Jessie replied. “We were there on business. Did Matt report what happened Monday?”
“Yes, before he left last night. He was anxious to get back to the ranch so he didn’t stay the night. Like he said, no need to spend time tracking those men and horses. You must have missed him and the boys on the trail in.”
“We took a different way in case Fletcher’s gang tried to overtake and ambush us to set these two free before they talked. Do you know if Matt reached the fort in time to save our sale?”
“Yes. Capt’n Graham and a troop are riding your way tomorrow. Matt convinced them to have a slow look around. I plan to ride along and do the same. I’d like to get this trouble settled as much as you would.”
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