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There was a sincerity about the tall rider that convinced him. Without replying he went down the hall. Jared Tetlow appeared to have aged, but his eyes were hard as marbles. "Son! Ride for Havalik! I want out of here!" "You mean to have him take you out? By force?" "Don't be a fool!" Tetlow said irritably. "How else would he get me out?" "You're to stand trial." "Me?"The old man's face was bitter. "Jared Tetlow tried like any common criminal? I never figured I'd hear a son of mine say a thing like that! You git out of here and git Havalik!" "I'm staying out of it, Dad. I'm staying out because when this is over you'll need money and a place to come to. I'll tell Havalik you're here, but I'll have no part in breaking the law." There was something approaching hate in the eyes of Jared Tetlow as he watched his son walk away. Then he turned angrily and walked to the bunk. Ben picked up his guns. "Any law against moving my cows?" "Not at all," Macy said, "but your herds will have to be cut to get out the stock belonging to other ranchers." Page 84 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Ben nodded seriously. "Fair enough. I'll cut all I can with the few hands I've got. You can cut them again whenever you like." "There's a place east ofCombWash called Texas Flat. You could hold your cattle there with the ridge as east fence." Kilkenny gave him directions for moving the herd. "Thanks." Ben felt uncomfortable with these men. He started to leave, then hesitated in the door. "That Carpenter affair," he said, "I had nothing to do with any of that." "We know it." Macy looked up from his desk. "We've no trouble with you, Ben." "That Carlson you have in there," Ben said. "I don't think he was in this." "We'll see," Macy promised. "If he had no part in it we'll turn him loose." Suddenly as it had begun the trouble was over. Business in Horsehead resumed, and the arriving and departing stages began to bring in drummers and other passengers. An official arrived from the governor's office to hear the evidence and make report to the governor himself. It was announced that a special court would be convened to sit on the case. Jared Tetlow remained in jail. Neither Dee Havalik nor Andy Tetlow put in an appearance. The party from the valley returned to town and Nita Riordan retained Bob Early to represent her and Mrs. Carpenter. Smoke rose lazily from the chimneys of the town and the days started brightly from frosty mornings, the KR range was grazed by its own cows. The big herd had been split and was fattening on range west and south of town. A lawyer named Jaeger arrived from El Paso to defend Jared Tetlow after it had been recommended that he be held for trial on a dozen charges including the murder of Jack Harrow. Ben Tetlow rarely came to town. Only at the end of the month did he come to see Kilkenny. He found him at the Westwater, dining with Nita. "You said something about buying cows?" "That's right. Will you sit down?" Hesitantly Ben reached for the chair. "How many could you use? We need cash." "Depends on the price. I'll buy as many as I can afford." "I'll make the price right." Ben explained, "We'd have to drive at least a hundred and fifty miles to sell. We'd lose beef and we haven't the time." They talked, straightening out the details of the bargain. Kilkenny contracted to buy one thousand head of the 4T cattle to be delivered on his range in theValleyofWhispering Wind . Ben's stiffness left him slowly. He found nothing but friendliness in either of them. When he was gone, Lance looked across the table at Nita. "Well, honey, we're back in business." "Will you go with him on the drive?' "Sure. I'll take Cain and Shorty along and once the cattle are in the valley they'll make no trouble." He put Ms hand on her arm. "I'll leave them there Page 85 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html and come back for you." There was a shadow of worry in her eyes. "You're still thinking about Havalik?" "I guess so. Brigo saw tracks of a dozen riders in Dry Wash two days ago. Ben hasn't said anything but I know he's lost cattle." "Would they rustle from him?" "They wouldn't consider it rustling. Andy's with them, and he owns part of the cattle. They still consider themselves part of the Forty, anyway." "Do you believe Havalik will leave once Tetlow is sentenced?" "No." Kilkenny knew he must reply honestly. "No, I don't. Havalik will never leave until he faces me. Dee Havalik intends to kill me." Chapter 10 BEN TETLOW WAS waiting on the edge of Texas Flat when Lance Kilkenny rode the buckskin toward the herd. He looked tired, and his face was shadowed with worry. "We cut the herd for you," he said. "It's mostly young stuff." Kilkenny studied the cattle with care. The herd was not so tightly bunched that he could not make a fair estimate of what he was getting. Obviously, Ben had made no attempt to saddle him with a lot of culls. These were good stock. "They look all right to me," he said. "I'll take your word for the number." Tetlow turned to instruct his riders, and Brigo rode up to Kilkenny. "A full thousand, senor. Perhaps even more." "Thanks. See you in a couple of days." Ben rose in his stirrups and yelled and the riders moved in on the herd. Slowly it began to move. As always, Kilkenny felt a lift at the sight of a great herd in motion. And soon these would be his cattle, on his range. He would, for the first time, be a man of property. He was through running. Here he would make his stand. "This a good place you've got?" Ben asked as he joined him at the point. "Best range in the country. I'll have to cut hay for winter feeding, but I've good meadows and the range I have will carry more stock than most Western range. There are some valleys branching off that can be fed off, too." They rode in silence for several miles. "What will happen to Dad?" Ben asked suddenly. "I can't guess. Feeling is changing in the cattle country. They want law and order now, and they'll go a long way to have it. Lots of nesters coming into the country and they'll welcome a chance to see the issue decided in the courts." "This change you speak of. Won't that make a difference to men like you and Havalik?" "We're as outmoded as the buffalo. That's why I'm buying cattle. I'm going to work my stock and stay out of trouble." Page 86 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Kilkenny's eyes went to the narrowing gap betweenTexasCanyon andNorth Fork . Cain Brockman, as if sensing his thought, suddenly rode past them, cutting over towardTexas and Shorty rode intoNorth Fork . Both searched the rocks and brush with drawn guns. "Nothing stays the same," Kilkenny said. "A man has to go with the times. No man can put a rope on the past and hope to snub it down. The best thing is to learn to ride the new trails." He glanced at Ben. "You've learned." Ben shrugged. "Dad says I take after my mother." "Maybe. You were the first in your generation. You'll have kids and most of them will go the way you do." From Texas Flat the trail mounted to Long Point and led over the route taken by Kilkenny on previous occasions. By nightfall they would be atDuckLake . From there a trail led east into the mountains and thence to the valley. Now that there was no pursuit and no necessity for keeping the valley a secret, they need no longer use the devious routes. By high noon the drive was passing through the Notch. On the far side they paused for lunch and Cain Brockman rode up to Kilkenny and swung from the saddle. His heavy jaws were unshaven and he looked tough and rugged as always. He moved over to Kilkenny, his huge bulk moving with the ease of a big cat. He dropped on his haunches. He jerked his head toward the west. "They've spotted us. Fresh tracks over there." "How many?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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