Read Online Arizona Territory by Dusty Richards - Free Book Online Page A

time ever. “I know, but you have helped me so much.”
    â€œSet your alarm clock, Jesus. We’re going to try our hand at routing them out of bed in the morning. Better get us up at four.”
    Cole pulled out his pocket watch. “It’s six o’clock now.”
    Later that evening, Chet had a hard time going to sleep. Leaving Liz behind was on his mind. He’d asked her to come up to Preskitt and then rode off on her. Well, maybe she would understand and not leave him. Hispanic women could have a mad side—especially a rich one like her.
    Strange, in all the foot-washing business and talks they had, she never mentioned her family. Her brother-in-law became the ranch manager and Liz sounded definite about that. There was too much he didn’t know to make real good sense out of things. She came there to be with him, and to be his wife. And here he laid in a thick bedroll, two hundred miles away from her, listening to coyotes whine. It was not fair.
    They woke in the starlight. Easter made coffee and oatmeal with bugs from Jesus’s panniers. The deer ribs and frijoles were still cooking. In the lamplight, the three men saddled their horses and hitched them, then climbed back uphill to eat breakfast. She had hot water for them to wash their hands and a towel.
    â€œI plan to be back here tonight and have this business settled.”
    She nodded. He noted that she’d brushed her hair and tied it back with a ribbon. Even wore a much nicer dress. Good, her esteem had risen. They finished their meal, thanked her, downed the last of their coffee, and rode out.
    The second road north from hers led to the Burris place. It was several miles northeast, and there was an old broken-down wagon at their turnoff. With Easter’s directions, it was easy to find under the stars. They rode up on the flat, hobbled their horses, and set out on foot. Each man carried a Winchester and plenty of brass 44/40 cartridges. They came up on a squaw shade beyond the corrals.
    Cole took the assignment to sneak around behind and cover the back side, in case they decided to run for it. Chet and Jesus planned to sit and watch things from the corral. It afforded some protection and there was a slit in the fence where they could belly down and shoot through. The sun began to creep over Four Peaks. No one had stirred. The number of horses in the corral told him most of them would be there. Daylight began to creep up.
    He fired two rounds in the air and yelled, “I have a posse surrounding the house. Hands high, or die. Any woman with a gun in her hand can expect to be shot. Now, get out here now or die.”
    The cussing and grumbling went on.
    A woman screamed. “I have a baby. No gun!”
    â€œGet out here and move to the left in plain sight.”
    â€œWho in the hell’re you?”
    â€œU.S. Marshal Chet Byrnes and my posse. Get out here.”
    â€œWe’re coming. You got the wrong place. Who you looking fur?”
    â€œThe Burris Gang.”
    Women in nightshirts led the way, herding crying kids. Then, bearded men in long-handles followed, hands high.
    A rifle shot came from the back.
    â€œI told you I had a posse. Any more in there want to die?” Chet shouted, angry at their disobeying him.
    â€œNo!”
    â€œCole?” Chet called out.
    â€œYah, Chet. I got one of them. He came out with a pistol in his hand.”
    â€œGet him around here.”
    â€œCan’t, Chet. He’s stopped breathing.”
    One of the younger women fell to the ground in a faint. As he came out of the corral, Chet saw her fall.
    â€œThat’s his wife,” the gray-headed man said.
    Chet shook his head. “We warned you. Now who shot Argus Talburt?”
    â€œHe attacked us, butchering our own calf. The law in Rye will tell you so.”
    â€œI have a dying man’s different version. He said you killed him. Besides, why would you butcher your own calf on the open range?