Slocum and the Long Ride (16 page)

“You have some great cattle,” he said to her.

“Earl was a good cattleman.”

“I think you can hire some men and make this ranch business work.”

“Could you stay for a while and get things settled here?”

“Sure. But you never know when I may have to leave.”

“I knew you have troubles from your past. But I want this place set up so I can operate it.”

“We will need a bunkhouse built for your crew. I can go down on the border and get a building crew. Do you have any money?”

“No. Earl handled all that. They never mentioned finding any money on him. Surely they would not have buried it with him.”

“He keep it somewhere?”

“In a coffee can. I never saw it in that messy house.”

“Let's ride back and look for it.”

Back at the ranch they searched the house for the can. It was nowhere in sight. They sat down and shook their heads. It was gone.

“In his last hours, knowing his fate, he may have hid it.”

“Where?”

“Jena, I don't know this ranch like you do.”

“Let's search the saddle shed. Why didn't they burn the buildings?”

“I don't know. They burned most of these places they raided.”

“There is no sign they even tried.”

They found cans of horseshoe nails and bits, harness hardware, and some saddle pads, plus three saddles untouched by the raiders. There was no coffee can with money in it.

Outside, Jena leaned with her butt to the wall, and Slocum squatted on the ground. “No money anywhere.”

“No, but why they didn't take all this or scatter it is beyond me.”

“Would you know the man who told you they buried him?”

“I think I have seen him before. I would know him if I saw him again.”

“We need more information on Earl's death. He is the only man who knows how he was killed.”

•   •   •

The next day they started checking on other ranchers in the area. At the Jeb Douglas Ranch, Jeb told them how he learned about Earl's death.

Jeb said, “Shorty Branch told me at the cantina that they found him facedown. Never said much else. We speculated it was the Apaches done it.”

“Who else spoke about it?” Slocum asked him.

“Why're you digging this up?”

“She and I don't think Apaches killed him. But we never saw his wounds. They never stole anything but money. Just scattered flour all over hell.”

Jeb scratched his ear hard. “Why do that?”

“Someone wanted his ranch bad enough to kill him?”

“By God, you think he was murdered for his ranch?”

“I don't think anything. I just want questions answered. Her husband is dead. The killers never stole his horses. They were in the trap. Does that sound like Apaches?”

“By God no.”

“Someone did steal the coffee can that had our money in it,” Jena added.

Jeb frowned. “You going over and see if Behan will come arrest him?”

“We don't have any proof who it is. Besides, Behan hardly gets out of Tombstone.”

“I know that, but damn, it does sound funny blaming Apaches when they more than likely didn't do it.”

“We've got more checking to do.” Slocum made a head toss toward their horses.

“Keep you ears open, Jeb,” Jena said. “Thanks.”

“I will, Jena. I sure will.”

They talked to two more small ranchers and didn't get back until after dark. When they dropped off their horses at the saddle shed, Slocum slipped around and cut Jena off from speaking with his hand over her mouth.

In her ear, he whispered, “Company.”

Her eyes grew wide, and he pointed for her to stay there between the two horses. Grasshoppers were chirping in the night, along with crickets. He tried to make soft steps as he headed for the house. No one in sight, but a strange horse nicker had alerted him that there was someone there.

At the door, he stood aside, pulled the latch string, and the door fell open inward. Three shots from inside broke the night's silence. Then someone went to coughing on the gun smoke and staggered to the door all bent over. Slocum coldcocked him with his pistol butt.

He grunted and that was cut short.

“You all right?” Jena asked, sounding shaken.

“I'm fine, Jena. You can come now.” He bent over and disarmed the intruder of a knife and his gun. “Light a lamp and we'll see if you know him.”

The man was groggy when Slocum jerked him up by the collar and hauled him inside the cabin. “What's your name?”

The man didn't answer.

Jena lighted a candle lamp. “I never saw him before. He's Mexican.”

“Get some rope. He'll talk to us in a short while. His memory will get better.”

“I have some,” she said and went to a trunk for it.

Slocum bound the Mexican's hands behind his back and the back of the chair, then tied his ankles to the chair legs.

“Tell us your name?”

Stone-faced, he never said a word.

“Heat some water,” Slocum told Jena. “He'll find his tongue.”

“I'll make us some supper too.”

“Good.”

“He would have shot us when you opened the door, wouldn't he?”

“He's a sorry hired pistolero. I heard a strange horse nicker at ours when we rode up. He wasn't in the trap, so there had to be someone here. I just stumbled on the notion that he was inside.”

“Did he kill Earl?”

“He will talk in a little while.”

“How are you so sure? He's like a cigar store Indian sitting here.”

“When we pour boiling water down his throat, he'll talk.”

“You savvy boiling water?” She had stuck in his face a large knife to slice off salt pork.

“I did nothing.”

“No, you just tried to shoot him.” She put the edge of the knife on the tip of his nose. “Did you shoot my husband?”

“No.”

“Who hired you?”

He shook his head. “No one.”

“You better tell me.”

His arms folded on his chest, Slocum said, “I bet the horse he rode in on has a brand on him.”

The man closed his eyes and shook his head in defeat. “Sherman Riddle.”

“Sherman? You must be lying. He owns the wagon wheel brand.”

“He hired me.”

She stopped and squeezed her chin. “Come to think of it, that same cowboy who told me that they had buried Earl, I saw him at roundup. Never thought no more about that. I knew his face was familiar, but I was so wrought-up over the news I must have lost my mind and forgot it all.”

“Be calm, Jena. I want you to go in the morning and gather folks that we talked to today. Tell them to get some more honest people, and we will take José here and call Riddle out.”

She shook her head. “There isn't any law here to do this?”

“I wouldn't trust them. I don't know Riddle, but I bet he'd hire a fancy lawyer and get away with it.”

“Then by God I'll do it. Let's eat. We'll have plenty to do then.”

She hurried about making supper. When it was done, they sat down and ate. They had some biscuits and gravy left, with some fried potatoes. Slocum untied the man, set his pistol on the table, and told him to eat fast. After the meal, he took him to the saddle shed, tied him up good, and tossed him a saddle pad for a blanket.

“I will freeze.”

“Naw, you'll be fine,” Slocum said, and going out, he locked the door with a padlock Jena had given him.

In bed, she was shaking in his arms. “Why did he want this ranch? I never trusted or liked the way he looked at me from time to time. Earl said he didn't know any better than that. But to have shot Earl and then buried him like the Apaches did it is bad.”

Slocum kissed her hard and raised her nightgown.

“Oh hell. I don't need to wear anything in bed with you. It will get in our way, huh?”

“Sure will.”

She sat up and shed the nightgown. “Now let's get to serious things.” And she kissed him, lying on her side facing him.

“Good. I am glad that is settled,” he said and pulled the covers up. Even with his own heater and her body, it felt like it might really be real cold overnight. Their coupling made it feel warmer.

•   •   •

Before dawn Slocum saddled her horse, and gave her the small derringer that Dan had given him. She knew how to use it.

“Just be careful,” he said and clapped her on the butt before boosting her onto the horse.

In the saddle, she said, “They may send him reinforcements.”

“I'll be ready.”

She galloped off.

Having taken his prisoner out of the shed and led him up to the outside kitchen, Slocum fed him and then asked him more questions.

“How much did he pay you to kill her?”

“A hundred pesos.”

“He know that I was here?”

“He knew someone came back with her.”

“They got someone watching me now?”

The man shrugged.

Slocum tied him back up in a chair, then went to heat water and separate frijoles from sticks and rocks on the tabletop. He found some onions to chop up, fry, and add later. Then he chunked up some bacon, small fried it, and tossed it in with the beans. They'd have plenty to eat. If she didn't get back soon enough, he'd make some biscuits in her Dutch oven.

•   •   •

Mid-afternoon, the neighbor men started to arrive. Those who didn't know Slocum shook his hand and then acted grim about having heard Jena's story, but they'd come to help settle the matter.

“That's the worst thing I ever heard. What's Riddle thinking, hiring this worthless pile of shit here to kill you and Jena?” one of the men said.

“He wants her ranch, and cheap,” Slocum replied. “Jena needs this ranch to raise her kids. I hope you will all help her.”

“We damn sure will,” the man said. “She said you couldn't stay?”

“She's right, but I want this matter settled before I ride out.”

“We can settle it in short order. The rest get here, we'll do like the Texas Rangers do and ride in on him in the early morning. Your beans sure smell good.”

“Get a bowl. I made a big batch.”

He didn't need to say more; the heavily armed outfit of older and younger men went to eating. Next he set into making sourdough biscuits and visiting with various men that came by and joined them.

Jena was back by mid-afternoon. She jumped off her horse, saying hi to everyone. One of the men took the horse and put it up for her. She stirred Slocum's beans with a paddle in the big pot and nodded her approval of his cooking venture. “You're doing great.”

“You did good too,” he said and made a wave at all the men already there.

She agreed with a little show of pride. “Lots more coming.”

“These men would be enough, but the more there are, the better it will be.”

“They told me we should ride up at dawn and confront him.”

“Sounds all right to me.”

There were twenty-five men and older boys eating his beans and biscuits for supper. Afterward they spread bedrolls on the ground. A few had a bottle or two they shared, but it was quiet after sundown. Slocum and Jena retired to the house, and in bed they snuggled and enjoyed themselves.

“You have spoiled me,” she said and stretched slowly with her arms over her head, lying beside him.

“You'll get over it.”

In the room's dim light, he saw her shake her head.

Then she said, “I borrowed enough flour and sugar from Jeb to make pancakes and syrup in the morning.”

“We'll feed them all right. Wake me when you get up.”

She agreed and crowded close to his back to hug him tight, and they slept. They rose in the night and made coffee and pancakes. Several of the men came over to help them. Others went to saddle their horses. By four
A.M.,
they were ready to ride, with two hours to get to Riddle's ranch.

•   •   •

The posse rode in quiet with their prisoner, who had been silent despite the questions shot at him. Armed with rifles, they surrounded the house and Slocum said aloud, “Riddle, get out here. You resist, we'll shoot you down!”

“What the hell do you want?” He appeared half-dressed in the doorway.

“Who else is in there?” Slocum said.

“Jimmy, get out here. There's a hundred crazy people out here.”

A tall, younger man came out without a shirt. Jena nodded at Slocum. “He's the one told me.”

Slocum booted his horse up closer. “We have your man with us.”

“‘With us,' what the hell does that mean?” Riddle demanded.

“He said you shot Earl.”

“How does he know? He wasn't there.”

“But you and Jimmy were.”

Riddle turned white over his words. “We . . . found . . . him dead. Apaches killed him.” He looked at Jimmy. “Tell them.

“It wasn't my idea, I swear. He shot him, and he told me what I had to do.”

A voice from the posse spoke out. “I say hang the whole damn lot of them.”

That was word enough, and men rushed in to tie up both of them. “Get that Mexican! We're cleaning up this deal. Where we going to hang them?”

Slocum quieted them down. “We have witnesses,” he said. “We can take them to the law. Let's vote.”

Arms shot up. “Hang them!”

“Then do it right. Tie nooses and everyone here is sworn to secrecy. There will be questions.”

“We need to bury their bodies and burn the nooses,” one of the ranchers said.

“Good idea!” called another.

“I want to thank you for serving this cause,” Slocum told them all. “I am taking Jena back to her ranch.”

Men came and shook his hand, and then the two of them rode off. They were well away from the scene when they began to talk. He said, “There is never enough in vengeance to repair the damage done to you.”