"Well," the sheriff said, "no one's said anything about anyone missing. I'll go in and look at him, make sure he doesn't look familiar to me. Did anyone check his pockets for anything that might identify him?"
Austin shook his head. "We didn't even check."
"Okay, I'll check that, too. If I don't find anything, I'll check notices from nearby sheriffs and see if anyone's been reported missing."
"Who do you suppose it could be, or what do you think's going on?" Austin asked. "Should we be checking around with neighbors, see if anyone knows of any strangers around?"
The sheriff thought a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't think we should say anything to anyone just yet. I'd like to find out a little about who he is and what he might have been doing here before I tell anyone where he is."
Austin looked at the sheriff, concerned. "What are you saying, Grant?"
"I'm just saying we don't know anything about him. He may be wanted, for all we know. Maybe a bounty hunter found him and shot him, but he got away from him. Or he might be running from the law for some other reason. Or he might just be a drifter who ran into the wrong person. Someone may have seen him alone and shot him and robbed him. There are all kinds of possibilities. I'm not sure that I want people knowing he's here, though, until we know who he is. If someone's looking for him and they find out he's still alive and here, they may come after him."
"Then we won't say a word to anyone," Austin quickly said. "I don't want to put Georgia and Maria in danger."
"I think that's a good idea," Grant agreed.
Austin turned to his men. "That means no one says a word to anyone when you go into town tonight. If you hear any talk of anyone looking for a man, don't say a word, but come tell me or the sheriff about it. We don't want anyone to have reason to suspect he's here. It's not only Georgia and Maria I'm concerned about. Some of the men have wives and children who live here on the ranch, and the school's here. That puts lots of kids on this ranch, and I don't want anyone coming around here looking for someone."
The men all nodded in understanding. "Cord, will you please pass that on to all the hands? I'm sure some of them have heard by now that a man was found injured. Make sure everyone knows not to mention it, and don't tell their kids about it at all. It's best they don't even know there's a man here."
"I'll take care of it, Austin."
The sheriff had one last question for the men before they left. "Has anyone seen anything out of the ordinary at all the last day or two?" He looked around the room, but no one could think of anything. "Okay, thank you. Cord, if you could ask that question of the other men when you talk to them, I'd appreciate it. If anyone can think of anything, let me know and I'll come talk to them."
"Will do, Sheriff," Cord answered as he sent the men back to work.
The sheriff went in to look at the stranger and talk to Doc. He looked through the pockets of the shirt and pants they'd cut off him, but didn't find anything to tell them who he may be.
Austin was concerned. "What are you thinking, Grant?"
"I really don't know," the sheriff answered. "I'm going to check all my wanted posters and any reports from surrounding sheriffs, see if anyone's been reported missing, or anything that might give us a clue. Let me know if he wakes up and I'll come talk to him. In the meantime, be careful around him, once he wakes up especially. He might be fine, but once he wakes up I wouldn't let either of the women in here alone with him until you get to know him a little or we find out what his story is."
"I think that's a good idea," Austin agreed.
Chapter Ten
Austin walked Sheriff Montgomery out to his horse. The sheriff was ready to mount when he and Austin saw two horses heading toward them, riding hard. "Are those your men?" the sheriff asked.
"Not mine, no. I can't recognize them yet, but they're not my men."
The sheriff stepped in front of him and had his hand on his gun. He was ready to draw it, when Austin recognized the riders. "It's Elliott and Ben Wagner." He immediately remembered this whole thing started when Georgia was on her way to their farm. "Georgia was going to go visit them this afternoon. They're probably checking to be sure she's okay."
Sheriff Montgomery relaxed his hand, letting go of his gun. They didn't have long to wait before Elliott and Ben were in front of them. Elliott was obviously concerned, seeing the sheriff. "Has something happened, Austin?"
He knew he wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the stranger at their ranch, but before Austin could think of a good explanation, Elliott held up a bloody handkerchief. "When Georgia didn't show up, Ben and I started over here to check on her. We saw some fresh horse manure, so we slowed down to take a quick look around. It looked like something or someone had been dragged along the ground. Then there were numerous horse prints and footprints. Looking further, we found this down close to the creek. Is Georgia okay?"
"She's fine, Elliot." Austin turned to look at the sheriff, unsure what to do.
The sheriff paused momentarily, then addressed Elliott. "Can you show me where you found this?"
"Sure, Sheriff. What's going on?"
Austin met Grant's eyes, which seemed to be asking a question. "I think we can trust them, Grant."
That seemed to be all the sheriff needed to hear, as he started explaining what had happened. "Mrs. Barrington came across an injured man on her way to your home. She came back here and got her husband. He and some of his men brought him back here, where Doc Williams took a bullet out of his back and bandaged him up. He was hurt pretty bad, but he's still hanging on."
"Do you know who he is?"
"We don't," Austin answered. "We don't know why he was on our land, or anything else about him. Until we can figure out who he is and who shot him, the sheriff thinks we're all safer if we don't let anyone know he's here."
Elliott scratched his head. "But if you ask around someone might know who he is."
"True," Sheriff Montgomery admitted. "But what if whoever shot him thinks he's dead? If he finds out he's still alive, he's apt to come after him before he comes to and can tell us who shot him."
"I see what you're saying," Elliott said. "So what can I do to help?"
"Can you show us where you found this bloody handkerchief? Maybe we'll find something else that will help us figure out what's going on."
"Sure, we'll do that." Elliott and Ben took Austin and Sheriff Montgomery to the grassy patch by the brook. Ben showed them the bush where he found it. They walked around the area looking for clues. They found blood on a couple bushes, and the footprints and tracks from the horses and the wagon they'd used to pick him up. Looking around more, though, they found hoof prints leading up toward where they picked the stranger up. They stopped about ten feet away, and turned around and went back.
The sheriff followed the hoof prints carefully. "I'd say someone tracked him here, saw him laying there, assumed he was dead, and turned and left, satisfied."
"You don't think he shot him here and went on?"
"No. There would be more blood around here. I'd say he shot him, the injured man tried to get away, maybe tried to get to town to get some medical help. He may have stopped here by the creek to get a drink, maybe wash out his handkerchief, and let his horse drink. The activity was too much for him, though, and he collapsed. The killer tracked him here, like you'd track an injured animal. He didn't get off his horse and the hoof prints don't get real close, so he probably saw him collapsed, maybe unconscious, assumed he was dead, and left. "
"If that's the case, then you're right; we don't want him to get word that he's still alive," Austin said.
The sheriff nodded. "Yes, I think we definitely need to keep this to ourselves until we find out what's going on. Let's look around some more in this area. I'd say if we find anything else, it'll be here."
They spread out, looking, and were about to head back to the house, when Ben said, "Hey, Pa, look over here. It looks like something shiny back in these thickets."
All three men went to look, but didn't see anything. "Get down on the ground and look," Ben urged. "I know I saw something shiny. I just got a glimpse of it, but there's something in there that was shiny."
Austin got down, laying on the ground, and looked all around. Finally, he agreed. "He's right, there is something in there. It's straight back from here, maybe three or four feet in. I can't tell what it is. Be careful reaching in there, though. Rattlesnakes like to hide in places like that."
"You're right about that," Elliott said. "Ben, you stand way back. You men get your guns ready. I'll try and chase out any that may be in there." Before the sheriff had a chance to suggest anything else, Elliott had a long stick and started poking it down into the thickets. He did it randomly, with no sense of time or direction. Sure enough, the men heard a rattle. He kept poking, and soon a rattlesnake came slithering out of the thicket, hissing, and tail rattling. He headed for the closest man there, which was the sheriff. Austin shot it immediately, killing it.
Elliott moved over closer to where the snake came out. He used the stick to part the thicket in that general area, looking for where the snake had been. "Okay, it's safe now," he said. "I found where it had been laying, and it was alone. They usually are, unless they're mating, which would be unusual this time of year. I checked, though, and you can see where it had been laying, and it's only big enough for the one snake."
The sheriff's eyes were going between the dead snake, and Elliott. "Thank you, Elliott, for chasing that out, and you, Austin, for killing it. Elliott, you sure know a lot about these snakes."
"I grew up around here, and my father taught me what to watch out for."
Austin turned to Ben. "Is that why you called us, instead of going in there looking for whatever you saw?"
"Yes, sir. Pa's told me a few times that you never go into a dense thicket like that in this area without taking a stick and checking it out first. He said you can't poke from one end to the other because the snake will see the progression and move enough to avoid it. You have to hit down all over the place so the snake has to come out. He said to be quiet while you do it and listen for the rattle, but if you hear one, be on the alert."
"Your pa's a smart man," Austin said.
"And you've got good eyes, son," the sheriff added as he walked back out of the thicket, holding a gun.
"How do you suppose that fits in with all of this?" Austin asked.
"I don't even have a guess for that," Grant answered. He stood by the thicket, looking at it, and back to where they'd said they found the injured man, and over to where the hoof prints stop, then turn around and go back. He shook his head. "I just don't know. I'm guessing it was the injured man's gun. I didn't see any gun with his clothes. Did he have one on him when you found him?"
"No," Austin said. "All he had on were his clothes. No gun belt. I hadn't thought of that before, but it is rather odd for a man to be out in this kind of area alone without a gun."
"It is," Grant confirmed. "That's why I'm guessing it's his gun. It was close enough to where you said he was that he could have dropped it when he collapsed." He thought a little more, and walked from the thicket to where the man had been laying. "It's possible he knew who shot him, and was trying to get to help. He may have heard a horse approaching, got his gun ready, and when he saw who it was, it was too much for him in his injured state, and he collapsed. His shooter may have seen that, assumed he fell over dead, and left."
"That's possible," Austin said. He got down on his knees close to where they found him. "If he had the gun in his hand when he fell, it could have gone this way, right into the thicket." He demonstrated, acting like he was falling, and everyone nodded.
"That's my guess," the sheriff said. "The shooter either saw him collapse, or saw him after he collapsed, but either way, he probably thought he was dead, and left."
"We'll keep this news to ourselves. I think it's better that the man thinks he's dead and can't talk to anyone. I sure hope we're right, though, and this guy wakes up. Then he can tell us who shot him. Otherwise, we don't have anything to go on, do we?"
"Not that I can see here," Grant agreed. "I'll check all my posters and telegrams from other sheriffs. Maybe they'll turn something up."
***
Elliott and Ben went back to their home so they could assure Vera that Georgia was all right. Grant and Austin went back to the house to check on the injured man. Doc was still there, but getting ready to leave.
"How is he, Doc?" Sheriff Montgomery asked.
"He's still alive and holding his own, but the next couple days will be pretty touch and go, I'm afraid. I gave Georgia some laudanum for when he wakes up, if he does. He's awfully weak and may not ever wake up."
The sheriff nodded. Doc turned to Austin. "But if he does wake up, try to keep him quiet. The laudanum will help with that. Keep him down, and give him broth. The broth will help with all the blood he's lost, so the more you can get in him, the better his chances will be. I'll be back in a week to check on him and the stitches, but come and get me if he wakes up before then."
"Okay, Doc. Thanks for coming out here. What do I owe you?"
"Austin, he's not your responsibility. Your wife and Maria fed me, and I appreciate that. They even sent some along for later.
"I'm the one that sent for you, though, Doc. I'll pay your fee."
"Not yet, at least. Let's see if this fella makes it and who he is. He may have the money and want to take care of it."
"Okay, we'll wait, but if he doesn't, I will," Austin said. He was pretty sure Doc wouldn't want to take any money, but he'd find some way to pay him if this guy didn't have any money.
After Dr. Williams left, Grant and Austin went up to check on the stranger. Georgia was in with him. He was still sleeping, but he wasn't thrashing around or moving much, which was a good thing.
"Okay, I don't know of anything else I can do here," Grant said. "I'll get back to my office and get busy on this. Be sure to remind your men not to say a word about even finding this man."
"I will," Austin assured him, "and you let me know what you find. I'd really like to know who I'm keeping in my home. I'll feel a lot better knowing Georgia and Maria are here if I know who this guy is, or why he was shot."
"I understand your concern," Grant said. "I'll ride back out here tomorrow night and let you know what I've found, even if it's nothing. We'll see how he's doing by then and talk again."
"Thanks, Grant," Austin said. He shook hands with the sheriff, and went back in the house.
He asked Maria to go with him as he checked on their guest again. When he saw he was okay and still sleeping, he talked to the ladies. He explained his concern about not knowing who this man might be or what he may have been been up to that got him shot. He made both ladies promise if they had any concerns at all, they would get him immediately, or if he wasn't around, any of the men that were handy.
His next stop was to talk to Cord. He told him to be sure all the men were gathered at the bunkhouse kitchen for supper, so he could talk to them. He took a team of horses out to plow a field, but had a hard time concentrating.
He called it quits earlier than he normally would have and went to wait for his men at the bunkhouse. When they were all there, he had his talk with them. He emphasized the importance of not letting anyone know the stranger had even been found. If whoever shot him heard he'd been found and if there hadn't been a funeral, he would be looking for him. He also asked them to watch the house if they were close to the barn or house. If they saw anything that didn't look right, they should check with his wife or Maria to be sure there was no trouble.
Things were tense at the house the next day, but the patient never moved. Sheriff Montgomery stopped by that evening, as promised. Unfortunately, he didn't have much news for them. He still didn't have any clue as to who the man could be. He was not on any wanted posters, and no sheriff had sent a telegram saying to watch for a man that fit his description. He still didn't want to chance alerting the
wrong person that he was alive, so asking around about him was out of the question. They agreed they would give it another couple days and hope he woke up and could answer some questions for them.
Georgia and Maria split the days and nights between them so someone was in with their guest at all times until he woke up, which wasn't until the third morning after his injury. Luckily, it was shortly after breakfast, and Maria was with him at the time. She yelled downstairs to Georgia, who immediately ran out to the barn and was able to catch Austin before he left the barn for the fields. He sent one of his hands into town to fetch the doctor, and ran into the house and straight up the stairs.
The man was awake, but quiet, not giving Maria any trouble. Austin took her place by his bed, sitting down to talk a minute, if the man was able. "I'm glad to see you're awake," he told his guest. "My name is Austin Barrington, and you're on my ranch. That was our housekeeper, Maria, and she and my wife, Georgia, have been taking care of you after the doc patched you up."
"Thank you," the man whispered. Austin nodded his head. The man was so weak he could barely talk, but the fact that he thanked him told Austin a lot. He could understand what he was saying, and more importantly, he was probably a decent guy. At least he had some manners. That made Austin feel a lot more comfortable having him in his house.
"You're welcome. My wife, Georgia, is the one who found you out in our pasture. I'm not going to ask you to talk yet because I know you're too weak, but I would like to know one thing. You can just shake your head, but do you know who shot you?"
He nodded. "One more question, and I'll let you rest. Whoever it is that shot you, does he know you're still alive, and will he be looking for you?"
The man shook his head. "Okay, good," Austin said. "We'll talk after you've gotten some of your strength back. I just wanted to be sure I don't need to post guards at the house to protect my wife and housekeeper. You rest now. My wife is bringing you some broth. Doc says the more of this you can drink, the better it will be and the sooner you'll get your strength back."
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