Chapter Twenty-One
Jess, Mac, and Caulder headed southwesterly, toward northern New Mexico. Along the way, they stopped in a town where Caulder picked up his mail, and over the next couple of days, Jess and Mac saw exactly what Caulder's job was and how he did it.
By the time Caulder's target had drawn and Caulder had killed him, Jess was thoroughly seething.
"You can't call it murder, amigo," Mac told him as the two sat in the saloon for a final drink before hitting the road again, Mac slowly nursing a beer and Jess slamming back three whiskeys. "That other fella drew on Caulder."
"Caulder didn't leave him much choice. The way he worked at the guy 'til there was nothin' else for him to do."
"Well, that's the way it is, Jess boy. Nobody put the gun in the guy's hand but himself."
That was true. And Jess had seen plenty of gunfights in the past few months, enough to know that everything that happened with the man and Caulder was inside the law. Still, it made Jess feel tied up in knots. He tried to put it behind him as they rode across the line into New Mexico.
Sure, Caulder was a hired gun. But so was Mac.
And dadgum, so was he.
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When they made camp the last night before they would reach J.D. Kerr's ranch, Mac immediately went to sleep after eating. Jess approached Caulder.
"You gotta tell me somethin'."
"Sure, Jess. What do you need to know?"
"Where the Bannisters are."
"The sheriff over in Rio Poco told me they're at a hideout near there. Been there for a couple of months, so they're not going anywhere soon. He's been trying to figure a way to flush them out. But they have help to get supplies and such brought to them, so they can just stayed holed up. And the lawman just doesn't have much help. He's arranged to bring in reinforcements in about three weeks. That'll be the best time for you to make your move."
Jess nodded. "All right. You think this range problem for Kerr will be settled up that soon?"
"Long before then, Jess. It's ready to blow. And you'll make all the difference."
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The three of them arrived at J.D. Kerr's ranch, and after meeting the man himself, they were shown to a bunkhouse, and everything happened pretty much as it had at the King Bartlett spread. Except everything here was bigger, nicer, more expensive.
They got there in time to eat the noontime dinner, and the meal was bigger and better too. Mac was thrilled. He and Jess both ate until they were stuffed.
Jess began to wonder what kind of outfit they would be up against this time. Was it as well-funded, as well-equipped as Kerr's?
Caulder explained that he had another one of his special jobs to do, was leaving now, and would see them in about three weeks this time. As he was saddling his horse and securing his saddlebags and bedroll, Jess went out to talk to him.
"Wait a minute, Caulder. Before you leave, I want to know more about why Kerr's hirin' guns."
"I told ya, Jess. He's gotta defend his ranch."
"From who?"
"Nesters, boy. Sodbusters. They're taking over. Encroaching on Kerr's grazeland, taking his water. It's theft. He's gotta run 'em off."
"I ain't never heard of settlers sendin' their herds to private ranch land. The open range is where they graze their beeves. That's allowed by law. Cricks and lakes there are free to anybody."
"Who do you think cleared the way for open range, Jess? Who kept outlaw gangs away? Who fought the Indians? It was the big ranchers like Kerr."
"I think the Army had somethin' to do with that."
"All right. So maybe they did. But men like Kerr can pay to keep sodbusters away. He has a right to whittle down his competition."
"So this ain't about protectin' his own water and grass like ya told me. It's about keepin' prices high for his beef. By shuttin' out the new ranchers that are trying to get established."
"What do you care? You get paid no matter what the reason is. And paid darn good. A gun like you, Harper, big ranchers will actually bid for you. And you'll go high. You can name your price."
Caulder had everything ready to ride. He looked back at Jess. "There's plenty of range wars these days. Big spread against big spread. Cattlemen against sheepmen. Ranchers against sodbusters." He mounted up. "You're gonna be a rich man, Jess."
Then he was gone, leaving Jess Harper with a lot to think about. One phrase especially kept ringing in his ears, his mind, his conscience.
A gun like you, Harper.
A gun. You.
Was that all he was now? A gun?
As he walked away, Jess was thinking all right. Thinking and fuming.
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It was a cool night, and after everyone else had gone to sleep, Jess found it impossible to close his eyes. He slipped out of the bunkhouse and stood out by the corral, watching the horses and having a smoke.
"Que pasa, amigo?"
"Hey, Mac." Jess took another draw on his cigarette. "What are you doin' out here?"
"I gotta be honest with ya, Jess. My curiosity is keepin' me awake."
"Yeah? What are you curious about?"
"About what's keepin' you awake."
Jess gazed out into the distance.
"I can't do this, Mac. I'm leavin'."
"What?! Leavin' money like Kerr's payin'? Whoa, son. That's a hefty sum to walk away from. You mean you ain't gonna fight any more?"
"Not for Kerr."
"Oh, I git it. Sounds like you got somebody else in mind. You plannin' on joinin' in on another range war?"
"Nope. Not another one. This one."
The meaning dawned on Mac. "Shoot 'n' tarnation, Jess! You put yourself out for bid to the other side?"
"The other side is a bunch of small-time ranchers and their families! Settlers. Homesteaders. Just trying to git theirselves a nice place to work hard and raise their kids. Kerr wants to force 'em off their land and take their cattle. Destroy 'em, so's they can't come back. And he don't care how he does it. Or how many of 'em gits killed."
Mac shook his head and let out a long, slow breath. "Sodbusters, huh? Wonder when Kerr was gonna tell us."
Jess watched the horses in the corral, his fingers twitching. "He wasn't gonna tell us. Just let us go up against 'em and wipe 'em out."
"Any of the other guys know?"
"You recognize some of them hardcases, Mac. Most of 'em from posters. You been listenin' to 'em talk. You know what this kind a' money means to 'em. Ya think they care?"
"Nope. I reckon they don't."
Jess leaned his arms on the top fence rail as he kept an eye on Traveller. Mac took a similar stance.
"Sodbusters," Mac said again, shaking his head. "They can't pay for hired guns."
"They won't need to pay me."
They stood together saying nothing, listening to the sounds of the night. The movement of the horses, the cattle lowing in the distance, an occasional nighthawk call, a coyote howl.
Jess drew a final puff on his cigarette and crushed it into the sand under his boots. Then he turned toward Mac.
"You comin'?"
Mac didn't answer.
"I'm takin' off now, while everybody's sacked out. If you ain't comin' along, I'm hopin' you'll at least keep your trap shut about me."
Mac thought it over some more. Jess waited.
"Well, amigo, my bed here ain't all that comfortable. I'm curious if those sodbusters might have feather mattresses. So I think I oughta try and find out. See, it's my back, ya know. It ain't so good." He winked at Jess. "I just gotta be honest with ya."
Jess grinned. "You know somethin', Mac. You say that a lot."