But the old rancher shook his head. “I been out here goin’ on fifty years. Me and Alice fought Indians and outlaws, blizzards and droughts. We come close to packin’ it in several times. This ain’t one of them times. If you all was to leave—and I wouldn’t blame you none if you was to pull out—I’m stayin’.”
His wife moved to his side.
He put his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
The younger of the boys looked at each other, all thinking they had best head back to the creek as quickly as possible and gather up some more stones for their slingshots.
Matthew hitched up his gun belt.
“This here is a right good job of work,” Dolittle said. “So me and Harrison is stayin’ put. If I’m gonna die, I’d druther it be with food in my belly and some coins to jingle in my jeans.”
“I’m stayin’,” Cheyenne said.
“So are we!” the boys shouted as a unit.
Rusty shrugged his shoulders. “Count me in, too.”
“That’s settled,” Smoke said. “Let’s get back to work.”
15
The sheriff rode out to the ranch two days after Blackjack Morgan had tossed down the challenge. He had three tough-looking deputies with him.
He told Walt to get his crew together. His adult crew.
Only Smoke, Cheyenne, and the women were close to the house. They sat at the long table in the front yard and talked.
“Lines bein’ what they are,” the sheriff said, “I ain’t rightly sure this place is even in my jurisdiction. But I know damn well that Preston is. Excuse my language, ladies. And I ain’t a-gonna have no gunfights in my town.” He looked at Smoke. “I thank you for not ridin’ in.”
“I’m waiting for them to move it closer to the ranch.”
The sheriff nodded his head. He waved his hand at the three deputies. “This is it, folks. You’re lookin’ at the law enforcement in this county . . . providing, that is, the Box T is even in my county. New lines was drawn up last year and it’s still all confused. But that ain’t the point. The point is that Jud Vale’s done hired himself about sixty men, all drawin’ fightin’ wages, and there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it. Oh, I could ride over to the Bar V and try to throw my badge around. But you all know how much good that would do. Jud’s a charmer. He’d just tell me he was gettin’ ready for roundup and hired all them men to punch cows.'
He sighed. “Walt, there may still be warrants out on Jud back East. I know the story. And I’ve sent telegrams to them folks back yonder. The parents of the girl that Jud was supposed to have killed is dead. The lawmen who were in charge when it happened are gone. So that’s a dead end. No help there.”
“What you’re trying to say, Sheriff,” Smoke said, “is that we’re on our own here.”
“That’s blunt put, Jensen. But yeah, that’s just about it. You say that Jud attacked your ranch. Can you prove it in a court of law?”
“I doubt it,” Walt admitted.
“There still ain’t no laws about two growed-up men facin’ each other over gun barrels. There will be someday, but that time ain’t here yet. I talked to a man from the governor’s office. The governor ain’t got the manpower to step in and settle every dispute between ranchers. Territory is just too big. I’ve said what I come to say, Walt. I wanted to tell it to you face to face.”
“I appreciate that.”
“You’ve told us, Sheriff,” Smoke said. “Now let me tell you.”
The sheriff cut his eyes to the gunfighter.
“Just stay out of it,” Smoke said flatly. “I roughed up a few and killed one the last time out. The next time I go headhunting, I’m going to leave bodies all over the range.”
The sheriff flushed, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
“And that goes for me, too,” Cheyenne said. “In spades. I’m gettin’ tarred of all this dilly-dally in’ around. I’m an old man; I ain’t got many years left me. So it don’t make a damn to me if I check out now, just so long as I take a few, or a bunch, with me. And I plan on doing just that.”
The sheriff stood up and his deputies followed suit. “I wish you luck.” The lawmen walked to their horses and rode away.
“He’s a good man, the sheriff is,” Walt said. “I ain’t takin’ what he said near about as hard as you boys. Maybe I just understand the feelins around here better than you.”
Smoke stared at the man. “What do you mean, Walt?”
“I’ve tried to tell you time and again, boy: folks around here is scared of Jud Vale. He’s had them buffaloed for years, and it ain’t got much better—if any better—since you come along. Man told me last time we went to the post that most of the bettin’ money was with Jud and against you.”
“You should have told him he was a fool.”
“I did. Problem was, I don’t know how convincing I sounded.”
Walt and Alice, with Doreen and Susie right behind them, went back into the house. Smoke and Cheyenne walked to the corral and stood in silence for a few minutes.
