“I don’t have no idea what it is that you just said,” Dumey said with a look of total confusion on his face.
“He said the ranch belongs to me.” Gabe smiled. “I imagine I’ll be looking for riders in case you two are interested.”
“I know you two boys. You’re good men,” Sanders said. “I’ll vouch for you to Mr. Short.”
“Why would we be interested in leavin’ the Straight Arrow?” Usher asked.
“Because before this thing plays out, you and every other man that’s working for Kennedy and O’Neil will more than likely be looking for work,” Matt said.
Leaving Sanders behind to show Gabe around his ranch, Matt, LeRoy, and Isaac rode into town, stopping at the courthouse. They went inside and stepped into Briggs’s office before being invited.
“Here, what is this?” Briggs asked, obviously irritated by the intrusion.
“Briggs,” Matt started.
“How dare you address me so?” Briggs said angrily. “You will show this office proper respect or I’ll hold you in contempt!”
“Briggs, do you remember in that farce of a hearing of the four men who murdered Jim and Mary Ella, how you wouldn’t let me speak because you said it was hearsay? Well, this man is the eyewitness I was talking about. Tell him, Isaac.”
“I personally saw Moe Greene, Walter Toone, Asa Carter, and the Mason brothers lynch Mr. and Mrs. Andrews,” Isaac said.
“Is that so? Well what do you expect me to do about it now?” Briggs blustered.
“We don’t expect you to do anything about it,” Matt said. “Even if you wanted to do something about it, you couldn’t, because you no longer have the authority.” He removed a letter from his pocket and showed it to Briggs. “This is my commission from the governor as a territorial marshal. And you, Briggs, are no longer a judge. You have been removed from office, and I am here to see that you comply with the governor’s order. Read it to him, Isaac.”
As Isaac read the writ, Matt watched Briggs as the expression on his face changed indignation, to confusion, to acceptance, and finally, despair.
“Am I under arrest?” Briggs asked quietly.
“Not as yet. But it might be better for you if you would leave the area,” Matt said.
* * *
DuPont was in the sheriff’s office playing a game of three-handed poker with the Mason brothers when Matt, Isaac, and LeRoy stepped inside.
“You got some nerve, comin’ in here like this after killin’ Boggs like you done,” DuPont said. “I ought to arrest you for murder.”
“Boggs drew first,” Matt said. “Anyway, you don’t have the authority to arrest anyone. You are no longer the sheriff. Get out.”
“Who are you to tell me to get out of my own office?” DuPont asked angrily.
“I am a territorial marshal. Do you want to see my appointment?”
“Briggs appointed you?”
“No, Briggs doesn’t have the authority to appoint anyone. He’s no longer a judge.”
“What? What is going on here?” DuPont’s question was an angry shout.
“A new order has come to Sweetwater Valley, and you don’t fit in any more,” Matt said easily. “Now, get out of here like I said.
“Newton, you are with them?” DuPont asked.
“I am.”
“What a traitorous piece of dirt you turned out to be.”
“No, DuPont. My treason was to society and the law when I was with you. Now I have put that treason behind me.”
“What if I don’t get out?” DuPont challenged.
Matt smiled confidently. “If you don’t get out, I’ll kill you.” He looked at the Mason brothers, who were following the conversation with shocked expressions on their faces. “And I’ll kill these two as well,” he added.
“Tyrone, I’m gettin’ out of here, now,” John Mason said, standing quickly.
“Me too,” Lem said.
“I don’t intend to let him run me out like this,” DuPont declared.
“Draw or leave, it’s your choice,” Matt said.
After a long moment, DuPont stood. “I’m leavin’, but this ain’t over,” he said with as much defiance as he could muster.
“Leave the badge,” Matt demanded.
With an angry sigh that was almost a snarl, DuPont took off his badge, slammed it down on the desk, then left.
“Did he seem mad to you?” Matt asked.
LeRoy laughed.
Chapter Thirty-eight
From the Red Desert Gazette:
JUDGE JOHN BRIGGS
REMOVED FROM OFFICE
New Judge to be Appointed
In a move that is unprecedented in the history of the Territory of Wyoming, a sitting judge has been removed from his office by the governor of the territory. Citing improper behavior and malfeasance, Governor Warren vacated not only Briggs’s office, but also all recent rulings and injunctions.
This means that:
1) The case of the lynching of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews may be reopened.
2) The appointments of Tyrone DuPont and his minions as sheriff and deputy sheriffs are revoked.
3) The tax judgment against the Circle Dot Ranch is hereby vacated. The tax money paid by Messrs. Kennedy and O’Neil will be returned to them and ownership of the ranch awarded to Gabe Short, who is the legitimate heir.
It is the absolute belief of the publisher of this newspaper that these rulings of the governor, set into motion by the actions of Matt Jensen, Hugh Conway, and Isaac Newton, cannot help but improve the quality of life in Rongis, and in the entire Sweetwater Valley.
Matt and Isaac were out at the Spur and Latigo Ranch making plans with Hugh and Ed to take the horses to Bitter Creek.
“There will be a buyer there,” Hugh said. “And though we could probably get more for them if we sold them in San Francisco, the cost of shipping would cut deeply into the difference, so I think I’ll sell them to the buyer at Bitter Creek.”
“I think that’s probably a pretty good deal. You’ll get your money faster and you won’t have to deal with the problem of shipping them,” Matt agreed.
“Here comes a couple of riders,” Ed said.
“It looks like Colleen O’Neil and Cooter Gregory,” Hugh said. “I wonder what they want.”
“You’re a little off your range, ain’t you, Cooter?” Ed asked when the riders approached.
“Mr. O’Neil ’n Mr. Kennedy are both dead,” Cooter said.
“What?” Matt asked, surprised by the announcement.
“It’s true,” Colleen said in a choked voice. “Papa and Mr. Kennedy are both dead.”
“DuPont killed them,” Cooter said. “DuPont was the one who actually shot them, but Moe Greene was there, too. I saw them, but they didn’t see me. And I overheard the two of them talking, Mr. Jensen. DuPont said you’re next.”
“What about the other cowboys who work on the Straight Arrow?” Matt asked.
“Not all of them know what happened yet. I thought the best thing to do would be to get Colleen away before DuPont or any of his men got to her. I told Rodney Gibson and Murry Boston about what happened, and they said they would clear the others out of there.”
“Where are you headed now, Cooter?” Hugh asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. All I could think of was getting Collen out of there.”
“You and Miss O’Neil can stay here until we get this all sorted out.”
“Thank you,” Colleen said.
“There’s only way we’re going to get this sorted out, and that’s to get rid of DuPont and the men who ride with him,” Matt said.
“You know what I think?” Hugh said. “I think maybe I should get Ernest Dean, Frank, Travis, Bob, and—”
“No,” Matt said, holding up his hand. “I’m the one they’re after, Hugh. There’s no need in getting anyone else involved.”
“There are five of them, Matt. You can’t go up against all five of them by yourself,” Hugh protes
ted.
“Yeah, I can. Cooter, are they still at the ranch?”
“No, sir. They left just before I did.”
“More than likely they’re at Purgatory Pass,” Isaac said. “That was the headquarters before they all moved into town, and since you ran them out, I’m pretty sure that’s where they’ve gone back to.”
“Then Purgatory Pass is where I’m going,” Matt said.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Isaac, have you ever killed a man?” Matt asked.
“No, but I’m willing to do it if it becomes necessary.”
“You don’t need to start here.”
“Matt, you know Moe Greene, Walter Toone, and the Mason Brothers murdered Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, and it was DuPont who gave the order. My only real friend in the group was Luke McCoy, and he left. As far as I’m concerned the rest of them deserve to die. As I said, I’m willing to do it.”
“That may be so, but I am not only willing to kill them, I can do so quite efficiently. And I am even more efficient if I don’t have to worry about anyone else.”
“All right. But there must be some way I can help.”
“Tell me as much as you know about Purgatory Pass.”
* * *
The approach to Purgatory Pass could be easily monitored from a little precipice called Devil’s Point, and though it was Lem Mason’s time to be standing guard, John had come up to keep his brother company.
“I wonder what’s goin’ to happen to the ranch now that O’Neil ’n Kennedy is both of ’em dead?” he asked.
“DuPont said it all belongs to us now,” Lem said.
“Yeah, I reckon that’s a good thing, all right,” John said. “But I don’t particular want to be a-doin’ any cowboyin’.”
“Accordin’ to what DuPont said, there ain’t goin’ to be that much cowboyin’ to it. Turns out he’d been plannin’ on killin’ Kennedy ’n O’Neil all along. He’s been in contact with a feller who’ll take eight thousand head from us for twenty-five dollars a head, ’n he won’t be askin’ no questions ’bout where the cows come from. All we have to do is move ’em to Green River.”
“How much money is that?”
“That’s two hunnert thousand dollars. Forty thousand dollars apiece.”
“Damn, that’s a lot of money. But they’s more ’n eight thousand cows here. There’s at least ten thousand. How come we don’t take all of ’em?”
“We’re goin’ to have to push the cows almost two hundred miles, ’n there’s only five of us left to do it. Eight thousand head is about all we can handle. And I don’t know ’bout any of the others, but I don’t think me ’n you should plan on comin’ back here after we get the money. I think the best thing would be maybe go to Denver or San Francisco or some such place. Before we can do all this, though, DuPont says the first thing is, we’re going to have to kill Matt Jensen.”
“What for? I mean if we’re goin’ to get out of here, ain’t no need for us to see him no more.”
“Think about it, Lem. Do you really think Jensen would just let us go? No, sir, he’ll come lookin’ for us. And if he does that he could just real easy pick us off one at time. It’d be a lot easier to kill ’im iffen we’re all together.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean. I wonder where the blankethead is now?”
“I don’t know what blankethead you’re talking about,” Matt said. “But I’m right here.”
Both brothers gasped in surprise then turned to see Matt Jensen standing behind them.
“How the hell did you get here? We been watchin’ the pass the whole time!” Lem said.
“Apparently you weren’t watching closely enough,” Matt said. “How about you two men leading me down to DuPont and the others? I’m putting you all under arrest for killing Kennedy and O’Neil.”
“It wasn’t us that done that,” John said. “It was DuPont that kilt ’em.”
“All right. I’ll arrest DuPont for killing Kennedy and O’Neil, and the rest of you for killing Jim and Mary Ella Andrews. Now, lead the way.”
* * *
“Hey, look!” Moe Greene said. “There’s the Masons comin’ down from the point, ’n both of ’em has their hands up.”
“What for do they have their hands up?” Toone asked.
Greene, Toone, and DuPont had been standing just outside DuPont’s cabin.
“On account of Jensen’s behind ’em!” DuPont shouted. “Inside, quick!”
The three men hurried into the cabin and slammed the door behind them.
“What about John and Lem?” Toone asked.
“To hell with them,” DuPont replied. “If they had been lookin’ out like they was supposed to, Jensen woulda never got in here.”
“But as long as he’s got ’em out there, he can force us out,” Toone suggested. “I mean he could say he’ll kill ’em if we don’t—”
That was as far Toone got before DuPont picked up a rifle and fired through the window, not at Matt, but at Lem Mason.
“Uhh!” Lem called in shock and pain as he fell.
“Get down!” Matt shouted at John Mason, who stood there for a moment looking on in disbelief.
“He won’t be using ’em now, will he?” DuPont said as he fired again, and John went down.
“What are you going to do now, Jensen?” DuPont called. “They’s three of us ’n only one of you. ’N we’re inside ’n you ain’t got no way of forcin’ us out.”
“Jensen.” John’s voice was weak and strained with pain. “Jensen, the back of the cabin.”
“What?”
“There ain’t no windows in the back of the cabin . . . for ’em to see you comin’. The bar is broke on the door . . . back there . . . so it can’t be locked. Push on it . . . you can get inside easy.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“On account of them sons of bitches . . . kilt Lem . . . ’n . . . me,” John said with one final expulsion of breath.
Staying low on the ground, Matt slithered away. Reaching a point where he was concealed by rocks, he started toward the cabin.
“Jensen! Jensen, you still out there?” DuPont called. “Jensen, there ain’t no way for you to get out of here. If you start back toward the pass, we’ll have a clear shot.”
When he reached the end of the line of rocks, he had about a twenty-five-yard dash to the corner of the cabin. As he examined it, he saw he would be exposed for the entire twenty-five yards.
“Jensen, where are you?” DuPont shouted.
“I’m right here!” Matt shouted, and he fired several shots toward the window.
The shots had the effect he wanted in that they caused DuPont, Greene, and Toone to drop down from the window, giving Matt a few seconds to dash across the open area until he got to the side of the cabin. There, he backed up against the adobe walls, where he stood for a moment as he reloaded his pistol.
He heard some shots being fired from the window and saw dirt being lifted from the end of the rocks where he had been but a moment earlier.
With his pistol reloaded, Matt moved around to the back of the cabin. It was just as John had told him. There was a door but no windows.
Raising the pistol, he kicked the door open then dashed inside. “Drop your guns!” he shouted.
All three spun around and fired at him. Matt returned fire, shooting three times. Three shots was all it took.
One month later
Hugh and Lisa, Isaac and Fancy, and Art Walhausen were having a farewell dinner for Matt, who would be leaving Rongis the next morning.
“Two weddings in one week,” Art said. “Cooter and Colleen are now Mr. and Mrs. Gregory and”—he held his arm out—“sharing our table tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Newton.”
“Congratulations to you,” Matt said, lifting his glass toward Isaac and Fancy.
“And Isaac, a special thank-you for all that you have done for us,” Hugh added.
“I should thank you for allowing me the opportunity,” Isaac replied.
<
br /> “And Matt, my special thanks to you,” Hugh added. “There have been quite a few changes since you came here and all of them for the better. I was able to get my horses to market, Frank, Travis, Bob, Ernest Dean, and Gabe got their cattle to market. And who would have ever thought that Straight Arrow would invite the smaller ranchers to join their herds with them in the drive to Bitter Creek?”
“Colleen feels obligated to make up for all the trouble her father and Kennedy caused the area ranchers,” Lisa said. “She’s such a sweet girl. I always believed that she was nothing like her father.”
“Young Dunaway got the ranch back that had belonged to his father, but it’s too bad some of the people who lost their ranches earlier aren’t here to take advantage of all the changes,” Art said.
“Oh, the lawyer—as we have every confidence he will soon be restored to the bar—who now represents the Union of Landowners of Sweetwater Valley is taking care of that, aren’t you, Isaac?” Hugh said.
“Yes, sir, as soon as the Board of Directors of the bank gets a replacement for Bob Foley so the mortgages can be renegotiated,” Isaac said. “Miss O’Neil, uh, I mean Mrs. Gregory, said she will work with the bank and the original landowners.”
“It’s a shame,” Lisa said, and everyone looked at her, puzzled as to why she would make such a remark.
“What?” Hugh asked. “What do you mean, it’s a shame?”
“It’s a shame that Jim and Mary Ella didn’t live to see all this.”
“Oh, yes, I agree with you. It is a shame.”
“May I suggest a toast to them?” Art lifted his glass. “To Jim and Mary Ella. They will be missed.”
“Very much so,” Lisa said as they all lifted their glasses.
* * *
Matt headed south the next morning with no particular place to go and no hurry to get there. He heard a distant roll of thunder from a bank of clouds that had gathered over the Wind River Range. He was pretty sure that the mountains would draw the moisture from the clouds so that the rain wouldn’t get to him, but he took out his poncho and lay it across the saddle in front of him just in case.
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