Rawhide
Incident of the Blind Man's Bluff
Chapter 4
(This chapter contains a bit of violence and blood. Just thought I'd mention it.)
It must have been well past midnight when Rowdy finally got up from his restless tossing and turning and made his way to the window of the room. He hadn't been able to sleep, just lying on the bed. He'd only taken off his holster and boots and not bothered to cover up with the quilt that lay on the bed. Pete, he was sure, had already fallen asleep. The scout had had a hard two days without much sleep.
Rowdy looked out the window the overlooked the back part of the ranch. The yard was dark and the moon was covered by clouds. There were none of the usual sounds of the night. The crickets were silent and a shiver raced up Rowdy's spine. He shrugged but that didn't help rid him of the strange feeling that something bad was going to happen. And soon.
He was about to turn and try once more to get some sleep when a movement near the barn caught his eye. It was Jenny. Rowdy watched as the young woman looked over shoulder several times as she crossed the yard and then hastily go into the barn. He was burning with curiosity. The ramrod waited for a few moments longer until he heard hoof beats approaching. "Yancey?" He whispered, his voice tinged with confusion. What was that new drover doing here? Had Mr. Favor sent him? No, Rowdy knew Yancey was scheduled for the first night hawking shift. "Well, now maybe I'll just have a look see." He said to himself as he picked up his boots. He padded softly down the stairs in his socks, not wanting to wake Pete or the blind man.
When Rowdy reached the front door he pulled on his boots just before opening the door. He had just come outside when the world around him went black and all was still.
"Who's he?" The man on the left side of the door asked. His blond hair, long overdue for a haircut, peeked out from underneath a battered brown hat.
The other man - the one who had slugged the stranger coming out of the ranch house - shrugged. "Must be one of them cowboys, the boss said was stayin' here tonight."
"Well…what do we do with him, Teague?"
Teague shrugged again. "Take him to the boss, I guess." He hoisted the rifle he had used to hit the cowboy with into his other hand.
And with that the two men picked up Rowdy by his shoulders and drug him out to the barn.
"Mr. Favor!" Jim Quince rode into the sleepy camp of the Gil Favor outfit. So much for sleepy camp. Several of the men groaned and asked what was up, others peeked one eye open and then hid under their bedrolls and went back to sleep.
Gil Favor rubbed the side of his face and sat up. "What do you think you're doin', Quince? The birds ain't even up yet." He mumbled.
"Boss, Boss!" Quince dismounted and raced over to Favor. Favor was starting to go back under his cover when Quince began shaking his shoulders. "Boss, come on, wake up! It's the herd!" That one sentence got Favor on his feet and wide awake.
"What about the herd?"
"'Bout 600 head are gone and a bunch of the men on nighthawk are out cold and one's been murdered!" Quince reported, his voice frantic.
"WHAT?" Favor yelled, dismayed and shocked.
"I said-"
"I know what you said, Quince. Come on, men. Up and at 'em! Quince. I want you to go fetch Pete and Rowdy. We'll need Pete to help us track 'em." Favor ordered.
I knew it. I should've listened to that gut feelin', Favor thought with a sickening feeling as he hurriedly saddled his mount. How could something like this have happened? Ever since he'd hired on Chris Yancey several miles back, Gil Favor had had the sickening feeling that the man was hiding something. But he had shrugged off that feeling knowing it was silly. Nearly every man out here had something to hide. "Hey, Quince!" Favor called to the drover who was ready to leave.
"Yeah, Boss?"
"You happen to see Yancey out there? He had first shift on night guard."
Quince thought for a moment. "No. Matter of fact I saw him headin' off in the direction Pete, Rowdy and that blind man went earlier. Thought maybe you'd sent him after 'em."
"Let's go." Favor ordered.
"Rowdy. Rowdy, come on wake up, boy." A harsh whisper and someone kicking his leg brought Rowdy slowly from his unconscious state. He groaned as he felt the aftermath of whatever object had crashed into his head when he'd gone through the door of the ranch house. "Glad to see you ain't completely gone."
Rowdy opened his eyes and tried to sort out his thoughts. "Oh…what hit me?" He groaned. Then he recognized the man tied in the chair across from him. "Pete? Where are we?" Rowdy was also tied in a chair - his wrists were bound to the arms of the chair and another rope was wrapped across his chest, pinning him to the chair.
"Out in the Cratcher's barn. You know, you really oughta learn how to sneak outta houses quieter. You sounded like a herd of buffalo stampedin' down them steps with a huntin' party on your heels." Pete said dryly. Rowdy noticed a large bruise developing on the side of Pete's face and a small cut on the corner of the scout's mouth.
"What's goin' on around here?" Rowdy asked, his voice betraying his bewilderment.
Pete strained against his bonds for a moment then spoke. "Seems that new fella we picked up, Yancey, has somethin' to do with the cattle rustlin' goin' on 'round here." The scout paused and looked Rowdy in the eye. "Miss Jenny Cratcher is the ringleader."
Rowdy was shocked. He never would've suspected Jenny. She seemed like such a fragile thing and had appeared to care a great deal about her father.
Pete nodded. "Yep. She gave a mighty fine speech while you were out. She's got all them cowboys of her father's workin' for her, and they've been rustlin' cattle around these parts and sellin' 'em down south and to the Indians."
"Well…if these are the rustlers…why are we still alive?" Rowdy asked.
"She's known about Mr. Favor's herd comin' up this way for some time, Rowdy." Pete paused. "Yancey was a plant. From what I heard - I was a bit groggy - somehow they…Rowdy, they got 600 head from the herd." Pete said with a pained look on his face. "They plan on usin' us as hostages if-when Mr. Favor comes after 'em."
An uncomfortable silence settled on the two drovers before Rowdy spoke. "How'd they get you?"
"I heard you headin' out - and not wantin' you to get into any trouble with some female, I was about to follow you when I saw one of them fellas slug you with his rifle butt. It's a wonder it didn't crack that thick skull of yours. Anyway, I followed them after they carried you out here. I was listenin' outside the barn door when a couple of other fellas jumped me from behind." Pete explained.
"Yeah…well, looks like you gave 'em a pretty good fight." Rowdy said, noting the scout's dirt-smeared clothing and a tear in the shoulder of his black shirt.
Pete smiled impishly but winced because of the cut on his mouth. He licked his lips and looked around the barn. "We gotta find someway outta here before they-" He was cut off by a commotion outside. Scuffling and muffled shouts and grunts could be heard through the barn walls.
The wide barn door opened and Jake Ramirez was brought into the barn. One man held the young man's right pinned behind him and the other had his hand clamped over his mouth; another man hung back and closed the door behind them.. They let go of him simultaneously and shoved him onto the dirt floor of the barn.
Ramirez scrambled back up fists ready but then saw one of the men - the one called Teague - pull a gun from his holster and cock it. "Don't make me use this, boy," the rustler said menacingly. Teague waved his gun toward Ramirez and motioned to the other two men with him. "Wilk. Bryson. Tie him to the beam." Wilk moved forward and Bryson, who had closed the door, followed.
At Teague's command, Wilk and Bryson pulled Ramirez over to one of the support beams in the middle of the barn and made him sit down on the floor. Then they tied his hands behind the pole and left. Ramirez turned his head and for the first time seemed to realize he was not alone in the barn. "What are you doing here? Aren't you guests of Cratcher?"
Rowdy and Pete looked at each other and Pete spoke up. "Well, we thought so too but it seems these good folks are part of rustlin' operation and are gonna hold us hostage."
Ramirez shook his head sadly looking down. "I knew something was up but I never would've guessed Jennie." He looked back up. "I recognized some of their new hands from wanted posters but thought maybe I was mistaken. I don't think Mr. Cratcher knows about the goings-on here at his ranch. He-" Ramirez stopped talking and looked up as the barn door opened.
It was Jennie Cratcher looking rather pleased with herself. She smirked at her prisoners. "Ramirez, Ramirez." She said in a false sad voice. "Why couldn't you stick to mucking out stalls and milking the cow? What were you doing out here this late at night? You were supposed to have gone to your line shack. Well?" Her voice grew angry. "Answer me, you peppergut!"
Ramirez just returned her glare and said nothing. Jennie looked like she was going to shout another insult but stopped herself. She smirked down at the tied young man again. "No matter. You won't live to tell anyone. You see, Ramirez dear, I'm going to have Teague take you out, eh, hunting shall we say, in the morning. Only you won't be coming back with him. You will have had an unfortunate accident. Poor dear. Falling off a cliff is quite a way to go." She laughed harshly.
Just then the door opened again and Bryson entered. "What're we gonna do with him, Jennie?"
"It'll be Teague's job. Tomorrow, Ramirez is going to have an unfortunate accident."
"What kind of accident?" Bryson asked rubbing his palms together. He was obviously enjoying this.
Rowdy couldn't take it any longer. Here were two people discussing the fate of an innocent young man and they talked like it was nothing. They don't have a conscience. "That monster in disguise there is gonna have him thrown off a cliff, that's what kind!" He yelled angrily. Pete winced inwardly as he watched Bryson stalk over to them and hit Rowdy in the stomach and then slap him hard across the mouth twice.
"Look, mister, there wasn't no call to hit him like that," Pete protested.
Bryson turned to Pete. "You want some of what he got, drover?"
"Now, now, Bryson dear. I do appreciate you defending my honor but we want Mr. Favor's ramrod and his scout to look good when he comes looking for his cattle," Jennie said. "Come along. We must prepare for his arrival." She turned to leave and Bryson followed. All was quiet again except for Rowdy panting and the scuttling of mice in the loft.
"Rowdy?" Pete asked, his voice filled with concern. "You okay, boy?" The ramrod's head hung down and he was panting for breath.
"I'm - I'm fine. Just gotta…catch my breath." The ramrod panted. He hadn't expected such a violent reaction from the man called Bryson. Obviously, these men all had their eye on Jennie Cratcher. Blood dripped from the scratch on his cheek caused by Bryson's ring.
Pete looked back to Ramirez and noticed the young man's hands moving up and down behind him. "What are you doin', Ramirez?"
Ramirez kept moving his hands. "They didn't search me. Had a knife in my sleeve. Almost…there!" The ropes behind him parted and he rubbed his wrists. Then he walked over to where Pete was tied and set to work on the scout's ropes. Soon, Pete was free. Ramirez finished cutting Rowdy loose and Pete helped the ramrod stand. "That no good, son of a gun." Pete muttered angrily under his breath.
Rowdy clutched his stomach with one arm and tried to stand tall. The punch to the stomach had hurt something awful but he tried to ignore the pain. It wasn't easy. "Come on, let's get out of here before they come back."
Pete grabbed Ramirez's arm just as he was about to open the door. "Wait. They took mine and Rowdy's guns. Are there any weapons in here?"
Ramirez stopped to think. "There is a rifle in the feed room. I'll go get it. Should we saddle the horses?"
Pete nodded. "We'd better hurry if we plan to get goin' while the goin' is still good."
In record time, the two drovers had their horses saddled and Ramirez had snuck out and brought his horse around back. Apparently, the rustlers had a lot of faith in their knots and believed their prisoners would still be in the barn in the morning, for they had left no one on guard. Pete and Rowdy led their horses out the back and mounted up as quietly as possible. They walked their horses until they were a safe distance away and then set off at a gallop. They heard no angry shouts nor guns firing from behind them. The three riders had rode in the direction of the drovers' camp for about a mile when they saw another rider approaching fast in front of them.
They reined in their horses and stopped in the middle of the road. It was dark but Pete somehow recognized the rider. "Quince!"
Quince stopped his horse in front of them and said, "Boy, am I glad to see you fellas. Mr. Favor's real hot over-"
"You mean Mr. Favor's already headed out after them rustlers?" Rowdy asked.
"How did you know-"
Pete interrupted him. "Don't matter right now. Where's the boss?"
"Trailin' the stolen cattle and the rustlers. He sent me to get you two." Quince noticed the third rider. "Who's he?"
"A friend. Now take us to Mr. Favor." Pete ordered.