Gunpoint Read online

  “Got it over the telegraph this morning. It’s up to one hundred and nine dollars for a prime beef.”

  I heaved myself out of my chair. “All right,” I said. “It’s gone up pretty fast. You go ahead and wire our brokers and I’ll get Harley to begin rounding up and shipping. You think about a thousand head? Would that do you some good on the treasury bills?”

  He figured in his head for a minute. “With commission and shipping costs we still ought to net close to a hundred thousand. Yes, that would do very nicely. What I’m short of in the hundred thousand we’ve got plenty of loose cash to cover.”

  “Well, I’m going back to the ranch. I’ll talk with ya’ll tonight. Something else has happened.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll tell you tonight.”

  I rode back to the ranch with my nerves standing on edge and my eyes flicking at every movement Howard had sure been right about this business of trying to worry me. I hadn’t thought it possible, but I was beginning to think otherwise. There was no way a man could live under such strain.

  But I made it back to the ranch without incident. My bushwhacker had apparently packed it in for the day. It was coming on four in the afternoon and I rode to my house and put my horse in the corral. Carrying the saddle and bridle into the dark barn I found myself apprehensive. It was the perfect place for an ambush. By the time I got my eyes adjusted to the dark I could have been shot half a dozen times. And there is no place where a man is less on his guard than in his own home.

  It made me angry. I was getting tired of all the nonsense. Next time this hombre tried anything I was going to charge him instead of hiding in the weeds.

  I went into the cool house, got a bottle and glass out of my office, went into the parlor, and sat down and had a couple of drinks. Ed Harley, our foreman, should be in by six. He lived in a private little cabin near the big house with his wife. Harley had been with us about fifteen years, and he was a very dependable man if you carefully explained to him exactly what you wanted him to do. He’d be glad to hear I wanted him to gather a thousand head of the crossbred steers because the men didn’t have much to do and it fretted Harley to not see them putting in a full, hard day.

  After that I’d go up to the big house, eat with my brothers and Howard, and then discuss what I should do.

  But I didn’t have to wait until six to see Harley. I hadn’t quite finished my second drink before he rode up to my house and knocked on the door. It came as a considerable surprise to me because I couldn’t recall him ever having done such before. All our business was generally talked about somewhere else. I let him in and said, “What brings you here, Harley?” I didn’t bother to offer him a drink because he didn’t.

  He looked right nervous. “I may not ought to be bothering you, Mistuh Justa, but I figgered you ought to see this right away. We just come across it.”

  He had a piece of paper in his hand of about the same kind as the first threatening message had been written on. I took it. It was the same block letters in pencil. It said:

  JUSTA WILLIAMS YOU CAN’T HIDE

  Harley was giving me a troubled look. “What does it mean, Mistuh Justa?”

  “Never mind,” I said. “Where did you find it?”

  He grimaced. “That’s the hell of it. It was pinned to the hide of one of the Hereford yearling bulls. Somebody had cut its throat and pinned this here message to it with a wood splinter.”

  I looked at him sharply. “Wasn’t that herd being guarded and hazed?”

  He looked mighty unhappy. “Yes, sir, it was. But they was only the two men and the herd was some spread out.” He pointed at the note. “I reckon that’s why whoever done it cut the little bull’s throat other’n shootin’ him—so as to not make no noise.”

  “Nobody heard or saw anything?”

  He shook his head. “I’m mighty sorry about that little yearlin’ bull, Mistuh Justa. The herders never heard a sound. They only come on the little yearlin’ when one of the boys rode the circuit of the herd to bunch ’em back up a little closer. That’s when he found the yearlin’, on the west side of the herd. I’m mighty sorry, Mistuh Justa, I know what them little cattle be worth.”

  “Forget about it, Harley,” I said grimly. “Looks like the boys will have some high-priced steaks. Butcher it out and send an extra two herders out tonight.”

  Though that seemed like shutting the barn door once the horse was out. I didn’t figure my enemy was very interested in butchering cattle. It was just another way of getting at me.

  Harley made a tentative gesture at the message still in my hand. “Kin I ast you what that’s all about? Have we got some kind of trouble I ought to know?”

  “It’s personal. Nothing to do with the ranch.”

  He made a weak protest. “But it was one of the ranch’s cattle.”

  I said, “By the way, never mind putting on those extra night herders. You’re going to need all the men you got available.” Then I told him about gathering a thousand head and driving them in to the holding pens at the railroad yards in Blessing for shipment to Kansas City. “Start first thing in the morning and stay steady after it. The market could drop at any time.”

  “You want me to grade them cattle?”

  I shook my head. “No, just make a straight cut. Lean heavy on the steers if you can and try not to ship any yearling heifers, but don’t waste no time on quality. Those crossbreds are all about the same anyway.”

  He said hesitantly, “Wa’l, that latest crop of yearlings is looking more to Shorthorn conformation. Wouldn’t you like me to pick as many three-and four-year-olds as I can? And I think we still got some fives hanging around.”

  “Use your best judgment, Harley. Just remember, speed is important.”

  He nodded his head. “We’ll git it from can to cain’t. I’ll git some work out of them lazy grub riders for a change.”

  When he was gone I finished my drink and looked at the note again. I just shook my head. Killing a yearling bull that one day would have been worth nearly a thousand dollars just to get my attention. Why didn’t the sonofabitch come out from hiding and face me if he wanted some satisfaction? I’d give him satisfaction and maybe a little bit more.

  Juanita came in about then and asked me what I would like for supper. I said not to concern herself, that I’d be eating up at the big house. I had told Harley not to mention the note to anybody and to warn the cowhands that had found it to keep their mouths shut. But I knew damn well that the story would be all over the ranch by nightfall. Well, it didn’t much matter. After I’d taken to the weeds that morning I felt I could be pretty sure that my bushwhacker knew he had my attention.

  * * *

  We got lucky that night for supper. Buttercup was down with what he called his rheumatiz, which meant he was either too drunk or too hungover to get out of bed. As a consequence the Mexican women cooked for us. We had steaks, and I could tell from the taste and tenderness of the beef that we were eating a thousand-dollar bull yearling. I hadn’t said anything to my brothers or Howard, and they wouldn’t have had a chance to find out on their own, so they didn’t know. Norris did comment, since we always slaughtered crossbreds, that either the grass had improved or the cooks had, judging from the quality of the meat.

  I didn’t enlighten him any. That would come later, and besides, it would probably have ruined his meal if he’d known the cost of the steak he was eating.

  We finally got through and moved into the other room. Ben poured out all around for us, and then held the bottle questioningly over a glass and looked at Howard. He said, “You had yours for the day?”

  Howard said, “No,” keeping his face especially straight.

  “You big liar,” I said. I sat down in the overstuffed chair. “Give it to him anyway, Ben, but water the hell out of it.”

  Norris said, from his usual chair at his desk, “What’s this you said at my office? About something happening today.”

  “Been a couple of things,” I
said. “Enough to where I sure as hell don’t think this is somebody’s idea of a joke.” I told them about the rifle shot that had gone over my head and about hiding in the weeds.

  Ben said, “Damn! But you don’t think he was shooting to kill you?”

  I shook my head. “No. Like Lew said, he could have made a real easy shot out of it. I’m starting to agree with Howard. Somebody is trying to get me jumpy as hell so they can come straight at me so’s I’ll know who is behind it. Only thing, it’s starting to get costly.” I got out the note that had been pinned to the bull yearling and passed it to Ben. He read it and passed along. When they’d all had a good look at it I said, “Somebody’s been doing a little slaughtering for us.” Then I told them where it had been found.

  Norris said, “Sonofabitch! A Hereford! Not a crossbred, but a Hereford! Was that that steak we were eating tonight?”

  I nodded.

  “Sonofabitch!” he said.

  Howard said, “Look at yourself, Justa. It’s already starting to work on you. I know you’re tryin’ not to let it bother you, son, but sometimes a man can’t help himself. I know before we finally rid the area of Comanche we stayed so on edge it was almost a relief when they made a raid. At least we could do something about that. Fightin’ a will-o’-the-wisp is the hardest fight of all.”

  I said bitterly, “Likely they’ll burn my house down next.”

  Ben said, “It could happen. Listen, I’m going to have Ray Hays sit up in your house tonight.”

  I shook my head. “No, you’re not. I don’t need no guarding.”

  “You do when you’re asleep.”

  “What makes you think Ray won’t drop off?”

  “All right, I’ll put one of my vaqueros with him. Maybe even two. They can watch turnabout. There’s no work going on right now. They ought to be doing something to earn their wages.”

  I sighed. “Lew Vara is of a like mind as ya’ll. He thinks I ought to clear out for a time. I’m beginning to think so myself. If this bushwhacker goes to killing expensive cattle he could get to be mighty tiresome.”

  Norris said, “He must have known what he was doing, killing one of the purebreds. Cutting its throat right in front of two herders.”

  Ben said, “You know, if you were to take off—say, head west where there ain’t a hell of a lot of anything for quite a ways, that is, once you get by Blessing—some of us could give you a start and then back-trail you. We could close up gradually and might squeeze this killer in between you and us.”

  I said, “I had thought of trying to slip out without him knowing. Lew thought that way he’d stay around town and Lew might get a line on him.”

  Howard said, in that old rumbly voice of his, “Won’t do, son. You have to figure this man, and there might be more than one, is watching you night and day. I don’t think it’s possible for you to slip out. And even if you try, you ain’t going to be able to be sure you done it. No, I think it’s better for you to leave in broad daylight and jest figger he’s trackin’ you. Push hard for the first couple of days and then fort up at the first likely piece of ground you come to and try and bushwhack him.”

  I looked up. “Who’s him? I could shoot some innocent stranger happens to be going the same direction I am.” I shook my head. “No, I agree with you about not trying to slip off. That makes sense. Besides, if he thinks I’m still here he, or them, might keep on trying to do mischief around the place.”

  Ben said, “When do you figure to go, Justa?”

  “I’d like to see Harley get a good start on rounding up a thousand head of cattle. I didn’t tell you and Dad, but I’ve decided to go along with Norris and ship a thousand head. I figure Harley can get them started for Blessing in four days. Norris, when you go into town tomorrow I want you to go down to the railroad office and order out enough cars for that many cattle. Consigned for Kansas City.”

  Ben said, “What kind of cut you making? I don’t see how Harley can grade out a thousand head and get them on the road in four days.”

  “Not grading them. Just taking a straight cut through the herd.”

  Norris said, protesting, “You’ll get as many heifers and cows as you will steers. At least grade for age. We’ve got a lot of four-and five-year-olds that ought to go first. This is a big gather.”

  “I ain’t got the time,” I said.

  Howard looked at me. He said, “Son, are you putting your personal business ahead of the ranch?”

  I just looked at him. His meaning was clear.

  He said, “Because if you are, it just won’t wash. Don’t you trust Harley?”

  I nodded. “As far as he’s capable.”

  “Don’t you reckon he’s capable of grading out cattle? If he ain’t, this is a hell of a time to find out about it after fifteen years.”

  I took his point. “I reckon you’re right. I guess those cattle can be gathered without me here.”

  Ben said, “You ought to leave in the morning, Justa.”

  I gave him a faint smile. “Trying to get rid of me? Afraid you’ll be mistook for me or get caught in the cross fire?”

  He gave me a sour look. “No, I just want you off somewhere and not so damn visible as you are around here. Besides, you’ll have to change your habits. Whoever this is has been watching you. The proof of that is that ambush on the road.”

  I was ready enough to leave. Hell, I’d been ready even before I got the first threatening message. But I said, “No, I’ll leave the day after tomorrow. I need some time to pull an outfit together. Ben, pick me out a good packhorse.”

  “You going to let us backtrack you? I could take Ray and one or two others of the hands that knows which end of the gun the bullet comes out.”

  I shook my head again. “No. We need all the hands we got for the gather. Ben, I want you to pitch in on that too. Pay attention to how Harley grades them cattle, especially as to age. Besides, if this man or men are as good as I think they are, they’d catch you out the first day and vanish. Maybe go up-trail and around me and lay for me later.”

  Howard said, “Son, I want you to take Ray Hays with you.”

  I said, with a little heat, “I don’t want to take anyone with me, dammit. And I don’t want to hear any more about it.”

  Ben said, “Which way you going?”

  “West,” I said. “Nothing out there. You can see for miles after you get on beyond Blessing.”

  “You got any destination in mind or how long you’ll be gone?”

  “Long as it takes. But no more than two weeks. I’d like to be here when Nora gets back. But if I ain’t, I’ve told Lonnie Parker to keep her in town. And if that happens I don’t want none of ya’ll telling her what’s been going on. As far as she’s concerned I’m off on a business trip, looking at ranches.”

  I stood up and yawned, stretching my arms over my head. “I reckon I’ll get to bed. It’ll take me all day tomorrow to throw a proper outfit together.” I said to Dad, “You reckon we got enough stores here so I don’t have to stop in town tomorrow?”

  “Don’t see why not,” he said. “You could ask one of the Mexican women.”

  “I’ll just look tomorrow.”

  Ben said, “I’m sending Ray Hays and a couple of vaqueros over there tonight to watch your house.”

  I shrugged. “Do what you’re of a mind to. But they better not make no noise.”

  I said my good nights and then left, sauntering along toward my house. The moon was up and it was a bright night with a good cool breeze blowing off the gulf. I walked along, almost relieved to be going. My house was nothing without Nora in it, and I was tired of the ranch and tired of the same old faces. In spite of the threat hanging over my head I was feeling lighthearted.

  Then, when I was about a hundred yards from the safety of my house, there came that familiar sound. First the whine of the bullet over my head followed by the crack of the rifle. This time I didn’t go to ground. Instead I put my head down and ran as fast as I could toward my front door. I
had my revolver in my hand, but I didn’t try to fire back, mainly because I knew there wouldn’t be anyone to shoot at. The shot had come from the northwest side of the range. The bushwhacker obviously didn’t want to get himself pinched between me and the gulf to the east.

  I wasn’t used to running, so that I was out of breath when I opened my heavy front door and jumped inside. Once more I was sure the bullet had been deliberately high. Still, it did make a body’s heart race just the least little bit.

  I went into my office, poured myself out a drink, and downed it. It was dark in the house but I wasn’t going to light any lamps just right then. Nora had curtains on all the windows and I figured to pull them first. I wondered if Ray and the two vaqueros would be riding into any danger. I didn’t think so. First, the killer was after me, and secondly, he was probably already two miles away.

  When I finished my drink I groped my way around in the parlor and pulled all the curtains. Then I fumbled around and got a match out and lit a lamp. I used the light of that to light another one, and then passed into my bedroom and got it lit up. About the time I’d finished that I heard the sound of horses outside, and pretty soon a knock on the door. It was Ray Hays. He looked a little uncertain. He said, “Boss, Ben done told me to come up here and set up all night and watch this place. Is that all right with you?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t care one way or another. But if it makes Ben happy, I ain’t going to stand in his way. He seems to think I need guarding. I don’t. I don’t think it’s going to happen that way.”

  He lowered his voice like we were sharing a secret. “I heered they was another message. I heered it was stuck to a slaughtered yearling.”

  “I guess if I had something I wanted the whole world to know, I’d tell it to somebody on this ranch and tell him not to talk it around.”

  That made Hays look uncomfortable. But he said, “I brung two of them Mex horse hands with me. I got one out back and one staying in the front. I figured I’d take up my watch here in the parlor.”