Brothers in Blood (16 page)

The next morning, while Monica fixed them pancakes and fried ham, he and Jesus talked over coffee in the kitchen. After she put their plates in front of them, she told them the coffeepot was on the stove and left the room.

“No letter from your girl, huh?” Chet asked.

“No letter. I don't know why. But it has been two years since I told her I would make us a place up here.”

“Did you write her other letters?”

“I did, but maybe my letters discouraged her. I was only a stable hand then. I will wait a while longer. Thank you for your concern. Did you want to talk to me?”

“Yes. There are lots of bandits on the border that come up and raid in Arizona and then go back. The Army can't stop them. The new head Marshal in Tucson wants us to stop them.”

“The three of us?” Jesus frowned.

“No, six men. I wanted to ask you and Cole first.”

“Oh, we will help you. I know how he thinks.”

“Still, I'll ask him.”

“Yes, you should do that. Who else?”

“I think Shawn McElroy will make a good team member.”

Jesus was quick to respond. “Yes, he is very calm, and quick thinking, too.”

“Roamer. If I can get Simms to hold his job for him until we finish.”

“A good man.”

“Yes, but I need two more.”

Jesus held the coffee cup in both hands. “They have to get along with the rest of us, yes?”

“Otherwise, we'll damn sure get tired of each other.”

His words made Jesus laugh. With a shake of his head, he said, “That rules out some I know who might be tough enough.”

“You think of any one special, tell me. I trust your judgment to find men we can work with.”

“I will do that, Chet.”

“You and I are going down and talk to Tom today. The other two should be back when we return late tonight. We need to choose the best horses and have them shod. You tell Marge what you need to feed us and fill the panniers.”

“For that many, we will need four packhorses.”

“Right. When you finish your coffee, get us some horses saddled and we'll head for the Verde.”

Jesus drained his cup and set it on the table. “Will you ride one of the roans?”

“Yes.”

“I will be sure he is shod today, and I will ride the big bay they call Tally.”

“He's a stout horse.”

“
Sí.
We will meet out front in a short while?”

“After I tell my wife good-bye, I'll be out.”

Hurrying upstairs to their bedroom, he decided it wasn't nearly as cold as yesterday. He found Marge sitting on their bed in a robe, brushing her hair.

“I'm off to speak to Tom.” He bent over and kissed her.

“Are all expectant mothers this sleepy?”

“Darling, I have no idea. You're the first one I've ever had.”

“You haven't even been around a woman expecting, have you?”

“Only May, before she had Donna. And she wasn't mine. My brother pretty much ignored her.”

“Well.” She popped up. “I'm glad you don't ignore me.”

“Send word to Hampt today to come over tonight, if he can, so I can explain this business to him. May can bring the kids, too, and spend the night.”

“Boy, this house will rock with Ray and Ty and their little sister.”

“I'll try to be back by supper, but probably later.”

“More than likely,” she teased.

He kissed her and left.

He and Jesus pushed their horses hard and reached the Verde Ranch by midmorning. They stopped at the big house, and Sarge came out putting on a coat. Chet sent Jesus to find Tom.

“Well, how is the cattle-driving business going?” Chet asked.

“It's so simple, I'm afraid I've left something out. No renegade Indians. No stampedes and no weather holdups. I'm going back up to Windmill with the new cattle tomorrow. In case of bad weather, we'll set out for New Mexico the next day.”

“Have you seen my building crew yet?”

“Susie got a letter from Lucie. She says they're coming down when some of the snow melts.”

By this time, Susie had joined them, and he hugged her.

“Get your cold self inside. Coffee's on,” Susie said, and herded them into the warm house.

When they were settled, he asked her, “What else do you know?”

“JD is back up there and is coming down here any day.”

Chet wondered if he would make a team member or not. He'd have to see. At this point, he didn't want to weigh the good versus bad of picking him. So he put off thinking about it—almost.

“You act in a hurry. Is something wrong?” Sarge asked.

“There's a new US Marshal in Tucson. He's asked me to put together a group of men and stop the raiding by Mexican bandits in southern Arizona.”

“Doesn't he know you have several ranches to run?” Susie asked.

“He knows. And he asked for my reply.”

“What will you tell him?”

“I'll decide that later.”

“Tom's here,” Sarge said, and let him inside.

“I'll get coffee.” Susie excused herself and went to the kitchen.

After the three shook hands, they sat down at her big oak dining table. Chet handed Tom the telegram to read.

He frowned at the two pages. “Why, he sent you a whole letter.” After he read it, he looked up. “That sounds like a Texas Ranger job to me. Didn't they vote for Rangers?”

Chet nodded. “Yes, but the Legislature never allocated any money for them.”

“Sheriffs like their tax collector job too well. And no wonder. They get ten percent of it.”

“Nothing to rock their job, huh?” Sarge asked.

“Exactly. Tom, can you and your men manage all this for as long as three months, with me gone?”

“Sure, no problem. I'm getting ready to hire a farm crew for here. You said we could plant twenty acres of field corn this year. Are the draft horses coming?”

“Frye says that California bunch are bringing them. I want you and whoever to choose enough teams for all four places.”

“I have some I'm hauling hay with, but I'll need two more pair,” Sarge said.

“The mowers, rakes, and beaver board hardware are coming for you, Hampt, and Reg. Tom has his old equipment and John has them repaired. Raphael has two farmers make his hay, and that works for now. One of those machinery setups is at my top place—Ivor repossessed it from Kay. We can send it, I guess, to Reg so he can put it together. Two mowers, two rakes, and a hay sweep. He has some wagons, but, Tom, you check on what he needs. I'll meet with Hampt tonight.”

Tom nodded. “We can handle it smooth. I guess you're going ahead and do this?”

Chet nodded. “Sounds like something needs to be done. If we're ever going to become a state, we need these outlaws handled.”

“I don't envy you at all.” Tom shook his head as if he thought it would be a real tough job.

“I still need two more men. If JD shows, I'll ask him, if he really wants to go. I have no idea about his answer. So far, I'm going to ask Roamer, Cole, and Jesus, plus Shawn McElroy who rode with us to get his sister back. If he doesn't want to go, I'll need one or two more.”

“Shame Hampt Tate can't go,” Sarge said. “He's the best fighting man I know, besides you. He's tough and a good shot, too.”

“May would kill me, and who would run that place?”

“And we may get the Rankin place thrown in on him, too,” said Tom.

“Yes, there's that, too,” agreed Chet.

“Hey, I want to check on those cattle we have bunched to go up to Windmill. I don't want any crippled ones.” Sarge grabbed his hat and headed outside.

“Be careful,” Chet called after him. “No life is worth risking herding them. We're doing great, even as slow as the government is paying us.”

Sarge turned at the door. “I will. You be careful, too. The four of us sure need you to keep this place together.”

“Oh, I will.”

Then he and Tom discussed everything from payroll and labor needs to the cost of farming and buying more British breed bulls. Their Hereford yearling bulls they'd have coming in the spring were not, in Tom's words, going to be strong enough to turn out on the open range. They'd be better, Tom suggested, holding them off till the next year and buying some older bulls.

“Then you better start looking for them now. They will be high-priced and hard to find.”

“I'll start doing that.”

“That rounds this up then. I think we've covered everything.”

“Looks like it.” Tom stood, ready to leave.

“Hey, I have lunch about ready. Where's Jesus?” Susie asked from the kitchen door. “I know my husband went to check cattle, but I can feed him later.”

“I'll send Jesus back here, and thanks, but I'll eat with Millie,” Tom said, and excused himself.

“Tell her hello. With Sarge here, I don't get much chance to talk to her.”

Tom winked at her. “I understand.” Then he left with her scowling after him.

Chet laughed, but quickly smothered it when Susie turned to glare at him.

 

 

After lunch, he and Jesus rode back to the upper ranch. They were home before sundown and Hampt's unhitched two-seated buckboard was already parked by the house.

The big man came outside and joined Chet at the hitch rail, shook Jesus's hand, and exchanged greetings. Jesus took their two horses toward the barn.

“Any sign of Cole?” Chet asked Jiminez who had also come to claim the horses.

“Not yet,
señor
.”

“They're coming, I'm sure.” He turned back to Hampt. “They'll be here by dark, I bet.”

“They probably will,” the big man said. “Marge told me about the Marshal asking you to take on those border bandits. Damn, I wish I was free to go along, but I've got so many irons in the fire. Fencing is slow, but it's bull tight. I have thirty some acres ready to seed to alfalfa and barley for a nurse crop. Hay feeding. And all the rest, but I just hate you going off and me not riding with you.”

“Add three kids and a pregnant wife, looking for number four.”

“I never thought I'd get to be a dad to anyone. See, my mother raised me. He got killed in a drunken gunfight when I was little. Oh, I had some dads, but they weren't like a real one—uncles and cousins tried to fit in—but not someone to talk to me like I talk to them two boys. And they tell me some tall stories about their uncle Chet.”

“In Texas, them boys trailed me around asking questions.”

“Yeah, they do the same to me, but, damn, I'm proud they accepted me.”

“I'd sure like to have you, but I knew you couldn't go. I have some good boys. I want Roamer to go, but I need Simms to hold his job till he returns.”

“No telling how that will come out, but if he thinks you will be out of here, he might promise anything.”

“That's true. I got word that JD is back at Reg's and may be coming down.”

“He's been a worry, hasn't he?”

“He may want to go along. I'm unsure about it, but, in the end I'll have to decide.”

Hampt nodded. “Just remember, if you ever need me, send word and I'll be there for whatever you need done.”

“I appreciate your saying that, though I always know that. But Tom and I count on you. You're doing a great job as ranch foreman. And your marriage to May has been a song in our hearts.”

“I ever tell you I come home one day, tired as dirt, and she was singing and never heard me come in.” Hampt smiled, remembering. “She about swallowed her tongue. I said, ‘Girl, sing like that to me,' and kissed her. And she did.”

“A miracle. Susie and I never heard her sing one note in all those years she was married to my brother.”

“You told me once you thought he only married her to take care of his three kids. But she's never complained once about him. We have a good fun life together, and she's an angel to me. I'm so glad God sent her to me.”

“I am, too, pard. If I'm ever going to be gone off to the Mexico border, we better go inside and talk about ranching.”

“Chet, we've all been put on this earth to do a job. When you came here, I was so glad to be back cowboying. I thought my life couldn't get any better. Next, I got up my nerve with May and, holy cow, that worked. Then this job running the ranch. Those kids, and now one of my own coming. Great life, every day.”

“I have one, too. We're both lucky.”

About then, the boys ran over to hug Chet, with sister right behind. He swung Donna up and kissed her. “You all right?”

“Yes, the boys take care of me,” she said.

“They're doing a great job.” He set her down and hugged May. “How are you, sister?”

She smiled up at him. “You've never called me that before.”

“Well, I always thought of you as my sister.”

She hugged him tight and buried her face in his shirtfront. “I love it. I love it. Oh, I will worry about you being down there. He'll be worse for not getting to go along. But I can't run that ranch, not carrying him.” She stepped back and pointed at her round belly.

“I understand. I count on you two. I told Marge that when all hell breaks loose I'd rather have Hampt with me than anyone I know.”

“How long will it take you to do the job?” she asked.