“Well, it was my fault, Frank. I was wrong about that horse, and I want to apologize to you. As I told your granddaughter, I don’t apologize good or easy, but I felt bad about it. Not many of us left. We need to stick together.”
Frank stepped forward and stuck his hand out. “That’s good enough for me. This is Rosa’s father, Señor Ramirez.”
“I’m glad to know you, sir. Your daughter graced the dance last week. The prettiest woman there.”
“Now, that’s enough of that.” Rosa smiled. “Will you have some refreshment?”
“I’d really rather you show me around the ranch and any horses you might have. I’m always in the market for a good mount.”
“He’s got lots of money, Rosa. Be sure you gouge him.” Frank smiled.
“Oh, Grandfather, I won’t do that. Come along, Charles.”
The rest of the afternoon was pleasant. She found herself liking Rhodes very much. True, he was a willful man. She had found that out from several sources, but he wasn’t that way with her. His manners were perfect.
When he left he said, “I thank you for making the way for your grandfather and me to bury the hatchet. Next time maybe I can come without a guilty feeling.”
“You’re welcome anytime, Charles.”
“I’ll take you up on that, and I’ll be back to pick up that bay stallion that I liked so much.” He swung into the saddle and rode away.
She watched him go and wondered what it would be like to be married to him. That’s what all women do, she thought. When they see a man, they wonder if he’d make a good husband. This one’s rich, good looking, got good manners. Got a quick temper, they tell me—but so do I.
She thought about him often the rest of the day and even dreamed about becoming his wife that night.
The next day she went riding on the edge of the property, just looking things over. She was returning to the house when suddenly she saw a man riding close.
He announced himself. “My name is Henry Beecher.”
Henry the Fox, she thought. He doesn’t look like an outlaw.
Indeed, as she studied him, she saw he was well dressed. He had a gun at his side, as most men did in the Territory, but he had removed his hat when he spoke to her.
“I’m Rosa Ramirez.”
“I’m glad to know you. I’ve come to look over your horses. I’ve bought several from your grandfather over the years.”
Rosa did not know whether to mention she knew he was an outlaw.
He said, “I’m in the market for another mount.”
“My grandfather doesn’t do much business. That’s why he sent for me and my family.”
“Well, maybe you can show me a good horse. I’m partial to mares.”
“Come this way.” She rode down to the stables.
He kept beside her, speaking favorably about the ranch. She showed him the horses and named a rather high price on the mare that he liked.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a sack, and said, “I’ve got these gold coins, just about the right amount.” He counted them out and put them into her hand.
She slipped them into the pocket of her riding skirt.
They talked for a while, and even though she knew he did terrible things, she found herself enjoying their time together. He was a bad man, everyone had told her that, but somehow he just didn’t look it. His face was pleasant. He was handsome with fair hair and pale green eyes such as she had never seen on a man.
He suddenly said, “I see they’ve told you about me.”
“Yes, I have heard of you, Mr. Beecher.”
“Just call me Henry. Well, I don’t deserve any medals, but half the things they say about me I didn’t do. Every time there’s trouble they say, ‘Well, that Henry’s been at this.’ I know my reputation’s bad, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to get to know you.”
She started to speak, but then more quickly than she thought a man could move, he reached forward, put his arms around her waist, and drew her close. He kissed her before she could even react. She finally struggled back and pushed him away. She was angry and said, “That was not a gentlemanly thing to do!”
“I’m no gentleman.” Henry laughed at her. “I’ll take the mare with me.” He went into the corral, put a loop over the mare’s head with a practiced motion, and led her out. As he left, he lifted his hat. “I’ll be seeing you, Miss Rosa.”
As soon as he was gone, she turned and saw Ned stepping out from behind the barn. He had a rifle in his hand. “I was just about ready to shoot him.”
“Is he really as dangerous as they say, Ned?”
“He’s worse. You know he’s smooth. Don’t let that fool you. Don’t ever let him catch you alone.”
Rosa thanked Ned and went about her way. All that day she thought about how a man could be that attractive and be such a villain.
Three days after the Fox bought the mare, most of the crew had gone to take a herd to better grass. Blinky had stayed back, along with Whitey Ford, the new hand.
Rosa was in the house talking with her father when suddenly they heard gunshots.
Then the door opened, and Blinky said, “It’s raiders! They’re after the horses!”
Instantly Rosa and Juan grabbed the rifles that they kept by the door and stepped out onto the porch. At least half a dozen men were opening the corral gate. Without hesitation, Rosa raised her rifle and sent off a shot.
One of the men hollered, “Shoot ‘em down! Shoot ‘em down!” and the men began shooting at the two, who took cover.
She was aware that Blinky and Whitey were dodging across the open ground, firing and looking for shelter. Suddenly she recognized George Pye and the two men who had tried to take their horses before. They had three more men with them and were leading some of the horses out. She was also aware that her father and grandfather had stepped outside, both with rifles, and they were pouring a withering fire. One of the outlaws cried out and grabbed his side. Then another one took a shot. Someone yelled, “Let’s get out of here!”
Rosa saw Pye raise his rifle and fire, and the shot struck Blinky who was knocked over backward. All of them on the porch kept up their fire, but the men got away with half a dozen horses.
Quickly Rosa ran to where Blinky was lying. The shot had taken him in the heart. He had probably died before he hit the ground. Tears came to her eyes, for the little man had been kind to her.
Whitey came limping back.
“Did you get hit, Whitey?”
“Just pinked me in the leg. Missed the bone.”
“Let’s get Blinky in the house, and then I’ll put a patch on it.”
They carried the body of the rider into the house. She washed Whitey’s wound and put a bandage over it.
There was nothing to do but wait for the crew to return. Three hours later they returned.
As soon as he stepped out of the saddle, Ringo Jukes saw her face. “What’s wrong, Rosa?”
“There were raiders. They killed Blinky and shot Whitey.”
Ned said, “Scatter out. They may come back.”
“I don’t think so. They took six of our horses.”
“We’ll nail things down here, and then we’ll go after ‘em.”
“We’ve got to take care of Blinky first.”
They buried Blinky the next morning, and it was a solemn chore. They had all liked the small man.
An hour later, Rosa called Juan to one side. She had saddled her horse, and she told him, “I’m going to Judge Parker’s to get marshals.”
“You can’t do that. Not by yourself.”
“They won’t catch me on this horse. She’s the fastest one we’ve got. Don’t tell Grandfather or Father until I’ve left.”
“Let me go with you.”
“No, they might come back. They’ll need all the help they can get here. I’ll be fine.”
Juan argued with her for a time, but she knew what she had to do … for all of their sakes. She mounted her horse, waved goodbye to he
r brother, and rode away from the ranch.
CHAPTER 11
Judge Parker leaned forward, opened an envelope, removed the letter inside, and spread it out. His wife sat across from him, and he looked up from time to time. She was cracking black walnuts on the face of an iron with a hammer and putting the nuts into a small jar.
Parker read the letter carefully then leaned back and stared thoughtfully across the room. Finally he said, “Dear, do you remember the woman named Eileen Riordan?”
“Of course I do. She’s the one who had the young son who wanted to become a marshal. How is the young man doing?”
“Well, we’re very pleased with him. As you know, she insisted we give him the worst jobs we could, hoping he would get tired of it and return home. But just the opposite happened. No matter how hard or dirty the work, or how difficult it was, Riordan got at it, always smiling, never complaining. We’re very pleased with him.”
“Well, that’s good news.”
“Actually, there’s better news than that. Heck usually wears young men out, the marshals that go with him. He’s tireless himself, and he thinks everyone else is. So, we sent him out on what should have been an easy job. You’ve heard of Sudden Sam. He’s a crook but not a vicious one. Never killed anybody. Never shot anybody that I know of. But he’s a burglar and a robber. Heck hated him because he robbed the widow of his partner of some money and two chickens. So, we sent him out. We decided Heck could go arrest him and bring him back—and he took young Riordan with him.”
“Did they catch him?”
“Well, they did, but he had two rough gunmen with him. They tried to kill Heck, and this young man shot the man that was about to do the job. Heck said he would have been dead for sure if young Riordan hadn’t been there. He was amazed that the young man was so quick with his gun. And so am I.”
“That sounds like he’s ready for something else.”
“That’s what I felt, too. So, a few days ago I wrote Mrs. Riordan a letter and told her all about her son. This is her answer:
“Dear Judge Parker,
What you tell me is encouraging, although it frightens me a little. As you know I’m partial to my youngest son, Faye, and I hesitate to do anything that would put him in danger. However, it sounds to me as though he has done everything we both asked, and if you think well, I would encourage you to give him more responsibility. I’m sure you know better than I how to handle this matter. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your consideration, and as you say, your wife concurs with this in the decision to help me bring my son to a higher part of manhood than he felt he had. So, please do your best for him.
Sincerely yours,
Eileen Riordan”
He put the letter down and said, “She’s changed her mind.”
“Yes, she has. Do you have any idea how you can help the boy more?”
“Well, I’m going to find some way to get him out on the field. Nothing very difficult, but I’d like to help the young man. I think he has great potential.”
“Well, you must do it, Isaac. She kept the boy close, and that’s the way we mothers are. But he wants to prove that he is a grown man. If I remember correctly, he had a father and two brothers who are very manly, and he feels that he’s failed them.”
“I can see how that would affect the boy. We’ll do that. I’ll give him a chance.”
Riordan stepped inside the judge’s office and was somewhat intimidated. Judge Parker, however, smiled and said, “Sit down, young man. There’s something I want to tell you.”
“Have I done anything wrong, Judge?”
“No—no. Quite the opposite. Let me tell you what I’ve done. We were so happy with the way you conducted yourself on the job with Heck Thomas that I wrote to your mother and told her how well you had done. I told her you had completed every dirty, hard job we gave you without complaining, and then when we sent you on the scout you saved Heck Thomas’s life. I told her how proud we are of you.”
“Well, thank you for writing her, Judge. I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’d like to try a real job.”
“All right, Riordan. How about this? The first request we get that I think you can handle without putting yourself in much danger, we’ll send you on a scout.”
“Oh, that’s fine, Judge. I appreciate it.”
“It won’t be a big job,” Parker warned, “but you need to learn how to work in the Territory.”
“I promise I’ll do the very best I can. Thank you for this opportunity, Judge.”
Riordan did not change his ways. He stayed under Marshal Swinson’s orders, still cleaning out the stables, washing the dishes, and helping the cook when he could.
He had been out one afternoon hauling the fewmets, as they called the stable sweepings, to the judge’s garden and was sweaty and filthy from head to foot. He had on a floppy-brimmed hat that came down over his ears so he knew he was not much to look at.
Heck Thomas stopped him to say, “Well, Riordan, the judge tells me he’s going to put you to work.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I wish you could go with me on this job, but it’s a little bit rough.”
“Maybe I can go with you some other time, Marshal Thomas.”
“I’m sure you can. I told the judge so. Hang in there, young man. Your opportunity is coming.”
For the next hour Riordan kept hauling the refuse of the horses’ stalls to the judge’s garden, which was blooming well from so much fertilizer. He was pushing a wheelbarrow toward the garden when he saw the judge and Marshal Swinson come out of the courthouse, joined by some of the other marshals. Maybe I’ll get to go on a scout soon, he thought.
He looked up to see a young woman in a riding outfit such as he had never seen ride in at a gallop. She pulled the horse up to an abrupt halt and dismounted. Being curious, Riordan moved closer to where he could hear what was said.
Rosa climbed off her horse. It was a longer ride than she had anticipated, and she was exhausted. She had met Judge Parker at the wedding, and she glanced around to see that not much was happening. One man in filthy clothes was hauling something with a wheelbarrow. She ignored him, well aware that everyone was staring at her.
She walked right up to the judge and said at once in a loud voice, “Judge Parker, our ranch has been raided, and a man has been killed. I saw the men who did it. The leader was George Pye, and two of the men with him were Vernon Epps and Boog Powell. It was the same three men who tried to take the horses from us earlier. We took their guns from them, and George Pye swore he would get even. He killed one of our hands, and I want him and the others hanged on your gallows. We need a posse of your marshals to run them down.”
Parker removed his hat and ran his hand over his hair. He was disturbed and shook his head saying, “Well Miss Ramirez, it’s not quite that easy.”
“Why isn’t it? I saw the men who did it. I’ll testify against them. I’ve heard you have over a hundred marshals.”
“But they’re out in the Territory. Our men don’t stay here long, Miss Ramirez. They do their jobs, they come in, they get other assignments, and they’re gone again as soon as possible. I’ll tell you what, we’ll send a man out to your place as soon as one comes back. Right now we don’t have anybody.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t have a single marshal to catch a cold-blooded murderer.”
Parker’s glance fell on Riordan, who had stopped and was listening to the conversation. He turned to Swinson and said under his breath, “We can send Riordan. He can stay at their ranch until some of our men are available to track the killers down.”
“That’s right, Judge. He can’t get hurt just looking out for these folk. The killers have gone underground by this time. It’s going to take some good men to root ‘em out.”
Parker nodded then put his hat back on. “Miss Ramirez, I’m sending you the one man we have. He’ll stay close to your ranch and guard your folks, and then as soon as I get a few men, I’ll send them. They can run down Pye a
nd his band.”
“Thank you, Judge,” Rosa said. “I knew you would help us.”
Judge Parker called out, “Riordan, come here!”
Rosa turned to see the man who was hauling compost in a wheelbarrow come forward. He was filthy from head to foot, had on a floppy hat, and looked young and inexperienced.
“Riordan, this is Miss Rosa Ramirez. You go with her and guard her family. We’ll send a posse out as soon as some men get back.”
Rosa stared at the sorry figure that stood before her. Then she turned and said, “You’re sending that fertilizer hauler to help us?”
“He is better than he looks, Miss Ramirez.”
Rosa was fighting hard to hold back angry tears. “I thought you’d give us somebody to help … a marshal. That dirty clodhopper might as well go on hauling refuse for the garden!” She turned, went to her horse, and started to mount.
Parker went to her quickly and said, “Just a minute. Let me explain.”
Swinson ran over and said, “Riordan, saddle up, get your guns, and go with this woman.”
“Don’t I have time to clean up?”
“Nope, she’s mad as a hornet. You stick with her. You can clean up when you get there.”
Rosa waited, hardly listening to the judge who was trying to explain that Riordan was new and not yet ready for a full-time marshal’s badge but that he’d help the best he could.
When Riordan rode up on a sorry-looking horse still in his filthy clothes and his floppy hat, Rosa stepped into the saddle and gave him a withering look. “You might as well stay here and clean up after the horses.”
The man did not blink or smile. He said, “Wherever you lead, Miss Ramirez, I’ll go with you.”
She snorted and kicked her horse’s flanks and rode out. Riordan followed her on his placid horse.
Marshal Swinson and Judge Parker watched Riordan and Rosa riding off toward her ranch.
“That young woman’s pretty fierce, Judge. By the time Riordan’s listened to her for a couple of days, he’ll probably be ready to come back and clean up the stables.”
Rosa's Land: Western Justice - book 1 Page 12