Georgia was shocked. That man was obviously not one of Austin's hands. Or if he was, he shouldn't be. She realized he was probably the one who'd opened the chicken pen gate before, and possibly also the one responsible for letting the horses out. Thinking quickly, she was afraid Austin wouldn't believe her if she told him she'd seen this man, thinking she was just trying to get the blame off herself. No, if she expected him to believe her, she had to give him some proof. He himself had said if he checked the latch himself and saw it was closed, he would be able to believe her if it was open again.
She quickly ran to her bedroom and changed into her split skirt, knowing she couldn't ride seriously in a dress, and she was probably going to be doing some serious riding. She grabbed her gun and a box of bullets, and ran to the barn. She quickly checked the stalls and found the one with the mare and foal unlatched. She closed it and checked the others. One other one was opened, and a mare was coming out of the stall and headed for the open barn door. She quickly swung around the mare and got in front of it, talking softly. It looked as if it were ready to foal, which she assumed was the reason it was in the stall and not in the pasture with the majority of the horses. She was able to walk up to it and lead it back to the stall.
She fastened the gate and hurried to the horse she'd used the last time, knowing firsthand that he was a good gelding and was well trained. Austin had said he'd recently bought that horse and was keeping it separated from the rest of the horses for a week or two to be sure it was healthy before putting it with the rest. She was glad it was still in the stall, and saddled it quickly.
She led him over to the chicken coop. Luckily, none of the chickens had left yet, so she simply closed the gate and latched it. She looked closely and soon found the footprints leading toward the woods. She mounted her horse and took off, following the footprints. She wasn't able to go as fast as she'd hoped, but she had to keep the footprints in sight. When they got to the woods, she got off her horse. It was going to be harder to track the prints in the woods, but she'd helped her father and brothers do it a few times in the past, so she hoped she could do it again.
She tracked the man, and from the distance between the footprints she assumed he was still running. As she progressed, they started coming closer and closer together, however, indicating he was slowing, and eventually walking. She very carefully and quietly followed the tracks, while paying attention to where she was. As she was tracking him, she realized she was in the woods but close to the tree line, following along the path she and Austin had taken into town. She continued to track for quite a ways, until the tracks led away from the path and further into the woods. She hadn't gone far, when she heard something. She listened carefully, and approached slower. It appeared to be a camp up ahead. She tied her horse and proceeded slowly. She found a place where she could watch, hidden from view, and settled in.
It was indeed who she believed to be the same man she saw at their barn, and he was alone. He had a camp set up. He'd made a bed of sorts from pine boughs, and had obviously had a fire going previously, but not now. She guessed maybe he waited until night when the smoke wouldn't be as easily seen. He was eating some cold beans from a can, and reached for his canteen to get a drink. He drank a little, then cussed as he dumped it upside down. He got up and got a bucket, along with the canteen and headed out. She could hear water running in the direction he'd headed for, so she knew this was her chance. He'd obviously gone for some water, so she had to come up with a plan while he was gone.
Chapter Five
Georgia thought quick, and when she was sure he'd had enough time to get far enough away, she stepped out into his camp and looked around. She assumed he'd sit back down in the same spot, or at least hoped he would, and hid behind a rather large rock that was across from that spot. It was off to the side just a little, but enough that she was pretty sure she'd be able to watch him without him seeing her. This was one time being small was a good thing. A large man would never be able to hide behind the rock, but she could. She loaded her gun, and hunkered down to wait.
He lumbered back into camp, setting the bucket of water down on one side of the rock he'd been sitting on. He sat back down on the same rock and set his rifle against a tree behind him. He picked the can of beans back up and started eating again.
She took another good look, surveying the area, looking especially at how far behind him his rifle was. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and put her plan into action.
She jumped from behind the rock, her Colt aimed at the man. "Don't move."
The man jumped to his feet, obviously stunned.
"Put your hands up where I can see them, Mister."
He studied her a minute. "You better put that down, little girl, before you hurt somebody."
"I'm not a little girl, and I'm serious. You put your hands up, or I will use this."
He frowned at her. "I mean it, little lady. Put that gun down."
"If you don't get your hands up I will use this. I'm not warning you again."
He took a small step backwards, and without hesitation she shot at a spot on the ground between his feet. He jumped and quickly put his hands up. "Damn, lady, be careful with that thing."
"I was careful. I aimed between your feet. Next time you won't be so lucky. Now pick up that rope over there and sit down in this open space."
He muttered, but did as she said. "Now take out your knife and cut the rope in two."
"That's a good rope," he complained.
She shot a few inches from his hand that was holding the rope. "Okay, okay," he muttered. He reached into his boot and took out a knife and started working on the rope. When it was in two pieces she instructed, "Now tie your feet together." She watched as he started tying a loose knot that could easily be undone. Without warning she shot a few inches from his feet. "Try again, and this time tie it in a real knot. And no more games. I'm getting impatient."
He muttered again, but started tying his feet. "Tighter." He glared at her, but she kept the gun aimed at him, and glared right back. He tightened the knot. "Now lay down on your stomach and put your hands behind your back."
When he did, she kept the gun aimed at him while she walked backward, over to his rifle. She picked it up with one hand and emptied it, slipping the bullets in her pocket and leaving the gun on the ground where it was. She wasted no time moving back to him and using the other piece of rope to securely tie his hands behind him in a slip knot.
She surprised him by untying his feet now that his hands were securely tied behind him. "Okay, let's go," she said.
"Where are we going?"
"To Laramie. I'm sure the sheriff will be interested in knowing why you opened the gates on our ranch."
"To Laramie? We'll need my horse." He started to turn toward his horse.
"No, we won't," she said. "Turn around and head toward the path to town. I'll come get your horse after I drop you off at the sheriff's office."
"How are we getting to town?"
"Why do you think I untied your feet? Start walking."
"You think you can walk clear into Laramie?"
"Yes, I think I could. I won't be walking, though. My horse is tied up over closer to the tree line."
"You expect me to walk clear into Laramie?"
"Maybe you'll be lucky and one of our ranch hands will meet us on the road and help me get you to the sheriff. If not, yes, you'll be walking. And I'll be right behind you with my gun trained on you, so I wouldn't suggest you try anything. Now start walking."
***
Austin took the team of horses back to the barn. He'd spent all morning trying to figure out what was going on with the gates, and was anxious to talk to his wife. The more he'd thought about it, the more he was convinced someone other than her was behind it. After the first fiasco, he was positive she would be checking and double checking every gate she opened. He wanted to talk to her to make sure she knew he didn't hold her responsible.
When he got to the house, h
owever, she was gone. He called and called, but got no response. He hurried to the barn, and was dismayed to find the gelding she'd used a few days ago gone again. He thought back to their exchange this morning, as he saddled his gelding. She had thought he was upset with her again and locked herself in their bedroom. He thought he'd made her understand that he wasn't blaming her, but as he thought back to the exact words they'd exchanged, he realized he may not have made that as clear as he thought he had.
He assumed if she still felt he was angry and blaming her, she would have gone to Laramie again. He headed to town in a hurry, pushing his horse more than he liked to. When he got there he went straight to Grant's office.
When he barged in, fear on his face, Grant stood. "Austin, what's wrong?"
"Is my wife here?" He was looking around, and starting to panic.
"No, sorry. I haven't seen her since you two left together a few days ago. Why did you think she would be back here again?"
"Someone left the gate open to the mare's stall, and she thinks I blamed her for it."
"Did you give her reason to think that?"
"I admit I was surprised when I found out she went in the stall with the mare and her new foal, but when she told me she knew she closed the gate, I believed her. She didn't think I did, though, and locked herself in our bedroom. When I came in for lunch, she was gone. I assumed she came back into town."
"I haven't seen her, Austin."
"Then where is she?"
"I don't know, but I don't think she did leave the gates open, buddy."
"I don't think so, either, but what makes you say that?"
"One of the hands at the next ranch over from yours was in yesterday. He said they've been having a problem with the same thing."
Austin turned to look at Grant. "No kidding. Now, who would do something like that, and why?"
"I don't know, but since I knew that same thing happened to you, I thought I'd check with the other ranches in the area and see if anyone else is having a problem."
"Let me know what you find out," Austin said, "but if Georgia isn't here, where do you suppose she could be?"
"I don't know. You're sure she left the ranch?"
"The gelding she took the other day is gone again. None of the men have seen her."
"I don't like the idea of a little lady being out by herself. There's too many things that could happen."
"I know, but I'm not sure she realizes just how dangerous it can be. If she took off, she could be anywhere."
"Let me talk to my deputy that's working today, and then I think we should go follow the route back to your place, watching for any signs of trouble."
"Maybe we better. I didn't see anything on the way in, but I was pushing my horse. I assumed she came here again."
Ten minutes later they were on the path back to the ranch. They were riding along the sides of the road, each man watching for any signs of a struggle or any kind of trouble. They weren't finding anything, but as they rode around a bend in the road, Grant stopped. "Austin, what's that coming toward us?"
Austin looked up and stopped. It looked like a man walking, with a man on a horse following behind him. "I don't know, but I don't think I like it."
"Nor do I," Grant said.
Austin sounded skeptical. "Why is he walking, while the other man's riding? Surely they could both ride the horse if something's wrong."
"I would think so," Grant agreed. "But he's walking funny. Where are his hands?" He moved his horse a bit and looked at the man from a different angle. "It looks like his hands are behind him. But why?"
"I don't know," Austin said, "but I think we need to be careful. This could be some kind of ambush."
"My thought exactly," Grant said. "Let's go see what's going on, but be alert, and keep your gun handy."
Austin nodded, and they carefully moved toward the two in the road ahead of them. As they got closer the man on foot yelled out to them. "How about a little help? This lady's crazy."
The two men looked at each other. Lady? Austin looked closer, and his breath caught. That looked like his missing gelding. He got closer, so he could see the rider. "Georgia, is that you?"
"Austin?"
"What's going on; who is this man?"
"This is the man that's responsible for opening the gates on our ranch, Austin. I was bringing him in to find the sheriff. Is that who's with you?"
Grant spoke up. "This is Sheriff Grant Montgomery. What's going on, Mrs. Barrington?"
They'd gotten close enough to them now that the men could see the man had his hands tied behind his back. "I saw him sneak from our barn to the chicken coop, where he unlatched the gate and pushed it open a little ways. He ran into the woods then. I ran out to the barn to see if any of the men were around. No one was there, but he'd opened the stall for the mare and her foal, and for another mare, as well. I got them back in their stalls and closed the gates, then saddled the horse and latched the chicken coop before I went to find this man so you'd know who's been opening the latches."
The sheriff got down from his horse and went to the man Georgia had brought in. "What do you have to say? Is what she's saying true?"
"This lady's crazy," the man repeated. "Someone needs to take that gun from her."
Austin was coming up to them. "Gun?"
"Yes, gun. She's dangerous with it."
"I told you, I shot exactly where I aimed," she said.
Austin had gotten down from his horse and made his way to her. "You can give me the gun now, honey. Grant's got him, and I'll watch him."
She handed him the gun, but warned, "Keep watching him. He doesn't listen too good. He's sneaky."
"Okay," her husband said, taking the gun from her. "This is loaded, I take it?"
"Of course. Papa always said a lady should have a gun to protect herself, but if she's going to have it, she sure better know how to use it."
"So he taught you how to use it?"
"He sure did."
Grant had to hide a smile. It was obvious Austin had no idea his new wife knew how to use a gun. He himself was wondering how the little lady was able to handle this man herself, but there was obviously more to her than either of them was aware. A quick glance at Austin told him he was having similar thoughts.
"I think maybe we need to have a little talk. It seems there's a thing or two I don't yet know about you."
"Yes, I've been meaning to talk to you," she admitted. "There's a little bit about my background that you may not be aware of."
"It would seem that way. Have you been trying to hide it from me?"
"No," she quickly answered. "It's nothing I'm ashamed of."
"Then why haven't you told me yet?" He looked from her to the man, and realized this may not be the best time to have the conversation, either. "We'll talk when we get home. Right now let's concentrate on this man."
Grant looked at Austin. "I think that's a good idea." He turned to the man Georgia had brought in. "Did you open the gates, like she said?"
"Of course not. I have no idea what she's talking about, but I didn't open no gates."
Grant looked up at Georgia. "Do you still say he's the man you saw open the gates?"
"Of course he is," she insisted. "I saw him from my window. I didn't see him up close, but after I shut all the gates he opened, I picked up his footprints and tracked him. I can show you where he was. His horse is still tied up out there. I hated to leave it tied, but I didn't know how to get him and his horse both in here."
The men again looked at each other. Austin was shaking his head. "You tracked him?"
"Yes. That's why I know it was him. The tracks led right to him. He's the right size and the jacket looks like the one the man was wearing that opened the gates, too. I know it's him."
"Austin, could I get you to help me get him into the jail?"
"Sure. If he's the one that's been opening my gates, I'd love to help you put him in jail."
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Grant said.
"Assuming she'll ride with her husband and let us borrow her horse, I'm going to cut the rope holding your hands, so you can hold onto the saddle horn. I'm going to give the reigns to Austin so he can lead the horse, and I'll be following behind you with my gun. You try anything and I'll shoot first and ask questions later. Do you understand?"
"I didn't do nothing," he insisted. "Are you really going to believe her? How would a little lady know anything about tracking someone? She just stumbled onto me in the woods and assumed I was the same man."
"Then what were you doing camping out in the woods?" the sheriff asked.
"I'm just passing through and stopped to have some lunch and rest my horse and let her drink in the creek."
"Sheriff, I'll take you to the camp and you can look at it for yourself. He's been there a few days. You can tell by the amount of ashes in his fire pit, and how all the foliage in the area is tramped down."
Grant smiled, not only at the evidence Georgia was providing, but the astonished looks on both her husband's face, and the prisoner. "Let's get him behind bars, and then I would appreciate you showing me that, Mrs. Barrington."
It took an hour, but they got the prisoner locked in a jail cell. Grant got his deputy to watch him while he and Austin followed Georgia back to retrieve the prisoner's horse and look at the camp he had set up. He took some notes so he'd be able to relate everything to the judge when they had a trial. Once he noted everything he thought may be important, he untied the horse and tied it to his saddle. He headed back to Laramie, and Austin and Georgia headed their horses toward home.
Before mounting up, Austin turned to his wife. "A lot has happened today, and we'll have a good talk when we get home, but are you okay?"
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