Deadly Is the Night (9 page)

Chet woke early, dressed, and went down to the kitchen. Monica was feeding small sticks to her range fire. She straightened. “You have a big shovel?”

“No need for it yet, it's still snowing.”

“How much?”

“Several feet is what it looks like. I don't know what the record is, but I bet we've beat it for the most ever. Damn sure a big one.”

“When will it quit?”

“I have no idea.”

By noon it stopped but remained cloudy. One of the hands had cut a crossing from the big barn, through snow half as tall as he was, to the house. It took over two hours to get it done. Raphael was his first visitor on this new highway.

“I think someone took revenge out on us. Where is Sarge and the cattle drive he is on?” his foreman asked.

“He should be close to the New Mexico border by now. He has some haystacks and a setup over there. I'd bet the snow is not that deep there.”

“I hope not. Do you need anything? I will send some boys over here to move more firewood in by the fireplaces.”

“Good. How is everything else?”

“We are working to feed the stock. I dread the cold that will come next.”

Chet agreed. “Make sure everyone is safe and is accounted for when you end the day. Someone could get lost and die from exposure out there.”

“I will tell everyone to do that. I never saw so much snow in my life.” He tipped his snowy hat and left the house.

Liz joined him. “How long will it take to melt if it warms up?”

“A week or more. There is lots of the white stuff out there.”

She shook her head warily and laughed. “What a mess it will be.”

“People unprepared are going to lose lots of cattle on the range.”

“I never thought about that,” Monica said. “How will we do?”

“Better than them. We have lots of hay.”

She nodded.

“We've worked to have that extra supply for years like this.”

“I never think of those things. That is why I cook and you run ranches.”

He hugged her. “We appreciate you.”

The next day he helped fork hay on some big sleds that Raphael had bought somewhere as a bargain, prepared for this day. The first horse team had tromped out a way to the open country where the bawling cattle stood waiting. They looked great in the bright sunshine as forage was forked off for them.

“We may lose some cows that didn't come in last night ahead of the storm,” his foreman warned him as he watched Chet throw some more hay. “You know that my boys can do this. Fork off the hay?”

“I know, but I wanted to help. Not sit and worry about the other places and what they did not do right.”

“We are doing all we can. We had an old barn where I kept the dry wood, but the snow collapsed the roof in. Now, instead, I have boys cleaning the snow off of the other woodpiles so we will have the wood.” He shook his head. “I hope we don't get more.”

“Me too.”

They had unloaded two of the sleighs and were going back for more. Chet rode one sled back. By evening Raphael had a head count and felt he'd lost no more than three head.

As Chet stood before the living room fireplace warming his backside, Liz asked him about his man Toby at the new east place.

“Soon as we can we need to take some food over there. Toby, his wife Talley, and his hands who are clearing brush may need something to eat.”

It was almost a week before they could get into town on the one lane opened on the road. Chet with Miguel drove a big team to get supplies that the ranch needed and plus the ones he suspected his man on the eastern division would need when they could get there. It was a slushy mess but they made it, loaded the wagon bed with all the things from the mercantile, and headed home.

Reports of people lost and killed from the storm filled the
Miner
's pages in the issue he brought home. Several more were unaccounted for and still unreachable out in remote places. When he returned Raphael told him they almost had the road off the mountain cleared to Camp Verde. He said he thought Tom and some of his men were making progress from the lower end. But the sun only shone for a few hours a day on those slopes, due to the winter angle, which slowed the melting.

Chet thanked him. They tarped down the supplies, needed at the upper ranch, in the wagon and he thanked Miguel for his help.

“When will you try to go to Toby's place?”

“Even if they have the road to Camp Verde open, that mountain across the valley may still be blocked on the far side, so it will be hard to get to them.”

“When you get ready to go, simply send me word. I am very pleased to be asked to accompany you,” Miguel said.

“I am certain we need a report about the second mountain before we leave here.”

“I can go check it if you want a report.”

“Give it another day.”

“Sure. Lisa said for you to tell Elizabeth hi for her.”

“Can do. It's turning colder again. Won't help our melting any.”

Miguel agreed and left him.

“How is your new man?” Liz asked him on his return.

“Sharp. I can tell he's excited to go to work.”

“Could you see why Raphael chose him?” she asked.

“I think he's carefully watched them all. Miguel reminds me of Jesus a few years back when he first joined me.”

“I will sleep easier now that you have Miguel, since Spencer Horne is your building superintendent and not with you.” She laughed. “And he's married by now?”

“I don't know about that but maybe. He will write and tell us if he is.”

“This snow is bad business, isn't it?”

“No one has seen the like of it down here. Up at Center Point they get this much snow, but down here this is unusual.”

“I wonder how Cole is doing?”

“They planned on snow problems. It is in their postal contract as a thing of nature.”

“I am still thinking about Toby. So you don't know if you can reach him even with this side open?”

“That north rim may have more or less snow than this one.”

“How will you know?”

“If this side gets thawed out enough not to slide a wagon off into the canyon, we will check that road on that far side.”

She hugged him. “I'll be glad when it melts.”

“So will I.”

A cold spell put it off two more days. The third one came on warmer, and a cowboy on a caulked shod horse rode up from the Verde Ranch. He reported the narrow mountain road was really thawing and he felt they could make it down safely by mid-day.

“Has anyone seen that north road to the east ranch?” Chet asked.

“Yes, sir. Toby is at the Verde Ranch with a wagon. Tom made him wait till it thawed and sent me to tell you about conditions.”

Thank God they must be all right. “He say anything was wrong?”

“No. Toby said that they were getting low on a few things, but nothing serious. Said he'd stock more next time. He's a tough enough guy. Some of us thought he was a kid. He ain't.”

Chet agreed. If the devil wanted Toby, he'd only get him kicking and fighting to get loose.

Miguel was there with Lisa at his side. When the others moved away from Chet, they joined him.

“How are you, Lisa?” Chet asked Miguel's wife.

She smiled and shook her head. “Fine. I never saw so much snow in my life.”

“You're not alone. Thanks for all your hard work around here.”

She nodded. “That same thanks to you for my chance to be here with him.”

“You did well. Miguel, too.”

His man laughed and nodded. “We going north?”

“Just to the Verde tomorrow and see how things are going down there. Toby made it there and will come here today. He can go get anything he needs in town and then stay here overnight. We can leave Jesus and his bride at home for our trip.”

Miguel smiled and nodded. “What horse do you want tomorrow?”

“One of my roans.”

“I'll have him saddled.”

“Tell a boy to saddle them. You and Lisa come to lunch today.”

“We accept,” Lisa said, smiling, and took Chet's arm. “I will go along and talk to Elizabeth.”

Miguel smiled and fell in with them. “Did it ever snow when you were in Texas?”

“Not much. I can recall a dusting or two.”

“Must be like Mexico. There was only snow on some real high mountains.”

Chet agreed and showed Lisa inside the back porch.

Liz met and hugged her while the men washed up. Monica served them roast beef, rice, gravy, and biscuits.

“I should have made tortillas with those two here,” Monica said.

Miguel shook his head. “I like your biscuits. I can eat tortillas at home.”

“Maybe you will eat them at home,” Lisa said.

“Fine.”

“We get hooked up on the telegraph business, he might not get to eat them very often.”

She frowned. “Are you finally building one?”

“I understand that the government is going to be committed to help us build one across northern Arizona,” Chet said.

“If you go you will need a cook, too?”

“I'll need lots of things. You putting in to cook for that crew, Lisa?”

“He goes. I can go.”

Miguel smiled. “Only if she will bake some biscuits.”

“I bet she can do that. We will find her an oven or a Dutch oven.”

“When?” Liz asked.

“When they tell me they have it all ready to start.”

She sighed. “I still want the job.”

Toby came back from town, and in the sundown's last light agreed to stay overnight. The boys put up his team and grained them. Chet accompanied him to the house for the heaping plate of food Monica had kept warm for him in the oven.

“Now, tell me about your ranch operation,” Chet said.

“We measured it,” Toby said, waving his fork over the plate of food. “And Talley says we have forty acres of hay ground that's brush free. We will have it fenced before the grass breaks out. That family you sent me almost have the corrals built. They will build the big barn next and we will be ready for spring. I got worried with all the snow, about supplies, so started out. Told Talley I worried it might snow again and then we'd be in tough shape. Of course I have two big bull elk hanging in the meat cooler that we built earlier so we'd not starve, but it would be rough.”

“Good thinking and action. I may have a source of cattle, next fall, for your place.”

“Where?”

“Socorro, New Mexico. Man told me ranchers over there have to sell several cows to meet their debts. You may have to find a route to get them over here, but if they come to the sale we can buy them.”

Toby smiled. “Now you're talking. I'll find me an Apache that knows the way.”

“That's a good idea.”

“We've been working hard. I'll be ready.”

“Sounds that way. You be careful going back.”

Toby yawned big. “Thanks. I can sure stand the sleep tonight though.”

“Anything else I need to do?” Chet asked him.

“Talley said to tell you hi. She thanked you and your wife for all you did for the two of us. She likes the house now that it is repaired and thinks we'll have a great ranch to run someday soon.”

“Be careful going home.”

“I will, Chet. I promise.”

The next morning, Chet and Miguel were about to leave when Jesus rode in. “I am coming along, too.”

“Good. We're going to the Verde Ranch today. You know Miguel. Let's ride. Anita is fine?”

“Doing very well she tells me. She has plenty of wood thanks to Raphael and enough groceries so I am glad you have a place for me.”

“A house can get small after a while, even a big one.”

Jesus nodded as they rode out for the lower place.

Mid-morning they stopped at the big house to see his son Adam. Rhea and the boy answered the door and Chet swept him up. “How is my big man?”

“Fine, Daddy. Where is Liz?”

“It was too cold for her to come today. Did you have fun in the snow?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I'm glad someone did. Where is Victor?”

“Him help feed cows. They bawl a lot these days.”

“I bet they do. I need to find Tom,” he said to Rhea. “Is everyone all right down here?”

“As far as I know, yes. We had less snow than you did they say, but it was a mess. I don't know how Toby made it over here from where he lives. But he's tough, isn't he?”

“Yes, a very determined young man. He's heading back home today with supplies.”

“I have some coffee made. Tom sees your horses he will be here.”

He hugged her. “We have all day.”

“You said it was too cold for Liz to come?”

“Yes.”

“Is she sick?” Rhea asked, concerned.

“No, she's lost a little spirit over her loss, but she's doing all right.”

Rhea wrapped her arms around herself. “I love her. I'm worried because before that happened she was with you in your travels, all the time.”

“Losing the baby that late disappointed her.”

Tom arrived and they drank coffee together.

“We had less snow but it was still three feet deep. Our cattle were close and we didn't lose any. The Herefords were fine. The men that stay over there and feed them ran out of about everything but beans before we got them re-supplied. I don't think we have to worry about the free grazers cattle being here anymore. Most of them starved or will, and many local folks that don't put up hay are in the same shape. What about Sarge?”