Lady Luck Chapter Seven: The Brothers Cannon
John Cannon glared. He was irritated as he rode with Sam, Pedro, and Wind, a young half-breed Pawnee, toward the C-Bar-M mid-morning of the next day. He couldn't tear himself away from the High Chaparral till then. Darn fool hands can't even get a load of supplies back from Tucson. Big herd was sold but there was work to do at the ranch and now another delay. He hadn't bought Pedro's cockadoodled story about Apaches attacking. Apaches should be in the mountains by now. Wind said as much. Ah, what was it Wind said? "Perhaps they have not all gone, Mr. Cannon." Whatever that meant.
Nope. John knew exactly what Buck and Mano were up to. They just figured they'd get themselves a few more days to lie around or they'd wrangle some free work outta Joe, Reno, and that new hand, Roy.
John frowned. He never did get the straight story on that kid out of Manolito. Hmmph. Why should that come as a surprise? Was Mano ever straight with anybody? Darn brother-in- law. Those Montoyas. John's brow darkened as he thought of his father-in-law, the most exasperating man God ever placed on this earth. Then Victoria's beautiful face flashed across his mind and he smiled despite himself. He loved his wife. Truth be told, he was fond of Mano, too. Of all the dang fool relatives he had to get stuck with a brother and brother-in-law…his thoughts trailed off as he and the boys crested the rise above the C-Bar-M just after noon.
"Well, looka there." John exclaimed as they peered down into the valley where the little cabin, lake, and corral lay. Only there was not just one corral. There were three, maybe four, corrals and the main one had cattle in it.
"Looks like somebody's been busy, Mr. Cannon," Sam said.
"Yesss," Cannon drew out the word. "Yes, it does, Sam."
Wind remained silent, eyeing both men.
"Uh oh," Mano said to Buck in a low tone as he spied the riders heading down the hill toward the cabin and corrals. "Here comes your brother, amigo." Buck nodded, shifted his head to pop his neck, and rehearsed what he was going to say as the four Chaparral men rode in and dismounted. Buck ran to greet John while Joe, Reno, and Roy stopped what they were doing to lean against the corral fence and watch. Mano stood a few paces off.
"Brother John! Brother John! It's nice to see ya!"
"Buck, what the…"
"I see Pedro fetched you."
"Yes, Pedro fetched us. Now what's all this talk about Apaches? Buck, where are my buckboard, mules, and supplies?"
"Oh, them. Well, John, they's right over there. Everythin's safe."
"Sí, John. We had to fight off the Apaches to keep them that way. It was not safe for Joe and the team to continue to the Chaparral without..." Mano interjected, his voice trailing off as John's icy glare froze him.
"Uh, Mano's right, Mr. Cannon," Joe spoke up. "Just before the flat stretch off the Tucson road, two raiding parties, six or seven Apaches each, flanked us. They'd have cut us off in the open, so we made for the upland trail. Mano and Buck come along just in the nick of time to shoot us out of trouble."
"See, boss, it is as I told you," Pedro interrupted.
Joe continued, "We headed up here to rest the horses and then…."
"And then what? May I ask what in thunder you have been doing for the past twenty-four hours then?" Looking at Buck and Mano, John added, "Why didn't you two ride on down to Chaparral with the buckboard and mules?"
"Well, John, we got our own business to tend to up here. We cain't be runnin' off. We got stock to tend to," Buck explained.
"I see you have," John scanned the corral. "Those twenty or so head should keep you real busy."
"A course they do, Big John. You know'd how much work it takes to run a ranch."
"It takes a lot of work to build corrals, too, don't it?" Sam asked. "Joe, you and Reno been givin' Buck and Mano a hand up here?"
"Just while we were waiting for Pedro to get back with you, Sam," Joe answered.
"Buck, these are my ranch hands," John scowled, his voice loud. "I pay them. You and Mano do not."
"Yeah, John, but…."
"But what? Work is piling up at the Chaparral and you…"
"Now, look here, John. It weren't safe for the boys and your supplies to leave. We purt near got kilt, ever one of us, gettin' 'em here safe n sound And there's somethin' else."
"Oh?" John's face darkened and he straightened his back ramrod stiff. His fist closed tight round the gloves he carried and a muscle twitched near his mouth. Gray brows lowered over flashing eyes.
"Yeah, John. Fact is, your boys was up here all summer usin' that co-rral and it were in terrible shape. You owed us at least the manpower to fix it."
"I would think, Buck, that the fact I loaned you..."
"Wait jus a minute, John. I think we best take this con-ver-sation inside, right now," Buck insisted, face darkening to match his brother's. "Mano, c'mon."
Mano nodded once. He did not smile. The brothers and brother-in-law marched toward the cabin. Mano paused to allow Buck and John to enter first. Roy's mouth hung open as he watched them.
Flies, thought Joe.
"Sit down, John," Buck motioned toward a chair at the table near the stove. His brother was in his territory now.
"Coffee, John?" Mano asked, fetching a cup and pouring when Cannon nodded yes.
Buck sat down across from John. Mano scooted his chair a bit back from the table and edged closer to Buck. He waited.
"Aw right, John. You was about to say out there that the fact you give us the thousand dollars to pay off Jeff Patterson entitles you to tear up our corral and use this place any ol' way you want."
"Buck, that is not what I meant."
"Well, it shore sounded that way."
"That is true, John. You did imply that." Mano spoke, his tone flat.
John sighed.
"And here's somethin' else. That money was a loan and we is going to pay that back. You offered it to us so we wouldn't have to deal with the bank no more."
Yeah, thought John. And to make sure you two could hang on to the place. John needed the water on the Patterson spread for his own stock. He could not afford to let this piece of land out of the family.
"Well, John, I say to you that you have already got more 'n your money's worth just bein' able to use our water and our land. You ain't got no call to object to us askin' Joe and Reno and Roy for a little help with the co-rral. You jes don't."
"All right, Buck. But it looks to me like they've done more than fix one corral."
"That's true, John. No sense us just waitin' around here on you. They helped us build some extra corrals and holding pens, and they helped us round up them mavericks you see out there."
John had calmed down a considerable amount, and Buck knew it.
"Mano an' me, we got a pro-position to make to you."
Mano looked sideways at Buck but said nothing.
"Go on," John said, sighing.
"We know we owe you that money. And we intend to pay. Why don't us and you drive them mavericks down to the Chaparral and mix 'em with your new herd? You fatten 'em up with the others, sell 'em, and that oughta cover least half what we owe you."
Mano nodded.
John paused. "Well…"
"You know, Juano," Mano said. "Our cattle last season did not fetch quite the price it should have when our journey to Kansas City was delayed at Nevermore…"
"That was not my fault!"
"No, nonetheless, it is the truth. Of course if you rather I had left you and my sister in the desert… I could perhaps have made it to the stage alone and on time," Mano tried to stay serious but bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. Even John smiled a little.
"All right, Buck. You drive a hard bargain."
"Look here, John. You is gettin' the better end of the deal. You got our water, our summer graze, our line shack."
"And you live at the Chaparral."
"Yeah, but you don't pay us nothin', leastways not regular," Buck added while Mano nodded.
"Seguro que sí."
"So will you and Mano drive the cattle down to the ranch tomorrow?"
"Uh, John, thing is, we got our own business to tend to here. I really mean that. We got us some mustangs to round up. That's why we needed all them co-rrals."
"Oh, so you want Sam and the boys to drive the herd down, too."
"Well, John, there's plenty of you to do that and watch the pack mules and buckboard too. A-pach won't attack that many."
"It is true, John. You do not need us," Mano affirmed.
John Cannon knew he was licked. Truth be told, he was glad to see Buck and Mano taking this place seriously. He hoped they'd make a go of it, and he had his doubts. He shook his head, rose from the table.
"Well, we're burnin' daylight. Better get the boys going. We'll take your cows, Buck. Be sure you get an accurate count."
"Oh, I have the tally right here, John," Mano said, pulling out a sheet of paper from his pocket.
"I am sure you do."
All the hands except Wind and Roy had edged to the porch after Buck, John, and Mano had gone inside. They stayed quiet to pick up on the conversation within, creeping closer to the door as the voices dropped. When they heard chairs pulled back and footsteps, they scattered like bugs. Wind watched in silence from the corral while Roy kept a nervous eye on Wind and the cattle.
"Oh, one more thing, Brother John," Buck said as he opened the door, almost hitting Pedro scooting backwards. Buck glanced at Pedro, surprised, and spotted Joe, Reno, and Sam milling around close by. "Hmmm. Well, Brother John, we gonna need a little more help with them mustangs. Kin you let Roy, the new fella, stay up here with us, too?
"Roy? I guess so," John replied. Turning to his brother-in-law, he continued in a deep voice, "He's in your custody anyway, isn't he, Mano?"
"Ah…" Mano blinked twice. His eyes grew wide and his mouth clamped shut with irritation. Too late. Joe, Reno, Pedro, and Sam busted out laughing, doubling over. Wind turned calm eyes upon Roy whose brow furrowed. Roy did not know why the hands was laughing but they was laughin' at Mano and he didn't like it.
Mano glared at John, glared at the boys, glared at Buck. His chest moved up and down and his breathing grew louder. He put his hands on his hips and said nothing. Sam slapped him on the back.
"Well, Mano, I feel a whole lot better knowin' that Roy is in your custody," Sam boomed.
The boys tried to contain their laughter but still snickered. Mano's face flushed and his lips tightened, but, annoyed, he still said nothing.
John Cannon chuckled. He had not intended this result but he was enjoying his brother-in-law's discomfort. Most of the time it was the other way around and Mano had the last laugh.
"Uh, Brother John, one more thing."
"Yes, Buck?" John replied, resigned.
"Kin you leave us a horse for Roy? Somebody needs to ride shotgun with Joe in the buckboard anyhow."
"Well…," John opened his mouth to object but before he could finish, Pedro spoke up.
"Oh, he can take mine, Buck. I have ridden a long way." Nor have I slept much, Pedro thought. Ay caramba, walking my horse past Apaches all through the night and riding all morning, only to wait at the rancho all day on the boss and Sam. Then guard duty half of the night. Dios mío.
"Thank you, amigo." Buck grinned at Pedro. "Well, boys, as my brother said, daylight's burnin'."
"Yeah," John Cannon replied, issuing instructions. By mid-afternoon he was waving good-bye as men, mules, and buckboard pulled out, following the herd of mavericks driven by Sam and Wind. John smiled to himself as he rode out. Maybe Buck and Mano would do something with this place after all.