“Sure as hell can. Haven’t had a new brand around this county for five years or more. War just ruined the cattle business. You moving some of the strays?”
“That we are. Kind of a test run but I knew we needed a registered brand.” He showed a drawing of the brand to the sheriff who nodded.
“Yeah, simple and easy to read. How many head you got on the trail?”
“About a hundred. Heading for Fort Worth.”
“Yep, should work out. Let me get unset here and I’ll find those forms for your brand.”
“Anybody else been through here with some beef for Fort Worth?”
The sheriff nodded. One outfit said they were working on rounding up a herd. Said they would get a brand when they had the critters in a long line working east.”
“Didn’t see them,” Sully said. He was glad that his herd would be the first to hit Fort Worth.
The filing was simple, a drawing of the brand itself, the names of the owners, and nearest town. The fee was ten dollars. Sully paid it, took a receipt from the lawman, and a paper that said he had duly registered the brand in the legal and proper form.
“Thanks, Sheriff. I better be getting back with the animals.”
It took him an hour to get to the herd which had moved on east. He saw their dust and galloped up to the drag men, then around to the front. Curley saw him coming and rode in.
“I get to drive my wagon again?” he asked.
“Hey, your vehicle. Trade places with Wade and tell him to replace the man on drag.”
The fourth day out supper was late. As soon as the herd came to the small grove of trees near a stream, Curley was on his horse that had been tied to the back of the chuck wagon. He worked through the herd, roped a calf about three months old, and led it out of the herd and into the trees.
Moments later the men heard a shot and nodded.
Curley had the calf tied to a tree limb and dangling in the air. He had it half skinned when Sully found him.
“You work fast. Sure you weren’t a butcher in some former life?”
“Not that I remember. Get this one skinned out, by morning it will be bled out, and I can cut out some breakfast steaks. Then wrap up the rest and we’ll see how long it will last. Wish I’d brought along a little hand meat grinder. I’ll have one for the next drive.”
The men didn’t mind a late supper. They knew that they would be eating steak three times a day for a while.
They did have breakfast steaks the next morning along with oatmeal and biscuits Curley baked in a large iron pot with a lid on it to form a trail drive oven.
Every night before it got dark, Sully wrote in his journal. He put down the date, how many miles they had made that day, and any problems they had along the way. So far nothing beat the first two days they were attacked. Now it was smoother going.
On day ten they came to a river that Sully had not seen on the marshal’s maps back in Connor’s Corner. He guessed it was about twenty yards wide and not a fast flowing steam. He rode out into it with his horse and found the deepest part was about three feet. Should be no problem. He rode back to the herd. He was about three miles ahead of them. He talked to each man about the river.
“Well hold the herd at the bank and move about twenty head at a time across with horses on the downstream side. Should be no problem.”
“How deep?” Kentuck asked.
“No more than three feet where I crossed,” Sully told him.
“Good, thought maybe I’d want to take a swim.”
The lead cows came to the water and drank. The riders had cut out the first twenty animals behind the leaders and urged them forward. They all drank first, then with prodding moved into the water and walked across. No problem with the first batch.
The third twenty didn’t go so well. Two of the cows drifted downstream and the riders had to bully them across the rest of the way. They made it as did the rest of the twenty.
A half hour later the last of the herd was safely across and the men all cheered. It was then about four in the afternoon and they had waited to get the chuck wagon over last. That way they had six more horses that could pull if the rig got bogged down. It didn’t, rolled on the bottom with the box just barely out of water, and soon the cattle drive was under way again.
That night Sully totaled up his estimate on the number of miles they had come. Several days he figured they had made thirteen miles. Some days only seven or eight. He came up with the total from his journal: a hundred and twenty two miles. He told Curley.
“Damn, that’s over half way. We should make it in seven or eight more days.”
They did. The land flattened out some and there were farms here and there they had to work around, but no wire fences they had to deal with. They came up on the wrong side of Fort Worth and had to go around six or eight miles to find the stock yards. They bedded the herd down in a field and Sully went up to the building marked as the office.
A grim faced man about forty with no hair and few teeth looked up at Sully.
“Yeah the man with the beef. Heard you were coming. How many head you have?”
“Last count a hundred and four.”
“All steers?”
“No mix of steers and cows.
The man winced. “Afraid of that. We been short on beef this year. Not sure why. War I guess drained everything. I can offer you twenty five dollars a head.”
“Can’t sell them for that. What I need is forty dollars.”
The man laughed. “So we dicker. Tell you what. I’ll make you one more offer. It’s a take it or leave it and it’s a fair price. Thirty four dollars for each critter you have out there.”
Sully worried it a minute. He had no other market. He was stuck. But it did seem a fair price. He pushed out his hand.
“Sold,” he said.
“Good deal for both of us. Now I can get some of these meat markets in town off my back. I’ll send two of my riders with you to show you where to drive your herd. You know of any others out there who are headed this way with cattle?”
“Heard there was one more but we didn’t see anyone. Bound to be more.”
“We get the critters in pens, counted, and I’ll arrange for you to get paid.”
Twenty minutes later Sully and Curley stood in an office in a much larger building as a clerk count out the money, $3,604 for a hundred and six head. The clerk said they always paid in one hundred dollar bills. That was thirty six of them plus the four dollars.
When they both signed the receipt the clerk thanked them and left. That gave them time to put the eighteen bills each in the money belts around their waists. The only sure way to keep your cash safe, Curley said.
They went to a nearby bank and each got a one hundred dollar bill broken down into twenties, tens and fives. They met the drive crew at the edge of the cattle pens where they were watching over the chuck wagon.
They paid each man thirty dollars instead of the twenty five promised. That brought some smiles. Sully got their attention.
“Men way I figure it we have time to do three or four more drives before winter sets in. Are any of you willing to sign on for twenty five a month while we round up our next herd, which I hope will be about twice the size of this one.”
Four of the men signed on. Two said they had family commitments they had to attend to.
“I understand. Family comes first. So, we’ll stay here tonight, sleep in a real bed at some hotel and take off in the morning after we resupply our chuck wagon. You guys ate us out of chuck wagon and home.”
The two men leaving, were Wade Richard and Wolf Barlow. Wade had family there in Fort Worth. Wolf said he had a job promised him in Dallas. Both left that afternoon.
The trip back to Connor’s Corner went faster than Sully thought it might be. They had no calves to butcher along the way, but two of the riders were assigned to go hunting every day. Usually they came back with two or three rabbits. Once they bagged a two point buck deer which lasted for three days bef
ore it soured.
About six miles from Connor’s Corner Greg Victor ran into some trouble. He was chasing a rabbit for supper when his mount stumbled with one front leg a foot into the ground in what he immediately knew was a gopher hole. He went over the mount’s head as she stopped abruptly screaming her lungs out. Greg hit the dirt and rolled, came up and looked back at his horse. Her forward motion had broken her right front leg. It came out of the ground in an almost ninety degree angle. Her eyes rolled, she tried to paw up on her feet but the right front stopped her. Greg got to his feet, took out his six-gun, and put two mercy slugs into her head. She gave one mournful last cry and slumped over dead in a second.
Greg sat there on the ground shaking his head. He had ridden that roan for almost two years with no trouble. He lifted his six-gun and fired three quick shots into the air, then moved up to his horse and took off her bridle. He looked at the saddle. Half of it was under the dead horse including the surcingle that belted the saddle on tight. He looked around and saw two riders headed his way.
Sully got there first. He looked at the horse, saw the broken leg, and nodded.
“Sorry about this, Greg. Know you liked that old nag.”
“Want me to ride double with somebody?” Greg asked.
“No. I sent Wander up front where the chuck wagon is. You can use Curley’s mount which has been loafing along tied to the rear of the rig. Wander will take off her saddle and lead her back here for you. Put on your own saddle and we’ll get back to moving toward home.”
They did. The death of the horse put a damper on the thrill of finishing the homeward few miles but they all were smiles when they came in sight of the little town.
They pushed it and arrived at Connor’s Corner the afternoon of the eleventh day.
“We’re all staying at the hotel tonight and having the biggest supper the town can offer. All on the S bar C brand,” Sully said. The drovers cheered then headed first for the closest saloons.
Sully went to see Annie. She saw him come in the door at the General Store and ran to meet him. She threw out her arms for a big hug.
“So glad to see you. How did the drive go?”
He toll her and the price they got for the beef.
“Oh, don’t know if it’s important or not, but Joe Newton, the marshal, said you were to go see him the minute that you came into town.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sully frowned at Annie in the General Store.
“The town marshal wants to see me? He say what it was about?”
“No, he just said it was important.”
Sully shook his head. “Guess I’ll have to go see him. We had a good drive, sold the herd and are back for another bunch. I’ll get over to the marshal’s office.” He waved good bye and walked across the street and down to the office where Marshal Newton sat out front.
“You wanted to see me, Marshal?”
“Got me another wanted. This one is from the U.S. Marshal in Tennessee. Says looking for Sully Sampson but cautions that the man might have changed his name. He was a Rebel lieutenant commanding a platoon of cavalry at the end of the war.”
“Marshal you ever think how many men on this country are named Sullivan and are called Sully? Must be ten or fifteen thousand of us. Like I said before my last name is Roberts. Yes I was in the big war but as a lowly corporal in a rifle outfit. A foot slogger. Also lucky to be alive.”
“Just doing my job. Oh, this notice came with a letter that says the man whose payroll detail got robbed has left the army, has joined the U.S. Marshal’s office, and is investigating every Sully who was a rebel rider he can find.”
Sully snorted. “The man has a big job cut out for him. Could take him years to investigate all of the Sully rebels. Now, anything else?”
“I got to make a report back in writing. You have any problems with this man coming out here to take a look at you? Evidently he’s the one who got robbed and booted out of the army.”
“Hell no. It’s his time and the U.S. Marshal’s money. Spend it anyway they want to.”
“Good, got that cleared up. How did the drive to Fort Worth go?”
“Got there, sold the cattle, and we’re back for more. You won’t see much of me around town. Oh, I will be needing two more cowboys if you hear of any drifting around. Tell them to contact Annie over at the General Store.”
“Can do that,” Marshal Newton said.
Sully touched the brim of his hat, turned, and headed back to see Annie.
He told her what Marshal Newton was so worried about.
“The army must really be mad about losing that payroll,” Annie said. “Now that’s settled you going to need some provisions for your stay out in the valley?”
“That we are. Staying in town in your gloriously luxurious hotel for the night, then we do business tomorrow. I’m treating the five of us to the biggest supper in town then a real bed to sleep in. Wanted to let you know we’re back in the area. Tomorrow we start a new roundup. The folks in Fort Worth love us.”
Annie smiled and nodded. “Good, good. Glad it all went well. How long will it take you to round up a new herd?”
“Don’t have the foggiest idea. Maybe a day, maybe a week. Depends where most of those cattle we saw before have moved to.”
He told her about asking the marshal to send any cowboys interested in work to come see her.
“Might be nobody come, might be a dozen. You tell them I’ll be back in town in two days to see if there are any interested in a trail drive.”
“I can do that. How about some coffee?”
She had two customers then and when she had waited on them she came back to her coffee.
“Don’t suppose I could talk you into having supper at my place tonight?”
“Wish I could. This is a kind of celebration after our drive. But I won’t miss another invite like that. Right now I need to check the saloons and see if there are any cowboys hanging around. I could use two more right now, maybe three or four more depending how big a herd we can gather. I’m hoping for two hundred head this time or more.”
“Good luck in your cow hunt. You be sure and see me before you leave in the morning. Then, too we have to get your food supply in the chuck wagon. You be feeing six now?”
“So far. Let you know if I find anyone else.” He waved and headed for the nearest saloon. There were three in town. Two of them opened at noon so the third one had all the morning drinkers. He found one man who responded to his call for riders. The man came to his table, took the beer Sully offered him, and sat down.
“Name is Wander Wilson,” he said. “Been on half a dozen trail drives and worked a ranch before the war. Missed getting killed in the war and now looking for work.”
Sully stood and shook his hand. “My name is Sully and I need another drover. We’re gathering up the strays and driving them to Fort Worth. Pay is thirty dollars a month and found. Interested?”
“You got a new hand. When and where?”
“Tomorrow in front of the General Store about seven o’clock.”
It was dinner time when he got back to the store. Annie was in the back room eating. She had half a sandwich and soup brought in every day. She had her own coffee.
“You want some of this?” she asked.
He said he was meeting the men at the café for dinner.
“Do want to tell you I hired a new man. So we now count up to six.”
“Good you’ll need more hands if you go for two hundred or more this time. I’m working up your food order for ten for a week while you gather. Then before your drive we’ll see how many men and work up a new order.”
“Sounds good. I better find the drovers.” He touched her shoulder and she grabbed his hand and held it.
“Good to have you back in town even for a short time. Maybe we can play some cards tonight after your supper.”
“Yes, let’s do that. I’ll be back after we eat.” He waved and went out toward the restaurant. The three drovers and the
new man waited in chairs outside. Curley drifted up
“About damn time,” Hardy Young said. “We near to starved to death waiting.”
“Yeah, Young. You nothing but skin and bones. My guess is that you have met Wilson here. He’s with us now. Let’s eat.”
They did. All had the steak dinner with all the side dishes and apple pie for desert.
It was two o’clock before Curley and Sully got back to the General Store. Annie was counting out apples.
“I figure an apple a day for you seven. That makes forty-nine for the week.”
They worked for two hours getting the staples boxed up and listed.
“How we doing money wise?” Curley asked when Angie went to get something.
“Still working on Hirum’s share of the loot,” Sully said. “Now I’m thinking that we should have stopped in Gunsight on our way back and stashed some of our cash in that bank.”
“Been a bit of a worry for me, too. But nobody knows we have it. Yeah, let’s stop on the next drive.”
They finished boxing up the week’s supply of food just before closing time and decided to leave it in the store. They would load it in the wagon in the morning.
Annie closed up the store at six and Sully walked her home. On the front porch she hugged him, then reached up and kissed his lips hard and long. She clung to him.
“Sully Roberts, I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. I find myself thinking about you, wondering about you, worrying about you. Since my husband died I’ve never even considered thinking about another man. Now you are almost all I can think of. Tell me if I am way out of line here.”
He kissed her again, hard and sure. Then he leaned back.
“Young lady, I have had the same problem. My only worry was how you would react to a southerner. I have not touched another woman since my family died. I wasn’t sure that I ever would. Now I’m thinking differently. Now I’m sure that I want to be with you and the girls. We’ll make it official when I get back from the next drive to Fort Worth.”
The Devils Gunslinger Page 10