Valley of Bones

by Dusty Richards

  “I’ll search for the money. Ric will be back and we can get this over with.”

  “I don’t intend to bury them. We will put them in the log cabin and burn it. You two can take the horses back and hold them as found strays and sell them.”

  “Like we always did. Thanks.”

  They hanged the three outlaws, packed the shot men into the cabin, cut down the executed ones, and tossed their bodies inside. Then they built fires around the cabin walls. The horses rounded up, Chet was ready to close the books on those outlaws.

  Callahan’s money belt held fifteen hundred dollars, though the rest had less than sixty dollars between them.

  * * *

  The next day, with six new horses in tow, they stopped and met the sheepherder. “Those men that raped Felicia, they won’t ever bother you again. There was not much money on them, but we want you to have your share. Here is four hundred dollars.”

  “Why, that is a fortune. You don’t have to pay us anything. You guys saved our baby.”

  “I know who needs money and who doesn’t.” He handed Hidalgo the money and shook his hand. The he kissed Felicia on the forehead and they mounted up and left.

  On the ridge Cole rode in beside him. “You notice that baby?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I guess sheep milk really is good.”

  All three laughed as they rode down the trail.

  * * *

  Everyone was home by Sunday. They had an early morning meeting. Jesus, who went to early mass, missed it, but Chet promised to come by and tell him everything.

  Monday morning they would ride north to find and arrest Mac Arnold. It would probably require three or four days’ hard riding to confront him, but they would be set up to arrest him and anyone else who resisted Chet arresting him.

  After everyone left, a boy saddled up a horse for Chet and he rode over and met with Jesus on the porch. Anita, whose pregnancy was now showing, served them coffee and Danish.

  “I missed Liz at mass this morning,” she said.

  “I think she is under the weather. Lisa offered to take her, but she said no.”

  “Anything wrong?”

  “She went to the doctor last week and he found nothing. Just a bug maybe.”

  “I’ll go visit her while you all are gone next week.”

  “She likes your company. Of course she is very pleased you are expecting.”

  “I know it would thrill her to have a child. Maybe someday.” She left them alone.

  After hearing the story, Jesus asked, “You found the heirs to the Bloody Basin Ranch?”

  “No, but I expect to.”

  “Strange no one reported anything about them disappearing.”

  “Big shame, too. They were very nice the two times I was there.”

  “I recall the place on our second trip there.”

  “We are leaving tomorrow. It may take three or four days to get to Mac Arnold. Then we arrest him.”

  Jesus thought about the trip time and agreed on the number of days it would take.

  “What made you to think about going over into Bloody Basin to look?”

  “You two had checked every scabbard in this country while we were gone and didn’t find it. So I decided go look in the lost land.”

  “You said you found that everyone that used to be over there was gone.”

  “They’d abandoned the few places we passed. It is real lonesome country.”

  “Cole said you weren’t impressed that it could be great ranch country, either.”

  “That juniper growth just saps the ground, and that cheats the grass from growing.”

  “Yes, I recall it was real brushy. Who is this Mac Arnold?”

  “Tanner at the bank found out that he came from around Fort Worth. Left Texas owing some folks large sums of money seems he forgot to pay. He’s been in the area two years. Bought a place north of the Marcy Road that consists of four sections. He runs lots of longhorn cattle under two brands. One is the K Bar and the other Wagon Wheel.”

  “I thought everyone was getting away from longhorns?”

  “They are. They’re cheap. But that doesn’t make them meaty enough.”

  “So for numbers, you think that is why he runs them.”

  “They’re tough, too. They can survive in rougher vegetation than British stock.”

  “He’s one of those root-or-die folks. You have fewer expenses and with his drawn-out ways I figure he aims to be large. Scare folks off and take over a place that has good enough range for his cattle.”

  “So you don’t think he’s not going to hay the cattle when the snow strikes?”

  “We get a bad winter, he’ll have lots of losses. But that won’t be his worry. He will be rotting in jail after we arrest him next week. You can stay home.”

  “No, I’m going. I have this ranch because I ride with you. Anita knows that. She has help. I have two hands to run this place. I didn’t get this to quit riding. Anita will be fine.”

  “Good. This is a neat place and you have done a great job. We simply need that second rifle and hopefully Arnold has it to prove he was in on the deal.”

  Jesus agreed.

  “I’ll go home now.”

  “I’ll be at the house tomorrow morning. I have a ranch horse I’ll ride. Cole told me he really enjoyed that trip, except for the baby deal. That got to him. I told him if he was home when she goes in labor, I’d call for him. He went to backing off, waving his hands.”

  “And he ain’t milking a sheep, either.”

  “I’d heard that in Mexico, people do that.”

  “The sheepherder was older than I am, and his wife was fourteen.”

  “Cole told me. They have a rough existence. But I bet someday he’ll be a big sheep man.”

  “May be.”

  Chet left and went home. Lisa said Liz was napping. He read some back Miner newspapers and she joined him.

  “Hey, you sick?”

  “No. I just have no strength. The doctor said he found nothing wrong.” She came and sat on his lap. “I get exhausted doing nothing. I doubt I could ride a horse to the Verde Ranch. I am fine and suddenly I am worn out. I would love to go with you, but right now I know I couldn’t make it. It will go away, eventually.”

  They kissed and she lay across his lap, in his arms. She really was done in. He sure hoped she’d improve.

  After supper she went back to bed.

  Josey asked him what he thought was wrong.

  He shrugged. “If she’s not better, I’ll take her to some specialist when I get back.”

  “I am simply concerned. They said she used to ride all the time.”

  “She did that. I hope she gets better.”

  “Oh, I do, too. See you in the morning.”

  * * *

  He had a week to ten days set aside to arrest Arnold. Then he would be back and get serious about finding a better doctor. He went to bed early, and she was so sound asleep she didn’t wake, like usual, to make love with him. That was serious. He lay awake for a while wondering what was the matter.

  He awoke early and went downstairs after he dressed. She was still sleeping. “She didn’t get up?” Lisa asked when he came in the kitchen.

  “She was in a deep sleep. I decided she needed that.”

  “I will go check on her after I get the three of you fed. That isn’t like her at all.”

  “I know. But the doc found nothing.” He knew the tall woman was seriously concerned about his wife.

  “Still. She isn’t herself.”

  “If she gets worse, send me word. I’ll come back. We are going to Susie and Sarge’s place today. Then they can tell anyone how to find me from there.”

  “I won’t unless it becomes real serious.”

  “Fine.” He turned and spoke to Miguel and Fred, who were discussing the packhorses. “We ready to go?”

  “Just in case, we asked Ric to come along, too. Raphael said he could spare him, and we don’t know how tough
this guy is. One extra hand won’t hurt,” Miguel said.

  “Fine. Six of us should be enough. Jesus and Spencer are both coming.”

  “We wanted to be certain you weren’t going to be in danger. That is our job. Since Spencer wasn’t here yesterday morning—”

  “He and Lucinda were at Oak Creek. I never thought about it. She had someone to watch the children and he wanted to treat her to some private time. He will be here.”

  “That is a beautiful place and has the world’s greatest orchards.”

  “Nice place to hide. I need to take Liz up there.”

  They finished breakfast. Lisa came downstairs. “She wants to kiss you good-bye.”

  “Go ahead. I’ll be along.” He went through the dining room and met her at the bottom of the stairs, sweeping her up in his arms.

  “I would have woken you—”

  “Oh, Chet, I promise to be stronger before you get back.” They kissed and kissed. She finally told him she would be fine and to go.

  He caught his jumper going out. Might be cool somewhere up there. They looked like an army all mounted up and with six packhorses.

  “She all right?” Jesus asked.

  “She said she would be.”

  He looked back at the house twice and questioned himself about leaving her. She’d told him to go, so he rode with Jesus at the head of the column. Spencer rode behind, thanked him for the time off, and said all was well with him.

  The sun wasn’t up until they cleared the steep road and were down in the Verde Valley. They didn’t stop to see his son, Adam, Tom, or Victor, just headed for the rim and Sarge and Susie’s house. It would be past dark getting there.

  The day went uneventfully and the sun had set when they finally reached Windmill Ranch. He’d purchased the ranch several years back when they had the first Navajo contract. It was one-third of the way to Gallup, and the man who owned it was a windmill maker. He moved to Prescott and had a good business going until a heart attack took him. Tom’s blacksmith shop began making their own windmills and they still made many, especially for the homesteads that Bo bought for him where they had wells.

  Susie was up and welcomed them. Sarge was in Gallup delivering beef, but her hands helped his unload and put up the horses.

  She told them all to come into the house and she would have food for them.

  “Where now, big brother?” she asked Chet as she started to prepare food for them.

  “To arrest a rancher who hired the gang that hit Toby’s ranch and hung two of his young men while we were coming from Socorro with Toby’s cattle.”

  “We heard about that—how is Liz? She’s not along?”

  “She wasn’t feeling good. The doctor couldn’t find anything and thought she’d get better. Told me to go get this guy.”

  “She’s not pregnant, is she?” she whispered.

  “No, or she’d have celebrated.”

  “I imagine she would. I am getting along so much better this time than before. There’s a lot less pressure, and Sarge has made such a wonderful husband. I really am happy with him. And now only making every other trip is really great. Leave it to my bro to find such a great guy as Cody Day to help him.”

  Two Mexican girls were really moving around to get the food on the table while being teased by the crew.

  They soon had coffee and the breakfast meal was coming fast.

  Chet played with Susie’s son, who was a neat kid.

  “Shame he isn’t closer. Rocky starts school at Cherry soon.”

  “I worry I may have to be the teacher for him.”

  “Nothing close?”

  “Nothing. Who is this guy you are going to arrest?”

  “His name is Mac Arnold. He has two brands. One is a Wagon Wheel and the other the K Bar.”

  “Oh yes. We have fought with his longhorn cows. He must have hundreds of them. Sarge told him to keep them north of us or he’d drive them to Gallup. Then he came by and wanted to sell us a few hundred steers. You know Sarge can buy steers, but the man made him so mad he wouldn’t have bought his cattle short of having none.”

  “He plans to expand. According to the outlaws we caught, he wanted Toby and Talley both killed so he could take the ranch. Luckily they and the rest of his crew, four men, were over at Socorro with us getting his herd. I don’t know how tough Toby could have been but the men he’d left behind to guard the place paid the price. The outlaws took the two new guns from those boys they killed. Everyone had looked for them—men and guns and the fact that we had the serial numbers of the guns was our only lead.”

  “And they had them?”

  “One. They told us Arnold had the other one.”

  “You amaze me. You did in Texas, and I enjoyed even those troubled days. Then we came out here and you continue to amaze me.”

  “And you have a life now.”

  “Absolutely. I may be like May and have lots of kids, but, yes, we are having a wonderful time here.”

  He went to bed. Everyone rose early, him with Liz on his mind. The two girls, his sister plus the four men who held down the fort when Sarge and the rest of crew were gone, all had fun at breakfast.

  He told them about the gang, their attack, and the man he was after.

  “Yeah,” Susie told Chet’s men, who had now joined them. “After we drove his cows home twice and Sarge told him keep them east, he came back and wanted Sarge to buy a bunch of his longhorn steers. Sarge said he couldn’t buy them. Boy, Arnold was still mad when he left.”

  “A wonder you weren’t on his list to be killed,” Spencer said. “They were told not to burn Toby’s place because he was going to take it over.”

  “How?”

  Spencer put his empty hands up.

  “Oh, this guy Arnold is overbearing,” Susie said, shaking her head.

  “He won’t be for long,” Spencer said, forking three more big pancakes off the platter the girl brought by the second time.

  After breakfast Chet thanked them and kissed his sister good-bye. They rode north after getting directions from Susie’s men.

  They crossed a grassland of meadowlarks, killdeer, circling red-tailed hawks, cottontails, and jackrabbits. Antelopes watched them from afar. Prairie dogs whistled warning sounds and in late afternoon they camped by a moon lake. They were close to the Marcy Road, on the top of the world, where from any high point every direction was downhill.

  * * *

  Before dark a hard-driving rider came thundering from the south. Chet heard and wondered what he wanted. When he came hopping downhill Chet recognized a young man from the ranch. Del was his name.

  “Señor! Señor!” He fell out of the saddle into Chet’s arms. “They have taken your wife to the doctor in town in a wagon. Señora Costa said you must come home. She sent me to get you to come now.”

  “We’re two days away from there. You sleep a few hours and we will return.”

  His men gathered around him.

  “Does he know what is wrong with her?”

  He shook his head. “He doesn’t know, either, except they took her in a wagon to Prescott. That is not good. Something is seriously wrong. I’ll sleep some if I can, and get fresh horses at the Windmill and again at the Verde. Jesus?”

  “Yes?

  “You’re in charge. Take no chances. Arrest Arnold, but we need that rifle with the serial number. He won’t be some dumb outlaw. I think he may be the toughest one we ever tried to get.”

  “The five of us can handle it. Should one of us ride with you?” Spencer asked.

  “No. Del and I can handle it.”

  “Let’s pray for you and her,” Jesus said.

  They all locked arms in a circle and Spencer led the Lord’s Prayer. “Our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name,” and the prayer went on. There was not one dry eye in the lot of them when they finished.

  Chet and Del slept a few hours and then took their horses and rode through to the Windmill. Susie fed them and they slept four hours and rode into the
night for the Verde Ranch.

  They woke the bunkhouse for fresh horses. Someone found them food while others saddled fresh horses. Tom came and told him that Millie was with her at the doctor’s in Prescott. He would ride with them if they wouldn’t sleep.

  Tom rode up the mountain beside the two of them. They stopped at the ranch. Josey was at the house with Rocky. Red-eyed, she hugged him.

  “Lisa and Val are with her at the doctor’s office. Millie is there and some other town ladies. I don’t know them all. I am so sorry, Chet. We did all we could for her.” Then Josey went to bawling.

  “Take care of Rocky. I must go see her.” He rocked her in his arms.

  “Tell her I love her like a mother.”

  “I will, Josey. I will.”

  Raphael made him ride in a buckboard and they raced to town. He was close to dizzy from lack of sleep. Bo jumped off the porch of the doctor’s office, and helped him down off the buckboard.

  “Damn. I wish I could give her strength. It isn’t fair. You’ve done so much for all of us. Damn it, Chet. I am beyond myself for you over this.”

  “Bo, if God needs her there isn’t one thing we can do about it but cry.”

  Lisa had his arm at the door. “You must have caught an eagle to get back here so fast.”

  “Del and I rode hard. Tom’s out there. So is Raphael.”

  “I am so sorry, Chet, but she is slipping away. I did all I could—”

  “She knows that.”

  The outer room was crowded with every woman he knew and some he didn’t. Lisa led him into the room and, as pale as the sheets she lay on, his wife forced a smile.

  He dropped to his knees, hands clamped together at her bedside. “I smell like a horse. How are you?”

  “I can’t smell and I know you came a long ways. I am so sorry I can’t go wading today. You have been such a special husband. Give the hacienda in Mexico to my brother. He can carry on the family tradition.”

  She wet her lips. “And promise me you will look for another wife. You are still young and no need not to do that. I am so grateful you chose me—”

  He blinked his eyes at her. Nothing happened. He closed his eyes so tightly they hurt.

  “God! God! Don’t do this to me. I need her. I need her badly. She is too young to die.”