The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [40]
“A man by the name of Simon Farrar. Supposed to be three of them. However, the newspaper claimed five men were involved in one of the incidents.”
John groaned and studied the bullet hole on the top of Bob’s desk. “Do you mind if I contact Uncle Parker for a US Marshal? I know the last time we got a man who wasn’t much help, but if my uncle is making the request, we’ll get an experienced lawman.”
“My thoughts too.” Bob winced. He brought his hand to the left side of his chest. “Even after five years, the McCaw brothers are still fresh in our minds.”
“I’d take a horsewhip to one of my brothers if they even hinted of taking what wasn’t theirs.”
“Sometimes all it takes is a hungry belly and the oldest promising a better life—just like the problem we had here five years ago. Those cattle rustlers plaguing our community are no doubt following the same kind of man—clever and able to manipulate others. Hope for a better tomorrow has a powerful hold.”
Wisdom had spoken, and Bob had much of it to give.
“Ever been hungry, John? I mean so hungry you’d eat the bark off a tree?”
“No sir.”
“I was nearly thirty years old when I fought in the Civil War. Hunger for food—or whatever it is that makes a person desperate—moves a man to do things he’s never thought of doing before. Sometimes it makes a man a hero. Sometimes it makes him an outlaw.”
“Like my pa. Whatever happened to him in the war drove him to drink. And, come to think of it, the McCaw brothers came out of the war as killers seeking revenge for what happened to their families and homes.”
“Hard times affect men in different ways.”
John took a moment to chew on what Bob had said. “Stands to reason if you can figure out what makes a man behave a particular way, you’d have a lot less lawbreakers.” He hesitated. “I’d like to study law someday.”
“Sounds like something your Uncle Parker would say.”
John missed his uncle. “He probably has, and it’s finally sunk into my stubborn brain.”
“Right now, we need to find these cattle thieves. Every day that goes by will make the local ranchers restless and trigger-happy.”
“Where do we begin?”
“I’ve been thinking about the best way to outsmart them. One is to search every canyon large enough to hold over one hundred fifty head or more of cattle, which could take a long time. The other is to deputize a couple of good men, send them out to the ranchers, and offer a reward for information leading to the rustlers. We could distribute posters around town and have the same announcement written up in the paper.”
John stood and paced the wooden floor, his thoughts weighing each idea. “Let’s do it all. Something’s bound to turn up. The people of Rocky Falls need to know we’re doing the best we can. If they think we’re shirking, someone’s going to get hurt.” When Bob didn’t respond, John studied his weathered face. “Are you thinking we need to go see Bess?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time Widow Bess helped us. She might have already heard something else we could use. And we both could use some supper.”
“I thought your wife brought you food?”
Bob stood from his chair. “She did, but after we got over our fussin’ about me being town marshal, it got cold.” He nodded toward the back door of the jail. “My wife is a good woman, but some of her cookin’ needs help. Cold liver and onions with dry cornbread is one of them. God forgive me, but I had to toss it out to the dog.”
John laughed at the pitiful expression on Bob’s face, but a man needed good food to keep him going. Could Bert cook? John took a moment to reflect on the young woman’s abilities in the kitchen. A few tasty meals came to mind. Why was he thinking about Bert … in that way … when he didn’t know if he could trust her?
The two men strode out of the marshal’s office and down the darkened street to the building that housed a hotel on one side and a saloon on the other. Quite handy for the soiled doves of Rocky Falls. Widow Bess had worked the hotel for years, mothering the girls employed there and urging them to leave their livelihood. If she didn’t own a stake in both businesses