“That’s true. I once read where someone was adamant that quicksand is never over four feet deep. Certainly that’s not true here. Entire wagons of goods and their teams of horses or mules have been lost.”
“My word, have you seen this happen?”
“Not personally, thank goodness, but I’ve talked to people who have had the losses. For example, the Daltons—they’re one of the couples at church—were moving here and lost everything except a small bundle Mrs. Dalton carried in her hands.”
He looked aghast. “You mean also the wagon and horses?”
She nodded. “Everything. Mr. Dalton didn’t have time to cut the team loose. Mrs. Dalton was expecting at the time and had to jump to her husband on the bank after he’d jumped first. You can imagine what a blow losing all their household goods, their wagon, and their animals would be to any family.”
“Frightening to contemplate. How do you know your cattle won’t get caught in quicksand?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “We don’t but perhaps they have an innate sense of where the quicksand is located. In addition to that danger, there are occasional nests of water moccasins and I’m sure you know they’re poisonous. After a rainstorm like the one we had a few days ago, their nests will be flooded and they’ll be in the grass and on bushes, even trees. I told you this is a harsh land but it’s also wonderful.”
Bret was a handsome man even when he frowned as he was now. “I don’t know. Parts are beautiful but there are too many dangers, especially with people like this Winfield around.”
“Can you think of a place or job where there aren’t drawbacks and people like Winfield?”
He appeared to consider. “Reckon I can’t. All the same, seems there are a lot more life-threatening things about ranching than… for instance running a general store.”
She laughed. “You’re probably right but this is the only place I’ve been involved in ranching so I can’t say for sure. You can ask Moose if this is usual.”
“I will when we get back to the house.”
“If you prefer, you can ask him if this ranch is being run properly.”
He grinned and his eyes sparkled. “You’d shoot me if you knew what I’d prefer.” He rode away and caught up with Moose.
She tried to wrap her mind around the possible meaning of what Bret had said. Before she could, she saw her son’s alarmed expression.
With her permission Davie had ridden ahead but turned his horse and galloped back to her. “They’re gone!”
“What do you mean?” Maybe she was still contemplating Bret. She tried to focus on Davie.
He yelled his distress, “The cattle aren’t where we left them. None of them, not even one cow.”
She kneed her horse and reached the front of their procession. Below the pasture and the winding river were clearly visible. Davie was right and the scene contained not even one cow or calf. She sagged in the saddle. This nightmare couldn’t be real.
She shaded her eyes with her hand and scanned the area. “This isn’t possible. Even a small herd can’t just vanish.”
Moose stopped his horse beside her. “Tell me exactly where they were.”
She gestured. “From that bend in the river to the right all the way to the bluff you see on the left.”
“All y’all wait here, Miz Dunn, while I check for sign.” Moose took off toward the river.
Davie started to follow.
“Son, wait and call the dogs to wait, too. Moose wants us to stay here so he can check for prints. If we ride over the area we’ll mess up tracks.”
Davie had tears on his cheeks. “Those rotten rustlers are making sure we can’t save the ranch. I hope they all rot in hell.”
She couldn’t scrape up the energy or compassion to correct her son. Other than bodily harm, this was the worst possible thing that could happen. Now Mr. Edmondson wouldn’t have a lever to use with his investors against Winfield.
Blinking back the tears that welled in her eyes, she reached over to squeeze Davie’s shoulder. There was nothing she could say that would comfort him. Nothing she could think of brought her comfort.
She couldn’t hold back the tears. All her plans were for nothing without the cattle. She looked away from the children so they wouldn’t see her crying.
Bret reached over and pulled her into his arms. She kicked her feet free of the stirrups and let him pull her onto his lap. She pressed her head against his broad shoulder and let the tears come.
“Charlotte, we’ll fix this. Sweetheart, don’t cry.”
“How can anyone fix it with no cattle? We’ve worked so hard. I don’t know what else to do to save the ranch?”
“I promise it will be all right. I know you don’t have any reason to but please trust me.”
She raised her head to look into his beautiful blue eyes. “I do trust you. Maybe I shouldn’t but I do.”
He took his handkerchief and dried her face. “I love having you in my arms, but you’re scaring the children.”
“I like it here but I’d better get back on my horse.”
He helped her transfer to her saddle. She’d felt much better on his lap but she wanted to reassure her children.
“Children, I apologize. For a moment I was overwhelmed. I’m fine now and you mustn’t worry.”
Davie gave a shuddering breath. “How can I not worry, Mama? You know the bank won’t wait to sell the note now.”
Bret rode to the other side of Davie. “Don’t give up yet. Trust that there’ll be a way.”
She watched as Moose dismounted and examined the land. He walked one way and circled back. After five or ten minutes, he climbed back on his saddle and rode
