Chapter 7

They rode all next day, only stopping every few hours to rest the horses. That second night they camped near another small creek. It was a place Matt knew well because he'd stopped there on several previous occasions. It was well protected and only an hour's ride away from where they would cross the Cimarron the following morning.

The marshals broke camp at first light and headed south, directly to the river crossing. As they approached, Matt left Ada for a few minutes to check that there were no signs of other travelers around. They were nearing Oklahoma Territory now and he was on the lookout for Indians as well as outlaws seeking refuge from the law. Mostly he didn't want their presence to reach the ears of the man that they were planning to arrest.

He returned to find Ada sitting on a small rock, chewing a grass straw held between her teeth. She hastily threw it down and jumped up as he approached.

"It all looks fine," he told her as he dismounted and loosened the cinch on the buckskin. "There are wagon tracks probably made in the last day or two and a few pony tracks which are older. The river's running some higher than I was told before we left Dodge, but we should be able to make it without much difficulty."

He waited a little longer in order to give the horses time to get their wind before cinching up the saddle again and heading back to the crossing.

He led the way into the water. The buckskin had no problem until they were about halfway across. Matt felt him stumble a little beneath him, probably on a loose rock in the river bed. With a little help from his rider the horse managed to pick himself up and continue safely to the opposite bank.

"Come on," he signaled to Ada and stood watching as the big bay moved confidently into the flowing stream.

Matt was impressed by the efficiency with which his traveling companion negotiated the racing river without hesitation. The big bay she rode was sure footed and with little guidance from his rider, made the crossing without difficulty.

As soon as he saw her arrive safely on this side of the Cimarron he swung down from his saddle and lifted the buckskin's right front foot. There was a small piece of rock stuck in the hoof, probably picked up from when he stumbled on the way across. Matt used his knife to dig it out and then mounted up once more.

They rode on in silence for many miles until Ada pulled up.

"Matt!" she called to her companion who was a few paces ahead of her. "Do you mind if we make a short detour? It's about 5 miles that way." They'd been traveling in a southwesterly direction and she was pointing due west. It was still quite early in the day with the sun only halfway to its zenith so Matt had no objection. He turned the buckskin to follow her into a more wooded area. After a while Ada slowed down and turned in her saddle to look back at him.

"I need to stop here for a minute," she said as they approached a clearing where a group of oak trees stood taller than the rest.

Matt didn't get down from his horse, thinking she needed to stop for personal reasons.

Ada walked quietly to a small mound of recently disturbed earth. "This is where we buried Tom," she said softly.

She removed her hat and stood there by the grave. Matt dismounted and stood by her side out of respect for the fallen lawman.

"We didn't have long to say goodbye. Miranda was hurt and I needed to get her to Dodge. I knew that Tom only had a few minutes before he'd take his last breath and we had to move on quickly once it was… over." She stopped for a moment to look around. "We thought he'd like this spot. The trees give some shade at midday and also a little shelter from rough weather." She looked around and gazed up into the oak trees. Matt noticed that the scattered light glistened off moisture in her eyes. "I managed to dig a shallow grave and then wrap him in his saddle blanket before burying him." There was a small tear finding its way down her cheek now, and she hastily rubbed it away with the sleeve of her shirt. "I'm sorry Matt, I didn't mean to get all emotional on you, but he was a good man. He and Miranda were planning to get married someday. They'd kept putting it off for different reasons and now it'll never happen."

Matt saw the sorrow on her face and marveled at this young woman's strength. He said nothing, allowing her time with her own thoughts. With any other woman he might have put an arm around her shoulders to give comfort and support but instinctively he knew Ada wouldn't want that.

"Is there anyone special in your life, Ada?" He wasn't sure what made him ask such a question.

She looked at him for a moment and then grinned somewhat sadly.

"According to Kitty, that's an unusual subject for you to think of."

"I was just wondering." He turned away feeling slightly embarrassed that such a thought could have occurred to him, let alone that he would actually ask it.

"There was a boy back home once," she admitted, "but I wasn't ready to settle down right then. Maybe one day I'll quit this job and go back." She was walking slowly away from the grave but hesitated a moment to look back over her shoulder. Then as if to shut it all out, she turned to Dillon.

"It's not much further to where Yarborough has his headquarters. I think we should move carefully from now on."

The two law officers mounted up and continued south. Matt removed his badge and pushed it deeply into a vest pocket. A lawman's star was no advantage here. It only served as a target for every wanted man hiding out in Oklahoma Territory to aim at.

"I guess it's about time you filled me in on what you know about the man we're looking for," he said after they fell into step, riding side by side.

Ada took a moment to rid her mind of the image of Tom Durbin as he lay there dying. He had used his final breaths to tell the two women marshals the few facts he'd found out about Yarborough. It was remarkably little to be had in exchange for a man's life. The scene lingered doggedly in her head. She knew she needed to gather her thoughts so as to give an orderly account of Yarborough and his operation to Matt. To be honest she'd been a little intimidated when she first met this tall, powerful lawman whose name was known and respected well beyond the state of Kansas. She still held him in high regard but now after spending several days riding alongside him, she saw the man behind the badge. A man to be trusted and admired but one who was very human with feelings and emotions that he kept safely locked inside.

"Miranda and I learned a few things about Yarborough during the short time we worked in Kenton, and even with the information Tom obtained it isn't a whole lot." Ada began as she and Dillon rode at a steady walk. Matt was listening intently to her words but at the same time remained alert for any unexpected noises around them. No one was safe in this land.

"Yarborough hardly ever leaves his little domain. He doesn't carry out any of the crimes himself, he only plans and directs, giving orders and then collecting his percentage. He has a whole army of people who work for him. They all have different skills and live in different towns. He uses them accordingly, deciding how each job will be done and who will do it. As long as they follow his instructions precisely, things seem to work out without a hitch. In addition to robbing banks, stagecoaches and even trains Yarborough also provides a hired gun or a group of thugs to kill or seriously injure someone if that's the service you require. Incidentally he thinks of himself as "The Maestro" as if he's directing some big orchestra or a large legitimate organization. He has an uncanny ability to organize and outwit the law, but at the same time he lives a very secluded life. Few people actually know who he is and even fewer have ever seen him. I think he does this more for the feeling of power than anything else. No one seems to know what he does with all the money he collects."

"How does he collect his cut of the proceeds?" Matt asked her. "I'd think if you'd held up a stage and got away with a large sum of money, you'd keep running and not hand half of it over to some unseen boss."

"I think a few men have attempted that. Some have tried relieving passengers of personal valuables in addition to the prescribed haul as laid out by Yarborough. He always manages to find out and if they don't come up with his percentage of the entire takings, they find themselves the target of the maestro's personal thugs."

Matt listened carefully to what she was saying. At the same time he was trying to figure a way to get to this unknown man. He knew they weren't interested in finding the general run of the mill offenders who worked for him. It was the top man they needed - and for that they had to get close. It sounded as if Tom Durbin had tried to do just that and the effort cost his life.

TBC