us.
“You’re both upset,” he finally commented.
“Is it obvious?”
“I don’t blame you,” Ross said. “And I feel bad. I really do. But you know how Ike is. Everything appeared legal. My hands were tied.”
“You rode all the way out here just to say that?” I scowled.
“Partly,” he replied. “I’ve also got some news.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Do you know Miguel Ortiz?”
I thought for a moment.
“Sure. He lives to the north.”
“He rode into town this morning all upset. He says two men stole one of his mules last night.”
“Why does this concern us?”
“Miguel said that it was two big men, and one of them had red hair. They rode up to the corrals with a lame mule. One of them covered the house with his rifle while the other one switched out the mules. They left the crippled mule in the corral.”
I frowned thoughtfully.
“You think it was Brock and Amos?”
“The description fits.”
“Are you going after them?”
“No, I’ve got to stay in town,” Ross replied. “But, I thought you two might be interested.”
“We are,” I said, and I glanced at Brian. He nodded, so I looked back at Ross. “We’ll go take a look.”
“That’ll be fine.”
It fell silent then, and Ross looked uncomfortable.
“I’d better get back to town,” he finally said.
We nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” Ross tried again. “If I could have done something, I would have. I hope you know that.”
We nodded again, and Ross frowned and kicked up his horse.
We didn’t say anything as we watched him ride out.
Chapter thirty-five
We packed up camp, saddled our horses, and headed north. It was only a few miles to Miguel’s ranch, and we arrived early afternoon.
The ranch headquarters was old and run down. We met Miguel at the barn, and he was still upset and excited. We had to listen as he told us the story again, and he led us to the corrals and showed us the tracks.
I dismounted and studied the ground. After a moment I was able to confirm that there had been two of them, and the tracks left out going northwest.
“Do you think it’s them?” Brian asked me.
“Only one way to find out,” I replied. I stepped back into the saddle and looked at Miguel. “We’ll find your mule, amigo.”
He thanked us, and we left out. The tracks were easy to follow, and we trotted in a brisk trot.
We went a few miles, and then we rode up to where they had camped. We looked around a bit and pushed on.
“Those mules are slowing them down some,” I said as I studied the tracks. “We should catch them tonight.”
“What will we do then?” Brian wanted to know.
“We’ll get some answers.”
Brian frowned thoughtfully and nodded in response.
***
By late afternoon the tracks started getting fresh, and they turned to the north a bit. There was a steep cliff up ahead, and we slowed our pace as we climbed it.
We could see a long ways from the top of the cliff, so we pulled up and studied the landscape.
The country in front of us flattened out. There were a few trees scattered about, but other than that there wasn’t much cover.
I turned in the saddle, dug in my saddlebags, and pulled out my eyeglass. I took my time as I studied the skyline.
Suddenly, I sat up straight in the saddle.
“I see them,” I said softly as I squinted through the eyeglass. “I can’t tell for sure, but it looks like they’re making camp.”
“Can you tell if its Brock and Amos?”
“No, they’re too far out.”
“So what’s the plan?”
I pinched my face in thought.
“It’d be to our advantage if we could surprise them.”
“Probably so,” Brian agreed.
“It’s too open down there,” I reasoned, and then I glanced at the sun. “It’ll be dark soon, so we’ll wait and ride up closer. Then we’ll walk up on foot.”
Brian nodded, and it fell silent.
We dismounted and sat in some shade. I smoked a cigar to pass the time,
“You’re both upset,” he finally commented.
“Is it obvious?”
“I don’t blame you,” Ross said. “And I feel bad. I really do. But you know how Ike is. Everything appeared legal. My hands were tied.”
“You rode all the way out here just to say that?” I scowled.
“Partly,” he replied. “I’ve also got some news.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Do you know Miguel Ortiz?”
I thought for a moment.
“Sure. He lives to the north.”
“He rode into town this morning all upset. He says two men stole one of his mules last night.”
“Why does this concern us?”
“Miguel said that it was two big men, and one of them had red hair. They rode up to the corrals with a lame mule. One of them covered the house with his rifle while the other one switched out the mules. They left the crippled mule in the corral.”
I frowned thoughtfully.
“You think it was Brock and Amos?”
“The description fits.”
“Are you going after them?”
“No, I’ve got to stay in town,” Ross replied. “But, I thought you two might be interested.”
“We are,” I said, and I glanced at Brian. He nodded, so I looked back at Ross. “We’ll go take a look.”
“That’ll be fine.”
It fell silent then, and Ross looked uncomfortable.
“I’d better get back to town,” he finally said.
We nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” Ross tried again. “If I could have done something, I would have. I hope you know that.”
We nodded again, and Ross frowned and kicked up his horse.
We didn’t say anything as we watched him ride out.
Chapter thirty-five
We packed up camp, saddled our horses, and headed north. It was only a few miles to Miguel’s ranch, and we arrived early afternoon.
The ranch headquarters was old and run down. We met Miguel at the barn, and he was still upset and excited. We had to listen as he told us the story again, and he led us to the corrals and showed us the tracks.
I dismounted and studied the ground. After a moment I was able to confirm that there had been two of them, and the tracks left out going northwest.
“Do you think it’s them?” Brian asked me.
“Only one way to find out,” I replied. I stepped back into the saddle and looked at Miguel. “We’ll find your mule, amigo.”
He thanked us, and we left out. The tracks were easy to follow, and we trotted in a brisk trot.
We went a few miles, and then we rode up to where they had camped. We looked around a bit and pushed on.
“Those mules are slowing them down some,” I said as I studied the tracks. “We should catch them tonight.”
“What will we do then?” Brian wanted to know.
“We’ll get some answers.”
Brian frowned thoughtfully and nodded in response.
***
By late afternoon the tracks started getting fresh, and they turned to the north a bit. There was a steep cliff up ahead, and we slowed our pace as we climbed it.
We could see a long ways from the top of the cliff, so we pulled up and studied the landscape.
The country in front of us flattened out. There were a few trees scattered about, but other than that there wasn’t much cover.
I turned in the saddle, dug in my saddlebags, and pulled out my eyeglass. I took my time as I studied the skyline.
Suddenly, I sat up straight in the saddle.
“I see them,” I said softly as I squinted through the eyeglass. “I can’t tell for sure, but it looks like they’re making camp.”
“Can you tell if its Brock and Amos?”
“No, they’re too far out.”
“So what’s the plan?”
I pinched my face in thought.
“It’d be to our advantage if we could surprise them.”
“Probably so,” Brian agreed.
“It’s too open down there,” I reasoned, and then I glanced at the sun. “It’ll be dark soon, so we’ll wait and ride up closer. Then we’ll walk up on foot.”
Brian nodded, and it fell silent.
We dismounted and sat in some shade. I smoked a cigar to pass the time,
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