Chaparral Range War (9781101619049) (23 page)

TWENTY-FOUR

T
HE NEWLYWEDS DROVE
home. Their descent off Mount Graham was a steep, narrow road that wound down from the pine-forested mountaintop, through the juniper pinions' section, until they reached the hotter chaparral desert floor, billowing dust churning up in their wake.

“What will you do first?” Cally asked, holding Guthrey's arm in both hands as they rocked on the spring seat of the buckboard.

“I'll need to check and see how many of my Ranger pals are coming.”

“How long have you known them?”

“I've known Todd Bowles since I was a kid. We grew up together in northeast Texas. We got into lots of things as boys, but if you were going to fight, you had to fight both of us. He was a Ranger last time I talked to him. Chuck Magio is the craziest guy I know, but when things get serious he'd be the toughest one. He's a big lover and flirt, so you be sure to avoid him. Gus Agnew is another tough Ranger. He doesn't talk much, but when he does, men listen. All three know the law and how to handle lawbreakers.”

“You're going to send out four teams to arrest all these guys?”

“For starters. One team will be at Whitmore's headquarters that second morning after the election and arrest him, Hampton, and everyone on his payroll. Second team will arrest the man who wears the ruby ring, Curt Slegal, and his bunch. There's at least two of those raiders over in the Chiricahuas, and we'll have a group get them. My group is going over to arrest Killion at his ranch for malfeasance of his office.”

“What does that mean?”

“Means he didn't do his job properly.”

“He didn't do it at all.” Cally shook her head in disgust.

“Well, you're right about that. Backed by some solid men, we should have every outlaw in the county in jail or on their way to prison in a very short time.”

“Will my father's killer be with them?”

“Cally, I am hoping someone will slip and tell us who killed him. I'm going to coach the law clerks to listen for any reference to his death. Criminals will do anything to save their own necks, like testify against each other to get a shorter term or even to get released. We'll use it as a carrot.”

“I know you're doing all you can. But I don't think I'll ever really put that to rest in my mind until we find the one who did it.”

“I agree.”

They reached the ranch in late afternoon. Among all the people standing in the yard he saw Pete and his two Mexican boys. Was something wrong? Had something happened?

They looked at each other as Dan came on the run to meet them. Out of breath he gasped, “You won't ever believe what's happened!”

Guthrey stepped to the ground, then turned and reached out to lift Cally off the buckboard.

“They've found gold!”

Guthrey whirled around. “Who—Pete?”

“Damn right.”

He turned and asked Cally, “Did you hear that?”

“Oh, yeah, big man. I heard him very well.” She beamed down at him.

Someone said, “Lots of it. Maybe a fortune.”

Guthrey lifted Cally off the buckboard, and she kissed him hard as he set her down. “I can't believe it. How did they do that?”

“He said they've been blasting and finally found it today.”

“I trusted he'd find it if it was there,” Guthrey said, but he still felt taken aback by the news. “Anyone know how much?”

Pete held up two fingers. “We brought out two buckets of nuggets to show you.”

Guthrey backed into the wagon wheel, still half-overwhelmed by the news. “You know what that means, Mrs. Guthrey?”

“Kinda.”

“Kinda?” He broke out laughing and then he hugged her. “You're rich.”

“Oh, Phil, I wish Dad was here. He'd have loved this day, and he'd sure have loved you.”

“Hey, you two, come inside,” Dan said. “Kinda wild out here right now.”

“I have to ask Pete one question,” Guthrey said to Dan. “Go ahead, Cally. I'll be right there.”

He drew Pete aside. “Do you think there was any way that someone knew there was gold in that outcropping before you opened it up?”

“I don't think so. Unless he found some richer samples that were on the surface and removed them. I bet over the past number of years several prospectors poked around that outcropping. Those types of formations intrigue people who are looking for sources of gold. Why do you ask?”

“Dan and Cally's father was killed right there. Some think it was the big ranchers trying to run the small ones out who shot him. But I wondered if someone wanted him dead to own that mine someday 'cause the kids couldn't handle it alone.”

Pete nodded. “Sorry I'm not any help. We didn't find anything until we were close to twelve feet down in this shaft.”

“Thanks.” He talked a few minutes to others in the yard and then excused himself.

“Whew.” Cally hugged him when he came into the house and whispered, “When are all these people going to leave?”

“I don't know, darling. A real gold strike like this is rare anymore, they say.”

“We should have stayed on the mountain.”

The crowd did not thin fast, but finally the folks outside dispersed and Guthrey blew out the lights. Undressed, he slipped into the bed and found Cally's warm, silky body there. He rolled over and hugged her. Damn, he was one lucky guy. The gold would be nice, but Cally's subtle form and having her was worth lots more to him than any gold treasure.

TWENTY-FIVE

G
UTHREY TOOK THE
gold to town in the morning. Chuck Magio was supposed to be coming by stage any day. Dan had received telegrams from both of the others too. Todd Bowles was catching the train from Fort Worth to El Paso and then coming on by coach. Gus Agnew would be here later, but told Guthrey he'd be here before he was needed as well.

The stocky Italian had already arrived, but Guthrey didn't know it when he rode into town with a packhorse carrying the gold. He dismounted at the bank, hitched the horses, and took the first pannier inside.

“Mr. Guthrey. What can we do for you, sir?” the teller asked.

“You can watch this bag. I have another.”

“What's in them, sir?”

He leaned over and told the man, “They're full of raw gold.”

“Oh my—” He looked bug-eyed but said, “Oh, I will watch it.”

Guthrey delivered the second one and found the banker and the teller on their knees, looking in the pannier.

The banker, named Mitchem, rose to his feet and shook his head, dusting off his hands. “My heavens, where did all this gold come from?”

“The Bridges Ranch.” He shushed the man's response, then in a low voice asked if they could speak privately in the banker's office. Once safely inside, Guthrey asked him, “Anyone mention to you that they wanted to buy that place recently?”

“A couple months ago, maybe longer, Jim Burroughs mentioned that to me. How he really liked the place and how with the way things were going, Harold and his kids might sell out, and he wanted it worse than Whitmore did.”

“Thanks. Don't mention we talked about this to anyone. Especially to Burroughs.”

“May I ask why?”

“I think that's who murdered Harold Bridges. I believe he knew that the gold was up there.”

“Oh my. All I ever heard was that it was the masked night raiders who killed him.”

“I'll let you know. Not a peep to anyone.” They took the gold nuggets and dust into the back room and put all of it into cloth bags to be sent in two strongboxes to the smelter over in Silver City.

“Is there more?” Mitchem asked.

“Pete says it's a rich find. It could be only a pocket, but he thinks there's more.”

The banker shook his head. “Tell Dan and your new wife, Cally, that we can handle all this transfer, have it melted into bars, and do everything else for them.”

“I will do that.” He excused himself and walked the block to Ellen's house of ill repute. He was in the front yard when someone appeared in the upstairs window. “That you, Phil?”

He looked up at the man in the snowy white shirt and smiled. “No, I'm not him. When did you get here, Chuck?”

“Last night. They don't have a good hotel in this place so they put me up here.”

“I bet they did.” Guthrey chuckled.

“See you downstairs.”

The black girl opened the door. “I sure never did thank you that day for arresting them bullies. Land sakes, they was plum crazy. You know's this man that done come in last night? He's sure funny. He said he knows you.” She shook her head and offered to take his hat.

“I'm not staying long. Is the boss lady up?”

“She's in the kitchen.”

“I'll go see her for a minute. You go up and tell that wild man we need to ride to the ranch.”

She agreed, and he went down the hall. He found Ellen busy counting the bottles of wine in her pantry, dressed in the same white robe she'd been wearing the last time he was here.

“I only have one question. Now, I want to know why didn't you tell me that man's name when I asked you.”

She looked askance at him. “I've got my reasons.”

“In a few days I am going to be sheriff of this county. I don't want to start my term in office and you not level with me about things I need to know about.”

“Damn, the only reason I didn't tell you—”

“Hey,” Chuck said, “am I breaking up a private conversation?”

“I'll be right with you, Chuck. Well?” he asked, glaring at the madam directly.

“I owed him money.”

“Go to the bank and refinance the loan.”

“I . . . all right, I will.”

“Good. Next time don't tie in with those kinda people.” He frowned hard at her.

“I won't—sorry if I caused problems, but I had no choice.”

He spun around and shook the hard hand of his friend. “Good to see you. This outfit will feed you, then we'll go out to the ranch and you can meet my bride.”

“Your bride? I can't believe that you're married, but it's sure good to see you. All that I've heard about since I got here is you and all you've been doing to make this place livable.”

“There's an election next Tuesday and after that we're gonna use a broom on this place.”

“I'm a great sweeper. I'm proud to be here to help you. I ain't never forgot when we went after Red Carson and his gang. You saved my bacon. I sure owed you one more round.”

“What do you do in San Angelo these days?”

“Chief deputy for the sheriff. I told him I had to go get you out of the ditch. You recall Hank Shiver? That's the sheriff I work for, and the county pays me every month. Can you believe that?”

“Not really.”

The tall blonde Guthrey recalled from the last trip came into the kitchen in a fluffy robe and shouted, “Hi!” to him. The cook brought Chuck a big breakfast of eggs, biscuits, and ham on a platter and offered Guthrey some. He declined. They sipped coffee and talked in general terms.

His future operations did not need any more publicity. Blondie asked about Dan, and Guthrey told her he was working the boy too hard.

She laughed and never mentioned Steffany.

They left the house, took the horse to the livery, and left the packsaddle and panniers there. Chuck threw his own saddle on the bay and they rode back to the ranch.

As they rode away, Guthrey told Chuck about the gold find. It sent Chuck to whistling. Then he explained how Cally and Dan's father was killed and how he'd gotten involved. They were back to the ranch by then.

When they rode up, Cally came out smiling and Chuck threw his hat in the air. Dismounted, he ran over to hug her and swung her around. Then he kissed her on the forehead and went to talking a hundred miles an hour about how she should have waited for him before she got married. She was in stitches and bent over laughing.

“Tell him some lies,” Guthrey said to her and took both horses to the corral. Noble joined him.

“Who was doing all the whooping down there?”

“My man Chuck. He's wild and a big tease. I need to ask you all about Jim Burroughs.”

“Mining man. Not out in town much. He used to be an engineer for the big mine at Tombstone. I don't know much, but he lives like he has some money. He lives here in town. Pretty much keeps to himself. Why?”

“Would their father have known him?”

“Yeah, I'm certain he would have.”

“Don't say a word, but Burroughs just made my A-list of suspects for the killer of Harold Bridges.”

“My lands, why him?”

“He talked to Mitchem at the bank about how, if the Bridgeses wanted to sell out, Burroughs wanted that place more than Whitmore.”

“I'll be doggone.”

“Not a word to anyone, but we need to keep an eye on him.”

“I guess anyone can kill someone, but he would have been low on my list. But I see how he could have done it. He's rode all over these hills looking for signs of minerals. No one would even think about his coming or going. How do you prove it?”

“Trick him. I don't know how, but I'll find a way.”

“I learn anything, I'll sure tell you. Damn, how did you think to ask Mitchem about it?”

“It came to my mind right there in the bank with the gold. I got to thinking, if someone wanted to buy a place and needed a loan or inside track, why not talk to a banker about it?”

“You got an inquiring mind, you know that?”

“I need one. Thanks, Noble.” He headed for the house to stop Magio from stealing his wife. Chuckling to himself, he had just now thought of a plan to test his suspect. But it would keep until their roundup of all the bad guys was over.

Chuck was drinking Cally's coffee and sitting across the table from her, telling her Ranger stories about Guthrey. Oh, man, Chuck was a great storyteller and was obviously enjoying every minute of Cally's company.

“Don't believe a word he tells you.” Guthrey sat down, and she shook her head as she got up to pour him a cup.

“Oh, I'm learning a lot about your past.”

“That Phil was an ornery guy back then,” Chuck said. “I bet he whirled you around polkaing and made you so dizzy he asked you to marry him and you said yes.”

“That was it.” She laughed and refilled cups.

“Pard, you are one lucky guy. You've got a beautiful wife and a nice ranch with a gold mine.”

“What did the banker say?” Cally asked.

“Maybe you could finally pay off your loan now.”

“He didn't say that.”

Guthrey shook his head. “No, but he was very excited for the two of you.”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “And my husband as well.”

He nodded at her. “Where's Dan?”

“He and those two day men we hired are checking cattle and will finish that up today. He told Noble to guard the place.”

“Fine, no problems. The three of us are going to ride around the next few days. I want Chuck to get a feel for this country before we do our thing.”

“Good idea,” she said. “I'll feed you some lunch. He said he had a big breakfast this morning.”

Things were going smoothly. When his other two Rangers arrived he'd be in great shape.

After lunch he took Chuck up to the mine. The men were getting ready to blast some more and Chuck was impressed. “There's lots of gold showing.” Guthrey also told him where Bridges was found shot and all about the unrecorded murder.

“You have a suspect?” Chuck asked as they squatted on the ground.

“I found one this morning,” he said and explained how he did it.

“You're too lucky these days. As I said earlier, your wife is wonderful, you have a great ranch, and now gold.”

“And an election for change I must win next Tuesday.”

That evening Todd Bowles arrived. A rancher in a buckboard brought him out to the Bridges Ranch. Guthrey thanked the man for delivering him.

“I'll be here Wednesday afternoon with a stout horse and my long rifle to help you all. Nice to meet you, Mr. Bowles.”

“It's good to see you, Phil. Sounds like you have this entire country behind you. He was telling me all that you've done so far.” Bowles shook his head.

They went through the wife introduction. Chuck hugged Bowles. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other. They played poker, dime limit, and went over the whole business in Arizona until Guthrey showed them their beds in the bunkhouse.

Back at the house, Guthrey undressed and was soon snuggling in bed with his sensuous wife. Oh, he was glad he'd found her. Whew, he couldn't believe all the great things that had happened in his life since the near shoot-out. Damn!