Treachery at Baynes Springs

by Bill Sheehy

  ‘I’d like to ride north with you,’ he said, smiling down at the older man. ‘Mind waiting a few minutes while I take this horse back to the stable?’

  Dollarhide snorted, ignored the man on horseback and went about unhitching the team. ‘Not likely,’ he snarled over his shoulder. ‘I got a schedule to keep, ya know. Change the team and if’n you’re onboard, good. But I ain’t waitin’.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want to upset your schedule,’ said Drazen. Reaching into a pocket he pulled out a few gold coins. Jingling them in his hand, he caught the driver’s attention. ‘How about if I make it up to you?’

  ‘Wal,’ said the driver, letting go of the braces and turning back to the horseman. Holding out a hand he took the money and quickly counted it. ‘I reckon I’m a bit ahead of things. Could probably even make up a little on the next stretch. Don’t go holding me up too long, now, ya hear?’

  Drazen nodded and gigged his horse on toward the livery.

  It took him only a few minutes to change out of his boots and, throwing on a pair of wool trousers and his flat-heeled high-topped shoes, he hurried back down. Climbing into the coach, he nodded to the other passengers and then ignored them. He had things to think about.

  Chapter 30

  Elizabeth liked being behind the counter. Ivor had shown her how the various accounts were handled and said he’d be watching. The manager, a woman only a year or so older than she, sat behind the big desk at the back of the long room. She seemed to be troubled, Elizabeth thought, fidgeting and spending a lot of time at the front window, staring out at the street as if waiting for something.

  Or someone. Maybe she was waiting for that lawyer. That caused Elizabeth to smile, thinking she was in the right place to watch Drazen.

  The women weren’t the only ones interested in Drazen. After returning his horse to the livery, Deputy Stewart stopped at the café for coffee and a chance to think. He’d have to warn Marshal Adkins that Drazen was coming back to Dodge City. That meant he’d have to admit he’d lost sight of the man he was ordered to keep an eye on.

  Sitting next to a window he stared unseeing out at the street. I wonder what Drazen is up to, he thought, sipping at the growing-cold coffee. Well, his riding out couldn’t have changed much. Although the meeting Drazen had with Baynes did kinda look like it was prearranged, the deputy couldn’t think of a reason for such a meeting. So far, except for the hunch Marshal Adkins had about Drazen being involved with Runkle, there had not been any indication about why the big man had even come to this cow town. Certainly wasn’t to buy cattle.

  He did spend some time talking to the young owner of that ranch, though. The Circle B. Thinking back to what those old fogies sitting there on the hotel veranda had said. The Circle B was owned and operated by a man whose sister was manager of the town bank. Maybe they would know what the Kansas City lawyer was doing here. Bankers, in his experience, usually didn’t like to talk about their business. Would it hurt to go talk with that good-looking woman over at the bank? It couldn’t cause much harm and he then could tell his boss he’d been trying to do his job.

  Dropping a coin on the table he headed for the door. Settling his hat at the right angle, for the first time he felt like he was finally doing something constructive.

  Striding through the bank toward the manager’s desk he noticed the young woman from the stage behind the counter. Pretty he thought. She was looking down at something, idly brushing her hair back from her face. A pretty face and lovely long hair. Stopping at the manager’s desk, he pushed the other woman from his mind.

  ‘Hello,’ he said, thinking he sounded lame. ‘Let me introduce myself,’ showing her his badge. ‘I’m Deputy Marshal Nathan Stewart. Working out of the territorial marshal’s office in Dodge City. I wonder if I can talk to you for a moment.’

  Marcy almost panicked. What would the Dodge City marshal’s office want with her? Did it have anything to do with the train robbery? Taking her time to study both the man and his badge she tried to think.

  ‘Um, yes, of course,’ she finally said, motioning him to the client’s chair. ‘Whatever can I do to help the Dodge City marshal?’

  ‘It has to do with the lawyer, Jackson Drazen. We’ve been interested in the man for some time,’ said Stewart, making it up as he went along, ‘and, well, I noticed he didn’t waste any time after coming into Baynes Springs to come to see you.’

  This didn’t help Marcy at all. Why would the marshal’s office be investigating Mr Drazen? Possibly, she thought, this deputy could tell her why Drazen had left town in such a hurry.

  ‘Well, yes,’ said the woman slowly, ‘he did come in and we talked a bit about a recent train holdup. I believe Mr Drazen had been hired by a Kansas City insurance company and he had come here to inform me of that robbery. Are you saying Mr Drazen had something to do with it?’

  Stewart frowned, thinking fast. ‘No. I’m not saying anything like that. Fact is, well, as far as I know he’s merely a lawbiding citizen. I was hoping you would be willing to help me out. Do you have any idea why he suddenly caught the stage out of town?’

  ‘No,’ said Marcy, shaking her head. It dawned on her it sounded like this deputy was in the dark as much as she was. ‘I did have some conversation with the man, and he mentioned being in contact with the Pinkerton Detective Agency concerning the train robbery. Possibly his taking the stage had something to do with that. I’m afraid I don’t know.’

  Stewart didn’t know what else he could ask. Obviously she didn’t know anymore than he did about Drazen.

  ‘Well,’ he said, standing and smiling at the woman, ‘I guess my next move is to telegraph the marshal. Maybe he’ll have some news for me.’

  ‘Oh, yes. If your marshal has any news about the robbery, do let me know. We, that is, the bank, had cash coming from the federal bank that was taken.’

  Stewart nodded. ‘Sure thing. I’ll let you know.

  Placing his hat on his head, he touched the brim and walked toward the door.

  Passing the woman behind the counter, he again touched the hat brim and smiled but didn’t stop. Looking up from the paperwork, she returned his smile and nodded. Her smile, he wanted to believe, was a bit more than just business.

  Well, he thought, heading for the telegraph office, his visit to the bank hadn’t been a complete waste of time. He’d learned something, even if he didn’t know what that was. But more importantly he’d got to get a good look at the woman who’d gone to sleep on his shoulder back on the stage. A fine looking woman she was, too. Made his chest feel like exploding when she smiled. He’d have to find out her name.

  Chapter 31

  Stewart took his time composing the telegram to Marshal Adkins. There was a lot to tell him but he didn’t want the key puncher to know the lawman’s business. He’d heard to have a job with the telegraph company a person had to keep whatever messages folks sent confidential. Well, that may be, Stewart thought, but then he knew people liked to gossip. Finally he simply wrote that the lawyer was coming home and had shown interest in the event Little Carly had been involved with. Marshal Adkins would understand.

  Standing in the afternoon sun, he thought about having glass of beer over at the saloon. Glancing up the street he saw the old men sitting on the hotel veranda. Now if there were anyone in town who’d know about the girl in the bank, it’d be them.

  ‘Good afternoon, gentlemen,’ he said, walking up and casually leaning against a post. ‘You fellas out making sure everything is shipshape here in town?’

  Nobody said anything. They’d watched the young deputy come out of the bank, walk down to the telegraph office and then come back. Finding out what he was about might not be easy. Amos and Harry, without discussing it, left it up to Clyde. If anyone could get information, it’d be old Clyde.

  ‘Wal,’ said Clyde, taking his time and leaning over to spit a stream of tobacco out into the dirt, ‘ya gotta admit, there ain’t all that much fer fellas like us to do during the day. Course we cou
ld go sit in the cool of the Past Time, but that bartender don’t like us hanging round less’n we was buying beer. No sir, sitting here in the shade of the afternoon sun is what we’re good at.’

  Stedwart nodded, trying to think how to get the talk around to the bank.

  ‘Not much for me, either. Not much happening in a town this size. Guess I’m more used to either the big city or out scouting the back country.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s true,’ said Clyde, pulling out his folding pocket knife and using the blade to cut a corner off his plug of coarse tobacco. Finally getting the shavings settled in his left cheek he nodded. ‘Less’n it’s someone coming in from one of the ranches to do some shopping, there ain’t much happenin’ most days. Course since y’all came in on that stage the other day there has been things happenin’. A mite more’n usual. Then that other fella, a lawyer I hear, his taking out and heading back north, well now, that’s somethin’ to think about.’

  It was the deputy’s turn to stare off down the street and nod.

  ‘Hard to figure,’ he said after a little bit. ‘He had some business over in the bank, it looked like. Then there was a little argument at the café with a rancher. I happened to be enjoying a cup of coffee when that one fella, guess he’s the brother of the woman at the bank? Well, he came in all puffed up. Don’t know what that was all about.’

  ‘Ain’t hard to figure,’ said Amos, tired of not being part of things, ‘it’s that knot-headed Martin Baynes. He never was one to let any cowpoke try to butter up his sister.’

  Hearing talk out on the porch, the barber, Avery Williams, came out of his shop and leaned against the door frame.

  Clyde quickly took over again. ‘Now, Amos, don’t ya go talking about what ya don’t know nothin’ about. Yeah, he’s a might protective of the girl but then who wouldn’t be? I mean, they’s twins, ain’t they? Everybody knows twins are a mite different than normal folks.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Stewart thought he saw his chance, ‘and then there’s that other woman. Ya know, the one come in on the stage with me’n the lawyer? I notice she’s working over at the bank now.’

  ‘Uh huh. Old Ivor came by a bit ago. He says Miz Baynes hired her to help him out. Don’t seem there’s enough banking business in this town what it takes three of them to handle it, but then I don’t know much about such things.’

  ‘Wonder what brought her to this place,’ asked Stewart, trying hard not to ask a question.

  The barber had been standing quiet-like but finally had something to contribute.

  ‘Dunno for sure,’ said the barber, ‘but there’s a couple things I heard that’s of interest. Miz Cornwall said the young woman’s a widow. She didn’t know how or where her husband died. Coulda been in that war back east, I don’t know. A lot of men on both sides got killed in that. And ya know, it wouldn’t do to try to take advantage of that young woman, widow or not. She never lets her string purse get far from her hand, and it’s heavy.’ He looked around to make sure he had their attention. ‘Yep, heavy like there’s a handgun hid in there.’

  ‘Well maybe not,’ he went on, satisfied with himself, ‘not all women know much about guns but this’n, I reckon she’ll surprise ya. Now Miz Cornwall, she’s real happy having the woman staying there. She was saying how it was a pleasure to have another female sitting there at supper time. I gotta tell ya, I agree with that. Gets kinda boring taking supper with the same old bunch of cowboys who don’t talk about anything ’cepting cows.

  Harry Brogan, having sat silent as usual, perked up. ‘Well, you know, if it were me and I had that Miz Cornwall to keep my feet warm at night, I’d certainly be careful about spending too much time talking it up with a widow woman. Now it isn’t my place, but I guess someone ought to warn you about keeping quiet. You surely don’t wanna be upsetting Miz Cornwall, do you? Oh well,’ he held up a hand before the barber could cut in. ‘As I said, it’s none of my affair. I figure you’re old enough to know better. Or,’ he paused, ‘maybe not.’

  ‘And wouldn’t that be somethin’,’ laughed Amos, ‘if’n ol’ Avery here got hisself on Miz Cornwall’s bad side. Lordy, I surely wouldn’t want her mad at me. Not if I was in the habit of taking supper there anyhow. She’d likely take to adding rat poison or somethin’ to his soup.’

  The deputy felt he found out what he wanted. He’d go have supper at the boarding house.

  ‘Well, gentlemen,’ he said, pushing away from the post, ‘I reckon it’s time for me to go about my business. Been nice talking with ya.’ Touching the brim of his hat he nodded and move on down the street.

  ‘Now I wonder what that was all about,’ mumbled Clyde as they watched the lawman walk away. ‘Makes me wonder, why he’s here. And that lawyer fella. Was one of them here cuz of the other? Then the woman what’s working with Ivor. How come she came to town? Ain’t no reason I can figure. No sir, I said it before they rode into town, there’s some change in the wind. Fer certain it’ll be interesting to watch.’

  Chapter 32

  The sun was well past its highest when Tony got back to the ranch house. In his view, mucking out the dirt washed into waterholes wasn’t the kind of work a cowhand should be doing. With no sign of there being an end to the dry spell, though, cleaning out waterholes was necessary. And there were a lot of them. But he’d had enough. Knowing once he was out of sight the hands left doing the dirty work would likely ease off, he smiled and nodded.

  After washing his muddy pants and boots off in the creek, he changed into dry clothes at the bunkhouse before going into the kitchen.

  ‘Well look who is returned before the day is over,’ said his mother teasingly. ‘You are after a cup of coffee, I suppose. Now let me tell you, Mr Allen is wanting to talk with you. Go on. You’ll find him out of the sunshine, in the grape arbor. I’ll bring the coffee pot out when it’s ready.’

  Of late, Mr Allen had taken pleasure in sitting in the shade of the arbor. He had added the structure to the west side of the house, planting wild grape vines and training them to grown up the walls and over the top. More and more he found it comfortable, setting on the wide front porch in the morning sun and in the arbor afternoons. That was where Tony found him.

  ‘Some people have it easy,’ said Tony with humor, ‘sitting in the shade and waiting to hear what’s happening out in the bigger world.’

  ‘That’s what ya went to that fancy school back east for, wasn’t it? Learning how to run things? But don’t think that’s all I been doing. No sir. Believe it or not, I been working at making the Frying Pan a bigger and better spread.’

  Olivia Rodriquez came out carrying coffee and cups. ‘Shame on you, Antonio,’ she said while pouring the brew. ‘Mr Allen is right. While you’ve been out enjoying the sunshine he has been taking care of business.’

  Allen smiled. ‘Now ya see what ya’ve done? Ya gotta learn not to talk about what ya don’t know, not when I’ve got yer mama here to protect me.’

  Tony laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. ‘I give up. There’s no way I, a lowly cowhand, can get ahead of the two of you. Of course, being the successful rancher that you are, it may look like you’re taking it easy but in truth you’ve been hard at it. Of course.’

  ‘Sit back, enjoy yer coffee, young fella, and I’ll tell you how I’ve done what I could to increase the size of this ranch.

  ‘Men,’ said Mrs Rodriquez, turning to go back inside, ‘talking about the ranch.’ Stopping to look over her shoulder she shook a finger at her son. ‘And there you are, riding like a caballero, chasing after cows. I ask you, when are you going to chase after a wife? Um? I can’t wait forever, mi corazón to become a mamina.’

  Having the last word she flounced through the door.

  ‘Ah, Tony,’ said Mr Allen, sighing then sipping his coffee, ‘she’s right, ya know. It’s time for ya to be thinking about starting yer own family. Why, I can’t think of anything that’d make yer ma happier than to have a couple or three little fellers running around the yard.’
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br />   The talk was not going in a direction Tony was comfortable with. ‘Uh huh,’ he said, ‘let’s talk about your making the Frying Pan bigger. What was that all about? Or were you just talking empty talk like those old men sitting on the hotel porch are famous for doing?’

  ‘Now watch your tongue, young man. I’ll have ya know I ain’t nowhere near where them fools are. And yes sirree, boy, I wasn’t talking horse apples. Things around here was happening this morning.’

  ‘Yes, sir. I apologize. You’re right. You could easily run rings around those three. Now, what are you talking about? What things?’

  ‘Wal, ya recall when we talked about young Baynes needing money? Back before y’all made that drive over to the railroad? Ya hit the nail on the head. This mornin’, just after ya rode out Martin Baynes come ariding in. He was after some of the money you added to the ranch account there in his very own bank.’

  Tony nodded. ‘Now that doesn’t surprise me. Oh, his coming over to ask for a loan does, but not that he’s really hurting for money. I guess his sister either won’t give him any or,’ he paused, ‘more likely she doesn’t have any in the bank. It’s already gone out to the Circle B.’

  ‘Wal, from what Martin was telling me, the bank had lost money in a train robbery. Federal Bank money, he said, money coming to the Baynes bank. Now that makes me wonder, ya think the bank’s broke? How about our account? Think it’s safe?’

  Tony sat back and was quiet, thinking.

  ‘Yes,’ he said finally, ‘I’d say all the accounts are safe. So what kind of loan was Martin after?’

  Allen named a figure. ‘And it’s only for six months. Guess he expects that federal bank money taken in the robbery will show up. I dunno. It don’t really matter. If’n it does and the money is paid back, we end up earning the interest.’