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Lost and Found – Part 3
It was far too easy for a man to disappear in this territory. It had happened often enough with no way of knowing what had taken place. All of the peacekeepers of Four Corners were dispersed in their search for Vin. All of them feared they would never find him; never know what had become of him. None of them dared broach that possibility with Chris Larabee. The man's mood had grown as black as his clothes. They had split up to cover more ground. At each town, they would wire Mary for any news and report their own lack of information.
Mary read the telegram and then re-read it. Someone had seen a man fitting Vin's description. Her heart beat faster at the possibility. Now she just had to wait for Chris to send his next telegram. She sighed at having to wait until tonight to let him know the good news. As a newspaper editor, she was familiar with most of the towns in the territory as well as their general location. Potterville was a lot further away than Mary would have guessed Vin would go, unless it wasn't of his own accord. Mary had been afraid for Vin after he was one day overdue. With a price on his head, she always worried when he left town on his own and did not stop worrying until he returned. He and the other peacekeepers had helped her so much since they had come to the dusty town they now protected.
The telegrams came in near sundown letting Mary know their locations and she quickly wired the news of this morning back to them. Chris, Nathan, and Josiah were closest to Potterville and would head that way the next morning. Buck, JD, and Ezra would join them in several days.
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Catherine was outside in the garden picking green beans for supper. Her mind wandering over the last several weeks since the stranger had arrived at her front steps. He was recovering well and was up and walking, albeit stiffly and with a limp. He still suffered from headaches, usually after over exerting himself outside. She could not get him to take it easy and rest. His memory had not returned and she was growing concerned that it might not. This was not familiar surroundings, she was sure, and that would not help him remember. Right now, he was out checking the traps that were set along the stream that flowed several hundred yards from the back of the house. He would be tired again tonight and have a headache but he loved being outside and she could not very well make him stay inside after being cooped up for weeks. She loved the outdoors as well and knew what it was like to be caged.
The small garden sat at the back of the house and she did not immediately hear the approaching horses. She had actually felt the vibrations before she heard them and rose to her feet quickly to go into the house. There were too many of them to be anyone that normally stopped by. Fear gripped her and she grabbed the rifle, waiting.
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Chris, Josiah, and Nathan arrived in Potterville two days after Mary's telegram. It would take the others longer to get there. Being on the trail was wearing them out. They were dusty, tired, thirsty, and hungry but this was the first piece of information that might lead to Vin and Chris was going to follow it come hell or high water. While Josiah checked them into the hotel, Nathan took care of the horses at the livery and Chris went to the Sheriff's office. The town was small with only one main street that offered few comforts.
The Sheriff looked up from the paper he was reading as Chris came in, immediately tensing at the look on the strangers face.
"Sheriff," Chris said gruffly. "Chris Larabee. I'm looking for a friend; hear someone with his description was through here a while back. Like to know if you might have seen anything?"
The Sheriff held out his hand, "Matt Carter." Chris shook the proffered hand. "What's this friend of yours look like?"
Chris described Vin and waited as the Sheriff thought about it.
Sheriff Carter furrowed his bushy brows in recollection and looked at Larabee. "While back ya say? Month or so?"
Chris nodded once sharply.
"Fella does sound familiar. Quiet like?"
Again Larabee nodded.
"Yeah, I think that was the fella the Corkrin brothers were pesterin'. Bullies, the lot of 'em." The Sheriff shook his head in disgust.
"Pesterin' how," Chris growled.
"Mister, them boys'll find anythin' about anyone to be offended at. I'm sure your friend fit the bill. Never saw more 'an them three tryin' to rile that fella. Far as I could tell, he kept his head 'bout it. Course 'bout that time I's called over to the saloon to break up a fight." He stopped and thought a moment. "Last time I seen that fella he's leavin' town."
"Which way?" Chris was furious that Vin might have fallen victim to the three bullies. Three against one, Tanner was good in a fight, but it sounded like those three thrived on harassing people.
"South," Carter answered.
"Just how far would these brothers go if they were 'offended'?" Chris asked coldly.
The Sheriff chuffed out a breath. "They damn near beat a man to death at least once since I's appointed Sheriff." He did not think Larabee's eyes could turn any colder. He was wrong.
"What's south of town?" Larabee's voice was hard with unleashed rage.
"Not much 'tween here and Dalton. Few homesteads." The Sheriff was glad this man was not angry with him. He would rather face a grizzly than this man.
Chris twitched his lip menacingly, "Where can I find these brothers?"
Sheriff Carter eyed Larabee. "They're usually at the saloon 'bout sundown."
"Sheriff," Chris said, turning and walking out of the small office leaving the man thinking it was going to be an interesting and long night.
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Josiah and Nathan met up with Chris at the saloon where they grabbed a meal and some drinks while Chris filled them in on what the Sheriff had told him. The other two exchanged a concerned look that the local bullies might have injured the tracker. Nathan suggested they stop at the mercantile for supplies in the morning before they checked out the trail leading south. The other two agreed as they finished their meals and waited to see if the Corkrin brothers showed up tonight.
The three men did not have long to wait and it was not hard to tell which ones the brothers were either. The Corkrins strode into the saloon as if they owned it, loud and obnoxious and glowering at anyone that got too close, which was not many since they all gave the brothers a wide berth. Chris watched them, his green eyes cold, as they walked up to the bar and demanded drinks. The biggest one was slightly smaller than Josiah's grizzly size and the other two were as big as Nathan was. As tough as Tanner was, if these three had ganged up on him, he would not have been able to hold his own for long. The look on the others faces told him they were thinking the same thing.