Shoot Him On Sight

'Huh?' My jaw dropped. 'That's news to me.'

'Yeah? Well, it's so—or was then. Like I say, telegrams from Albuquerque produced credit at an Albuquerque bank. Your dad turned sufficient cash over to my dad to buy land from the Mexican government, erect buildings and buy cattle. It was a pardnership, and they decided on the brand, Box-CT.'

'I'll be damned!'

'Maybe you will,' Jeff grinned. 'Anyway, your dad left everything to my father to get things started, then announced he was going to return to Tenango City to take care of some odds and ends, dispose of some holdings he had, before returning here. My dad expected him within six months, but he never showed up—'

'Now, wait,' I cut in. 'All this doesn't necessarily mean that I've inherited half the Box-CT.'

'As I see it, it sure does. Remember, I had the whole story from my father. One of the things your dad planned was to make out a will and deposit it with a banker named Clarence Kirby, naming you his heir, when he got back to Tenango City.'

'My God, I never heard that!' I was stunned. 'Skinflint Kirby told old Pablo Serrano that my dad only left a couple of hundred dollars, which same he turned over to Pablo. That lying, cheating—'

'Hold your temper, Johnny,' Jeff smiled. 'Looks like skulduggery, all right, but that can be taken care of later. Let me go on. When your father didn't show up, my dad wrote to Kirby. An answer came a month later, and it was then that Dad learned your folks had been killed in an accident. Dad wrote again, asking what had become of you. Kirby replied he had no idea and that some relative from the East had arrived and taken you back to Kansas City. For a couple of years, Dad tried to trace you, with no luck, and Kirby was no help, of course. So time drifted, and we've all hoped you'd show up someday. And you have.'

'That crooked, lying Kirby!' I exclaimed. 'You're sure of all this, Jeff?'

'Certain! My dad not only told me the story, and Mateo backs it up, but he also had papers drawn up, signed, witnessed and notarized, telling of the whole business. That was done about a year before he died, and Mateo had instructions to always be on the look-out for you. Dad always felt he owed a lot to your father, and Mateo does, too. I'll show you a copy of the papers later. There is also a copy deposited with the Bank of Mexico City.'

I felt numb all over. It didn't seem believable. 'Maybe,' I said slowly, 'I should split my half with Mateo —'

'He wouldn't take it. Both our fathers offered to make him a pardner, but all he asks is a home for himself and Mama Benita.'

'What's the trouble between you and Shel Webster, Jeff?' Jeff frowned. 'Maybe you noticed the high mountains rising either side of that canyon that runs through Buzzard Buttes—the trail we took to get here.' I nodded and he went on, 'For over fifty miles either way, that's the only road through into Mexico, and a town called Heraldica. To get there, it's necessary to cross my—our—holdings. Those crates of sewing machines, ploughs, or whatever, that Senator Whitlock is sending out, are being delivered to Heraldica, The T.N. & A.S. railroad depot is convenient to the canyon, for delivering the crates. Otherwise, it would mean a nasty trek over mountains, which I don't think a team and wagon could make. So, when Shel Webster came here and asked permission to cross Box-CT range, I gave it of course, and wagons came through every time a delivery was made by the railroad.'

I scowled. 'Exactly how does Webster happen to be mixed up in the senator's business?'

'I wondered about that too. Webster explained that he was just handling the crates as a favor to Whitlock. I got a hunch he's getting well paid by the senator.'

'So where's all the difficulty with Webster come on?'

'They always manage to freight those crates through during the night. One night, toward dawn, I heard a heavy crash on the road that passes the house and a lot of cursing, and so on. I wondered what the rumpus was, so I got up and dressed. There were about a dozen of Webster's hoodlums, besides the team and wagon, when I arrived on the scene. Seems they'd had the wagon piled high and heavy. One of the big wheels had come off, and a couple of the boxes and crates had toppled off to the roadway. They were just lifting them back on, with the wheel being replaced. No one appeared ready to talk much. Then I noted that the end of two of the boxes had splintered open. That started me thinking.'

'Por que—why?'

'The largest box was stenciled 'Sewing Machines'. However, I recognize guns—carbines—when I see 'em. The small box contained ammunition.'

'The hell you say!' I sat straighter. 'What goes on?'

'That I don't know,' Jeff frowned. 'I didn't like it.'

'And the stuff was being freighted to Heraldica? What sort of place is Heraldica?'

'It's about ten miles below our southern boundary line. Used to be a quiet little village, but the past year it has grown, driving most of the Mexican residents out, to be replaced by a large number of men from the U.S. side. Funny thing is, they pretend to be Mexicans, dress as they do, steeple-crowned hats and so on. They seem to be the dark swarthy type, and those who didn't speak Spanish are picking it up fast. Mostly they raise a lot of hell, drinking and wenching, in new places that have started up.'

'After the wagonwheel had been replaced and the boxes reloaded, the wagon continued on. I thought about the business a couple of days, then I sent Mateo down to see what he could pick up from the few former residents left in Heraldica.'

Jeff tossed a cigarette butt into the glowing embers in the fireplace, and continued, 'Mateo didn't learn much. There seemed to be a feeling that, perhaps, some sort of revolution against the Mexican Government was being planned, but that was rumor. He could get no proof. Anyway, I didn't like the looks of things and I rode into Onyxton one morning and told Webster he'd have to find some other method of delivering his crates and boxes to Heraldica. I didn't say why, but maybe he guessed I had a hunch about something. We argued some, but I held firm. He got damn mad and I walked out on him. That afternoon he rode out here and asked what I'd take for my outfit. I told him I refused to sell. Two days later he was back with an offer. I gave the same answer. He's made three offers since, damn good ones too, so there's money back of him, I reckon. To get rid of him, I finally explained I couldn't give clear title, until I could locate a pardner whose whereabouts were unknown to me. I didn't get any more offers from him, but each time I go to Onyxton now, I feel lucky to leave without getting shot. One night they tried to smuggle a wagon through, but one of the boys, up late, heard 'em coming. That roused us and we grabbed rifles and made the wagon turn back.'

'You've cleared up your end of the deal,' I frowned, 'but damned if I can see how Webster switches those crates—sending munitions instead of Senator Whitlock's sewing machines and ploughs and so on.'

'It's got me beat,' Jeff admitted.

We spent an hour speculating on what was going on, but couldn't arrive at any answer to the problem. Finally, Jeff suggested bed, and I was ready to agree. Mister, I hadn't slept in a bed like that for a year, and for the first time in many a night, I slept like a log in a room of my own. On my own spread! I still couldn't believe it.

XIII

Early next morning, right after breakfast, Jeff insisted we ride out and look over the spread I'd fallen heir to. I was high as a drunk with delight, as we rode over rolling grasslands, with live oak trees and mesquite dotting the terrain. Not far from the house there was a meandering stream which Jeff said had never run dry, regardless how high the temperature. The white-faced cows looked sleek and in prime condition. I tried to tell Jeff that after all the care he and his father had put into the place, the building up of herds and so on, it didn't seem right I should have a half-share in the Box-CT, but he wouldn't listen.

He protested earnestly for five minutes, ending, 'Put it this way, Johnny. My family owed your father a very great deal, and you've inherited. And it's about time you got a break, anyway.' He smiled. 'And I'm going to be damn disappointed if you won't have me for a pardner.'

Hell, what can you do with an hombre like that?

We returned to the house and after dinner I announced my intentions of riding into Onyxton. Jeff and I were standing on the wide gallery that fronted the house. He said, 'Do you think it's necessary?'

I nodded. 'I want to see what's going on. Anyway, maybe I can get Shel Webster to raise the ante for your head. I might work him up to a thousand.'