Sins of the Father (5 page)

EDNESDAY CAME TOO QUICK
for Sheriff Mark Steele. The meeting he had set up between Rance Madden and Henry Thornton had, in fact, bought him a few days of peace. There had been no shootings or attempts on Steele’s life in the last two days. Both of Steele’s deputies, Buck Hern and Tex, had not reported anything out of the ordinary. Sure, a few fights had occurred and a few drunks had been locked up, but that was normal. Neither Madden’s nor Thornton’s men had come to town since Steele told them about the meeting that was to take place today. Steele was in the office when Buck and Tex showed up. Tex had no last name and knew nothing of his family. He had been abandoned when he was three years old, in Mexico, and was raised by a Mexican family for a few years, but he ran away when he was only eight and lived out on the range by himself, going from town to town taking on odd jobs for enough money to eat. Then, he ended up in Timber and Sheriff Steele offered him a job as a deputy, and he had been there ever since.
“Morning, Sheriff,” Tex said as he headed for the coffee.
“Good morning, men, I hope you two are ready for today.”
“Hell,” replied Buck, as he filled his cup with coffee, “no one is ready for today. We’ll be damn lucky to get through this meeting without at least one man going down. I just hope it ain’t one of us.” “Well, it’s a last chance meeting,” replied Steele. “After today, we are going to have to take a tough stand against all of this or maybe even take sides in the matter.”
“Taking sides never seems to work,” replied Buck.
“If I were to take sides, I would side with Thornton. He didn’t start this war, Madden did,” said Tex.
“True,” added Steele, “but he did send out for hired guns when he could have let us handle the whole thing.”
“Sheriff, the three of us can’t be everywhere watching every hired gun those two have. Hell, they had shoot-outs we don’t even know about out on the range. We don’t have enough men to
handle
this problem. Did you ever hear back from Frank Reedy?” asked Buck.
“No, but I sure hope I do. I sent messages out to the fifteen most likely towns he would be in or stop at. I told the telegraph office to notify me the second they get a response from Reedy. Let’s just pray we’re alive to read it.”
The three men sat in the office drinking coffee and talking small talk to pass the time until noon. They all tried to act like things were normal, but they all felt an ominous feeling of doom that was slowly coming over them.
Steele and his two deputies were waiting in Jed’s Saloon when Henry Thornton and his two hired guns reined up and tied their horses to the rail and walked into the saloon. Steele had warned both Thornton and Madden to bring only two men each. Steele figured that would help to keep any problems from getting out of control. Thornton’s two hired guns, Mack Packard and Toby Hewett walked up to the bar and Thornton sat down at the table with Steele. Buck and Tex were on opposite sides of the saloon, both with scatterguns.
“Sheriff, I hope this meeting will resolve this matter, but I’m not betting on it,” said Thornton. “I’m not betting on it either, Henry, but I don’t know what else to do. You two sure haven’t given me many options so far, I have to tell you.”
“I didn’t start this war, Madden did. I never had any problem with Mason over water. It wasn’t until Madden bought the Mason spread that we had problems.”
“Yes, but Mason didn’t have as many cattle as Madden has and your herd has grown considerably too. You could have worked this out in the beginning but you both have let this matter go too far.”
“Well, let’s see what Madden has to say. At least I haven’t sent hired guns into town to kill you.” “I will give you that, and I appreciate it.” Just then, Rance Madden reined up with three hired guns. They got off their horses and started to walk into the saloon. Buck and Tex exchanged glances. Tex nodded to Buck to go to the door and Tex put his attention to Thornton’s two men at the bar. They were looking straight into the two barrels of the scattergun, and neither of them moved an inch. Madden was coming through the door and his three men were on his heels. Buck stopped Madden before the swinging doors closed behind him. Mr. Madden, you knew the rules of the meeting. Only two men apiece and I count three.”
“Kiss my ass, Buck, no one tells me what to do.” Sheriff Steele spoke without even getting out of his chair. “Mr. Madden, if you don’t order one of your men to ride out of town in the next ten seconds, I’m going to order my deputy to blow a hole in your chest large enough for a watermelon to fit through, and you damn well know that I’ll do it.”
Buck had a wide grin on his face as he cocked back both barrels of the scattergun and placed it one foot from Madden’s chest. Madden’s face was contorted with anger, but he knew Steele did not make threats he didn’t intend to carry out, so he motioned for one of his men to leave. Only after the man was out of sight did Buck go back to his position, letting Rance Madden take a seat at the table with Steele and Thornton. Madden’s two hired guns, Vernon Foster and Leonard Sand, took a seat at a table in a corner.
“Hell of a way to start this meeting, Sheriff,” complained Madden.
“You knew the rules and you’re the one who decided to break them.
You
caused the problem, not me or Thornton here.”
Madden ignored Steele and glared at Thornton. “Why don’t you just sell out and move your herd somewhere else and settle all of this?”
“I’ve told you a hundred times, I’m not leaving. I was here years before you got here, and I plan to be here years after you’re gone.”
“Well,” said Steele, “at least we’re talking. That’s a start.” They both just glared at Steele. “Listen, Thornton,” said Madden, “I’ve offered you almost twice what your place is worth. Only an idiot would turn that offer down.”
“Insults won’t help resolve our problem. I at least came with something to offer to help resolve our dispute.”
Madden sat back in his chair. “Let’s hear it and it better be good.”
“If you build another retention pond, a really big one that can feed your smaller ponds, I’ll increase the flow from my last pond by at least one quarter in the summer and by half in the winter. Plus, we both agree to dig a few more wells to help fill the ponds. That way, you will start out in the spring with twice the water you have this spring.”
“That sounds like a pretty good offer, Madden,” said Steele. “I think you should take it.”
“Hell, that won’t solve my long term problem. I plan on doubling my herd in the next five years. Plus, what if a drought hits? Also, I’ll lose too much to evaporation and I’ll lose too much to ground seepage. You know there ain’t any clay anywhere on my property.”
“Then use all that extra money you were going to pay me to ship clay in or build holding tanks. I’m willing to give you more water. It’s your job to figure out how to store it. I can’t solve all your problems, I have my own.”
“Yeah, and I’m your biggest problem right now. Why don’t you just finally take my offer and that will solve our problem for good,” responded Madden, getting madder by the moment.
“I’m not going to ever say it again, Madden. Hell will have to freeze over before I’ll sell to you. I plan on dying on my own property.”
“Yeah, and I’m going to make sure that happens and it will be sooner than later!” hollered Madden. “Calm down, Madden,” interjected the sheriff. “I think what Thornton offered was far more than most men would offer. I think you’re being unreasonable about this.”
“Kiss my ass, Sheriff. I ain’t calming down or backing down. My spread will be the largest in Kansas before this is over. I’m going to need that water and I need all of it, and I intend to get it one way or another.”
Thornton sat back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. “Well, Sheriff, I tried my best. This offer leaves with me after this meeting. He’ll have to take it now or forget about it.”
Steele turned to Madden. “Madden, you’re not leaving me much choice in this matter. If you’re not willing to compromise, what do you expect me to do?”
“Stay out of our business and let us settle this thing ourselves, that’s what I expect you to do.” “You know I can’t do that. I’m the law here and it’s my job to keep the peace.”
“You’re going to have one hell of a job then, because peace ain’t what’s coming. Its war that’s coming and I can promise you that it will be a bloody one.”
“Madden, you leave me no choice then. I’m going to side with Mr. Thornton here in this matter.” “Sheriff, that’s your
last
mistake. I think you should reconsider your thinking,” replied Madden. “You’ve left me no other option. You’ve started this war, and now that Thornton has made a reasonable offer to help with the water dispute, that you have rejected, I can’t blame him for the problem. The responsibility sits dead on your shoulders now.” Madden sneered at Steele. “There will certainly be some men lying dead in the street before this is over, Sheriff, and you just might be one of them.” “Is that a threat, Madden?”
“Make of it what you will.”
Steele looked over at Buck. “Buck, would you please take Mr. Madden over to the jail and lock him up. Maybe a few days behind bars might change his way of thinking.”
Buck and Tex exchanged glances with their unspoken language that they both understood. Tex would watch Madden’s hired guns while Buck would lock up Madden.
“Are you out of your mind, Sheriff!” exclaimed Madden. “You can’t lock me up!”
“Yes I can, and I will. I don’t take to threats very lightly and you know it.”
Buck came over and prodded Madden with the scattergun, which still had both barrels cocked. Madden stood up with an unbelievable rage in his eyes and he glared at both Steele and Thornton. He looked over at his men. “Boys, if he don’t let me out in a couple of days, come and get me and when you do, you can burn this town to the ground!”
“Let’s get going, Madden, before your mouth gets you into more trouble than you’re already in,” said Buck.
“We’ll keep Madden’s men company here until you get him locked up. If Madden even speaks on the way to the jail cell, shoot him on the spot and consider that an order,” added Steele.
Vernon Foster and Leonard Sand knew better than to try anything at this point. They knew Steele would have their boss shot if they did. Besides, they were outnumbered with Tex and his scattergun and Thornton’s two hired guns in the room, not counting Steele, who was a formidable foe all by himself. Madden walked out and walked straight for the jail and he never said a word or made a move. He knew Buck was praying that he would so that he could pull the trigger on the scattergun. He would wait his time and he knew his men would know what to do. Plus, he knew something that Steele didn’t know; he still had Quentin Unger and Gregory Timmons coming to kill Sheriff Steele.
Madden’s men left shortly after Buck had Madden locked up. They rode out of town. Thornton and his men left and that left Sheriff Steele and Tex in the saloon. Pattie Nate had been in the back and had been listening to the meeting while peeling potatoes and preparing food for the few customers who would show up for supper. She came out of the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee. She sat it down with three cups.
“Well, that went really well,” said Pattie. Steele let out a big sigh as he filled up his cup with the hot coffee. “Damn, I really hoped we could avoid this war, but it doesn’t seem likely now.” Tex filled up a cup with coffee. “You know, Sheriff, it’s been bad enough so far, but it’s going to get really bloody from here on in. We better get us some help and fast. I’ve been through one of these wars before and it never ends up right for the good guys.”
“Got any suggestions?”
“I sure do. I’ll go over to the jail cell and shoot Madden right between the eyes if you just give me the order. That will end the problem. You know what they say about a snake. Cut his head off and he will still keep moving, but he can’t see and won’t know which direction to go in. The body eventually dies off.”
“You would do it too, wouldn’t you?” Steele asked.
“Damn straight, and I wouldn’t feel a bit bad about it either.”
“Tex, as long as we wear these badges, we have to follow the law the same way we expect others to follow it.”
“I can let this badge fall off on my way to the jail, if you know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean, but I can’t let you do it, even though I want you to,” Steele said, frustration taking hold of him.
“Sheriff, I can tell you this. If we handle this and follow the letter of the law exactly, we’ll all end up dead for sure. This ain’t just two hot-headed cowboys liquored up and ready to shoot it out. That we can handle all day long. We’re dealing with two rich ranch owners who have already hired at least a dozen hired guns each and I’m betting they will hire some more, and you, me and Buck are right in the middle of it. We don’t have a prayer if we follow the rules of the law.”
“You know he’s right,” added Pattie. Even if Frank Reedy and his deputies show up, you still won’t have enough men to settle this. You’ve got to bend the rules if you plan on surviving this situation. I still think you should send for Jess.”
“He would be my last resort. If we brought him into this war, who knows how many men would die.” “Probably quite a few, but at least they would be the right ones,” replied Pattie.
Steele took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll think about it, but not unless Reedy doesn’t show up in the next day or two. Locking Madden up in jail probably buys us a few more days.”
“That’s a start, anyway,” said Tex.
“Tex, I’m going over to check on Buck and try to talk some sense into Madden again.”
“All right, but it’s hard to talk sense to a man who ain’t got any.”
After the sheriff left, Tex poured himself and Pattie another cup of coffee. “I’ve heard the sheriff speak about this Jess kid before and I’ve heard stories about him. Is he really
that
good?”
“Yes, he is. He is just the kind of man you need to resolve a problem like this. He doesn’t play by any other mans rules, he plays by his own set of rules and he just kills any man who needs killing. I’ve seen him in action before myself, and I can tell you there ain’t any man faster on the draw or more deadly than Jess Williams.”
“I can attest to that, too,” said Jed from behind the bar. “I seen him shoot a man right here in the bar, but I swear I couldn’t see him draw. One second, he was facing down a man and the next second his gun was in his hand and smoke coming from the barrel. Never saw anything like it before or since.”
Tex took another sip of his coffee. “Sounds like the man we need on our side.”