The tall mountain man leaped from the rear porch of the Pullman, but ignored the men. He headed to the cattle car, opened the door and climbed in, disappearing into its darkness.
A thin man with a stiff bearing came out of the car and placed a set of stairs on the platform. Behind him an auburn-haired woman dressed in an olive green travel suit allowed him to help her descend. She crossed the platform and stopped. Surveying the crowd of people now filling the street, she smiled and waved.
“Ben,” she called. “Come greet your Aunt Penny.”
Ben ran to the station and hugged Penny, swinging her down from the platform onto the street.
“Aunt Penny, what are you and Uncle Nate doing here? You didn’t write and let us know you were coming.”
“You know your Uncle Nate. He gets a Calling, and nothing will stop him. We have to go right now, no delay. Fortunately, I keep the Pullman stocked with clothing and food.
“How are Sarah and the children? They’ve probably grown several inches since we’ve seen them.”
“They are doing well. Sarah’s a bit under the weather.” At Penny’s look of concern, Ben said, “Nothing a few months won’t fix.”
“Penny, m’ love. You’s can be a catchin’ up on the family oncest I get the low down on why I’s needed here again.” Nate led a white horse to a water trough in front of the jail. “There ya be, Lightnin’. Drink yer fill.”
Nate looked around. When his eyes lit on Newt, he finished tying Lightning’s reins to the rail. “So, Sheriff, what be troublin’ here in Stones Creek that be needin’ my skills?”
“How’d you get here so quickly? I just sent the telegram day before yesterday. We didn’t expect you to come. Just let us know what to do about the women.”
“I got me a Callin’ ‘bout a week ago. Took a few days ta make all the switchin’ ta get pulled ta here. Mighty sorrowful fer the delay.”
“What women, Sheriff?” Penny was now standing beside her husband who’d placed an arm around her waist.
“How about we go to the jail, and I’ll explain it all?”
~~~~~
“That’s just about everything,” Newt said. He was leaning against the wall, his arms across his chest. Penny was seated at his desk. Nate was pacing from inside a cell to the stove and back. “Can you think of anything else, Dak?”
“Other than all the women are scared of being kidnapped, I’d say you covered it pretty well.” Dak was sitting on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him. “Cora doesn’t want to leave the flat. She’ll take Susan over to the House to visit with the Ladies since she can just cross the alley, but she won’t even go to the general store alone.”
“You married one of the House Ladies, didn’t you, Deputy?” Penny asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m going to be adopting Susan as soon as Four gets all the paperwork done. Newt’s adopting Troy, Myra’s son, too.” Dak nodded at his boss.
“Four?” Penny asked.
“He’s the new lawyer in town. He has an office in the bank. His name’s Forsyth Franklin Fredrick Farnsworth the Fourth,” Newt explained. “We just call him Four.”
Nate let out a howl of laughter. “With a name as cornvulutioned as that, I’d be a thinkin’ of somethin’ else ta be called, too.” He sobered. “Nowst, I’m a gonna be wantin’ ta jaw a bit within’ the women whatst done escaped them no-count varnmints. Needs ta be gittin’ acquaintioned up wit’ them anyways.”
“Yes,” Penny said. “Maybe they will allow us to escort them to Iowa, to Sanctuary Place. They will need time to adjust to polite society, learn skills, etc.”
“Polite society, woman, where does ya come up with that high falutin’ talk? They’s bein’ needin’ ta learn howst ta live amongst reg’lar, law ‘bidin’, God fearin’ peoples. They’s sure ta be needin’ ta learn ‘bout the love God’s a got for ‘em.” Nate now stood next to Penny’s chair, looking down at her with his hands on his hips.
Penny reached up and patted her husband on the cheek. “Yes, dear.”
~~~~~
“Nate, promise me you’ll just scout. If you find them…”
“When I finds ‘em. Ain’t no iffen ‘bout it.” Nate interrupted Newt. They were standing nose to nose. Penny’s eyes were twinkling with mirth, as were Dak’s. The sheriff and the mountain man had been arguing about how to find and apprehend the criminal gang.
“When you find them,” Newt sighed. “You promise me you’ll come back so we can gather up the posse. I don’t want you trying to capture them all by yourself.”
“I was trained up by Davy Crockett, hisself,” Nate began.
Newt held up his hand, stopping the flood of protest he knew was coming. “I know. You’re very talented and capable. You could probably fight off every outlaw in the territory at the same time with one hand tied behind your back. You need to let us mere men have a hand in this.
“These outlaws have harmed our women, abandoned children to die, robbed stages, banks, and murdered innocent people. The men of Stones Creek want to have a hand in bringing them to justice. Are you going to deny them that?”
Nate deflated. “You’s right, Sheriff. I were bein’ plumb selfish. A wantin’ all the glory myself. Not atall how’s a believin’ man should be a actin’. The men o’ Stones Creek need ta be a feelin’ they was a part o’ this. Ev’n though we’s all know I could a done it myself.”
“Besides,” Penny said, quietly. “All the glory belongs to the Almighty anyway.”
Nate went to his wife and kissed her. “You’s hit the nail square on the head, m’ love. God be the one what called us ta Stones Creek, and He be’s the One what’ll round up ‘em varnmints so’s they can spend the rest o’ their days in the hoosegow.”
“So,” Newt tried to take control of the meeting again. “You, Nate, will go scout until you find where the gang is. Then, you’ll come back, and we’ll gather the posse to go after them. I’ve got five town men, not counting Dak and me. I know Hawk and Red want to be involved, as do Linc, Wes, and Spike from the Chasing R. Cowboys from both those ranches and some others are willing too, if there’s time to contact them. Some I’ll keep in town, just in case.”
“Oh’s kay. I’ll be headin’ out in the mornin’ an’ rustle me up a bunch o’ outlaws ta be captured.” Nate grabbed Penny’s hand hauling her to her feet. “Come on, Penny, m’ love. We’s got some great-nephews and a great-niece we ain’t seed in nie on two years. I got me a hankerin’ to spread out some hugs an’ kisses.”
~~~~~
Gema woke with a start. Red had jumped out of bed and was pulling his pants on. It was night, but moonlight dimly illuminated their room. The chickens were squawking loudly, and the roosters were crowing. They were agitated. Angry. The pigs were squealing.
“What goes?” Gema clutched the covers to her chest.
“Something’s in the chicken house. Could be a coyote. Maybe a fox or wolf. Don’t fret. I’ll be back shortly. Just don’t go near the window.” Red shoved his feet into his boots, grabbed his revolver and ran out the door.
Gema could hear others running down the stairs, too. Hawk and Alberto. Shouts came from the bunkhouse. Then, the sound of horses galloping away. She got up and went into the hall. Juanita was there. They hugged each other. That was a universal language.
When the shouting and running stopped, Juanita pulled back. “Come. Make coffee. Men,” she said a spate of words in Spanish. Gema grabbed a shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. She followed Juanita to the kitchen and was set to slicing bread while the housekeeper stirred up the coals and made coffee.
Just as it began to boil, the men came in through the mudroom.
“Looks like they got about six chickens,” Hawk said. “Maybe one was a rooster. The birds were so flustered and running around, it was hard to tell.”
“I think they got that ornery rooster. I didn’t see him out there,” Alberto said. “He’ll peck them. Maybe take his spurs to them. Serve them right if he does.�
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Red went to where Gema was still slicing bread. She’d sliced two loaves already and was starting on a third. He stopped her hand and took the knife from her, setting it on the table beside the piles of bread slices. “Are you okay?”
She turned wide frightened eyes to him and dove against his chest. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she hung on as if she were drowning. “So scared. For you. For me. Thanking God for protection.”
“Who steal los pollos?” Juanita asked.
“There were three of them. I’m thinking they may be from the King Gang. We’ve been fortunate so far that we haven’t had anything stolen before.”
Gema began trembling in Red’s arms. “I’m going to skip the coffee. Thank you, Juanita, for thinking of it. Gema and I will see you in the morning.” He glanced at the clock on a shelf above the stove. “I guess it is morning, but I don’t have to get up for another hour. See you then.”
Placing his hand on Gema’s back, he guided her from the room and up the stairs. He tucked her into bed, then got in on his side. She rolled toward him. Red wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. Running his fingers across her cheek, he tucked a lock of hair that had come loose from her braid behind Gema’s ear.
“You’re safe, Gema. I’ll not let anyone take you from me.”
“Truly?” The word was whispered against his chest.
“Truly. I’ll always protect you.”
She sighed and relaxed against him. “You will. I know. I trust.”
~~~~~
Nate stood on the front porch of his Pullman rail car. Steam rose from the morning dew sprinkled on the grass by the tracks. He lifted his eyes to heaven. “Lord, ya done brought me an’ Penny here. We done followed yer Callin’. Obeyin’ as quick like as we’s could. I’m a askin’ fer yer help now. Yer Word says ya be callin’ for justice. ‘At we should be a fightin’ evil. Well, evil been done ‘round these parts. A good man been murdered. His wife dyin’ from her grief, as well as the measles, leavin’ two babes orphaned. Ya know what they done ta Chloe an’ Dunc. Ya done rescued them nie on six years ago.
“Now, ya done got them young’uns and them women outa the clutches of them evil men. I be a thankin’ ya greatly fer that. Ya done that so’s ta set up my comin’ so’s ya can show me where’s they be a hidin’. I’s askin’ ya ta do that now, Lord. Guide me ta where the varnmints is hangin’ out. I’m askin’ in His name. Amen.”
Nate jumped to the ground and strode to the livery where Lightning had spent the night. The horse was eager to get underway. He always was when they followed a Calling. He seemed to get them, too. If Nate was unsure which way to go, he trusted Lightning to head in the right direction.
This morning, though, Nate knew he had to head west. If asked, he wouldn’t be able to explain why. He’d just say that was the direction he needed to go.
Nate rode along the railroad tracks. The ground sloped up toward the mountains. The forest thickened. He saw several deer and wished he had time to hunt. He could use a new set of buckskins. Penny was harping at him about it. Said his were getting too dirty to even try to come clean.
An invisible tug made him turn south. He sniffed the air. Could he smell wood smoke? He gave Lightning his head, and they quietly moved through the trees. The scent of burning wood became stronger.
Nate dismounted and tied Lightning to a branch. He pulled his new repeating rifle from the saddle boot. He wasn’t going to try and take them, but he’d be prepared in case they spotted him.
Moving silently through the forest, Nate surveyed the landscape. There looked to be a cliff ahead. He was on the top. The land dropped away suddenly. He lay on his belly and crawled to the edge. Voices argued below him.
“I says we need to head out of here. This place ain’t been that good to us. First, Buster an’ Amos try ta get Chloe back and get themselves captured. Then, the sickness comes. Prue and Roda dies up on us. Some of them kids, too.”
Another voice chimed in. “Yeah, then you goes an’ takes that foreign girl. The one what can’t speak English. She escapes.”
“Flora made that happen,” A third disgruntled voice said.
“Still, she got away,” the first man said. “I’m not thinkin’ you’re a very good leader, Ornan. I’m thinking it might be time for someone else to call the shots.”
“Just you wait a minute, Phil.” Ornan spent some time turning the air blue with his words. “I’m still leader here, and what I say goes.”
“We’ll just see about that when Dudley, Stew, and Cletus get back. They was headed to some ranch to pick up a couple of chickens. Left last night. Should be back soon. We can all discuss who’s going to be leadin’ the gang now, and what we do next. I say it won’t be you.”
Nate heard the sound of a fist hitting flesh as he backward crawled from the edge. He needed to exit fast if three of the outlaws were returning.
When he reached Lightning, Nate shoved the rifle into its boot, untied the reins, mounted, and hightailed it back to town. If he was fast enough, maybe the posse could return before nightfall and capture the gang today. By the sounds of their discussion, it might not be long before a new leader had them vacating the area heading for better luck in their dastardly deeds.
Nate thanked the Lord as he rode that he’d found the camp so quickly. The way the land lay, the posse should be able to get the drop on them from several directions. The cover was good to protect themselves if shooting began.
Two men were riding toward Nate along the tracks. They didn’t veer off when they saw him, so Nate figured they weren’t part of the gang. As he approached, he recognized one of the men. It was Spike Hunter from the Chasing R Ranch. Spike raised a hand and waved.
“Nugget Nate Ryder, you ole coot, you. What are you doing in these parts?” Spike asked when they drew near.
“Had me a Callin’ so Penny an’ me, we done come back. Got in yesterday. Been out scoutin’ them varnmints what have been tormentin’ the area. Found ‘em. We’s needin’ ta get up the posse real quick like. They’s may be a fixin’ ta vamoose. They be a argufyin’ about who’s the biggest toad in the puddle.”
Spike turned to the other man. “Jeb, you head back to Hawk’s Wing. I’ll go to the Chasing R.” He looked at Nate. “We’ll get our men and meet you at the jail as soon as we can. Maybe we’ll be able to grab them up today.”
Jeb took off one direction and Spike the other. Nate continued to town, once again thanking the One in control for His providence.
~~~~~
“Gema,” Red called as he ran into the main house. Jeb had come back to the homestead saying Nugget Nate Ryder had found the King Gang’s hideout. They were getting up a posse and wanted as many men as wanted to go. Hawk had set Alberto to picking which cowboys would be the most help to the posse and the others to continue with their duties. Red hadn’t waited for instructions. He’d just run to the house.
He’d promised early that morning that he would always protect Gema, and he was going to keep his word. Rather than leave her on the ranch, he was going to take her to Stones Creek. She could stay at the House with the other Ladies. There would be men in town keeping it safe while the posse hunted the outlaws.
Hank. The name of his best friend came to Red’s mind. Yes, Hank would keep the Ladies safe. He was married to one, after all, Laura. Her rejection led Red to the line shack on the end of Hawk’s Wing Ranch, where he found Gema running from the outlaws who had kidnapped her.
Red was sure Hank would be staying in town rather than going with the posse. He didn’t like riding and wasn’t that great with a gun. Hank and Red had both been hired on as cowboys when they came west after the war. Hank didn’t like the work and had gone to Denver to learn barbering. He’d come to Stones Creek and set up his barber shop and bathing house. There was no one Red trusted more to protect the woman he loved than Hank Johnson.
Red nearly missed a step as he ran up the stairs when the realization
hit him. He loved Gema. The thought stopped him half way to the second floor. Loved her more than life itself. If anything happened to her, he would be devastated. She’d become the focus of all he did and hoped to achieve. When had that happened? He hadn’t a clue and didn’t have time to think about it now. He had to get her to town.
Violin music coming from their bedroom made his feet move again. They needed to get to town. Red was going to go with that posse to apprehend the men who had kidnapped Gema with evil intentions. None of them was going to escape justice. He’d see to that.
The music stopped as Red ran down the hall. Gema must have heard him coming. The door opened before he took hold of the knob.
“What wrong, Red? Why run?”
“Nugget Nate found where the King Gang is. They’re getting up a posse. Hawk and I are going, along with several cowboys.”
Gema gasped.
“Gema, I want to take you to town. To the House. You’ll feel safer there with your friends. I’ll feel better knowing you’re there. I won’t worry if we miss the gang that you’re here.”
“Juanita?” She set the violin and bow on the washstand.
“Alberto and about half the cowboys will be here. They’ll keep her safe. It’s you I’m concerned with. You’ll be much more at ease being in town. Pack a bag just in case it’s too late to come back to the ranch tonight. I’m going to saddle Ralph. Meet me downstairs as soon as you’re ready.” Red gave her a quick kiss and left.
When he got to the stable, Ralph, as well as another of the cow ponies, were waiting. Cookie held the reins.
“You and Gema ride on Blackie. That’ll keep Ralph fresh for when you head out with the posse.”
“Good thinking. Thanks. How’d you know I was taking Gema to town?”
“Figured you’d want her there, just in case you don’t come back.”
“You’re smarter than you look. I didn’t tell her that, but it’s one reason I’m taking her. The other is, I think she’ll feel safer with her friends. I know she’d be safe here, but she needs the support the Ladies can give her.”
Cookie nodded while Red mounted Blackie. The cowboys who were going to town were mounting, too. Hawk came from the stable leading Pecos, a brown stock horse he’d purchased from Lucy Tanner after her husband had been murdered by the King Gang.
Music Of Her Heart Page 10
