The Valerons--Retribution!

by Terrell L Bowers

  ‘OK, Pegg,’ Ingram said. ‘I’ll give them the time of day and send them on their way.’ He grinned. ‘Hey! That there rhymes, don’t it?’

  ‘You ought to write it down. Who knows, you might take up writing poetry when you retire from real work.’

  ‘Yeah. That’ll be the day.’

  ‘See you later,’ Pegg said and left the room. He had begun to sweat from simply being in the same room as their rendering process, but it brought in a lot of added revenue. A pound of tallow was currently selling for more than a pound of beef. Who would have ever thought that could happen?

  Chapter Nine

  Mantee shook hands with Dixon Kidd. He paused as Kidd introduced the two scroungy-looking men with him. He offered only a single name for each – Ponce and Victor – before the four of them went into the house. He poured the visitors a glass of whiskey each and they all sat down at the kitchen table.

  ‘I was sorry to hear about your brother,’ Mantee opened the conversation. ‘Those Valerons are a menace to anyone in our line of work.’

  ‘You said there was a chance to get even,’ Kidd was blunt. ‘That’s why we’re here.’

  ‘Job pays five hundred dollars,’ Mantee told him. ‘And all you have to do is kill Jared Valeron and the man riding with him.’

  Kidd grunted. ‘I’d have come here and killed Valeron for nothing.’ He hooked a thumb at his two men. ‘How-some-whatsoever, my boys like to spend big when we are flush, so we will be happy to take your money.’

  Mantee put on a sympathetic mien. ‘Tell you the truth, I was surprised they hanged every one of them boys. According to the testimony I read about, there was no proof given that they had ever killed anyone.’

  ‘Considering their history and wanted posters, then showing the judge and jury those two dummies shot full of holes . . .’ Kidd shrugged. ‘It was enough proof that got them hanged.’

  ‘Yeah, with one of the forms being made up to look like a bride-to-be, I can see how that would look pretty bad.’

  ‘So, you got a plan, Mantee?’ Kidd wanted to know. ‘Or are you gonna point a direction and let us go find those two on our own?’

  ‘I’d like for you to sit tight a day or two. Singeon Pegg calls the shots on this job, but it’s for certain we’re gonna take care of the two Valerons that showed up. The boss has worked out a plan so that none of us will have to worry about getting caught.’

  ‘That’s the kind of plan I like best,’ Kidd agreed. ‘So long as we get to do the job we came for.’

  ‘It ought to be a short wait,’ Mantee assured him. ‘Until then, you can bunk and eat with us. I’ll let you know as soon as everything is ready. Just don’t get too comfortable and don’t drink too much. We’ll need clear heads and quick action when the time comes.’

  ‘We’ll stick around for a couple days,’ Kidd answered. ‘But I intend to get the job done . . . with or without your help.’

  Jared was waiting in July’s room when he returned to the hotel for the night. The two of them went down the hall and joined Wendy. He listened while the two of them told him what they had learned.

  ‘Did you speak to this Everett character?’ Jared asked, when they had finished.

  ‘He gave us nothing,’ July answered. ‘Get more answers from a fence post.’

  ‘I’m guessing he was warned ahead of time,’ Wendy opined.

  Jared frowned at her. ‘Do you think they got onto your game already?’

  She displayed a puzzlement of her own. ‘I can’t imagine how. We only spoke to a couple store owners and the meat-cutter for the slaughterhouse. He seemed to share our concerns about how Pegg was able to control the price of beef in the area. And he told us Pegg senior had barely been making ends meet, before his son took over the place. Now it is turning a healthy profit.’’

  ‘You think someone tipped them off?’ July asked Jared. ‘The meat-cutter is the only one we told about stolen beef and he promised to keep quiet about it.’

  ‘Pa said there were still some crooked characters in power here in Denver. We will have to take that into account for any plan we come up with.’

  ‘We did like you asked and didn’t show up for the trial,’ Wendy said. ‘You were adamant about us keeping our distance from you and Shane.’

  ‘I had every right to have been there,’ July complained. ‘We were worried you might get a judge who needed convincing about the facts of your case.’

  ‘We had no trouble,’ Jared dismissed his concern. ‘And it’s just as well you weren’t there. A fellow named Pierce Mantee showed up from the Big M ranch. He told a wild tale about Rex and Dekay trying to dump the stolen cattle on him. Then he claimed they moved the herd in the direction of Pueblo.’

  July laughed at the notion. ‘Two guys? Stealing fifty head of cattle and driving them to the Utah border and back, then looking at another ninety miles of trail driving? I ain’t no real cowpuncher yet, but even I say that’s a load of slag.’

  ‘I’m betting Mantee and his Big M ranch are a part of this rustling operation. We passed the place on our way to the slaughterhouse. The only sign of cattle on the place was a pasture close to the house . . . and the leavings were all fresh. Also, we didn’t see signs of a remuda of horses, no feed, no decent fencing – nothing but a few horses in a rundown corral, and a dilapidated shack.’

  ‘Have you got a plan lined out yet?’ July asked.

  ‘We turned over a few ideas with Reb and Pa, but the lack of evidence is going to be a challenge.’

  ‘What do you need July and me to do?’ Wendy wanted to know. ‘If Everett was warned, none of Pegg’s men are likely to give us any useful information.’

  ‘You’re right, sis. I think your visit to the slaughterhouse tomorrow will conclude that part of the plan. First, tell me about what you’ve learned,’ he said, ‘and don’t leave anything out.’

  The arrival of the two unknown people at the butchery was not a surprise, considering they had already been in contact with Larson and Everett. Pegg bid them enter his office, offered them a chair and sat down behind his desk. Folding his arms, he leaned back and awaited their dialog.

  ‘We are from the governor’s office,’ July began. He paused to hand over an official letter of introduction. ‘As you can see, we have been given the authority to inspect the records of all businesses in the Denver region.’

  ‘What kind of records?’

  ‘Sales and receipt records,’ July replied. ‘If you would be so kind, we would like to see your ledger or journal containing your sales and purchases for the past two years right up to the present.’ He waved a hand. ‘It’s to gauge whether or not all demands for beef are being met, and how well you can cope with increased demands. The governor is expecting considerable growth in the area.’

  ‘I’ve had no complaints about having enough product on hand,’ Pegg replied. ‘And I pay a lot of money in taxes.’

  ‘I’m sure you do,’ July remained amicable. ‘However, the governor has to consider the city’s future. The sales records?’

  Pegg continued to grumble, but opened his desk drawer and removed a thick accounting journal with a worn, tattered cover. He passed it to July, who handed it to Wendy. She opened the book and began to scan the pages.

  ‘If you wouldn’t mind,’ July asked, ‘I wonder if you would show me the operation? I’ve never actually been in a slaughterhouse before.’

  ‘We prefer to call it a meat processing plant,’ Pegg informed him curtly. ‘We do have to butcher the animals here, but our more refined customers like to think of it as an industrial process.’

  ‘I understand.’

  Pegg shot a suspicious glance at Wendy, who was scribbling numbers on to a notepad. He kept his temper in check and left the desk, leading the way out of the office.

  While July kept him busy, Wendy rushed to copy down the totals – listing a tally of beef ‘processed’ for each month and year along with the total weights column. Next she recorded the sales figures. By the t
ime the two men returned, she had jotted down all of the information she needed.

  ‘Everything looks fine,’ she spoke to Pegg, placing the ledger on his desk. ‘I think we can safely tell the governor that Mr Pegg’s operation can handle the flow of expected miners and new businesses in the Denver area.’

  ‘His layout is impressive,’ July remarked. ‘I never knew how much there was to butchering . . . uh, processing beef. And his cold storage is something to see. Must be forty or more sides of beef hanging in that place.’

  ‘If you are both quite finished here, I have orders to fill,’ Pegg said a bit impatiently. ‘Can’t dally or gossip all day.’

  ‘For sure,’ July said. ‘We will be on our way. Our job for the governor is pretty much wrapped up. You were our last stop.’

  ‘Good.’

  The two of them bid good day to Pegg and left the premises. Pegg wandered over to a window to watch their departure and made a decision. As soon as Mantee arrived, he would put a watchdog on those two. If they were finished, they should be returning to wherever they came from. If they ended up talking to the law, he would know about that too.

  Aware of the fact the rustling and slaughterhouse ring knew his identity, Jared and Shane didn’t hide their trip to visit Dodge. They rode in with Reb and discussed what they had learned with Dodge. He was feeling better and sitting up in bed. At learning Rex and Dekay had been behind the rustling he was livid. If they hadn’t already been stowed six feet underground in their wooden boxes, he would have gotten out of bed and strapped on a gun.

  ‘Of all the dirty, stinkin’ lowdown varmints!’ he raged. ‘Kilt that young kid to hide their identity.’

  ‘You were also a target,’ Jared reminded him.

  ‘Yeah, but at least I was responsible for getting rid of them two. Lowest durn skunks you ever set eyes on; knew they was trouble.’ He heaved a sigh. ‘But even then I didn’t think they’d do something like this. What happened?’ he asked no one in particular. ‘Did God forget to give some people a conscience? Or were those two mongrels raised by a pack of coyotes?’

  ‘I didn’t get a look at the ground for several days, up where the attack took place,’ Jared cut in on his tirade. ‘Do you think there’s any way those two could have been in this alone?’

  Dodge snorted, ‘About the same as me sprouting a set of wings.’

  ‘You came pretty close, pard,’ Reb put in his first comment. ‘About got yourself a set of them there angel wings.’

  The recovering ramrod grinned. ‘Guess the good Lord didn’t want me yet. Probably figured I’d raise all kinds of hell Upstairs until them killers paid their due.’

  Back on track, Jared tried the same question. ‘So you don’t believe those two could have acted alone as far as the ambush goes?’

  ‘Rex took a hankering to kill a rattler the second day I was on the job. Durn fool emptied his gun and never even hit it. As for Dekay, the guy didn’t pack iron or a rifle.’ He shook his head. ‘Likewise, there were no less than four guns that opened up on us. Lonnie was betwixt me and the shooters – took the bulk of their volley. But I felt the breeze of two slugs besides the one that hit me.’ He sobered and added: ‘Shot my favorite horse too. Trusty steed give her life to get me back to the ranch.’

  ‘If not for that mare’s sacrifice, you’d have died for sure,’ Reb declared.

  ‘Had to be more than the two of them,’ Shane returned to the original query. ‘Fifty head of cattle would be quite an undertaking for two men. And, although we never saw the riders, we did find tracks of four or five horses driving the herd.’

  ‘Surprised to see you, sonny,’ Dodge spoke to Shane. ‘I figured you would be traveling about putting on shows, after the success you and that . . . uh, unusual-looking mare had in Brimstone.’

  ‘She’s kind of like you and Reb,’ Jared snickered. ‘Getting too old for gallivanting all over creation. Come sunset, she heads for the barn.’

  Dodge frowned at Reb. ‘It’s like I always told you, Locke should have taken a strap to Jerry more often. He’s got a mouth that gets him in more trouble than a fly in a spider web.’

  ‘Speaking of webs, we’ve got to put a plan in motion,’ Jared turned serious. ‘We are going to need a little luck to prove anything against the rustlers, slaughterhouse and tannery.’

  ‘But you suspect you know who all is behind this rustling ring?’ Dodge asked Jared.

  ‘Since the Cattleman’s Association began demanding closer inspections of brands, every major slaughterhouse has to keep records of the beef they process, including the brand of each steer.’

  ‘According to the city editor, there has been five hundred head reported stolen in the past eighteen months on the eastern slope of Colorado alone. That’s a whole lot of beef,’ Shane added.

  ‘Sic the law on them!’ Dodge declared. ‘Put them – what-you-call-it – collaborators? Sic the law on them and either hang ’em or put them all behind bars.’

  ‘We’re working on it,’ Jared assured him. ‘That’s what the plan is all about. We are going to set a little trap and see if the rats take the bait.’

  ‘Bah!’ Dodge snorted. ‘Was a time when we’d have taken the rustlers and everyone else involved out and strung them up from the nearest tree.’

  ‘Just one of the many drawbacks to civilization,’ Jared said. ‘Nowadays, you have to have proof, a trial, get past double-talking lawyers, and a jury that isn’t wearing blinders to get a conviction. Even then, they don’t hang most of them.’

  ‘Them fellers kilt young Lonnie,’ Dodge reminded them. ‘And you can bet he wasn’t the only one that gang has dry-gulched over their past years of thieving.’

  ‘We’ve got a local lawman looking into any rustling deaths, but it’s going to take a little luck to bring these guys before a judge,’ Jared admitted.

  ‘I’d hate to think those sidewinders can keep getting away with their crimes.’

  ‘We did get Rex and Dekay,’ Shane reminded him. ‘They were likely responsible for the theft of your cattle and for you and Lonnie getting shot. They discovered Jerry and me were on their trail and tried to put us in a grave.’

  Dodge relaxed and closed his eyes. ‘I reckon I can take comfort you boys got that pair.’

  ‘We ain’t giving up on the gang, pard,’ Reb told him firmly. ‘Like Jared says, we’ve got a plan.’

  ‘Wish I could get out of bed and lend a hand, pal o’ mine. Afraid age has done slowed down my healing process.’

  ‘You keep on being yourself, making the doctors and nurses miserable,’ Reb joked. ‘They will shore ’nuff have you back at the ranch in another few days.’

  Dodge didn’t reply, having drifted off to sleep.

  The boys and Reb left the room. Once outside the hospital, Reb looked skyward. ‘Days are getting shorter. We need to tie this critter down and get to branding before the first snow of winter.’

  Jared nodded in agreement. ‘July and Wendy made their last call yesterday. They will take the train tomorrow as if leaving Denver. I spotted a guy keeping watch on the hotel on our way here. I’m guessing Pegg and Mantee are losing sleep these last few days.’

  ‘They were watching us too,’ Shane said. ‘Good thing July was on alert, else we’d have been coyote fodder by now.’

  ‘Yes, but we saw how much good he is in a fight,’ Jared pointed out. ‘He’d make a good target for the other side to shoot at, but I’m betting Wendy would have something to say about that.’

  ‘She does seem sweet on him,’ Shane grinned.

  ‘No kiddin’?’ Reb chuckled. ‘Been wondering when she’d get bitten by the love bug.’

  ‘I kind of thought she would look for a guy like me,’ Jared said, displaying a nonplussed frown. ‘After all, I’m her favorite brother.’

  ‘Girl can’t pick her relatives, but she can pick her own suitor,’ Reb tossed out a jab.

  ‘I’d take offense,’ Jared reparteed, ‘but neither you nor Dodge ever found a woman of your ow
n. That is like making the rules of a game you never learned how to play.’

  ‘Where to?’ Shane wanted to know, putting an end to the banter.

  Jared answered. ‘As McEnroe is Fielding’s supervisor, we’ll lay out our plan for him. Be a good idea to have the law involved.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Reb piped up. ‘Be a real shame if you two were shot by the watchman at the slaughterhouse. That would leave it up to me to get justice for Dodge and the kid.’

  ‘Not that you couldn’t handle it, but Shane and I still have some living to do.’ Jared grinned. ‘He might even visit one of those places on Market Street.’

  ‘There’s some ladies over thataway who could make a man out of him.’ Reb chuckled. ‘Send him home strutting like a rooster.’

  ‘Hot dang!’ Shane snapped at the pair. ‘I never thought I’d be saying this, but I sure wish Cliff had come along. I hate being the target of all the hazing.’

  The three of them laughed together and started off down the street.

  Chapter Ten

  There had been no news since the two pests from the governor’s office had visited. The last of the three days Pegg had given his crew off had passed quietly. The normal work for Saturday was scheduled to begin when Mantee showed up. It was barely light and most of the crew had not yet arrived.

  ‘Went by your place and your pa told me you had left early.’

  ‘Ma had a bad night,’ Pegg said. ‘Her condition is worse whenever the weather is warm. Don’t bother her as much in the colder months.’

  ‘That’s the change-of-life thing you told me about before?’

  ‘Yeah, raises havoc with the body temperature. Half the time it’s like she is running a fever, complete with aches and pains, plus it messes with her moods and such. Good thing my pa is a saint.’ He grunted. ‘One more reason I’ll never marry – I want someone to take care of me, not the other way around.’

  Mantee chuckled. ‘Are you saying you might move out of the house and get a place of your own one day soon?’