Chapter 43
Lost Herd
The next morning came around early enough. The three men and a couple hands Richard had hired zigzagged across the property on their way to town. They wanted to survey as much of the land as they could and at the same time see where all the livestock had gone.
“Either Quincy couldn’t count or someone’s stolen the entire herd,” said Larry.
“I don’t think Quincy had any problem with his countin’,” answered Richard.
“I tend to agree with you Richard,” added John. “Let’s get into town and see how Coop and his Ma are doing. Then talk some with the marshal.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Richard as he kicked his horse into a trot toward town.
“What the hell do you mean there ain’t no livestock out there,” Ray yelled, when his friends reached him with the bad news.
“Now calm down Mr. Cooper. You’ll reopen those wounds and bleed to death all over my recovery bed,” scolded Doc. “It don’t look good when someone is carried out of the doctor’s office in a coffin. It’s bad for business. Now calm down or I’ll throw your friends out.”
“Okay, okay, Doc, I’m calm,” said Ray as he tried to take some deep breaths. “When can I get out of here Doc?”
“Well I guess if you take it real easy and slow, maybe tomorrow,” doc answered.
“Great. My Pa always said that a doctor will tell you more days to recover than necessary in order to be extra careful. That means I’m fit to go now,” Ray surmised.
“The hell you are. Now lay back down there young fella,” demanded the doctor as he tried to push Ray’s rising body back down on the bed.
“It’ll be all right, Doc. We’ll keep an eye on him. Make him sit a spell here and there, and watch for any bleeding,” said John.
“Well I can’t stop you from killing yourself. You boys watch his side real close. If it starts up you get him back in here right quick, understand?”
“Yes Doctor, we have it,” smiled Richard.
“First stop boys, the marshal’s office,” Ray instructed, as he got dressed, swinging his holster around his hip. Fastening the tie down on his holster caused a sharp pain to run up from his side. “We need to find out what happened to that herd.”
After getting dressed Ray went into see his ma. The doc followed him in. "Glad to see you're awake Ma," said Ray as he bent down and kissed her cheek. "Doc here says you'll be just fine. The boys and I need to go check on some things out at the ranch. I'll come back to see you in a little bit, alright?"
"Come here, Ray," ordered Mildred with tears in her eyes and threw her arms around his neck. "I love you so much. I thought I had lost you. If I had known you were still alive I never would have left. You know that, right?"
"Don't be crazy Ma. Of course I know that. They told you I was dead. What else could you do?"
Mildred let loose her hold and laid gingerly back down onto the mattress. "You come right back and see me, okay Ray?"
"I'll be back just as soon as I can." With that Ray kissed her cheek again and walked out of the room with the doc. "When will she be up?"
"Well judging on the rest of the Cooper stock, I doubt I'll be able to keep her in bed for much longer. She might be able to go home in a couple days."
"Thanks Doc," smiled Ray as he shook his hand and headed out the front door with Larry and John.
“Well I didn’t expect to see you up and around so soon,” said the marshal as they walked into his office.
“It was just a scratch Marshal. We’re wonderin’ if you had any idea how many head were suppose to be out at Quincy’s ranch?”
“Well first off, Ray, that ain’t no scratch so you just keep moving real slow for awhile. I’ve seen bigger men than you get an infection and die within days of getting up too soon.”
“Thanks for the concern Marshal, but we need to find out if we’ve been rustled. There wasn’t a single animal on the place when the boys arrived out there last night,” inquired Ray.
“Well that doesn’t sound right. I know for a fact that Quincy had several hundred head out there and a very large remuda of horses for breedin’. Some of the nicest animals I’ve ever seen. Shit, we need to ride out there and see if we can pick up a trail. We don’t hold to no damn rustlin’ around here,” cussed the marshal as he rose from his desk and grabbed his rifle from the rack.
“You’re ridin’ out there with us now?” asked Larry.
“No better time like the present. Young man I’ll get my horse saddled and meet you out front of the Bella Union,” instructed the marshal as he headed out the door.
“Boys would you mind gettin’ my horse saddled and bringin’ him over to the Bella? I need to talk to Morgan before I ride out. Also, keep the gettin’ shot to yourselves. There’s no sense in gettin’ any more people watchin’ my poor side,” Ray said as he walked out the open door and across the plaza.
“Well don’t even wait for us to say yes,” called Larry from behind Ray.
Ray turned around and looked over at Larry. “Please?” He added.
“That’s better. We’ll have Horse out front in a few minutes,” laughed Larry.
Morgan hadn’t told Ray where she was going to be staying, but he figured with her parent’s money, this would be their first choice. He walked up to the desk clerk and heard him cuss under his breath.
“Why, Mr. Cooper. You’re still in town. I understand we almost lost you last night up in Miss Foster’s room,” adding under his breath, “shame”. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes. Could you send someone up to the Adams' room and let Miss Morgan Adams know I’m down here and would like very much to see her?” Ray asked politely.
“You mean you’re not gonna beat the room number out of me and then march up there and kick the door in?” sneered the clerk.
“Not this time. Just send someone up please,” Ray said as he turned and walked over to one of the plush couches sitting in the lobby.
After several minutes he spied Morgan drifting down the staircase like an angel. She was wearing a beautiful long white dress with lots of embroidery. It was fitted at the top and gracefully fell from her hips to the floor. Every eye in the lobby turned to watch this vision enter the room.
“Why Ray, what a pleasant surprise,” as she grabbed his arm, dragging him forcefully out onto the street and across to the plaza. Once out of view, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him like she hadn’t seen him in years.
Stopping to catch his breath, Ray said, “Wow, Morgan, if I can expect this type of welcome every time I see you, I’m gonna be doing a lot of leavin’ and comin’ right back,” he smiled as he kissed her lips softly.
“Oh Ray, can I begin making arrangements for the wedding?” asked Morgan with her big brown eyes melting his heart.
“You better. If you don’t want to be living in sin next week,” Ray said.
“Next week! Well I guess I better get goin’. There’s so much to do. You must come with me and help pick out some flowers, a cake, oh this is going to be wonderful,” sparkled Morgan.
“Morgan, you know I love you and of course I’ll help with picking some things out. But right now we have a problem out at the Ranch. Seems someone has run off with all the livestock,” Ray explained, hoping she wouldn’t explode.
“Well of course, Ray, after all the entire ranch is going to be our home. You must take care of it. I’ll be just fine, I’ll ask mother to assist me. And where’s your mother, I need to invite her to join us?” asked Morgan.
“She’s over at the doc’s office. You see she got shot last night, but she’ll be just fine. She was sleepin’ when I last saw her.”
“How terrible! Who shot her, and why?” cried Morgan.
“I have a good guess, but I can’t prove it, not yet any way,” Ray said. “There’s the boys with my horse. We need to get going. You sure you’ll be all right?”
“You go on, I’ll do just fine,” smiled
Morgan as she gave Ray another kiss and ran off toward the Bella.
The marshal rounded up his deputies and met up with the boys just outside of town. After a few hours of searching for clues, they found where the stock had been herded up and the trail they took heading out. Ray found being in the saddle hurt like hell, but he liked it better than riding that damn hard bed in the doc’s office.
“Well all we have to do now is follow the trail straight to the herd,” said Larry.
“Not quite,” said the marshal.
“I was afraid of that,” Larry said as he shook his head.
“Finding them is the easy part. It’s the trying to keep from getting yourself shot in the process that’s tough,” instructed the marshal. “It would be too dangerous for them to attack and give away their position. What we need is for someone to ride point about a hundred yards out from the rest of us. That way if we get too close, they won’t be able to spring their trap on the whole group.”
“Who the hell do you have in mind for that job Marshal?” asked Larry.
“I can’t ask anyone else to do it. Quincy asked me to take charge so I might as well start right now,” Ray said as he started to ride out from the rest. “Besides." he said with a grin, "I’m already shot.”
It was obvious the rustlers had tried to brush out their trail, but at a couple of different spots they were unable to mask the hooves of that many animals. After traveling several miles to the south the trail turned due east. The shadows on the ground began to stretch long across the ground before Ray caught the first scent of campfire smoke. He held up and dropped off the trail into the brush. Figuring if he was close enough to smell their smoke, they were close enough to drop him out of his saddle.
Ray dismounted and pulled his rifle out of its boot just as the rest of the crew rode up. “Over here gentlemen. I’d say we’ve arrived,” Ray reported.
“Okay, everyone check your ammo before we head out, and don’t forget to fill that empty chamber in your .44s,” warned the marshal.
They were moving on foot toward the sound of bawling cattle, spreading out in a line, working through thick brush when Ray heard a branch break out ahead. Signaling for all to stop, Ray slowly pulled his knife out of its sheath as he moved cautiously toward the sound. There, leaning up against an oak was a man smoking his tobacco.
Ray couldn’t just come up behind him and kill him until he was sure he was one of the rustlers that had stolen their stock. He moved toward the tree from the opposite side so the man couldn’t see him coming. At the tree he grabbed his prey by the neck and threw him to the ground. Ray was sure he had his complete attention with his large blade etching across the would-be rustler’s neck.
“Here’s how it’s gonna be. Make one noise and I finish cutting. Got it?” Ray whispered.
The man on the ground shook his head in agreement.
“Good. Now are those the cattle from Quincy Woods’ Ranch?” asked Ray politely.
Once again the man shook his head in agreement.
“Now think long and hard about the answer to this next question. If I give you a chance to walk out of here, and I mean walk out, because I can’t have you going back and warning anyone, will you take it?”
This time he shook his head emphatically in agreement.
Ray pulled his knife off the man’s neck but continued to point it in his face, “Now tell me who’s responsible for stealin’ our cows.”
“The boss is over there with the cattle. I don’t think he was the main one on this deal. I don’t know who that was,” said the man, staring at Ray’s blade.
“Right, and I suppose you don’t even know the names of the men who hired you?”
“Would it matter? I never met them before. So why would they use their real name around me. But I will tell you they’re the scum of the earth. There were ten of them when I hired on. When one of the younger boys got cold feet and wanted to pull out, they up and shot him out of his saddle. That sort of made up my mind to finish the job.”
“But now, I’ve persuaded you otherwise?” Ray questioned sarcastically.
“You sure have. If you let me go I’ll head straight back to Kansas where I belong. Hell, I ain’t cut out for this type of life.”
“Good. Now follow me, I’m gonna lead you back to my partners just so one of um doesn’t decide to shoot. Then I want you to give them the lay of the land over there, agreed?” instructed Ray.
“Yes sir, I would like nothin’ better than to know those guys were in jail or dead so they ain’t on my back trail.”
Ray led his prisoner away from the sound of the cattle and back to where his group had gathered.
“Boys, don’t shoot, it’s me, Ray. I got us a friend here who’s gonna help us out.”
The group quietly moved in around the nervous prisoner. Ray didn’t stop them from making him scared to death. If they could have scared him all the way back to Kansas, all the better.
After a few minutes the young man had filled them in on where the cattle were being held and where each guard was. He was so happy to be getting away from this mess; he even told them what they’d had for dinner the night before.
“Okay, we don’t need your life story there partner. Now hit the trail. And if any of us ever see your face around here again, you better be coming at us with a gun in your hand and a sure shot, understand?” Ray threatened.
“Yes, sir, I’m gone!” and with that the cowboy ran away, never looking back. Ray would almost bet he went clear to Kansas without turning around.
“Okay, we know what we’re up against now,” said the marshal. He drew out the lay of the cattle camp in the dirt as everyone circled around him. “The cattle are bein’ held up here in this box canyon. I know this area pretty well, done a little huntin’ around here from time to time. There’re some trees at the mouth of the canyon with a small stream. I would bet that’s where the kid meant the main group was holding up. They’re pretty confident with only three lookouts. I guess they don’t need any more than that where they put the cattle and all. The lookouts are on top of the ridge on both sides of the box canyon giving them a clear view of anyone coming down the trail. Lucky we smelled that smoke when we did and got off the trail.”
“Do you have a plan, Marshal?” asked John.
“Not too many ways to approach this situation,” said Larsen as he removed his hat and wiped the sweat from its band, “we need to drop the two guards on the ridge and then finish the guard roamin’ around in the brush out front of the canyon.”
“You know this area, Marshal. Is there a way to reach the guards unnoticed?” Ray asked.
“Should be, they’ll be expectin’ us on the trail in front of them. We can go around the ridge to the south and climb the backside of the canyon; it’s kind of steep, but not rope steep. Once at the top we’ll split up. We should be able to find enough cover to get in close enough to use our knives.”
“Okay, sounds good. Why don’t John and I go this way? You and a couple deputies find the guy in the brush over there and quiet him,” Ray said.
“Now wait a damn minute, I’ve been riding with you boys all the way from Missouri and I’m a partner in that there ranch. I figure it’s about time I shared in some of the load. So I’m telling you true, I’m gonna be one of the ones looking for the guards, ” said Richard in no back down terms.
“Okay, you’d make too damn much noise trying to get that huge body up the hill so you and Larry get the rover. Is that all right with you, Richard?” Ray asked with a smile.
“Yeah, that will be good,” said Richard as he drew out his knife from the sheath on his belt.
“John and Ray, we’ll give you one hour to remove your guard. Same for you Richard, then we come ridin’ in hard on horseback and shootin’’ anything that shows a gun. John, after you and Ray take care of the guard, you two’d be better served stayin’ up on the ridge and coverin’ our backs, Okay?” asked the marshal as he looked each man in the eyes.
&nbs
p; “Deal,” confirmed John and Ray.
Okay then move out you three, and good luck.” ordered the marshal.
For a big man, Richard was surprisingly light on his feet and moved low and quiet through the brush. His target had been assigned to move back and forth across the entrance of the canyon where the brush grew tall, giving anyone who stumbled upon their entrance an element of surprise.
John and Ray trotted around to the south end of the ridge where it looked like there was a path of sorts that appeared to be going straight up. It was covered in busted shale. Climbing it was going to be difficult even if they didn’t need to do it quietly. They’d be sitting ducks if someone heard them, a real possibility with all the slipping and falling backwards they were doing. Ray made up his mind right then and there to stick some moccasins in his saddlebags and leave them there for work like this. His riding boots weren’t made for walking, let alone climbing. At least being out in front of John helped stop his fall. He’d be knocked off his feet and land right on top of John. Unfortunately for John, all he had was the rocks along the side of the trail to grab on to.
Finally at the top with a few minutes to spare, John went to the left and Ray to the right. The ridge at the top of the box canyon was shaped like a horseshoe. They guessed their targets were probably the same distance away from either side of them, being that they were in the middle of the horseshoe. Traveling in opposite directions, they used what little cover there was. For about a hundred yards they crawled on their bellies and used every piece of brush and rock they could find.
When his knees and elbows were blooded from crawling on the rocky soil, Ray was relieved to see his target rise from a rock he had been sitting on. As the lookout let out a large yawn, Ray moved in with his right hand and placed his knife blade deep between the stranger’s ribs. He used his other hand to cover the man’s mouth so he couldn’t call out.
Ray then picked up the lookout’s rifle, pulling it from its holster and stuffing it into the back of his gun belt. He moved to get clear view of down below.
The cattle camp was set up just as the young cowboy said. He had failed to mention that all the horses were tied to a single line directly below Ray. Positioned close enough that some of the rustlers might be able to mount up during the start of the attack and escape. Ray decided he couldn’t let that happen. Finding a way down the slope he proceeded to move up to where one end of the rope rail was tied.
The sun had gone down but the moon was full and bright and gave off plenty of light that enabled see any activity in the camp. The rustlers were standing and sitting around a couple of small fires under the trees on the opposite side of the canyon mouth.
Ray quietly moved along the rope, talking softly so as not to spook the horses. He hoped the light of the fires would make it difficult for the rustlers to see him moving around. Fortunately, none of the horses moved away from the rope as he pulled their reins loose, letting them drop. He was half way across the rope when he heard the marshal.
“This is the United States Marshal, you are all under arrest, throw up your hands or taste lead!”
The threat went unheeded as they pulled their irons from their holsters and fired into the direction of the marshal’s voice. Ray fired two shots in the air to spook the horses that he had untied while he tried to finish untying the rest.
“Some son-of-a-bitch is tryin’ to spook the horses!” yelled one of the rustlers as he ran toward Ray’s position.
Waiting until he was within a few feet of seeing him raise his revolver, Ray placed one round in the Rustler’s gut and another one between his eyes, stopping the rustler in his tracks.
A bullet went whizzing over Ray’s head as he untied the final horse. Turning to see a gruff looking old man drawing down on him for another shot, Ray stepped between the remaining horses and began slapping them on the rumps. After the horses fled, and the dust cleared, the gruff old man saw Ray standing with his gun set in its holster.
“It doesn’t have to be this way. You can ride out,” Ray offered.
The old man just smiled and moved to shoot him. Ray drew and fired all in one motion. The old man dropped to the ground. He had seen his last birthday.
From up on the ridge he could hear John firing as the marshal charged in to finish the fight.
Out in the brush the lone lookout moved to the edge of the brush and remained hidden. From here he could see the marshal sitting on his horse giving out orders. Raising his rifle with his sights set on the marshal’s star reflected in the campfires he whispered, “I got you, you damn lawman.” Before he could fire off a shot, he heard the branch break behind him. Rising quickly, he turned directly into Richard’s knife. With a look of shock and surprise the man drifted down Richard’s body before collapsing in a puddle of blood. Wiping the blade off on the dead man, Richard walked over to meet the rest of his group.
The last two men surrendered to the marshal to avoid certain death.
“You takin’ em’ into town Marshal?” Larry asked.
“Yup, they’ll get a fair trial and then we’ll hang ‘em,” stated the marshal.
“Okay boys, what do you say you get those cows and horses back to the ranch while I ride back into town and give a little visit to the doc. To check on Ma and it seems I’ve managed to open myself up again.” informed Ray.
“Ray, you sure you weren’t shot again?” asked Richard.
“No, it’s the hole from last night. It isn’t bleedin’ that bad but I need to get it plugged. Plus it gives me an excuse to get out of herding those cows this time, at least.” Ray answered with a snicker.
Everyone, including Ray was bone tired.
“Don’t worry about the dead rustlers boys, we’ll send out the undertaker in the morning,” said the marshal as he rode behind his prisoners toward town.
“Mind if I ride along with you Marshal?” Ray called out.
“Don’t mind a bit,” said the marshal with a smile.
-CKS-
The following weekend Ray was standing next to Morgan in front of the preacher. As expected Morgan was wearing a long, beautiful white gown and Ray was in his new broadcloth suit. His mother sat in the front row with the doctor on one side to make sure she was as tough as she said she was. Marshal Larsen sat on her other side, holding her hand. Morgan’s parents sat in the front row on the opposite side of the aisle wearing their eastern best. The rest of the seats were filled with the friends and families who had ridden with them from Missouri, and the new friends they had met in the town they now called home.
When the Preacher announced Morgan as the new Mrs. Ray Cooper, Ray took her face in his hands and kissed his new bride for all to see. The church erupted in gleeful applause and laughter echoed from the mouths of the bride and groom. It was a joyous day, one that marked the end of a journey and heralding in the beginning of another.
About The Author
George Townsend was born in Ionia Michigan. The Townsends had found early success in ranching, farming, and land ownership. As a teenager the family uprooted and moved west to a small city smack in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. Hanford was a far cry from the Midwest. To his great delight, George soon discovered Goat Ropers, Good ol' Boys, and some real life Cowboys along with a warm, down-home feel. It didn't take long before George fit right in and created the friendships that make up many of the characters in his books.
Cooper Series Titles
Book 1- Revenge Requires Two Graves
Book 2 - Confederate Horses
Book 3 - Little Man's Eyes
Book 4 - Small Boots
Author Website:
https://www.cooperseries.com/
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Revenge Requires Two Graves Page 43