“Major,” Seth corrected with a small smile. “Exmajor.”
“Your father hadn’t heard. He was damned proud of you.” He paused, then added, “I can ride over late this afternoon, stay overnight. I’ll be stopping over to see Mr. McGuire tomorrow. Probably around suppertime.”
“Thanks, Doc. Good seeing you again.”
The doctor touched his hat in response. “Give my regards to your brother.”
SETHfirst made a trip to the ranches of those families named by Doc Pearson.
He knew them all. They had attended church with his family.
All were faced with eviction. Most of their cattle had disappeared. When they reported it, they were told that the culprits were their former neighbors-Dillon Sinclair and several local men-who were at large.
They didn’t believe it. They all knew Dillon. He’d been wild as a kid but there hadn’t been a dishonest or vicious bone in his body.
He judged each one, then settled on Gary and Morgan Simmons. Neither had a wife or children. They had a few cattle but their main business had been cutting horses.
“It will be dangerous,” he warned. “But I won’t do it if the marshal doesn’t agree.”
“Our folks are buried out there in back,” Morgan told him. “We didn’t have no stake in this war, and we didn’t go. Delaney has no cause to take our property. But now he says he’s ‘conscripting’ our horses for next to nothing. Says he has that right, and he’s threatening new taxes if we complain. We can’t pay no more and he knows it. Ain’t many of us left ’cept old man Carey, Tom Knox, and John down the crik. Might as well die protectin’ it. Ain’t gonna live forever anyhow.”
Gary concurred with his brother, his answer emphasized by going over to where a shotgun hung on hooks. He took it down and fondled it like a man fondled his lover.
“Go into town,” Seth said. “Talk to the banker about a loan. Tell him you’re gathering cattle from area ranchers and you need the money to hire some hands to drive them to San Antonio. Explain that the army here is paying too low a price.”
A smile spread over Gary’s face. “Delaney can’t let that happen. If army inspectors find out exactly what he’s paying the ranchers for cattle, or find out they can get them one hell of a lot cheaper, they will start to wonder about the major, mebbe even ask for bills of sale.”
“He will have to go licketysplit after the cattle,” Morgan finished for him.
“I would think so,” Seth said. “Hopefully, we will have a U.S. marshal waiting for his men. Rustling’s a hanging offense. They will talk.”
“But where will we get cattle?”
“Let me worry about that. It might take a few weeks, though.”
“As long as we git rid of the bastard and git a fair man out here. When you want me to go to the bank?”
“A week. By then I might be able to round up some cattle.”
“Should we ask where?”
“No.”
“Just let us know,” Morgan said.
ITwas dusk when Seth reached the natural canyon. As before, he made sure he wasn’t followed. He didn’t think he would be. Delaney had been surprised to find him at the ranch.
He hadn’t had time to get back to town and bring help before Seth had left. There was no way he would know where Seth went after their encounter.
He had no doubt that Delaney had probably sent out men to find him. His presence at his former home had obviously been disconcerting. So must have been Elizabeth’s defense of him.
They would probably be waiting for him to return now.
But he had to pull together the strings of his plan.
He felt eyes on him as he neared the approach into the valley. He wasn’t surprised when a rider moved in next to him and paced his horse to Seth’s.
“Colorado.”
“In the flesh. What in the hell are you doing here?”
“I need some help.”
“Someone could be following you.”
“I’ve been on the losing side of a war for four years, the first two as captain of scouts. I can evade the best of trackers.”
Colorado didn’t say more as they wound through the narrow opening into the valley and to the decrepit cabin.
His brother sat on the porch, whittling. He rose lazily, gave Seth a tight smile. “Still free, I see.”
“Delaney’s not happy with that situation.”
“Have you seen Marilee?”
“Several times. She’s safe enough for now. And happy, I think. As happy as she can be considering what she witnessed.”
“I miss her.”
“We will get her back. I promise.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“It’s forming. How many cows do you have here?”
“Not many. We have to be careful.”
“Branded?”
“Some. Not all.”
“What are the brands?”
Dillon named several nearby ranchers. One belonged to the Knox family.
“Where did they come from?”
“A friend of Delaney named Richmond. His herd is growing proportionately to those being depleted. He hadn’t had time to change the brands. We intend to get them back to the rightful owners.”
“We have another use for them now,” Seth said and outlined the plan.
Colorado and Dillon listened in silence.
“I don’t like it,” Colorado said. “It depends on a marshal. How do we know he’s not in league with Delaney?”
“Doc vouches for him. I plan to take his measure before saying anything.”
“We don’t have any choice,” Dillon said. “Another six months and there won’t be a Texan left in this area.”
“And Delaney will have our ranch.”
Dillon stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“McGuire was gunned down early today. I know it wasn’t you, but I hear they’re blaming everything else on you. They will probably add that to the list.”
“Hell, it wasn’t none of us. We stay hunkered down during the day.”
“It was probably Delaney. He wants to marry McGuire’s daughter, probably retire from the army with the best spread in Canaan. He can then scoop up other parcels at his leisure. He’s draining them of all their assets. They won’t have any choice but to sell or be foreclosed.”
“What do you need?” Dillon said.
SETH waited until near daybreak before approaching the ranch house that once belonged to his family.
He had seen the men stationed around the house. All appeared to be peacetime soldiers. Lazy. Undisciplined. Two were asleep. Two others had laid their rifles several feet away. All were unconscious now, tied with their own belts and the severed reins of their horses. Of the four, three had seen nothing. The last had only seen a man in a mask similar to those used by Elizabeth’s attackers.
Seth then moved swiftly to the back of the house, found an open window, and slid through it.
He’d seen a light in the house from a distance. Her father’s room. Seth wanted to make sure he was out of danger, that Delaney had not paid another visit.
Seth moved lightly to McGuire’s room, pausing at the door to listen for voices. There were none. He gently opened the door.
And came facetoface with the wrong end of a pistol.
Chapter Eleven
HE STOOD STILL. He usually stood still when confronted by someone holding a pistol.
A sleepyeyed Elizabeth held it.
She was still in a dress. Her hair was coming loose from the braid she usually wore and curled around her face. Long black lashes framed weary eyes.
She lowered the gun when she saw him.
“How did you get in?” she asked.
“Through a back window.”
“Soldiers were here all day. They’ve been looking for you. They said they had an arrest warrant.”