The Walters Brothers

We noted their lack of firepower and brought it up the third day we traveled together. Zeke made his point quietly but with firmness. "We're on this road together. We have to depend on each other to defend what's ours. We got weapons, ma'am. You need to take enough to feel safe. If you don't want to buy them we can loan them to you until we hit the end of the trail."

She blushed but didn't argue, and the next morning we laid what we had out. She picked a Peacemaker and a Yellow Boy, as did her oldest. The middle one took the Henry and a Remington. The baby grinned. "I'm a terrible shot with a rifle," she said as she picked up a shortened 10 gauge shotgun. I figured it would knock her clean out of the saddle if she shot it but it made her happy. There was an old Navy Colt that had been reworked for cartridges, so she took that one, saying it fit her hand best.

In return we got more cows until we owned forty of the roughly 130 we were driving. We made good time since most of the herd were already trail broke. The only thing that marred the drive was the minor stampede caused by a cow almost steppin' on a rattler. When the snake shook his tail, the herd took off. Five of them went over a bank. One broke his neck, and the others had broken legs. Once we contained the herd we slaughtered them on the spot, hanging them in the shade and gathering firewood. We put them over a fire that had enough green wood to keep a good smoke going, keeping the flies away. Then we built drying racks and made jerky. It took another two days but we had close to seven hundred pounds. Zeke, Bob, and I took the meat from two cows, and the Parsons ladies took the rest. We were going to hang on to ours for the coming winter, but the ladies were going to sell theirs for profit.

Zeke and I couldn't help grinning when we noticed the oldest girl riding in the wagon with Bob when she didn't have to wrangle the herd. Bob was from Maine and his accent took a little getting used to. Her family was originally from South Caroline and her accent was pretty thick. I had a stray thought of what their kids would sound like and laughed.

Miz Parsons seemed all right with the sparkin'. Bob was a good man and her daughter could do a lot worse.

Chapter 5

Two and a half weeks later we rode into Carver's Gulch, about fifty miles south of Cherry Creek. It was a boom town, tents as numerous as buildings and construction going on everywhere. Bob and the girls held the herd back while we rode in with Miz Parsons. She'd taken the time to primp a little, wearing a divided riding skirt and a nice blouse and jacket. It caused a little stir because women, beside the occasional prostitute, were pretty scarce. If she'd ridden in with her daughters she would have caused a riot. We were in town for three hours and she got four marriage proposals. She politely declined them all.

It didn't take us long to decide the town was not for us. One family seemed to own everything. The prices in their store was outrageous, as well as in the butcher shop. We decided to skip trying to trade there and move on to the next town twenty miles away. Somebody had seen our herd though, and word was out.

He was about fifty and looked like he thought a lot of city living. He was overweight, wearing a tight suit and sporting a derby. He stomped up to us as we were trying to digest the food in what passed for a restaurant. "You the outfit with the cows?"

I could tell by the way Zeke smiled this wasn't going to end cordially. "If we are?"

"I'll take 'em. How many you got?"

We told him and he offered about a third of what they were worth. Miz Parsons smiled. "I undertand you've lived away from civilization for a while sir but you have to know our beef is conservatively worth over twice as much. I think we will decline your generous offer and try our luck in the next town."

He was appaled we turned him down and let a woman speak for us. He looked over at Zeke. "This your woman?"

"She is not sir. What she is is a business associate and owner of those cattle. It's up to her to make a deal but she's a pretty shrewd woman and will not be taken advantage."

"If she ain't your woman you got no say in this. I'll be out to pick up them cows tomorrow morning. You'll take what I offer and be glad to get it."

Miz Parsons just sat there smiling.

"I don't think you understood us fat man. She's a business partner and we have a vested interest in those animals. So pull them short horns in and run along."

He finally noticed me for the first time. I don't think he was impressed until he saw the double barreled shotgun. It wasn't pointed directly at him but in his general direction. His face got redder and somebody laughed. It triggered him off.

"God Damn It! You listen to me youngster. We're getting them cows if we have to take them so just shut up and go along. I'll kill you if you mouth off one more time."

The shot gun was definitely pointed at him now. Zeke had rose up and shifted over to the side. Miz Parsons had casually stood, bringing the Peacemaker out of the folds of her skirt. We'd seen her shoot when she first got the pistol and she was damned good. I grinned.

"Know what? I'm going to lay this shotgun down. Then me and you are going out in to the street. You threatened to kill me mister, and I got the right to defend myself. Now shuffle your fat ass outside so we can get this over with."

He was between a rock and a hard place and knew it. Suddenly he wasn't so loud. "Boy, you got no idea who I am."

"I don't. Don't really care but why don't you tell me so I can put it on your grave marker?"

He had two men with him, also dressed in city clothes. One was sliding his pistol out. The sound of the hammer going back was loud in the little diner and he froze. Miz Parsons spoke quietly but everybody heard her. "Don't get foolish son. You don't want YOUR tombstone to say 'shot by a woman while trying to rob her ', now do you? Why don't you and your friend slide those pistols out and lay them on the table? I think everyone would be a lot more comfortable if you did. Oh, and if case you're wondering what would happen if you don't I'll tell you. I'll kill you before you clear leather and no one will say a thing. They'll think you deserve it for drawing on a woman. Your choice."

He didn't look anybody in the eye as he slid his pistol across the table. His friend did the same a few seconds later. She smiled. "Good. Don't you feel a lot better? We can..."

That was all she got out before the derringer popped out of his sleeve. Two shots rang out and he slumped to the table, lying over it slowly as a red stain covered the tablecloth. Only one was for him. She shot the other man as he grabbed for his pistol. "Oh dear. I'm sorry about the tablecloth, Ma'am. We'll pay for it, I assure you."

Zeke, never the most tolerant of people, finally had enough. Two pistols came out like they had a mind of their own. "Miz Parsons please excuse my language but this shit has gone on long enough. We come here in peace to trade and run into this? Not what I had in mind. I think after Brad concludes his business with Mr. Chubby here we should leave. You, out the door now or I'll shoot you down myself."

The fat man in the derby was startin' to sweat a mite. Seems he didn't like the direction this thing was going at all. "Now hold on there! I got sixteen men who'll..."

"Not give a damn once your fat ass is dead. Who's gonna pay 'em? I bet they ain't about to fight for free. Outside, now!"

"My sons will make your pay."

"Your sons best leave things be. We didn't ask for this. You reap what you sow asshole and I'm thinkin' it's harvest time."

I'd walked up and pushed him, hard. He shot out the door into the street landing on his ass in a cloud of dust. Nobody lifted a finger to help. I took it to mean he wasn't real popular.

"You gonna get up or do you want shot while you're on your fat ass?"

Sweat was running down his face, cutting ruts in the dust that coated it until he looked kinda striped. He heaved himself up slowly holding his hands out. "What can I do to avoid this?"

"Not a damn thing. I let you go you'll have to gather your people and come after us to save face. Zeke here has a saying he favors from our Pa. Never leave a live rattlesnake behind you. In case you don't follow you're the snake."

I saw it in his eyes. He was dead, knew it, and wanted to take me with him. He was still trying to talk us out of it when he drew. I was a little surprised at how fast he was but he made a mistake. He cleared leather first, but his aim was way off. While his bullet kicked up dust twenty feet from me I shot him twice in the chest and once in the gut. He collapsed like a ballon when the air is let out slow. He'd dropped his gun but he was still alive when I got to him. He was tryin' to say something but nothing came out of his mouth but blood. Finally he just rolled over on his side and shut his eyes.

I stood there thumbin' fresh shells into my pistol looking at the crowd that had gathered. "Somebody get the undertaker. I'd pay for the funeral but it looks like he had enough coins to handle it. You tell his friends and sons if he weren't lyin' to leave it be. He made his play and lost. We'll be leavin' now."

Miz Parsons spoke up. She picked out a young boy and called him over. She gave him three silver dollars. "Here, son. Take two of these dollars to the undertaker. I'm paying for the markers on the ones inside. You keep the other for your trouble. You tell him he better put 'shot by a woman he was tryin' to rob' on those markers. You tell him I'll be back this way one day. and if I go to boot hill and don't see those markers I'll be looking him up. You understand me?"

"Yes'm."

She patted his cheek. "Good boy. Well, off you go."

I stood until Zeke was in the saddle, then mounted up, waiting on Miz Parsons. I had the shotgun in my hand and they both had their Winchesters shucked. "We'll be leavin' now. It would not be a good idea for anybody to follow us but you're more than welcome to take your chances." We backed our horses about halfway down the the street until we turned one by one and cantered away.

It didn't take us long to tell the camp what happened and we pulled stakes and were rolling in 30 minutes. Three weeks later we pulled up outside a town that was a little bigger and a lot more organized than the one we left. Still kept an eye out as we traveled.

Bob and the oldest daughter were now joined at the hip. I told Miz Parsons it was lookin' like she was losin' a hand and she grinned. "Maybe not. Bob's a good man. If it comes to a choice between Chastity and a warm bed to sleepin' alone after freezin' his butt off in a cold creek all day, I'm pretty sure he'd be smart enough to make the right choice."

The middle girl had set her hat for me and I stopped her as gently as I could. She didn't take it well at first but after a couple of days she calmed down and we were friends again. If the littlest was of age she would have Zeke roped and tied after three days. I'm pretty sure she reminded him of our sister. It seemed she was never far from him no matter where he was.

The biggest event of the trail drive, for me anyway, was one night when me and Miz Parsons were doing our night watch. She'd been actin' funny for the last few days, brushin' up against me, giving me little gestures of affection. It all came out when she stopped me when we met on our rounds.

"Brad, can I trust you?"

"You know you can Miz Parsons."

"Please Brad, for tonight at least, call me Emily."

"All right. What's on your mind, Emily?"

"I'll tell you on the next rotation."

We made our circle and met on the far side of the camp.

"Brad, do you think I'm attractive?"

"Miz...Emily, you're a fine figure of a woman."

"I'm glad you think so. I have a favor to ask. I know it's incredibly forward of me but I know I can trust you. I haven't lain with a man in almost two years. I've watched Chastity with Bob, and Annie try to seduce Zeke, and it's stirred things in me that I haven't felt in a very long time. After our watch is over let's ride back to that little ridge we passed just before we made camp. We can go up top and pleasure each other. I'm safe, I can't get with child and the need to feel a man inside me has become almost overwhelming. Please? We'll do it once and never speak of it."

She'd undone her shirt and pulled it open, her impressive breasts spilling out in the moonlight. I couldn't help it and reached out, caressing a nipple, keenly aware of the tight feeling in my pants. She moaned and I pulled back. "After the watch, then." We passed twice more and she insisted we kiss both times.

I thought Zeke and Annie would never relieve us. We spoke for a few minutes. "I'm gonna ride back a ways, top that ridge, and see what I can see. I still don't feel good about that town back there."

Zeke just nodded and I was glad he couldn't see my face. I rode slowly and half a mile later Emily fell in beside me. We didn't talk, tying the horses at the base of the ridge, taking both blanket rolls and ground sheets. We found a clear level spot at the top and rolled out the blankets.

I turned. "Are you sure about..."

I don't know how she got naked so fast. She told me later she took off her underthings before catching up to me. She was indeed a fine figure of a woman. "Do me now Bradley Walters, before I chicken out!"

All right, it had been a while for me. The little raven haired beauty down in Mexico was a hot little minx but compared to a mature woman in her prime she was a little girl. For two hours we rolled around on those blankets doing everything we could think of together. I finally had to cry Uncle and she giggled as she stroked me.

"Not a chance, Emily. I think you broke it."

"Don't worry honey. It'll work just fine in an hour or so. Too bad we don't have the time to wait. I want to thank you, Brad. That was the best lovin' I've ever had. Where were you when I was eighteen?"

Before I could answer she slapped my thigh. "Up! We need to get dressed and I need to get back to camp. You wait a while, and try to come in from the other side. My daughters would never understand this. Seriously Brad, as much as I enjoyed this it can never happen again."

I stood and pulled her up, enjoying a full body hug for just a second. Emily pulled back and brushed my cheek. Then she started gatherin' her clothes. Something made her look up. "What's that?"

It was a campfire about a half mile away. It was a wonder they didn't hear the grunts and squeals we generated. Emily went to her horse and pulled out the spyglass she carried. As near as we could tell there were six or eight of them and it was the middle of the night. There was no reason in the world for them to be awake right now unless they were up to no good.

"You ride on back to camp. I'm goin' to stay here a bit, see what them boys got on their mind. If I ain't back by daylight Zeke will come lookin' He already thinks I'm up here watchin'."

"I'll stay..."

"Emily you go on now. I don't want you explaining to your girls how you happened to be up here. Don't fret any, my mother and father raised five sons and none of them could be described as foolish. I'll just watch them for a bit."

She didn't want to but reason won out. I watched for another hour and them boys never bedded down. The did wrap up in their blankets when it got cool. Just before daylight Zeke came trottin' up. I filled him in and we decided to pay our friends a visit. We eased down until we were close and the first thing I noticed was the derby one of the men was wearin'. The last time I'd seen that it was rollin' in dust beside a dead man.

We watched for a few minutes, and even though they weren't fully asleep, they weren't awake yet either. There was no formal guard, just seven men huddled close to the fire. Zeke made a motion and we faded back.

"What you reckon?"

"I'm thinkin' those boys are up to no good. It seems to me if they lost their horses for a while it will slow them down considerable. I got an idea." He rustled around until he found what he wanted, a slender sapling about seven feet long. Now, Zeke hated rattlesnakes. He'd had a bad experience with one when he was ten and he never forgot it. He felt duty bound to kill ever rattler he come across. If he found one he'd cut a forked stick, poke it 'til it curled up, then trap the head. Then he'd take the razor sharp bowie he had and cut the head off. If it was big enough he'd skin it for the hide. Big or little he always kept the rattles. He fetched about four sets out of his saddle bags and took a piggin' string and bound them to the stick. It'd make a hell of a noise.

We slid on back to the camp, wigglin' through the brush until we were practically under the hooves of their horses. Zeke reached up and loosened the picket line. The horses started gettin' restless. One of the men noticed.

"Carl, go see what's got them hosses all riled."

Before Carl could get to his feet Zeke put the stick under the closest horse and commenced to shakin'. Four sets of rattles make a hell of a noise. The horse reared up, the line broke loose, and them animals took off like the devil was after them.

The camp came to life. We slid a little farther back in the brush, trying not to laugh. There was a lot of cussin' and finger pointin'. Finally the leader told one of them to check the rope. "Like hell I will. You heard that snake. It's got to be huge. You'll excuse me if I wait until it's good and daylight before I do."

They squabbled back and forth before two of them started walking. It would take them half the mornin' to wrangle the mounts and get them back.

Chapter 6

We were on our own horses as soon as they walked off skinnin' back to camp. They were up and ready to travel so we left right away, rolling into town just before lunch. This town was a pretty good burg. We drove the cattle right down main street and into a couple of corrals.

Merchants were all over us before we could dismount. The livery owner hit us first, giving us the charge for feeding and holdin' the cattle. Zeke grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. I suspect they'll be sold in an hour and then it'll be someone esle's responsibility. In good faith, pick one out and take it for your fee."

He thought that was a pretty good idea and had his helper give him a hand pulling five heifers at random and moving them to a smaller corral. He grinned at me. "I'll be buyin' these at market price if you agree. I got ten cows and a pretty good bull. This will increase my herd substantially."

I couldn't fault that logic.

Bob surprised us all when he hopped up on the corral and yelled to get attention. Seems one of the things he did before coming west was work for an auctioneer. "Ya'll look then over. The sale starts in an hour, in lots of 10 each."

Bob might be a Yankee but he was no fool. Selling them in small lots should drive the price up. We hoped. The ladies took the opportunity to freshen up in the 'hotel', little more than hard sided tents. They wore their best when they showed up for the auction, hoping to distract the buyers enough they wouldn't realize how high the bidding would go.

It worked pretty well because most of the male population was paying attention to them and not the cattle. The serious buyers were not to be deterred and beef was at a premium now. In fact everything was at a premium here. We got about three dollars more a head than we hoped for.

We sold ours, keeping four for winter rations. If we were lucky we wouldn't have time to hunt and that beef would come in mighty handy. Our orginal packhorse was loaded down with flour, sugar, coffee, beans, rice, salt, pepper, a few odds and ends of spices, and a few cans of things like peaches. It probably would last until just before cold weather and then we could make a trip for more. Zeke was right in saying it would be a whole lot cheaper to go back and buy in bulk than pay gold camp prices.