While the others went inside, Matt walked over to a couple of men who were standing near the corral.
“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” the older of the two men asked.
“Are you Rittenhouse? Gabby asked me to give this to you,” Matt said, showing him the poster.
The man looked at it for a moment, then whistled. “Five thousand dollars? That’s a lot of money.”
“Yes, it is,” Matt agreed.
“Damn. No picture? No description? How’s anyone supposed to find this fella?” the relay manager asked.
“You’ve got me,” Matt replied.
Rittenhouse turned to the young man to continue the conversation they were having when Matt had walked up.
“So, you are telling me that you are not going to take that string of horses for me?”
“I can’t, Mr. Rittenhouse,” the young man said. “Ma says Cindy is goin’ to have the baby just anytime now, and I wouldn’t want it to come while I was off pushin’ horses.”
“Damnit, Jimmy, I’ve got to get that string to Purgatory,” Rittenhouse said. “Now, suppose you just tell me how the hell I’m goin’ to do that.”
“I’ll take them for you,” Matt said.
Rittenhouse looked at Matt. “I beg your pardon?”
“You have a string of horses you want to take to Purgatory, I’m going to Purgatory, I’ll take them for you. But you’ll have to loan me a horse and saddle, I got here on the stage.”
“Mister, I don’t know anything about you,” Rittenhouse said. “How do you expect me to trust you with a string of horses?”
Matt smiled. “I guess you’ll just have trust your instinct,” he said.
“What’s your name?”
“Cavanaugh,” Matt answered. “Martin Cavanaugh.”
“Cavanaugh? Martin Cavanaugh?” Rittenhouse shook his head. “I know’d me a Martin Cavanaugh oncet. He was a good man, too. A hell of a good man. Cap’n Martin Cavanaugh it was. I served with him durin’ the war.”
“My pa was a captain in the army during the war,” Matt said.
“Your pa, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I don’t reckon there’s much a chance it’d be the same man or nothin’ like that,” Rittenhouse said. “But just ’cause I’m curious, what outfit was your pa in?”
“Pa started with the First Regiment of the Kansas Militia,” Matt said. “But he was wounded, and after that, he became adjutant to General Cox of the Twenty-third Army of Ohio.”
Rittenhouse broke into a big smile. “I’ll be damn! Yes, sir, that’s him! That’s the same Cap’n Cavanaugh I was talkin’ about!” he said. He stuck his hand out. “Any son of Cap’n Cavanaugh is all right in my book. Are you sure you’d like to take the string on into Purgatory?”
“I’d be glad to,” Matt said.
“All I can pay is ten dollars.”
“Ten dollars will be fine,” Matt replied. “Like I said, I’m going there anyway.”
“Jimmy?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Rittenhouse?”
“Cap’n Cavanaugh was one of the finest officers I ever run across. And his son just saved your job by agreein’ to take the horses. You owe him a word of thanks.”
“Yes, sir, I do,” Jimmy said. “Thank you, Mr. Cavanaugh. I hope you understand, if it weren’t for Cindy about to whelp, I’d’a been glad to go.”
“I understand,” Matt said. “You give your wife my best.”
“Yes, sir, I will.”
“You owe him a bit more than thanks,” Rittenhouse said. “Saddle up Rhoda for him. And get them horses on a line. But before you do all that, get this posted.” He handed Jimmy the dodger on Matt.
“Yes, sir,” Jimmy said, taking the flyer in his hand.
“You can come on in and have some lunch while Jimmy’s getting ever’thing ready for you,” Rittenhouse said.
“Thanks, but if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon get started right away,” Matt said.
“I understand. All right, I’ll just go in and get your money.”
“I appreciate that.”
As Rittenhouse walked toward the relay station, Matt watched Jimmy tack up the poster on the wall of the barn. There were several other posters there as well, so Matt walked over to have a look at them as Jimmy got the horses ready. It didn’t take him long to find the one he was looking for.
