“What are you doing out here, Blake?” Webb’s eyes were narrow slits below the brim of his Stetson.
“Just making a delivery.” Blake knew better than to ask Webb the same question. “But I was planning to find you later. There’s trouble brewing, and I need your help to stop it.”
Webb exhaled. “I’m listening.”
“It concerns two of your hands—Sig Hoskins and the one called Lem. This morning I stopped them from raping one of the homesteader girls.” He told Webb the rest of the story.
“I know the girl you mean,” Webb said. “Pretty little blonde. I noticed her at the dance. Damn, it’s lucky you showed up when you did.”
“Another minute and I’d have been too late,” Blake said. “Even so, the girl got a bad scare and a bruised face where they hit her. When I left them, her father and his friends were talking revenge. I tried to reason them out of it, but they were in no mood to listen. To their way of thinking, if they don’t make an example of those two men, none of their women will be safe—and they’re probably right.”
“And what can I do about that? If they didn’t listen to you, they sure as hell won’t listen to me.”
“You can make sure Hoskins and Lem are headed out of the county. Otherwise, you know what’s bound to happen. There’ll be blood, and there’s no telling where it will end.”
“I hear you.” Webb’s voice was flat, his expression unreadable. “But there’s nothing I can do. My foreman fired those two galoots last week for drinking and fighting. He told them to get their gear and clear out. They could be anywhere.”
“Well, I know where they were this morning when they attacked an innocent girl. And Hanna—the girl—told me they mentioned hiding out on the Calder ranch. Is there any place they might’ve holed up?”
“We have a couple of empty line shacks. I’ll have my men check and clear them out if they’re there. But beyond that, I’ve got a ranch to run. I can’t be responsible for two men who don’t work for me anymore.”
And will you be responsible if the next woman attacked is the one you can’t seem to leave alone? The thought passed through Blake’s mind, but he kept it to himself.
“I know this isn’t what you want to hear,” Webb said. “But those sodbusters should’ve had better sense than to come here, where they weren’t welcome. Any trouble they might have, they pretty much bring on themselves. If they want to keep their women safe, maybe they shouldn’t let them go wandering around on the prairie by themselves.”
Blake had never cared for Webb Calder. But he had never disliked the man more than he did at that moment. “I’ve taken enough of your time, Webb,” he said. “I hope nothing comes of this situation. But if it does, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
With that, he flicked the reins and drove away. He didn’t bother to look, but the fading sound of hoofbeats told him Webb Calder was headed back to his kingdom.
As he drove toward town, Blake’s curses purpled the summer air. A war between the cattlemen and the homesteaders would cause bloodshed and heartache on both sides. But in the end, the sodbusters would lose—and if they cleared out, the cattlemen would win. Maybe that was why Webb Calder didn’t seem to care what might happen. Maybe all the ranchers felt that way, even his brother.
Let it go. It’s not your problem, Blake tried to tell himself. But the memory of Hanna’s haunting eyes, reflecting shattered trust, stayed with him as he drove into Blue Moon. He could talk to Sheriff Potter. But despite what he’d told Lars Anderson, Blake knew that the authority of the newly hired lawman didn’t extend beyond the town. There were no laws on the open range except the ones commonly understood, and enforced, by the people who lived there—and that enforcement included hangings.
As he pulled the wagon into the side lot next to the general store, another thought struck him. With luck, Hoskins and Lem would have the good sense to stay hidden or leave. But what if Big Lars and his friends were to find the cowhands and carry out their revenge—be it beating, maiming, or even killing the cowboys?
What then?
Only two outsiders—Webb Calder and Blake himself—knew about the planned vendetta. Blake had no wish to report the settlers and cause them more trouble. But what about Webb? He had no sympathy for the newcomers. He’d even hinted that he wouldn’t mind seeing them driven off the land. And if Stefan Reisner were to be caught and punished with the others, Webb would have access to Reisner’s wife.
The war Blake was struggling to prevent would work in the cattlemen’s favor—especially Webb’s.
Damn! Blake’s hand doubled into a fist. He’d set out to keep a tragedy from happening. But so far, his meddling efforts had only made the situation worse.
He took his time, giving his anger a chance to cool as he climbed down from the wagon and hitched the team to a post. It didn’t help to see that right across the street the frame of a shed-like building was going up. On it was a sign—PETIT LUMBER COMPANY. So Doyle was already expanding his business. And Blake didn’t recognize the green boards that were stacked under the roof. Maybe Doyle had struck a deal to get his lumber somewhere else, like Miles City. Good for him. Today, Blake had more urgent concerns on his mind. But his thoughts were about to turn in a different direction.
As he rounded the corner of the general store, he was distracted by the sight of a familiar buggy drawn by two handsome bays. The driver—a man Blake recognized as one of the longtime Calder hands—sat dozing on the front seat, a rifle propped against his knee.
If Lorna Calder was inside, Ruth Stanton, who was like a daughter to Benteen’s wife, would likely be here, too. With luck, he might get a word with her. Given Webb’s recent behavior with a married woman, which he’d made no effort to hide, Ruth might be ready to turn to someone else.
He walked inside, holding the list Garrity had given him. Ollie Ellis, the proprietor, greeted him with a smile. “What can I do for you, Mr. Dollarhide?”
“I’ll need everything on this list.” Blake held out the crumpled sheet of paper with Garrity’s labored printing on it.
“Of course.” Ellis was familiar with the old man and his ways. “And I take it Mr. Garrity would like a couple of peppermint sticks. I’ll include them, free of charge.”
“That’s right kind of you. Take your time.” Blake was already scanning the crowded store, with its shelves of merchandise breaking up the space to form aisles. He could see Lorna Calder looking at some fabric. But she was alone. Maybe Ruth hadn’t come with her after all.
Then he caught sight of Ruth on the far side of the store, where the kitchen supplies were kept. Dodging a cluster of drylanders, he made his way toward her.
It wasn’t easy to get time with Ruth. She lived with her widowed father on the Triple C, where she taught at the small school for the ranch children. When she wasn’t teaching, she was often with the Calders. People who knew the family assumed that one day she and Webb would marry. But the years had passed, and it hadn’t happened. Now that Webb was behaving in a way that no woman should tolerate, the time might be ripe for Blake to get Ruth’s attention. Maybe he could even ask her to go for a ride or a picnic.