by Neil Hunter
‘We celebrating?’ Jacob asked. ‘Brig, you ain’t sold that herd yet.’
‘No,’ I told him, ‘but I am engaged to be married, so you can wish me luck on that.’
They lit the cigars and then had me tell them everything that had happened to me since I’d left them. My run in with the Reevers was received with interest, but did not raise as much enthusiasm as when I told of my meeting with Judith and what we had planned.
‘You see what happens,’ Jacob said, ‘when you let him off the tether for the first time?’
Seth smiled. ‘I’d say that this Judith must be something special if she’s affected Brig this way.’
I nodded.
We talked some more and then it was time for me to ride out and take over from Crown and Riley. Jacob said he’d come to keep me company and Joel asked if he could come along too.
We felt the cold night air as we rode away from the fire. It was a clear and sharp night, with a lot of bright stars. I reckoned that there might be a touch of frost by morning.
The herd was quiet. There was plenty of grass around for them. They had come a long way and were tired, and so they were content to just stand and graze.
I sent Crown and Riley back to camp. Sachs had hot food and coffee waiting for them. I told them to get a good night’s rest.
‘They good men?’ Jacob asked.
‘Damn good,’ I said. ‘With cattle and guns.’
I took a slow turn around the herd, Joel tagging along with me while Jacob rode round the other way.
‘How’s the digging?’ I asked.
‘Pretty good,’ Joel said. ‘We hit some hard rock the other day. Had to use powder to break it up but once we were through we found that the vein was still there.’
‘What’ve you got out up to now?’
‘I figure we’ve got about ninety-thousand dollars worth,’ he said.
I whistled softly. ‘You figure to stick with it?’
Joel tipped his hat back. ‘I’ll stick,’ he said. ‘I’ve got the start I wanted. I won’t give up, not until I can go home able to face my father on equal terms.’
‘Now that is something I’d like to see.’
Joel grinned. ‘Amen to that.’
We reined about to push a few stray beeves back into the main bunch.
‘Brig, you’re more content doing this than working in the mine, aren’t you?’
I nodded. ‘And I have a feeling that Jacob and Seth are of the same mind. I guess we just had to let this gold-fever have its head. Well, now we have, and I figure we’re ready to move on.’
Joel shook his head. ‘If the mine keeps on producing we could all end up rich men.’ He glanced at me. ‘Doesn’t that interest you?’
‘It does but I couldn’t take being just a man with money. You must know what I mean, Joel. It’s the same reason why you’re out here digging up a hillside instead of living off your father’s money.’
‘I guess so. Brig, are you going to settle around here?’
‘Maybe,’ I said. ‘There’s some good country up around Tarrant. Fine cattle country. A man could make himself a really fine spread and a good home.’
‘I envy you, Brig. I wish I could see my way so clearly.’
‘Give yourself time, Joel, and you will.’
‘I’d like to meet this Judith of yours.’
I smiled. ‘You will,’ I said, for I wanted to show her to the whole wide world and let everybody see how lucky I was.
The night passed without incident, the cold leaving a white frost over everything before dawn came. We had a good breakfast, then Crown, Riley and I got the herd off on the last leg of the drive.
It turned out to be a clear, warm day, and we pushed the herd along gently. After what we had just come through, this part of the journey was easy. The way was clear and reasonably flat and we had no trouble.
Close on noon we were reaching the camps and outfits of the people who had chosen to stay out of town. Our passing caused quite a stir and I knew it was the herd that was doing the stirring. Men came running to stare at the beeves and it was almost possible to read the thoughts that were in their minds.
‘Hey, mister,’ a tall, bearded miner yelled. I reined about as he came up to me. ‘That beef for sale?’ he asked.
‘It will be when I reach Hope,’ I told him. ‘You can pass the word round.’
The miner grinned. ‘Do better than that. I’ll let you sell me one of those slab-sided critters here and now.’
‘I wanted to wait until I reached Hope,’ I said.
‘I won’t dicker, pilgrim. I’ll give you a hundred dollars in gold for one beef.’
I’d hoped for a good return for my investment but this man’s offer almost caught me off-guard. Not quite though. I cuffed my hat back, caught Riley’s eye.
‘Cut out a fat one, Lew,’ I called. ‘You got yourself a deal, friend,’ I said.
The miner grinned at me. ‘I’ve got me beefsteak,’ he said, ‘and that’s worth every cent I paid you.’
‘Well you haven’t done that yet,’ I reminded him.
He pulled his eyes away from the steer that Riley was driving across to us. ‘Pilgrim, I haven’t had my teeth in red meat for six months. I got a right to be forgetful.’ He grinned again. ‘Man, am I going to live high on the hog.’ A leather pouch appeared out of his grubby shirt. He gave it to me. ‘There’s a hundred in dust in there,’ he said. ‘Had it made up at the assay office yesterday. You can check if you want. Tell ‘em Clem Yakin sent you. They’ll know. They got ten thousand in dust belonging to me in their safe.’
I put the pouch in my saddlebag. ‘Your word’s enough,’ I said.
Yakin nodded. He’d produced a length of rope from somewhere and he was busy looping it round the neck of the steer Riley had brought up. He gave a vague wave of his hand then walked off, leading the surprisingly docile steer like a dog on a lead.
‘I ain’t seen that done in a coon’s age,’ Riley said. He was chuckling softly and I could see the humor in the situation myself. Steers were unpredictable at the best of times, downright vicious sometimes. It wasn’t in the wind to go round leading a steer on the end of a piece of rope.
Clem Yakin’s purchase brought an instant response from the miners around us and before I knew it I was being badgered on all sides. Pouches of gold and handfuls of banknotes were thrust at me. It seemed that every man in the vicinity wanted to buy his own steer. Yakin had set the price by offering me a hundred dollars and it seemed nobody objected.
It took Crown and Riley and I some time to organize the crowd into a kind of order. It was the only way to make any sense out of it. We sold slightly over thirty head before I had to call a halt. The herd was starting to get upset by all the shouting and jostling. I could see trouble looming on the horizon and I knew I had to do something before the herd decided to cut and run. I’d brought that herd too far, gone through too much to let anything happen now.
‘Look, boys,’ I called, I’ll have to call it a day. Any more of this and nobody will be eating beef. That herd’s as jumpy as a Mexican bean and all ready to run. I’d like to oblige you all but I can’t risk a stampede. Let me drive on into Hope and get this thing done the right way, then there’ll be enough beef for you all.’
There was a ripple of grumbles but they all saw my point. Gradually the crowd moved back, letting Crown and Riley and me push the herd together and start it moving again.
I was sweating. That stop had almost got out of hand. I didn’t let myself worry too much though. Despite the moment of worry, I had taken in around three thousand dollars and that was nothing to groan about. The bulk of the herd remained untouched.
And Hope lay before us, waiting.
Chapter Nine
I left Crown and Riley with the herd just outside Hope and rode on in alone. All I had to do now was to find a buyer. I didn’t figure that would take much doing.
As I rode down the busy street I saw how Hope had changed in the weeks I’d been away. Mos
t of the tents were gone. Now wooden buildings lined each side of the street. Some were completed, some still under construction. All around were men busy with axes and hammers, saws, paintbrushes. Hope was taking shape fast. I saw nearly a dozen saloons, four eating-places. There was an assay office with a constant stream of men going in and out. I saw a couple of thriving hardware stores, a gunsmith’s. And one building that sported the banner: The Hope Sentinel. I realized that events were now to be recorded in the town’s own newspaper.
Hope was growing up, becoming more than just a mining camp. It was a good sign, though I knew that there was a long way to go yet. Hope could emerge as a steady community but it would not be without its problems.
I thought about Seth and his desire to take on the job of lawman. It would be no easy task I knew but whatever the odds Seth would prove himself equal to them. Of that I had no doubt.
As I drew level with one of the hardware stores, a man standing on the boardwalk called me by name. I reined in and turned my horse.
The man came to the edge of the boardwalk. He was tall, broad across the shoulders. He wore a dark suit, a white shirt. I judged him to be in his early thirties, though it was a little hard to tell, for he wore a heavy mustache and side-whiskers.
‘I know you?’ I inquired.
He smiled. His teeth were strong and very white. ‘No,’ he said, ‘but I know your brother Seth. I’m Jonah Sherwood. I’m a member of Hope’s town council.’
I got down from my horse and tied him to the hitch-rail. Sherwood offered his hand as I joined him on the boardwalk. His grip was firm.
‘This your place?’ I asked, indicating the store.
He nodded. ‘It is. And I’d like you to come inside for a talk.’
I had a feeling Sherwood was going to talk about more than just the weather.
We went inside. Sherwood led me through the store and into an office at the rear. He closed the door behind him.
‘Drink?’
‘Thanks. It’s been a dry ride.’
Sherwood poured two glasses of whisky. He told me to sit down. He went round to the other side of his desk and settled himself in a leather-backed chair.
‘Mr. Tyler, I hear you have cattle to sell,’ he said.
I nodded. ‘Two-hundred-fifteen head,’ I told him.
Sherwood leaned back in his chair. ‘Mr. Tyler, you and I can do a deal.’
‘I’ll listen to a fair proposition.’
‘Then I will offer you seventy-five dollars a head for your entire herd. And I’ll pay you in cash.’
I thought about it and tried to work out what it would bring me but I’m a little slow on figures.
Sherwood must have anticipated my thoughts. He gave a friendly smile. ‘Don’t guess,’ he said.
‘Figures take me a little time,’ I told him.
‘Long as the total is right it doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘Anyhow, two-hundred-fifteen head at seventy-five dollars a head, comes to $16,105. Cash on delivery and I take the herd off your hands.’ He glanced at me. ‘You want to think on it?’
‘I have,’ I said. ‘You’ve bought yourself a herd.’
We shook hands and had another drink. Sherwood brought me pen and paper when I asked for it and I wrote out a bill of sale and signed it. I would have given it to him there and then but he wouldn’t take it.
‘I trust you,’ I said.
‘Maybe so,’ he said, ‘but buying and selling is a thing where trust is a chancy thing. Play it close to the rules, Brig, then you know where you stand. It’s the only way to stay sane — and healthy.’
Sherwood had a number of big corrals behind the livery-stable he owned down at the other end of town and we arranged that I would deliver the herd there for him.
‘I can have the herd there within the hour,’ I said.
We were outside again, watching the busy traffic that filled the dusty street.
‘You figure this place is here to stay?’ I asked.
‘Once we get law and order established,’ Sherwood said. ‘That’s all Hope needs now.’
I dusted off my hat. ‘Well, I hope you get it.’
‘If we can get your brother to wear a badge, then we are well on the way.’
‘If one man can do it it’s Seth,’ I said. ‘He’ll stand no messing from any man.’ I smiled. ‘In fact he’ll take no interference from those who hire him.’
‘I know that. That’s one reason I want him. Taming a town like Hope needs a man who can back up everything he does, even if he becomes unpopular with the people who give him the job. I think Seth is that kind of man. And that’s what we want right now.’
We talked for a while longer, then I left Sherwood and rode back out to the herd.
Riley had a fire going and coffee on the boil. I had a mug with him and Crown, then we broke camp and set to getting the herd on the move.
Sherwood’s corrals were on the far side of Hope, so we circled the herd around the town. The sun was strong now, the way dusty, and we were thankful to see Sherwood’s corrals. Sherwood was there, with a couple of men, and they helped us to get the herd into the corrals. It took us a while and by the time we’d finished we were all a lot more dusty and red-eyed than when we’d started.
This time Sherwood took my bill of sale and I took his money. It was a good feeling, knowing that I’d earned that money myself, by my own ability. To some it might not have meant much but to me it meant a lot.
‘You think you could bring in any more beef?’ Sherwood asked.
‘You need more?’
He nodded. ‘More people are coming to Hope every day. This herd isn’t going to feed many for too long. I’ll take all the beef you can bring me, Brig, for cash.’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
I rejoined Crown and Riley and we headed into town after we’d stabled our horses. We made the rounds of bath-house and barber shop, then made our way to one of the saloons. I bought us all a beer and we found our way to a table.
‘Sherwood wants more beef,’ I said as we sat down.
‘How much, Brig?’ Crown asked.
‘As much as we can bring him. Any problems?’
Crown drained his glass. ‘No. Only if we go after more beef I figure it might be easier if we had a couple of extra hands along.’
‘Fair enough,’ I said. ‘Joe, you figure you might be able to find a pair around here?’
Crown nodded. ‘I reckon so.’
‘I’ll leave that to you then.’
I ordered another round of beer. We sat and drank, talking casually, letting ourselves relax. I’d decided to lay over in Hope for a day before starting out again. I’d paid Crown and Riley, giving them a good bonus, which I knew they deserved and I realized they’d probably want a little time to enjoy it.
It was late afternoon, though still hot and bright, when we left the saloon. I was getting hungry. We had decided to try one of the eating houses up the street. As we stepped out of the dim saloon into the bright glare of the dusty street I heard a sudden commotion.
Some yards up the street a crowd was gathering. And of a sudden I heard a woman cry out in pain. I simply turned and headed that way. I didn’t stop to think. There’s something in me that can’t ignore the sound of a woman in distress. I know it can mean trouble for myself but I always worry about that after.
I shoved my way through the crowd and found myself confronted by a scene that brought my anger to a head in a heartbeat.
Will Pike was holding a gun on a slim young man who leaned weakly against a hitch-rail, clutching a hand to a bloody arm. It looked too as if the man had undergone a none-too-gentle beating. His face was cut and bruised, his mouth red with blood. He looked to be in pain but I figured that the pain he was feeling was less for himself and more for the girl I’d heard cry out.
She was on her knees in the dust, her slim body twisting about as she tried to avoid the lashing cut of a heavy leather belt that was being wielded at her by a man I recognized the mome
nt I laid eyes on him.
Tall Lyons. Another of Red Karver’s killers.
I’d taken all this in during a swift moment. Will Pike still hadn’t seen me. I used that fact as I moved. Pike was only a few feet away and I reached him in two steps. My left hand caught his gun barrel, forcing it up into the air, and my right fist took him hard in the side, driving the wind from him. Pike gagged loudly, his knees sagging. I jerked his gun from his hand and tossed it to Lew Riley.
I turned towards Tall Lyons and as his arm swung the belt up for another blow I reached up and caught it, jerking on it hard. Lyons spun round, off balance, and as he faced me I drove my fist into his face. He fell away from me, going to his knees.
‘You feel like beating somebody,’ I said, ‘how about trying me. I’m a little more your size. Trouble is I hit back.’
Lyons’ head came up. His eyes were cold. His lips were split where I’d hit him and blood smeared his chin.
‘It’s the smart-mouthed gold-digger,’ he said. ‘I knew I’d meet you again, boy, if I waited long enough.’
I unbuckled my gunbelt and handed it to Crown. ‘You going to fight or just sit and talk?’
Lyons got to his feet. He was big. Really big. Like it or not, I’d got myself into a close fight and it was going to take more than words to finish it. Of that I was certain.
Chapter Ten
When Tall Lyons moved he moved a lot faster than I’d expected. In fact he moved so fast that I failed to block him completely and his second punch got through. It was a glancing blow that caught the left side of my face, knocking me back. I would have fallen if I hadn’t come up against the hitch-rail. I hung there for a moment, trying to clear my head. It felt as if the side of my face had been chopped off. But I had little time to wonder about it, for Lyons was on me almost in the moment my back touched the rail. His big fist slammed into my stomach and I felt my breath burst from my body. I buckled forward and Lyons hit me across the back of the neck. I went face down and if I didn’t do something fast I would be down for good and all. Lyons would kill me if he was left to it.