Blood Valley Read Online Free Page A

was infectious. He stuck out his mitt and I shook the work-hardened hand. “You done hired yourself a deputy, Sheriff.”
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    â€œWho’s this woman that was ridin’ with Mike Romain?”
    The middle of the afternoon, next day. Rusty had been sworn in by George Waller, and we’d spent some time cleanin’ up the office and findin’ out where things was. It had been quiet so far. We’d made a visit to all the businesses and introduced ourselves. Now we was relaxin’, sittin’ on a bench in front of the office, talkin.’
    â€œI thought you knew.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œThat’s Joy Lawrence, A.J.’s daughter. She and Wanda Mills think they’s queens of the valley.”
    â€œCircle L and Rockinghorse that big?” I hadn’t had the time to ride out and inspect for myself. Something I needed to do.
    â€œI should say! They’re two thirds of the Big Three, as they’re called around here. Circle L, Rockinghorse, and the Quartermoon. Matt Mills owns the Rockinghorse, Rolf Baker owns the Quartermoon. One lies at the western edge of the county, one to the north, and the other to the east.”
    â€œAnd lots of little spreads caught up in the middle, hey?”
    â€œYou got it, Sheriff. Between the three of them, they must control close to a million acres. But don’t nobody really know for sure. You see, the nesters and small ranchers is stringin’ wire. They want to know exactly what they own and so forth. Lawrence and Mills don’t want that. They want free access to the water like they’ve always had. But the Quartermoon ain’t bad. Baker ain’t pushin’ for no more land or water; he’s got the best water and graze of ’em all. But Rockinghorse and Circle L . . .” He shook his head. “There’s gonna be a lot of blood spilt.”
    â€œAnd just the two of us standin’ in the way of it, Rusty.”
    â€œI give that some thought last night, Sheriff. I shore done it.”
    â€œBut you still here.”
    He grinned. “I like it when things get to jumpin’.”
    I laughed at him. It was the same old story, and I’d been caught up in similar situations before. Some people get a lot, and they want more, and they get to feelin’ that they’re kings. It had been that way up in Montana Territory when I’d been ridin’ for Hilderbrandt. Ol’ boy name of Williston had him a big spread and got power mad, shovin’ and killin’. He just had to have more land. He finally got his wish when he braced that ol’ salty dog, Hilderbrandt. Williston got him six feet more land. That was right after I dropped them Reno boys.
    â€œI heard about them Reno Brothers,” Rusty said softly. “I heard they was real fast.”
    â€œThey wasn’t fast enough. Well, one of ’em was, I reckon. He beat me to the draw but he put his first bullet in the dirt. Rusty, how come the sheriffs don’t last long in this county?”
    Rusty grunted. “I hope you ain’t thinkin’ that I had anything to do with any of that mess, Sheriff.”
    â€œI don’t. George Waller said you was a good boy that just turned briefly down the wrong road.”
    â€œGood way of puttin’ it, I reckon. The lawmen? Well, one of them was ambushed. Another got roped and drug to death. Next one quit. Another got killed. And so on. Why? ’Cause Mills and Lawrence don’t believe no law applies to them. Or none of the hands. You see, Sheriff, the range of the Big Three spreads kinda makes a half circle on the top of the county, connectin’. Man, you oughtta see the main ranch houses of Lawrence and Mills—them folks live like kings and queens!”
    â€œSo they’ve been here a long time?”
    â€œLawrence and Mills and Baker was the first white men in this area. To settle, I mean. I think Preacher might have been the first white man to