“Were any of those other lawmen in Crooked Lance while the line was up that one time? More important, did any of them send a message from your father-inlaw’s store?”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t speak to him or to his two awful women. My ex-mother-in-law said bad things about me that weren’t true. Her snippy daughter backed her.”
“Do tell? What did they say against you?”
“Oh, the usual small-town gossip about a woman living alone. My sister-in-law’s a poor old maid who likely doesn’t know what grown folks do in the dark. Her mother can’t know much better. All her man thinks about is money. You notice they only have one child, and she was born long enough ago to be getting long in the tooth now. Poor things are spiteful ‘cause they never get no… you know.”
“Ummm, well, they did seem sort of lonesome, now that you mention it. They gossiped about you and Timberline, huh?”
“Oh, that’s to be expected, even though he’s never trifled with me. What they suspicioned was even more vicious!”
“You mean they had more’n Timberline about your dooryard?”
“They as much as accused him of Ben’s death. When he was killed in a stampede they passed remarks about how Timberline had never liked Ben as much as he seemed to like me.”
“That’s a hard thing to say about a man. Anybody go along with it?”
“‘Course not. You may as well know I took it serious enough to study on it, too. I questioned all the hands who were on the drive with my late husband. Talked to hands who weren’t fond of Timberline as well as his own Rocking H riders. Them two old biddies should be ashamed of themselves!”
“Just what happened to your man, if you don’t mind talking about it?”
“It was a pure accident, or, more rightly, Ben was a pure fool. They were driving in rough country when the herd was caught by a thunderstorm. A lightning flash spooked the herd and they started to stampede. My husband rode out wide to head ‘em off and turn the leaders. Riding in fallen timber at a dead run. They say Timberline shouted a warning to him. Called him back and told him not to try, but to let ‘em run, since the running was poor and there was a ridge ahead that would stop ‘em.”
“That sounds like common cow sense, ma’am. What happened then?”
“Ben’s pony tripped over a log and went down. The herd ran over him and the pony, stomping both flat as pancakes. Later, my in-laws allowed it was Timberline’s fault. They said he’d put Ben on the point, knowing it was dangerous.”
“Well, somebody has to ride the point, though some trail bosses tend to pick unmarried men for it.”
“Ben knew cows as well as anyone. Nobody got him killed. He got himself killed trying to prove he was the best cowboy in the valley.”
She looked away as she added, bitterly, “He had to prove he was good for something, I reckon.”
Longarm sat silently, mulling over what she’d told him. He had to admit the boss bully of Crooked Lance hadn’t done much more wrong than any other trail boss would have, and even if he’d had a hankering for another man’s wife, Timberline didn’t look like a man who could scare up thunder and lightning with a wave of his hat.
Longarm’s groin tingled slightly as he mulled over her words about the Stover women. The one in his room had moved her tail from side to side like a fish. In the livery stable, had it been the same one? It was hard to tell. Nobody does it the same way standing up. Had he laid the mother, the daughter, or both of ‘em? And did he really want to know?
Kim Stover was asking, “When are you going to let us ride out? I asked the Caldwells, and while they’re friendly enough, I couldn’t get a straight answer from either one.”
“That’s ‘cause they don’t know, ma’am. They’re likely as puzzled about it as yourself.”
“Don’t you know?”
“Well, sure. Ain’t ready to say, just yet.”
“Portia Caldwell said you were given to sly ways, but I think you’ve passed sly and ridden into ridiculous! You’ve lost Cotton Younger. You know everything we do. What are you waiting for now?”
“The full cast assembled, ma’am. By now, Captain Walthers has intercepted the wires sent from here and will know where we are. He should be riding in directly, madder than a wet hen and likely leading a troop of cavalry.”
“Good Lord! Are you waiting for the whole world to ride onto this reservation?”
“No, ma’am, just all my suspects. If you’re getting bored, I’d be proud to take you for a ride in the hills or something.”
“I’ll pass on the something. Every time Timberline takes me for a ride we wind up wrestling.”
“I don’t wrestle with gals, ma’am. My offer was meant neighborly.”
“I’ll still pass on it. Timberline’s enough to handle. You’ve got a very sneaky habit of saying one thing and meaning another!”
CHAPTER 22
Captain Walthers rode in from the west late that afternoon. The Indians had not rounded him up. It would not have been a well-advised move, for the captain rode in full uniform at the head of two troops of U.S. Cavalry under fluttering red and white guidons.
Longarm was waiting for him on the front porch of the agency, along with Caldwell and some of the others, including Kim, the Hankses, and Timberline.
Captain Walthers rode directly up and stared down grimly without dismounting. “I have two questions and a squadron to back them up, Longarm. Where is my horse, and where is my prisoner?”
“Both dead. Your walker slipped and gutted himself on sharp shale, so I had to shoot him. My office will pay damages, of course.”
“We’ll settle that later. What’s this about my prisoner, Cotton Younger, wanted for desertion in time of war?”
“The man I lit out with is dead and gone, whether you wanted him or not.”
“What do you mean gone? Where’s his goddamned body? Sorry, ladies.”
“He was killed by one of these vigilantes. I don’t know which one. That Canadian peace officer, Foster, made off with the remains last night. He’s likely got a good start on you by now.”
“He stole a man wanted by the War Department? Which way did he ride out?”
“Headed for Canada, most likely. You’d be wasting your time trying to catch him, Captain. He’s a hell of a tracker and has a day or more of lead on you. I doubt I could find him myself, now.”
“I’ll see about that. I’m charging you with horse theft, Deputy.”
“Why make more of a fool of yourself? I said we’d pay for the critter and my defense at any trial would be that I requisitioned the nearest mount at hand to save a man from a lynch mob. As a peace officer, I have the right to do such things as the need arises.”
“Why didn’t you ask me to help you, then?”
“You’d only have got in my way. As it was, I had a hell of a time making it here before these others caught up.”
The army man turned to the Indian agent and asked, “Aren’t you the law, hereabouts?”
“I sure am, soldier.”
“I demand you arrest that man for obstructing me in my duties!”
Caldwell’s face was calm as he answered, “I demand you flap your wings and lay an egg, too, but I don’t suppose you have to if you don’t really want to.”
“You don’t intend to let a few past misunderstandings between the army and the Bureau of Indian Affairs obstruct justice, do you?”
“I sure do, soldier. Once upon a time, when I had some Navajo all set to ride back peaceable, some hotheaded second lieutenant charged in with his troop and… Never mind, some of our men have acted like idiots, too, in the past. Suffice to say, I don’t reckon Your office and mine owe one another favors.”