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Authors: Deborah Camp
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on your way off the ranch.”
Johnson’s head angled back as if he’d been socked. “You’ve made an enemy, Latimer.” He reined his horse around and gave it his spurs. Baines was right behind him, his copper colored mustang throwing up dirt clods.
Eller let out a long whistle. “I sure as hell didn’t see that coming. How long have you thought they were stealing?”
“Ever since Banner Payne told me about how they were robbed when they were returning from market last year.” He threw a chiding glance at Hollis. “Did you ever believe that hogwash, Hollis?”
Hollis squared his shoulders and his chin bobbed up. “It crossed my mind, but everybody says Yanks are crawling all over the place, taking people’s land and robbing them blind.”
“Yanks. Rebs.” Callum replaced his Colt in his holster and waved off the nonsense talk. “There are desperate, no-good, thieving people of every allegiance and color.”
“I didn’t trust those two,” Hollis admitted with a stubborn set to his mouth and jaw. “They were always flapping their tongues and acting like fools.”
Eller shrugged. “Hell, I don’t trust hardly anybody anyways, but I sure never suspected they were stealing cattle.”
“I’ll hire two more hands and have one of the Echohawks work this ranch with you. You and Hollis need to keep a closer eye on the cattle. Count heads and horns, including the calves, every damn day. Look for trails that lead off the land. Just because I told those two to vamoose, doesn’t mean they won’t sneak back and try to siphon off more of the herd. In fact, I expect it, just to get back at me.”
Eller touched the brim of his hat in a salute that irritated Callum.
“Eller, half the time when I ride out here in the afternoon, you’re already gone. We work from sunup to sundown. Not from sunup until we need a nap.”
Eller puffed up like a peacock. “I give a full day every damn day!”
Callum lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Next time I don’t see you out here, I’ll come looking for you. I better find you somewhere on this ranch working.”
Eller grinned at him. “Or what? You going to let me go?”
Callum grinned back at him, although he knew his was more like a sneer. “I’ll not only let you go, I’ll help you and your missus pack and escort you off the land. We’re holding on by our bootstraps here and I’m sure as hell not paying a cowhand who isn’t giving me a full day’s work.”
Eller glared at Callum, but then he laughed under his breath and set his horse to prancing. “Ah, hell, cuz! Quit rattling your sabre. You know I’m worth having around.”
Callum didn’t bother to comment on that since he’d already stated his intentions. “Let’s get back at it, then. Give me a head count this evening and every evening after. If you see anything suspicious – and I mean anything – you let me know. I haven’t given up finding enough evidence to earn Johnson and Baines rope neckties.”
###
Late that afternoon, the sound of a galloping horse brought Banner from around the side of her house where she’d been washing clothes. Her breath hitched when she recognized the Palomino and the rider. She ran her hands over the damp tendrils of hair that stuck to her temples and forehead, pushing them back and trying to tame her mahogany mane. Glancing down at her damp, white blouse clinging to her breasts and her wrinkled dark gray skirt, she wished for a shawl to throw over herself for modesty’s sake.
“Hello,” she called to Callum. “Are you looking for Hollis? He hasn’t come in from the range yet.” She glanced toward the lowering sun and guessed it to be five or six o’clock. Most days she left the Latimer place around four o’clock and came home to do a few chores and stir up a late supper for her and Hollis.
“I meant to catch you before you left for the day.” Callum reined his horse and swung down from the saddle. “Just missed you.” He removed his hat
Johnson’s head angled back as if he’d been socked. “You’ve made an enemy, Latimer.” He reined his horse around and gave it his spurs. Baines was right behind him, his copper colored mustang throwing up dirt clods.
Eller let out a long whistle. “I sure as hell didn’t see that coming. How long have you thought they were stealing?”
“Ever since Banner Payne told me about how they were robbed when they were returning from market last year.” He threw a chiding glance at Hollis. “Did you ever believe that hogwash, Hollis?”
Hollis squared his shoulders and his chin bobbed up. “It crossed my mind, but everybody says Yanks are crawling all over the place, taking people’s land and robbing them blind.”
“Yanks. Rebs.” Callum replaced his Colt in his holster and waved off the nonsense talk. “There are desperate, no-good, thieving people of every allegiance and color.”
“I didn’t trust those two,” Hollis admitted with a stubborn set to his mouth and jaw. “They were always flapping their tongues and acting like fools.”
Eller shrugged. “Hell, I don’t trust hardly anybody anyways, but I sure never suspected they were stealing cattle.”
“I’ll hire two more hands and have one of the Echohawks work this ranch with you. You and Hollis need to keep a closer eye on the cattle. Count heads and horns, including the calves, every damn day. Look for trails that lead off the land. Just because I told those two to vamoose, doesn’t mean they won’t sneak back and try to siphon off more of the herd. In fact, I expect it, just to get back at me.”
Eller touched the brim of his hat in a salute that irritated Callum.
“Eller, half the time when I ride out here in the afternoon, you’re already gone. We work from sunup to sundown. Not from sunup until we need a nap.”
Eller puffed up like a peacock. “I give a full day every damn day!”
Callum lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Next time I don’t see you out here, I’ll come looking for you. I better find you somewhere on this ranch working.”
Eller grinned at him. “Or what? You going to let me go?”
Callum grinned back at him, although he knew his was more like a sneer. “I’ll not only let you go, I’ll help you and your missus pack and escort you off the land. We’re holding on by our bootstraps here and I’m sure as hell not paying a cowhand who isn’t giving me a full day’s work.”
Eller glared at Callum, but then he laughed under his breath and set his horse to prancing. “Ah, hell, cuz! Quit rattling your sabre. You know I’m worth having around.”
Callum didn’t bother to comment on that since he’d already stated his intentions. “Let’s get back at it, then. Give me a head count this evening and every evening after. If you see anything suspicious – and I mean anything – you let me know. I haven’t given up finding enough evidence to earn Johnson and Baines rope neckties.”
###
Late that afternoon, the sound of a galloping horse brought Banner from around the side of her house where she’d been washing clothes. Her breath hitched when she recognized the Palomino and the rider. She ran her hands over the damp tendrils of hair that stuck to her temples and forehead, pushing them back and trying to tame her mahogany mane. Glancing down at her damp, white blouse clinging to her breasts and her wrinkled dark gray skirt, she wished for a shawl to throw over herself for modesty’s sake.
“Hello,” she called to Callum. “Are you looking for Hollis? He hasn’t come in from the range yet.” She glanced toward the lowering sun and guessed it to be five or six o’clock. Most days she left the Latimer place around four o’clock and came home to do a few chores and stir up a late supper for her and Hollis.
“I meant to catch you before you left for the day.” Callum reined his horse and swung down from the saddle. “Just missed you.” He removed his hat
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