Mountain Woman Snake River Blizzard

by Johnny Fowler

  “What did they say about the killing of Elmer Knorr?” Kate asked.

  “I don’t know,” the policeman said. “As I said, as soon as the chief heard about the shooting he sent us out here at a high lope. We called the Black Maria to haul the bodies into town and I was ordered to keep this place shut down tonight.”

  “One other thing you might be interested in,” he said, “when we got here there were two men inside looting the place. They had already found the cash box and took the wallets off the bodies. They were busy loading bottles of whisky into their saddlebags and had two cases already outside. I don’t know how they expected to carry them horseback, but they must have had a plan. Maybe hide them and come back later. We took them into custody.”

  “Some crooks try to steal more than they can carry,” Man threw in.

  “We need to get moving,” Kate said. “We’re going to report to Kincaid and send a wire to Chief Marshal Meek.”

  “Tell Dunlap I’m here and have had to send about twenty customers packing. This is a mighty popular place.”

  Man stopped at the telegraph, sent a report to Meek, and picked up one waiting for him.

  Kate waited while he opened it. “Nothing new on whereabouts of Engledow and Valdez,” Man said.

  They found the police station a busy place. The four men and two women were still there. Police Chief Kincaid saw the marshals and motioned them to follow him to his office. He gestured at Dunlap to come along.

  “You must have run into a hornets’ nest at the Cove,” Kincaid said.

  “It could have been worse,” Kate said. “Three of them turned and ran before the shooting started. However, Irish thought his shotgun was better. He was wrong.”

  “What did they say?” Man asked.

  “We have signed statements for all six of them. Bedford Nail ordered Irish to kill Elmer Knorr and dump his body in the lake. He hit Elmer on the head with a paddle that was decoration in the Cove. They had already worked him over for being delinquent on gambling debts.”

  “According to one of the other men,” Dunlap said, “Nail said that you can’t get blood out of a turnip and to get rid of Knorr. Elmer was tied to a chair and Irish started to shoot him with the shotgun, but Nail said it would make too much of a mess on the floor. Irish picked up the paddle and brought it down on Knorr’s head. They hauled the body out to a boat, tied a rock to him, and took him out and dumped the body.”

  “Was Bedford Nail there?” Kincaid asked.

  “Yes,” Man replied. “During the fight, he slipped out a window and escaped. We tracked him until it got too dark to see his tracks. We intend to be back on his trail tomorrow morning. We’re going home tonight and bring the pack mules tomorrow. We won’t stop until we get him, or we’ll stay on his trail as long as we can. It’s easy now with the snow cover. He’s riding a chestnut with very small hooves. So far, he’s been easy to follow.”

  “The policeman you left at the Pirate’s Cove said he has had to run about twenty or so customers away,” Kate added. “But it’s quite out there. He told us about the two men robbing the place.”

  “When we get Nail, this will end this case without further bloodshed, we hope,” Man said.

  “It will and closing down the Cove will take a pain out of our, well, sides,” Chief Kincaid said. “We’re much obliged.”

  Kate went into the house and Man took Arabian and Red Bird into the barn and fed them oats and hay. The two mules were standing at the fence waiting for supper, as well. He brought the two packs to the house and left them on the enclosed porch.

  Roy and Dan had finished enclosing the inside and it was warm and comfortable out of the wind. He began sorting through the packs to see what was needed. Kate saw him and came out to look. “Check our bedding and see if it okay,” she said. “I’ll get to replacing the food after we eat. It’s on the table.”

  Man was waiting for Kate when she came and blew out the lamp. He caught a glimpse of her a second before it became dark. A smile crossed his face as he quickly shoved his underwear down and off. Kate rolled over on him and kissed his lips. “Your beautiful deputy needs some loving, Mr. Marshal Manchester.”

  He rolled her on her back and he heard a deep sigh of pleasure as their bodies met.

  The sun was barely peeking over the mountain in the east when Kate pointed at the last white strip of cloth on a limb. “This is where we turned back,” she said.

  Man took the point and Kate rode off to the side leading the two pack mules. Her eyes were continually scanning each place an ambush could be launched. They rode on until noon and stopped for something to eat. Nail’s tracks were going higher and higher into the mountains. It seemed with each mile, the temperature dropped and the snow was deeper. A blind man could almost follow his trail.

  As they ate between two huge boulders where the snow was no more than ankle deep, the animals ate the dry grass that protruded through the snow. It wouldn’t have a lot of food value, but it was filler for them.

  Man gave each of them oats. It had been a hard climb in the snow and uphill the entire way.

  “He must have a destination,” Man said, “but where? He has to know we can track him.”

  “Could he be trying to stay in front of us and is going to Spokane?” Kate asked.

  “That’s a definite possibility,” Man said. “I can’t see him having a hideout this far out. I read him as a townie, not an outdoorsman. He was afraid to face us at the Pirates Cove and he’s running scared. He thinks he can escape in Spokane. I intend to move as fast as possible. Watch for an ambush, but I don’t think that’s his intent or he would have tried it long before now.”

  They pushed their horses faster and kept on the trail long after darkness trying to make up time. When the moon faded, they made camp and ate a cold supper. Nail might have been too close, seen the fire, and become braver in the darkness.

  Always playing it safe, Man took the first watch and Kate relieved him during the night. They were back on the trail before daylight and pushed hard throughout the day.

  Before dark, they were on top of a hill. Man pulled his binoculars and scanned the trail in front of him. He saw a dark spot on the white snow. He refocused the glasses and looked again. “He’s a mile or so in front of us.”

  He stepped down and handed her the binoculars. She gazed at the image and sighed. “We caught up, almost.”

  Man let the horses rest and fed them oats. The last push would be hard and fast.

  Kate handed him a sandwich and they ate standing in the snow, but their legs needed to be stretched. Man mounted and took the point, urging Arabian into a lope when the snow allowed it. When he was winded, Kate rode to the point and Red Bird forged the way with Man leading the two mules.

  When they topped a rise, Man pulled back on the reins and backed the horse away from the crest. “He’s no more than a hundred yards in front of us. Stay on his tail. I’m going to circle and get ahead of him. If we have him between us with no escape, he may throw down his weapons.”

  “We will see,” she said at low breath.

  She made sure Nail couldn’t see her. She waited until he disappeared over a hill or went behind trees before urging Red Bird into a lope. She was closing in on him. His chestnut was obviously tired and was only walking slowly.

  They had gone a mile when she spotted Man in front of Bedford Nail. He was standing on top of a rock shelf and the fugitive was caught between them. Kate tied the mules to a tree, pulled her Winchester, and closed the gap between her and Nail.

  Suddenly, Man appeared in front of the outlaw with his rifle aimed at his chest. “You are under arrest,” Man shouted. “I’m Marshal Manchester. Deputy Kate is behind you with her rifle aimed at your shoulder blades. What will it be? Surrender or go down now with two bullets in your heart?”

  Nail sat for a long moment and turned the chestnut back towa
rd Kate. He went for his pistol. Kate fired when the weapon cleared leather and was on the way up. Nail was fast, but the bullet from her rifle was faster and scored a direct hit about where his left nipple was located.

  The shot from his pistol plowed harmlessly in the snow in front of the dying man.

  Kate hurried forward with her rifle aimed in case it was needed. She picked up the pistol and waited for Man to join her. He had gone back for Arabian.

  “It’s over,” she said.

  “Yep,” he agreed.

  He walked to the chestnut and saw he was standing with his head down. Nail had pushed him with no food, with the exception of dry grass. That angered him almost as much as the murder Nail had committed.

  Kate turned and went back for the mules while Man fed Nail’s horse a generous ration of oats.

  If we put one of the packs on the chestnut and the body on the mule it would be easier on him,” Kate suggested. “The pack I much lighter than the body.”

  “Good idea,” Man said. “I can lighten the load on his pack, as well.”

  Man led the chestnut and Kate the mules as they turned back toward Coeur d’Alene. He rode to her side and reached for her hand. She pulled her glove off and held his warm hand as they rode.

  It was a long ride back, but it was pleasant, the sun was out, and more snow had melted. When they reached the outskirts of Coeur d’Alene, a young lad on a spotted pony saw them with the body over the mule.

  He raced ahead and a gathering was already assembled at the police station when they pulled to a stop. The spectators were anxious to see who the two marshals had brought in face down over the mule.

  Somebody shouted, “That’s Bedford Nail’s chestnut that Deputy Kate is leading. They got him.”

  Chief Kincaid and Assistant Chief Dunlap came out to greet them. A policeman took the reins of the mule and turned toward the undertaker’s office.

  Man and Kate went in to file a report. They hurried to file the report then went to switch their mule with Nail’s chestnut. On the way home, Man stopped and sent a report to Chief Meek that the case involving Elmer Knorr was closed. There were no wires for him.

  Exhausted after the day’s events, they were happy to be home. Kate went inside to cook supper while Man put the horses and mules in the barn. He walked in and saw she had taken off her working skins and wore a simple housedress. She was so beautiful he had to take her in his arms for a short kiss.

  She pushed him away with a cute giggle and said, “Hold your horses, big guy. Supper will burn if you carry me to the bed now.”

  He playfully protested, but went to the table and watched her.

  Chapter 10

  They were sitting at the table drinking a second cup of coffee following breakfast when they heard a knock on the back door. Man hurried to see who was there and saw Roy and Dan. He greeted the two young men and invited them inside for a hot cup of coffee.

  Kate recognized their voices, heard the invitation, and was putting cups on the table when the two boys came in and sat. Kate poured coffee for them.

  Roy spoke first. “We saw your horses and mules in the barn and fed them for you. Did you really catch Bedford Nail? When we went into town yesterday, that was all that was being talked about. Your reputation is growing. Nobody was betting you would come back empty-handed.”

  “We got him before he made it to Spokane,” Kate said.

  “I’m glad,” Roy said. “Now, hopefully, you can bring Al Valdez and Bob Engledow back face down on their horses.”

  “As soon as they’re located, we’ll be on their trail,” Man said. “All we can do now is wait for them to surface. They will eventually. Every law enforcement officer in the area is looking for them.”

  “How is the fence building progressing?” Man asked.

  “We should finish by noon today with the north and west side. Should you need to leave and be gone for a spell, we need to mark off the south side for the home sites.”

  “We were approached by Cliff about building a home for him and your mom,” Man said.

  Roy grinned. “He hasn’t asked her as yet, but I expect it will be only a short time before he does. He visits us almost every afternoon and evening and when he doesn’t, he picks her up to go someplace. We’ve never seen her so happy.”

  Dan, however, looked off at nothing, his expression flat. He didn’t seem so happy about the new developments in his mother’s life, Kate noticed. But, she didn’t feel she should say anything. He had every reason to be wary of new men in his mother’s life after all she’d been through. Or, maybe, as the baby of the family, he didn’t like sharing his mother’s attentions.

  “How are her hands and feet?” she asked instead.

  “Her feet are still tender when she walks,” Roy said, “but her hands and knees are fine. They’re red, but practically healed now.”

  “I’ll dress and meet you on the south side of the forty acres and we’ll mark off the home sites,” Man said. “As I said, don’t build a fence on the road side, just across behind them and between them.”

  “We talked to a friend about constructing the foundation and building the fireplace,” Roy said. “He said when we had the plans he would give us a bid. If Cliff would give us the go-ahead on what he wants, we could start next week.”

  “When I go into town today, I’ll drop by Cliff’s store and talk with him,” Man said. “If he wants to hold off for a while, we can still build a house for sale. Work on the plans and we’ll go over them today.”

  Roy pulled papers from the inside pocket of his coat and handed them to Man. Kate was seated beside him and leaned over to look.

  “We’ll go over them today and let you know,” Man said. “There’s no reason you can’t be working on two at the same time. Maybe get a discount on the contract work by having two jobs. I’ll check in with D&D today and make sure everything is set up so you can buy what you need. Just sign the ticket and keep an accurate record of the purchases.”

  “Of course,” Roy said. “You can trust us to build it right and as cost-conscious as possible. The way we see it, if you make money, so do we. And that’s a great incentive to do a good job.”

  “We discussed the bonus,” Kate said. “Would fifteen percent of the net suit you two?”

  Roy and Dan turned to talk for a moment. “If we clear five hundred on a house, that’s thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents for each of us,” Roy said. “That’s more than a month’s wages. Yes, we would be very pleased with that.”

  “In addition to the bonus,” she said, “we discussed the salary. Sixty dollars a month for each of you for being our contractors.”

  Both boys gulped in air in their excitement. “That’s better than men get working in the mines,” Dan said, his mood now brightened.

  “Company owners make more than workers,” Kate said. “You should think about opening a business account at the bank. I predict in time, you’ll be hiring men to work for you and you’ll have a payroll to meet every week. When you do, remember to treat them right and they’ll respect you and give you more than if they’re working only for Saturday and a paycheck.”

  Both boys nodded, taking her advice seriously.

  The two boys finished the coffee and went to the barn for the wagon to haul their fencing supplies to where they were needed.

  “Those are two good young men,” Kate said.

  Man agreed with a nod of his head as he said, “Someday, maybe we can have a couple of boys like them.”

  Kate grinned at the thought.

  “Don’t forget Jeb Spencer,” she said. “He’s a courageous young man. I wish we knew how he and Alice are getting along.”

  “Maybe this summer we can go visit them. It would be nice to see them and the Bowmans again.”

  Man stood and went for his coat.

  “I want to go into town wi
th you,” she said. “I’m low on supplies here. As soon as I get the kitchen cleaned, I’ll go dress. You’ll have time to mark off the home sites and saddle Red Bird for me.”

  Man finished showing Roy and Dan how he wanted the home sites laid off, went back to the barn, and saddled Red Bird for Kate. He led the roan to the door and tied Arabian and her gelding to the hitching rail that the boys built by the house.

  He found her pulling on her boots when he walked in their bedroom. “Toss me my heavy coat and I’m ready,” she said.

  The two mounted and a frisky Red Bird wanted to race, but Kate held him in check. There was still a cover of snow and with the melting and freezing there was ice under the snow. She didn’t want him to slip and fall.

  They stopped at the telegraph office first and there were no wires. The next stop was the police station. Chief Kincaid heard them and came to the front.

  “Thanks to you two, everything is quiet now. The Knorr and Günter feud was averted.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Kate said. “We owe Grandmother Gretchen thanks for pointing us in the right direction.”

  “If nothing is brewing,” Man said. “We have business in town. Send somebody out to get us if anything breaks or we get a wire from Chief Marshal Meek.”

  “Will do,” Kincaid said. He walked to the door with them. He gazed toward the north. “It’s about time for another snowstorm to roll in. My bones were aching this morning. That’s always a good sign of a change in the weather.”

  “It’s that time of the year,” Kate said. “We all know we’ll have more snow before spring gets here.”

  They rode to the bank next and met with the president. Man explained his project on constructing homes.

  “Are you here to obtain financing?” the bank president asked with a worried expression on his face.

  “No,” Man said. “We have the capital. In fact, I want to make a deposit to cover the construction cost. Should we be out on a case, we have hired Roy and Dan Shobert to construct the homes. As they purchase materials, D&D Lumber Company will present you a statement. I want it signed by Daniel or David Wilcox as well as Roy or Dan Shobert. Look it over for reasonability and pay it out of our account.”