Blood on the Verde River Read Online Free Page A

then still hadn’t found that boy alive.
    The three pushed on south and found a rancher willing to put them up for the night. He wouldn’t take any money for the hay and grain they requested to buy.
    â€œI know you, Chet Byrnes. I know it was you hung them killers over at Rye. You ever need a dollar or even fifty cents, you come see Jimmy Dicks. That’s me. I’ll find some money for you. And you got them stage robbers murdered your boy, too. Oh, and if you ever want to be sheriff up here, I’ll campaign my heart out for you.”
    â€œI hope I never have to be the sheriff, Jim Dicks.”
    â€œWe could damn sure use you as one. You boys be all right out here, tonight? Mrs. said to tell you all could sleep on her floor inside the house.”
    â€œTell her we’re obliged. Out here is fine. We may ride off early,” Chet told the man.
    â€œI can tell you right now, you won’t beat her getting up. She’ll have you three breakfast fixed before daylight. Eat with her. She’s a fine woman and don’t get much company down here.”
    â€œWe will. Thanks,” Chet said.
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    The light was on in the house the next morning as they saddled and loaded the packhorses.
    â€œYou boys get ready,” she shouted to them from the back door. “I’ve got hot water in the bowls out here to wash your hands and face. Towels on the nails. Food gets cold fast.”
    Chet told them they could finish up later. They followed him to the porch, taking off their hats, putting them on the hat holders, and washing up. Hands dried, they filed in to look at the huge meal she had spread on the table.
    â€œI knowed you had hard jerky last night, so I made it up for you in this breakfast.”
    â€œYou did swell, ma’am.”
    â€œ Sí, señora , this is wonderful.”
    â€œSure looks great,” JD added, shocked by all the food they had to eat.
    She served them coffee, so Chet knew they weren’t Mormons. The woman, in her thirties, was willowy-shaped and attractive. Nearly bashful, she quietly asked about his wife.
    â€œOh, Marge is at home running things. We are going south to look for bulls. This is my nephew JD Byrnes and Jesus is my wife’s horse trainer.”
    â€œNice to have you men here with us this morning.”
    â€œWell, this is sure lots of good food. Thank you, ma’am,” JD said.
    â€œVery good, gracias,” Jesus added and went back to eating.
    They finished in due time and returned to the task of loading the packhorses.
    When they rode out, Jim Dicks was still trying to get Chet to reconsider running for sheriff. Chet gave a wave and headed away from the ranch.
    He noticed the frequency of large saguaro cactus studding the mountainsides around the ranch. “How old are those tall cactus, Jesus?”
    â€œI was told that they watched the first Spaniard Conquistadors centuries ago when they first came here.”
    â€œI see.” The spiny desert flourished and Jesus pointed out the century plant stalks. “It will only bloom once and die. Apaches consider them a marker of where they live.”
    â€œI’ll recall that someday. What is the light colored cactus?”
    â€œCholla. Jumping cactus. You brush close to it and it will stick many thin, barbed needles in you.”
    â€œWe have prickly pear beds in Texas like these here.”
    â€œLater, I will show you the barrel cactus. If you are out of water, you can use it for water. It tastes like an alkali water melon, but you can live on it.” Jesus talked on. “The Indian women use long sticks to harvest those saguaro fruit and the prickly pears. There is a small wild pig here called a javelina who eats the prickly pear pads. They run in packs and sometimes charge men on foot. They also eat the pods from the mesquite trees.”
    â€œWe have some of those kind of pigs in west Texas. JD, you listening?”
    â€œI just want to stay