Cheyenne Saturday - Empty-Grave Extended Edition (14 page)

The Colt was loaded and Ellis slipped it back into his holster and stood up. He carefully tied the leather thongs around his thigh and faced Liza. “But the war was on then and I was hot to get in it. I wasn't for the South; I was just against anythin' anywhere at any time. I was a young hard-head wantin' to fight.”

The Colt was not quite low enough and he untied the thongs from around his leg and slipped the belt up on his left hip, dropping the Colt another half inch on his right thigh. He began to tie it down again.

“I went off to fight and left Maw and Buster to take care of the breed stock and start buildin' up a really fine herd. Buster was a good breeder and with the money to experiment, we were goin' to have the finest cattle in the country. I got home once in a while to see 'em and every-thin' was fine. We had nearly five hundred head of prime beef—worth about thirty thousand on the markets then—but we didn't want to sell, 'cause that herd was the backbone of the future.

“Then the cattle were rustled and Buster and Maw were killed tryin' to fight the rustlers off. When I got back, I started lookin' for 'em. There wasn't but five of them, and the Indians got two on the trail to market. One of 'em was drowned crossin' the Brazos and the fourth was killed in a saloon in St. Louis spendin' his money. Lefty Hayes was the boss of the outfit and he's the only one left.”

Nathan Ellis drew the Colt, testing the position of the butt on his leg. Liza Reeves blinked. Kelly stared in awe at the blur of Ellis' draw.

“So, woman, I'm goin' lookin' for Lefty. I love you and I guess when I get back we'll go on down to the Sky Rock spread on the Colorado—but don't try and stop me now.”

He went quickly from the fire into the shadows and headed for Watson's tents.

* * *

The Johnny-Jacks had had their pay just long enough to get good and drunk when Ellis pushed through the maw of the huge tent. He moved toward the bar searching the faces of the men. He did not know Lefty Hayes by sight. His right hand dangled and brushed the butt of the Colt as he toured the bar, stopping now and then to stare at a man who wore his gun slung low, or at the back of another who looked like a rider who might just have returned from Green River. He circled the bar and returned to stand before the huge tent maw.

“By God, here's the fellow that got ol' Goose Face! Have a drink!”

“Give 'im anything he wants, bartender, he's a regular friend of mine!”

“Weeeoooew! Scalped the bastard, he did!”

Ellis accepted the slaps on the back by the working men of the railroad but refused to drink. He put his back to the bar and faced the maw.

Every new arrival was examined by Ellis. Every man who wore a gun was watched expectantly.

“You lookin' for Lefty?” Garrity slipped up quietly beside Ellis.

“You know where he is?”

“He said to tell you he don't even know who you are, and that that word Sky Rock don't mean anythin' to him. But he said if you want a shoot-out, he'll be along in a minute.” Garrity backed up. “You goin' to need an extra big grave, mister.”

Ellis backhanded Garrity across the face and rammed him up against the bar. Garrity tried to draw his gun. “You draw and I'll blow your guts out,” Ellis said harshly.

“What do you want of me? I didn't do nothin'!”

“You go tell Lefty that my name is Nathan Ellis, that he killed my maw and my brother, that I'm goin' to kill him—here—tonight—and that if he rides outa camp I'll trail him for the rest of his life.”

Garrity's eyes widened. “Killed your maw!”

“Git!” Ellis shoved the man toward the door.

Garrity fled.

The Johnny-Jacks near Ellis had heard everything. They began to fall back quietly.

Watson rounded the corner of the bar and strode up to Ellis. “We don't want no trouble in here. You're disturbin' my business. You got a fight with Lefty, take it outside.”

Two of Watson's men stood behind their boss. With his bandaged left hand, Ellis reached for a heavy Johnny-Jack canteen and swung it at Watson's head. He drew the Colt with his right and covered the others.

Watson slumped to the ground “Drop them guns and make it goddam quick!” Ellis commanded.

The other two lowered their guns and backed away. Watson groaned and tried to lift his head. Then he opened his eyes and began to crawl away, back from the cleared space before the opening of the tent.

The bar suddenly became silent. A white flag appeared in the mouth of the tent, and Garrity showed himself. “Lefty's coming, big fellow!”

The Johnny-Jacks moved farther back, pressing against the walls of the tent, clearing the space between Ellis and the maw.

There was movement in the shadows beyond the rim of light outside. Ellis tensed.

Liza Reeves, still in her Indian breeches, and Liam Kelly stepped inside. Kelly moved to the one side but Liza strode right up to Ellis. She had Kelly's heavy Colt strapped to her waist. The holster had been tied down.

“Get outa here,” Ellis said expressionlessly.

“I reckon I'm goin' to see that it's a fair fight, one way or the other,” she said determinedly.

“You'll get killed.” 

“Mebbe.” 

“All right, stay then,” Ellis said and moved away from her.

There was laughter outside and the sounds of footsteps. Six men wheeled into the tent, Lefty Hayes at the head of them. “What fellow here's goin' to get me for killin' his maw?” 

He had hardly finished his words before Liza Reeves had the Colt out and steadied on the six men. “You others just step back with your leather empty.” 

One of the men laughed and moved for his hip. Liza shot him in the arm. “I said move!” 

Ellis had not taken his eyes from Lefty Hayes. Nor had the slight, thin man in dusty trail clothes removed his eyes from Ellis.

Hayes nodded slightly in Liza's direction. “Bring your squaw along to help you fight, boy?” 

“Did you rustle five hundred head of cattle from a ranch on the Colorado a couple of years back?” 

“Sure I did. What about it?” 

“You're my man.” 

“You callin' me out?”

“You’re out.” 

“Are you woundin' or killin'?” 

“One of us goes out in a pine box.” 

“Make your move, big fellow.” 

Ellis jerked the Colt out and fanned the hammer five times. Hayes's gun was torn out of his hand by a wild slug. The other four ripped into his chest. Hayes was hurled back to the maw of the tent and hit the ground flat on his back.

Ellis walked over and fired a final bullet into Lefty Hayes's head.

He turned slowly, pushing the Colt into his holster, and motioned to Liza. “Come on,” he said.

Liza walked through the clearing, stepped over the body of Lefty Hayes and disappeared into the darkness with Ellis.

Chapter 10

CAN’T YOU at least stay around until mornin'?” Kelly growled. “You both look like you been dragged through the pit of the damned, and it's only three o'clock now.”

“If you don't shut up, Kelly, we're goin' to have that roustin' we started at the railroad train.” Ellis grinned. “We got a long way to go. Clear across Kansas and half of Texas before we get home.”

“Lad, I'd like to see the two of you married. I'd like to stand up for both of you,” Kelly said softly.

“You ain't got a preacher in camp,” Liza protested.

“There's a Mexican padre who serves some of the lads on the gang. I don't reckon you belong to the Holy Church, but—”

“I ain't got no objections,” Ellis said.

“Me neither,” Liza said.

“I'll go get him. Come with me.”

“You come, too, boy,” Ellis said to the Jehu. “Damned if I don't feel good all of a sudden.”

* * *

Their names had been entered on the official log of the railroad and they had signed the sleepy-eyed priest's prayer book. They had been given the finest horses in the railroad's corral, fitted with saddles from the supply house, blankets and a sack of beans, coffee and sugar. The Jehu had miraculously found Ellis’s carbine and it had been cleaned and loaded. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis swung to the backs of their ponies and shook hands all around. Kelly was crying unabashedly. “I'll never forget you, lad. Nor you, miss.”

“Missus, now,” Liza said with a grin.

“We call it the Sky Rock. It's on the Colorado near Center City, Texas, Kelly. That's where we'll be any time you want to visit.” Ellis nodded to the Jehu. “Boy, when you get sick of railroadin', you come on down to Texas. We'll help you find a place for yourself.”

The Jehu grinned. “Thank you, mister.”

“Let's go, woman. We got a lot of travelin' to do before the heat of the day.”

They waved to Kelly and turned their horses south and favoring the east a little.

Kelly watched them disappear into the southeastern sky where the sun would emerge soon, and then turned to his tent.

“There's a letter for you, Mr. Kelly,” the boy said. “It has a funny-lookin' stamp.”

Kelly smiled. His Kathleen had not forgotten. Well, he sighed, pulling off his boots and loosening his belt, I wonder if her sister's caught herself a lad yet.

In the light of a lantern, wire-framed spectacles on the end of his nose, Kelly opened the letter from his wife.

“My dearest,” he said, reading aloud. “It is so quiet and peaceful here—I wonder if you are blessed with the same?”

* * *

They had ridden without stopping into the heat of the day, when they struck a stream of running water.

“I reckon we better light and rest,” Ellis said, not looking at his wife. “Hungry?”

“I could eat, I reckon,” Liza said casually. “You take care of the horses and I'll set to makin' somethin' or other.”

They camped in the depth of a clump of trees where birds sang. Liza expertly made a fire, put cans of beans against fire, stripped bacon with her knife, and smoked it above the flames.

Ellis returned and squatted down beside the fire. He accepted the can of beans Liza had opened with her knife and bit into a hot strip of bacon.

They ate hungrily and in silence, not looking at each other, speaking in unnaturally casual tones, when they spoke at all, about the raid or Kelly or the crippled Jehu, not really even thinking about what they said.

Liza took a great deal of time putting out the fire. Finally she turned to look at Ellis.

Her eyes widened.

Ellis was advancing toward her, a huge bar of gray soap in his hand. “I've been wantin' to give you a bath since the first time I seen you.”

Liza backed off. “Now hold on—”

“You goin' to come gentle, or am I goin' to have to tie you down?”

Liza turned to run, but she had hesitated a moment too long. Ellis grabbed her by the wrist.

“No, you don't!” Liza screamed. “No man's goin' to wash me—”

“I am,” Ellis said heavily. He dodged her slashing nails. Slinging her lightly to his shoulder, he carried the screaming, kicking Liza toward the creek.

At the edge of the water Liza bit him on the arm. Ellis bellowed and threw her into the water. She came up gasping. Nathan Ellis grinned and dove in after her.

Off to the side the horses raised their heads at the noise and then went on nuzzling the grass.

Photo-History

The text, photographs, and captions in the next section do not represent a complete history of the Transcontinental Railroad. Some content was chosen with Cheyenne Saturday in mind. The rest consists of other interesting tidbits about life on the Railroad.

The eBook version has reciprocol linking between each photo and its caption.

Caption 01...
The Rand, McNally 1881 Overland Railroad Connections and 30,000,000 acre Land Grant map. The line consisted of more than 6000 miles of rail--1914 of which were the main line between Omaha and San Francisco. The highest point along the line is in the Rocky Mountains at Sherman--8242 feet above sea level.

Caption 02---
The main line showing Promontory, Utah—the convergence point of the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad. Cheyenne was roughly halfway between Salt Lake and Omaha and was designated as a division point. People started settling Cheyenne just two days after its creation. The population in 1867 was in the thousands and its popularity  brought on the nickname, “the Magic City of the Plains.”