Frontier Fires

by Rosanne Bittner

  “You know damned well who I mean! My daughter! Turn her over to me this minute!”

  Caleb set his weapon aside and folded his arms. “Your daughter isn’t here. And if she were, I’m not sure I’d let you have her, considering the look on your face. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

  Hafer’s eyes narrowed. “Some young Indian man rode off with my daughter six days ago! She was on a boat headed for the Gulf to go home to St. Louis. She got off to tend to personal matters and the next thing my men knew, she was riding off with an Indian! And considering the fact that she didn’t even scream for help, I can draw only one conclusion. It was your son, Sax! He has taken her away somewhere! The poor girl is innocent and trusting. God only knows what he’s done to her by now!”

  Caleb’s face darkened with anger. “My son would never hurt a young lady, Hafer. And if it were Tom, then it must have been because you were sending her away. They’re in love.”

  “Love! Indians don’t love! They lust, especially when it comes to white women!”

  Caleb winced as though someone had hit him in the gut. He lowered his arms, clenching his fists. “Get off my land, Hafer, before I kill you,” he growled then.

  “Not without my daughter!”

  “I told you she isn’t here. I’m sorry something has happened to her, but you won’t find her here!”

  “And where is your son?”

  “He’s off hunting.”

  “Hunting,” he sneered. “Let me tell you something, Sax. If that boy of yours has soiled my Bess, I’ll kill him!”

  Caleb grabbed his coat front in a flash, startling the man, shoving him backward. A Hafer man pointed his rifle and a shot rang out. The rifle flew from his hands, knocked away by a Sax man’s bullet, and the rest of the Hafer and Sax men faced each other off while Caleb slammed Hafer against a porch post.

  “Touch my son, and you’re a dead man, Hafer! I don’t know if he’s the one who rode off with your daughter or not, but if he is, then you’ve got to accept it! Let the girl be happy!” He let go of Hafer, shoving him toward his horse. “I’ve done nothing against you, Hafer, but you’ve stolen my water, and now you come here insulting my family! And I know about Byron Clawson, so you had best get out of my sight damned quick. I’ve got no use for any man who deals with trash like him!”

  Hafer paled with shock. He knew! He had to act quickly now against Sax, but at the moment he couldn’t think what to do. He forced himself to look unaffected by the news and glared back at Caleb. “This is just the beginning, Sax. So you figured it all out. Fine! Now we both know where the other stands. Even if my daughter hasn’t run off with your son, I came here to do a job and I intend to do it!”

  Jess Purnell was among those who had come with Hafer and his men. He felt uncomfortable with the whole matter and, in fact, had secretly come along only in the hope that he could help keep things from getting out of hand. He really saw nothing wrong with Tom Sax. After all, his father was a big landowner and a respected horse breeder. He had watched Caleb Sax enough to sense the worth of the man and felt embarrassed to be with Hafer.

  His eyes moved to the window. Lynda was looking out. Their eyes met for a moment, and he saw the hatred and anger in her dark look. Surely she had had her baby by now. He wished he could talk to her again, see the baby and see if she were well and happy. But the way things were going, it all looked even more hopeless. Charles Hafer had become the enemy, and Jess worked for him.

  “I intend to get my water back,” Caleb was warning Hafer. “You’ll regret selling yourself out, Hafer. It’s too bad your daughter got in the way, isn’t it?”

  The man reddened. “I intend to do my job, daughter or no daughter. I’ll find her and I’ll send her back to St. Louis where she belongs.”

  “Not if she has married my son. That makes her a Sax!”

  “Sax!” The man spit the word. “No daughter of mine will carry the name of a half-breed.”

  Hafer mounted his horse.

  “What’s more important to you, Hafer, money and position, or your only living child?”

  The man turned and said angrily, “I’ll have both. And when I’m through, you’ll have nothing!”

  “I don’t go down easy, Hafer. Get off my land, now! If you’re so concerned about your daughter, I suggest you ride into San Felipe and ask around. And don’t ever come onto my property again.”

  Hafer reined his horse backward slightly. “It won’t be your property for long, Sax. And if your son shows up with my daughter, I suggest you send her to me if you value your life.”

  “If they show up here, they’ll get shelter. I will not go dragging your daughter to your home against her will.”

  “How do you know she’s with him willingly in the first place?”

  “I don’t know she’s with him at all! And you’re the one who said she didn’t scream out. That sounds pretty willing to me.”

  “He could have threatened her life!”

  Caleb put his hand on the handle of his knife at his waist. “You’re pressing your luck, Hafer. The Council advised me to handle you any way I choose. I can certainly think of one good way to settle this whole thing.”

  Hafer grinned, trying to hide his fear of the man. “The Council won’t be on your side much longer, Sax. Men are taking over who know what’s really best for Texas. In the meantime, I suggest you keep a close watch on your property and your family.” He sneered the words. “If I ever come back here, it won’t be announced.” He whirled his horse before Caleb could reply, half expecting to feel a blade in his back and anxious to get out.

  Caleb stormed into the house, slamming the door. “I should have killed him then and there!”

  “Father, you can’t just kill him outright,” Lynda warned, laying Cale in a cradle as she spoke.

  Caleb walked to where his parfleche hung on a wall. “There are ways,” he grumbled. He handed the parfleche to Lynda. “Pack me a little food. I’m going to that mission to accompany Tom and Bess back here. I’d hate to see Hafer men come onto them by accident. We’ve got to get them back here where they’re safe.”

  Lynda took the parfleche and Caleb walked over to Sarah, grasping her shoulders. “They’ve had enough time alone. I’ll feel better if they’re here with us.”

  “Be careful, Caleb.”

  He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Don’t you worry.” He walked to a hook to get his leather hat. “And when we get back, we’re all riding onto Hafer land and filling those canals.”

  “Caleb—” She started to protest but knew it was useless. He turned to face her then.

  “Byron Clawson won’t win this one, Sarah. That’s who we’re really fighting. He’s too much of a coward to come down here and show his face. So I’ll send his front man running back to St. Louis with his tail between his legs! That should make him think twice. And with all the trouble down here, he is hardly likely to show up himself.”

  “But it will never end. After Hafer there will be someone else.”

  “And we’ll be ready for them!” He came over and gave her a hug. “You stay calm. It’s all going to be all right. Hafer and his men should be headed for San Felipe. That will keep them well away from the mission and give us time to get there and get Tom and Bess back here safely.” He kissed her hair and let go of her.

  Lynda handed him a parfleche packed with a few potatoes, some salt, bacon, and biscuits. He looked at Sarah once more.

  “I’ll be back day after tomorrow,” he told her. He flung the parfleche over his shoulder and gave Lynda a quick kiss, then left.

  Sarah watched the door close. She had to be strong for him now. He had enough troubles without her falling apart. She took a deep breath and looked at Lynda.

  “If you don’t mind, Lynda, perhaps you should sleep in our house for a few weeks, in the loft. John can sleep out here on the floor. That way Tom and Bess can sleep at your cabin until we get another built for them. They should have some privacy.”

 
; Lynda smiled. “I think it’s wonderful—snatching her right off the boat,” she said proudly. “That sounds like my brother! Isn’t it romantic? I can’t wait until they get here. Please watch the baby. I’ll go get some of my things.”

  She hurried out and Sarah sank into a chair. “God be with them,” she whispered.

  “There is someone in the sanctuary to see you,” Father Raphael told Tom, who sat in the kitchen with Bess eating lunch. “He says he is your father.”

  Tom looked at Bess in surprise, then looked back at the priest, caution in his eyes. “What did he look like?”

  The old man grinned. “About like you. If he was not wearing white man’s clothing, at least mostly, I would have wondered if I was safe. Tall, very Indian looking.”

  Tom smiled. “That’s him.” He grabbed Bess’s hand. “Come on.”

  She hesitated, pulling back. “Tom, what if he’s angry? What if he tells you I have to go back?”

  He pulled her again. “Never. He’ll never do that. Come on now.”

  She followed him reluctantly, reddening when they entered the sanctuary, feeling awkward as a new bride, realizing everyone would know what they had been up to. And what they had been up to had been the most beautiful experience of her life. She was no longer a young girl. She was a woman.

  Tom stopped, staring at Caleb, trying to read his eyes. Caleb’s own eyes moved from his son to Bess’s crimson cheeks. She looked at the floor. He looked back at Tom. “You two happy?”

  Tom grinned, pulling her close reassuringly. “We’re very happy, Father. I’m sorry … the way I did it. But she was leaving. There was no time to explain.”

  Caleb sighed deeply. “You both are going to have to be pretty strong, and Bess is going to face some hard times. Bess, your father has already been to the ranch, literally threatening Tom’s life.”

  Bess gasped, looking up at Tom. She hugged him tightly.

  “If he thinks he’s going to get her back—”

  “I told him I knew nothing about any of this and told him to try looking for Bess at San Felipe. I wanted to give us some time to get you safely back to the ranch. But it’s obvious nothing is going to change his attitude toward this marriage, and I intend to go and get my water back, which means fighting—the worst kind of fighting—feuding over land and loved ones. Bess has to face the fact that people could get hurt, including her father. I’ll not stand back and let my family be threatened.”

  Bess’s eyes teared and she looked up at Caleb. “I love Tom. I wouldn’t want to see anything bad happen to my father. I love him, too. But he’s changed, Mister Sax. I don’t know him anymore. He got so mean.”

  Caleb studied the beautiful face and lovely form of her. No wonder Tom couldn’t keep away from her. “Did you know your father doesn’t really own that land, Bess?”

  She looked first at Tom. Then they both looked at Caleb. “No,” she told Caleb. “I mean, I knew it was strange that he suddenly had so much money, and I knew he was supposed to look into some more land for some investor in St. Louis, but I thought the land we’re living on was his.”

  Caleb looked at Tom. “It belongs to Byron Clawson.”

  Tom’s eyes widened. “Clawson!” He looked at Bess. “I told you about him—the man back in St. Louis Sarah used to be married to.”

  She looked up at Caleb. “He tried to kill you once.”

  The bitterness was evident in his eyes. “He did. And if I didn’t have so many responsibilities here I would repay the favor. I still might. I have no doubt your father’s orders are to give me as much trouble as possible, to get rid of me if he can. I don’t know how much he’s getting paid for it, but if he’s going up against me, it had better be a lot.”

  She looked down. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I had no idea there was any connection.” She shivered.

  “Well, you’ve upset your father’s plans, to say the least.”

  Bess looked up at Tom. “I didn’t know. Truly I didn’t.”

  He kissed her forehead. “I know that.” He looked at his father. “Does Sarah know about Clawson?”

  Caleb nodded. “She does now. It all only makes it more necessary for me to ride against Hafer and knock down that dam he built and fill those canals. I just want to be sure you two are real sure of your love and realize the trouble you’ve caused. You being married makes it all a lot more complicated.”

  Bess put her arms around Tom’s waist and rested her head against his chest. “We know. We don’t care. We want to be together.”

  Caleb looked at his son, then stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Then let’s go home. She all right to travel?”

  Tom smiled. “Sure. She’s fine. A little tired, maybe. I’ve been keeping her busy.”

  He laughed lightly and Caleb grinned while Bess put a hand over her face. Caleb touched her hair. “Welcome to the family, Bess. I will do my best to see your father doesn’t get hurt.”

  She nodded, wiping tears.

  “We’ll sleep here the night and leave early in the morning. I don’t want to camp out on the plains in case Hafer’s men are about. We can get home by nightfall.” He gave Bess a smile. “Sarah and Lynda will be very happy to add another woman to the household.”

  “Will they truly,” she asked. “They don’t hate me?”

  “You love Tom. And you are part of the family now. Why should they hate you? You’re a Sax.”

  She smiled and sniffed. “I am, aren’t I?” She looked at Tom. “I’m a Sax.”

  He gave her a kiss, embarrassing her in front of his father. “You bet you are,” he replied. “Nothing can change that now. I won’t let it.”

  It was a virtual Sax army that rode onto Hafer land, spreading out on both sides of Caleb himself. Most of the men were Cherokee, some who worked full time for Caleb, and some who were living with families on Sax property. All together, Caleb took thirty men with him. He had made one last effort at doing this the right way, sending Hafer a note via messenger to tell him his son and Bess were indeed married, very happily, and were living at his ranch. He had called for a truce, a discussion of how to use the water; told the man his daughter loved him and wanted to see him.

  The reply had been an attack on Caleb’s men at Blue Valley. Several of Caleb’s best horses were killed senselessly, one man killed and two more wounded.

  There was nothing left to discuss, and Caleb’s anger left no more room for reason. Men had been murdered, and prized horses had also been lost. Blue Valley was drying up from the loss of its water. The remaining horses would have to be driven closer to the house for the winter and water carried from the well there, adding to the chores, let alone the fact that feed would have to be bought for them. This all would create a terrible drain on Caleb’s monetary supply. Caleb Sax intended to replenish the natural arroyo that ran through Blue Valley, and there was only one way to do that.

  The hooves of Sax horses made a rumbling sound as Caleb and his men rode onto Hafer property. Tom rode beside Caleb. John had been left behind, but not without a flurry of protests from the boy.

  They rode hard and fast once they got closer to the canals. Their purpose must be accomplished quickly. Perhaps Hafer would repair whatever damage they did, but they had to try anyway, to give Charles Hafer as much trouble as Hafer had given Caleb Sax.

  Hafer men looked up in surprise from their guard posts around the canals. One scurried behind a large boulder and others also began running for cover, all aware on sight of the Sax men that they were outnumbered.

  “The dam goes first,” Caleb shouted to his men. Several of them headed for the dam that blocked off the water feeding Blue Valley, Jake Highwater in the lead. A Hafer man fired at them, and one of Caleb’s men fell from his startled, rearing horse, a hole in his back.

  That first shot was all Caleb wanted to hear. The Cherokee circled and took cover, while more headed for the dam and another rode over to the man who had been shot.

  “He’s dead, Mister Sax,” the man
called out.

  “Fire at will,” came Caleb’s shouted order in reply.

  Sax men opened a volley of shots, and Caleb saw a Hafer man go down, then another and another. He and his men had taken cover behind boulders, some behind mere brush. So many musket balls flew from Sax guns that several of Hafer’s men began running for their own horses. Some of those went down under a new hail of fire. They fired back, and a piece of rock shattered near Caleb’s head, a piece of it striking him on the forehead and creating a deep cut that bled profusely. Caleb just wiped it and kept firing.

  Hafer men kept returning the fire until three more went down and they realized they had no chance. Those remaining ran for their horses, some riding off bareback, leaving saddles and camp equipment behind. Caleb yelled out to his men to stop shooting, running up to one Hafer straggler who was having trouble getting his horse under control so he could mount it. The man froze when he saw Caleb approaching him, musket in hand.

  “Don’t shoot,” he called out, his eyes wide.

  “I’m not going to shoot you,” Caleb answered. “I want you to give Hafer a message. Tell him I’m waiting here for him. We’re going to finish this here and now. You tell him if he wants to fight this, he can come right back to this spot and we will settle this water thing once and for all.”

  The man swallowed. “I’ll tell him. Just don’t shoot me.”

  Caleb lowered his musket. “Get going.”

  The man nodded, turned, and finally managed to mount his horse. He rode off at a fast gallop.

  It had all taken only minutes.

  “Father, you’re hurt,” Tom exclaimed, running up to Caleb then.

  Caleb put a handkerchief to the wound. “Just a piece of rock. Not a bullet.” He tied the handkerchief around his forehead, covering the cut. He walked to his horse and mounted again, dried blood on his face and clothes. The wound brought out his old fierceness, reminded him of his days of warring with the Crow.

  “Fill the ends of those canals,” he shouted to Jake. “Just enough so water can’t get through. Then dig some trenches. Hafer will be back before nightfall! We’ve got to dig in and take cover.”