"Riders coming. Must be the Rocking M hands," Hedges said, pulling the team to a halt in front of the well-constructed gate of the homestead yard. "Don't see Little Sam, though."
Gabe didn't see anyone particularly little. The average bunch of cowhands had a share of smaller than average men in it, but this one didn't. The leader in front of the five men was bigger than most men, mean-looking on top of it, dark and swarthy with the look of a brawler. He was the one Gabe watched. The man looked mad clear through.
Riding down hard on them, he got so close to Hedges' team that the horses pranced and fought the traces when he jerked his mount to a halt not three paces from their heads.
He hit the ground running and didn't stop until he had Gabe by the front of the coat, jerking him off the wagon to his knees. "Give me that deed," the man shouted as he jerked Gabe up and threw him into the gate.
"What the hell are you doing, Pierce?" Hedges yelled. He fought to keep his team under control, but when he saw Gabe being dragged to his feet and Pierce's fist cocked and ready to drive into Gabe's face, he forgot about them and jumped off the wagon.
Gabe didn't see the fist. He didn't see much of anything but a red haze. He let the man lift him far enough to get his feet on the ground, then he drove himself up with both legs, his one strong arm swinging.
A counter-attack was the last thing the bully called Pierce expected. The knuckles caught him across the nose, making a noise that let everyone know without a doubt that his nose was broken. His eyes watered so fast, he was blind and helpless to protect himself as the first punch was followed by another, then another and another until the other riders could get off their horses to help him.
Pierce rolled off to the side and held his nose until the others managed to get Gabe pressed up against a fence post to hold him, and Hedges was dragged back out of the way. One man each held one of Gabe's arms along the fence rail and one crawled through the fence to hold Gabe to the post with both hands by the collar. One man held Hedges back with an arm around his neck.
"You're gonna pay for that," Pierce promised with a twisted grin, closing in to repay some of those blows. He was stopped painfully short of his goal by Gabe's foot in the middle of his gut. "Hold him, damn it," he gasped.
"Get a rope," one of them ordered while he fought to keep his hold on an arm that refused to stay still.
"Rope, hell," another muttered. "I ain't gonna get my teeth kicked in trying to hogtie him. Bean him, Joe."
Joe was trying to oblige, but he had a difficult time working his gun free while still holding on to Gabe's collar with only one hand. He finally had the weapon raised above Gabe's head, waiting for a clear whack at him when a new voice joined the chaos, coming from a rider racing in. The words carried over Hedges' wild shouting and made Joe jerk erect and stiff in obedience, even if the voice was female.
"You hit him, Joe, and you'll draw your time in about five seconds flat."
"Little Sam, there wasn't no call for this," Hedges cried, wiggling himself free from the man that held him.
Little Sam Mentrol sat still in the saddle, surveying the men as a group, then each man separately. Tall and slim, though difficult to see in the shapeless jacket and full split riding skirt she wore, her scorn touched every man. None could meet the dark green eyes, and all looked away in shame, except Pierce.
"What happened?" she asked Pierce.
"They bit off more than they could chew," Hedges snorted. "Pierce jerked Gabe here off the wagon without a word. He just rode up here, hell bent for leather, jerked him off, and started whaling on him."
"He was moving in," Pierce roared. "Gonna take the place over."
"Weren't," Hedges cried. "Just passing through on the way to your place."
"Who is he?" she asked quietly.
"Gabe Taylor."
She asked Gabe, "Are you the man who won that deed last night?"
Gabe glared at her with such intense hatred that she turned again to Hedges with her brows drawn together in puzzlement. Hedges answered her unspoken question by chewing his lip.
"Let go of him," she told her men, looking back at Gabe. "I'm sorry this happened. I—"
"The hell you are," Gabe said, pulling away from the men and the post. "You get men to do all you want done, then act like you're innocent of their crimes."
"Why, you—" Joe said, raising his gun again.
"Joe, get away from him!" she shouted, recovering from her shock enough to stop the attack coming this time in the name of her honor.
Gabe shoved the last of the men away. "You aren't getting what you want this time," he yelled at her. "Hell will freeze over before you get that deed from me for any price!"
"Now, boy, that ain't—" Hedges began.
"You shut your stupid mouth, old man," Gabe yelled, turning on him. "You could have taken that deed but wouldn't. Now you can cry the same as her, if she knows what real tears are." He turned his back on them, slammed his way through the gate, and walked to the house.
* * *
"That dirty—" Pierce muttered, forgetting about his bleeding nose and reaching for the rifle on his saddle.
"You touch that rifle and I'll drop you where you stand," Little Sam said dangerously.
Pierce didn't have to see the pistol in her hand to know she meant what she said. "Now, Sammy, he insulted you, and he aims to steal—"
"You damn fool! Get out of here and take these other fools with you! Don't come back here and don't you ever lay a hand on him again!"
"Sammy, he—" Pierce said, pointing helplessly in the direction Gabe had gone.
Sammy exploded, screaming at him. "Get out of here! You've done all the damage you're going to!"
They were a hang-dog bunch of men when they mounted their horses and rode away. Sammy watched them go without any regret for her words. She was furious at them and even more furious over what Gabe had said to her, now the shock had passed.
Hedges watched her and was ready when she jerked her horse around to go through the gate. He jumped in front of her, holding his hands up to stop her. "Now, Sammy, you just leave be. Give him time to cool down some."
"He had no right saying those things to me, no matter how mad he was at them," she said, urging the horse to go by him.
Hedges talked furiously. "Now, girl, he didn't mean it for you. He's got reasons for what he said."
"Not to me," she shouted, heeling the horse to jump by him.
Hedges grabbed the headstall, bringing the horse around in a whirl, but it didn't stop Sammy. She jumped from the saddle and hit the ground running. Hedges' age against her youth and fury was no contest. She reached the porch twenty feet ahead of him only to slide to a stop in front of the door. Hedges kept running, even if she did go on at a slower pace to walk into the house.
"Oh, Hedges," she cried when he came through the door. "I didn't think they'd hurt him."
"Likely they didn't over-much, girl," he said, joining her on his knees on the floor next to Gabe's prone body. "He ain't up to snuff, and I reckon that little set-to took all the steam out of him."
"He's marked up," she said in concern as Hedges rolled Gabe to his back.
"Bound to be, the way they was throwing haymakers at him," he said, carefully feeling ribs, arms, and head. "Don't find nothing to be overly concerned with, only that boy's gonna be sore come morning."
"Not as sore as Pierce," she said with a weak smile.
"Huh! That no-good. When you gonna get rid of him?"
"As soon as I can, Hedges," she promised. "I'll get some water. You better bring in some hay for a bed. There isn't one here."
"I could take him on back to town," he offered.
"And end up with your nose broke, as mad as he was at you, too?" she teased, pushing to her feet. "No, leave him be, Hedges. It's his place now."
"Sammy, we was headed to your place with the deed. I don't think he'll keep it from you once he cools down and realizes you didn’t have nothing to do with that and how you set spec
ial store by this section. He ain't that kind."
"What kind is he, Hedges? Why did he say those things to me?" she asked, looking down at Gabe's face.
Hedges looked down also. "Sometimes them geysers shoot out water hot enough to take the skin right off you. Tried to warn him about it, holding that all in, but I couldn't come right out and say it. It's a mite touchy for him to be talking on."
Which she knew meant he wouldn't be telling her. "All right, Hedges," she said wearily. "It doesn't matter anyway. He won it fair and square. It's his now."
"Don't matter? Now, don't you talk like that. Next you'll be crying and weeping."
"And why shouldn't I? You want to know the truth; I don't give a damn if I lose every last section. I'm tired of being Little Sam. I'm a woman, and I want woman things. I want a house, a husband, and children. What chance do I have for any of them if I'm too busy running a ranch and being Big Sam's daughter?"
"No reason you cain't be and have all that at the same time," he said nervously. "This house you built for yourself ain't lost to you." She was too intent on her own misery to notice Gabe was stirring, but Hedges did and hurried her away. "You just go on and get that water you promised."
"You don't believe me, do you?" she asked soberly.
"I know you mean what you say, Samantha. Same as I know you'll keep right on being what you are on account of you have to. But like I said, there's no reason you cain't be both."
"Sure, Hedges," she said sadly, not believing it. She knew that in her plain, shapeless clothes, if it weren't for the fact that she wore a skirt instead of britches, it was hard to tell she was a woman and not a boy. With her hat hiding the knot of her hair on the back of her neck, even that wasn't visible except from the side. Not until you looked at her face, her fine sculptured features and the emerald green eyes, did you really see the young woman. She didn't figure any one looked, and because of who she was, there was no reason for her to make herself look any different.
Hedges waited until he could hear the pump working in the kitchen before he gave Gabe a slight shake and spoke to him. "Can you hear me, boy? Gabe?"
Gabe heard his name and made an answer too garbled to understand, but it told Hedges what he wanted to know. Gabe was too exhausted to wake up. Hedges could leave for the bedding straw without worrying about the two of them clashing while he was gone.
* * *
"Afternoon," Hedges said cheerfully when Gabe opened his eyes.
"Afternoon?" Gabe asked, feeling a sore spot on the inside of his lip.
"How you feel?"
"All–ow!" he said in surprise when he moved to sit up. He stayed down, holding his breath and feeling his bruised ribs.
"Nothing broke that I could find. Pierce cain't say the same. You busted his nose first thing."
Gabe thought about it for a bit, then shook his head. "I guess Pierce is the man that jumped me. I don't remember getting any hits on him, only I don't usually go down with one punch."
"Wonder if that geyser remembers spouting off?"
"Huh?"
"This one don't, for sure," said Hedges with a chuckle. "Boy, you knocked Pierce flat before he could punch you, then you fell on him like a hail storm. His boys had to pull you off, and they had a time doing it. Little Sam got there just in time to save you a gun barrel across the noggin." Gabe was looking at him like he'd just sprouted horns. "Don't you remember none of it?" Hedges asked incredulously.
"I remember getting jerked off the wagon."
"Well, boy, you did just like I tried to tell you would happen. You blew off that load of mad you were carrying, and those standing by paid for it. I cain't say they were exactly innocent. They had it coming. Only…" He paused, wondering if Gabe had done all the exploding he was going to do. He'd had a taste of Gabe's tongue when he was riled, and he'd seen him use his fist. He didn't cotton to receive any of either.
"Only what?" Gabe asked with calm resignation.
"You shouldn'a said what you did to Little Sam. Just 'cause one maverick is bad, you cain't go putting the same brand on all of them."
"Anyone ever tell you, you talk crazy?"
"Nope, you got a headache?" he asked as Gabe rubbed at his forehead.
"No, I just don't know what you're talking about," Gabe answered shortly, moving to sit up again, only taking care this time.
"Ain't right to throw the same brand on all heifers you round up in a herd," Hedges said in a rush, wincing inwardly, anticipating the reaction Gabe would have to his words.
"No reason I would, without checking," Gabe answered vaguely with a look that suggested Hedges was crazy. "Where are we?"
"Boy," Hedges said, letting his breath out slowly, "you dang sure never let a man know ahead of time how you're gonna take things."
"Hedges, I still don't know what you're talking about," Gabe said in exasperation.
"It was those things you said to Little Sam Mentrol. You shouldn'a said those things to her."
"Her!" Gabe came straight up with a jerk, wrenching every bruise he had. "Little Sam is a woman?"
Hedges nodded, realizing then why nothing he had said before had gotten a rise out of Gabe. The way Gabe said that one word, putting every ounce of feeling behind it showed Hedges that all that he had been saying suddenly made sense to Gabe, connecting heifers to women in Hedges obscure references. The blanket went one way, carrying straw with it, and Gabe went the other, lurching to his feet.
"You better take it slow," Hedges warned, hands out to help Gabe steady himself.
"Get away from me, damn you! All that garbled nonsense you've been talking when all along you knew everything about me! Damn you! You deliberately got me into this!" Gabe raved.
"I didn't mean to get you into nothing, boy, I swear. I just hated seeing you like that."
"Like what?" he demanded, his face now a dangerous few inches from Hedges.
"I don't reckon you remember me. Kinda obvious that you don't, but I've been down Crystal Creek way. You—"
Gabe reached out and grabbed Hedges by the shirt front, dragging him to his toes.
"Now, don't hit me, boy. I'm an old man. You'll hurt me," Hedges managed to say with a calmness he wasn't feeling.
Gabe let go of him, and he backed a safe distance away. "You had no right meddling."
"Ollie Morgan's a friend of mine."
Gabe's eyes narrowed.
"He wrote and asked me to keep a look-see out for you. He said you was in a bad way and would need some help getting back on your feet."
"Ain't no reason for him to care!" Gabe shouted. "He runs the store, and we've had some friendly words, but he ain't no friend! And I don't need any help!"
"You got it anyhow. Look at yourself, Gabe. You're madder than sin, but you know what you're doing, and you're gonna remember it this time."
"You set me up for that fight," Gabe accused.
Hedges was relieved to see Gabe was losing some of his fury. He seemed more confused than mad even with the accusation. "No, no, I didn't do that," Hedges said quickly. "I was just trying to hold you here. I had to pay plenty to get that stagecoach to stay and them to tell you that wheel needed mending. I figured to bring you out here, letting that stage leave without you. That'd keep you two more days until the next stage comes in. I didn't know what I'd a done then if you hadn't agreed to stay, but I'd have thought of something."
"Why, for God's sake? Why would you go to all that trouble?" Gabe asked.
"Well, Gabe, Ollie's the nearest thing I got to family. He asked me to do it, and I figured it was right, after seeing you and knowing what those fools done to you. That's the only reason I can give you."
"Why would Ollie do that?"
"Ollie said one of the things about you was you never realized how much folks liked you. He figured Crystal Creek Bluffs owed you more than that five dollar gold piece they gave you, and Ollie figured he owed you for what you tried to do for all of them and 'cause he failed you right along with that town."
"He didn't fail me," Gabe said, turning away to stare out the window.
"You feel some better now, don't you, Gabe? I never planned on you getting jumped like that, but maybe that fight was what you needed to work that mad out."
"You're a wily old man, Hedges." Gabe turned back to look at him, adding, "Yes, I feel better."
"Then you'll stay?" he asked quickly.
Gabe shook his head.
"Why, boy?"
"I reckon that fight made me some enemies, and I don't need that. I can pretty well imagine what I said to that woman from what you've told me."
"Ah, you don't need to worry about that. Little Sam don't hold no grudge. After she sent the boys off, she came in here, fair bent to horsewhipping you, but when she found you stretched out on the floor, she helped me care for you instead."
"So what happens the next time she sees me standing on my feet?"
"You apologize. That's all that's needed."
"Just what exactly did I say?" he asked doubtfully.
"Well, you sorta called her a liar when she said she was sorry for what her boys did. Then you kinda said she used men to do the dirty work while she pretended innocence." He hesitated, looking a little down-faced. "Them was awful hard things to say to a woman you'd never seen before."
"And?"
"Well, you told her hell would freeze over before you let her have that deed."
"And you figure an apology will take all that back? You better get me back to town before someone calls me out on it. Then you," he pointed at Hedges, "you can take that deed out to her, free and clear."
"I was kinda hoping you'd hold off some on that."
"No, I'm getting out of here before I get my tail in a worse crack than it already is. No more tricks, Hedges. I appreciate what you tried to do, even what you managed to do, but no more."
Hedges nodded, as if he agreed, with his mind working as to what he could do to keep Gabe there.
* * *
One thing more Gabe could say about Hedges: he was the stubbornest man he had ever met. Gabe lay down to rest while Hedges went out to water the team before the trip back. When he woke up, Hedges was gone. Leaving a note saying he'd be back in plenty of time to get Gabe on the next stage out, if Gabe still wanted to go, and he may as well use the time to rest and think.
Little Sam's Angel Page 3
