Authors: Robert J. Randisi
“Hello, boys, my name is Louise. I run this place. I can see you’re impressed, and this is just the downstairs. You should
see what happens upstairs.”
Jubal was dumbstruck. He’d been in whorehousesbefore, but he’d never seen a place like this. Evan had, but only in Portsmouth
Square, in San Francisco.
“You boys want to start with a drink?”
“Uh, sure,” Evan said.
“Well, come on then,” she said, linking her arms in theirs. “The whiskey is included in the price.”
She took them into the sitting room and turned them over to two girls. One was a tall, lank blonde with small breasts, the
other a slightly chubby redhead with a very pretty face. They gave each man a drink and sat with them on a sofa. Evan and
Jubal were between the two women, who were pressing their thighs tightly against the brothers’.
Jubal looked up and saw John Burkett and two of his friends pushing past the big man at the door.
“Uh-oh,” the blonde said. “Looks like trouble.”
Evan and Jubal watched as the big bouncer tried to bar the three men from entering.
“Look, fat boy,” they heard John Burkett say, “if you want to keep your job you’ll get out of the way.”
“You are not allowed in here,” the big man said.
“If you don’t move,” Burkett said, “we’re gonna move you.”
At that moment Louise appeared with another big man in tow. The second man joined the first man in blocking the door.
“Please, John,” Louise said, pleading, “you know your father doesn’t want you in here.”
“Tell these two to step aside, Louise,” John Burkett said.
“John—”
She didn’t get any further before John Burkett threw a punch at one of the men. The big man caught the punch easily and pushed
it aside.
“Don’t hurt him,” Louise said loudly.
“Move on, cowboy,” the bouncer said.
“To hell with you,” Burkett said, and threw another punch. This one bounced off the man’s nose, angering him. He drew back
a massive fist.
“Don’t hurt him!” Louise shouted, but the man was beyond hearing her.
John Burkett ducked and the punch hit the man behind him, knocking him out. The third man with Burkett turned to leave, but
the second bouncer caught him by the collar, turned him around, and knocked him to the floor with one punch.
“Now’s your chance,” Evan said to Jubal.
“For what?”
“Get in there,” Evan said, pushing Jubal up off the sofa.
The girls moved so that they were sandwiching Evan between them, and he threw an arm around each of them and settled back
to watch.
Both bouncers had now cornered John Burkett, and there was no way he was going to be able to duck a punch this time.
As one of the bouncers drew back his fist Jubal launched himself and landed on the man’s back. Burkett, seeing a reprieve,
lowered his head and drove it into the other man’s belly, staggering him back. As the man straightened up Burkett hit him
with a punch. The man rocked back on his heels, but refused to go down.
Meanwhile, Jubal was riding the other man like he was a bucking bronco, holding on for dear life as the people in Louise’s
came to life and began shouting encouragement to the two young men.
Jubal slid his forearm down across the man’s throat and began to throttle him. Meanwhile, Burkett had hit his opponent again,
and then fell back a step and launched a kick that landed right between the big man’s legs. Thebouncer gagged and slowly fell
to his knees. From that position it was easy for Burkett to kick him in the chin, finally felling the man like a huge tree.
Jubal’s man was blue in the face by this time and had gone to his knees. This allowed Jubal to plant his feet on the floor
for better leverage, and before long the big man was unconscious. Jubal released his hold before he killed him, and the bigger
man fell to the floor.
The place went crazy, cheering and yelling and stomping their feet.
Burkett and Jubal, both huffing and puffing, looked at each other across the two fallen men, and John Burkett smiled.
“Much obliged for the help,” he said.
“Couldn’t see letting them pound on you. Two-to-one odds just ain’t fair.”
“You two better get out of here,” Louise said.
Jubal looked at Burkett, raising his eyebrows.
“Now that you’re in, what do you want to do?”
“I proved my point,” John Burkett said. “How about I buy you a drink someplace else, by way of thanks?”
“Sure.”
They started for the door and Louise said, “What about them?” She was pointing to the two men who had come in with Burkett.
“When they wake up, tell them to meet me at the saloon,” Burkett said. “I’ll be buying my friend a drink.”
Burkett went out the door and before following him Jubal looked over at Evan and smiled.
Evan pulled the two girls to him tightly and said, “Now, which one of you ladies is going to offer to show me the upstairs?”
The blonde leaned over, put her tongue in his ear, and said huskily, “Why not both of us?”
Evan smiled and said, “Sure, why not?”
Sam was awakened by an insistent pounding on the door. He got out of bed and staggered naked to answer it. When he swung it
open he saw his brothers standing in the hallway.
“Jesus,” Evan said, “is that the way you always answer the door?”
“When I’m awakened at an ungodly hour, yes,” Sam said. “What the hell is it?”
“We want to have coffee in the hotel dining room,” Evan said.
“Coffee here?” Sam said. “But we’re gonna have breakfast at Serena’s.”
“We won’t ruin our breakfast,” Evan said. “There are some things we have to talk about without Serena listening.”
Sam ran his hand over his face and said wearily, “What things?”
“Get dressed and we’ll talk downstairs. We’ll wait for you there.”
“All right, all right,” Sam said. “Just gimme five minutes.”
He closed the door, splashed some water on his face, got dressed, and strapped on his gun. He couldn’t imagine what his brothers
had found out that they wouldn’t want Serena to hear. But if they were so eager to talk to him about it that they’d awakened
him early, it must have been important.
He left his room and went down to the dining room.
“It’s not so much what we found out that we don’t want Serena to hear,” Evan said, “but where.”
Jubal laughed.
“We followed John Burkett to the whorehouse last night,” he said. “I made friends with him by keeping him from getting his
head bashed in. I left and went to the saloon with him for a drink, and Evan stayed at the whorehouse. That’s what he doesn’t
want Serena to find out about.”
Amused, Sam looked at his middle brother.
Evan shrugged and said, “It would have been impolite for both of us to leave.”
“Of course,” Sam said. “John Burkett is Lincoln’s son, right? Why would he talk to you, Jube?”
“He’s never seen me. In fact, I’d never seen him before last night. A couple of bouncers were going to take him apart at the
whorehouse. I helped him.”
“And became his friend.”
“Right.”
“Why?”
“To see what I could find out from him.”
“And? Did you find out anythin’?”
Jubal looked at Evan, and then back at Sam.
“Yes, I did. John and three other men were sent to town to await the arrival of another man, a man his father has been waiting
impatiently for for over three months, since he first sent for him. The man’s name is Jason Cord.”
“What’s so important about this Cord?”
“He’s a geologist, Sam,” Evan said.
Sam looked at Evan and said, “A geologist?”
“Interesting, huh?”
“Now what would Lincoln Burkett need with a geologist?” Sam wondered aloud.
“That’s what we were wondering,” Evan said.
“Gold,” Jubal said. “It’s got to be, and I’ll bet it was on Pa’s land.”
“Gold?” Sam said. “On the ranch? If that’s the case, why would Pa sell it?”
“Maybe he didn’t know,” Evan said. “Maybe Burkett did.”
“This might tell us why Burkett wanted the ranch,” Sam said, “but it still doesn’t tell us why Pa made the deal he made with
Burkett. Did John Burkett have anythin’ to say about that?”
“No,” Jubal said. “He was pretty drunk to start with, and got drunker still. All he did most of the night was complain about
the way his father treats him. His old man owns the whorehouse, Sam, and he keeps John out of it.”
“Is Burkett the owner of record?” Sam asked.
“I doubt it,” Evan said, “but we can check that today, at the courthouse. It would be interesting to know what businesses
Burkett has bought out, and what deals he made with the owners.”
“My guess,” Sam said, “would be that whatever he’s bought he hasn’t done it openly. His name won’t be on the record of the
sale. He’s not gonna want the town to know he’s buyin’ it up. Not yet.”
“Maybe if they did find out,” Evan said, “they wouldn’t be so eager to have him as a citizen.”
“Maybe somebody should let them know,” Jubal said.
“Yeah, but we need proof first,” Sam said. “After breakfast why don’t you go and look it up, Evan. Jube, you can stay with
Serena until Evan comes back.”
“And what are you gonna do?”
“I thought I might go out and ride around the ranch a bit.”
“If Burkett’s men see you—” Evan started.
“That’ll be their hard luck,” Sam said.
“You think you’re gonna find gold on the ground, just like that?” Jubal asked.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna find,” Sam said. “I won’t know until I get out there.”
“You’re not going to see Burkett, are you?” Evan asked.
“I’ve thought about it,” Sam said. “I think I’ll play it by ear for a while, though. I’ll try to be back before dinner.”
“All right,” Evan said, “we’d better get over to Serena’s for breakfast.”
As they left Sam wondered when they had started referring to the Miller house as “Serena’s” and not “Dude’s.”
Serena wondered why Sam, Evan, and Jubal were so quiet at breakfast. She thought that they were probably planning something,
but she didn’t want to ask them yet. They were talking mostly to her father, but it was all small talk, about the past, about
their parents.
After breakfast they went into the living room with her father while she cleaned up the kitchen.
There Evan said to Miller, “Dude, has there ever been a gold strike around here?”
“Here? Hell, no. What makes you ask that?”
The three brothers exchanged glances and then Evan said, “Burkett’s brought in a geologist.”
“A geologist? What would he need a geologist for?”
“We figure there’s something on Pa’s land that Burkett knew about. Gold seems the most likely thing.”
“But why would your father—”
“We’ve already asked those questions, Dude,” Evan said. “Sam’s gonna ride out today and take a look around the ranch. Maybe
he’ll find something.”
“Yeah, trouble,” Miller said. “You can’t let him go out there alone.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Evan said. “I have something else to do. Jubal’s going to stay here with Serena.”
“There’s no need for that,” Miller said. “I’m fine now.
Serena and I can go and open the store and stay there. I can take care of her.”
“Just the same,” Evan said, “Jubal’ll go with you.”
“Evan—”
“Do this our way, Dude,” Sam said.
Miller looked at Sam and then said, “All right.”
“I’m gonna leave now,” Sam said. “I’ll see you all later.”
“Be careful,” Jubal said.
“Always.”
Just as Sam went out the front door Serena came into the room.
“Where’s Sam?” she asked, looking at all of them in turn. “What’s going on? You all look like you got caught with your hand
in the cookie jar.”
“I’ve got to go to the courthouse,” Evan said. “Jube, explain it to her.”
“Sure,” Jubal said as Evan headed for the door, “thanks.”
Sam went to the livery and told Swede he needed his horse.
“I’ll get him for you, Sam,” Swede said.
While Sam waited for his horse he thought back to his prospecting days in Shasta County, California. That was another time
when he’d thought he could put his gun down. It didn’t work out any better than his marriage had, but he had learned about
what to look for when searching for gold.
The Swede walked his horse out to him and handed him the reins.
“Are you going riding alone?”
“Yes.”
“After what happened near the telegraph office—”
“The telegraph office!” Sam said.
“What about it?” Swede asked, but Sam had alreadymounted up and was riding to the hotel. The incident at the telegraph office
had been several days ago, and Sam had completely forgotten to check for his reply.
He stopped at the hotel and went inside to the desk clerk.
“Is there a telegraph message for me?”
“I’ll check, sir.” The clerk turned and looked in Sam’s box, then came out with a yellow slip of paper. He handed it to Sam.
“Thanks.”
Sam took it outside and read it there. It was from Murdock, who said that while he was too far away to be of any use there
was a man who might be able to help them out. His name was Carson, Frank Carson. Murdock further stated that he would have
Carson ride into Vengeance Creek as soon as he could.
Good ol’ Page, Sam thought. Came through, as always.
He put the message in his pocket to show to his brothers later, mounted up and rode out.
At the courthouse Evan McCall looked up the ownership of Louise’s, which was on the records as a saloon. Louise Simon was
the only owner of record. If Burkett did own a piece of the business—or the business as a whole—it was through a private deal
he made with Louise.
That made sense to Evan. It fit with what he and his brothers figured, that Burkett would be keeping his movements to himself
as long as possible.
There was no point in looking up any other records. If Burkett owned any other business it would not be reflected in any records
that were available to the public.
Since he finished at the courthouse so early, Evan decided to ride after Sam, just in case his older brother found more trouble
than he’d anticipated.
Jason Cord came down to breakfast at the Burketthouse and found his host and his son waiting there for him. The breakfast
that was laid out on the long dining room table was impressive: eggs, potatoes, ham and biscuits, flapjacks, coffee and milk.
“Well,” Cord said, “this is quite a feast, gentlemen. Do you eat like this all the time?”
“Never mind that,” Lincoln Burkett said. “Sit your skinny ass down and answer some questions, Cord.”
Jason Cord was a rather timid man in his late twenties, sandy-haired, tall and thin. Violent language and violence had never
been part of his life. He had thought twice about coming west, but the offer of payment was so good that he couldn’t resist.
And if he managed to find what Burkett thought he’d find, it would mean even more money.
“Um, yes, sir,” he said, sitting down. “What kind of questions?”
“Like where the hell you been for the past three months?” Burkett asked. “It shouldn’t have taken you this long to get here
from Chicago.”
“Well, sir,” Cord said, helping himself to the food on the table, “there were matters which had to be put to rest before I
could leave Chicago. I had business dealings there which had to be transferred, and then there was the matter of my fiancée,
Abigail. She was not very happy about my coming out here, but when I explained to her the possibilities—” “You told her what
you were coming out here to look for?” Burkett said, exploding. “I thought I made it clear in my letter that no one was to
know—”
“No, no, Mr. Burkett,” Cord was quick to say, “I did not tell her exactly what I was coming out to do, but I did tell her
that very soon I would have the money to send for her—”
“All right, all right,” Burkett said, “I don’t want to hearabout your goddamned woman. Just eat your breakfast and we’ll get
started.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you?” Burkett said to his son.
“Yes, Pa?”
“You were at Louise’s last night, weren’t you? Causing a ruckus.”
“Aw, Pa, we was just havin’ some fun—”
“Never mind,” Burkett said. “At your age you should be thinking less about fun and more about business.”
“The business is yours, Pa, not mine.”
“But it will be yours someday, God damn it!” Burkett said, slamming his hand down hard on the table. “I wish you’d stop getting
drunk all the time—”
“I don’t get drunk all the time—”
“I heard those bouncers at Louise’s would have taken your head off if some fella hadn’t helped you out.”
“And it would have been your fault.”
“My fault?”
“Sure, they work for you, don’t they?” John Burkett said. “I mean, you own Louise’s, don’t you?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Never mind where. You bought it and instructed her to keep me out. Why’d you do that?”
“Son,” Burkett said, “if you want a woman I’ll get you a woman. But if you keep mixing with those kind of women you’re gonna
end up with some goddamned disease or other. You want a wife, I’ll get you one, but—”
“I’ll get my own women, thank you,” John said. “Jesus, Pa, I don’t want you giving me everything.”
“Then how do you expect to get it?” Lincoln Burkett demanded. “You don’t do a lick of work!”
John was about to answer when Chuck Conners entered the room.
“Chuck,” Burkett said, “come and fall to and have somebreakfast. Meet Jason Cord, the geologist I sent for from the east.”
“Mr. Cord.”
“Cord, Conners is my foreman. You’ll be taking orders from him as well as from me.”
“Very good, sir.”
As an afterthought Lincoln Burkett added, “And from my son.”
John Burkett looked at his father in surprise.
“Your orders will come from one of the three of us and no one else. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Mr. Burkett.”
“Johnny,” Burkett said, “after dinner you and Chuck take Mr. Cord out and show him what we found. All right?”
“Sure, Pa,” John Burkett said, “sure.”
Sam knew the land that had been his father’s very well. The land didn’t change, and after all these years he still knew where
everything was. For what he was looking for, he chose to check the streams and water holes that were on Burkett’s land.
He rode the streams, dismounting every so often to stick his hand in the water and bring up some of the bottom. He was riding
along the edge of a wide stream when he noticed something he hadn’t noticed elsewhere: the soil here seemed blacker, and deeper,
than in other places. He dismounted, grounded his horse’s reins, and hunkered down on his heels.
He stuck his hand into the soil, which was like black mud, and lifted it to his nose. He sniffed it, then touched it to his
lips so he could taste it. He rubbed it between his fingers and then between his palms and then fell deep into thought.
He stayed that way until he heard the sound of approaching horses. There was a stand of Joshua trees nearby, and he grabbed
up his horse’s reins and walked him over to it. He had just secreted himself there when he saw three riders coming from the
other side of the stream. He had seen John Burkett around town a few times and recognized him. The same went to Chuck Conners,
Burkett’s foreman. The other man he didn’t know, but from the way he was dressed and the way he sat his horse, it wasn’t hard
to peg him for an Easterner. He was probably the geologist Burkett had sent for.