Brothers in Blood

by Dusty Richards

  The next morning, they reached home. Monica served them pastries and coffee. Meanwhile, Jesus and Cole reshod one of their horses so they could go on.

  Within an hour, Bailey, his men, and their prisoner left for Tucson. Marge made sure they had enough supplies on their packhorses for the rest of the trip.

  “Bailey is an interesting man,” she told Chet when they were alone.

  “He thanked me for helping out.”

  “Where did you finally find them?”

  “Horse Head Crossing, up on the Little Colorado. They thought they were safe and were celebrating in a house of ill repute, and drunk when we arrived.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “They decided to fight and all but one was shot down.”

  Marge came into his arms and held him close. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

  He squeezed her to him. “How are you doing?”

  “So far, so good. No problems, except worrying about you.”

  “No need to do that. How are Lucie and Reg?”

  “Fine, but—”

  “What else?”

  “JD left them. They weren’t sure where he went, except he said he needed to find his way. Neither Reg nor her could talk him out of it.”

  “Nor could I, I’d bet.”

  “What will he get into next?”

  “I have no idea, Marge. I know I need a bath and I really missed you.”

  “Later on, draw me a map where all you’ve been. Did you see any better place than here?”

  “No. Nothing to move me out of here. Oh, the boys want you to help them to manage their reward money.”

  “I’d be glad to. Were you glad they were along?”

  “Hey, they are super help to me.”

  “I have the boiler heating.” Then she whispered, “I don’t have to have you shiny clean for you to love me. It’ll be another hour till the water is hot enough for your bath.”

  “Let’s sneak upstairs.”

  “Go,” she said, giving him a shove.

  Whew, was he ever glad he had her to come home to.

  CHAPTER 14

  Up to date on the rest of the operations, Chet and Marge were eating supper that night when someone knocked on the door. When he answered it, Jesus and a ranch hand from the Verde Ranch stood there.

  “They found some cattle today, killed by a grizzly. Tom sent Nate to let you know he thinks the bear has rabies,” Jesus said.

  “Have you had supper?” Chet asked the cowboy, then wiped his mouth on a linen napkin.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “What happened?”

  “I was with them when we found the cattle. It was bloody. I figured those tough old longhorn cows that hadn’t come in for hay could fight a buzz saw. But he tore ’em up.”

  “You sleep in the bunkhouse tonight. Tomorrow morning, you two come up here and have breakfast and I’ll ride down there and see what we can do. I know Cole is in town, but the three of us can handle it. See you then.” He closed the door behind them.

  “Who was there?” Marge asked.

  “Jesus and a Verde cowboy named Nate that Tom sent about a cow killing done by a grizzly bear.”

  “What are you doing to do?”

  “Go hunt him down. There’s lots of superstitions about grizzlies. They’re simply a larger fierce bear that lead can stop.”

  “Oh, my dear husband is going off on another chase.”

  “Bear hunting. It should be fun. Cole is in town courting Valerie and selling the outlaws’ horses they recovered. Jesus and I can handle a grizzly bear and be back in a few days.”

  “You may freeze in this cold weather. Why isn’t he sleeping? The rest of the bears hibernate now.”

  “You have a point. Male bears down in Texas seldom sleep very long. The climate in the valley is not as warm as there, but not as cold as up on the Rim.”

  “Maybe someone woke him up. You be careful. Grizzlies or not, they’re man killers.”

  “I’m always careful.”

  She reached over and tapped the top of his hand. “Still, be careful.”

  He promised.

  Predawn, Jesus and Nate were already seated at Monica’s breakfast table when Chet joined them. After exchanging greetings, he sat down.

  Monica poured him a cup of coffee and he thanked her.

  His housekeeper pointed a finger at them. “Crazy men, rushing off in the cold to shoot a dang bear.”

  “Somebody’s got to do it,” he said.

  “I guess so, but you have better things to do than run down a bear.”

  “No, Monica, a grizzly is a tough adversary. I’m taking along a .50-caliber Sharps rifle that can kill a buffalo at almost a quarter of a mile.”

  “That’s where I’d be. A quarter mile away from him,” she said on her way back to the kitchen.

  “She’d probably kill him with a kitchen knife,” Jesus said quietly.

  Chet shook his head at him. He didn’t want her to hear their comments. They were only kidding, but he didn’t want her feelings hurt. She faithfully fed them and did nice things for everyone. She was probably thinking how his being gone would make Marge unhappy. He sipped his coffee, wondering why his wife hadn’t come down. He sent the men on and went upstairs to kiss her good-bye. He had no intentions to leave without doing that.

  He hurried upstairs and sat on the bed, leaned over, and kissed her.

  She woke up with a start and sat up. “I—I slept in. I’m sorry.”

  “I wasn’t going to leave without kissing you.”

  She put her arms around him and kissed him. “Thanks. Be careful. I’ll pray for your safety. Come back soon.”

  “I always do.”

  “I know you have to go. So much work to do. I know Bailey sure appreciated you. You’re making this territory a place for common people to live and survive.”

  “Take care of the baby.” He stood up. “And be careful.”

  He buttoned his coat on the glassed-in porch and pulled up his collar as he ran to his horse. It would be a cold morning, but they’d be there early enough to head up into the bear country. The sun came out when they were halfway off the mountain, but it offered little heat. In his wool long johns, heavy clothes, and great jacket, he was warm. He regretted some he wasn’t back in Texas, but if he was he’d probably not have half the things he was building in the Territory. So he wouldn’t complain about the frigid temperature and booted his horse downhill with the others.

  At the ranch, he went to speak to Tom who was at the blacksmith shop and met him at the door.

  “Sorry, Chet, but I’m not a bear hunter, so I need your help. I thought about calling in the man in Camp Verde with the dogs, but he told me once you need tougher dogs than he has to tree a grizzly. I don’t know anyone who has Airedales, and he says they’re the only ones tough enough for that.”

  “Why isn’t the bear sleeping, my wife wants to know?”

  “It was warm down here last week and he may have woke up.”

  “He’s up in the north country.”

  “Yes. That’s where they found the dead cows. I figured those old tough cows up there came from the Texas brush. They were some of the ones wouldn’t come in and eat hay. But he killed them like they was rabbits.”

  “How many bears you think there were?”

  “I thought one, but I’m not a good tracker.”

  “We’re going up there and find him.”

  “I’ll come up tomorrow when I get things lined out, and help.”

  “We’ll be at Thorp’s Spring. Nate said the slaughter was close to there.”

  “Be careful. He’s a killer, not only of cows, I figure.”

  “How’s John?”

  “Making Hampt lots of wire. I still need to go see him. My men that haul it over there say it’s stout.”

  “Will you fence your farmland?”

  “Yes. That wire and stake fence we have is hard to repair and expensive to maintain.”

  “Sounds like what
you need to do. See you, Tom. Tell Millie I’m sorry I missed her.”

  “I will. You talk to Susie?”

  “Of course. See you tomorrow.”

  “Right.”

  He galloped his horse to catch up with the other two men.

  “Was it all right?” Jesus asked.

  “Sure. Tom handles things well. A grizzly is a big deal. I guess they were the bane of the mountain men that trapped the beavers out.”

  “Mountain men?”

  “Yeah. Grizzlies were a lot more plentiful a hundred years ago. An old man once told me if you ever stab one, don’t take your knife out of him.”

  “Why do that?”

  “He said then the bear would fight the knife stuck in him and not you. Take it out and he’d take you on.”

  Jesus frowned. “I hope I never have to fight one with a knife, but I’ll remember that.”

  Nate agreed. “I saw them cows, and when I tried to ride closer, my horse about bucked me off. I guess he could still smell him.”

  Chet shook his head. “No. The bear pissed on those carcasses.”

  “They do that?” Nate asked.

  “Yes, and that scares other predators away from their kills.”

  “Well, it damn sure spooked that cowpony.”

  Jesus pointed up. “They’re having a gathering up there.”

  What looked like a hundred turkey vultures circled in a high loop over the mountainside ahead of them. The winged foragers had found the death site and called all their buddies to join them. Where there was any shortage of the big scavengers, ravens filled in.

  Several slinky coyotes ran off at their approach, and two red wolves slunk away as well. It was feast time and all were there, except the silver tip.

  Jesus dismounted to examine the ground, and when he did, vultures scattered into the air.

  All the horses spooked at the smell of the dead cows, whose entrails had been opened in the bear’s attack. Nate held on to their horses’ reins as well as the packhorses. The cows were large framed Longhorns, no doubt driven originally from Texas to stock the ranches. There were no calves or yearlings with them. The complaining of the disturbed vultures and the ravens made a lot of racket. Then they started acting brave enough that Jesus moved outside their feasting area. He looked at the mountain face and pointed north to indicate he thought the bear went that way.

  Chet and Nate rode around and joined him.

  “Get a lead?” Chet asked.

  “Yes, he came and went this way, I’m certain.”

  “You think he came back to this kill?”

  “I don’t know, but there are tracks of a big bear going north.”

  “We better be ready for most anything, men.” He drew the .50-caliber Sharps out of his scabbard. Jesus took out his .44/.40 and so did Nate.

  “Shoot him in the head. One of your bullets in his body will only make him madder.”

  Jesus acted like he had a good track and went on afoot. They stayed back and let him lead. The cow track they followed was just a single path the range cattle used to come and go on. Other animals, like deer and maybe even elk, used them because the path was already marked for them.

  They’d gone high enough to look down into the trough of the Verde basin, walled in on both sides by towering mountains. Chet sat his horse to wait while Jesus covered some ground looking for sign.

  Chet noticed several good-sized pine trunks where the bark had been clawed by the bear sharpening his claws. From the height of the scars on the trunks, he was a giant.

  “I think he has a cave around here,” Jesus said.

  “Secure the horses with a lariat. If anything spooks them, we don’t need to be afoot.”

  “I’ll do that,” Nate offered. Jesus had gone out of sight into the timber.

  Chet set out to follow. The sun had warmed enough he unbuttoned his coat. He kept looking around, not wanting to be surprised by anything showing up. From a rocky point, Jesus waved for him to come up there.

  After Chet climbed up, Jesus pointed. “I think he uses that cave over there. It has an opening big enough.”

  Braced against a pine tree on the steep ground, Chet could see the entrance a hundred feet away. If that was his lair, it was strange the bear hadn’t caused stock loss before. But no telling. He may have lost a mate or was looking for one and moved in there for the winter.

  “What shall we do?” Jesus asked.

  “I’m not fool enough to go in there and wake him up.”

  Jesus nodded vigorously in agreement.

  “If there’s enough fuel, we can build a fire and smoke him out. But if he went back to hibernate, he’ll be hard to get out. They say they breathe very little in that state.”

  “I’d say he has us in a draw, huh?”

  Chet nodded. “He very well does. We need to make camp closer to the spring. It’ll be dark soon and we’ll be fumbling around without any light.”

  “Good idea. Where’s Nate?”

  “Downhill, watching the horses.”

  “Jesus, was there a letter for you from Mexico?” Chet had wondered some about it since they got home, but hadn’t checked. He knew Jesus had sent a letter to his girlfriend in Mexico before they left to run down the bank robbing gang.

  Jesus looked disappointed. “No word so far.”

  “Maybe she will answer you and you’ll get it when you get back.”

  “I hope so.”

  “You did a good job tracking that bear. We’ll keep an eye on things and see if he comes out again.”

  “Cold as it is up here,” Jesus said, “I’d sleep, too.”

  “It isn’t toasty warm, is it?”

  Jesus explained to Nate what they’d found. Then they mounted and went near the spring, far enough from the bear kill to not smell it or hear the animals fighting over the remains.

  They snaked in firewood and let Jesus set up for cooking. Things went smooth, the wall tent up, horses hobbled and grained. Jesus had raided the ranch kitchen supplies and had elk steaks broiling while he fried sliced onions and potatoes for the side and made biscuits in a Dutch oven. Seated on a log, they let the heat from the cook fire reflect into their faces while waiting for the meal.

  “Why, he don’t need a wife,” Nate teased while they ate. “He’d beat most females at cooking anytime.”

  When the laughter died down, Chet added,”And keep you warm at night, too.” The mellow smoke from the dead live oak they’d found filled his nose. Stars were out and he was tired enough to sleep. But he’d miss his wife, too.

  CHAPTER 15

  Sometime during the night, Chet decided he needed to search inside the cave the next day. To leave that killer in there happily sleeping worked on his conscience. They’d need a few pitch torches to light the way inside the dark hole. He didn’t want anyone hurt, but until they looked inside they wouldn’t know if the big bruin was there.

  “We’ll need some torches to go see if he is or isn’t in there.”

  Both men quit eating their oatmeal and turned toward him.

  “You want to go in there?” Jesus asked in disbelief.

  “What if he kills us?” Nate asked.

  “Oh, Tom will be along in a little while and recover our bodies.”

  They laughed, but uneasy sounding.

  After breakfast, they hacked three torches out of some junipers. Full of pitch, Jesus said they should make good ones. They left their horses hobbled to graze in the valley by the spring and climbed the mountain. Armed with rifles, they hiked up to the cave entrance. Chet’s rifle at the ready, he checked inside and decided the cave must be deep.

  He couldn’t hear the bear sleeping, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Bears had low respiratory sounds during hibernation. Not hearing him was not an indication that he wasn’t inside. He handed the rifle to Jesus who stood ready for him to light their torches.

  Flames and smoke spewed from the heavy torches, and he entered the cave holding his high. They went a good distance in
side the natural shaft before it narrowed with no sign of the bear. They were down to a crawl space tunnel when Chet stopped them.

  “He’s in here. I can smell him. He’s in the back. We’ll have to build a large fire at the cave opening and see if we can drive him out.”

  Jesus looked relieved. They went back to the opening and started back to camp. Tom and another hand named Joe were waiting for them at camp.

  “Any luck?” Tom asked.

  “We think he’s in a cave up there on the side of the mountain. We’re glad you arrived. We need lots of fuel, so go to dragging things up there.”

  In a few hours, they had the cave entrance stacked full with dead pine logs and other debris. With it stuffed floor to ceiling with flammable fuel, Chet and Tom lit it on fire. They moved outside the cave to wait while Nate and Jesus made lunch.

  About then, Chuck, a new cowboy, rode in on the scene and he couldn’t believe they went in the cave to try to find the bear. The six of them wound up abandoning lunch to sit outside the cave as smoke and flames poured out. Meanwhile, the fire was getting red hot inside the cave.

  Then Chet spotted a large bear roaring loudly, headed down the canyon next to them, running full steam, and with his fur smoking and on fire. The bear had found another way to escape from the cave. Chet jumped up and ran to Tom’s nearby horse. His big rifle in hand, he charged off the mountain.

  The horse slid on his butt off the steep side and Chet wondered if the pony would ever find its footing, but he did and scrambled some more. They were off again and hit the flats where Chet made a downhill shot at the furious bear. The bullet struck, but never stopped him. Chet sent the big horse off more mountainside, and when they reached the valley floor, the bear whirled and rose to face him. That bear must have stood eight feet tall.

  Chet reloaded the Sharps and closed the trap door. Then he shouted, “whoa,” at the horse; the animal obeyed and slid to a stop. He took aim at the raging mouth of the bear. The loud report echoed up and down the valley. The bear folded up, and the spooked horse had to be checked. The bear, to his relief, was dying.

  His heart pounded in his chest. Tom, Jesus, and the other two were coming pell-mell off the mountainside, sliding on their butts part of the way and cheering.