Longmont nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can see why you would want to drive a herd north. I guess my question now is, can you do it?”
“I think we can if we have good men with us,” Pearlie said. “You said a lot of cowboys have been laid off for the winter, right?”
“Yes.”
“What about Billy Cantrell? He was riding for the Double Tree. He’s a good man with cattle. I’d like to have him. Do you know if he was laid off?”
Longmont laughed. “He was laid off all right. But I don’t think he’ll be making any trail drives with you.”
“Why not? Me’n Billy’s always got along. And I know that Smoke will match whatever he was getting’ over at the Double Tree,” Pearlie said.
“Yeah, well, Billy is in jail, and he’s likely to be there until spring.”
“Why is that?”
“Seems Billy got upset with a drummer from Denver. He didn’t like the way the drummer was actin’ around Chris Candy.”
“What do you mean the way he was actin’ around Chris Candy? Chris Candy’s a whore,” Pearlie said. “Billy can’t get upset with ever’ man who has anything to do with her. That’s her job.”
“Well, it ain’t her job to get her eye blackened, and that’s what the drummer did.”
“Oh,” Pearlie said.
“So Billy blackened both the drummer’s eyes, and he broke the drummer’s nose. If Sheriff Carson hadn’t pulled him off when he did, why, like as not Billy would’ve broken both the drummer’s hands as well.”
“How long is he in jail for?” Cal asked.
“Well, the judge gave him thirty days or thirty dollars. Since Billy didn’t have thirty dollars, he’s servin’ the thirty days.”
“Do you think Sheriff Carson would turn him over to us if we paid his fine?” Cal asked.
Longmont nodded.
“I reckon he would,” he said. “Especially if he knew that Billy was going to be out of town and out of his hair for a while.”
“Then Smoke will pay his fine.”
“Hold on now, Pearlie,” Cal said. “Hadn’t we better take that up with Smoke first?”
“Didn’t he say he would trust us to get good men?” Pearlie replied.
“Yes, but…”
“But nothin’. Billy’s one of the best cowboys around. Everyone knows that. He’s well worth paying off his fine to have him with us.”
“All right, if you think so,” Cal said, though the “all right” was somewhat reluctant.
“If Smoke don’t like it, I’ll take all the responsibility,” Pearlie said. “And I’ll pay the fine myself.”
Cal shook his head. “No need for that,” he said. I’ll back you on it with Smoke, and I’ll pay half the fine.”
“Good,” Pearlie said. He took another drink of his beer. “Now we only need two.”
“You don’t need to go nowhere else,” Billy said when Pearlie and Cal came down to the jail to hire him. Billy pointed to the two men in the cell next to him. “These here is the Butrum boys, LeRoy and Hank. Hire them and you’ll have everyone you need.”
“I can’t just hire anybody,” Pearlie said. “They need to have some skills.”
“I’ve punched cows with these boys for most of the past year,” Billy said. “They’re good hands, both of ’em.”
“Why are they in jail?” Pearlie asked.
“Well, because they…” Billy began, then stopped. “Truth to tell, I don’t know why they’re in jail. They was already here when Sheriff Carson brung me in. Hey, LeRoy,” he called.
Both Butrums were asleep, or appeared to be, as they were lying on their bunks with their hats pulled down over their eyes.
“LeRoy,” Billy called again.
“What do you want?” LeRoy answered from under his hat.
“What for are you and Hank in jail?”
“For stealin’ back what was our’n,” LeRoy answered. He had still not removed his hat.
“What do you mean, stealing back what was yours?”
LeRoy finally removed his hat and sat up on his bunk. “Do you know that low-assed pipsqueak named Josiah Pogue?”
“Yes, he owns the leather-goods shop,” Pearlie said. “I don’t know him well, but I know who he is.”
“He done some work for me, then he tried to charge too much. When I couldn’t pay it, he took my saddle,” LeRoy said.
“Well, that’s not stealin’, that’s legal,” Pearlie said.
