“It might work. But there are so few workers in those county offices to get to.” Brown backed his butt to the fence and shook his head in disgust. “Any more ideas?”
“I’ve been thinking. We could make up a posse, say of eight men, then we begin arresting all those we know are in on this deal and the rats will jump off the ship when word leaks out. I think if they face long sentences, they will turn state’s evidence and talk.”
Brown agreed. “McCall and I will get all the evidence and information on this Slegal we can get for you.”
“How many signers do we have?”
“Over five hundred now, and our people are working it hard to get the holdouts.”
“We keep adding names at these gatherings. I hope, by the election, we have the ballot-counting thing under control.”
“We can handle that. Thanks. I can see you are doing lots of self-examination about this matter. Don’t worry, the people of Crook County are behind you.”
Guthrey nodded and headed back for the ranch, still not certain their plan would work. Lots of these co-conspirators had control of many things that still stood in their path.
Noble was at the ranch alone when he returned. “Cally and Dan went to see some people about this ring guy.”
Guthrey leaned over. “Don’t tell anyone. All he has to do is throw that ring away.”
Noble shook his head in disgust. “He needs to be strung up.”
“I know, but that is not the way we need to straighten out the wrongdoing around us.”
“All right, I won’t hang him, but he still needs it.”
Guthrey laughed. “I wonder if Slegal has any detractors. People mad enough to testify against him.”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s think about our business for a while. I want to ride up and talk to Pete Karnes and see what he’s found out about the outcropping.”
“Sure. I’m ready. Let’s go.”
They reached the operation midday and the crew was eating lunch. Pete set down his tin plate, rose, and shook their hands.
“Go ahead and eat,” Guthrey told him. “We simply wanted to see how things were going up here.”
“We’ve been blasting and are down about ten feet in the shaft.”
“Any more gold?”
“Some, but it’s spotty.” He handed Guthrey some white quartz pieces with larger streaks in them. “Not much. But it’s worth looking deeper.”
Guthrey handed the rocks to Noble. “There’s a little more in them.”
With a nod of approval, Noble agreed. “Sure hope you can find something.”
“We might,” Pete said. “We’re going to blast some more today.”
“Have you seen anyone around up here?”
“Funny you ask. We had someone here a few nights ago. It was dark, and I had a toothache so I was sitting up. Someone on a horse rode up here, and when I challenged him he rode off.”
“No idea who he was?”
“No, but now we’re taking turns guarding at night.”
“Be careful. They shot Bridges in the back up here.”
“Oh, we will. You can tell those kids that I don’t know, but there might be gold down there. We do have a few more signs.”
Guthrey nodded and they rode back looking for any tracks of an invader in the canyon. Leaning over in the saddle to read faded tracks, Guthrey wished he had an identity for this person. Too many things needed to be found to advance all his causes. This mine deal had him more convinced there was something up in that canyon. No one had any business in the box canyon but a person involved in Harold Bridges’s death and the gold deal.
Cally and Dan were back when Guthrey and Noble returned. Cally rushed out to hug and kiss Guthrey.
“You learn anything?” he asked her.
“We may have a woman who will testify. She wants to talk it over with her husband some more. She’s a strong individual and hates that man riding around free to rape others.”
“You may have done some good, then. Thanks.”
“What did you learn?”
“Brown says they are going to be prepared to really oversee the election.”
“Do we need to postpone our wedding?”
“Not unless you want to.”
“Oh, I’d marry you today, but I don’t want you worrying about me in the midst of all this other stuff happening.”
“Let’s just proceed. If I see any problems ahead we’ll talk about it.”
“Thanks,” she said, standing on her toes and kissing his cheek.
“What next?”
“East Fork meeting Saturday night, three days from now. Want me to go over there with you?”
He quickly nodded. “I’m always pleased to show you off.”
She blushed. “I’ll go, then.”
A boy delivered a letter from Judge Collier in the midst of all their activity. Everyone crowded around while Guthrey read it.
Dear Guthrey,
I have spoken to the governor twice this week. He plans to immediately appoint you as sheriff and Chief County official for Crook County if the election issue passes. Which is wonderful news.
Deputy U.S. marshals will be in charge of all ballot boxes and counting the ballots so there will be no chance to steal the election. Be prepared to swear in enough lawmen to enforce the law and handle the jail, as well as preserving the peace, should there be a show of force as a result of the election.
Judge A. Collier
A cheer went up.
“That means that you will be the acting sheriff after the ballots are counted,” Cally said, excited at the news.
“Well, it sounds to me like we’ll be busier than a beaver in a flood,” Noble said.
Guthrey agreed.
* * *
GUTHREY AND CALLY drove over to East Fork, arriving midafternoon on Saturday. Prepared to camp overnight and drive home in the morning, he was amazed at all the assistance he got in raising her tent. Men were full of questions about what he planned to do first after the election.
“If and when I can, I’ll get warrants and arrest the people who have been terrorizing the citizens, and any other law violators.”
“Will you have enough help?”
Guthrey nodded. “I think enough citizens will come to my aid.”
“Count me and my brothers in for those volunteers. My name’s Hanson.”
“I will keep you in mind, sir.”
“I know you are going to clean them all out.”
Guthrey nodded again. “Crook County will be a much better place to live.”
“I’m glad you came here. We’ve needed you for a long time as our lawman.”
Volunteers came by all day, and Guthrey felt much better when he escorted Cally to the event that evening. They entered the schoolhouse and were welcomed with applause. He made a short speech asking for their help and for them to go get more signatures so they could close the drive.
Invited to the head of the line, Guthrey and Cally moved in to fill their plates at the food-crowded tables. He could see how happy she was, teasing him some, quietly, about his new fame. He shook his head. “Simple enough, they want to be rid of this ring of outlaws.”
They ate seated on benches at the north wall with a friendly crowd around them. Questions about their pending wedding came around.
“June third,” Cally said, and the women in the crowd nodded in approval among themselves. Soon the band started playing and they danced.
“Are you feeling better?” Cally asked as they spun across the floor.
“Yes, I think we may make a showing.”
“And what about the governor’s promise that marshals will oversee the election?”
“Judge Colli
er’s letter said they will watch over everything done that day and will count the ballots themselves.”
She beamed and said, “Oh, Phil, I am so relieved for you.”
He hugged her shoulders a little tighter. “I am very grateful for all this effort, darling.”
In the morning they headed home. When they rounded a bend in the road, they came upon a man dressed in a suit sitting on a bay horse in the middle of the dusty road that wound off the mountain they’d crossed.
“Trouble?” she asked.
“Trade sides. I’ll stand up and you slide over to my left.”
“I’m ready.” They changed sides. She rearranged her skirt and sat up. He put his reins in his left hand, then set the revolver in his lap.
“Do you know him?” she hissed.
“No.”
Upset with what might happen and having her along, Guthrey shook his head. “If he goes for a gun, you get off and run for cover. Damn them anyway.”
The intensity of the situation fell on his shoulders. Though he saw no one else, the chaparral cover beside the road made him suspicious that there might be a backup force along with this stranger.
He reined up way short.
The man opened his coat. “I am unarmed. I want to talk with you, Guthrey.”
“Who in the hell are you?” Guthrey asked, still suspicious of this well-dressed man and his purpose.
“Charles Bentson. I’m a lawyer and I have an offer for you. I am offering you a ranch up on the Verde River in exchange for the Bridges place. This ranch is well watered, and you can move your cattle up there.”
“That is not my ranch to trade, sir.”
“Come on, you will own your wife’s share in a few weeks. I am sorry we had to meet like this, ma’am.”
She never answered him.
Guthrey shook his head. “I am not going to be bought off.”
“Don’t be foolish. You stand no chance, by yourself, of changing things around here. And you have no partners in law enforcement to back you up. I know you aren’t dumb enough to try and take over this county by yourself. They’ll have a fast funeral for you.”
“Bentson, you tell your people they’d better saddle up and start riding like hell for the border. My law will be a swift sword when it comes after them.”
“Miss Bridges, talk some sense into him. You want a wedding or a funeral for him?”
“Bentson, tell your clients what I said. They’d better ride for the border or they’ll be sweating in Yuma Prison.”
The man openly scoffed at him. “You’d better reconsider, Guthrey. You can’t win your struggle here.”
Tired of having to listen to the man, Guthrey, with the Colt in his fist, waved Bentson aside, keeping his eyes open for any movement. Cally took the reins and clucked to the team. The anger Guthrey saw in her eyes told him the lawyer was lucky she didn’t have a six-gun.
“Save your breath,” he said to the man as they drove by him.
Bentson shouted at him, “You will rue this day.”
“I’ll lock you up with them if you like their ways so well.”
Out of hearing range, Guthrey holstered the Colt. “I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault. They’ve tried it all now, haven’t they?”
“I guess so. Hampton came for a show of force, now their attorney offers us a bribe.”
“What will you do now?”
“When we get the go-ahead, I have plans that will secure us.”
“I know you know lots more than I do about all this. But it smells kinda bad to me.”
He clapped her on the leg. “The smell is obvious to me. Let’s get the horses trotting. But we, you and I, will have to be more careful coming and going.”
“Damn that bunch,” she said in disgust under her breath.
“Yes, I’d do that too.”
She laughed. He patted her on the shoulder. “This will all be gone someday. Have patience.”
“I’ll try,” she promised him.
He heard her words and knew things were opening up. It was time for him to call in some cards he’d held back on. When the situation broke, he had some aces he’d held in reserve. But it wasn’t time yet to show them. Time would tell him when to move and how.
TWENTY-TWO
NOBLE RODE IN early in the afternoon and came immediately to the house. Standing in the doorway, Guthrey greeted him.
“What’s happening?”
“They say Whitmore has put out the word he’s hiring more gunmen.”
“Let him. What else is happening?”
“I think Killion must be working on a deal to turn all the prisoners loose.”
“How in hell’s he doing that?”
“He’s pushing for bond hearing for all those prisoners you brought in.”
“Where at?”
“Preskit.”
“You mean haul them up there and let them out on bond?”
“Yeah, it sounds like that.”
“It will cost the county big bucks to transport them.”
“Yeah, but once they’re bonded out they can run. No more food bills and jail guards help costs.”
“I’ll see what Judge Collier has to say about that.”
“How close are we to having the number of signatures we need?”
“I think we’re there. I’m meeting the other two in town tomorrow. You learn anything more about Curt Slegal?”
Noble lowered his voice. “Ain’t heard nothing about him. None of the women have come forward? Thought there was one that might talk, but we haven’t heard back from her, have we?”
“No.” Guthrey shook his head. “I doubt that we will either.”
“Damn shame that bastard is still out running around.”
“I agree, Noble. Get some rest today. We’ve got plenty to do next week.”
* * *
IT WAS LATE afternoon when a couple drove up to the house. Guthrey went to the door and Cally was behind him.
“That’s Wilma Maples and her husband, Claude.”
The couple looked in their early forties. The man helped his wife down from the wagon. “Good afternoon. You must be Guthrey, the man everybody’s talking about.”
“Cally says your name is Claude and she’s Wilma. Glad you came by. What can I do for you?”
“We want to talk with you about—the ruby ring man.”
Guthrey nodded that he understood. “Come in. We want to talk with both of you.”
Cally made fresh coffee, and they all took seats around the table.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” Guthrey said. “But it is terribly important we apprehend and prosecute this man. But it will only come about if someone will agree to testify against him. He has hurt several families.”
Wilma put her hands on the table, rubbing them together. “I didn’t want anyone to know about this. Claude and I have talked long hours about our own situation. I know some people will scoff at my denial of ever having any relations with another man besides my husband except for both of the times that man raped me.
“I talked Claude out of going over there and calling him out. My husband is not a gunman, Mr. Guthrey. I want you to know that he wanted to go kill the man. But I feared for his life at the hands of such a violent person. I begged him not to. Now we’ve talked and we don’t care what folks think or say. Twice that man raped me in my own house and my own bed.” She began to cry. Her husband gave her his handkerchief and put his arm around her shoulder.
“He rode up the first time with two men. He told them to strip me naked and tie me on the bed inside. They did as he ordered and he came in when they had me tied to the bedposts, dropped his pants, climbed on the bed, and raped me.”
She shook her
head. “I wanted to die. Never in my life had I ever considered suicide. Claude came home that evening and found me there. Still tied. We knew there was no law in this county to punish him. Slegal swore to me he’d take his gun and kill my husband if he came after him. I could not afford to lose him. We told ourselves that he wouldn’t be back.” She shook her head as if lost. “But he returned. This time not only him but his two henchmen raped me as well when he was done.”
“Do you know these men’s names?”
“Yes, one is Hardy Clayton and the other’s a man named Seviers.”
“You realize you may have to sit in a witness chair in court and tell a jury this story?”
She blew her nose hard and then agreed. “I know the whole business. We have talked for hours about it. I am ready to swear out a warrant for his arrest.”
“What if I asked you to wait until the referendum is passed to do this?”
“I could wait. You mean until you’re in office?”
“I’m sorry, but yes, until then, when I have the sheriff’s job.”
She looked at her husband. “Claude, do you understand what we must do?”
“Yes, and I am certain he knows better than we do how to handle this.”
“When the time comes, I’ll ride out to your place and get a precise report for the prosecuting attorney.”
Cally rose to pour the new coffee. “Now we have this business in hand. Let’s have some coffee. God bless you, Wilma, for coming forward.”
“I’ll do anything to have him put away and punished.” She turned her palms up.
Guthrey reached over and squeezed her hands. “Yes, you have done a brave thing. You will get your rewards when that bag of wind is behind bars.”
The couple went home shortly after, and Noble came to the house.
Guthrey looked up and said, “We have a witness. Keep it quiet, but she will swear out a warrant for him for rape.”
“That’s good news, by doggy. This damn country may be rid of them all before we know it.”
“Amen,” Guthrey added.
* * *
THE NEXT DAY Guthrey held a council with the judge, Brown, and McCall over in Soda Springs. Petitions were still coming in and they had the necessary number of signatures with them at the judge’s house that morning. The next problem they had was that the county clerk had to certify them.
Chaparral Range War (9781101619049) Page 21
