‘You’d think this place was on a main road,’ Sam grumbled. He reached for his gunbelt. He stepped where he could see the approaching rider as he secured the weapon around his waist.
‘This one’s wearin’ a badge at least,’ he muttered.
Kate stepped out of the door of the house, her rifle cradled in the crook of her elbow. ‘I wonder if she gets tired o’ havin’ to greet everyone that comes along that way,’ Sam pondered silently.
Aloud, he said, ‘Looks like a lawman.’
‘How can you tell?’
‘Caught a flash of sun off his badge.’
She took a step backward and stood the rifle inside the door of the house. They stood side by side watching the approaching rider. He appeared relaxed in the saddle, but as he drew closer Sam noticed the lawman’s restless eyes constantly scanned everything around and ahead of him.
He reined in with a nod of his head. ‘Mornin’, folks.’
‘Good morning, Marshal,’ Kate responded, reading the legend “United States Marshal” emblazoned on the gold badge. ‘Get down and come in. The coffee pot’s still warm.’
‘Can’t turn down an offer like that,’ the marshal responded.
His extraordinarily large handlebar mustache that extended clear to the bottom of his jaws bore well stained testimony to his love of either coffee or chewing tobacco.
Kate stepped into the house, and he followed, sweeping the broad-brimmed, high-crowned hat from his head as he walked through the door. Sam followed, sending one last glance around to assure himself the marshal was alone.
‘Nice place you folks have here,’ the marshal observed, seating himself in the chair Kate indicated. ‘I’m Harm Denton, by the way.’
‘I’m Sam Heller,’ Sam offered, extending his hand to return the marshal’s solid grip. ‘This is Kate Bond. Actually, it’s Kate’s place,’ Sam explained. ‘I’m just sorta helpin’ out for a few days.’
The marshal eyed him appraisingly, his expression betraying nothing of his thoughts. ‘That so? You a drifter?’
‘Not really. I work for the Rafter J down in the Indian Nation.’
The marshal’s eyebrows rose. ‘That’s a purty good distance from Wyoming. Who’s your boss?’
‘Hap Harvey owns the place. Thad Messmer’s the straw boss.’
‘That name rings a vague bell,’ the marshal mused. He picked up the steaming cup of coffee Kate had set before him, blew across the top of it and slurped off a sip of the dark, slightly cooled liquid. ‘How many cows you run down there?’
‘Upwards of three thousand,’ Sam replied. ‘You’d most likely heard of us from our horses, though. Chisolm Chief is one of our studs.’
The marshal raised a hand. ‘That’s where I heard the name! Lester Magnuson over by Laramie won’t use a stud if it ain’t outa Chisolm Chief.’
‘I’ve met him,’ Sam confirmed. ‘Small man. Wears a mustache pertneart as big as yours.’
The marshal grinned, stroking his very striking facial feature. ‘Pertneart as big, but not near as fine and handsome a mustache, though, wouldn’t you agree?’
Sam grinned in response, taking refuge in his own cup of coffee. ‘I won’t take sides,’ he dodged. ‘I wouldn’t wanta offend one of the boss’s best customers.’
‘So what brings you clear to Wyoming?’
‘Horse thieves.’
The marshal’s eyebrows shot up again. ‘Horse thieves?’
Sam nodded. ‘Someone stole a bunch of our horses, along with some from three of our neighbors. I tracked ’em north.’
‘You find ’em?’
‘I found ’em. Four of ’em.’
The marshal simply sipped his coffee, staring at Sam, waiting silently for a lot more information than that.
Sam decided to comply. ‘I caught up with ’em over at Hinsmeyer’s Mill Iron.’
When he offered nothing further, the marshal pursued it. ‘You call ’em out?’
‘I called ’em horse thieves.’
‘Hinsmeyer and his boys back your play?’
‘They would’ve if I’d needed it. Things happened sorta fast. I had to go ahead and empty their saddles afore Hinsmeyer’s hands had a chance to get in on it.’
The marshal stared hard at him for a long moment. ‘You took on all four of ’em by yourself?’
Sam shrugged and took another drink of his coffee. ‘Only three at once. The ringleader made a dumb play by himself when he figured out we was gonna take a good look at his bills o’ sale.’
‘Are you really that fast with a gun?’
‘He’s really that fast with a gun,’ Kate replied across her own coffee cup. ‘One of Lance Russell’s gunmen drew on him the other day. He didn’t have a chance.’
The marshal studied Kate, betraying the fact that she had mentioned something of greater importance than the stolen horses. ‘You saw him shoot Texas Tom?’
‘I saw him shoot one of Russell’s hired gunmen. I don’t have any idea what his name was. Why?’
The marshal looked back and forth between Kate and Sam, studying them carefully. ‘The story I got was that Texas Tom was shot in cold blood by a drifter.’
Kate snorted. ‘That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard in my life. Lance Russell and two of his hired guns tried to force me to sell out to him for five hundred dollars. He threatened to turn his hired guns on me right in front of my son until I agreed. If Sam hadn’t been here, I don’t know what I would have done.’
Denton looked at Sam. ‘They didn’t see you?’
‘Not then. I was out back cuttin’ wood. That’s why I was hangin’ around here. I offered to cut Kate a wood pile for winter in exchange for a few days’ good grass for the horses. I wanted to fatten ’em up some before I headed south with ’em.’
‘So they didn’t see you?’
‘Not then. I was listenin’, though. When things started gettin’ ugly, I stepped around the corner. I ordered ’em off the place. One of ’em decided he’d poke a little daylight through me instead. He wasn’t nowhere’s near fast enough.’
‘Not too common, a gun hand willin’ to swing an axe.’
‘I’m not a gun hand. I’m just a workin’ cowboy that happens to be handy with a gun. I’d just as soon never have to pull it on anybody. I don’t hire my gun out.’
‘What happened up along Buffalo Ridge?’ the marshal asked abruptly.
Billy piped up with the answer. All three of the adults had forgotten his presence, intent as they were on their conversation.
‘I get to tell ’bout that! Some guys what was a-stealin’ a whole bunch of our cows. Me’n Ma and Sam seen the tracks where they’d rounded up a whole bunch. We followed ’em. We caught up with ’em, but Ma and Sam wouldn’t let me help. I had my rifle too, but they wouldn’t let me do nothin’. They made me stay with the horses. They shot two o’ the rustlers, then made the other three walk without their boots. I bet their feet was plumb sore afore they got where they was goin’.’
Denton pursed his lips carefully. ‘Well, that’s either the straight of it, or you did a real fine job teachin’ the boy a tall tale.’
‘I ain’t lyin’, mister! Ask my ma.’
‘I believe you, son,’ the marshal assured him. ‘Your story makes a lot more sense than the one I got from Russell.’ He turned to Sam. ‘You know Ben Grede?’
‘Never met him.’
‘I know him,’ Kate interjected. ‘He runs that saloon and gambling hall and house of ill repute in Mariposa. He’s bought out three or four ranchers and homesteaders. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. He’s as hungry for more land as Russell is, but he hasn’t bothered me. Why?’
‘Him and Russell swore out a complaint against you, Sam. They swore it out together. Said you been rag-tailin’ their outfits and causin’ all sorts o’ trouble.’
‘I ain’t done one dad-gummed thing against the law,’ Sam retorted. ‘If they wanta claim I have, let ’em ride out here and say it to my face.’
‘They rode clear down to Laramie to swear out a complaint?’ Kate demanded.
Denton stroked his mustache. ‘Well, no, not exactly. I just happened to be ridin’ up this way on some other business. Russell spotted me when I stopped by Grede’s place for a beer. They told me all about what a real bad hardcase this Sam Heller is, and how it’s my duty to rid the country of such as him. I told ’em I’d look into it. Near as I can tell, you folks are the ones that need to watch your backs.’
Sam’s eyes continued to flash fire. ‘Russell knows where I stand, and what he can do about it any time he wants. I’ll have a little chat with Grede.’
Denton acted as if he wanted to take exception to the statement, then finished his coffee instead. ‘Just make sure you stay within the law,’ he said. ‘Don’t give ’em anything they can use to make me take sides.’
Sam was already mapping out a course of action in his mind he was sure the marshal would not approve.