Chaparral Range War (9781101619049) Read Online Free Page A

have no authority here. But as a private citizen I can get mad as hell about that.”
    â€œWhat can we do about it?” Herman asked flat out.
    â€œFirst I need to meet the folks around here and see what they want to do. There are such things as grand jury investigations if the law’s been broken.”
    Herman nodded. “It’s damn sure been broken around here, and many times. This matter did not just happen. They’ve been running roughshod over lots of us for near three years.”
    â€œThat’s what Dan told me. We’ve got lots of ground to cover today. Good to meet you. I’m staying out at Dan and Cally’s place, the 87T, if you need any help.”
    â€œI’ll sure try to get word to you, by golly, if I do.”
    They rode on and next met Salty Jackson in the middle of the road. Whiskered and a big grinner, he shut down his team and buckboard when they met up.
    â€œMorning, Dan. How’re things going?”
    â€œGood enough today.” Dan pushed his horse in close to shake the man’s hand and introduced Guthrey.
    â€œNice to meet you, Salty.” After shaking the man’s hand, Guthrey sat back down in his saddle.
    â€œHe’s a friend of mine,” Dan said. “He’s an ex–Texas Ranger.”
    â€œBack before the war I was living up by Denton, Texas, and I was a Ranger then. We rode all over looking for horse apples,” Salty said.
    â€œWhy was that?” Dan asked the man.
    â€œBarefoot mustangs stopped and pooped. If a horse was being ridden, he scattered his out behind him. Looking for signs of Indians, if we saw scattered apples and barefoot tracks, we set off the alarm. The Comanche were among us.”
    â€œI’d never thought of that,” Dan said.
    â€œIt worked to stop surprise attacks on the frontier.” Guthrey recalled as a boy wanting to be off fishing instead of being in the saddle and having to Ranger in the hill country around their home.
    â€œHe’s here to help us,” Dan said.
    â€œGood, we can use all the help we can find.” Salty nodded at him like a final period on a sentence and picked up his reins. “Sure nice meeting you, mister. Around here we need everyone we can get against them big ranchers. See you at the dance Saturday, Dan.” And Salty drove off.
    His iron-rimmed wheels churning up dust, Salty soon disappeared toward town. Dan and Guthrey rode on, to meet more of the resisters. Harry Beach with his short wife, Kate, and their four children, and Ira Raines, an older bachelor rancher, were next on the list that Dan had built in his mind. They swung on north and rode through some hills, going home the back way.
    They stopped off at one more place. Ted Rawlings and his wife, Lillian, a large, rawboned woman with teenage children. They operated a freighting and ranch business by themselves. Rawlings was a tough man who spoke of his support for more law and order. Guthrey felt this man would be a strong backer of any efforts to stop Whitmore and to get the sheriff thrown out of office. They shook hands and Guthrey and Dan started back for the ranch.
    Guthrey laid out that part of the region in his mind while they rode through the chaparral. His life might someday depend on his knowledge of the lay of this land. They moved through some of the Bridges-branded cows and calves scattered near a small water tank. How many cattle did the two own? The 87T scar on the right side of the cattle made an obvious mark of ownership, as did the two ear notches on the other side that were registered with the brand. An easy way to identify them coming or going.
    In late afternoon, they arrived back at the ranch and saw Cally’s wash flapping in the wind that was propelling the creaking windmill. In a brown skirt and blouse, Cally looked fresh coming out of the house to greet them. Guthrey and Dan told her about their day as they unsaddled.
    â€œSalty said he’d see us at the