Chapter 1

John Comstock, forty-three and used to having his own way--always, watched us as his father and I rode into the Comstock ranch yard. He was pointing at me.

"What's he doing here? The last time he was on the place he rustled one of my yearlings and should have been strung up for it. Dad, I swear, you're getting senile in your old age hanging out with prison trash."

"John, he ain't goin' to be staying but a few minutes. Hear him out. Talk about gettin' old, you get more stubborn and hide bound every day."

John's attention swung back toward me. "What do you want then?"

"I got me some ranch land up north a ways. I was down here looking for cattle. I bought the Wilcox herd. It's being tallied right now and I'm trailing north. While I was buying the herd, Wilcox offered to sell me half his holdings. Mrs. Jessie Wilcox holds the other half. I don't want to locate down here so I'm not interested in having half ownership in the property. I met Chet and he suggested you might be interested. That's why I forced myself to come onto your land one more time. If I remember, the last time I was here you wanted to string me up."

"I did and I would again in the same circumstance." He thought about what I had just told him. "What are you asking? Probably going to hold me up ain't you?"

"I'd like to, but I'm leaving with the herd, I hope in three days. Ten percent over what I paid and the land is yours. I'll even show you the deed and what I paid."

"No way. Two days and you make ten percent. You're a worse crook than you were when you were rustling cows."

"May be, but you're getting ownership in a damned fine ranch at half the cost. Buy out your daughter or you can lease what she owns for a nominal fee. To me, it sounds like a good deal for you."

"She'd lease her half to me? Dad, you know anything about this?"

"I heard 'em talking. That's what Jessie was saying."

"Give me your rock bottom figure and I'll think it over." I mentioned the figure, which was really fair and John Comstock knew it.

"I do'no, I'll have to think it over. When you say you want to leave?"

"Three days. Money for the cattle is coming in by wire from my bank up north. That's when I pay Wilcox for them. If I don't sell the holdings by then, I don't know when I'll get back this way. Not for a couple of months anyway. I'll be three-four weeks on the trail and I ain't wanting to come back. Tell you what, if you lease the half of the Wilcox ranch from your daughter, I'll cut what I expected to make by half. I can live with five percent, just so I can get on the trail on time."

"Sounds like a good deal to me, John. You better talk to Jessie about the lease. She's having tea in Miss Sylvia's tea room in a couple of hours. You could catch her then."

"I'd have the whole ranch under my name wouldn't I? I suppose that's what I've been working for. Too bad young Wilcox turned out bad. I pinned my hopes on him. Well, I just jumped a generation now that he is out of the way. I'll saddle up and ride in with you."

I was getting eyed over pretty well and John wanted to ask some questions. Finally, "Where'd you get aholt of land enough to graze Wilcox's cows?"

"Met someone a couple of years ago. I did him a good deed and he offered me to partner up with him. I went on ahead when I got out of Territory. I found out he had been rustled to the bone, so I did some scratching and figuring and come up with the money. I have to admit I've borrowed the money for my half of the Wilcox holdings from a friend of mine. I'll pay him back as soon as you pay me."

"What if I don't buy you out? You're holding the bag."

"Okay, but your dream of a huge ranch is long gone. I'll peddle it to someone, sometime in the future. By that time, your daughter may have other plans that don't include you. I still think buying from me and leasing from your daughter is the best deal you are ever going to get. What do you think, Chet?"

"Don't get me involved. I sold out my ranch to John 'cause I got sick of chasing the north end of a critter heading south. John will come to it, same as I did, but he's got to learn that for himself. What you need, son, is another woman such as you had in Martha." Gramp turned to me. "That was Jessie's mother. She was one sweet woman."

"She was that." This came from John Comstock. It was the first and only human statement that I had ever heard him utter. Guess there had been some love in his heart at one time. Sadness must have overshadowed it for too long for it to make the light of day recent like.

We dismounted in front of the bank and walked down to the tea room. Jessie and Felicity were the only ones there, besides Miss Sylvia. I was curious to see how John and Jessie reacted to each other, for I had heard they were barely speaking.

Jessie made it easy for her father. "Hi Dad. I do believe this is the first time you have ever been in here. Miss Sylvia serves coffee as well as tea."

"I guess I can stand tea once. Them Britishers swear by it, so they say. Looks like squirt water to me."

"Dad, you be good. Miss Sylvia can put a dollop of brandy in yours. Miss Sylvia, you know my father, don't you?"

"Oh my yes. He was kind enough to ask me to dance a couple of sets at the school house. I'm pleased to meet you again Mr. Comstock." She was fluttering and John looked slightly embarrassed.

"Miss Sylvia, you know I had fun dancing with you. I don't suppose I could escort you to the next dance, could I?"

"Oh my. I'm persuaded and would be honored." Miss Sylvia looked about ready to faint.

We got down to business. It was soon concluded and John agreed to lease the half of the Wilcox ranch Jessie owned. Felicity started fussing. Jessie excused herself and went into Miss Sylvia's living quarters in the back. We were just waiting on Jessie so we could go over to the bank. Miss Sylvia was hanging on John's every word and she was getting glances from him as well. He was seeing a spinster woman fifteen years younger than himself.

What she was doing was looking at a successful rancher who had just asked her for a date. Now if that hard-hearted bastard could soften a little, he might find a little happiness. I chuckled, knowing if Miss Sylvia played her cards right, she might even become my mother-in-law. Jessie wouldn't mind, I'm sure, as she had been friends with Miss Sylvia since the lady had arrived here.

When Jessie returned from nursing Felicity, she announced that Felicity had gone right off to sleep and we should go over to the bank. "We'll all come back here. Miss Sylvia has made a cake to celebrate some things that are going on in my life. You'll come back too, won't you Dad?"

"Guess I got time. Coffee this time, though."

John Comstock purchased one half of the former George Wilcox undivided property from one Samuel Jones. He also leased the former Bradley Wilcox undivided property from one Jessie Wilcox Jones. When he read the lease agreement and saw his daughter's name had been added to, he raised up and threw the papers on the desk. "What are you pulling Jessie? You didn't hitch up with him did you? He's a damned cow thief."

"Yes and you pushed me to marry a robber and a killer. Take a good long look at my husband. He is half owner of a ranch, fully as big as yours. Maybe he doesn't have as much money as you do, but he is twenty years younger than you are. He'll get there. Besides that, I love him. In fact I have loved him ever since he shot the man who was going to rape me. I just didn't know it at the time.

"The papers are signed, just as you wanted. Let's go celebrate Sam's and my wedding. That's what the cake is for. Besides that, it will give you a chance to sweet talk Miss Sylvia a little more. If you play your cards right, you might get to see her before the next dance. What's it to be?"

John sat down. "Okay then, let's finish up here." The banker brought out John's draft and I accepted it. I signed it over to Chester Comstock. John's lips tightened as if he was going to explode again. Gramp told the banker to deposit it into his account--all except the five percent profit. That was stacked in front of me in gold coins. I asked for a cloth bag to hold it.

I slid it over in front of Jessie. "Here dear, this should be enough to get you up north and home to me. A wedding present, if you want to call it that."

"That is where the five percent is going? You gave it all to Jessie?" Maybe that damned cow thief was going to treat his daughter better than her first husband. "You know I'm beginning to think you're not as much of a crook as I thought." He looked at the banker. "Give me a like sum from my account. Hand it over to Mrs. Jones. That's my wedding gift to the newlyweds."

Miss Sylvia was still fluttering when we all trooped back into her tea room. Did John have a chance at love? I looked her over. She was petite, and slightly cross-eyed. Her shape, well, maybe not so much, but you knew she was a woman. I was sure though, if a man got beyond her looks he would find a person who was sweet and possibly desirable. There was a latent something about her, I couldn't put my finger on. From the conversation that swirled around us, I found out she had had this little establishment for more than five years.

Very seldom did a man enter to partake of the tea treats she had to offer. The ladies of the town often came here to gossip. Living in the rear of the building, she didn't go out much. Her one sojourn into the public was the quarterly dances. Seldom did a single male ask her to dance. The men that did ask, only did at the urging of some wife that patronized her tea room. Now Sylvia had actually had a man ask her for a date. Maybe, just maybe, something would develop.

Jessie announced that she was leaving shortly for the north after the herd got on the trail. The road north paralleled the river where the herd was being driven. Not that far in distance apart, but rarely in sight of the other. Gramp would escort her and the baby in easy stages.

John, changed man that he was, offered Jessie her dead mother's surrey to travel in. Chet could drive it back sometime in the future. Jessie immediately got up and gave her father a kiss. Not to be outdone, I shook his hand and thanked him profusely. He did shine in Miss Sylvia's eyes and I guess that was the whole point.

I was still using the sheriff's horse and he was stalled in Jessie's barn the same as usual. Tonight Jessie and I did just a little more to each other as we lay in bed. At the two o'clock feeding, Felicity ended up lying between us. I was beginning to think I was totally domesticated.

In the morning, early, I went across to where the cattle were being gathered and ate with the crew. I owned all of the Wilcox horses and had one cut out for me that I liked the looks of. He was a little bigger than some of the others and I figured had a little more staying power. I knew I wouldn't be handling much of the cow work on the drive, but would be in the saddle all day. This would save me from changing to a different mount mid-day.

I threw the sheriff's saddle on him and went up. I hit the saddle and then two hops later I hit the ground. No one laughed, I mean I was the boss and the men were just waiting to see what I would do now. One of the crew caught him and I indicated I wanted to try him again.

I went up again and this time I stuck. I didn't make a pretty ride, but I didn't come off either. The cowboys went about the roundup and I watched from the sideline. Occasionally I kicked my horse to chouse a steer back that got away from the gather. The men realized I knew cattle, but needed more practice. This after I announced I had been in prison for two years and hadn't had many horses to ride. I grinned as I said this. I came away that evening knowing some of the crew's names and a fact or two about some of them.

I stopped in to see Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox before going on to town to return the horse to the sheriff. George saw me coming so I couldn't ride on by without stopping. The Mrs. was all over her husband, haranguing him about selling out so cheap. This included the sale of the cattle as well as the ranch. I was right in the middle of a domestic fight and the husband was taking more and getting the worst of it.

There was a freight wagon backed up to the front door and two freighters were loading up the wagon. "I'm leaving in the morning and I ain't waiting on you. I'm heading out for my brother's and I don't care if you follow me or not. You practically gave the cattle away. You stay and collect for them. I'm taking what we got for the ranch with me. It's a sad ending to the dreams we had twenty-five years ago."

"Yes, you damned bitch, and you know whose fault it is. You gave our son everything he wanted and stuck up for him when he was wrong. Look what it got us. He turned out a killer and brought shame down on the Wilcox name. You turned our daughter-in-law against us and you haven't even gone to see our grandchild. I tell you right now, I'm stopping over to see the baby this evening. Going to tell our daughter-in-law also, that I'm sorry her life didn't turn out what she hoped it would be. Maybe even tell her I hope she finds happiness. She was a good and faithful wife and look what it got her."