A Good Day To Kill (22 page)

“Oh, I'm so glad to meet you, sir.”

“Stay seated. I'm just another rancher. I guess I never heard about your services, either.”

“Oh, I get by. I can't do much in a day. But my daughter left me and I don't blame her. We live kinda poor. But she's just a girl, and I'm worried the man she left with will abandon her when he's through with her. You know what I mean?”

“Yes. Do you know where they are?”

“Down by Crown King, I understand. I just learned that.”

“What was his name?”

“Ralph—let's see. Ralph Thornton.”

“How old is he?”

“In his thirties.”

“She's in her teens?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I think I can find you a better place to live and do your work. This place must leak when it rains.” He looked it over, seeing a lot wrong.

“Oh, I don't need charity.”

“I ain't offering charity. I'm making you a business offer. You and I would be partners. I'm sure there are sons of some of my
vaqueros
that need to learn a trade, and could do all the moving around you need done, if you'd teach them this trade. They could cook some, too, and work for you and me. I have lots of saddles and harness that needs repaired. You would charge me a fair price, like you charge anyone else. Until you get going, I'd pay the boys' wages and the food bill.”

The man looked about to cry.

“Now, me or one of my men will go see how well she's doing down there. She may not want to come home. But if she does, we'll return her. Don't cry. I know you're a proud man, but you need help and I can give it. I'm going to find you that place to move to, and I'll send someone to learn about her wishes, or go down there myself.”

The old man's shoulders shook as he shed tears of relief. Chet patted him on one shoulder. “You take care of yourself. I'll be back.”

He dropped by Jenn's and told her to send McCully a plate of food. “He's not eating right. I'll pay for it. I'm going to find him a better location, and find him some boys to help him do the lifting and the rest. Plus, they can learn the business.”

Jenn kissed him on the cheek. “My hero rides in and does the right thing. What about her?”

“I'm going to handle that, too.”

“I'll be sure he gets food every day.”

“Thanks.” He waved good-bye to Bonnie and headed for Bo's.

His land man had three houses listed and they walked over to the best one a few blocks away. A small, tight, two-bedroom house with a good well. It also had a tight barn that could be McCully's shop and heated in winter. It needed a little work to close in the back porch to make a good bedroom for the boys he intended to find to help him. Bo knew the contractors to fix it and to make him some frames to hold harness, as well as shelves to store whole hides in the barn. He'd also have them install a wood stove for heat in the winter and an entrance door with a small office.

“He's on crutches and has no transportation. I intend to find him a buggy and a horse that one of the boys can drive him around in.”

Bo agreed. “The corrals and small pasture will work.”

“Since we don't want straw in that barn with a wood heater in it, build him a shed for the horse and a place to store hay.”

“I can get that done.” Bo shook his head at the plans.

“What does the place cost?”

“Seven hundred.”

“Get the rest done for three, and have him a sign painted that says McCully's Saddle and Tack.”

“You amaze me at times, Chet Byrnes. You dried me out and made me build a land office business that really is busy. If not for you, I'd still be a drunk down at the Palace Saloon. I can walk by that place now and never turn my head.”

“Good. You made a good partner—sober.” Chet laughed and shook his head. “My wife will want the house all painted.”

“Want me to get that done?”

“No, our ranch hands can do it under her guidance. Since I'm going to ask for some of their boys to learn this trade, I want them to have a part in it. I think he can train some of the best saddle makers in the country here.”

“Chet Byrnes, you can make the world turn. I don't doubt a thing you tell me.”

He shook Bo's hand, then rode back and told McCully he had a place and to sit tight. They would move all he needed, and set up the rest. He urged him to eat hearty and be ready to go over to the new location as quick as he could get it done.

In two hours, he was back at the ranch. When he gave the boy his horse, he told him he needed to talk to Raphael when he had time.

Marge and the baby came to meet him. He washed his hands and took Adam. They sat down at the kitchen table to talk.

“Well, what happened in town?”

He told her about his plans, and how she and the ranch crew would paint the house.

“And this girl?”

“When I get it all done, or close, I'll ride down to Crown King and see what her wishes are.”

“This man is crippled?”

“Yes, and he has no transportation.”

“You said Jenn would feed him?”

“I'm afraid he was so upset by his girl's leaving, he hasn't been eating. But he'll have food now.”

“Chet,” Raphael called from the porch.

“Come in here
, hombre
, we've made some big plans.”

“I've been working cattle and am all dirty.”

“Come on in, we live here. Taking care of our cattle is our business. I have more work for you.”

The clunk of his heavy spurs preceded him into the kitchen, and, bareheaded, he bowed at Marge and Monica.

Chet made him sit in a chair, then told him his plans. Raphael agreed there were several boys who needed to learn a trade. There was a small buggy hid in one of the barns he could fix for Mr. McCully to use, and he had the right horse to pull it.

Marge spoke up. “Chet wants all of us to go paint the house inside and out. The men, women, and children can all have a big celebration up there.”

Raphael smiled. “We can do that and have much fun. I will talk to my people about the boys to work and learn that business. It is a good opportunity.”

“I will pay them, too.”

“Oh. They could not go wrong.”

Everyone laughed.

“How long will it be before we do this?”

“Marge can go look tomorrow and order the paint and brushes. Your women can make her a list of things they would need to cook. We'll all be there, and invite some of the town folks. I figure Tom and his crew would come, and so would Hampt and his bunch, and some town folks.”

“Oh, we're going to have lots of folks there,” Marge said.

“It's a ranch function,” Chet said.

“Raphael, butcher a big steer,” Marge said.

“Oh,
si
, and a pig, too?”

She smiled. “A pig, too.”

“This is Monday. Let's plan to do it on Saturday.”

“I'll send word to Hampt,” his wife said.

“Tom, too, so he's ready. I think I'll go down to Crown King tomorrow and see if I can find Mr. McCully's daughter.”

“You heard him, Raphael. Send a man with him,” Marge said, cutting a disapproving glance at him.

“Oh,
si
. I know Jesus is away and he needs a good Messican with him.”

Chet shook his head and spoke to the baby. “Adam, they think I'm your age.”

The baby never answered him.

Plans were rolling, and as well as they all liked a
fandango
, they would have a real store opening for McCully in Preskitt. It would take him some time to get his supplies and be ready for business, but he'd be open and folks would find him.

Word was out fast and Hampt sent a note back that he'd be there at dawn to ride with Chet down to Crown King.

“The boy who took the notice of the party must have told him,” his wife said.

“I don't mind. Hampt and I haven't had a day to ourselves in a long time. It will be a swell one, I'm sure. I'll go tell Raphael about a change in plans.”

“Supper will be ready when you get back,” Monica told him going out the door.

“I won't be long.”

“I'm telling you, because I know you so well.”

Their cook and housekeeper was a mess, but he loved her. Things were halfway fun for him now, to be home scheming and planning the Saturday event. He hoped his ride to Crown King turned out well. He had no idea about the outcome—but he would sure learn the McCully girl's wishes anyway, if he could find her.

 

 

Morning came early. Hampt came stomping in the kitchen and right off hugged Monica. Chet thought he about embarrassed her. Then he did the same to Marge and oohed at the baby she held in her arms.

“I'd have brought mine, too, but May thought he was a little young to ride along. Your nephews, they were kinda sour faced that I left them, too, but I said we had some real work to do and they could come along another time.” He sent out a paw for Chet to shake and they lightly hugged each other.

“Good to see you,” Chet said, and showed him a chair.

Hampt sat down, dropped his hat on the floor, and smiled at them. “Boy, Adam looks good. Our boy's growing and he has his mother's lungs.”

They all laughed.

“What'cha got into now, boss man?”

“Oh, there's a man in Preskitt named McCully has a saddle repair shop. But it's in a poor location off the street and falling in, and he's crippled. So, him and I made a partnership. I found him a house and a barn for a leather shop. Everyone is going to paint it Saturday. He's going to use some of the young boys from the ranch and teach them the leather making business. They can do his work, like moving the heavy stuff around, and learn the trade. The poor man is on crutches. He's in a mess and we're fixing him up.”

“That sounds like fun. Now, why are you going to Crown King?”

“McCully has a daughter in her teens and she ran off with an older guy. No way he could stop her or go check on her. They're supposed to be at Crown King. I want to find her and find out if she's happy. She can decide what she wants to do.”

Hampt nodded like he understood and began building his plate off the dishes Monica handed him. Scrambled eggs and cheese, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and butter and strawberry jam.

“One of them Chet Byrnes rescues. Saving the poor and downtrodden—like he saved me, and forced his sister-in-law to marry me.” Hampt laughed loud. “And don't you know that man he saved up there in Oak Creek has made us all strawberry jam addicts? Now ain't that a sight?”

“Hampt, you are a prince,” Marge said, trying to stop laughing.

“Whew, May and I have eaten more good things this summer and canned two wagonloads of things for winter, and all of it from him. Oh, we had some from our garden, but that Leroy is a real hand at producing things. How he has time to bring it all around, I don't know. You done good hiring him, boss man.”

Before he left, he asked Marge to stop by and tell Jenn to warn McCully they were having a party for him on Saturday night and not to worry about it.

 

 

After breakfast, they left for Crown King and reached there in the afternoon. When they arrived in the mining area, Chet reined up his horse and stopped a worker walking beside the road.

“Hey, we're looking for a guy named Ralph Thornton.”

The man made a pained expression from behind his whiskers. “Only Ralph I know lives in the gulley behind the Five Star Saloon.”

“Thanks.” He looked over at Hampt.

“I know where that saloon is, but the gulley, I can't answer you about.”

Chet nudged his horse on. “They may know about him in the saloon.”

Hampt agreed and they rode on. They dismounted in front of the tall steps that went up the hillside to reach the batwing doors. Chet shook his head. “Bet a lot of drunks fall down those steps.”

“It could be a real problem,” Hampt agreed, sounding like a veteran of them.

When Chet and Hampt entered the big room that reeked of tobacco and sour whiskey, there were cardplayers on one side of the room. At the bar, they both ordered a beer and Chet paid for it.

“We're looking for a Ralph Thornton, you know him?”

“He lives in the canyon just past here.”

“What's his place look like?”

“Third one on the right. It ain't much, but houses are hard to find up here.”

“With all these miners, I bet so,” Chet said.

The man delivered the beers. “They could use a lot more.”

“There you go. Build some houses up here and rent them out,” Hampt teased him.

“If I did that, you'd have to be the landlord.”

“No way, I'm proud of my ranch job.”

“We won't do it then. You have any food?” Chet asked the barkeep.

“I can bring you some hot roast beef and fresh bread.”

“Bring it then. We missed lunch.”

“Good idea,” Hampt added.

“We might finish this business today and sleep in the hotel tonight.”

“I wouldn't disagree with that. Sounds like you and the crew have been doing big things in the south. You've got some good men.”

“They've gotten better. Tougher, too. Like I told you, we arrested some, recovered three horses, and solved a murder.”

“If you two hadn't gone down there, she'd have got by with it being blamed on the other brother who was already in the ground.”