CHAPTER FIVE

Although he admired Elly’s pluck, Jake Scudder felt uneasy on several counts as they followed the trail that the herd had taken. For one thing he was conscious that as they approached Rattlesnake Pass they could easily be picked off by a rifleman hiding up in the Pintos. For another thing there were just the two of them, a man and an attractive woman. He wondered if that in itself was enough to unsettle her. If so, he wondered how he could best reassure her that she was safe with him. Although he had lived among some of the roughest hombres alive, yet Jake still maintained a strong sense of propriety. He realized all too well that sharing a camp with her was bound to compromise either her sense of privacy, which he respected, or his ability to guarantee her safety. And it was the latter that really troubled him, for he had given her brother his solemn oath that he would look after her.

"You needn’t worry, Mr. Scudder, I will not try to seduce you by moonlight," said Elly suddenly, as if she had been reading his thoughts as they approached the entrance to Rattlesnake Pass.

Jake stared at her in amazement. "Why, ma’am, how did you know what I was thinking?"

Elly chuckled. "From everything that Johnnie told me and from what I have seen of you myself, as well as the way you talk," she replied. "I could see that you were looking worried, Mr. Scudder." She patted Trixie, her cowpony, then laughed when the pony neighed at her. Jake smiled at her laugh, for it was a musical laugh that showed him that beneath the strain she was clearly under, she was a young woman capable of humor. "I even think that Trixie here has been having similar thoughts about your stallion."

Scudder grinned, his cheeks coloring slightly as the stallion suddenly shook its great head.

"See, I was right, wasn’t I?" Elly asked. "But you don't need to worry. I'm spoken for. Johnnie and I are going to get married once we sort all this out – despite what my brother Saul thinks. So you are quite safe!" And at a touch of her knees and a click of her tongue the little cowpony trotted off ahead.

The big stallion swiftly caught up. "I sure am glad that we've cleared all that up, ma’am," said Scudder. He grinned down at her. "But how about it if we dropped the formality a mite. I'm never very comfortable when I'm tagged with the ‘mister’ label."

"Okay, Jake – and I'm Elly, remember."

As they rode together Jake pointed to a series of fresh wheel tracks and hoofprints in the sand. "It looks as if a wagon came one way with a couple of riders, then went back again with a heavy load."

Elly stammered, "Y-you mean - ?"

Jake nodded at her unfinished question. "I reckon that Marshal Brooks sent the local undertaker and a couple of men out to Rattlesnake Pass ahead of us. It looks as if they’ve already recovered the bodies and taken them back to Tucksville."

And indeed, when they eventually approached the hollow in Rattlesnake Pass, Elly insisted upon seeing for herself where the Rocking H crew had met their end; the hellhole from which Jake had saved Johnnie Parker.

Jake saw Elly quaver in her saddle and he reached across, fearful that she might suddenly faint and topple from her saddle. But she was made of tougher stuff than that. She reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a small silver whiskey flask.

"Johnnie gave me this," she explained, taking a sip and offering the flask to Jake.

Jake took the flask and raised it in the direction of the hollow, as if to toast the spirits of the dead cowboys. "Here's hoping that we can make sure that you didn’t all die in vain."

* * *

Silver City was a typical railhead town, complete with stock pens, cattle market, rail station and all the trappings that involved: water tower, coal dump, log warehouse, sidings, turning circle and repair houses. The ‘city’ designation had come when ‘decent’ folks arrived and the town quickly divided itself into a working end and a society end. The society end meant it was the part of the town where the respectable families lived; the grocers, printers, lawyers, doctors and other bastions of respectability. The real ‘social’ scene, however, where one could find the saloons, cat-houses, and drug dens, occupied a sort of unnamed and unspoken about (by the respectable women) hinterland to the east of the city. The defining name of the city – silver – rightly referred to the richness of the pickings in the city – which naturally pertained to all parts of the city.

Upon entering Silver City Jake and Elly naturally passed through the stockyards and the railhead, only to find that the last train had headed north, laden with cattle, only the day before. Accordingly, the stock pens were empty, the cattle having been transferred to the slaughter-yards in the north, while the workers had scattered to the entertainment part of town. All of the attached offices were locked up.

"I guess we had better check into a hotel first and then contact the local law," Jake suggested.

Half an hour later when they found the sheriff’s office, Elly knocked on the door and immediately entered, waking a bleary-eyed deputy from a whiskey induced slumber. He had been slumped over the desk in the office, his head cradled on one forearm. He snapped himself upright at the sight of a lady, his expression one of confusion.

"What can I do for you, ma’am’’ he asked as he rubbed sleep from his eyes then ran a hand over his dark stubbly jowl.

"I would appreciate a word with your sheriff," Elly returned. "It is about a robbery – rustling to be precise – a whole herd stolen." She eyed the deputy sternly, as if to ensure that he was listening closely. "But worse than that – eight good men were murdered. My whole crew."

The deputy blinked repeatedly, as if he was forcing his brain to take in this information. "Murder, did you say, ma’am? The sheriff will need to hear about this."

"Then where is he?" demanded Jake, stepping past Elly and planting his palms forcefully on the desk, making all of the papers scatter and the deputy’s elbows shudder.

"In . . . in the Busted Flush Saloon," the deputy stammered, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down nervously at sight of the big puncher eying him belligerently.

"We’ll go and flush him out then," said Jake, straightening up and tipping his hat. "Appreciate your help, deputy. Guess we’ll probably meet up again."

Deputy Hank Bott hoped not. But when the tall cowboy and the pretty lady left, a sly grin spread across his dark jowls. "And maybe you won’t be seeing many more people anyways, my friend," he said softly to himself. "Not if you adopt that attitude around the sheriff." And then his thoughts turned lasciviously towards the pretty woman accompanying him. "But maybe you’ll meet a lot of fellers who take a shine to you, ma’am. Especially if you go into the Busted Flush."

The Busted Flush Saloon was the ‘superior’ saloon in Silver City. It boasted gaming tables, a Faro wheel and the prettiest chorus line west of the Pintos. And to top it all it was run by Carmen de Menendez, reckoned by most of the cognoscenti to be the best looking saloon owner in the southwest. She was said to be a Mexican lady of good lineage, able to trace her family back to the caballeros of Old Spain. As for her ‘girls," they were all chosen for their looks, if not their morals.

The décor of the saloon had a decided Mexican feel. That was not to say that it was like any of the cantinas found around the borders, rather that it had an ambience of gentility and of Hispanic opulence.

The bartenders all had thick, lush moustaches, wore flamboyant wide sleeved shirts, with multi-colored bandanas about their necks. The mirrors behind the long bar were of fine gilt, and dotted about the walls were brightly colored pictures of dancing senoritas and white toothed vaqueros.

A piano player was tinkling away below the raised stage, across which the curtains had been drawn, presumably in a break between chorus line numbers. The square dance area was similarly free. Apart from that, the saloon was already pretty well packed and the air was thick with a tobacco haze. Saloon girls dashed between tables dexterously carrying trays of beer and whiskey, while others just stood by various gamblers supposedly to bring them luck. Every now and then some fortunate gambler would gather in his winnings and leave the game to reward his luck-bringer in one or another of the upstairs rooms.

Elly took no notice of the curious stares that she and Scudder received from the customers, the saloon girls, and the bar staff. She strode purposefully towards the bar where a swarthy, grinning bartender was polishing glasses.

"We're looking for the sheriff," Jake said.

The bartender laughed. "An unusual request, señor. Most people in Silver City prefer not to meet the sheriff." And then seeing that neither Elly nor Jake saw any humor in his remark he pointed to the far corner of the saloon where a card game was going on. "Sheriff Slim Parfitt is right over there playing poker with the boss, Miss Carmen de Menendez."

Weaving through the crowd they made their way to the card table where five people were playing. They stood waiting for an opportunity to interrupt the play.

The sheriff’s nickname of ‘Slim’ was far from apt, since he was a man of more than ample girth, with at least two chins. His clothes hugged him and their aged look suggested that he had slowly been expanding in width. As he sat cradling his cards a thin film of perspiration covered his face and his receding hairline. Bloodshot eyes and a half-consumed bottle of whiskey at his elbow indicated a fondness for liquor. As Jake watched him he wondered whether his perspiration was due to his physical condition or to his gambling prowess, or lack of it.

Across the table from the sheriff sat a woman of remarkable beauty. Olive skinned, full ruby red lips and raven black hair, she was dressed in a yellow silk dress that revealed her feminine curves to perfection. About her neck was a black choker that favorably emphasized her long neck. Unlike the sheriff she seemed to be the very personification of calmness. No one would have any idea what sort of hand she held from the expression on her face.

And there was a sizeable pot in the center of the table. As the game went on the other three players caved in, leaving only the sheriff and the saloon owner. Finally, the sheriff took a gulp of whiskey from his glass, belched loudly, and then threw a fistful of dollar bills into the pot. "Think I’ll see you, Carmen. There’s no way you’re going to beat my hand today."

Only then did Carmen de Menendez speak. "Let’s see, Slim," she said, laying her cards down one by one. "Only, how do you think you can beat four aces?"

The sheriff stared in wide-eyed disbelief, then tossed his cards down and guffawed. "Darn! That cleans me out again. The least you could do is buy me a drink."

But Elly could keep quiet no longer. "Am I seeing things, or are you the sheriff of Silver City?" she asked, her eyes smoldering and her jaw set firm. "What sort of law officer can be drinking and gambling at this time of the day when he should be on duty?"

Sheriff Parfitt was not one to sit and take insults from anyone, yet as he turned his bleary eyes on Elly he was all too conscious of the tall, capable looking man with a tied down Remington standing at her right side. "Something troubling you, ma’am?" he asked.

"There certainly is. I have been robbed. A whole herd belonging to the Rocking H ranch was stolen and my men were murdered. Massacred!"

Carmen de Menendez gasped. "But that is terrible. When did this awful thing happen, Miss - ?"

Elly tore her eyes away from the sheriff. "Horrocks. Elly Horrocks. It happened at Rattlesnake Pass a couple of days ago."

The Silver City sheriff shrugged his shoulders. "So why are you telling me? Rattlesnake Pass is nothing to do with me."

Jake had been quiet till now, but felt his hackles rise. "What is it with lawmen in this part of the country? They don’t seem to care about what happens outside their towns. Now look here, you miserable piece of – "

Slim Parfitt sat forward, his face hardening. "Now you just back off, mister. I don’t take kindly to – "

Carmen de Menendez suddenly stood up. "Sheriff Slim, perhaps the least you could do is to hear the lady out." She turned and smiled at Elly. "My name is Carmen de Menendez. I own the Busted Flush and I think it would be a good idea, perhaps, if we all adjourned to my private office."

Without more ado she led the way through the saloon, past an alcove where Hog Fleming, Cole Lancing, and Rubal Cage were drinking whiskey, each with a saloon girl on his knee. Rubal Cage had been listening to the exchange with great interest. He smacked his girl on her butt, much to her irritation, and stood up.

"Where you going, Rubal?" the porcine Hog Fleming asked.

Rubal Cage frowned. "I reckon we’ve got business that might need attending to. Come outside and let’s get some fresh air. I’ll tell you what you need to do."

Carmen de Menendez handed Elly and Jake glasses of wine while Sheriff Parfitt helped himself to a sizeable measure of whiskey from a decanter on a side table in the office.

Elly described all that had happened and Jake told them about his encounter with the man who had been cold-bloodedly shooting the bodies in the gully.

"In my opinion, you won’t find any of these men this side of the Pintos by now," said the sheriff.

"That means it's likely they sold the herd here in Silver City," said Elly. "And in that case, there will be a record of the transaction."

Slim Parfitt nodded. "Guess so. The cattle buyer for C & SW, the Central and South West Cattle Company will have it all documented."

"Will you take me to see him, sheriff?" Elly asked.

The lawman seemed to hesitate, but on prompting from Carmen de Menendez he heaved himself to his feet. "I reckon I can do that."

Elly looked at Jake. "Will you come too?"

Scudder shook his head. "No, ma’am. You and the sheriff can do that just fine. I think I will maybe have another drink in the bar before I head back to the hotel and clean up."

Two patches of color formed on Elly’s cheeks, but she said nothing more. Instead, she nodded to Carmen de Menendez and followed the sheriff out.

Once they had gone, Carmen de Menendez shook her head. "I am afraid for your friend. I have my doubts that she will get her herd or her money back."

Jake drained his wine and laid it on the table. "I must say, I had much the same thought. Thank you for the wine and hospitality, ma’am." He smiled. "It isn’t exactly my kind of drink, though, so I think I’ll have a beer and then go clean up."

She smiled at him. "You’ll find this one of the best saloons, Mr. Scudder. Enjoy yourself while you are here."

The piano player began to play just as he put a hand on the door handle, and a moment later the sound of the chorus line started up, to much raucous laughter. "You know, ma’am. It sounds a fun place, right enough. I think I may just do that."

* * *

Elly Horrocks felt frustrated. Sheriff Slim Parfitt had sent his deputy Hank Bott to find and bring the C & SW Cattle Company agent to his office. To her dismay she was shown the documentation in the ledger confirming the sale of the Rocking H stock to the C & SW Cattle Company.

"There you are, ma’am," said Nat Tooking, the myopic cattle agent over the top of his half moon spectacles. "All legally signed, witnessed, and dated. There’s your representative Bill Coburn’s signature."

Elly had gone pale at sight of the clear but patently forged signature. "But that isn’t Ben’s signature," she protested. "He was lying dead in Rattlesnake Pass when whoever signed that."

Nat Tooking looked at her in amazement. "Did you say he was dead? What are you saying, ma’am?"

Sheriff Parfitt interrupted, "It looks as if you were duped, Nat."

The cattle agent stared at the ledger for a moment, then he emphatically shook his head. "No way! I paid good dollar in good faith for that herd. How do I know that this lady is telling the truth?"

Elly felt her temper rise. "How dare you. All of my crew have been murdered and my – my fiancé is lying seriously wounded at our ranch." She stabbed the ledger with a finger. "This deception is illegal and we shall insist on being reimbursed."

Nat Tooking’s lips had twisted into a sneer of contempt. "I can assure you, ma’am, that the C & SW Cattle Company will not pay out twice."

Sheriff Parfitt raised his hand. "And before you say anything more, ma’am – this rustling that you allege is totally out of my jurisdiction. Rattlesnake Pass and anything that happens there is nothing whatever to do with Silver City or with me."

Elly glared at him. "How did I know you were going to say something like that?" she asked sarcastically. She bid the two men good day then strode out of the office and crossed the street to the Silver City Classic Hotel, where she and Scudder had booked rooms earlier.

It was not until she was alone in her room with the door closed and locked that she sank onto the bed, covered her face and dissolved into tears.