Ambush Valley (27 page)

“That cattle driving made money, but it was tough, wasn't it?” Tom asked.

“Pure hell. I hated it so bad I made my brother take the last one, and they shot him.”

They reined up in the yard and Marge came to greet them. Susie was on the porch listening to the progress.

“We've got them in the big pasture. We'll go help Hampt tomorrow.”

“Your nail drivers made cowboys.”

Chet looked them over and then chuckled. “Damn good ones, too.”

One of them crowded his horse in and said, “You bet Missus Byrnes, and not a one of us fell off his horse.”

A hurrah went up.

At predawn they saddled up. Tom cut out the two less likely ones to be real cowboys and told them to watch and guard the place while everyone was gone. They rode at a trot for the Perkins place.

When they reached the broad valley, Hampt met them.

“We've got most of the T B cows and calves gathered. There's two or three old Texas moss horns got away, but I rode back through the north country yesterday and only saw one run off. The boys should bring in the rest today. The Herefords up here and them won't hardly stay together with the longhorns, so they weren't as bad as we expected.”

“How many big stuff have you gathered?” Chet asked.

“Two-fifty cows, not counting calves. There were plenty up here.”

“They probably were pushed this direction by their men,” Tom said. “We'd noticed an increase but couldn't catch them doing it.”

“Tomorrow we can start driving them?”

“I'd say so,” Hampt said.

“Good, we better tell Hoot.”

The two men agreed.

“Put them in one herd then, tomorrow at the ranch?” Tom asked.

“That's a good plan if you feel we have the most of them gathered. I know we can't get every one. We move them there it will be a hard day the following one to get them on top. Raphael and his hands will have more T B cattle at her place, and they will help move them the next day to Mayer. If we can get them on the mountain that first day, we'll be in good shape to drive them to their place the next day. We may block lots of traffic on the main road, but we can get there.”

His men agreed and he went to the house. Past midday he was back and dismounted. One of the carpenters armed with a rifle met him.

“Any trouble, Burt?” he asked the man.

“No sir, been pretty quiet.”

“Good.” He looked at the house and his wife came out the door.

“You're back. Is anything wrong?” she asked.

“No, but I have a mission for you.”

“Good, what is that?”

He thanked Burt and went on to his wife. Arm across her shoulder, they went inside.

“Tomorrow the T B cattle will be here. Next day we will drive them up Mingus Mountain, which will block the road. Can't be helped. Then I want to rest them on the east end of your range, so if Raphael gets your ranch cattle moved west we won't have any mix up and he can throw his T B cattle in with ours.”

“By now he'll have most of their cattle gathered.”

“We can add them to these.”

“You will leave here day after tomorrow for the mountain?” He agreed, and she said, “So what if I ask Leif to block the road on top and tell folks there is a herd coming? I fear someone won't listen to my man because he is a Mexican and it might hurt his feelings.”

“Yes, maybe have Leif get a few other ranchers to back him. If he's not too busy. If they can or know something they might try to stop us right there.”

“I better get home then.”

He kissed her. “I'll hook up the team. You be careful, too.”

Susie, who'd been privy to their conversation, agreed.

Marge turned to her. “Why don't you go along? You've never seen my house or the ranch up there.”

“Take me a few minutes to get packed. I'll do that.” Susie looked pleased at the invite.

He felt better the two were going together, and ran to hitch the team. Burt helped him and soon the rig was out front waiting for them.

When they appeared, on the porch, the two men carried Susie's luggage to the rig. Loaded at last, he kissed Marge good-bye and told her he'd see her in a few days. He checked with May in the house before he rode back to join the crew in the west. On the ride back, he wondered if the Hartley brothers had any idea what they were up to. When they reached the top of the mountain, they would damn sure hear enough gossip about the movement thing to stir them up. In all his time in the territory, he'd not even met either of them, like they were avoiding him. He'd only met their foreman Loftin, in his outrageous try to intrude on the ranch.

The fat would be in the fire in forty-eight hours. Most all of their cows were straight longhorn and they'd been using others' bulls. Most of the calves trailing them were half British crosses—Shorthorn or Hereford. But none were from Hartley sires, and many of their stray cows had not been bred while wandering around and were open. Their plan to infest the range with these cattle was to let the others buy the bulls and they'd clip the coupons at roundup. They were about to get the whole coupon delivered for free.

He joined Tom and Hampt in camp who were certain they had the T B cattle for the most part off the Quarter Circle Z range.

“Marge is to have some ranchers up on Mingus Mountain to warn folks that the herd is coming up tomorrow. She was afraid the someone might give her foreman Raphael a hard time, so she's getting Leif and Gates to warn them at the head of that road that the herd's coming up.”

“I can see that,” Hampt said. “He's hardworking, but someone might cuss that Mexican out and go down anyway.”

“I'm glad she saw that,” Tom agreed.

“So am I. Susie went with her. So they can keep each other company.”

“When we get on top, should Hoot come up there?”

“Good question. I didn't plan on that. He can fix supper at the ranch tomorrow night that we'll be over there. We better send someone to tell Victor—”

“He's here helping.”

“Better go find him. We'll need to eat tomorrow night late at Marge's ranch and then have breakfast on the day we drive them to Mayer. Plus supper when we come back.”

“I'll get him,” Hampt said.

Shortly they had a conference and Victor said he could be up there and set up to do all that.

“You know that tank on the east end of Preskit Valley that belongs to Marge's family?”

Victor nodded. “I have seen it.”

“Raphael will help you get water out there.”

“No problem, I will be there,
señor
.”

“Good, see you there in two nights.” He clapped the youth on his shoulder. “Marge and Susie are at Marge's ranch if you need them.”

“I can do it,
señor
.”

“I know, but I bet they'll want to help you.”

“I will check with them.”

“Should we have everyone bring their bedrolls?” Hampt asked.

“Thanks, we better.” Chet knew they were closing the problems that might occur. And everyone was working hard to make it smooth.

“The men have rested their best horses in their string for the drive,” Tom said.

“We take on the mountain in the next morning. Tomorrow will be a short run.”

They agreed.

Before dawn crept up, the crew had the cattle on the road to the main ranch headquarters. Hampt and another hand rode out front to clear the road for the herd. A big cow with a six-foot span of horns took the lead. She bossed things and proved herself the leader. The dust churned up by cloven hooves loomed on the kerchief-masked riders, keeping the slow ones up to follow the herd.

Lots of shouting, and individual riders bringing back the ones that tried to break aside.

Before noon, they were at the ranch and had driven in the herd, with lots of head-butting and social places decided, but it straightened out as the sun went down.

In the predawn morning amid the continuous cow bawling, Hampt and Chet took the lead and started up the road to take on the mountain ahead of the mossy-back lead cow and the two point riders.

Starting up the mountain, they met a man in a wagon coming down and he was almost there.

“Damn, I hoped I'd beat you,” he swore.

“Did they warn you?”

“They did. But I planned to be past here.” He cussed some more.

“If you stay hard on the wall side and park, they will probably pass you. If they damage anything look me up,” Chet said.

The man agreed and put his team of mules as close to the bluff side as he could. Chet thanked him and they rode on. Halfway up, the cattle's bawling was hard in his ears, but Chet could look back in his field glasses and see Mossy coming in a swinging walk.

“They must have cut off the rest of the traffic,” Hampt said after loping ahead to scout anyone else trying to come down. “I didn't see anyone else.”

“Great, we're making good time.”

 

 

Mid-afternoon, Mossy came up the last grade out of the canyon and on top. Chet and Hampt were with the three other ranchers. Leif, Gates, and a man named Helm were shaking hands with them. Several freight wagons, riders, and rigs were lined up waiting to go on.

Chet rode down the line and apologized to the folks waiting. Most said they'd make it. A few were indignant and he nodded to them. But the road committee had done their job right. They'd made the worst part of the drive and for all he could tell they were on top, or close to it.

When they got to the water, Raphael would have the T B cattle caught on his range waiting for them.

Leif rode in beside him when he returned. “Your wife invited us to supper. Gates and Helm said they needed to get back today. I'd like to stay for selfish reasons. Is that all right?”

Chet smiled. “They invited you. I'll see you at supper.”

“Good. Did that guy get down there that won't listen to us?”

“Almost. I don't think he had a problem, but I'd wished he'd waited.”

“He won't listen. Oh, I figure some guy by now has rode to tell the Hartley brothers.”

“We knew someone would tell them.”

“You concerned?” Leif looked at him hard.

“Always when you do things like this, you know the other side will try to stop you. I took that chance. You can't live all your life ducking confrontation. Their foreman challenged me in the road and told me they'd get what they wanted. Tomorrow they'll have these cattle back. I sure hope he'll be pleased.”

Leif nodded like he understood. “Thanks. Dad said to tell you he'd support you any way you need us.”

“You tell him thanks, when you get home. See you at supper. I'm going to check on Raphael.”

“I'll ride with Hampt. See you later.”

They parted and he set the roan horse in a short lope for the tank. Before he topped the rise he heard the cattle bawling from the other side. He reached the ridge and could see Raphael had gathered a couple hundred head of T B stock off his ranch. The foreman rode out to meet him.

“You must have made it,
señor
?”

“The lead cow came out of the canyon about a half hour ago. They should be all on top soon. I see you have several head here.”

“We got all we could. There may be one or two we missed, but come roundup we will get the rest.”

“Thanks.”

“What will those brothers do?”

“If you mess with a rattlesnake he will strike at you.”

“Ah,
sí
, but how do you think they will do that?”

“I am not sure. I am ready for anything. Meanwhile those cows won't eat our grass.”

“
Sí
, that is right.”

“I may ride over to the ranch and check on the women.”

“We are ready and your cook is set up. He has several barrels of fresh water and firewood.”

“Gracias, mi amigo.”
He swung by to talk for a minute to Victor and then rode on to the house.

Marge came out the back door with a nightshirt, towel, and soap to meet him. Susie backed her at the door.

“I use to get kisses. Now I get a bath,” he teased, and the women laughed.

He kissed his wife and they headed for the sheepherders shower. “Everyone is fine. We are on top with the herd by now.”

“Great, get clean.” Susie waved him on.

“I really see why you never married, you had her,” Marge said quietly.

“Some other women have said that before. She's a dynamic person.”

He undid the gun belt, and began to undress after he toed off his boots. “It went well so far.”

“Do you think they know about it by now?”

“Yes. It is up to them now, but there is near a thousand head going to their ranch tomorrow and it will sure force them to make a decision.”

“Were there any problems?”

“I don't have all the facts, but things went well.”

While he was under the shower, she shook her head. “Was it a bigger drive than you thought?”

“I knew there were several head on the ranch, but it exceeded my largest count almost double.”

“Are any of the ranchers coming to supper tonight? I invited them.”

“Leif is.”

“Oh.”

“The rest needed to go home.”

“Does that put Susie on the spot?”

Soaping himself, he shook his head. “She's a big girl.”

“She really is a nice person. She takes after you.”

Under the flushing rinse water, he let go of the pull chain. “I don't know about that.”

They both laughed.

 

 

The Hartley brothers would have a response. Toweling dry, he wondered what they'd try to do. Damn he'd like to simply ranch. There was no end to this kind of business to fight for what was his. Only time would tell.