Slaughter's way (4 page)

By the end of the first day John Slaughter was satisfied that few, if any, of his cattle remained in the lower section of his land. If Chisum's trail hands ate beef on the J.Sc range, it would come from the Long Rail herd.

Along toward evening of the second day, Burt Al-vord, working alone and driving as many head before him as he could manage, chased a reluctant steer back to his bunch. The steer took him to the top of a gently sloped valley before he turned it. On topping the valley, Alvord looked down at a fair-size bunch of cattle grazing along the banks of a stream below him. After deHvering a kick to the steer s ribs and sending it racing back to the safety of his bunch, Alvord stopped his horse and studied the situation. He figured there must be around a hundred head in the valley, which was more than he could manage, taken with the bunch he had already collected.

While Alvord might lack formal schooling, he knew plenty about the ways of cattle. One glance at the valley told him that those critters down below were not likely to leave in a hurry. They had food in plenty, water, shelter, all a Texas longhom steer asked out of life, in fact. Nope. He could not see them pulling up stakes and hunting a fresh home for quite a spell, certainly not before morning.

Next day at dawn Alvord rode out with Tex Burton, 24

a medium-size, stocky young man who would act as Slaughter's segundo and point man on the trail drive— Washita Trace was to stay behind and run the spread with a skeleton crew. The two men headed across the range and came onto the rim over the valley.

Only Ihe hundred head were not down below.

^'Happen it was pay day I could think of an answer/' Burton grunted, but his grin robbed the words of any sting.

T can think of one right now,'' Alvord replied, in a burst of loquacity of unprecedented length from him. *'Let's read some sign."

It did not take the two men long to find what they sought. Tbey saw tiiat the cattle had left the valley. The other signs told them enough to send them at a gallop back across the range to where Slaughter and his other men were starting to cut the gather and select animals for the trail herd.

"Two men to help you hold the herd, Tex," Slaughter snapped when he heard the news. ''Wash, every other man, with a rifle, follow me."

Without asking quiestions, Trace led the men in a rush to the bunkhouse, for they had not troubled to bring out their rifles while working so close to home. No time was wasted; the hands left Sieir horses before the animals stopped running, and went bounding into the bunkhouse to gather their rifles.

'"What is it, John?" Bess Slaughter asked as her husband entered the house.

"Cow thieves, honey," he replied, and walked from the hall into the sitting room.

Putting down her brush, for she did all her own housecleaning, Bess followed her husband into the room. She stood at the door and watched him open the glass-fronted gun cabinet and take out his favorite Winchester. Opening a drawer imder the cabinet. Slaughter extracted a box of bullets and stuffed it into his pants pocket.

Bess had been married for long enough to know that it was not Slaughter's way to let folks rob him and then

sit back yowling for the law to protect his interests. If somebody had driven oflF her husband's cattle, he would be the one to go after the thieves and recover his property.

"Take care of yourself, honey/^ she said as he came toward her.

Scooping his wife into his arms, Slaughter kissed her gently on the lips. For a moment his face lost its grim look and a grin creased his Hps.

*'Don 11 always?" he asked.

With his arm around Bess's waist, Slaughter walked out of the house. He left his wife standing on the porch and went to where Washita Trace sat afork the roan, holding the black stallion's reins. Taking the offered rein^, Slaughter swung into his saddle and waved to his wife, then swimg the horse's head away from the house and rode off widi his men.

Watching Slaughter go, Bess felt a little twinge of anxiety. Yet she had seen him ride off on those missions before and he had always returned. When the men passed over a rim and out of sight Bess retiurned to the house and went on with her work as if nothing had happened.

At the scene of the theft Slaughter halted his men and waved Burt Alvord into the lead. In later years Alvord was to become known as a murderous and im-scrupulous lav^anan and then a train robber, but in the days when he rode for Slaughter in Texas he acted in a law-abiding manner. Alvord knew how to read sign, he could follow tracks where most men would see nothing but the ground. Not that it took a master track reader to follow the sign left by a hundred head of cattle bunched up close to make them travel at a good speed, but there were things a good man might see; little details that could later be used in evidence. Not for a formal trial, but to satisfy Slaughter beyond a doubt who was the guilty party.

"Three of 'em, boss," Alvord remarked. "One rode light, one about medium and the other sat heavy."

That much could be learned from the depth of the hoofprints in the groimd; if a man had eyes keen enough

to see it. Yet the ground was so hard it prevented even Alvord from seeing anything which might give positive identification of the horses by the shape of their hooves and shoes.

For a time the men followed the tracks of the stolen herd. They rode in silence and with none of the usual horseplay cowhands indulged in when together. At last, after they had covered some three miles, Washita Trace brought his roan up alongside his boss's black.

"We're headed for the south line," he remarked, the direction of the tracks having enough significance for him to waste words making an obvious statement.

Slaughter nodded in agreement, for the significance of the direction had not escaped him. Raising his right hand, he brought his men to a halt. On hearing the others stop, Alvord twisted in his saddle to discover the cause for die delay.

"See where die tracks lead, Burt," Slaughter called before the other could bring his horse around.

Without a word Alvord retmrned to his tracking, knowing the other men no longer followed him. Slaughter might have mentioned the fact, or cautioned Alvord as to watching his step and avoiding being seen by hostile eyes, but he knew the dark young man was aware of the dangers of his work and needed no such warning.

Leaving his men, and knowing they would obey him. Slaughter rode across the range in a southerly direction. He did not follow Alvord but swung to the right of the line taken by the young scout. While riding Slaughter thought of the type of men he had seen at Chisum's camp and put himself in die Cattle King's place, thinking as the other would think imder the circumstances. Combining his knowledge of trail driving with what he had seen of the Long R^ hands. Slaughter could make a pretty good guess at where Chisum, widi his unhandy crew, would cross the boundary stream onto the J.S. range.

Using his knowledge of the range. Slaughter reached the place he imagined Chisum would cross and came on it so as to be able to see others before they saw him. Keeping in cover. Slaughter looked down at

the stream and could tell that no trail herd had crossed it that day. His caution proved its worth for soon after he arrived Slaughter saw Chisum and the Long Rail's scout riding toward the stream.

Just as Slaughter figured, the Catde King headed straight to the crossing place where the stream's banks changed from a six-foot high, steep drop and leveled down in a gentle slope to the water's edge. Most likely the scout had been out and found the spot earlier, then went back to the herd and brought along his boss to confirm his selection. After allowing their horses to drink at the stream, Chisum and his scout tiuned and rode back in the direction from which they had come.

Rising to his feet. Slaughter scanned the range beyond the stream. He could see no sign of the approaching Long Rail herd and make a rough estimation of how long it would be before Chisum's party reached the crossing. There would be ample time for what he planned to do happen Burt Alvord came up with the right answers. Slaughter studied the ground around him, noting its physical makeup and picking out points of use to him in his plan. Already an idea had formed and Slaughter spent a few minutes tying up its loose ends. With the plan decided upon, he turned and went to where his horse stood hidden. Moimting the black. Slaughter made good time back to his waiting men.

With his men around him, and using a pointed stick and a piece of bare earth, Slaughter drew a map of the crossing area. While waiting for Alvord's return from the scout, he told his men of his plan and gave each his explanation, a rapidly approaching drumming of hooves announced the return of Alvord.

"They crossed the river down there a ways, boss," Alvord announced as he swung from his horse. While never a man to chatter, he knew the need for making a full report in a matter of this land. "Kept on for maybe a mile, dien stopped. The smallest of 'em rode oflF toward where Chisum had his night camp. Must have been there nigh on half an hour, then come back and they took the cattle down to the Long Rail's bed ground."

"Then Chisum's got our cattle, has he?" growled one of the hands.

"It looks that way," Slaughter agreed; "and he's going to give them back."

CHAPTER FOUR

Cliisum's Bill Of Sale

John Chisum tore down towards his halted chuck and bed wagons at a gallop. Behind him the Long Rail herd moved slowly along making for the water and he did not want any delay in moving the herd across.

"Get them wagons rolling, blast you, Cookiel" he bellowed. "Don't stop us.'"

Then he saw the reason for the cook's immobility and brought his horse to a rump-scraping halt alongside the chuck wagon. Across the stream, seated in line, were John Slaughter, Washita Trace and Burt Alvord. More significant to eyes which knew the West, each man sat with a Winchesters butt rested on his right knee, his right hand gripping the small of the butt, index finger inside the trigger guard while the other three fingers passed throu^ the loading lever. Men did not wait to welcome the visitors to their land with rifles in their hands, and a man who knew anything about the dangers of firearms never placed his forefinger on the trigger imless he aimed to use the weapon, or meant to use it should such an action be called for.

Even if he was guilty of the heinous crime of cattle stealing, Chisxnn gave no sign of concern as he faced the three grim-faced men across the boundary stream. Shoving back his hat, Chismn mopped his brow with a cheap red handkerchief and then nodded a greeting.

"Howdy, John," he said. "Can I ride through the water?"

Normally the Cattle King would not have thought of asking permission even as a matter of basic courtesy. However, he knew he faced one man who the might of

the Long Rail did not frighten or worry in the least.

"Just you," Slaughter answered.

Slowly Chisum rode through the water, at its deepest part it rose only as high as the level of his boots. On reaching Slaughter s shore, the Cattle King drew his horse to a halt.

'*You waiting to be neighborly?'* he asked.

'*WeVe come for them/' Slaughter answered, getting straight to the point without any fancy frills.

"Who?"

"That hundred head of my stock that's noixed in with your herd."

"Oh, them."

"Them. I'm taking them back."

"Now just a doggone minute there," Chisum yelped in a tone of injured innocence. He dug a hand into his hip pocket and extracted a sheet of paper, handing it to Slaughter.

TaJdng the paper. Slaughter read, "To whom it may concern. I, Samuel Smith, Lazy S Ranch, Blantyre Coimty, Texas, do sell one hundred (100) head of cattle to John Chisrnn, Long Rail, Bosque Grande, New Mexico Territory, for the sum of $3.00 (three dollars) a head. Both parties to this knowing the said cattle to be culls sold to me by my neighbor, Texas John Slaughter and bearing his imvented brand. Signed, Samuel Smith. Witnessed, Base Cordon and Thomas Hatcher."

"See," Chisum said in an aggrieved tone. "I bought them cattle in good faith from one of your neighbors."

"You're no fool, Chisum," Slaughter replied. "And don't try to make me out one. There's no Lazy S in Blantyre County and no rancher called Samuel Smith."

"Are you telling me I didn't buy them cattle—"

"Sure you bought them. But you danmed well knew they weren't culls, and you sure as hell ought to have known there was something wrong with the cattle when you got them for three dollars a head."

"That biU of sale—^" Chisum began.

He did not get a chance to finish his words. The bill of sale he held might pass as legally binding in the

rough-and-ready courts of the West, especially when pushed by a man as rich and powerful as Chisum. Only it was not Slaughter's way to argue dubious legal points when he had ri^t on his side.

Tm taking them back,'' he said.

It was neither a question nor a request, but a plain, straightforward statement of fact.

Twisting in his saddle, Chisum looked to where his herd approached the stream. Soon he would have his full force of "warriors" on hand, better than fair backing against three men, even three such men as Slaughter and his hands. So Chisiun elected to show his defiance and prove once and for all who was Cattle King.

'Tfou and who—" he snarled, swinging to face the three Texans.

Removing his unlit cigar. Slaughter pursed his lips and gave a shrill whistle that chopped oflF Chisum's words and answered them imsaid Suddenly men began to appear behind Slaughter. They came into view from the shelter and cover of rocks and trees, or popped up momentarily from holes in the groimd, appearing in places where they coidd pour lead down at tiie stream, rake it from side to side, yet offer poor targets for men trying to return the compliment. Each man who appeared held a rifle in his hands, made his presence known, then dropped into cover once more.

'Tfs your choice," Slaughter pointed out, after his men had shown themselves present then disappeared again. ^'Either we cut out my stuff easy, or we do it the hard way. Only you likely won't have much of a herd left by the time the shootiug stops."