The Fire in Ember - DiAnn Mills [72]
“I imagine I’m not what you or Bob wanted, but I’ve learned a lot over the past five years. A good US Marshal decided to make a man out of me, and I did my best to live up to his expectations.”
“We all need someone to show us the ropes.” John had learned a lot in five years too, and he needed to give Wirt the same credit. “I hope I’m not the same hot-headed kid who took after a whole gang of outlaws by myself.” He captured Wirt’s gaze and offered silent respect. They both grinned.
“That arm of yours all right?”
John refused to look at the bandage and admit it still bothered him once in a while. Mostly stiff. “Yeah. I’m ready to get rid of the bandage. Makes me feel like a helpless old man.”
Wirt chuckled. “Between the three of us, we should be able to figure out who’s behind the cattle rustlin'. Like you, I hope we can find the livestock before the thieves make their way to Denver. The stockyards are aware of stolen cattle, but not much anyone can do if the brands are changed.”
“I agree, and we’re ready to do whatever it takes to stop them,” Bob said. “The ranchers here are edgy and nervous. John and I spend as much time tryin’ to calm them down as tryin’ to stop any more trouble.” He nodded at John to pull up an extra chair to the desk.
“Parker tells me the problem started about a month ago,” Wirt said. “Do you mind filling me in on what’s been going on?”
“Be glad to.” Bob pointed to the coffeepot on the small stove. “I made coffee less than an hour ago. Grab a mug from my desk. I’ve drunk plenty for the day.”
Wirt immediately snatched up two mugs. “John, you want some?”
The Wirt John remembered would have thought only about himself. “Sure thing. Thanks.”
Bob cleared his throat. “We may have caught one of the thieves, a man by the name of Leon Wilson. He worked for one of the ranchers, Victor Oberlander. Wilson got himself fired and bragged about what he was going to do to Oberlander. Then cattle turned up missing.”
Wirt glanced at the empty cell. “Where is he now?”
“John and I, along with some other men, rode out to where we heard he was hidin’ out. He opened fire and was killed.”
Wirt gave John a calculated stare, as though he knew just the right moment to peer into John’s soul. “So that’s how you were wounded?”
“It is.” John turned his attention back to Bob. He still felt stupid about not listening to him the day Leon shot him.
“While John was recovering, he figured out Leon couldn’t have shot him from inside the cabin due to the angle the bullet entered his left arm.”
“That was a sure way to shut Leon up.” Wirt paused. “What did Oberlander’s ranch hands have to say about it?”
“A couple of them rode with us. None of them cared for Leon. Claimed he was a loner, drank too much, and liked to fight. I asked them if Leon mentioned another man or men working with him to get even with Oberlander, but they believed he worked alone.”
“Which he obviously didn’t.” Wirt poured the coffee into two mugs. “Do you trust those hands?”
Bob shrugged and shifted his huge frame in the small chair. “Don’t have a reason not to. One of them opened fire when John was shot. None of them have ever been in trouble. John here can tell you more about Leon, since he had dealings with him that led up to him getting fired.”
John inwardly moaned. But if they were going to catch the cattle rustlers, then Wirt needed to know about Bert. Not a subject he felt comfortable discussing. But he must. “Just before the rustlin’ started, I was riding over to see Oberlander when one of his hands stopped me. Leon and two other Oberlander men were going to hang a boy for stealing a mare. The horse happened to be a prize mare belonging to Oberlander. I stopped the hanging and later took the boy to my ranch. A few days later, Oberlander and Leon brought the mare to the 5T to breed with my stallion. Leon still smarted from our dealings, and when he learned the boy he’d tried to hang was really a girl, he got even madder. His reaction is what got him fired. He rode off and threatened both