Bucking the Odds Page 11

  He was jolted from his thoughts when he saw a rider coming down the hill. He reached down and unhooked the thong off his pistol, he was not going to fall into the trap that killed Larry. As the rider neared he could see it was Geraldine Tobias.

  She rode up and stopped next to him.

  "I saw you riding down here from the hill and I thought I would pay you a neighborly visit since our first meeting didn't go all that well."

  He relaxed a little when he saw she didn't have a pistol, all she had was a rifle in the boot on her saddle. He was a stranger in these parts and wasn't going to trust anyone until he got to know them and they earned his trust...so far this woman had not done that.

  "That's good, you saved me a trip, and as you can see I have my hands full with cleaning up this mess here, now I don't have to ride over and tell you to get your cattle off my range."

  She took his directness in her stride.

  "My herd to the north still has a little water, but the wells in the south here are all dried up and it will be impossible for you to keep thirsty cattle from water."

  He shot right back at her.

  "No, it won't be impossible."

  She was getting her dander up now, she was not used to being talked to like this.

  "If you are thinking about fences, you can see what happened to the fences that your brother put around the stream."

  He looked more closely at this girl and he could see she was very good looking and filled out her work clothes real well.

  "My brother wrote to me when his wife was killed and he mentioned that he thought trouble was brewing, and now I can see what he meant, but I'm not as agreeable and understanding as he was"

  She didn't blink at his statement.

  "I can see that!"

  She spun her horse around and headed up the hill without looking back. As he watched her go he knew it was not the last he would see of her.

  He continued his chore of trying to drive the cattle off his range, and when he returned to the ranch house he noticed the two horses tied in front first, and then he saw the two boys sitting on the porch waiting for him. He closed the last hundred yards at a full gallop, and was on the ground before his horse came to a stop.

  After a round of handshaking, backslapping and the usual joking they went into the house where Lance filled them in on what was going on, and they began making plans. Now with three riders it would be easier to push the thirsty cows back, but he knew what Geraldine had said was true, it would be a big task.

  The ranch was in a valley that ran from what was referred to by the locals as the mountains, but were really high hills, almost to the edge of the town of Prineville. Each side of the valley led to a plateau that was normally covered with tall rich grass. This is where the other two ranches sat and now not only the water was drying up, but the grass as well.

  Early the next morning they sat out to accomplish that chore, and it was while they were bunching them getting ready to drive them up the hill that Dobie rode over to Lance.

  "I need you to ride over here and have a look at something."

  Lance followed him slowly through the milling cattle until Dobie stopped and pointed to a cow standing in the bunch.

  "That 'Tall T' brand was put over the 'Flying W' brand, and it wasn't a very good job at that."

  Lance looked more carefully and he could see that Dobie was right, he had been wondering why he hadn't seen many of the 'Flying W' brands mixed with the others and now he was beginning to understand.

  His days as a lawman in Medicine Bow had taught him a lot about rustling and men using running irons, which was a straight iron rod that when heated could be used to alter a brand in their favor. As he rode closer at the cow he could see that this was not done with a running iron but simply a 'Tall T' branding Iron.

  He unwrapped his rope from the saddle horn and dropped the loop over the neck of the cow.

  "We're going to take this one back to the house, I think we will be having some steak tonight."

  She resisted some at first and then fell in behind the three of them. He ran her into the barn under where a block and tackle hung from a rafter and he pulled out his rifle and shot her. They raised her up with the block and tackle and as Dobie and Don watched, he cut out the piece of hide that held the brand. He could see from the front what Dobie had suspected, it was a sloppy job of branding over his, but when he turned the skin over he could clearly see the 'Flying W' as the first brand. Now he had something to go on as he remembered what Dan had said 'he would be on his own'.

  "Mount up Dobie, we're going to pay a visit to the 'Tall T'. Don you stay here, finish skinning her down and cut us some nice thick steaks for tonight."

  Don wanted to go, but he didn't object because he knew that Lance wanted to keep someone on the place at all times.

  When they rode up the hill from the valley and onto the plateau be saw for the first time the results of the drought, the grass was parched and brown and they rode past cattle that were licking at the damp mud that was all that remained in one of the dugout ponds.

  They rode straight into the ranch yard and pulled up in front of the house. A group of the hands started to gather behind them and as Lance glanced around he noticed a few had rifles, and they all had pistols. This was a group that was ready for any trouble that came their way.

  The door opened and Geraldine came out with Duke Cannon by her side.

  "What do you want here?"

  Lance turned to Dobie.

  "Dobie, this is Geraldine Tobias and her gun hand Duke something or other."

  Duke's hand shot down for his gun and as it started to raise out of his holster he was staring at two guns pointed at him. Lance was fast, but Dobie was a real close second. He froze in that position and Lance could see in his eyes he was considering making the move.

  "That's the second time you pulled that gun on me and if you raise it any further it will be your last. Drop it on the ground...or die where you stand!"

  Lance cocked his pistol and the gun slipped from Duke's hand and fell into the dirt. Dobie continued back to the introduction.

  "Pleased to meet you lass, with a name like Tobias I'm sure you are an Irish lass...especially with that fine head of fiery red hair, and those emerald green eyes."

  Lance didn't say anything, Dobie was always the charmer of the two brothers and before Lance could speak, Geraldine fired back at them.

  "What do you want...I'm sure you didn't ride over here to discuss my hair and eyes?"

  Lance pulled the piece of cowhide out of his saddle bag and threw it on the ground in front of her.

  "We came to talk to you about a matter of rustling."

  Calling a cowman a rustler was a serious thing, a person branded a rustler was looked on as a common thief and was not to be trusted. She bent over and picked up the piece of cowhide.

  "Turn it over and you can see it clearly for yourself."

  She did as he said, and he could see the shock on her face, he was not sure if it was the shock of not knowing about it or the shock of getting caught, but either way he was here to get his pound of flesh. She finally answered hesitantly.

  "I know nothing of this, this was not my doing."

  Lance and Dobie still held their guns on the pair of them.

  "Tell your men to back off, if anyone fires, I assure you that you both will be the first to die."

  She looked at the piece of hide in her hand again and turned to the waiting men.

  "It’s ok boys, go back about your work, I'll handle this."

  The men slowly walked back to what they were doing, but still remained vigilant in case there was trouble.

  As she turned the hide over and over in her hands Lance continued.

  "Knowing what I know about cowhands, they are not the kind to do any more work than they have to, and they would only do something like this if ordered to...and you are the one who gives the orders around here."

  She looked at the hide in her hand again, and wh
en what he said began to sink in she turned to Duke.

  "What do you know about this?"

  He was searching for something to say, and she could tell by the way he looked at her that he knew about it, and being the foreman he must have been the one to order it. Before he had a chance to get his story out, she turned on him.

  "You're fired! Get your gear and get off my range!"

  He looked at her with a mixture of dismay and hatred in his eyes and he started to go, and then he turned and started to bend to pick up his pistol, until Lance spoke quickly.

  "Leave it!"

  He turned and stomped away and Geraldine turned back to the men in front of her.

  "What do you want me to do?"

  Her voice was not as strong and demanding as it was when they first rode in and Lance felt sure now that she didn't know about it. He reached in his saddlebag again and pulled out the tally book.

  "This is Larry's tally book and it showed he had just over five hundred head when he was killed, I'm going to cut five hundred head out of that bunch that are drinking my water, and we'll be pushing the rest back up the hill."

  She nodded slightly in agreement as he tore a page out of the book and began writing with a pencil.

  "Just in case there are any questions later, I want you to sign this bill of sale for five hundred head of cattle purchased for one dollar."

  He handed the note to Dobie.

  "Dobie, have her sign that."

  Dobie jumped off his horse, being careful not to get between her and Lance, and walked over to the waiting girl and handed her the note, then he turned his back to let her use it to put her signature on the paper. When she was finished she stabbed the pencil hard into the paper, and his back.

  Dobie didn't flinch and he turned to her and smiled.

  "I guess that was a love tap."

  She looked back at him but without a smile.

  "If I would have had a knife instead of a pencil, it would have not been mistaken for a love tap."

  He took the signed note and pencil from her hand and tipped his hat.

  "I like that in a lass, don't ever change."

  He took the note back and mounted up, as Lance continued.

  "We'll be driving your cattle off our range, but I'll allow both you and Kincaid to get one water wagon load from the stream each day...no more just one wagon."

  She was taken aback by his offer, but she wondered if he knew that it would not be enough.

  "That might help Kincaid because his stock is way down, he drove a herd to California last year but he lost three quarters of them on the way. He still has a little water, but my wells are drying up fast."

  Lance had yet to meet Kincaid and he was not sure of his situation.

  "The same thing will go for Kincaid's cattle if they come on my range."

  She tried to reason with him to make him understand the severity of the situation.

  "This drought is widespread and there is not much chance of driving a herd anywhere, and as I told you before, you won't be able to keep thirsty cattle from water."

  He listened to her carefully, then to impress the fact that he meant business he took a silver dollar out of his pocket and threw it on the ground in front of her.

  "And as I told you before I will keep your cattle off my range. You can keep that piece of hide...I've got plenty more of them."

  They swung their horses and rode out the way they came in. Down the road a way Dobie finally spoke.

  "Were you willing to get us killed just to prove your point? I'd like to keep my hair a while longer."

  Lance slapped him on the shoulder.

  "Hell, boy, we can't live forever."

  Dobie Laughed.

  "Ain't that the truth, but I wouldn't mind seeing that lass one more time before I die."

  Lance looked at his friend sitting the horse beside him, he was very familiar with Dobie's magical Irish charm when it came to women.

  "I'm afraid we just burned any chance of you getting to see her the way you mean. The only one I was worried about was the gunslinger, if he had gotten a shot off it would have opened the game. Once we had him tamed, I knew we were going to be alright, and now I'm sure she didn't know anything about it."

  Chapter 7

  During supper Dobie filled Don in on what happened at the 'Tall T' including how beautiful Geraldine was. To Lance she was pretty but he had never seen her in a dress as he had Mamie, she was always wearing her riding clothes.

  They all went out on the porch to let the big steaks settle in their stomachs. Lance was deep in thought.

  "I think this thing is going to brew up to be worse than it is, so I want you to ride into town tomorrow and get some supplies...and make sure you get plenty of ammunition."

  They hashed everything over but there were no clear answers, and they could not move without being moved upon. It would be like waiting for the other shoe to drop, but they all felt it was coming.

  The boys did as they were told the next morning and Don drove the buckboard while Dobie rode beside him. Lance watched them go and couldn't think of two better friends. He made the rounds again to find more cattle than before had gathered, and then he rode back to the house early because he expected the boys any time.

  He turned his horse loose into the corral and started for the house as a shot rang out. He felt the whiff of the bullet and made a dash for the house. Two more quick shots rang out spitting dirt up around his feet. He had already drawn his gun, but he didn't stop to fire until he reached the door.

  He saw the puff of smoke coming from the rocks up above the house but he couldn't see the shooter. He fired several shots in that direction and then he went to get a rifle. As he came back and stood by the door, two more bullets slammed into the door beside him.

  At least he was safe for now, but he was worried about the boys riding into a trap so he fired a shot every so often that kept the shooter firing a well. He was sure the boys would hear the shooting and circle around.

  What he didn't know was that Mamie and Rachael were in a buggy following the boys out to the ranch. When they heard the shots they did as he knew they would. They told Mamie to go back to town and not to go any closer to the ranch.

  Dobie was mounted and Don climbed down leaving the buckboard where it was and followed him on foot as they used the alders along the stream as protection.

  There was no firing for a few minutes and Mamie whipped the horse into a gallop toward the house. Lance saw her coming and tried to yell for her to turn back, but she couldn't hear him...and wouldn't if she had.

  She came to a stop in front of the house as another shot rang out this time followed by a voice.

  "Hold it where you are or the next one will take the little girl."

  Mamie froze in her seat as her eyes met those of Lance looking out the door. She could see the pained look in his eyes and she realized she had made a big mistake.

  The man yelled again.

  "Whitcliff, come out with your hands up or I'll shoot your woman and the girl."

  Lance recognised the voice...it was Duke Cannon.

  The man hollered again.

  "Throw down your rifle and come on out and I'll let you keep your pistol, and we'll see who is the fastest."

  He knew that he was the fastest and so did Cannon, so he knew if he stepped out he would be shot. Mamie was sitting motionless in the wagon and she spoke in a voice low enough that Cannon couldn't hear.

  "Dobie and Don are circling."

  He knew now he might have a chance if they could keep him talking.

  "How do I know you won't just shoot me?"

  He waited a minute for an answer.

  "Oh, I'll shoot you alright, but it will be with my pistol...I'll give you two minutes and then I shoot the woman!"

  Dobie was close enough to hear him, but he didn't know if he could make it in two minutes. He was climbing up the rocks as quietly and quickly as he could, he knew if he made a noise to alert Cannon that he wou
ld probably shoot Mamie. He had only met him once, but that was the impression he left.

  Lance waited until the two minutes were almost up, then he called out again.

  "OK Cannon, you come down from the rocks where I can see you and I'll come out."

  Dobie finally made it to where he could see the man's feet and he stood up from behind a rock with his gun drawn.

  “OK gunfighter, turn around!”

  Cannon jumped around like he had been stabbed and raised his rifle, but he wasn't fast enough as Dobie fired two rounds into his stomach. He was leaning on his elbows and now he fell back against the rock that he had been hiding behind.

  Dobie ran over and kicked the rifle away from his hand and lifted the pistol out of his holster and he stood looking down at the man groaning and clutching his stomach. He looked up at Dobie with a pained look.

  "Finish me off."

  He managed to choke it out and Dobie just stood there.

  "I guess you know how painful a gut shot death is, or you wouldn't be asking me that."

  Dobie started to leave and the man gasped.

  "Please.....”

  Dobie stood for a minute and then he shucked all but one of the bullets from the pistol he had just taken. He has seen men die this way in the war and it wasn't a pretty sight. He started away and before he disappeared behind the rocks he turned and threw the gun to Cannon. It landed beside him and Dobie was gone before he knew if he picked it up...it wasn't long before he heard the shot, and then he knew.

  When Lance heard the pistol shots he knew what had happened and he ran out the door to the buggy, grabbed Mamie and Rachael and ran them into the house. She was shaking with fear and he held her in his arms until she calmed down. Rachael was too young to know what was going on, and that was a good thing.

  "What you are doing here, I told you it was dangerous out here and that I would come for you."

  She finished shaking and sobbing.

  "I know, I just came to tell you that I wouldn't be going to Denver and I will be waiting for you."

  He brought her toward him and kissed her full on the lips.

  "I know that already, you didn't have to ride all the way out here to tell me."