The Delivery

by James Edwin Branch

  “Son of a gun, I can’t believe that a woman got the drop on us,” he said as he wrinkled his face with pain. The doctor listened as he worked on Virgil’s shoulder.

  “I want you to go to the livery and get us two more horses and some equipment, Rafe.”

  “Are we going after them?” Rafe asked.

  “Absolutely!” Virgil exclaimed, “You didn’t think we were just going to let them ride off with our horses did you, especially after me getting shot and all.”

  Rafe seemed puzzled until the doctor spoke.

  “It would be in your best interest to stay off a horse for a couple of days, Mister McGinty.”

  “I can appreciate that doc but I’ve got business to attend.” Virgil spouted.

  He flipped a small bag from his belt with his good hand and passed it to Rafe.

  “Spend it wisely. Get us two good mounts, a couple of saddles and whatever else we need. Then we’ll go get Harvey and pick up their trail.”

  Rafe nodded. He took the bag of gold coins from Virgil and slightly after dawn, he walked down to the livery stable and waited for the proprietor to arrive.

  Just before he left, Virgil called out to him again.

  “They’ve got a curious sheriff here in Bensonville named Ira Beckam. You be sure to stay clear of him.”

  The wounded man’s remark about Ira caused the doctors brow to wrinkle. He wondered about Ira’s notoriety and how so many unsavory characters seemed to know all about him.

  Rafe made his way to the livery stable, watching all the while to ensure that he didn’t run into the town lawman about whom his brother had warned.

  When he reached the stable, a young Mexican man was already working inside.

  “I’m looking for the stable owner,” Rafe said looking at the man questionably.

  “I own the stable,” the man replied.

  Lupe Gonzales had moved to the small town of Bensonville several years before. Because he had a way with horses and because the townspeople readily accepted him, Lupe took up residence and after working at the stable for nearly two years, he bought it from the original owner who was looking for a reason to retire.

  Because he had saved a sizeable down payment and had proven his ability time after time, the owner of the stable helped Lupe by selling him the stables on credit. It took a few years, but Lupe finally paid it off. As far as Bensonville went, he was considered a successful business owner and an important part of the town.

  Through the years, Lupe had become fast friends with Ira, and the two of them often went hunting together. Lupe’s knowledge of Ira’s curious nature and his own inquisitive manner caused him to view the stranger with wonder. Mostly, he was wondering how he’d ended up in Bensonville and why he needed two fresh mounts.

  Being a good businessman, his curious nature didn’t stop him from selling the horses, but it did cause him to ask a few questions.

  “How come you need two horses when you already got one?” Lupe asked.

  Rafe didn’t seem to mind offering up an explanation. Unlike his brother Virgil, he was prone to talking. His failure to keep their activities secret often landed the brothers in big trouble.

  “We left my brother up at an old abandoned cabin on Kingman’s Ridge,” Rafe exclaimed. “Some darkie yahoo dragging a white woman along stole our horses and left us there.”

  “Wow, that’s too bad,” Lupe replied.

  “We’re going after them as soon as I can get my other brother out of the doctor’s office.”

  Lupe just nodded as he bit into one of the gold pieces he’d gotten from Rafe.

  “Kingman’s Ridge, huh?” Lupe questioned.

  “That’s right, the woman shot my brother, and they left us there on foot,” Rafe continued. “We’re going to track them down and get our horses back.”

  “Did you tell the sheriff about this?” Lupe asked, “Maybe he can help you?”

  “Nah, that’s okay, my brothers and I can handle this just fine,” Rafe said with an angry tone.

  Lupe stopped his questioning right there. He was beginning to realize that any more curiosity might lead to the kind of confrontation he didn‘t want. People in those days were guarded about their activities, and too much interest in another man’s business could get you a quick poke from a hard fist.

  Unlike his friend Ira, Lupe wasn’t the kind of man that would purposely push another man to anger. It was something he’d seen Ira do, but Lupe was not Ira. While Lupe was a good hand with a rifle, he was not very skilled at pulling a pistol or engaging in fistfights.

  Unlike many of the townspeople, Lupe, while on a hunting trip had seen Ira pull his Colt several times. Ira’s speed was memorable, and he would have enjoyed talking about it if he hadn’t promised Ira that he wouldn’t discuss it.

  Although Ira didn’t make a big thing out of Lupe watching him, Lupe understood it was a trusted secret between them.

  Chapter 7

  Destiny Crosses Paths

  After taking a minor financial beating at Lupe’s hand, Rafe McGinty returned to the doctor’s office with two fresh horses in tow. He had also purchased a couple of saddles and some basic trail equipment along with the horses.

  Lupe had sold him some used items at what Lupe thought was a fair price, but Rafe felt as though Lupe had taken advantage of him. Virgil was the haggler in the McGinty family, not Rafe or Harvey. Rafe wondered what Virgil was going to say when he found out what he’d paid for the mounts and gear.

  Upon Rafe’s return, he found his brother sedated and recovering in the doctor’s office. He would have waited for Virgil, but suddenly he saw it as an opportunity to gain his brother’s praise. Rafe decided to light out on his own after Harvey and the people who’d taken their horses and equipment.

  He figured that Virgil would be proud of him if he took care of Uriah and the woman. It might show Virgil how much of a man he really was. It might also gain him some forgiveness when Virgil found out how much of their money the liveryman had taken.

  Virgil was such an overwhelming force to the other two brothers that he always seemed to overshadow even their smallest accomplishments.

  Rafe told the doctor he was leaving and that when his brother awoke to tell him his horse was at the livery and that he’d gone after Harvey. He tied the remains of their money back on Virgil’s belt and left the doctor’s office. Rafe believed that Virgil would understand why he and Harvey went after Uriah and the woman.

  Rafe led the third horse down to the livery and placed it in Lupe’s care. He turned his horse and the one he had for Harvey south and set out within the hour in pursuit of his goal.

  Ira Beckam was a little distracted watching Miss Sullivan opening the café, and he missed Rafe riding out of town. He was watching the doctor’s office and expected Virgil, the wounded man, to come out.

  He wasn’t expecting Rafe to leave his brother in town and set out on his own. It was nearly a half hour after Rafe left when Lupe showed up at the café and sat down beside Ira.

  “Morning, Ira” Lupe said with a grin.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “I just got a premium price for two old nags and a couple of old saddles.”

  “Who paid you this price?” Ira questioned.

  “He was a stranger named McGinty. He said his brother was down at the doctor’s office.”

  “Where do you suppose this fellow is now?” Ira asked.

  “Oh, he just lit out to the south with an extra horse in tow.”

  Ira looked out the window at the doctor’s office and then back at Lupe. He was wondering whether he should go over to the doctor’s office and inquire about the other brother when Lupe volunteered some more information.

  “He left his brother over at the doctor’s to heal and took off to pick up one more brother they left south of here.”

  “Really,” Ira said sarcastically, “Since you seem to know everything, how about letting me know what’s happening.”

  Lupe smiled at th
e fact that he seemed to know more than Ira about this particular situation.

  Their friendship was strong and they were often prone to poking fun at each other. Lupe more often got the short end and was reveling in this particular moment.

  Lupe told Ira what he’d heard from the stranger and it wasn’t long before Ira decided to follow after Rafe McGinty. The tale of the woman and the man that took their horses seemed far-fetched to Ira, and he was willing to bet there was a lot more to it than the McGinty’s were willing to tell.

  “You could do me a favor when you get back to the livery,” Ira said.

  “What do you want me to do?” Lupe smiled, still pleased that he gotten the drop on Ira’s investigation.

  “Get my horse ready for a long ride and outfit me for a few days.”

  “I got no problem with that, Ira,” Lupe said as he got up from his seat and began to leave the café. He turned before walking away and smiled at Ira. He looked over at Miss Sullivan who was waiting on another customer. Lupe flipped his head in her direction before he spoke.

  “If you’d let your intentions be known maybe you might not spend so many hours wondering what might be.”

  Ira growled at Lupe and his remark. It bothered Ira to no end that Lupe seemed to know so much about his feelings for Miss Sullivan.

  “You’d best be minding your own business, Lupe,” Ira snapped back.

  Lupe laughed softly and walked out of the café and down the street towards his livery.

  Miss Sullivan was listening as they spoke, and after Lupe left, she went over to the table and stood in front of Ira. She had a concerned look on her face. She seldom showed her interest in him, but this was one of those moments that a man would have had to be blind to miss.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Lupe.”

  Ira just looked at her and took the time to scan her from head to toe. He was wondering what part of the conversation she was talking about. He decided he’d play it off rather than take advantage of the moment. Although he tried to be subtle, she couldn’t help but notice.

  The encounter turned her cheeks a nice rosy red. When he did speak to her, it was because he feared she was about to take offense to the way he’d looked her over.

  “I’m going to leave town for a few days.”

  “I heard that, Ira,” she replied, “I was wondering if you thought it might be dangerous?”

  “No, probably not. I’ll just ride out and see what those fellows are doing.”

  He smiled and then thought about it for a second before he muttered his next line.

  “You wouldn’t be worried about me would you, Miss Sullivan?”

  As far as she was concerned, it was a bold question, especially for Ira. She knew they were nearing a confrontation between them, but she was hoping it would be a private romantic moment she could savor.

  “Oh, no sir, Ira, I was just wondering for the town’s sake.”

  It was a bold lie that she believed she told well. Still, her face wasn’t as proficient at delivering the tale as her tongue.

  Ira shook his head and started for the door. As soon as he left and started towards his office, she went out the back door and quickly ran to the livery. As she ran out the back door, she yelled out to one of the customers, “I’ll be right back. Get yourself some fresh coffee from the stove if you wish.”

  As soon as she arrived at the livery, she spoke to Lupe while he was saddling Ira’s horse. She kept looking out the door as she spoke hoping that Ira wouldn’t catch her meddling.

  “I want you to do me a big favor, Lupe,” Miss Sullivan exclaimed.

  “What kind of favor?”

  “I want you to ride along after Ira and make sure he’s alright,” she replied.

  “Marshal Beckam can certainly take care of himself, Miss Sullivan.”

  “I know that, Lupe, but I got a bad feeling about those men from the doctor’s office.”

  Lupe listened to her and then smiled at her. After a moment, he shrugged and pulled his own horse out of a stall and began to saddle it along side the Marshals.

  “He might give me some grief about this, ma’am.” Lupe replied, smiling at her.

  “Better to be a little angry with you then caught on the trail, out gunned and under manned.”

  Lupe knew she was right; his curiosity was spiked anyway, so it really didn’t take much of a push to send him in that direction.

  She turned after her comment and scurried back to the café. She was clutching her apron and mumbling, “I can’t believe I just left my customers minding the store.”

  She raised her finger on her way out of the livery and held it against her lips. She wanted Lupe to keep their conversation a secret between them.

  Lupe knew what she meant, and although he didn’t like keeping secrets from his friend, he knew it was Ira’s place to make the first move with her. Until Ira admitted that he was sweet on her, Lupe would have to keep Miss Sullivan’s confidence. Lupe was getting a little too comfortable being in the middle of those two.

  Ira was getting ready to follow the McGinty brothers, and Rafe was headed south. Some twenty-five miles away, Millicent Anders was stepping behind a stand of trees.

  When she stepped back out again to see Uriah sitting by their campfire, she was sporting a pair of men’s trousers bunched at the waist and a large man’s shirt tied around her middle.

  “I found these rolled up in that fellow’s bedroll,” Millicent said as she sat near the fire.

  “They are not very pretty, but they seem fairly clean. They might keep that horse from rubbing my legs raw.”

  Uriah could only smile and nod at her. Even dressed in the oversized men’s clothing, he could tell Miss Millicent was a beauty. He hoped for her sake that the man she was going to meet was worthy of this fine woman he had befriended.

  She’d already proven to him that she was a special woman, and Uriah was prepared to protect her at all cost.

  There seemed little reason for Uriah to rush them now, so it was almost two hours later before they broke camp and continued to the south. He had no way of knowing their pursuers were getting together and would soon be moving behind them at a much faster pace.

  Rafe was backtracking his and Virgil’s trail from Kingman’s Ridge while Ira was preparing to leave town.

  When Ira Beckam picked up his horse, he found Lupe waiting. Lupe’s horse was saddled and the livery was locked up tight.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Ira asked.

  “I’m riding with you.”

  “Why would you want to do that?” Ira asked.

  “Last time I checked this was a free country and a man was allowed to do what he wanted,” Lupe responded.

  “What about the livery?” Ira asked looking at the closed doors behind Lupe.

  “I got friends to look after it for me.”

  “Hmmm,” Ira groaned, “I guess you can suit yourself.”

  Ira mounted his horse and turned south in the direction of Kingman’s Ridge.

  “We should follow the train tracks,” Lupe called out.

  “Why would we want to do that?” Ira asked.

  “That fellow’s headed for Kingman’s Ridge.”

  “How do you know that?” Ira asked.

  “He told me when I sold him those horses.”

  Ira just smiled and shook his head as they rode off to the south.

  Bensonville wasn’t a railhead, therefore there were no tracks leading out of town. The tracks would eventually be added as a spur line. Meanwhile, the actual mainline was some 7 miles west of town. It was an hour or so before Ira and Lupe began to follow the tracks. As they rode, they talked about hunting and some of the hunts they’d done. Lupe wanted to ask Ira what it was like to hunt a man, but he wasn’t sure how to get him on that subject.

  He’d hunted elk and birds with Ira, but this was as close to a manhunt as he’d ever encountered. Lupe had heard tales of Ira’s past and some of his exploits before arr
iving in Bensonville. Those backroom tales are what started their friendship.

  Lupe had been curious and wanted to know more about the new marshal. He was surprised when he found a quiet, friendly man that shared so many of his hobbies.

  They became good friends and throughout Ira’s stay in town, Lupe became close and kept Ira’s confidence. Lupe decided he would never ask Ira about his past. He knew as Ira’s friend, he’d have to take him at face value.

  Ira began to pick up the pace and move a little faster. Lupe was wondering why but didn’t ask for several hours. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he finally questioned Ira.

  “Why are we traveling so fast?”

  “I’d like to get within range of the cabin on Kingman’s Ridge before that Rafe McGinty gets there.”

  “Why the cabin?” Lupe asked.

  “Well you said he was going to Kingman’s Ridge. I can’t think of any other place their brother could be holed up, can you.”

  Lupe figured that Ira was probably right and followed along. He watched as the big gray of Ira’s seemed to dance along the trail.

  Ira told him he’d captured the gray while rounding up horses with two other men a few years before. The other men were set on getting as many horses as they could so they could sell them to the Army. All Ira wanted, from the moment he saw him, was the gray.

  Ira coaxed the gray into a draw and spent two days talking to him softly and watching him before the horse would come near him. He took his time and won him over. Now the big gray seemed tame and gentle, but Lupe knew that he wouldn’t let anyone ride him but Ira. Ira even trained him to come to a particular whistle. The gray was a beautiful spirited animal that trotted with an unusual gate and was a pleasure to watch.

  As they rode towards Kingman’s ridge, Lupe watched Ira’s attention to the trail. He seemed at home out here, maybe more so than in town. Lupe wondered if half the stories about Ira were true.

  He’d heard that Ira was fast on his way to becoming a notorious gunman when he just decided to drop off the face of the earth. Some of the stories said he’d lost his nerve while others said he’d been forced into one too many gunfights and grew tired of the killing. Lupe thought he understood Ira and couldn’t see how Ira could have ever been such a cold, hard man.