Chaparral Range War (9781101619049) (21 page)

TWENTY-TWO

N
OBLE RODE IN
early in the afternoon and came immediately to the house. Standing in the doorway, Guthrey greeted him.

“What's happening?”

“They say Whitmore has put out the word he's hiring more gunmen.”

“Let him. What else is happening?”

“I think Killion must be working on a deal to turn all the prisoners loose.”

“How in hell's he doing that?”

“He's pushing for bond hearing for all those prisoners you brought in.”

“Where at?”

“Preskit.”

“You mean haul them up there and let them out on bond?”

“Yeah, it sounds like that.”

“It will cost the county big bucks to transport them.”

“Yeah, but once they're bonded out they can run. No more food bills and jail guards help costs.”

“I'll see what Judge Collier has to say about that.”

“How close are we to having the number of signatures we need?”

“I think we're there. I'm meeting the other two in town tomorrow. You learn anything more about Curt Slegal?”

Noble lowered his voice. “Ain't heard nothing about him. None of the women have come forward? Thought there was one that might talk, but we haven't heard back from her, have we?”

“No.” Guthrey shook his head. “I doubt that we will either.”

“Damn shame that bastard is still out running around.”

“I agree, Noble. Get some rest today. We've got plenty to do next week.”

* * *

I
T WAS LATE
afternoon when a couple drove up to the house. Guthrey went to the door and Cally was behind him.

“That's Wilma Maples and her husband, Claude.”

The couple looked in their early forties. The man helped his wife down from the wagon. “Good afternoon. You must be Guthrey, the man everybody's talking about.”

“Cally says your name is Claude and she's Wilma. Glad you came by. What can I do for you?”

“We want to talk with you about—the ruby ring man.”

Guthrey nodded that he understood. “Come in. We want to talk with both of you.”

Cally made fresh coffee, and they all took seats around the table.

“I'm not sure where to begin,” Guthrey said. “But it is terribly important we apprehend and prosecute this man. But it will only come about if someone will agree to testify against him. He has hurt several families.”

Wilma put her hands on the table, rubbing them together. “I didn't want anyone to know about this. Claude and I have talked long hours about our own situation. I know some people will scoff at my denial of ever having any relations with another man besides my husband except for both of the times that man raped me.

“I talked Claude out of going over there and calling him out. My husband is not a gunman, Mr. Guthrey. I want you to know that he wanted to go kill the man. But I feared for his life at the hands of such a violent person. I begged him not to. Now we've talked and we don't care what folks think or say. Twice that man raped me in my own house and my own bed.” She began to cry. Her husband gave her his handkerchief and put his arm around her shoulder.

“He rode up the first time with two men. He told them to strip me naked and tie me on the bed inside. They did as he ordered and he came in when they had me tied to the bedposts, dropped his pants, climbed on the bed, and raped me.”

She shook her head. “I wanted to die. Never in my life had I ever considered suicide. Claude came home that evening and found me there. Still tied. We knew there was no law in this county to punish him. Slegal swore to me he'd take his gun and kill my husband if he came after him. I could not afford to lose him. We told ourselves that he wouldn't be back.” She shook her head as if lost. “But he returned. This time not only him but his two henchmen raped me as well when he was done.”

“Do you know these men's names?”

“Yes, one is Hardy Clayton and the other's a man named Seviers.”

“You realize you may have to sit in a witness chair in court and tell a jury this story?”

She blew her nose hard and then agreed. “I know the whole business. We have talked for hours about it. I am ready to swear out a warrant for his arrest.”

“What if I asked you to wait until the referendum is passed to do this?”

“I could wait. You mean until you're in office?”

“I'm sorry, but yes, until then, when I have the sheriff's job.”

She looked at her husband. “Claude, do you understand what we must do?”

“Yes, and I am certain he knows better than we do how to handle this.”

“When the time comes, I'll ride out to your place and get a precise report for the prosecuting attorney.”

Cally rose to pour the new coffee. “Now we have this business in hand. Let's have some coffee. God bless you, Wilma, for coming forward.”

“I'll do anything to have him put away and punished.” She turned her palms up.

Guthrey reached over and squeezed her hands. “Yes, you have done a brave thing. You will get your rewards when that bag of wind is behind bars.”

The couple went home shortly after, and Noble came to the house.

Guthrey looked up and said, “We have a witness. Keep it quiet, but she will swear out a warrant for him for rape.”

“That's good news, by doggy. This damn country may be rid of them all before we know it.”

“Amen,” Guthrey added.

* * *

T
HE NEXT DAY
Guthrey held a council with the judge, Brown, and McCall over in Soda Springs. Petitions were still coming in and they had the necessary number of signatures with them at the judge's house that morning. The next problem they had was that the county clerk had to certify them.

“We don't necessarily trust them,” Guthrey said to Collier. “They could take all day to count the signatures or even destroy enough to make the election void.”

“Then,” Brown began, “what can we do about that?”

“The governor promised me deputy U.S. marshals would be in charge of every box,” Collier said.

“Good. Guthrey showed us your letter,” McCall said and they all nodded.

“Now how do we get by the county clerk?” Guthrey asked.

They all laughed. They were back to the first problem again.

“I'll handle that,” Collier said. “Leave me the petitions. I'll get this taken care of in the next hour.”

“How soon can we have elections?” Guthrey asked.

“Twenty-one days.”

Good, Guthrey decided. He would be married in a week and that matter would be done with, leaving clear time for the election. Now they needed to get out the votes. No end to the details in this business.

“As soon as this referendum is passed by the voters, the governor will appoint you sheriff and in charge of the county until new people are appointed. Elections for offices will be held in the fall.”

It was time he sent telegrams. If three of his former Ranger buddies would come and help him, he'd have things handled in a minimum number of days. But the only man he trusted to send even a coded wire to them was Tommy. Perhaps he needed to send someone besides himself over to wire them so no one got suspicious about his actions.

Where would he start? Wire Todd Bowles in Denton. He could be the team leader for one team he planned to gather. Then Chuck Magio, the wild Italian stallion. He should be in San Angelo at this time. And then Gus Agnew in Fredericksburg. He used the judge's desk and writing implements to pen three telegrams.

I'm in Stewart's Crossing, Arizona Territory, and need your professional help to clean up an entire county. I will be in charge June 19 and will have horses and deputies ready to ride with plenty of warrants and good men to go along to back you. If you can come out here and help me, I'll have you home in two weeks or less. Wire me at P. Guthrey, Soda Springs, Az T.

“Brown, to keep things quiet, I need you to take these three wires over to Tommy. Have him wire them and not let out a word about them.”

“How will he connect with you with responses?”

“He can find a boy on a fast horse to bring their answers to the ranch, and we'll pay him a dollar when he hurries over.”

Brown nodded and went off to send them. Guthrey would need to talk to Dan when he got back. He spoke to the group. “We're going to need about sixty freshly shod horses at the ranch to use around the morning of the twentieth. I'll get Dan to line them up and have them ready. We may need to buy a load of good hay and some grain out of our fund. Can we do that?”

McCall nodded. “We can handle the hay.”

“I will need you and Brown to invite the toughest ranchers you know to be there on the nineteenth and ready to ride that night.”

“Ride at night?”

“Yeah, Rangers always like to wake the ones they go to arrest at sunup. They are the least organized at that time.”

“I'm learning,” McCall said. “Will those guys you send the wire to drop everything and come help you?”

“I think at least two of the three will do that. Maybe all of them, though there is also the chance that maybe none will come. If they don't come, I'll have to go to plan B.”

“What's that?” McCall asked

“I ain't got it figured yet but I will if I have to. Dan will borrow sixty-some horses and we need to find some tough men to back us on the sixteenth. We'll need some tents to put folks in. Any ideas?”

McCall said, “There's enough around that folks use for camping or even staying over for church at the schoolhouses. I can get some of them and have them set up at the ranch.”

“Great. What am I leaving out?”

“A jail big enough to hold all of them. A cook to feed them, and the guards,” Collier said. “Along with handcuffs.”

“We can use locks and chains if we need to, maybe build a temporary prison out of barbed wire.”

“This might be a real big job to house and feed them. You have a jail full now here at Soda Springs.”

“I'll have the deputy U.S. marshals handle the jail for a few days,” Collier said.

Good enough. They'd have enough things lined up to handle matters.

Guthrey rode home with his head full of ideas for things that needed to be done. Dan, Noble, and Cally all rushed out to greet him.

“We have lots settled,” he said, dismounting and pulling his latigos loose. “The Mormons are going to set up tents here to house the deputies overnight. Dan needs to borrow about sixty shod horses to use on our raids. I wired for three of my old Ranger cohorts to come help us.”

“Will they come?” Noble asked.

“I think all or some of them will come if they can. That means we can get married as planned,” he said turning to face Cally.

“Can we have the wedding at the schoolhouse this Saturday?” she asked.

“I don't know why not. That nice young minister from Clawson might do it.”

“I'll find out. That will predate my date by two days, but it's still in June.”

He went and hugged her. “And you've got it two days closer.” Then he kissed her.

Her laughter rang out and he walked Dan outside. “I know we can't totally surprise them, but we can try.”

“We've got more company coming.” Dan frowned at the three young men coming up the ranch road. Dressed in suits and string ties, they looked like businessmen under their simple felt hats.

“I'll see what they want.” Guthrey had no idea, but they looked important. He greeted them. “How are you and what may I do for you?”

“My name is Wisdom, Jory Wisdom. I am a law clerk, so are these other two. Judge Collier sent us up here to ready the arrest warrants for you. This is Christy Halman and the last man is Glen Heffner. The judge said for us to get up here, find us shelter, and get ready.”

“We have a wall tent that you three can pitch to stay in. Dismount and I will introduce my wife-to-be, Cally Bridges.”

She fixed them some late lunch. Jory explained how they'd build a list of the suspected raiders and make warrants out for them. When those subjects were arrested and brought in, each of the prisoners would be offered one of two choices. If the only charge was terrorizing folks, they could stand trial and, if found guilty, serve three years in Yuma. Or they could plead guilty, answer all the questions put to them, and get off serving one year down there. He added that they would have two of the jail wagons ready to haul the prisoners down there when that day came.

Judge Collier was certainly thinking well ahead. Guthrey personally needed more information about how to run the county offices. How did the county pay bills? How much money was in the county treasury anyway? Judge Collier could learn that from the town banker. Guthrey scratched that on his notes. They'd need a treasurer and a set of supervisors. A citizens council might help in solving all of his questions.

He'd need a list of honest folks to head up those operations and give him help appointing folks. It was like they pushed a landslide over on top of him. If he'd lived there for years he'd know them, but he didn't. Well, in six months' time he'd know them all better.

When he leaned back in the chair, Cally came by and asked, “Will our wedding mess up all your business?”

He tipped back the hat he still wore and grinned at her. “No, it will work in fine.”

“I feel like some small spoiled little girl about this marriage business.”

“I was only teasing you. Don't worry.”

She rubbed his stiff shoulders from behind. Her fingers began gouging deep into his stiff muscles. “I'm glad you put up with me.”

“Keep rubbing. I can stand a lot of that.” He had never realized how tied up his back was. Must be the tension of the job ahead that had him in knots.

“This marriage is for you and me anyway,” she said.

He agreed. Then he made some more notes before he swung around and caught her waist. “You are the neatest and finest thing that ever walked into my life.”