“So, what, exactly, do you want from me, Mr. Frewen?”
“I want you to protect me and mine,” Frewen replied.
“For how long?”
“At least until we are able to take our cattle to market.”
“All right,” Matt agreed.
“Oh, and there is one more thing,” Frewen said.”
“What would that be?”
“My sister-in-law and her young son Winnie are coming to America for an extended visit. They will arrive by train in Medicine Bow on Friday. From there, they will have to travel by stagecoach until they reach Sussex. If you would, I would like for you to be there to meet them, then ride in the coach with them back here to the ranch. I know that may sound a bit odd to you, but I’m more than just a little concerned about their safety.”
“All right, I’ll do that,” Matt agreed. “But tell me, do you have any specific reason to be worried? Is there something I should know?”
“I have no specific reason to be worried,” Frewen admitted. “It is just a feeling I have. I’m sure it’s foolish.”
“Not foolish at all,” Matt said. “I stay alive by paying attention to such feelings.”
Chapter Twelve
Two days later, Teasdale left Thistledown and rode out to Nine Mile Creek, again going through the ritual of displaying a yellow flag tied to the barrel of his rifle. There were half a dozen horses tied up out front, and when Teasdale dismounted and tied his own horse off, Sam Logan stepped out onto the front porch.
Logan was holding a cup of coffee, and he had a yellow kerchief at his neck.
“Hello, Bill,” Logan said.
Teasdale winced. “You don’t have to call me Sir William, as I know that there is no regard for titles in this country. But I would prefer it if you would call me Mr. Teasdale.”
“All right, if that’s what you want. I just thought that, what with us bein’ friends and all, that we would be callin’ each other by our Christian names.”
“We are not friends, and there is certainly nothing Christian about our relationship,” Teasdale said. “We have a mutually beneficial working partnership, and that is all.”
“Well, Mr. Teasdale, if you ain’t too good to drink coffee with us, come on in and have a cup,” Logan invited.
“I’ll do that,” Teasdale replied.
There were five others inside the shack who, like Logan, were all wearing yellow kerchiefs.
“I am sure you have heard by now what happened to Kyle Houston,” Teasdale said.
“I’ve heard.”
“I thought you said he would be able to take care of this man, Jensen,” Teasdale challenged.
“I thought he would,” Logan said. “You don’t think I would send my own cousin out to be killed, do you?”
“Well, he was killed, and this puts us back to where we started.”
“Not quite where we started,” Logan replied with a big smile. “I’ve got another hundred and fifty cows for you,” Logan said. “That will be another seven hundred fifty dollars.”
“Where did you get them?” Teasdale asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters. You know damn well it matters. I told you, I will support you and your people only so long as you continue to conduct all of your operations against the Powder River Cattle Company, Limited.”
“Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ll tell you that we did take these cows from the Englishman,” Logan said. “And I’ve already got my men changing the brands.”
“Good,” Teasdale said. “But that doesn’t solve the problem of Matt Jensen, does it?”
“You don’t have to worry about Matt Jensen. I’ll find a way to take care of him.”
“You are going to take care of him?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you said you didn’t want to deal with him.”
“I don’t want to deal with him alone, and I won’t. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be dealt with.”
Teasdale smiled. “That’s what I like to hear,” he said. “And you’ll have a few days to decide how to do it, since he’s going to be gone from now until Friday.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“He is taking a stagecoach down to Medicine Bow to meet Frewen’s sister-in-law and nephew. He is going to ride back in the stagecoach with them.”
