Chapter 9

Pa and I headed out for the roundup before day-light. He had been out there yesterday and had come in last night. Mexican Pete and the two other Mexicans spread their blankets nearby. They were at the chuck wagon eating when we arrived. We got in line and the chuck wagon cookie filled our plates. We got our own coffee.

"How's it going?"

"We got most everything gathered. There may be a few more in the brush and half the crew is hunting them. All the ranchers have a few steers to sell. There is a good crop of yearlings. Most of the cows are open although we did find a couple of bulls that we didn't know about that covered a few. There is more stuff to be branded than not, but the young stuff is still by their mothers so there won't be many arguments of who owns what. The feed is still excellent and the land could stand five times as many head as what is on it now."

"Thanks Pete, for letting me know the situation. Maybe I can swap the steers for more cows. I'll put the word around that I'm buying. Is there much cull stuff?"

"I didn't see many. Just a few old cows. One of those bulls was yours and I told Sinclair to knock it in the head. That's what's on your plate this morning. They are saying around the fire that Riley McBain raises the toughest damn beef in the valley.

"You know that Doug Duggan who raided our herds must have been planning ahead. He didn't do any branding, but he did have his hands cut the bull calves. You would have had to wait a year if he hadn't. Figuring that what those two bulls got to, you won't be so bad off and putting these new bulls on the ground won't hold your plans back very much. Half of what cows got bred we'll hope will be heifers."

"I guess we are in good shape then. Pete, after you get the cows separated, can you move our herd onto our land by yourselves?"

"I can if your Pa is here to help."

"Pa?"

"I'll be here. I can show these youngsters how to handle cattle." Me, I was okay with this and he made me smile 'cause I knew Pa could still well hold his own.

"Good, I'll leave it in your hands. I've got so God damned much going on, I don't know which way to turn."

"Riley, step back and take things one at a time. Tomorrow, when you wake up, decide what you are going to do for the day. Then when you get that done, go kiss Abby. Then think what you are going to do the next day. In the next month you will have thirty things done. Have you really got more than thirty things on your list? Hell, you might even get two things done in one day."

"Oh, I know you are right, Pa. Thanks for reminding me. Are you coming in to the ranch tonight?"

"Nope. What you set me out to do is one thing off your list. Now get out of here, you owe your wife a kiss and that just might lead to a little bit more." I had to grin. That came from feeling more relaxed than I had for days. I waved and rode off.

"Ma, where is Abby?"

"She went with the girls and Red over to the encampment to see how to make bricks. She said something about learning how to build a wall in front of a cave. She said also that there is enough lumber in the barn to build a good strong door."

"That's my Abby. She helps wherever she can." I sat down on the stoop and thought about tomorrow. I planned to ride the perimeter of the land that the Mennonites were buying. I wished I had asked what time they would be ready, but hadn't thought to. They had chores, so they should be ready by eight in the morning.

The nine sections comprised about 5,800 acres so it would take awhile to travel around the perimeter. It might not be exact because when the ranchers had divided the valley into seven parcels, and built stone cairns at the corners of each. This meant me splitting the Long property into two different parcels, I had to set new boundaries within the original. I had a survey chain to carry with me so I think I could come close to where the corners should be located. It didn't matter that much as long as we both agreed to the placement of the cairn. Someday it could be, but not today.

It was supper time before Red and the six women returned. They all looked worn out, but were happy about what they had learned, They would be stiff and sore tomorrow, but tonight they said they intended to go at it again.

I asked Abby what they did today. "We pitched right in. There were several women doing heavy work and we wanted to prove we could do as well as them. There were two of the Mexicans making the mud bricks at first, but then a couple of the Mennonites made two more frames and there must be a half acre of drying bricks when we quit. It won't take many days before Papa Salandras says there will be plenty."

"Did Sharon work with you? I didn't intend that she should."

"No she didn't, she went off somewhere with another woman named Greta."

"Good. Did you mix okay with the other people?"

"We did and they are very friendly. They are happy and sang songs all day. I don't know what they were about. Some must have been funny songs because they would break up and have to start over. Late in the afternoon several Mexican women showed up and they began to help rather than stand around. One of them brought a guitar and sang some love songs." We lay there each with our own thoughts. Five minutes later Abby was snoring softly.

I carried the surveyor's chain in one of the saddle bag on my horse. Pa had a plat of the valley so I knew how far apart the rock cairns were on each ranch. I double checked the length on the river side of the former Tim Long property. Ten percent from the east side landed in the middle of a gully that went up to the top of the hill. Jacob was satisfied when we built a cairn at this point.

The whole nine sections were on a gentle slope until we reached the foot hills. There had to be 500 acres from the edge of the woodland to the top. Again I located the stone cairns and marked off ten percent before building the last cairn. This was the east Mennonite boundary and became the west boundary to what I was thinking about granting to the Mexicans.

Jacob spoke, "So Riley, I think we still owe for half the land. The third down in cash you have already and the bulls you are taking soon makes one half the land paid for. You sold the land to us for three dollars an acre. What is the amount we still owe you?"

"I make it at $8,640. Are we together on this?"

"That sounds about right. I'll have it brought to you within the week."

"Jacob, I am director of the bank and a major account holder. The bank has money to lend. The going interest rate for property is eight percent per annum. If you would manage to pay five percent for the next three years, the bank would be happy. After that you can pay a portion of the balance quarterly with interest at the same five percent. I'm sure you can find good use for your capital with all your expenses in getting settled. I would expect also that you will be good neighbors to the ranchers and to the Mexicans who will be on your borders."

Jacob was well pleased with my conditions. "Under the conditions you have set forth, we will promise to be good neighbors. May I shake your hand in good faith?" I gave him my hand.

It was late in the afternoon when we got back to the river. I was feeling good for having the land from Winnie's estate being sold. I stopped and watched the adobe bricks being made. I looked at the ones that had been made yesterday. A few had tiny cracks in them and a few had corners that crumbled, but overall they were pretty consistent.

Abby came over and spoke, "Riley, those with the little cracks had too much clay in them. The ones with the crumbled edges didn't have quite enough clay and weren't well mixed."

I laughed, "You sound like an expert on making adobe?"

"I am. If we need more storage at the ranch, come to me and I'll show you how to make bricks for it. There will be enough bricks made here by next week for what the people need for shelters. Then they just have to get completely dry.

"Red, the girls and I are going to begin making bricks for their home. We will be getting some help from Papa Salandras and his team too. Maybe you will have time this weekend to find the clay for us. The Mennonites are letting us use their teams and wagons to get the materials to where we are going to build Red and Rosy's home."

"I can do that. Maybe I can scope out a location for the pig farm tomorrow morning. I have to go into town in the afternoon to do some things in the bank. I heard you were planning on making bricks to make the crypt for Winnie. Rather than make them out of clay, I think I will use cement. That will make it so much more permanent and won't have to be maintained as often. We will still have to use a lot of sand though.

"Okay. Riley, we will be done here in a little bit. Stay and ride home with us. Sharon will be waiting for us across the river at the encampment. Better yet go over and see what she is doing."

"I will. See you. Love you."

Sharon was just stepping down from one of the large wagons that apparently were used for an office where the records were stored for the Mennonite community. "Hi Riley, do you want to see what I have been doing?"

"Yes, I'd like to." I followed Sharon up the steps. Sharon was wearing a dress. I wondered how she could ride a horse, but then I glanced back and saw Pa's gig. She had nice ankles though. Sharon opened a sheaf of papers. It was full of charts showing each bull's lineage. I took one in hand and studied it. Then I picked up another to see how they compared. Down through the years they both had the same bulls behind them, the blood coming into the line at different stages.

I didn't know much about this, but I knew if I had 120 cows and five bulls to service them, how was I going to keep a chart on which bull bred which cow this year and didn't breed the heifer from that cow with the same bull when old enough? Way too much paperwork! If a rancher only had a dozen head it could be accomplished, but not with herds of our size.

We would have to adapt in someway where our herds would improve every year. I'd get together with Pa and the other more experienced ranchers to come up with some kind of strategy. The charts and the text that Sharon was copying would make interesting reading, though and well worth paying Sharon to translate. I didn't intend to say anything until we split the thirty bulls among us.

Abby and Sharon rode in the gig with her horse tied behind. Red was riding next to me. "Cap'n, we's are all done helpin' them strangers. Abby said yous was goin to find a piece of land us'uns. Can we's do that soon?"

"Tomorrow morning, early. Rosy will want to be with you and Abby will too I expect. Abby is a good housekeeper, but Ma wants to do for us. I'm glad because I love it when Abby takes so much interest in what I'm up to."

"I knows just what you means. Sharon and t'other women envy Rosy and me. I hopes they find someones to be with."

"I won't be surprised, but what they will."

There was a sort of bowl I found that would be a good place to raise hogs. It was not far from the top of the bluff behind our ranch. There was a huge grove of pecan trees ringing it with oak trees a little deeper in the woods. The pigs should stay mostly in the bowl and not wander away too far from the mast.

There were some trees in the bowl and I knew if the pigs were on free range, eventually they would root around and the trees would die, but because they weren't that valuable, it wouldn't matter. The four of us stopped at the entrance, and paused to look at it. Rosy began planning immediately. "My house is going to be right here and the sheds to keep the pigs during the winter will be behind the storage barn. We'll have to have a slaughter house and a place to smoke the hams and bacon. We don't have the money to do it all at once. Riley, do you think the bank will lend us some money?"

"I'll speak for you and I know they will."

Red was more concerned about whether I would sell him the land and asked the cost. "Red, I'm charging the Mennonites three dollars an acre which is about the going rate. I don't really want to split up the ranch and sell off a piece right in the middle of it, but I will lease it to you for thirty dollars a year for as long as you are raising pigs. If you move on, I'll pay for what improvements you have built. Also I want you to work for me at the ranch like we have discussed."

"That be mor'n fair, Cap'n. Yous got a deal. Can me and Rosy still sleep in the barn 'til we gets a home built?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." Abby and I left the couple there making plans.

"Riley, you were pretty easy on them about the land. But why didn't you want to sell it to them?"

"If I had sold it to them, they might not think the land was worth much. This way every year they have to come up with some money and that will remind them that they have to work and earn something to pay me. We don't know either one very well. This way we will get to know them. If they make a good thing out of raising pigs and I see that selling the land isn't going to hurt me, I can go ahead and give them a deed to it.

"I hardly know anyone I'm dealing with anymore and I'm taking a lot of people on faith. If it pans out, then I'll be happy. If some of them do me dirt, then I'll just have to stop and rethink what I am doing. I'm not going to be like the Mennonites and trust everything to the Lord. I don't think the Lord wants us to not help ourselves when we are certainly able. I can forgive if someone does me wrong just like we believe the Lord does. I look at every situation and make a decision if my faith is warranted. I know I will make mistakes about people sometimes like anyone can, but if I do then it is up to me to forgive or seek retribution."

"Riley, you scare me sometimes. Your thoughts are too deep for me to keep up with. I know you love me and you are what I have positive faith in."

"I have faith in you, too, but then you know that." Abby's hand found mine as our mounts came close enough.

This evening was when I was going to move the money into the bank cellar. I would reach the bank just before closing. I left my horse at the livery stable because I didn't want him standing in the sun so long. I planned on taking Graham to dinner at the diner after we finished our business.

When it was time to close and the door locked, Graham would proceed to move his desk and lift the trap door. It was ten to four when I entered. I didn't expect there would be anyone in the bank except Graham. I was mistaken. Larry Brickland was just coming out of Graham's office, shutting the door behind him

Larry looked nervous when I asked if Graham had a customer. "Yeah, he has someone in there and will be tied up for sometime."

"I'll wait. He asked me to meet him at closing."

"Better go along. He said it would be quite awhile"

"I'll wait."

"Riley, you'd better leave. I'm seeing him next." I had the feeling something was wrong.

"Speak to him and have him tell me to go, 'cause I ain't leaving until he tells me." Suddenly Larry drew a pistol and lined it up on me. I looked at him, "What's this?"

"Riley, this is me and Sam robbing the bank, that's what. We are only taking what Innes willed to you from his personal account or maybe we will take it all. Sam wants to. This town means nothing to either of us. That's our money and you don't deserve it. Sam was neighbor to the Sloan brothers growing up and he brought them here. William Quantrill was here in Texas believing the south would rise again. But we know that isn't going to happen.

"Some of that money Innes brought with him was supposed to be mine and Sam's. But then he is dead and I can't see you handing any to us. This hasn't gone right yet, but you won't be coming after us. You'll be dead."

"Maybe, but someone will catch up to you. You and Sam, huh? Winnie said in her journal he belonged to the gang, but I didn't half way believe her. I do now. You know I was going to let you get away with what you did if you went straight."

"Yeah, well I'd be working for peanuts the rest of my life, but Sam talked me into this. Just as soon as Graham comes to and opens the safe, we'll be fine. You both will be dead, so who's to know? Drop your sidearm and sit down in that chair. Better yet slide your gun over into the corner near that privacy screen."

Larry was holding a small .32 pistol. I did as directed. I wasn't dead yet and I didn't intend to be. "Go ahead and shoot me with that little pop pistol you're holding. I just might survive and people will rush in here when a gun goes off in the bank."

"You'd risk getting a bullet in you just to bring people in here? I don't think so."

"What happened to Graham?"

"Sam thought the safe would be open and slugged him before we knew it was closed for the night. We're waiting for him to come around." Larry went and locked the front door since it was now after closing time.

"Is it alright if I smoke?"

"Go ahead and enjoy it while you can." I reached under my vest and pulled the makings from my shirt pocket and built my smoke. He watched me and then stepped to the front window and peered around the shade. I shuffled my feet and he turned quick and the gun he was holding lined on me again.

He walked backwards over to the office door. "Sam, I've got Riley here and made him get rid of his gun. Any movement from Graham? You know, I've been thinking. If he doesn't come to, maybe we ought to slug Riley hard enough to kill him and the same for Brown."

"No way. I came here for the money and I ain't leaving without it."

"I'll wait another half hour, that's all."

I could see Larry was getting jumpy. "Larry, you had every chance to go straight. Too bad you let Sam talk you into this. Is he taking his wife with him?"

"He didn't say. He never loved her so probably not." I was a little worried, but I did have an ace in the hole. I glanced to where I had slid the gun. Before this I could see it on the floor from my angle, but Larry couldn't see it from where he was leaning against the office door. The gun was gone! Was there someone behind the screen? I figured there had to be. Did Larry know there was? Didn't appear so.

I got up and walked away from the corner. I got about three steps when I was covered again.

"Riley, get back there and sit."

I turned away facing the front door and when I turned back I had a little two-shot hideout gun in my hand. It was a small .40 two shot derringer. My .44 that I had slid into the corner stated blasting and Larry was jerking from the impact. I put a bullet into him for my safety and for whoever was backing me. The office door was jerked open and Sam charged into the room waving his pistol around. The same fate met him that had Larry. I turned and looked to the corner.

Miss Cecilia Canady was standing there grinning. "That should be about the last of the Scalawags, wouldn't you say? Thanks for giving me your weapon, Riley. Was I any help?"

"I'd say a big help. Where did you lean to shoot like that?"

"My Daddy, back when I was a little girl."

"You aren't so big now little Miss Cecilia, but then plenty big enough." Cecilia couldn't be five feet tall and couldn't weigh over 90 pounds. She was the milliner for the ladies of the town. Just then someone knocked on the door. Cecilia went into the office as I swung the door open to the street.

"What's going on? We heard shooting."

"The bank was being robbed, but with Cecilia's help, the robbers have been stopped. A couple of you come in and then you can go out and tell everyone what happened. I have to see how Graham Brown is. He got slugged and I'm hoping he will be okay." I turned back inside and Graham was being helped to stand up by Cecilia.

"Would someone please go get Graham's wife. She'll hear he was hurt and worry."

The people who had crowded inside were staring at the two bodies. I saw one of Sam Pickens' clerks and asked him to inform Mrs. Pickens that Sam had been killed in trying to rob the bank.

Everyone was clambering for details, but I pushed them out through the door. "I'll have a statement for you as soon as possible. A couple of you men find a couple of doors and we'll get these bodies moved. I think you can put them where ever funerals are held."

"That would be Sam Pickens' back room."

"Okay, that makes sense, put him there then." Sam sold coffins, I remembered. I'll bet he never planned on having to use his own facilities. Graham's wife came and she took him into his office and shut the door. Ten minutes later Sam's wife appeared.

"Who shot Sam?"

"I got a bullet into him."

She started to say something when Cecilia spoke up. "I put two into him. That fixed him good. I always figured he was a crook the prices he charged for a pound of coffee."

His wife turned to me. "He told me this afternoon he was leaving me. He said he was coming into some money and didn't want nothing more to do with me. He was taking the money in the store account and I could have the store to run or sell, he didn't care. What am I going to do now? I'm finally rid of the old fool and he leaves me with nothing."

"Just a minute?" I opened the door to the office and asked Graham, "Did Sam get the money from his account before he slugged you?"

"Nope, it was most all in the safe. The only money that wasn't in there was what Miss Canady brought in to deposit. She was using the desk behind the screen to write the deposit slip. I guess she is alright. She helped me up."

"I'd say she was okay. She is the one that shot Larry and she got bullets into Sam. I might have come out of this okay, but Cecilia made sure I did." I went back out to Mrs. Pickens. "Your husband wasn't able to withdraw his money, so I'd say it's all yours. You wouldn't be taking over his position on the town council would you?"

"I might just do that. At least I would listen to people and he never would."

"Ma'am, you know everyone. I'd say you stand a good chance at being appointed. The meeting is next week Tuesday. Please be there. I'll put in a word for you." Maybe I was biased toward her. She was young and pretty when she came to town and would slip a penny's worth of candy to us kids when we came into the store.

The bodies got moved and I had some hay chaff brought up from the livery stable to soak up the blood. I even found someone to come in and clean the floor tomorrow if Graham wasn't feeling able to open the bank for that chore. Slowly every one left. "Riley, you wouldn't be willing to sell me that pistol would you? That's a nice shooting iron."

I laughed. "It certainly was in your hands. Thanks Cecilia, you stepped up to the line when needed. That's what it takes to keep a bunch of Scalawags out of here when they show up. Especially the sneaky ones like Sam."

"Thanks Riley. I noticed you placed a couple of bullets in the right spots. Right in the throat did the trick quicker than in the chest. My shots were there for insurance."

"Well maybe, but I'm going to brag on you anyway."

"You're sweet."

It was pitch dark when I was finally ready to leave town. I could have stayed at the hotel, but I knew Abby would be out of her mind when I didn't come home on time. My horse knew the way and would keep to the road so I wasn't worried about getting off the trail. I heard riders coming so I pulled up and off the road. I had time to strike a match and the others slid to a halt. It was Abby, Pa, and Red.

"That you, Riley?"

"Abby, what are you doing riding around in the night?"

"Looking for you. You okay? We was told by someone when they came charging into the yard that the bank had been held up."

"Yeah. Abby, do you remember this morning that I said I could make a mistake in my faith of others? My mistake this time was about as bad as it could be, but no real harm done. I trusted Brickland and I shouldn've."

"Well let's head home and you can tell us about it."

Abby's reaction was, "I'm going through Winnie's journal and see if there are any other townspeople apt to kill you."

"Abby, I don't think it was about anything but the money. Larry evidently told Pickens about the Scalawag money that Innes willed to me. It was just too much temptation. I knew Sam was bad, but thought he would be okay.

"Riley, I did notice that you were usually opposed by Sam Pickens. I remember how he refused to bury the dead outlaws and never agreed with you about what the town council should do to further the town's interest. I'm surprised at Larry though."

"Larry was a weak person. Looking back, I thought my promising to shoot him was enough of a deterrent. I guess not. Odd, but I liked the man too. I was ready to push Sharon and him together. I'm glad now that I didn't."

"Riley, you are always doing something good for others. Don't beat yourself up about how your association with Larry came out. You said it when you said he was weak."

I worried about the money in the bank safe all night and headed for town in the morning. The bank had hours on Saturday morning and I wanted to see if Graham was okay and had no ill effect from being hit on the head. I reached the bank as Graham was coming down the street from the diner. He said he had been in earlier and cleaned up. I asked, "Hi, are you okay?"

"I still have a lump and I can't lie with my head on that side. Other than that I am fine. Sam and Brickland were so inept at trying to rob the bank it killed them, wouldn't you say."

"Yeah. Do you want to move that money when you close the doors today?"

"I think we had better. You know they probably could have gotten the money if they had just slapped me around instead of knocking me out." Graham was grinning all over."

"How's that?"

"Come into the office and I'll show you." When the door was closed Graham went to the corner behind his desk and pulled a blanket from something that was in a pile under it. Piled up there were a number of filled bank bags. It took me a minute.

"The money wasn't even in the safe was it?"

"Nope, I had it ready to pass down to you in the cellar." I burst out laughing. I wish I could tell Larry and Sam how they had screwed up, but then, best to let dead Scalawags die."

When we sobered up, I noticed a new colt lying on Graham's desk. I picked it up "Where did that come from?"

That's Sam's weapon. I don't think it has ever been fired. I believe it came right out of his inventory. It's a beautiful piece isn't it?"

"It is. You keeping it?"

"Nope, I have a good weapon. Do you want it?"

"Cecilia Canady claimed my pistol was a good shooting gun. She saved my bacon yesterday. I'd like to give her one."

"Give her this one. It's only fitting."

"Okay to take it with me? I saw her sweeping off the boards in front of her shop. Who knows if someone is trying to rob the bank again we know we can count on her."

"Do it. I was wondering how to thank her."

"Do you have any kind of box here I could put it in? I can't just walk up and hand it to her."

"No, but how about one of the coin bags. That might mean something to her as well since she saved the bank from getting robbed all by herself.

"Good idea. I'll give it to her now. I'll be back at closing time. Also, I'd like it if you would cover up that pile of money in the corner again before I leave."

"Good thinking."

"Good morning, Riley. I saw you ride in. Quite some excitement yesterday wasn't there?"

"Cecilia, sure was. Are you okay this morning?"

"Yes. It took awhile to get to sleep, but no nightmares after I did. I'm greatly refreshed this morning. How about you?"

"I'm good. Abby made sure of it."

"I wish I had someone to be with. I'm Catholic you know. That sets me aside from most of the people here in town. I'm your age and maybe a little older and I have almost given up finding someone."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there. Isn't there anyone in your church that would interested?"

"Most of those who attend are Mexican."

"What's wrong with them? I have three working for me. The one I call Mexican Pete isn't attached."

"I know. He smiles at me sometimes, but we have never spoken. What would people say if he started walking out with me? The town would shut me out if we did. The only way for me to make a living is my business."

"If you ever had the chance would you like to talk with Pete?"

"Of course, but I don't see that happening. He wouldn't have any reason to come into my shop either. Actually this is the first time you have been inside yourself."

"True. I do have a good excuse this morning. I needed to thank you again for saving my life. Now if Abby needs something I'll come in with her to say hello."

"What do you have in that bank bag you are holding?"

"That, that's a present for someone. I didn't think to put it in my saddlebags. Cecilia, it has been nice talking with you. I have to get going and I have a couple more stops to make before heading home. Again, thank you. I could wish I could depend on the rest of the town to be as civic minded as you have been. Bye for now."