The Baldwins From Texas
Chapter 1

Copyright© 2018 by happyhugo

I lay reflecting on my life before I rolled out of my blankets at daylight. Old Joe was nestled in a little hollow he had carved out on the ground across the fire from me. We had been taking our time traveling for a few days and we were somewhere north of Medicine Bow and near Casper, Wyoming, that’s all I knew.

I was headed for a small ranch owned by a friend of mine, Ronald Pickwell. He and I had been in the War Between the States together. I was a captain and he had been a second lieutenant under me. He had raved about his ranch holdings and about his young wife. I was searching for directions to the ranch when I arrived in Laramie a few days ago. I found not only directions, but a guide as well. My guide was the older man sitting across the fire in camp this morning.


When Ron and I parted at the end of the war, he made me promise that if I found things in Texas not to my liking when I arrived home, I should join him in Wyoming. I hung around Texas for a couple years after getting home. Pa had died while I was in the war, leaving my younger brother and my ma alone to manage the home place. They were glad to see me at first, but my being there quickly soured when they learned I had fought for the south and not for the union. Typical Ma, she accepted it and soon, brother Sam did as well.

Texas had sided with the south and Jeff Davis, but Pa had been for the Union. He and Ma always supposed I fought with that side. When I headed east to sign on, I joined up with those of us who were Texan. I was raised to the rank of Captain almost immediately. I was glad Pa had died, believing I went north and what he assumed. He would have been disappointed if he had known otherwise.

While I was off fighting, my brother Sam married an attractive woman, Marcy Witherspoon. Her family from New Hampshire arrived before the first carpetbaggers. They were a bunch of pinched-lipped bean counters out to get rich. They had offered little to the bereaved widow woman who owned the ranch next to ours. Her man was killed in the war and there was little help to run a ranch. She didn’t have much choice except to take their offer. She and her husband had been friends of mine since I was a sprout. Needless to say when I got home and found out about it, the neighbor being treated badly by this new outfit, it didn’t sit well with me.

Sam had become enamored with the new woman who arrived in town. He was totally under her spell and she soon accepted his proposal of marriage. Her family was fast taking over our little town and became a power in the politics. Of course by marrying Sam, a native, this led credence to their advancing ambitions.

Returning home I worked along beside my brother. Riding and roping the same as I did before I went away. During the first year home, I twice got into fist fights with Sam’s two brothers-in-law when they called me a rebel. I have to admit I whipped their butts and had to put a gun on them to keep from being killed when they braced me later.

I stayed out of town as much as possible, but I would get a thirst every so often and would head for the closest saloon. This was a saloon my brother’s in-law seldom frequented, but they came in after me one evening. I guess you could say those Yankees grew a yellow stripe down their backs all of a sudden. That was when they volunteered to crawl out from under the saloon’s bat wings and across the street to their mounts. Let’s just say they volunteered when I gave them a choice of crawling or drawing against my .44 Navy pistol.

Blood hadn’t thinned between me and my brother. It was Sam who warned me that I was being set up at the local saloon. I was ready for it when it went down. It wasn’t long after this happened, that Ma asked me to leave town. She knew I would be either killed or kill one of her daughter-in-law’s family. Either way it would bring more trouble down on her and she had had enough with Pa dying and me being in the war.

One other little thing that was bothersome. Sam’s wife was twitching her butt around me when Sam wasn’t nearby. She was a well set up woman and if Sam hadn’t been my brother, I might have given her a tumble. Ma suspected, but didn’t bring it out where I could see it until one evening. She just cautioned me to be careful around Marcy.

Ma laid it on me, “Chance, us Baldwins never fought amongst ourselves. You and Sam could be the first. Don’t you be looking at Sam’s wife, she is pure trouble. I fear for your brother. Just to make sure you don’t get cross purpose with him over her, I want you should leave.

“Your name is on the ranch here, the same as mine and Sam’s. If anything ever happens to me, you get my share. Sam won’t get it and he is okay with that. It is just too bad you two brothers can’t work together, but I know it won’t happen while the Witherspoons are a power in the county.

“I haven’t got any money to give you Chance, but I could tell you where to get some. You got to be careful, though. Coming out of the war the way you have and what you were doing when in it, I’m sure you can figure how to come up trumps.”

“No robbing banks, Ma. Too many other people have money in it. If it was just the Witherspoons, I’d do it.”

“What I had in mind for you was to get your hands on some of theirs before it got to the bank. Them’ll be driving up to Kansas with a herd of cattle in another week. It’ll take them a month and some to get to Abilene. Course our ranch will have a few head with their herd, but that’ll be your cut of the cattle we own now. Ours will be a small herd, but it’ll give you a start in life somewhere else. Take all the herd money, theirs and ourn. It’ll be just payment for the trouble they’ve caused you.”

“Sam know about this?”

“No, not yet, but I’ll let him know sometime in the future. He loves that fool woman he married, but isn’t so taken with her father and brothers.”

“I’ll pack up and take off then. Ma, I don’t know when I’ll be seeing you, but you’ll always be in my heart.”

“You’ll be in mine too, son. I haven’t much cared what happens to me since your Pa died. I’m glad you made it home from the fighting and I thank the Lord for you getting back whole. You take care now. Be good and be honest. That is except for collecting what you are due. Find yourself a woman. They tell me a squaw makes a good wife if you get them young enough.”

“I’ll think on it, Ma. Say goodbye to Sam for me. I’ll be gone by daylight. You know, if I get settled in somewhere, I might just come and get you. Sam might be ready to pick up and get out of here by then.” Ma and I shed a few tears, never knowing if we would meet again. I went down to the bunkhouse and said my goodbye to the two hands that weren’t on roundup with Sam.

I ran into Marcy as I came out. “Walk out with me, Captain Chance. I’d like to see the moon come up. Sam isn’t here and he won’t be in tonight.”

“Can’t, ma’am. I’m packing my things and heading out for California in the morning.”

“You could take me with you. Sam has never been out of the county and you’ve traveled all over. My name is Baldwin now the same as yours. We could travel as husband and wife.”

“No, I won’t do that to my brother.”

“Too bad, we could make a pair.” I thought to myself that my brother had a lot of heartbreak coming up, that is if his wife wanted to run off with his own brother, no less.

I finished packing and lay down for a few hours. I went into my mother’s room and kissed her on the cheek, brushing the tears from her face as I did so. “Ma, just for your information, I’ll be heading for the Wyoming territory when I’m telling everyone I going to California. People are moving around. When I find someone coming this way, I’ll send you word. You do the same for me after I settle in somewhere.”

“Chance, I knew you wouldn’t go off and forget me. Go careful and be safe. I love you.”


I loaded my pack horse, saddled up, and headed west for California. I came to a little town late that night, going in and getting me a meal. I went into the saloon and was pretty loud talking about California. Three o’clock the next morning I saddled up. This time I went north, taking two days before I headed back east. I kept from sight as much as possible, avoiding people. When I reached the home of one of the privates who had been in my unit, I quartered myself there.

I spent time working around his place for my keep until I figured the Witherspoon-Baldwin trail herd must be close to Abilene. I borrowed a horse from my former trooper, leaving my own two with him. Reaching Abilene, I found I was a week early, but the herd was expected. I made camp outside of town close enough so I could walk into town in twenty-thirty minutes.

There were cowhands from several outfits blowing off steam and I was hoping I wouldn’t be noticed. I didn’t want my horse to be seen, for he was branded. If asked, people would remember the horse, if they didn’t remember me. Jake Witherspoon and Sam came into town to sell the cows a week after I arrived. I watched the outhouse behind the hotel and when Sam came out to use it before bunking in I let out the call of a night bird.

This was something I had taught my younger brother. I had learned it from an old Indian while I was growing up. Sam and I had used it when hunting to keep track of each other. It was just a game, but when I got home from the war, I had related to him how I had used it in the army. He paid no attention at first and went on into the stinking privy. When he came out of the jakes he returned my call to find out where I was located.

We walked out of town a ways and hunkered down to talk. I learned that Sam, Jake Witherspoon, and the two foremen, one ours and one theirs, would be leaving in two days. They would have the herd money with them. Sam described where they would be camping the first night out.

I had a plan and had made preparation. “Sam, here is a bottle of whisky. You’ll be having a few drinks when you camp the first night. Can you get this bottle into Jake’s saddlebags? It has some knockout drops in it. You had better drink some too. It won’t hurt you at all. The worst it can do is making you sick and give you a headache. That’ll keep the others from suspecting anything.”

“You’re after the money, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Didn’t Ma say anything before you left?”

“She did, but I thought you would be halfway to California by now. I can give you the money from the sale of our herd. Why do you want theirs too?”

“Sam, those Yankees are out to do you wrong. I’ll get me a place set up and you and Ma can come live with me when it happens.”

“What about Marcy? I’m married to her.”

“Sam, watch Marcy closely. She doesn’t love you as much as you think. She married you for the ranch. The whole bunch is out here to get rich as fast as possible. You had better watch your back as well. She may set you up to get the ranch the easy way if she thinks it will gain her.”

“I think you’re wrong about Marcy, but I’ll keep in mind what you say. I don’t trust her father and brothers that much, so I’ll will listen to you. How come you left anyway? I never knew you to be afraid of a couple of bastards such as this Witherspoon tribe I married into.”

“Ma asked me to. She was afraid I’d be bushwhacked or I’d kill one of your in-laws. You almost have to side with them against me. Ma is pretty smart and sees things. I told her something and that is when she thought it a good idea for me to bug out.”

“Was Marcy involved? You came on to her, didn’t you?”

“Back off, Sam, I would never do you wrong with either women or money. Blame Ma if you can’t blame Marcy.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll leave that for now. Where are you headed? Still for California?”

“No, but you don’t need to know where yet. I’ll get word to Ma where I am when I get settled. To be honest, I don’t know myself for sure. I’m going to get directions in Laramie, Wyoming as I’m looking for one of my former officers. If after awhile you don’t hear from me or you need me, check at the Comstock livery stable in Laramie. I’ll leave a letter for you?”

“Okay Chance, Ma has never steered us wrong and if she told me to leave instead of you, I would have done it for her. She is something. She sure does miss Pa, though. He’s been gone for going on five years now. Mom just took up where he left off. You be careful and I hope nobody suspects you and starts looking to track you down.”

“They won’t. I did a lot of undercover work for the confederacy as a spy. All it takes is well placed planning to succeed. You go along now and watch your back.” We clasped each other and I turned one way and my brother turned another. I would see him again, but if the plans played out right, Sam wouldn’t remember.

I returned to my camp and picked up. I headed for the tracks of a cattle drive coming north, mixing mine going south in with the tracks. This was a main trail for herds and it had many drovers heading back south on their way home so one lone track wouldn’t be noticed.

I had done some scouting to find where Witherspoon and Sam would be making camp two days from now. My officer’s glass came in mighty handy and made it easy to keep from being run up on by travelers. I kept out of the valley and in the brushy side of the trail where I wouldn’t be seen. Sam had described where the four were going to camp the first night as they drifted toward home. I found it. It was a place that was concealed in a small glen and I could creep up on Sam and the others easily.

Two days later at nearly dusk I could see the four horses coming from the northeast headed for the camping spot. I viewed the valley and could see a trail herd coming up from the south in the distance. They shouldn’t bother me if no shots were fired. I didn’t believe there was a soul near enough to cause me worry.

All four men were tired and sat smoking before getting up supper. Somehow, Sam had got the bottle I had given him into Witherspoon’s saddlebag. Witherspoon dragged it out, but Sam said they should eat first. They ate and then the bottle went around. Witherspoon got sleepy and ordered the Witherspoon foreman to clean up and stand first watch. He went and laid down. Soon all were sleepy and no one did do up the camp cookware.

I scouted around seeing if it was safe and when the fire got a little lower, I waltzed in and looked at Witherspoon laying there with his head on his saddlebags. I pulled them out from under him, smiling when his head thumped on the ground. The bags of rolled gold coins were in his saddle pockets. Sam had one bag in his saddlebag. I took them all. I knew Sam had kept enough walking around money in his pockets to get him home and I imagined Witherspoon did too.

I had dry camped and just saddled up and took off. Any one of a dozen outlaws could have known about this place and had made plans accordingly. Four armed men could hold off an army, so they hadn’t kept their plans a secret figuring they were safe. I went right down the center of the valley which was now a well known trail. I knew the cattle herds behind me would be moving at first light.

Before leaving, I cut their horses picket string. These horses would smell the cattle drive and head for there during the night. This would slow Sam and his bunch looking for me even more. Witherspoon and all would wake up with big heads and would be puzzled at first until they realized their herd money was missing.

Me, I would be miles away at the time. I headed for the ranch where my horses were stabled. I reached there on the second morning in time for breakfast. I rested for a few hours and then took off for Denver up in Colorado. I slowed down now, making easy camps. I wanted to take my time and show people that I wasn’t running from anything.

I got into Denver and put myself up in a nice hotel there. The meal in the dining room was way better than the camp food I had been making for myself. I stayed two days, giving the horses a rest and then lit out for Laramie up in Wyoming. Hopefully I would get directions there.


Laramie was smaller than I thought it would be and I booked into a boarding house. I hung out days at the livery stable, just talking and listening to the gossip that was being tossed around. There was an old Frenchman, Joe Arcand, hanging around there cadging drinks from travelers. He was telling them he had been in the territory before settlers started coming in.

He claimed he had traveled all over, even among the different Indian tribes. He had first come in with several trappers decades ago.

“So, boy why are you here?”

“Joe, I’m more than a boy. I’ve been to war and been home a few years.” I didn’t answer his question.

“Yankee or Rebel? Not that it makes and difference to me.”

“I fought for the south, not that it makes any difference to me either.”

“That don’t tell me much and you didn’t answer my question.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re prying.”

“Guess I am at that.”

I grinned as I had listened to this same exchange with another cowhand that had been before me. “Joe, I’m trying to find out where a former officer of mine is located. All I know is that it is north of Medicine Bow and not too far south of Casper. The one I’m looking for said he and his wife had a small ranch on the west slope of the Laramie Mountains.”

“Well let’s see if I can think of those who live in that section. I’ll rattle off a few names and you pick one. There’s the Pikes, the Coonans, Winfields, Browns...” He paused and said it couldn’t be the Browns as the last one had died off years ago. “How about Pickwell? He’s home from the war recently. The outfit that took over the Brown ranch was pushing Miz Pickwell, thinking probably her husband had been killed. Ron got back just in time to stop them taking the ranch from her.

“I ain’t heard how he is making out. He could probably use a hand if you’re any good with that shooting iron. I see you got one of them Winchester repeating rifles too. Me, I favor the Sharps .50. Don’t do much shooting anymore, but the one I got has killed me a few redskins. It’s slow getting its shots off, but makes up for it if you’re shooting far.”

“Ronnie Pickwell is the one I’m looking for. Can you give me directions how to get to his ranch?”

“Can try, but I don’t remember, exactly. Maybe a couple of shots of whiskey over to the saloon would sharpen my memory.”

“Well let’s see if it does. Lead the way.” Joe got his two drinks and a couple of more. He claimed he had been stopping at the Pickwell ranch a couple times a month while Ronald was in the Army. He said Mary Pickwell was a treasure in anyone’s book. Troubles were coming to the hills, though. “Look what is happening up in Johnson County. Several absentee owners have formed a Stockman’s association and they have put a bounty on the small ranchers if they hold a good piece of watered land.”

“Any danger of it happening where Ron Pickwell ranches?”

“It could. He holds a pretty nice piece of grassland. He’s just got him a new baby too. That’s his future and he will fight to the death to keep it to pass onto someday. I ain’t much anymore, but I’m feeling for the boy and his woman.”

“You can still shoot that Sharps can’t you?”

“You bet.”

“How about you trail up there with me?”

“I would, but I get the shakes terribly if I don’t get a bit of whisky now and then. It steadies my hand you know.”

“They have whisky up that way, don’t they?”

“I ‘spect so.”

“We’ll start tomorrow morning after we lay in what you think you will need to keep you steady. Maybe we better double the bottles in case they are out of whisky when we get there.”

“God, Boy, where have you been the last few years of my life?” I herded Joe back to the livery stable and saw him bunked down in an empty stall. My blankets went down beside him.

I felt myself lucky to have found this old trapper. He acted as if he wanted to get out of the town and up into the country again. He just needed a pard to do the heavy things around camp. We rolled out early. His eyes were as clear as mine and his hands were steady. I asked if he needed a drink.

“Nope, feeling frisky this morning. Can’t say what I will be feeling like at our nooning. Saddle Nellie, my jenny will you. She’s friendly and don’t bite ... much. Depends on if she likes you or not. You’ll find her out back. You can pick her out as she is the ugliest animal you ever seen.” Joe cackled as I went out into the corral to get her.

He followed me out and chirped to Nellie. He rubbed her nose and I saw him pass her something. “Here, feed her one of these cubes. She’s partial to sugar.” When he turned to go back into the stable, the mule turned and walked behind him and kept bumping him in the ass. Joe looked over his shoulder at me. “Get the saddle on her. Nellie’s ready to travel.”

Joe didn’t have much. He had a scabbard for his sharps and his blanket roll. His saddlebags looked mighty thin to me. We stopped at the general store and loaded up my pack horse with what we would need. I let him do the ordering. The only thing extra was the whisky for himself and the sugar cubes for his jenny. Other wise he chose the same as I would have.

We had 100 miles, more or less to go and we started out slow. There was no rush so we took it in easy stages. There were a few settlements, but mostly it was mountains and valleys with scattered ranches. The vistas were awesome. The days were hot and it was dry. Not like it was in the area of Texas where I was from, though.

We were on the western side of the Laramie Mountains and there were streams coming down off the peaks. Snow would be dumped on this side of them come winter. We could see there hadn’t been any rain for quite a spell this year. “We start getting rain in October and the springs will start running again at that time. Water is important and what is on any given piece of land governs what size herd a rancher can run. Fights and land grabbing is all over water rights.”

“That’s pretty much the same everywhere. You’ve thought about this a lot haven’t you, Joe.”

“Yep.”

We took a handful of days to traverse the distance. We could have gone faster, but this was going to be my home country and I was getting a map of it in my head. I rode beside Joe where I could and he talked all about what the country was like when he first came into it. There were different tribes of Indians that he lived with and some he fought with. He had had half dozen squaws over the years. He talked about one squaw, his first and it sounded as if he really loved her. When she died, he said he had to have two squaws to replace her.

Finally one day along about dust, he said, “The Pickwell ranch is on the other side of the ridge. You want to go in tonight or wait for daylight?”

“Morning is fine.” We made camp.


All reflections left my mind when I heard gunfire start up where we were headed. Joe and I had paused before heading down to the ranch last night. I stomped into my boots. Joe did the same, speaking as he did so, “We can see what is going on from the tree line. We’ll get the horses later.” We ran up to where we could see down onto the ranch.

There were six horses back on the far side of the valley. Five men were dismounted. These had come closer to the house and firing from the cover of a chicken coop and the bunkhouse. One attacker was still mounted at least 500 yards away. All were shooting. We could see there were gunshots coming from the house so the attack wasn’t successful yet. The day was young though, with the sun just coming up and it looked as if these men were serious about wiping out the Pickwells.

“Chance, you want me to kill ‘em?”

“Shouldn’t we make sure it is Ron and his wife in the house under attack first?” Just then a woman came out the back door and sidled around the house to shoot from there. She was immediately hit, falling to the ground. Joe saw her go down.

“That’s Mary Pickwell.”

I ordered, “Kill their horses first. We can finish off some of the men before they can get away.” Joe knocked off the man sitting on his horse. Then he took my suggestions and started killing the animals.

Me, I opened up with my Winchester. I couldn’t have done much against the horse-sitting attacker or the horses, as they were out of my range. Not too far for Joe’s Sharps, though. I saw two men go down under my gun. Another man went down, shot from the house. The last two hands raised their hands.

“Joe, grab your jenny and head down. I’ll cover things from here. Let Ron know help has arrived.” I could cover the ranch house and the attackers from where I was hunkered down on the ridge. I could see the woman wasn’t dead, but she was injured. She was now moving and was trying to get up.

Suddenly Ron came out of the house and ran to his wife. He got down on his haunches and was brushing the hair from her face when Joe came up to him. I was keeping my eyes on the two attackers that were left. One of them put his hands down and started to walk away. I put a bullet at his feet. He stopped and turned back. Joe headed out to them and gathered their weapons.

I backed away and saddled up my horses. I threw our camp gear onto the pack horse and headed down to meet Ron, my former second lieutenant.

“Captain Baldwin, by God. This is payback for me saving your butt years ago. You came here just in the nick of time. What are you doing up here anyway? I didn’t think you would ever be leaving Texas.”

“We’ll talk later. How’s your wife?”

“She got creased. She’ll be fine. Help me get her into the house. I suppose we should clean up that carrion that’s left out there before they start to smell.” I was bigger than Ron, so I gathered Mary into my arms and followed Ron inside. She was pretty pale, but the crease across the left side of her scalp wasn’t very deep. Not more than taking a bit of her hair and some skin. Head wounds bleed badly and her clothes were splattered with blood.

There was a homemade crib in the corner of the bed room where I lay Mary down. Mary wasn’t worried about herself. “Give me Ethan.” The baby boy had slept through all of the noise. Now though, when he heard his mother’s voice, he started fussing, wanting to be fed. What would have happened to the baby if Ron and Mary had been killed? Ron leaned down and kissed his wife. I got out of there when she started to open her dress.

When I came outside, I could see a horse heading for the house. As it got closer, I could see it was a young woman with flowing black tresses. She was astraddle, wearing overalls with a calico dress over it. This was bunched up around her middle. She stopped fifty feet away and swung her horse so we couldn’t see her dismount. When she came from behind the horse, her dress covered all but her lower legs and feet.

“Who killed Junior, the boss’s son?”

“I gave the order. They were attacking a man, his wife and there was a baby inside. They shot the woman. She has survived, but the intent was to kill everyone.”

“You don’t know that. Christ, there are bodies everywhere. Mr. Owen will come after you. You killed his son and you killed Brad Portman, our foreman.”

“That may be, but if he does, be assured I will go after him personally.”

“No you won’t.” I couldn’t believe this. I was caught flat-footed. The woman produced a pistol from her dress and shot into me. I felt as if I had been slammed in the side by a two-by-four. I instinctively pulled my iron, but stayed my hand when I saw the look of horror cross her face. I immediately felt sorry for the woman, but I sank into blackness.

I came to. I was in the lower bunk in the four rack bunkhouse. Joe was puttering around cleaning up around a sheet iron stove. He came over when I asked for water.

“Some gunman you are. You stand right there and let a slip of a girl plug you. Ron tells me he was with you three years of war, through all kinds of battles and you come back and this happens. Comical, though. Good thing you got a tough hide. She had a .40 pocket pistol. I’m guessing it didn’t have a full load of powder in it. About all you got is a busted rib and lost some blood.”

“She say anything?”

“Nope, not about you. She did borrow a buckboard to load the bodies on and she drove off. She asked Ron to let our two prisoners go which he did. This was after she went in and talked to Mary. I imagine we will be seeing John Owen pretty soon. Junior was his only son and my Sharps did a number on him. Owen will be awful peeved and come back at us or give up and go back to Denver where he is from originally. I’m going up on the ridge and settle in to wait.” I didn’t say anything.

Ron brought me in a big bowl of beef stew for supper. “Mary is fine. Her head aches some, but there is no sign it is going to cause any trouble. How about you?”

“I’m good. Don’t tell any jokes because it hurts to laugh. I rolled over onto that side and that woke me up good. Tell me about the woman who shot me?”

“She is the daughter of the housekeeper’s who works for John Owen. Her name is Rita Drucker and everyone expected Junior would marry her someday. I’m not too sure that would have happened. I have heard Mrs. Owen had ‘airs’ and Rita wouldn’t have been considered a good match for her son. There was no reason to hold them up if they were both inclined that way. Mrs. Owen died a few months ago. You interested?”

“Christ no. She has already caused me enough pain.”

“Good thing you didn’t shoot her. The whole country would be in an uproar. She is well thought of.”

“Ron, what about Mary? She was shot.”

“That is a little different. She comes from a small ranch. That’s different than belonging to a big one. To us it is a big deal, but to them it is of little account.

“Chance, you know, I suspect that young Owen attacked us on his own. Owen and the other big landowners will sit around and talk about how to get rid of the small ranchers. His old man never has had much faith in the boy, and Junior, I think he thought it would be an easy task to drive me out.

“It cost the boy his life, which is too bad. I wonder if Junior wasn’t having second thoughts and that was why he hung back just watching the horses? How come you shot him anyway?”

“I didn’t really. I told Joe to shoot the horses. When we saw your wife go down, there was no holding him. No holding me either for that matter.”

“I didn’t know she was hit until those hands gave up and I went looking for her. It’s a hell of a mess. All we can do now is to wait and see what develops.”

“Yeah.”

I got out of the bunk in the morning. Joe hadn’t spent the night in the bunkhouse with me, but he would have made himself comfortable on the ridge above the ranch. Mary was up and moving around as if nothing had happened at all. I insisted I could ride up and relieve Joe. God, it hurt to get on my mount. That was even with Ron giving me a boost up. I could slide off when I got up there, but figured I would wait for someone to come back and boost me on when it was time to return to the ranch house. I made it without too much pain.

When I got up on the ridge, Joe left his Sharps with me and took my Winchester before he left for the ranch. I could cover the ranch for an effective 400 yard distance with the long rifle. Joe could do better for it was 500 yards or more to where Junior had been killed. I got ready when I saw dust coming down the valley. I put my glass on it and could see an older, heavier man leading the way. There were three more horses in the bunch and one hand driving the buckboard that had been lent to them yesterday.


I relaxed a little when they got close in to the ranch house. I was still intent, with the rifle pointing, and at the ready. Suddenly from behind me, I heard movement. I rolled over, which just about killed me and I let out a groan. I then opened my eyes.

Rita Drucker stood there looking at me. I was disgusted with myself. “Christ, I’m worse than some raw recruit. First you shoot me and I stand there and let you and then you walk up on me before I know you are in the area. You going to shoot me again?”

“Don’t be absurd! I didn’t intend to shoot you at all. The gun went off by mistake. I was terribly mad and not thinking right. I had just looked at Junior Owen and he was dead. He had a big hole blown right through him.”

“And I suppose you would have been sorry if you had killed me ... by mistake that is. Oh, what a burden it would have been to you. How can you bear it?”

“You ain’t dead, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Maybe not to you, but it does to me. Your gang almost killed my friend’s wife. What about that?”

Rita was silent for a few moments. Then she spoke, “That shouldn’t have happened. Junior took it on his own shoulders to come here yesterday. He had no experience in life and always was sheltered from the realities and consequences for any act when being the aggressor.”

“Well, he paid the ultimate penalty by losing his life. The sad part is, he caused the death of three other men at the same time. Not only that, I wonder if his father will ever recover from his son’s death.”

“That’s a strange thing for a man to say who ordered that same man killed yesterday.”

“Yes I did. Remember though, a man who I call my friend and his wife was under attack. At one time in the past he saved my life.”

“Who are you?” I stared at this woman. I was lying on the ground and certainly couldn’t have looked like much. I hated to attempt to get on my feet, for I knew I would hurt and would probably groan out loud. I certainly wasn’t an impressive individual.

“Me, I guess you could call me an ex-Rebel soldier who is just up from Texas to see how a friend who saved my life during the war is doing as a civilian. I seem to have got here just in the nick of time. If I hadn’t I would be saying some words over his grave this morning.”

“What’s your name?”

“My mother named me Chancellor Baldwin. You can call me Chance.”

Rita looked at me and then changed the subject. “That the gun that killed Junior?”

“It is.”

“From here, shooting across the valley? It must be 6 or700 yards.”

“Not nearly that. I’m good, but not that good.”

“How come you are up here today? You should be in your bunk.”

“Maybe, but remember some damn fools tried to wipe Ron and his wife out yesterday. He had no assurance but what it they might try it again. I’m here to see they stay alive. What are you doing up here?”

“I came up to protect Mr. Owen if he was fired on as he came up to the house this morning. I’ve been here an hour or more. I was here before you came up.”

I glanced down on the ranch. It looked as if it was calm enough and no trouble was brewing. I rolled over and started to get to my feet. Immediately there was an arm around my shoulders, helping me the final bit. I went over to a boulder and sat down. Sweat was dripping off of my chin. Suddenly Rita whirled and disappeared into the woods. A few minutes later she was back with a canteen, unscrewing the top and handing it to me.

“Mr. Baldwin, you should be laying down in your bunk. Trust me enough that Mr. Owen will not attack your friends again. Let me help you onto your horse and we can go down. I want to see Mary and I want to hold baby Ethan.”

“Okay.” I was ready to find some place more comfortable. For some reason I didn’t want this person to disappear from my view either. I had never felt like this about a woman before.

Rita led my horse close to the boulder I had been sitting on. She helped me stand on that and then held the horse steady while I stepped into the saddle. “I’ll get my horse and go down with you. It will take a few minutes.”

I braced myself with both hands on the saddle horn on the way down the trail to the ranch house. The horse stumbled once and I wanted to die for the pain was that bad. It was a relief when we reached the level. Rita soon came up and rode into the yard beside me. “Mr. Baldwin, would you keep a low key when you meet Mr. Owen. He is hurting as much as you. In a different way, of course, but hurting just the same.”

This woman was out of her teens. I wondered why she never married. She wasn’t any raving beauty, but still attractive. I answered the request she made. “Of course I will. I had to write many letters home to mothers and widows of troopers who were killed while under my command. I can well understand how he is feeling.”


It was almost a hundred yards to the hitching post. Ron and Mary were standing there facing Owen and his four cowhands. Joe was leaning against the corner of the house watching. Rita commanded. “Pete and Yuma, would you ease Mr. Baldwin down off his horse? He’s hurting.” The two hands steadied me when I swung off. Damned if I was going to show weakness, but I had to grit my teeth some.

I straightened up and headed for the bunkhouse. “You, Baldwin, stop a minute. I understand you gave the order to have my son killed.”

I turned and faced John Owen. “I did. He and the five hands were all firing at the house. I saw Mrs. Pickwell get hit and go down. I thought she was dead. What would you have done?”

“The same I suppose. I want you to know this didn’t happen under my orders. My ranch is terribly short of feed, but I never had any attention of making a raid on my neighbors. I had a foreman who was pushing to take over this ranch of Pickwell’s. Junior was always listening to him tell about being a gun hand and how it was done down in Texas where he was from. I’ve been in Cheyenne and didn’t get here until late yesterday. Rita filled me in.

“When she told me what had happened, I knew I had to come over and make my peace. Rita is much bothered by having shot you, but she didn’t know how safe it would be for me to approach the Pickwells. She had a feeling someone would be on the ridge this morning.”

Joe spoke up. “I knew she was there and watched her arrive. She didn’t look too dangerous so I left her be.”

I spoke now. “You didn’t tell me she was there.”

“Hey, boy, she shot you so you as much own her now. All you have to do is take advantage of the situation. I left you an opening.”

Rita was indignant. “I might have something to say about that. If I want a man, I damned sure wouldn’t shoot him first.”

“Rita, but you did and that’s a fact.”

“Enough, Joe.” I was uncomfortable with what Joe was saying.

Rita was mostly ignoring what Joe was saying. “Chance, let me get you to your bunk and into bed.” She realized how that sounded and her face flamed. “Oh!”

I grinned to myself, and then I remembered what Joe had said. You know, I could wish I did own this woman. Her bonds would be light though. I was eased into my bunk. “Chance, I am sorry I shot you and it really was an accident. I’m not that familiar with fire arms and shouldn’t have pulled it out of my pocket.”

“You’re right. I almost drew and shot you when you pulled your gun. That was instinct on my part. Then I realized how pretty you are and wouldn’t mind being shot by you are all.”

Rita looked down as I lay there on my bunk. “You’re so full of it. I think you are going to recover all right, but I hope you have some painful days until you do. I’m leaving.”

She was almost to the door when I asked, “Rita, will I see be seeing you again?”

“You know where I live.” She hesitated before continuing, “You should wait until Mr. Owen goes back to Denver before you ride over.” She said this over her shoulder. She didn’t tell me when that was to occur, but hell, I wasn’t going to be riding for awhile anyway. I heard the Owen bunch leave a short time later.

I rested where I was, but got out of bed for supper. This was the first chance I had to talk with Ron and Mary. They filled me in on their lives, about the ranch, and some of the local politics. Eventually, a sheriff would be showing up to investigate the shooting. He was a friend of John Owen, but Ron said I shouldn’t have to worry. I held the baby for a bit. Damn he was cute. I decided I’d like one of my own someday.

I was also filled in by Ron on what Owen was planning now that his son had been killed. His ranch was overstocked and he had to find a place for his cattle or do a quick roundup and sell off some before they got too gaunt.

“Ron, how is your pasturage?”

“I’m in fine shape. I’d buy some cattle from Owen if I had the money. There are several glades back up in the mountains where I could feed twice the cattle I have under my brand.”

“Any water up there?”

“Plenty. Remember this watershed comes off the Laramie Mountains and the springs are replenished every year from the snow melt. Cows could get pretty wild back in there though, and it would certainly take a good crew to round them up. On the other side of the coin they would be fat when you caught ‘em. Joe knows the land better than I do”

“Is it a good place to run cattle?”

Ron answered, “It would be tough, but there is some great grazing land up in the hills. I don’t know why John Owen hasn’t made use of it. The easiest access is through his ranch. My ranch is the closest, but it would be hell trying to get in there from here.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know about it.”

“Probably not. He is more of a town guy anyway. Portman, the foreman you shot, was from the grasslands near the coast on the Gulf of Texas and wouldn’t be up in the hills that much.” I said no more, but I was thinking. I wanted my own place and I didn’t see where I could buy one with the amount of money I had.

The few thousand dollars I had would buy cattle, but it wouldn’t buy much of an outfit without ranch buildings. Most of the good land had been taken up and I would be a newcomer. I would have to buy a ranch or do the same as Owen’s foreman tried to do two days ago. It was being done and I had heard of this happening all over the cattle country. That’s what was planned for Ron Pickwell. Drive the owner off a ranch, kill everyone and bury their bodies. No one would care and with no proof, it was possible to do and worth the risk.

I was recovering. Days, I would go in and watch Mary and the baby. I guess it was time I settled down and I wanted a family just like Ron had here. I thought about Rita, but what had gone down during the past couple of weeks, I didn’t see much chance of that happening.

I was sitting a chair leaning against the side of the building when I saw a lone horse coming from the direction of the Owen ranch. Rita came into the yard and ground hitched her horse. “Morning, Chance, how are you?”

“Fine, Rita. What brings you here?”

“I wanted to see Mary and the baby. I was wondering how you were doing, too. This is the first chance I have had to get away. Somebody killed half our crew and I’ve been working as a cowhand. If I didn’t like doing it, I would be peeved at the person who caused it all.” She was smiling as she said this.

I asked a question, “How is Owen doing? I feel badly for him.”

“He’s doing okay. Doesn’t say much. I think he is debating selling out and leaving the area. He spends a lot of time with Mom. They get along good together and he is lonely. I wouldn’t be surprised if he asked her to be his wife. They would make a good pair.”

“What are you going to do if that takes place?”

“No plans. I’d like to stay around here. It has been home for several years. I came up here with Mom when the ranch was purchased from the Brown estate. Mr. Owen wanted it homelike for his wife when they came, so he hired Mom to keep the house livable for her arrival. He has come alone the last few years. Junior got in trouble under Mrs. Owen’s lack of guidance and he was shipped up here a year ago. I think Mr. Owen was hoping I’d take up with his son.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“No spark between us. When I marry, I’ll do the picking. I’ve lived twenty years without a man and I can live a few more if I have to. So far, I’ve had offers aplenty, but I know it is just because there aren’t that many marriageable women around. My man is out there and I’ll find him someday.”

I grinned. “That’s if you don’t shoot him first.”

Rita stared at me and then smiled. “You were shot, but you ain’t dead. Who knows what the future will bring?” She turned and went into the house to see the baby, leaving me to mull over her words.

I got up and drifted over to the barn where Joe and Ron were fitting shoes on a horse. “Joe and Ron, tell me about the range in the uplands. I might just go to ranching.”

Both turned and looked at me. Ron asked, “That was Rita Drucker that just rode in wasn’t it?” He was grinning. Joe just stood there laughing without saying anything.

“Hey, I’ve got as good a chance at her as others. Better than most, I’d say. She plugged me and that’s a hard way to meet a person. You did say I own her because of it. I do need a home for myself and for a woman as soon as I find one. I might as well start putting it together. Better now than later.”

“Okay, we were just joshing you. You two would make a good pair though. Step out back of the barn and I can give you a general idea where the land we are talking about lies.”

We walked behind the barn and Joe paused, pointing. “Chance, see that tall peak up there. That’s as far as you can go in that direction. Now look at the lower one to the south and another one the same height to the north. The two lower ones have high ridges coming all the way down into the valley here where both my ranch and Owen’s ranch are. Those mountain peaks make up the outer boundaries for any land that has feed.

“The ridge above us here, where we stopped before coming in, is the front edge of the rough country. There has to be several thousand acres of rough country in there. There is one fairly flat area of about sixty acres in the center about seven miles from here. It would make a nice place for a set of ranch buildings. Not much of it is tillable because it is too rough. It’s prime grazing land though. There are ten and twelve acre plots scattered all throughout the whole package.”

He paused before continuing. “I got to tell you there are some Indian families living on the land. They exist by hunting and don’t bother the whites much. I can introduce you to them. I’m related to them somewhat.”

“How so?”

“Two are squaws I claim. I guess there are two-three sprouts I could claim if I wanted to.”

“Joe, I think we better ride up there. I’ll be well enough to make it in a few days.”

“Suits me. I better go into the settlement and get me something bright and pretty to take with me. Them squaws will be expecting it if I show up.”

“Get me something to take to them too. If we are all living in the same area, I’ll want to keep them friendly.”

“Good thinking. You know, I think we had better truck on up to the house and see your own squaw before she leaves.” He snickered and so did Ron.

Rita was getting ready to go. She talked to Ron, telling him that Owen was going to be selling off much of his herd after roundup. That would be taking place in six weeks. He wasn’t expecting much for the cattle as they looked more like they had just come through a hard winter. “He doesn’t have enough feed for them.”

As she was mounting up, she said there was a social in town in two weeks. It was to raise money to pay the new schoolmarm for the year. Would I be going? Mary spoke up and said we all would be there.

“Rita, would you save a dance for me?”

“Yes, I will Chance, and just because I shot you I’ll put you down for two. My card fills up fast, so it is a good thing you asked today.”

After she left, Mary said to me, “Chance, Rita really likes you. She asked me if you had asked about her. I said, of course you had. You have been thinking about her haven’t you?”

“I have.”

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