Chapter 24
Marcum was taken by surprise. He had heard shooting and expected to find the ranchers cowering in a huddled group. Instead, he found himself facing a gun in the hands of a confident young man.
“Marcum,” Ty said. “If you’re looking for a fight, you’ve found it. Reach for your gun, and I’ll kill you.” Closely watching Marcum, Ty continued. “The rest of you men, I’ve got no quarrel with you. Rifles are trained on you from the hotel windows. No one wants to kill you, but if you back this lunatic, some of you are going to die. If you want to ride for a good brand, quit this man and talk to me. I’ll hire every one of you, and I’ll pay you top wages.”
“You’re not going to live long enough to talk to anybody,” Marcum growled. He turned to Slade and said, “Now, Slade, do what I hired you to do.”
Gabe stood beside Ty, and said, “Take Slade, I’ll watch Marcum.”
Ty faced the hired gun and said, “I don’t think you can fill the britches, Slade. If you want to live, mount up and ride. If you came here to die, then reach for your guns.”
Slade hesitated. He remembered that Ty was riding with the cattle drive when they first met, and he heard Pete warn Marcum not to challenge him saying Ty was too fast for Marcum. He had ridden with Pete and knew that Pete was no slouch with a gun himself, and then he watched Marcum back down. Marcum had three gunfighters, all fast with their guns. Ty had killed one of them in Kansas, and the other one ran away. Slade had figured Ty’s reputation exceeded his ability. He had faced men with guns before, and the man he was facing now didn’t look like a gunfighter, but he knew by the confidence in his eyes that he was no pushover.
When Marcum saw Slade hesitate, he knew that Slade didn’t have the courage to draw. He couldn’t blame him. He himself had been called, and he had known better than to draw. He held up his hand and said, “Wait, Slade, there’s a better way.” Then he glared at Ty. “Every gulch you cross is a place for you to die, and one of these days a man with a rifle will be waiting in one of those gulches.”
Speaking more to Marcum’s men than to Marcum, Ty spoke loudly, “Men, two dry gulchers are lying dead in this hotel. If I find a man in a dry gulch, he’d damn well better be looking for cows. If there’s no cow in that gulch, the rider won’t be riding out of it. Again, I’m offering you a job doing what cowboys should be doing; riding for a good brand and for good pay. When you get sick of riding for a cattle rustler and a coward, come see me.”
He turned to Marcum and said, “Marcum, one of these days I’m not going to wait for you to draw. I’m going to put a bullet right between your eyes. Now, clean up your mess. Your dead back-shooters are waiting for you in the hotel.” Turning to Gabe, he said, “We’ve done our work for today; let’s go home.”
Marcum was seething; he had been beaten again. He had lost his self-respect, by not drawing when Ty challenged him, and now he had lost the respect of his men. But he wasn’t ready to give up by a long shot. He whirled around, mounted his horse and left, leaving the cleaning up of the mess to his men.
Ty and his group rode home. They were feeling better, but they knew the fight wasn’t over.
Gabe drove the wagon, and Kate sat on the buckboard beside him. Today, she had killed the man who had confessed to killing her husband. A heavy load had been lifted from her heart. She knew that Gabe had understood her need to settle the score. Now, she was free to get on with her life, and she wanted the man who was sitting beside her to be part of that life. Gabe won’t be sleeping alone in the bunkhouse tonight, if I have anything to say about it, Kate thought.
They rode in silence. Gabe, too, had done some killing. He didn’t like having to do it, but it had to be done. He thought about his family—lost to him now—and how he had been looking for a new life, and the right woman to share that life. He looked at Kate. Here was the woman he had been looking for, seated right beside him. He had wanted to speak to her about it, but he was afraid he might speak too soon, so he was waiting for her to indicate that she was ready. Maybe tonight would be the time to ask Kate to be my wife, Gabe thought.
* * *
The ranchers and their wives were chatting quietly. They were old friends, and it was good to be talking together again without fear. A remarkable change had come over their lives since these two young men had come to Long Bow. Marcum came and destroyed their lives; Gabe and Ty came and restored it. How could they repay them? Can it last?
Ty and Azalee followed on their horses. Azalee was wishing they were riding in the wagon so she could sit close to the man she loved. She had known all along that he was a good man, but she hadn’t known how good, until today.
Ty was quiet. He knew that they had passed one hurdle, but there were many more before their troubles would be solved. He wondered if he had been found lacking. I had an opportunity to settle it once and for all as far as Marcum was concerned. Why didn’t I do it? The day had left him emotionally drained.
The man in him needed the softness of a woman. The woman he wanted was riding beside him, and she would let him hold her, but holding her would only intensify his need.
Azalee was young, but she was woman enough to sense his need. She was thinking, When we get home, I’ll take him for a walk.
At last, Gabe and Kate dropped off all the ranchers at their respective homes. When they reached the Covington Ranch, the cowboys all gathered around waiting to hear what had happened. Gabe gave them an abbreviated report. The cowboys were happy. They liked their new job and they liked their new boss.
Chapter 25
Night came. The moon was late, and the path where Azalee and Ty walked was dark. Azalee carried a blanket. “It might get cold,” she explained. Ty hid a smiled—the night was warm.
It was late when they returned. Azalee passed her mother’s room; Kate’s bed was empty. She smiled, feeling happy for her mother. Azalee lay awake for a long time remembering her night with Ty.
Ty went to his bunk; Gabe’s bunk was empty. Lucky man, and I’m lucky to have him for a friend. Ty also lay awake. He had no idea how wonderful it could be with a woman he loved. He felt strangely at ease. His sleep was deep and restful. He awoke with much to do. He had a ranch to buy, and after he bought it, he had to get it ready for Azalee. She would tell him what she wanted, and he would hire workers to do it. While tradesmen worked at refurbishing the house, he had to get his horses branded and the corrals mended.
* * *
The morning was crisp; winter was coming. It was still dark, and there was a light in the ranch house. Azalee called him to breakfast. At the same time, the cook clanged an iron wheel hanging on the cook shack, calling the cowboys to breakfast.
Ty’s new life had begun, and he was excited.
Azalee met him at the door with a radiant smile. Gabe was seated at the table, and Kate was serving. Someone had built a fire in the fireplace, and the house had a warm, cheery feeling, that Ty had not felt since his father went away to fight for the Confederacy.
Gabe said, “After we get the animals branded, we’ll prepare the creek-bottom land for planting. We’ll raise food both for the animals and ourselves.”
“That’s wonderful, Gabe,” Kate said. “Let’s plant more orchards. Fruit grows wonderfully here.”
“Azalee,” Ty asked, “will you come with me after we help get everything done on this ranch that needs to be done? I want to buy the Shay Ranch, and I want you to show me how you want the ranch house renovated.”
“I would love to be with you when you buy the ranch. I’ll be ready as soon as I finish helping Mother.”
Pushing back from the table, Gabe said, “I’ve got to get the men started doing the work.”
“I’m coming with you,” Ty said to Gabe, and then to Azalee, he said, “I’ll saddle your horse.”
After Ty and Gabe left the house, Azalee ran to her mother and said, “Oh, Mother, isn’t it wonderful? Ty has asked me to be his wife.”
“Ty is a fine young man; you’ll have a wonderful life
together. When will the wedding be?”
“I thought next spring would be a good time. Ty wants to get our home ready, and it will take all winter to get the work done.”
With a twinkle in her eyes, Kate asked, “Are you going to wait that long?”
Ignoring the question, Azalee asked, “How about you, Mother, are you happy?”
“Yes, I’m happy. Your father was a wonderful man, and I loved him with all my heart. When he was killed, I thought I could never love again, but now another wonderful man has come into my life, and he has asked me to marry him. We want to be together, so we’ll be married right away. Would it make you unhappy if I took another man into my life?”
“Oh, Mother, I knew the first time I saw you two together that you were meant for one another. Of course I’m happy. May I help you prepare for the wedding?”
“Thank you, Azalee. You can’t know how happy that makes me.”
“Where will you be married?”
“I want to be married in the little glen by the creek. The leaves are beautiful this time of year.”
“You can have your honeymoon right here. Ty and I are going to buy the Shay Ranch today. I’ll ask Mrs. Shay if I can stay with her, so you and Gabe can be alone.”
“That would be wonderful. Mrs. Shay could help you plan your new home. It’s going to be a long ride for Ty, if he wants to see you.”
“There’s a bunkhouse at the Shay Ranch, you know,” Azalee mentioned with a smile.
“Yeah, I never thought of that,” Kate said with a sparkle in her eyes as they hugged each other. “Let’s hurry and get the house in order. I want to be with Gabe, and Ty will be waiting for you.”
Azalee walked by her mother’s bedroom. The bed had been ruffled, but it didn’t look like it had been slept in. Azalee was thinking, You’re a fortunate woman, and I’m happy for you.
Chapter 26
Slade, Marcum’s gunman, had ridden with Quantrill and knew his way around the Missouri border. He had been a part of the Mississippi River crowd. He told Marcum, “No man can be as good with a gun as Ty is, without having a reputation, and no one who has as much money as he does has come by it legal. If I ride his back trail, I’ll find out who he is and where he got that money. I’ll bet there are people searching for him.”
“That’s a good idea, Slade,” Marcum said. “Go find out about him. When he rode in here, he was with a cattle drive from Texas. A herd that size is bound to leave a trail. All you have to do is find where that drive began, and someone will know something about Ty; so that’s where you should start looking. How long do you think it’ll take?”
“About three or four months, I’d guess,” Slade replied.
“Go see what you can find. We have to stop Ty, and we have nobody good enough to go up against him with a gun. Dry gulching might work, but if it doesn’t, we’ve got to have an ace in the hole. While you’re looking, see if you can find a gunfighter who’ll take him out for a price. There’s bound to be a man somewhere who’s faster with a gun.”
“I’ll leave in the morning and I’ll be back by spring,” Slade promised.
* * *
When Slade crossed the Red River, he stopped in a saloon and asked the bartender, “Do you know about the cattle drive that came through here last spring?”
“Yeah, that was Sam Harmony’s herd,” the bartender said. “The drive started a few day’s ride south of here. I hear that Sam Harmony’s getting up another herd. Are you looking for work?”
“Nah, I’m looking for a tall, young man called Ty. Have you heard of him?”
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him, but I ain’t never seen’em. They say he’s fast with a gun, but I’m told his gun ain’t for hire.”
“Well, thanks for the information,” Slade said. “I’ll ride down and see if I can locate him.”
When Slade rode away, the bartender said to another customer, “You know, Jim, I might’a talked outta turn. I have a feeling I shouldn’t have told him how to find that young man. I didn’t much like his looks.”
“He looked like a bad one, all right,” Jim agreed.
Slade rode into Cross Fork and went to the saloon. It seemed that everybody in town knew Ty, but nobody knew his last name.
Slade found a local drunk sitting in the corner of another saloon. “I’ll buy you a drink,” he said.
“Sure, I’ll drink with you,” the drunk said as he wallowed himself into a drinking position in his chair.
“What can you tell me about this man they call Ty?”
“Not much,” the drunk answered. “He rode in here about a year ago. Come from somewhere back east, they say.”
“Did he seem to have lotta money?” Slade asked.
“I don’t know,” the drunk answered. “Let’s have another drink, if you’re still buying.”
“I’m buying as long as you’re talking,” Slade said. “Now, what else do you know? Did he have any gold on him?”
“Yeah. He paid the owner of the General Store with two twenty-dollar gold pieces. That’s kinda unusual for a drifter.”
“Have another drink,” Slade said.
“Another thing, a Union major and three soldiers from Tennessee came looking for this guy. The major said that Ty had killed his brother. That’s all I know. How about another drink?” The drunk took a swallow and put his glass out for another drink.
“What was the major’s name?” Slade asked, while filling the glass.
“Seems to me I heard the major’s name was Pothman. Pothman said he and his men had killed a riverboat captain and his deck hand who were Ty’s friends. Ty and the major had a shoot out, and Ty shot the major’s legs out from under him—that oughta be worth another drink.”
“No, I think I’ve got about all out of you that I’m gonna get. Go bum somebody else.”
Slade got up and left hurriedly. He rode out of town eastbound. This is going to be easier than I thought. If the man I’m searching for came from Tennessee, he probably came through Memphis. Drunks in Memphis will talk for a drink the same as drunks in Texas. If there’s been a killing on the river, the river rats that frequent the bars along the river will know about it.
After only a few tries at bars in Memphis, Slade found a sot in a dive on the river willing to talk for drinks.
The sot said, “I heard that when Major Pothman came back through here from Texas, he was on crutches. A couple of months later, he came back again, this time in civilian clothes. They said that he had been court-martialed, and that he and a fast-gun named Carl Kruger with him, and they are now riding along the Missouri border with some of Quantrill’s men. Quantrill’s men turned outlaw, ya know. I wouldn’t go up there asking questions if I was you. That’s a mighty rough bunch, and they don’t like questions.”
He’s right about them being a rough bunch. I rode with them for a while, but one of them might tell me what I want to know. Slade found some of Quantrill’s men whom he had ridden with, holed up in the Ozark Mountains. One of Slade’s fellow raiders told him that Pothman was riding with an albino who could draw a gun quicker than you could blink an eye, and he is meaner than a den of rattlesnakes.
“Where can I find Pothman and this albino?” Slade asked.
“They’re somewhere west of here. They shouldn’t be hard to find. They say the albino is killing about a man a week. Stories like that gets around. Why are you looking for them?”
“I want to hire the men doing the killing.”
“That’s funny, you, hiring a gunfighter. You are a gunfighter. The man you’re up against must be hell on wheels.”
“Guy named Ty. Have you heard of him?”
“No. What’s he look like?”
“Big fellow. Broad through the shoulders, moves smooth like a dancer. Looks as innocent as a farm boy, but he’s shot it out with some good men, and all he’s got to show for it is a scar on his cheek.”
“That kind can be dangerous, but he would be a setup for the killer Pothman’s riding with.”
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“I hope you’re right; there’s lotta money riding on the outcome of this fight.”
“We’ll be listening to the scuttle-butt to find out who wins. If I was you, I’d try to stay outta the smoke.”
* * *
It was March before Slade found Pothman and his killer friend. They were riding with some big-time cattle rustlers. The pale gunslinger’s name was Kruger. Kruger didn’t like the dust of following a herd of rustled cattle, and Pothman was getting impatient to find the man who had killed his brother. Pothman was hell-bent on killing the man who had left him with a limp in a shoot-out in Texas.
Slade wanted to see the ghostly gunman in action, so he followed them. One night, they were in a saloon on the Kansas border. Slade watched Kruger goad a farmer into a fight, and then Kruger killed the farmer as if he were a mouse. The farmer didn’t have a chance. Another farmer said to a friend that the man lying dead on the saloon floor had a wife and two kids at home.
After the killing, Pothman said, “Belly up to the bar, men; the drinks are on me.”
Slade leered—his search was over. These are the men Marcum’s looking for. They’re both killers. Together they’ll make short work of Ty. After the excitement settled down a little, he moved up beside Pothman at the bar and asked, “Would you like to get out of the cattle business and make some real money?”
Pothman looked at him through cold eyes and said, “Just a minute. Let me get my partner; he’ll want to hear this. Meet us at that table in the corner and bring some whisky.”
Slade got a bottle and took it to Kruger and Pothman’s table. They looked up. The only eyes Slade had ever seen that compared to Kruger’s were the eyes of a rattlesnake he had seen coiled in the corner of an old, abandoned building. Slade had to hide the shiver that ran down his spine. This man Kruger was a killer through and through.
Pothman spoke, “What have you got?”
“A man in Indian Territory is standing in the way of a very big land swindler. The swindler will pay big money to have him removed.”
Man Called Ty Page 15
