“Heyes, look ‘it this.”
Heyes directed his horse around and returned to where the Kid had stopped. He pulled up on the grassy knoll, and his gaze followed the Kid’s pointed finger.
Heyes frowned. “Something sure made a mess coming through here.”
“And I bet I know what that somethin’ was.”
Curry pushed his horse down the slippery grass slope to level ground where the grass and soil had been churned up by the passage of numerous cloven hooves.
“We’ve been on enough cattle drives ta know what a herd ‘a cows will do to soft ground,” Curry continued when Heyes pulled up beside him. “I bet if we followed this trail, it’d take us right to them rustlers.”
Heyes sat his horse and contemplated this suggestion. He looked over his shoulder, already calculating how long it would take to catch up with Marshal Matt Jenkins.
“C’mon, Heyes.” Curry could already guess where his partner’s thoughts had gone. “We can take these guys on ourselves.”
“We could,” Heyes agreed. “But then what do we do with them? We split up from Matt and the fellas because the law knows us in the town their heading for, and the next town is another twenty miles beyond it. Where would we turn them in?”
“True.” Curry thought about it. “If ya hurry, you could catch up with Matt in about half an hour, and they can take them into town. How about you go get ‘em, and I’ll follow these guys and see where they’re goin’.”
“Kid, must I remind you that I was voted the best tracker in all of—”
“No, you mustn’t, Heyes. That was twenty years ago, and besides, these beeves left a trail so wide, a blind man could follow it. And, besides, Marshal Matt likes you. George just might shoot me on sight.”
Heyes smirked. “You have a point. Okay, you follow them. But if you catch up, don’t do anything heroic. Wait for us.”
“Me? Heroic? I’ve already been shot at by them fellas once, I ain’t lookin’ ta give ‘em a second chance.”
“Hmm. And yet, here we are.” Heyes turned his horse back up the knoll. “See ya soon. Be careful”
***
“George, slow down,” Marshal Matt told his deputy. “I know you want to get back, but it’s slippery out here. Besides, Bob needs to take things easy.”
George scowled but pulled his horse back down to a walk.
“As long as we keep movin’ forward,” he grumbled.
“Matt!”
The lawmen pulled up and looked towards the sound of the shout. A lone horseman was trotting down the wet grass toward them. He had his hat off and was waving it over his head.
“Matt, wait up!”
“Aww, crap.” George griped. “Now what?”
Heyes pulled up beside the group. His horse was steaming from exertion in the cool air, and both of them fought to catch their breath.
“What’s going on?” Deputy Clint asked. “I figured we’d seen the last of you fellas.”
“Yeah, I know,” Heyes agreed, “but I think we’ve come across the trail of those stolen cattle. The Kid is following it, while I came back to get you. I figured you’d want to know.”
“No, we didn’t,” George stated with a sigh.
“Yes, we did,” Matt contradicted. “If we can catch those fellas red-handed, it will make this whole trip worthwhile.”
“Okay. Let’s go!”
Heyes pivoted his horse around, but was stopped by Matt’s command.
“Wait! Bob isn’t up to this.” Matt pondered a moment before coming to a decision. “George, since you’re in an all-fired hurry to get back, you take Bob into town and get him seen to.”
The first hint of a happy countenance flashed across George’s face.
“Sure thing, Marshal. I’d be happy to.”
“I’m okay,” Bob insisted, and George sent him a sharp glare. “I can keep up.”
Matt looked at his pale complexion and the pain lines around his eyes. “No,” he insisted. “You need to get that wound tended to properly. And George, when you get to town, let the sheriff there know what’s going on. Maybe he can come up and—”
“Ahh,” Heyes was on the alert. “That’s not a good idea.”
Matt frowned, then nodded. “Right. The sheriff knows you.”
“Yeah.”
“Belay that last part, George. Just get Bob to the doc’s. If we’re not there in a couple of days, then send help, and we’ll deal with the identity situation then.”
***
The sun was on the declining side of noon by the time Curry caught up with the rustlers.
The smell of wood smoke and the scent of burning hair and flesh told him he was getting close, and then the bawling of agitated cows confirmed that he was approaching the hideout.
The cabin and corrals were well hidden by a circular stand of evergreens, but these same trees also provided good cover for anyone sneaking up on it.
The Kid stayed well within the foliage as he sat his horse and watched the goings on in the branding corral.
At least forty head were crammed into the holding pen. One by one, the steers were roped, dragged to the fire, and had their brands changed to cover their identity. Then, they were released into a second holding pen as the next cow was dragged to the fire for treatment.
The Kid watched this procedure as his anxiety level rose with each passing moment. He fought the impulse to ride in on the rustlers and deal with the four men on his own. But Heyes’s words rang in his head. “Don’t do anything heroic”, so he sat and waited.
Then his horse turned its head to their back trail and nickered.
The Kid cringed, but the rustlers hadn’t heard the noise. Then he saw his support quietly making their way through the trees to his hiding place.
“Good ta see ya,” Curry said, quietly. “We can catch them red-handed changin’ those brands.”
“The trail was easy to follow,” Heyes informed him. “I didn’t have to be the best tracker in all of Utah to find our way here.”
“Uh-huh. How come there’s only three of ya’?”
“Bob wasn’t up to this,” Matt informed him. “George took him down the mountain. There are enough of us to deal with this situation. We’ve got them in the open, so all we have to do is take them by surprise.”
A shift in the breeze altered their plans before they were even formulated.
One of the rustlers’ horses flared its nostrils, pricked its ears in the direction of the intruders, and sent out a loud whinny in greeting.
Clint’s horse answered it.
“Damn,” Matt muttered under his breath. “Split up! We’ll take cover from four directions.”
Heyes’s horse reared as a rifle cracked fire and a bullet thunked into the tree right by his head, splintering the wood and sending bark flying.
Everyone scattered, pushing their horses through the foliage to new hiding places.
“Heyes! I’ll stop here,” the Kid said. “I’ll draw their fire while you get in position further along.”
“Sure thing, partner.”
Heyes pushed his horse forward, disappearing through the trees on his way to the other end.
The rustlers scattered and ran for cover, shooting into the woods as they went. Those who had been mounted abandoned their horses and hid behind fence posts while beasts all around them panicked and tried to break loose from their containment.
Heyes got to a good spot and dismounted. He grabbed his rifle from the scabbard and hunkered down behind a tree. He could hear rifle fire from the other side of the clearing, so he knew that Clint and Matt were in position. Rifle shots to his left told him that the Kid was also busy pinning the rustlers down.
Heyes spied a man trying to hide behind a post, but still presented a clean shot for anyone with any ability. Heyes raised his rifle and fired, then cursed when a steer trotted into his line of sight and, taking the hit, dropped dead on the spot.
Heyes gritted his teeth, cocked the rifle and aimed again. This time, he was rewarded with a loud curse from his target, and one rustler was down and out of the fight.
Another man broke cover and made a dash for the cabin door. Heyes aimed but didn’t have a clear shot. A rifle report from the other side of the clearing indicated that one of the lawmen had seen him, too. The rustler stumbled, grabbing his thigh, and then collapsed on the steps.
The two remaining rustlers ran for their horses.
The Kid took aim, but loose steers gave the rustlers cover. Rifle fire from the other side indicated that Matt and Clint were on the job.
Both rustlers grabbed hold of their frantic horses. One of them didn’t make it aboard, as a shot from Clint took him down. The second man scrambled into the saddle and booted that horse into a frenzied gallop toward the trees.
Clint broke cover and came after him.
All shooting stopped as it was close quarters now, and nobody wanted to risk hitting a friend.
The Kid, seeing the rustler heading straight for him, jumped aboard his own horse and galloped toward him. He saw the man’s eyes widen in shock just before the Kid’s horse plowed into him, knocking the rustler and his horse into the dirt.
The frantic animal scrambled to its feet and dashed away just as Clint got to them. He jumped down and ran to the winded man on the ground. Grabbing his shirt, he rolled the man over onto his back and shoved the muzzle of his revolver into his face.
“You’re under arrest for rustling and the attempted murder of a lawman. Be thankful I don’t shoot ya right here and now.”
***
All the rustlers were disarmed and gathered together on the cabin porch. Two of them were walking wounded, while the third, with the wound in his thigh, could still stand with support. The fourth was only bruised where his horse had fallen on him. None of them was in good spirits.
The only death throughout the exchange was the unfortunate steer whom Heyes had inadvertently shot.
Curry snorted at the sight of the carcass.
“I see ya ain’t lost your knack with a rifle.”
“That was me thinking ahead. It’s too late to head down the mountain now, and I was just getting dinner lined up.”
“Un-huh.”
“Hey.” The unwounded rustler glared at Heyes. “I know you.” His scrutiny shifted to Curry and then back to Heyes. “What the hell are you two doin’ workin’ with the law? You damn traitors!”
He made a quick step forward and socked Heyes a solid blow across the jaw.
Heyes staggered back but kept his feet and was all set to return the blow when Curry beat him to it.
Faster than his quick draw, the Kid’s fist slammed the rustler in the head, then two rabbit punches in the gut were followed by a swift kick to the groin.
The rustler groaned and sank to the boards.
Matt looked down at the writhing man. “That’s not how we usually deal with an aggressive prisoner, but I suppose it will do.”
He glanced at the other three captives. They stared at their buddy through widened eyes, and Matt figured there wouldn’t be any more trouble from them.
“C’mon, Clint. Let’s get these fellas inside and tend to their injuries.” He looked at Heyes, then his gaze travelled past him to the dead steer. “Since you were thoughtful enough to procure dinner, how about you and your partner drag that cow into the barn and get it butchered. I never get tired of fresh steak.”
Matt then hustled the three walking wounded inside while Clint followed and dragged the still groaning and not walking wounded in behind them.
Heyes and Curry stood there as the door closed on them.
“Thanks a lot, Heyes.”
Curry turned and headed for his horse to get his rope.
“Well . . . it seemed like a good idea at the time,” Heyes groused as he followed. “C’mon! This is not my fault.”
***
Mid-morning of the next day, the group was again heading down the mountain when a lone horseman approached from the downward side.
“Hey, it’s George,” Clint announced as the rider got closer.
“Hey, George,” the marshal greeted his deputy. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” George shrugged. “Bob got tended to right away. All’s good. I thought I would head up here and see how you fellas were doing.” He looked at the sorry group of wounded and secured rustlers. “Looks like success.”
“Ah, now that George is here, I don’t think you need us to help guard these fellas,” Heyes pointed out. “I think the Kid and I should head our own way before we get any closer to town.”
Matt nodded. “Good idea.” He moved his horse over and shook hands with both men. “Thanks for the help. We wouldn’t have made it through the winter without you, and we sure wouldn’t have caught these fellas, either. Those are Mr. Hardbuckle’s cows, aren’t they?”
“Yup,” Curry confirmed. “We’re heading over his way now to get paid.”
“I’ll send him a telegram as soon as we get these fellas secured in town. I’ll tell him how much help you were. Maybe there will be a bonus in it for you. What names does he know you by?”
“I’m Thaddeus Jones.”
“And I’m Joshua Smith.”
George snorted. “If that ain’t a give-away, then I’m a dirt farmer.”
Clint and Matt exchanged smiles.
“He’s got that right,” Matt agreed. “You couldn’t come up with anything better?”
Both men slumped.
“It works,” Curry defended the names.
Heyes simply shrugged.
Matt turned to the prisoners. “If any of you get the idea of telling the sheriff about these two being here, we will all flatly deny it. You got that?”
All four rustlers shifted their gazes, indicating that that’s exactly what they had been thinking.
Matt looked at his surly deputy. “You too, George.”
George shrugged. “Yeah, sure. I guess we owe ‘em that much.”
Then, to the surprise of everyone, he moved his horse over and shook both their hands.
“It was an interesting winter,” he grumbled. “Take care of yourselves.”
Heyes grinned. “It sure was. And, thanks, George.”
Curry smiled. “It seems we made a good team after all. And I hope your lady friend says yes.”
“Yeah.”
Then Clint made the rounds. “Take care, fellas. I’ll be watching the papers. I hope you get your amnesty real soon. You deserve it.”
“I’ll be paying more attention, too,” Matt told them. “Don’t go doing something I’ll have to track you down for.”
“We sure won’t,” Curry assured him. “Take care of yourselves.”
“Bye,” said Heyes. “Don’t forget to send someone for those beeves.”
“Oh, I won’t,” Matt assured him. “They’re evidence.”