Ambush Valley (30 page)

He hugged her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “I'm just as grateful to you as you are to us.” She may never know it, but she saved that boy's life.

“Suppertime.” Victor called them in.

Why was the ride home always longer than going out there? It always felt that way to him when he was traipsing back. He and Marge were still laughing, and the kids, as they called them, were too. They camped along the way, and Victor said he thought he could lead them down into Oak Creek off the top, and they could catch some trout to eat before they rode home.

Marge had been there before and when they got off the mountain, they fished in the canyon stream and caught several trout. Victor fried them in cornmeal and they peeled them off the skeleton and ate until they were stuffed. Then they rode home across the valley to the Verde ranch.

Things were really going on when they arrived. Tom Flowers had bought twenty new horses and they were all snorty broncs. The crew were all perched on the corral to watch the fun.

Susie met them and took the women to the house, fussing over the bride to be and her sister Fern.

Marge filled her in on everything that happened or would soon happen.

JD looked half asleep when his older brother shook him.

“You all right?” Reg asked.

“I'm fine. When did you get back?”

“Right now. You going to be my best man in a couple of days?”

“Huh?”

“Be-my-best-man?”

“When?”

“I guess before the week is out.” Reg shook his head at him. “Are you alive?”

“Hell, yes, I am.”

“No, you aren't—you're deader than I was when I got here. Come on. I want you to meet my soon-to-be wife. She can outrope any man here.”

“Huh?”

“Wake up damn it and live.”

Chet smiled to himself. Reg would have little brother up and going in no time. Who could tell, he might meet Fern. She wasn't the cowgirl her older sister was, but he'd bet she could do her share of things on a ranch. And she could dance his boots off.
My lands
, he shook his head, this place was a mess.

About then Hampt arrived and stepped off his sweaty horse. “I know you rode off that night at the dance,” Hampt said, laughing. “But our man Leif brought your sister home riding double on his horse that night.”

“I figured he'd do that if he got a chance.”

“His bank account with her went way up.”

“Good. We like him.”

“Damn right. He's a good fellow to know. How are things up above?”

“Reg and his wife-to-be have been gathering maverick cattle up there.”

Hampt shook his head and frowned. “Very many?”

“Fifty head. He's got a tally book full of them.”

“Maybe we should be up there catching them.”

“That girl could rope a grasshopper. I roped with her. Those two make a great team.”

“How did he find her?”

“She was the one guided Marge and me around when I bought the place. She showed him the ranch first off.”

Hampt laughed. “You said he was a hand.”

“Boss man, we've got few salty ones left to ride,” Billy Cotton said from the top rail. “They ain't near as salty as Ono was when you first rode him.”

“Not today, boys. I still ain't straight from that ride.”

They all laughed and waved him on. He trekked to the house, went through the living room and to the kitchen. In the doorway he leaned on the frame.

Susie jumped up to tell him their plans. “We're going to town tomorrow and get her fitted in her new gown. They will get married at the schoolhouse at the potluck and dance. The pastor down here will marry them. Can they use that cabin you two used?” Susie asked.

“That's Marge's friend's.”

“I can get it for them,” Marge said, and smiled at Lacy.

“Fern wants to know if you know anyone who will dance with her?”

Chet winked at her. “You better wear soft shoes. If you don't dance over half the dances, I'll find you a partner.”

“Don't trust him, girl,” Reg's mother Louise put in, shaking her head. “He is too damn busy to help anyone.”

They laughed.

“Millie showed Lacy her new house and she about cried,” Susie said.

“That's the only plan they can build. Sorry.”

“Oh, Chet, it is gorgeous.” Lacy's lashes were wet.

“You're getting in the Byrnes family, darling.”

Susie got her a towel to blot her face and eyes.

“Did you tell them how many mavericks you and Reg roped and branded?”

Heads swung to look at her and she nodded. “About fifty head.”

“Really?” Susie asked.

She blushed. “I'm not a great cook or housekeeper, but I can rope stock.”

Chet went over and kissed her on the forehead. “You don't need to take a backseat here, Lacy. We're proud you've joined us. And your sister, too.”

Everyone agreed.

Since they were all going into town the next day, he and Marge stayed over.

Late at night, in bed, Marge whispered, “She is what he needed, isn't she?”

“I'd not have ordered her, but she is pretty inside and out. And she even challenges him and he loves it.”

“What next?”

“I need to sell some steers. I need to check on my connections over there.”

“What do you think about it?”

“I don't know, but someone knows how to sell cattle to those agencies. And I'll find them.”

“Can I ask?”

“What's that?” He rolled over on his belly and propped himself up on his elbows.

“Are you financially sound?”

“Yes, we are. I salted money back from all those cattle drives that should last you and me, so what the future brings us I am not certain. It's in the lock boxes in San Antonio. Some is in the safe here and some is invested. But I dread runs on banks. Still, we need to make money each year to pay expenses and wages.”

“My father has investments all over. I hope nothing happens to him.”

“We'll sit down and go over it, one day. I have no reason to hide it from you. Susie has a good track of the plan.”

She hugged him tight. “I trust you, but I know we talked earlier about it. Just making sure we are all right.”

“No problem in that area—so far.”

“I'm glad you're helping that girl.”

“No.
We
are.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

“No problem. I know what you meant. You aren't crying?” he asked.

“Not much,” she sniffed. “I'll be fine.”

He cuddled her. Tired from all the traveling and being a woman was all. She'd be fine.

No news from his requests of the Navajo agencies in Gallup, New Mexico Territory, when he checked the post office and the telegraph office. He found a letter or two for some of the cowboys that he would send on to the ranch. Most of that kind of mail went to the Camp Verde Post Office, but he also got most of his business mail at the Preskit post office. Maybe he needed to go meet with theses various agencies to make a deal, perhaps with one office. It was long ways to ride considering he might not sell one head of stock. It was still unclear what, if anything, the Hartley brothers were going to do against him for sending their cows home.

Word was out among the ranchers. “Send them home!”

He'd heard that over a hundred more head of cows plus their calves had been driven to their ranch by unknown donors. If they weren't going to show force, maybe they'd all be delivered back on their place. No, he expected them to strike back to reinforce their hogging up the range. But how?

He was at the Preskit Valley ranch and undecided about whether he dared to leave for three weeks, or should stay closer to his operation. They would finish the construction work on the Verde ranch soon, and plans were to take a crew to the Hackberry operational headquarters and start on it.

“You look upset today?” Marge asked him from across the living room.

“Just usual things pulling at me. What to do next.”

She came over to him. He kissed and hugged her. “If I knew what to do next I'd be a lot more happy.”

“You are concerned the Hartley boys are going to strike back at you over your efforts to right the graze business.”

“Exactly.”

“Until they try, how can you know?”

“Oh, my imagination may be running wild. I expect them to do something and it has me staked down here until they make a move.”

“Why don't you go down to the ranch and check out your claybank stallion Barb, talk to the cowboys, and get back into being yourself?”

“If it's that damn easy, I'll do it.”

“Good. I'll go along and visit with the women.”

“At times, Marge, you can see through lots of the smoke that gets in my eyes.”

“No, I'm just your wife.”

He chuckled. “A whole lot more than that.”

“I'll be ready to go in twenty minutes.”

“That's quick enough.”

She kissed him and hurried off. He started to go get the buckboard hitched and tie his horse on behind.

“Will we stay through the dance down there?” she called out from the stairs.

“Sure.” He stalled in the doorway.

“Good. I'll pack another dress for that.”

He waved and went to find Jesus. The youth was shoveling out the stables when he found him. With a bright smile he put down his pitchfork. “Ah, what can I do for you,
señor
?”

“Hook the buckboard up and saddle Ono and tie him on back.”

“I can do that. My nephew Armador told me last night that he heard in Mayer that they would pay a thousand dollars for your head.”

“I might sell it to them for that much. Who will pay that for it?”

Jesus turned up his hands. “Maybe those brothers. He didn't know.”

“Thanks, I'll make sure they don't get it.”

They both laughed.

Those damn outfits. He should have given that gun-packing Hartley a real lesson the day they returned his cattle. The big concern is they might get takers for that much money if they had it to pay the killer. He really thought they were stretched out bad for operating money. With no apparent sales of cattle, their income had no sources that he could see. They might need money. He might even offer to buy them out when he knew their debt. However, they might owe more than they could raise. No doubt there were many things going on unanswered—but who else in Mayer wanted him dead? Jesus's relative had heard something, and it no doubt was real.

On the spring seat with his wife, they trotted the team for the Verde Valley. In late afternoon they came up the lane to the headquarters. Susie came out on the porch, busy drying her hands.

“Well, at least you brought her with you this time,” she chastised him.

He held his hands in the air. “Don't shoot.”

Laughing, he helped Marge down. “Any problems?”

“No, but it is good you brought her, she can help us get ready for the wedding.”

“There,” Marge said. “I'm lucky I came.”

Under his breath he said, “Ask her if she's riding double down there.”

Marge looked at her hat brim for help. “You ask her yourself.”

Susie frowned. “What is it?”

“Oh, I wondered if you were going to ride double on a horse going down there this weekend.”

“It looked kinda bad. I don't need any reminders.”

He tousled her hair. “I am picking on you.”

“Hey, I know that.”

“Truce?”

“Yes. Go look at cows.”

“I'm going to go check on things. Don't mislead my wife while she's here.”

He let Ono loose and checked the girth before he mounted him. By then Rio was there and took the buckboard to put it up.

How are things going?” he asked the youth.

“Oh, fine. We are very busy breeding mares to the stallion.”

“That sounds good.”

“I can't wait to see his new colts. Huh,
señor
?”

He nodded to the enthusiastic youth. “They should be great ones.”

Then he rode up to the cook shack and spoke to Hoots who was taking a break standing outside.

“Where are the hands today?” he asked the aproned man.

“They went to Perkins. They're watching them Herefords close. Tom's pretty proud of them.”

“Anything wrong up there?”

Hoot shook his head. “Not that he said.”

“Good.”

“I need to go to Gallup and find out about the different agencies of the Navajo and to sell them some of our beef.”

“They're buying beef from somebody, ain't they?”

“Yes, all those agencies buy beef, but it must be some kind of a secret.”

“Aw, hell boss man, you'll figure it out.”

“Thanks for your support. Now if you worked there, I'd be in.”

They both laughed. With a cup of his coffee in his hands, he asked Hoot, “You been by to see Jenny lately?”

“Yeah, when we were up at your wife's, I ran in there and had a nice visit. She's pretty proud of all of us out here. Though, she said she's saving lots of money not having to feed all of us. But she's pretty tenderhearted. And she's your biggest fan.”

“She's a great person.”

“I think you must have a helluva wife.”

“Thanks, Marge is a great wife. I'm very pleased. We've both been with others, but we've real easy molded.”

“Victor loves her. I never thought a woman of her means would ever simply go camping, but he says she loves it.”

“I'm damn lucky. We're going to start on the upper place next.”

“Hey, I'm happy here.”

“I'm pleased you are. See you.”

“Thanks for coming by.”

“Sure.”

His nephews rode in on their short horses. They weren't Shetland ponies, just small horses Tom had found for them. The right size and disposition, they could saddle and handle them.

“What are you boys up to?”

“Oh,” Ray said, “we've been checking on cattle for Tom.”

“Found anything wrong?”

“Not today. They all looked okay.”

“Can we draw cowboy wages, doing all this?” Ty asked.

“I guess I owe you some wages. I'll tell Susie to pay you. What are you going to do next?”

“Fish.”

“Catch some big ones,” he said and headed west on Ono. His brother would have been proud of those two boys. Damn shame he wasn't there to do that too. He always had the machinery, buggies, and the rest in good repair, and he was fussy about them. Chet couldn't imagine himself involved in that kind of work day after day. Working cattle on horseback—he could do that every day.

His round of the east end was more an exercise. Calves were growing and soon their mothers would wean them. The number of roan and white face heifers trailing their longhorn cows would improve the herd when their own calves contributed to the ranch's output.

Reg and his wife-to-be Lacy rode in with the crew. Chet was there and hugged her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead. “Did you show them up today?”

A little embarrassed by his attention, she shook her head and smiled. “No, but those white-faced cattle are sure beautiful. They're doing great up there too.”

“Good. You two ready to start building up there?”

“Sure. When do we start?”

“If we get a break, we can haul the lumber up and set up tents. It might be a rough winter for both of you.”

“Aw, we'll make it. I remember the day when we stopped at that big spring and we talked about building a ranch headquarters there. I never thought about it then even being a part of my life, never mind living there.”

“We're getting company,” Reg said, unsaddling their horses and indicating the riders coming toward the house.

Chet agreed, excused himself, and went off the hill to go see who it was and what they needed.

Leif was the lead rider, trailed by Gates and another rancher named Logan.

“We need to talk,” Leif said.

Chet pointed toward the house. “We can talk up there. What's happened?”

Leif looked around, and in a low voice, said, “Carl Hartley got enraged and shot two cowboys who were driving some T B cattle back to their place.”

“What happened next?” Inside the living room, he showed them to the furniture. They took various seats.

“One of them died and the other is in serious condition at Doc Melton's office.” Leif sat on the edge of the couch, whirling his hat on his hand.

“Who were they?”

“Worked for Ira Tuttle. He was home with a broken leg from a horse wreck. The one died was Dick Warner and Heath Rowland is the one in serious condition.”

“I didn't know them, but I've met Tuttle somewhere. Was Hartley arrested?”

“No. He's vanished. Sims's deputies went up there and claimed they couldn't find him.”

“I wouldn't think they could.”

“There's lots of folks would like some of us to go look for him. We came to ask for your help.”

Chet felt crestfallen. “I can't. My nephew Reg is getting married this Saturday.”

Leif nodded. “We knew you were busy, but we figured you were our best bet to locate him.”

Chet closed his eyes. Should he have turned them down? “I'm sure sorry but—”

“Is something wrong?” Marge asked, coming downstairs.

Chet stood up. “Some cowboys were shot yesterday. Carl Hartley shot two men in a rage, according to what I have learned so far, and he disappeared when Sims's deputies went to look for him.”

Marge looked concerned at him, and chewed on her lower lip. “Have you decided what you should do?”

“They've asked me to help find him.”

She nodded. “I imagine finding him as soon as you can is important?”

“Yes.”

“I would think to finally be rid of him would be a relief.” Everyone in the room agreed with her.

Chet shook his head over his own part. He was certainly torn apart by the whole thing.

“Marge,” Leif said. “Those men were shot in the back. They never had a chance.”

“I'm thinking about my husband. Carl is a worthless individual in my book. But he's not worth my husband's life.”

“We agree,” Gates said. “But Marge, he's stopped lots of this lawlessness and many of us look to him for his leadership.”

She agreed with her lips tight together. “I don't tell him what to do. But that little horse biscuit is not worth wasting a moment on. I am sorry to intrude—I know you have come a long ways.”

Chet nodded and sat down again. “Thanks, Marge.”

She joined Susie at the kitchen door and they disappeared.

“Where did he go?” Chet asked. “Do any of you have an idea?”

“Maybe Tucson or Tombstone,” Gates said. “The deputies never checked if he took a stage.”

“You think he did?” Chet asked.

“It's about the only way, besides a fast horse, isn't it?” Gates asked.

Chet agreed. “I really have several things that need my attention here, besides the wedding. I'd love to help you, but my nephew is marrying a young lady we like and I am working on some other things I feel I can't leave. Sorry, but I really can't go.”

“We understand,” Gates said, and stood up. “We need you in the sheriff's office.”

“Let's find a candidate. Isn't Roamer recovering?”

“Yes, but he says you're the man.”

“Thank him. Be careful. I consider Hartley a coward who'd shoot anyone in the back.”

“We will leave in the morning to try and find him,” Leif said.

The men refused any food and stood up to leave. Leif excused himself and went into the kitchen, no doubt to speak to Susie. He came back shortly with no comment and Chet went with them to their horses.

He watched them ride out with his belly eating at him.

Marge hooked his arm and she broke his concentration on his guilty conscience.

“Thanks.”