Chapter 2

"Let's check out our new home. I've never spent more than two nights at a time in the cave."

Duffy helped carry our packs around the first big boulder. You couldn't see the opening until you were behind the edge of the stone. There was dim light that filtered inside a few feet. We were shocked to see Winnie's remains lying at the edge of the dim light.

She was on the floor about ten feet inside the entrance lying on her left side. She was covered with a heavy coat that I remembered ... not wearing it, but pulled over her as if she was very cold. Heavy stockings encased her legs and her favorite boots were on her feet. Her dress was showing about a foot below the bottom edge of the coat.

The bones of her hands and face were skin covered, but all the flesh had melted away leaving the bones under the grey parchment-like skin. Her wedding band was visible, loose now on the bones of her hand that looked more like claws than fingers. I was thankful that at least no animals had disturbed the body and this consoled me a bit.

We three stood staring at what was lying there. I began to look around. It appeared she had at one time come here before dying because there were some blankets, extra clothes, and a few cans of food along the edge of the cave. I spotted our metal candle box and it held a dozen candles when I opened it. I immediately lit one and raised it. It looked as if Winnie was ready to use this as a place to hide if necessary.

Abby brought my attention to what was nearly touching her right hand. "Riley, she must have been writing something. That's a book and she has a pencil clutched in her hand. There is a burned down end of a candle she must have been writing by."

"That's her journal. I recognize it. Open it and see what her last notes were."

"I can't bear to. How horrible this is. How horrible to die in the cold like this."

"Maybe she left word why." I had asked Abby, but I shouldn't have put it on her.

"I'll do it. I shouldn't have asked it of you." I feared the pages would be stuck together, but they were just as white and legible as the day she wrote on them. I opened to the first page and looked at the date. The day was when I left her and went off to war. All there was written on that page was; I fear I will never see Riley again. Why do men think they have to go away and leave their loved ones behind? Sarah has already lost Sid and I know I will lose my Riley just like Sarah lost her husband.

I asked myself, "Why did I?" I wondered now.

I read it aloud. Tears were in my eyes and my voice caught twice. I turned to the last written page. This wasn't the neat words marching across the page like Winnie's usual letters. I could tell she was expending much effort to guide her hand. The words were large, small and some barely legible, drifting up and down.

The Lords Birthday, 1864 Riley, I'll write until I die this night. I have been shot in the back trying to escape a man named Bert Innes. He had locked me into the pantry until I would agree to come to his bed. He already claims he has title to our ranch and says he will stay right here with me. By morning my reputation will be of a fallen woman and I might as well be comfortable. You know me better than that, my love. I feel now it is too late for him to make use of me if he does find me. I know I will not survive. If he does find this note I will have to come to you in your dreams, for he suerly will destroy it. I didn't give in. I hit him as hard as I could with the rolling pin and thought I had time to gather more supplies before he came to, but I failed. He roused and shot me as I went out the door. It was snowing already and I could hear him searching for me as I ran. I am very weak and barely made it here to our special place where we had such happy times. I am very tired and will rest for awhile. I'll add more to this if I awake in the morning. Riley, I lo...

Through my tears, I made the comment, "I do believe I'm going to start my own war."

"What are you going to do, Captain?" I sat contemplating for fifteen minutes.

"First, I need some troops. Duffy, you and I will take a trip up into the hills and do some recruiting. Abby, we may be gone a couple of days. When we come back I'll bring us some fresh meat. Would you stay close to camp? If you get lonely, you can hike down to the ranch house and meet Sarah. Before you step out of the woods, make sure there are no riders around."

"Where is my horse located?"

"I'll chase it to where there is plenty of feed. I'll take the pack horse with me to carry meat on."

"Be careful. Riley, should I do anything about Winnie?"

"Yes, read the journal. As for her remains, don't try to move them. I'll make the cave a monument to her. She would like that. I don't believe I want to move into the cave to live here like I planned. Somehow or another it won't be long before I'll be living in my old home."

"Riley, I'm going to spend some time in the cave with Winnie while you are gone. When we were kids we played together all the time. We would crawl under our covers and talk about what we wanted our lives to be like when we grew up. Sad to say, real life doesn't come close to what we imagined." I nodded my agreement and Duffy and I headed out to get our mounts.

It had been years since I had been up into the hills where a logging company had come in and logged off one of the mountains edging the valley. They had set up a saw mill and worked it for almost two years before moving on. It was eight miles from my ranch. Duffy and I watered all four horses and then left Abby's mare where she had feed and headed out. About a mile from where I knew the saw mill headquarters was located I was challenged by a young man I didn't know.

"Pull up and raise your hands. What's your business?"

"Name's, Riley McBain. Sarah Holcomb said there were some men from the valley living around here. She said they might be interested in what I have to say."

"I've heard your name before. Hang your gun belts on your saddle horn and keep your hands on the reins. I'll follow you in."

"Fair enough." There were a bunch of slab shanties scattered around and some open faced sheds. Some of them were patched with bits of canvas. It was a poor settlement of the worst kind. There was a good-sized corral with a dozen horses enclosed. The young man behind me gave a shout and everyone gathered in a bunch facing me and Duffy.

"Riley, you made it through the war?"

"I'm here aren't I? What the hell has happened in the valley?"

"Scalawags moved in with some gunmen. They took over the town and then most of the ranches. In one way or another they drove us out."

"You didn't fight them?"

"We tried. Tim Long and some of his crew were killed. Our womenfolk were hassled when they went to town. Then Winnie sold out and left. Her leaving took the starch right out of us. We looked up to her. She was dealing with the banker and then she took off. Some of what happened came from the one lawyer in town. The sheriff and his deputy are crooked and maybe even the circuit judge. There's more'n eight gunfighters that hang around in the saloons. They backed up the round-up crews that are stealing our cattle.

"Winnie wasn't dealing with the banker and she didn't leave here either. I found her body and she left me a letter written as she lay dying. The banker was going to rape her and he shot her as she was escaping."

"That ain't what we was told."

"I'll show you her body and you can read the words for yourselves. Enough of that. What are your plans for getting your land back?"

"I don't guess we got any plans."

Jenkins asked, "Who are these people and where did they come from?"

"I can't answer that, but it is happening all over the south. Generally they are south leaning riff-raff that are getting in on the ground floor during the reconstruction for the conquered parts of the country. You'll soon see this happening all over. Many will be not just local Scalawags, but of the same kind from up north swooping in to pick up all the assets of value."

"How do you know this?"

"I was an aide to General Grant. He'll be running for president next year. I don't hold with some of his plans, but he is politically a power. The premise is good, but I know he won't be able to control things when these crooks are let loose. Here you're going to have to fight your own battles and it better be before the crooks you mention get too solidly entrenched."

"What are you going to do?"

"Fight certainly, and get some revenge for what happened to Winnie."

"Tell us what we can do and we'll do it."

"You have to realize you may be getting some more of your friends killed if you join me."

"Riley, we're broke and homeless. Some of us have money in the bank, but can't get it. We've been on a beef diet for so long it makes us gag. Doing something is better than the way we are living now. What's your situation?"

"Duffy and I don't even have a roof over our heads. As long as the weather holds out we're okay. Basically we have just a few months to get this settled. I think first, I want the owners of the ranches to take a look at Winnie. Bring your wife if you are married. I'll show you why I'm fighting."

"Where do we meet you and when?"

"Tomorrow, in the hills back of my ranch. Don't go out into the valley. I'm not ready to declare war just yet. If you want to ride back with me, I'm leaving here before daybreak."

"We'll be ready. Uh, you said we were going to see Winnie. Isn't she buried?

"No, you'll see her just as I found her." From then on I was questioned about my duties during the war. Stories about what happened here in the valley came forth from those who had owned the various ranches and how they were came to be lost to the invaders. I had a thought. "Tell me about the Sinclairs?"

"He has been able to hold on, but won't for much longer from what he told us a week ago. His two boys are gun handy, but don't know how to get started without being shot down just like Tim Long. We need leadership, so it looks like it is up to you."

"I think I would like Sinclair to be present tomorrow when we meet. Is there anyone here that could make his way over there tonight? He would have to leave for my place early so he would be out of the valley before daylight."

A young man spoke up, "I'll go. I know the way." There was a round of laughter. It was explained when he said he was sparking the fourteen year old daughter, Amy Sinclair.

"Tell Sinclair to stop and gather in Sarah Holcomb on his way. She knows about where Winnie lies. She needs to be there as well. I guess that's about all for tonight. Now tell me what you know about these men. Every little thing you can remember."

One woman had a tidbit I picked up on, "I was in the store and I heard one of the toughs talking with the deputy. They were joking about being in Kansas during the war. I took it they rode with Quantrill's Raiders. Finally the deputy said they better shut up about Kansas. The raiders were still being looked for." One man had overheard something similar while playing cards right after the saloons opened up. The owner came by and told him to keep his mouth shut. This was all reasonable because I knew that Quantrill himself had been killed a year ago by some Union troops.

I could sympathize with these people. It just drove home to me how the farmers felt when I had sent troopers out to take food from them and give them a piece of script that said they were owed for what we took. Maybe they got paid, but more often they hadn't. Another stark reality of the war. But the war was over wasn't it?

Early morning we were up and ready. One of the ranch owners was ill, but sent his wife along with us. There were four men and three women riding behind me. When we got close to the Holcomb ranch, I sent a man down to see if Sarah and Sinclair were there. He came back and told us they were ahead of us. We watered our horses and Duffy and I left our mounts. We kept the pack horse with us as it had a quarter of a steer strapped on it.

When we went through the crack to the level spot and our campfire, it startled Abby. She was still dressed as a man and I introduced her around as Abner. I got her aside and whispered something to her. She picked up her pack and went behind the boulder and into the cave.

I now read from the journal the first page in it when I went away and then the letter she was writing while dying. Tears came from the three women and the men were blinking furiously. "I'll show you Winnie just as I found her yesterday. I'm undecided what to do about her remains. I may wall up the cave and make a crypt leaving her just as she lies."

Abby had lighted two candles and placed them strategically. I guided Sarah in first with the others coming close behind. Sarah was at the feet of Winnie. They stood staring down at the remains. They had a better look at them with the candles lighted than I did when I first discovered her.

While I was reading from the journal, Abby put on a dress and was standing in the shadows at the very edge of the light far back in the cave. No one noticed her until she walked from one side of the cave to the other. Every one turned to escape, but I held them up. "You met Abner outside. Actually Abner is Abby, Winnie's sister. She traveled here from Saint Louis to see why Winnie hadn't answered our letters.

"We can go out now and I will explain what I aim to do to spook Bert Innes." We backed out of the cave and everyone was showing relief to be outside, it had been that creepy viewing the remains. "I have plans to have Innes see Winnie's ghost. I think this will soften him up and he will be easier to deal with. If he isn't, I will rob the bank with Abby's help and shoot the bastard. One way or another he is going to die.

"Don't think I'm going into this blind. Before I make any move at all, I'm going to plan it and then execute it. Hopefully I'll be alive when the dust settles."

Sinclair spoke up, "I don't know as I hold with robbing the bank."

"I don't expect you to. I have other plans too. These Scalawags are stripping the range of cattle. There is no way you can trail them to market, but if you bunched them somewhere difficult to get to, you could keep them from being rustled. I haven't seen that many. There must be a canyon or a series of canyons where they can be hidden and saved until we can clear the area of these invaders."

"But some of us don't own our ranch any longer. You don't either."

"I'm figuring on how to get our ranches under our control and it will be legal enough so you can return to your homes. I admit this will get nasty. Nasty for them and I'm telling you I've seen plenty of nasty in the last few years. I think I have figured out some of it already. Remember one thing? They must figure this is open range so all you people have to worry about is your home places. But unless you have sold out, I think you bought the same as Pa did and you own it and can show title."

"We do, but with a gun to our head a piece of paper is useless."

"I'll start the action at my ranch first, and as far as they know it is just me fighting them. What you saw a few minutes ago should give you an idea why I'm doing this.

"There may be times when I'll ask you do something or to back me up when I need help. I won't pressure you if there is any risk involved so you can refuse and we will still be friendly. The first thing I'm asking is for you to go to Pineville for me. You need food, and this is an order for that. I do have limited funds, but I have $225 dollars that Abby and I collected when we out gunned three outlaws on our way here. They had broken out of jail and killed the guard."

"Three of them? How did you manage to do that?"

"Easy. We killed them. Don't worry, it was legal. They attacked us and tried to take our horses. We both fired at them. I drilled two of them and Abby placed two holes in the last one. When we were taking them in, we met the sheriff and he gave us the bounty that was on their heads that we were unaware of at the time. I knew the money would come in handy so we waited an extra day for it to arrive. The only thing we ask in return, is if we drop in on you, you will feed us. Other than that the food is for you. When we left, one of the posse members came along with us. That's Duffy."

"Thank you, so much. The women and kids will appreciate the change in food. Is there anything else we should buy?"

"Yes there is. I'm thinking a case of giant powder might come in handy. Make sure you have plenty of ammunition for your arms too. If one of you would ride back to the Pineville, they have a telegraph. I'll write out a message to send to General Grant in Galena Illinois. I'll ask him for some help about our situation here. Although this is a personal request, I was a good aide to him and he might look into our problem."

"You think he will?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't. He is a busy man, so there again I won't hold it against him if he doesn't. For now, I see Duffy has coffee made. I only have one pot, so you will have to wait for the second one so everyone can have a cup. While you're doing that, I'll write up my telegrams."

Abby came out dressed as a woman. She did look very much like Winnie and that startled these people as much as being ghost-like. For myself, I finally admitted to myself she held quite some attraction for me. From the glances I was receiving, she felt the same way about me.

The ranchers soon left. Because it was too rough to get a wagon through the hills, there were going to use horses to pack supplies in. I gave direction to the person who was taking my telegram to the end of wire. I begged General Grant to reply within twenty-four hours if he could because I would be waiting on his answer. It would likely be five days before I would know about his help either way.

Not much was said about the showing of Winnie, but it was obvious it was on everyone's mind. When it was time for everyone to go, the men shook my hand and the women spoke kindly to me. Sarah, whom I had helped in the past, gave me a hug and urged Abby to come use her tub for a bath. I knew Abby would certainly make use of her offer. They would be friends just like Sarah and Winnie had been.

There was still daylight and now I picked up the journal and read it from page one. It was recounting pretty much day to day life until I came to when Bert Innes arrived in the valley. Winnie wrote not only what was going on but her thoughts about how the neighbors were accepting the change in regime.

Living alone as she was, she vented her feelings on the pages and the injustices that were being perpetrated. She even put down what she felt I would have done if I had been here. This was giving me a trail map of what I should do now to counter this invasion although she was dead and gone. Case in point, she had checked out the old Indian escape tunnel that went from the barn to the cellar at our ranch house.

It might be she was so dedicated to understanding these toughs, and Innes especially, that he might have taken it for interest in him personally and that is why he felt he could approach her as he did. If that was so, it killed her and now it was going to kill him. She made note of what the town was like and how these Scalawags interacted with the natives and with each other.

One of the wives in town had taken up with the person who was head of the roundup. She was immediately ostracized and her husband picked up and left town, leaving her behind. She was definitely left an unhappy individual.

I looked for clues in Winnie's comments that would help give me advantage even if she wasn't aware she was. The two new saloons that were constructed side by side had an empty lot on the outside of each. I paused to think about this. U-m, I did order some dynamite, didn't I?

Not through reading the journal yet, I decided I wanted to view my ranch buildings from the hill back of the buildings. We had a half mile to travel and we hurried right along. We found cover, as I knew we would overlooking the house and barns 400 yards down below in the valley. The sun had gone behind the trees to the west, but it was still light.

I saw a gig coming wildly down the trail from town. This must be Innes coming home from his daily work at the bank. He wheeled into the yard. The horse stood with his head hanging over the bottom half of the Dutch door. Even from this far away, we could see that he must have run the horse all the way.

Innes missed the one step down from the seat. He still had the whip in his hand and slashed at the trembling horse. It jumped ahead. I hadn't noticed but a man had come around the corner of the barn and held the bridle. I recognized Mexican Pete and he was shouting at Innes.

Innes raised his whip to strike Pete, but thought better of it. He turned and stumbled toward the house. He looked to be carrying a load of liquor and was drunk. I knew Mexican Pete well. We had grown up together and often got into trouble with our antics and pranks when I was in town. His sister was the first girl I had kissed. His was a nice family. Not much get-up to them, but they were happy. Pete survived by doing odd jobs. I'd guess that is how he ended up working here for the banker.

"I'm going down there and talk to Pete. I wouldn't imagine there is much danger."

"Riley, you be careful. A lot of people are depending on you."

"I will, Abby." I headed down the hill and across the flat to the barn. Pete was putting up the horse. It was still trembling and when I came in behind it I could see whip welts across its rump.

"Hey Pete."

"Riley, good God man you made me jump. Hey, where'd you come from?"

"I'm camping up in the hills. I heard before I got here that things were all torn up here in the valley."

"You can say that again. Everything has gone to hell. You know Winnie left, don't you. She took off out of here some time ago. Nobody knows where she went to."

"She's dead, Pete. I found her remains. Innes shot her and she crawled back into the ledges. I've done my crying, but I haven't done my forgetting. Is Innes like this every night?"

"Drunk, you mean? No, not always. I can usually tell when it's coming on. When I hitch up for him in the morning and I know he has had a bad night, be assured he'll come back like he was tonight. That's why I was waiting outside to grab the horse."

"How long have you been working for him?"

"Since the middle of the winter. He came home one night in the freezing rain and left the horse out. It caught the wheezes and died a few days later. His pal the sheriff hired me to come out here and watch out for him. He's got a nasty tongue on him and I'm about done with the situation. Tonight he threatened me with the whip. I almost went for him, but then the sheriff would have killed me. This bunch is a rough crowd."

"Say, can you warn me when he is going to be drunk again? Hang a blanket on the barn door or something. I want to get into the house and I want him in it."

"I can do that. He'll be okay for a couple of days, but that's about as long before he goes off like he was tonight. You going to kill him?"

"No, not here. I just want to talk to him. Killing is too easy on him."

"Okay. God, I'm glad you're back. Are you planning anything for the rest of this bunch of bastards?"

"Maybe. We'll see. I'm just looking the situation over now."

"Riley, Innes carries a gun and he puts it under his pillow before going to bed. I think he's right handy with it too. I have a feeling he's done a lot of killing. I'd guess because he is so restless, some of those killings must bother him. Just a thought, that's all."

"Could be." I left Pete there and went back up the hill to Abby and Duffy. "Abby, in a couple of days you're going to become a ghost again. I'm hoping to scare Innes right off the place and back into town."

We made it back to the campground. I was restless. My wife's body was nearby and I hadn't done anything yet to retaliate for her death. But then I had set some things in motion. I hoped General Grant would come through for me. I had asked a lot of him and he was a man who had many irons in the fire so nothing was certain. No one knew how Johnson would make out as President. People said he was drunk when he gave the speech when he was being inaugurated Vice President. Six weeks after he became Vice President, he was the sitting president because of Lincoln's assignation. A sad situation both then and more so now.

I gave up wondering if General Grant would provide any assistance to one of his ex-aides living in the central part of Texas. It was dark when by feel I made my way into the cave. I was on my hands and knees when I crawled in to where I could touch Winnie's boots. I sat up then and let my mind wander into the past and my time with this woman and the happiness we had known.

I don't know how long I had been sitting there when I heard some rustling and scraping. "Riley, speak to me and let me know where you are. I am badly disoriented."

"I'm here, Abby. Follow my voice. That's it, you are close now." My hand felt Abby and I guided her to me and we sat down. Abby had on her men's clothes. I put my arms around her and drew her to me. "Why are you here?"

"Riley, Winnie was my sister. I loved her too, you know. I haven't seen her since you two were married. I so looked forward to reliving our childhood together and reconnecting and maybe finding me a new husband and living close to you and her."

"Abby, we both have loving memories of Winnie. When it settles down around here we will be able to have time to share them with each other."

"You don't mind that I am divorced? Most men wouldn't want to associate with a woman who divorced her husband."

"I don't look at it like that. I applaud your decision to be free of someone who didn't respect you. It shows me that you are a strong person and I need someone beside me who thinks like I do."

"Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"Yes I am. We are here where Winnie can bear witness to my intentions." We held each other closer and I suppose napped a little. After a time we were stiff from sitting on the cave floor and crawled our way out and found our way back to camp.

Duffy heard us return. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, we were just saying another goodbye to my wife. This is the first moment of quiet time we've had."

"Good, a man needs that. Sisters do too. Get some sleep."

The next morning soon after 9 a.m. I sent Duffy over to where we were yesterday to watch my ranch house. He was to see if there was a horse blanket thrown over the barn door. I asked him to stay there to see if anyone came around. I told him he probably would see Mexican Pete, but I wanted to know if there were others. Abby and I watered the horses and watched Sarah's place long enough so we felt she didn't have any visitors. We made our way by foot to her door.

Sarah was happy to see us and to talk with Abby. She declared that Abby was much like Winnie. She asked, "Did you bring many clothes with you?"

"No, I wasn't able to. I've been living like a man, so haven't needed much."

"You're in luck. Bert Innes dumped most of Winnie's clothes here after she left. It must be it bothered him that she didn't take any with her and they were still in the closet and bureaus. We know why now. It was because it was him that killed her. When you get to a place to live, you can have them."

I broke in. "Sarah, is there any one dress that Innes would know was Winnie's? I'm going to be spooking him if I can."

"There certainly is. We had a box social and dance right after that bunch arrived. This was before we knew that they were Scalawags. Bert bought her box lunch and he danced with her twice. He would have danced with her more, but she refused."

"I guess we should take the dress with us. That will just be the one for Abby to make use of." It was eleven-thirty when a rider came into the ranch yard. He came to the door. Abby and I went into a different room so we wouldn't be seen.

"Miz, Holcomb, just to let you know we done taken Captain McBain's suggestion and are moving all the cattle to the farther end of the valley. We are starting at his ranch and at Tim Long's ranch on the other side of the river. We'll be sweeping the width of the valley as we go along. There's plenty of feed where we're shoving them to, and it will be damned sure difficult for those bastards to round them up while facing all of us ranchers. We might even get a shot or two off at them if they try."

"Good. If I see the Captain, I'll tell him."

"Thanks Ma'am." He rode off.

"You heard?"

"Yeah. I'm riding up to the logging settlement again tomorrow and they can tell me all about it. Eventually that crowd in town will get on to what we are doing and they will retaliate. I want the ranchers to be prepared. Sometimes it is good to give in and sometimes you have to fight. I think it is time to fight. The men should be ready. For that matter, the women may have to pick up a gun and fight too."