Blood on the Verde River (19 page)

“Lands no. I loved it.”

He kissed her. He couldn't get enough of her. She looked secure and happy, and the baby was still safe in her belly. He silently thanked God and counted his blessings. That was enough and he was home. Home at last.

It snowed that night while they renewed their marriage in the bedroom. In the morning, a blanket of soft snow covered the land with three or four inches of the white stuff. Sipping coffee at a front window to study the early morning snow, he mused about his first winter in the high country.

“It will melt today,” his wife said, joining him.

“Good. I can go to the lower place tomorrow.”

“What took you so long going after them?” she asked squeezing his arm.

“Like I said, they almost fooled us over at Rye. No one there even suspected them of robbing a stage. It was real slow getting a lead. Jesus finally found a crooked-legged horse's print in the street. We matched the owner up with the stage robbery. Jesus did a real good job.”

“I didn't hear of anything wrong, anywhere in the ranch system. Your sister came by on her way to get supplies. She acted very pleased with her husband, so the marriage must be going well.”

“I thought so. No mail from JD?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Do you fear he's in trouble?”

“I hope not, but who knows. He's a different JD from the boy growing up. Even when he rode to Mexico with Jesus and me, his attitude worried me.”

“What else?” she asked.

“How he went off by himself all the time. I don't know if it was shady lady business or what. But he hasn't been the same since he broke up with Kay.”

“She never talks about it to me and now that she is Mrs. Hannagan I don't suppose she will.”

“How did Monica's Sunday go?” he asked in a low voice after making certain she wasn't within hearing distance.

“I think she found him interesting. She said she was surprised.” Marge smiled.

“Nice. He was polite?”

“Oh, yes. What do you want to do today?”

“I guess get used to snow and stay here.”

“We can go to town in a few hours. It will be melted enough.”

“Good. I'll go see Bo and find if there is any deeded land we can buy that's attached to the Verde ranch. I can see if the bank was able to cash any of the script we got for the cattle drives, too.”

“That is a large sum of money.”

He agreed. “But they will pay it some day.”

“There's always something to fret about.”

He agreed with her and went in the living room to look at the newspapers he missed reading. “Is your father all right?”

“I think he will marry her.”

“And?”

“He wrote me a letter and said he planned to transfer this ranch to me. I wrote back and told him to make the deed out to Mr. and Mrs. Byrnes. Anything mine is yours.”

“Whatever you think. I don't plan to die, but we need to make a will that gives this place to our children.”

“Thank you.”

“Hey, we are partners and need to think about such things and face them responsibly.”

“Yes.” She rose and mussed his hair. “I wish we'd been together all our life, but I really do enjoy our union. I'm glad I paid your bills so you could stay.”

They laughed, hugged, and kissed. He so appreciated her drawing his attention to her.

 

 

Mid-morning, they drove to town in the buggy. The snow had melted fast and even in the shade the ground was mushy under the horses' hooves and iron wheels of the buggy as they cut through it.

Their plans included lunch at Jenn's. Both of the girls were still working as waitresses. They hugged him and Marge. The place buzzed with business. No doubt, the two attractive women made it
the
place to eat. Jenn was so busy Chet and Marge had little chance to talk with her except a few words, learning that things were going well.

Chet found Bo in his office. His new assistant Donald Jernigan shook Chet's hand.

“Don is a lawyer,” Bo began. “He's passed the bar and was looking for work so I decided I could use him. He's already sold some property. Where's Marge?

“Oh, shopping. What's new?” Chet asked.

“I bought two forty-acre plots of land in the valley adjacent to the ranch property.” Bo led Chet to the map on the wall and pointed out the property. “How is that?”

“Fine.”

“A ranch next to the Hartley Ranch going to come up for sale soon. The Randle Ranch.”

“What are you talking about?” Chet asked.

“Six sections. It is in an estate case now. The cattle operation isn't that great, but the property does go to the river. Thirty-eight hundred and forty acres. I feel ten dollars an acre could buy it when the courts settle who owns it. Plus some cost for the cattle. I understand it has not been managed very well.”

“Where are the heirs?”

“New York and Texas,” Bo answered.

“We can probably handle it. But Washington is holding up funds for cattle we have delivered to the Navajos. And that grows with every month. We could probably swing it, but check with me before you buy it.”

“The trial is six months away, so I will have my ear to the deal.”

“Sounds good. Tell Jane I said hi.”

“You aren't the only one looking for a baby,” Bo said as he walked Chet to the door.

“Good. We can both learn how to change diapers.”

“Aw, I don't know about that.”

“You will. Trust me.” Chet waved to Bo's assistant. “It's nice to meet you, Don.”

Chet left the real estate office and headed to the bank. He met with the banker Tanner in his office. The tall man in a tailored suit seated across from him was impressed with his cattle selling operation. He told him the bank could handle any ranch purchase he wanted to make.

“I suspect the state will start paying those warrants in the next few months,” Tanner said. “I heard you helped Deputy Roamer capture one of the stage robbers.”

“That isn't for public information. Sheriff Sims doesn't like my helping.”

Tanner frowned. “His dislikes may cost him that job next election.”

“I won't run. I have too many distractions of my own.”

“I understand, but the people won't.”

Chet held up his hands. “I can't be sheriff and run all the businesses I have going on.”

“I said I understand. The people of this county don't.”

Chet shook Tanner's hand. “Let me know if you hear anything on them paying those bills.”

“I will. But don't be concerned. They will be paid and anything you need we can help you.”

“Good. That takes lots of worry off my shoulders.”

Chet left the bank and picked up Marge at the dress store.

The snow was almost gone and on the way home she broached a subject that had been on her mind for a while. “Now that my father has deeded the place to us, I think we need to sell off some cattle. He had drives before, but it has been two years”—she took a deep breath—“so . . . work us in. Since the place is now ours, we need to start operating it. Raphael can handle anything you need.”

“Hey, no problem. Why don't we ship two hundred head each delivery until we get caught up? Sorry I never asked.”

“I never thought my dad would find another woman, but he did.” Marge clung to Chet's shoulder and kissed him on the cheek as the wagon rims threw mud up on both sides of them. “I hope you're happy with me.”

“Marge, you are on my mind all the time.”

“Good, because if anything happens to this baby inside me I think it will break my heart.”

He switched the reins to his other hand and squeezed her leg. “No. We will have each other and I am proud of that.”

“I may cry.”

Chet slowed the buggy.

“Don't stop. Guess I am so involved in worrying, I even worry what you would do.”

“I will be there for you. Understand?”

She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “Thanks. I love you.”

“Me too. Don't cry. We will always have each other.”

He hugged her. She had nothing to worry about. He'd have to convince her of that when they got home.

 

 

That evening, he told her about the Randle Ranch and had Jesus ride to the Hartley Ranch and tell Hampt to come over when he had time. They needed to talk about some things.

Jesus came back late and said that Hampt would come in the morning. May wished to go into Preskitt and Marge could go with her if she felt up to it. Marge agreed she would go. So the next day was set.

 

 

Marge had a bad case of morning sickness. It finally settled down and she was better when Hampt and May arrived about nine. The two women went to town shortly thereafter.

“What do you know about the Randle place?” Chet asked Hampt seated at the table.

“You know Slim Randle?”

“No.”

“Well,” Hampt began. “He must be eighty years old. He has boys for ranch hands, 'cause he only pays them twelve dollars a month. As soon as they learn anything, they quit and get a real job. He doesn't have any British bulls, maybe a few crosses. We had it out already. I told him if any of his cull longhorn bulls got over on my property and bred my cows, I'd cut them.”

“That family owns almost four thousand acres.”

“I never knew that. Man, that is lots of deeded land.”

“Six sections.”

“They do put up some hay on land down near the Verde. I just rode by it.”

“Bo says after they get the estate settled we can buy it.”

Hampt shook his head. “That and the Hartley place would make a great ranch.”

“Start looking at more of it. Maybe get Tom to look it over with you. Three heads are much better than one.”

“This is all secret right?” Hampt asked.

“Oh, yes, it needs to be.”

“I can keep it quiet. That place would give us lots of ranching. Reg, up there at Hackberry. Sarge up at the Windmill ranch, Tom and all the Verde operation, and then my two places put together.”

“Does the place have some big steers?”

“Land yes. I don't know when they sold any cattle last.”

“Selling off some cattle could pay for the ranch,” Chet said thoughtfully.

“I believe it could. Wow. Wouldn't that be something? Buy a ranch and let the cattle you can round up pay for it?”

“I think Reg's place will do it, too. Haze and Lefty went up to help those two.”

“Boy, things have sure moved fast.”

“We got in on the frontier here. No railroads to ship on. No markets. When this country opens up, it will boom, and we will be well situated by then.”

Hampt nodded. “Damn right. I never took selling cattle to be that serious. Never thought it would be that important. But you sure need money to operate on. I look at my books with May every week. I've been thinking about something called barbed wire. The blacksmith in town has started making it. It will turn back cattle. I need to fence those hay fields I have down on the Verde. Cattle keep getting in there. I can cut posts this winter and by spring plant them.”

“How much is it?”

“Fifteen bucks a roll. A five-wire fence costs seventy-five dollars plus posts and staples for every quarter mile. It would cost a thousand dollars to build enough to close in the hay fields. May helped me on that math.”

“Good girl. I think some day we will need miles of it to survive in this business. Order the wire and go look at some tight wire fences. I have seen all kinds. We used smooth wire and stick fences in Texas. You really need well-set corners so they hold the wire tight. Posts just support it.”

“Before we stretch any, I'll know all I can about fence building,” Hampt promised. “Thanks.”

“We better order it now. They can't make those rolls that fast.”

“Good idea.”

The two men had a good day talking about cattle, land, and water resources. Chet told him about the water development he'd seen down at Rye. Hampt talked about places where he had such springs that could use developing.

“We need to go to work on that, too,” Chet agreed.

“All I do is cost you money,” Hampt said, smiling.

“Hey, we are going to build ranches we can live and work on. I'll need to get our new blacksmith John to make us some clam type posthole diggers. I saw some in Texas that had two handles and you closed them to lift the dirt out of a narrow hole.”

“I think I can find some Mexican boys to make and split posts. We better get to cutting on this deal. It will be spring before we know it.”

“Marge's foreman Raphael can find them and they'll be good ones.”

“Can I close in sixty more acres down on the Verde bottoms for more alfalfa?” Hampt asked suddenly.

Chet began laughing.

Hampt frowned. “I meant for later on.”

“Sure. You are an expansionist as bad as Reg.”

Hampt shook his head. “What the hell does that mean?”

“Means you want more than you've got.”

“I guess so boss man, but I am loving it. May's the best thing I ever found and this ranch business—well I never believed I'd ever get a shot at running one.”

“I think those women just drove up.”

“We'll need to get home. Those two boys and that little girl will have that cowhand watching them treed. Curly said he could watch them, but I bet he's plumb wore out. The boys have outgrown those two old horses. We better find them some peppier ones.”

“I'll have my livery man find them.”

“Good. They could ride a billy goat and would try him, but May can't stand the smell on them when they do.”