Secondly, my grandfather (born in 1873) grew up in Texas when outlaws still roamed the hills and byways. He was just a month short of his fifth birthday when Sam Bass was killed in Round Rock, Texas, not far from Grandpa�s home in Lampasas. He used to tell me the story and finish by singing �The Ballad of Sam Bass� (of which there is a great deal more than I inserted below!)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Sam Bass was born in Indiana, it was his native home,
And at the age of seventeen young Sam began to roam.
Sam first came out to Texas a cowboy for to be-
A kinder-hearted fellow you seldom ever see.
Sam used to deal in race-stock, one called the Denton mare;
He matched her in scrub races and took her to the fair.
Sam used to coin the money, and spent it just as free;
he always drank good whiskey wherever he might be.
Sam left the Collins ranch in the merry month of May,
With a herd of Texas cattle the Black Hills for to see;
Sold out in Custer City, and then got on a spree-
A harder set of cowboys you seldom ever see.
On their way back to Texas they robbed the U.P. train,
And then split up in couples and started out again;
Joe Collins and his partner were overtaken soon,
With all their hard-earned money they had to meet their doom.
Part I
Eleven-year-old Katherine Barkley Wardell, who was entertaining her two-years-younger nephew Trevor, the son of her brother Jarrod, stopped singing abruptly as her father stepped out onto the veranda.
�Where did you learn such a song as that, Kate precious?� he asked mildly�though Kate knew that beneath his calm expression there was a definite disapproval.
She squirmed. �Uh�Nick taught it to me, Papa, last summer when we were out shooting.�
�I see. Well, I would prefer that you not sing it again, Kate.�
�Yes, Papa.�
Royce Wardell sat down in a deep wicker chair and opened a newspaper. �There�s my good girl.�
�There�s my good girl,� Trevor mimicked silently, drawing an icy glare from his companion.
�Hush up, Trevor!� Kate mouthed. She didn�t like to be corrected in front of him, but she brooked no slight offered toward her adored Papa.
�Kate!� Her mother�s voice calling from the door saved the day. �Kate, have you done your practicing today?�
�No, Mother. I�ll do it now.�
Victoria smoothed her daughter�s hair as she passed into the house. �There�s my good girl.�
Trevor broke into loud guffaws and ducked off the veranda before his grandmother could find something for him to do as well.
�What�s Trevor laughing about?� Victoria asked Kate.
�He won�t be laughing when I get through with him,� the girl muttered as she flounced toward the piano.
�Now, Kate, you�re older, you know. It�s up to you to set the example�and I forbid you to fight with him.�
�He�s such a nuisance sometimes!�
�Most of the time the two of you are good companions. Goodness knows you�d have no one to play with while we�re here if it wasn�t for Trevor.�
�Nick takes me shooting, and I go riding with Audra when she visits. And Heath used to have tea parties with me under the tree out back.�
�But you�re too old for tea parties now, aren�t you, and Audra won�t be here for another week�and Nick�s been too busy to take you out,� replied Victoria reasonably.
Kate spread out her music on the polished rack and sat down. �I don�t care. I like being a little sister more than I like being an aunt to such a pest as Trevor!�
�You�re more like cousins, I think.�
�Don�t matter, he. . .�
�Doesn�t matter, Kate.�
�Doesn�t matter. Sometimes I don�t like him very much.�
Victoria rested her hands lightly on her daughter�s shoulders. �Yes, but Kate, the two of you�as well as Nick�s, Heath�s, and Audra�s children�are the younger generation. Someday you�ll be. . .�
Kate shook her head fiercely. �Don�t say that, Mother, please!�
Victoria kissed her gently. �Half-an-hour will do today, darling. Come out to the kitchen when you�re finished, and we�ll have some lemonade and cookies.�
* * * * * * * *
After dinner, Heath took his family home, and Nick�s wife went upstairs to put their children to bed. Nick joined his mother and Royce in the library where Trevor and Kate were entertaining themselves with the stereopticon. �I almost forgot, Royce�I brought this home from town. It had been forwarded to you in care of Jarrod.� He picked up a thick envelope from the desk.
Royce examined it curiously. �That�s odd. It�s from an attorney in Washington, D.C. I wonder what it�s about.�
Victoria looked up from her embroidery. �I know of only one way to find out.�
Except for the soft exchanges between Kate and Trevor, the room was silent while Royce studied the contents of his mail. �Well, well, well,� he murmured finally. �Do you remember the name John Lyles, Victoria?�
�I believe so. You were classmates at West Point, weren�t you? And he was killed in the war.� She didn�t, of course, elaborate on the fact that John Lyles had lost his life trying to do a favor for his good friend Royce Wardell.
�The letter was from his father�s attorney in Washington, D.C. It seems that Judge Lyles died last month.�
�He must have been quite elderly.�
�Ninety-six as a matter of fact. His wife died some years ago, and John was their only child. His attorney writes that I�ve been named in the will.� He selected one of several papers and handed it to his wife. �It seems that I�ve fallen heir to several thousand acres in Texas.�
�Texas!� Kate jumped up and hurried to his side. �Oh, Papa, how exciting!� She perched on his knee. �Can we go there?�
�I haven�t thought that far, Kate precious. The letter only arrived today.�
�We studied about Texas in school this year, Papa�the Alamo and Goliad and San Jacinto and all kinds of other things. Miss Halston�s cousin is a Texas Ranger, and he writes to her about all the outlaws they catch.� Kate narrowed her eyes. �And he even gets to be there when they�re hung!� She put her small hands to her throat and pretended to squeeze until her tongue protruded.
Victoria turned her face to hide a smile at Royce�s obvious discomfiture.
�Now, Kate, that�s not something a proper young lady should think about�or talk about either,� he said disapprovingly.
�Why not, Papa? I think it�s real interesting.�
�You know what Sherman said about Texas, dontcha, KatieBee?� Before Royce could react, Nick hurried on. �Said if he had his choice �tween Texas and Hell, he�d rent out Texas and live in Hell.� He guffawed loudly.
Victoria shook her head. �Oh, Nick.�
Kate giggled. � General William Tecumseh Sherman? Did he really say that, Nick?�
�So I hear.�
Royce cleared his throat. �Yes, well, perhaps General Sherman didn�t know much about cattle country.�
Kate giggled again. �That�s funny, Nick! Why did he say that?� Kate left her father�s lap and went to lean against her brother�s chair.
�Isn�t it past your bedtime, Kate precious?� Royce asked quickly.
�It�s only nine o�clock, Papa!�
�And you�re in bed by eight-thirty at home,� Victoria replied.
�But it�s summer! And I want to hear why General Sherman said. . .�
Victoria rose. �Come, Kate. I�ll brush your hair, and Papa will be up in a few minutes to say goodnight.�
�Then Trevor should have to go, too!�
�I was about to say as much.�
Trevor glared at Kate. �Snitch!�
�That�s enough, Trevor!� his grandmother said pointedly. �The two of you need to put away the stereopticon and all the views.�
�Are you going to talk about Texas later?� Kate asked as she replaced the pictures in their box.
�Yeah,� Nick teased, �after Annie Oakley is abed!�
Kate lifted her chin haughtily and sailed out of the room.
�Regular little Sarah Heartburns, isn�t she?� Nick grinned, helping himself to a cigar from the humidor.
Victoria paused at the door. �That�s Sarah Bernhardt, Nicholas.�
He grimaced. �Oh, sure, that�s right.�
Royce handed him the papers. �I�d like for you to look at these, Nick. You�re the expert when it comes to ranching.�
�Sure�sure, I�ll look at �em, Royce.�
�I�ll just go up and say goodnight to Kate.�
�Sure, Royce, we�ll talk about it when you come back.� In the dozen years that his mother had been married to Royce Wardell, Nick hadn�t forgotten his first anger toward the man for stepping into Tom Barkley�s place in Victoria�s affections. But Royce seemed to have forgotten it, and that was one of the many things Nick had come to admire in his mother�s husband. And he had to admit that his mother had seemed to grow younger, even with the responsibility for another child.
* * * * * * * *
�Ten thousand acres ain�t penny candy, Royce,� Nick said as soon Royce and Victoria returned to the library. �And they�re turnin� a profit, too. Herefords�good stock.�
�I know nothing about cattle, of course.�
�So you�re figurin� on sellin�?�
�That would seem the prudent course.�
Victoria picked up her embroidery and moved to sit beside her husband. �You could learn,� she said, �but you�re so busy with your other enterprises.�
�Yeah, but with a good manager on the place, you�d be okay,� Nick added. He shuffled through the papers. �And this Hoover fellow�been there nearly twenty years�seems to know his business.�
�I don�t want to have my assets widely scattered if Victoria should have to take care of them later.�
Nick looked away. �Well, Jarrod takes care of the ranch business. He could. . .�
�Royce is right, Nick,� Victoria said easily. �I�m only a few years younger than he is, and Kate�s guardianship, should she be left without both of us, should be as uncomplicated as possible.�
�Yeah, sure, Mother.� Nick rose and went over to look up at the painting of his father, which hung above the fireplace. �Guess he kinda left a lot behind for you to take care of, too.�
�Not really. Jarrod had been managing everything for a few years.� She held the needle toward the gaslight to rethread it. �Tom Barkley knew how to make money, but he did business with a handshake. It wasn�t until Jarrod took over that it all went down in black and white. Otherwise, things might have been a great deal more complicated.�
�Well, I think you should look at the place anyway before you make any decision,� Nick replied. �Talk to this Hoover. He�s been runnin� the place without any owner around for a long time. Might be he thinks it�s better that way.�
�I haven�t a clue as to how Judge Lyles ended up with ten thousand acres in Texas,� Royce said. �Maybe he thought that John would take it over someday�after he left the army.�
�If you decide to take a look, I�d like to go with you.� Nick blew a smoke ring and watched it rise.
�You�d be welcome to do so.�
�Are you thinking of going, Royce?� Victoria asked.
�I really don�t know, but if Nick wants to go, I suppose we could make the trip. You and Kate would continue your visit here, of course.�
�I think not.�
Royce frowned? �Pardon?
�Kate and I will go with you.�
�Victoria, we know nothing about the accommodations there, and. . .�
�We�ve never been separated from you, Royce, and I see no reason to begin now.�
Nick laughed. �You�re as henpecked as I am, Royce.�
Royce sighed. �It�s a husband�s lot, I suppose.� He leaned over and kissed his wife�s cheek.
Victoria rose. �Would you two poor mistreated men like some coffee?�
Part II
Kate pressed her face against the window of the Barkley private car, which Jarrod had insisted they use for the trip to Texas. �I think General Sherman was right,� she observed to no one in particular. �I might rent out Texas and live in. . .that other place.� She cut her eyes toward her father. �There�s not much here, is there?�
Nick stretched his legs in front of him. �Well, it�s not California, that�s for sure.�
�This is West Texas, Kate precious,� Royce replied. �But I understand that there are actually forests in East Texas�and that it�s quite lush in the southern part of the state near the coast.�
�You�ve never been here before?�
�No. There were frontier forts in Texas, of course, but I was posted in Wyoming and Colorado�oh, and in Nebraska for a short time.�
Kate left her seat to snuggle against him. �What was it like living in a fort, Papa?�
�Rather dull, actually.�
�Did you kill a lot of Indians?�
He moved uncomfortably. �I suppose I did, Kate, but it�s not something I�m proud of.�
�Why?�
�Because, in retrospect, it was their land, and we were the interlopers.�
�But you were a soldier.�
�Yes, I had to obey orders, but that�s not always a good reason for doing something.�
�Remember that the next time you�re sent up to bed before you want to go,� Nick laughed.
�I will!�
�Don�t be cheeky, Kate,� Victoria said.
Nick winked at her. �It�s a tough life when you�re a kid.�
�You survived,� his mother replied.
�Just barely. You wore out two or three wooden spoons on me.�
�Were you cheeky, Nick?� Kate asked, enjoying the exchange.
�Much worse than that,� Victoria said.
�Now, Mother, I was. . .�
�A rascal. A complete scamp. You gave me more white hair than all the others combined.�
�And you�re always telling me I�m spoiled!� Kate pretended to pout in Nick�s direction.
�I think Kate is the least spoiled of all my children�except perhaps for Heath.� Victoria bestowed an approving smile on her daughter, who tilted her head saucily and wrinkled her nose at her brother.
�That�s because you rule her with an iron first,� Nick said half-seriously.
�Why, Nick!� Victoria frowned at him.
�Well, you do, Mother. Audra ran wild compared to what KatieBee�s allowed to get away with.�
Victoria put her lips together in a thin, disapproving line. �Those were different circumstances, Nicholas.�
Royce took out his pocket watch. �It�s time to go to the dining car, I believe. We should be in Ballinger by mid-afternoon. I hope Hoover got the wire I sent. I shouldn�t like to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.�
Kate was uncharacteristically silent during lunch. She�d seen Nick argue with Jarrod and Heath�and even Gene�but never with their mother�and never concerning her. What had he meant about Mother ruling her with an iron fist? The girls at school said her parents were old-fashioned because she couldn�t do some of the things they were allowed to do: stop at the candy store for licorice whips after school, walk in the park unchaperoned on Saturday afternoons, or take off her cotton stockings on warm days.
Mother had thrown out the magazine that Amanda Perkins had lent her�saying that it wasn�t suitable for girls her age. After that, Amanda hadn�t spoken to her for two whole days! Now Nick was saying that�what was he saying? Kate chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, and for the first time in her short sheltered life, disquiet stirred in her agreeable little soul.
* * * * * * * *
The small depot appeared to be deserted except for a middle-aged man wearing the typical garb of a cowboy.
�I�m Bob Hoover. I take it you�re the Wardells.�
�I�m Royce Wardell. My wife Victoria, her son Nick Barkley, and our daughter Kate.�
The men shook hands. �You�ll be wanting the car uncoupled and put on the siding there. I�ll make sure it gets done, and then I�ll help with your luggage.�
�I�ll go with you,� Nick said quickly.
Royce looked around. �It�s desolate enough.�
�It�s empty,� Kate said flatly. �Where�s the town?�
�What there is of it appears to be just over that rise,� Victoria said. �It�s not even as old as you are, Kate.�
When the railroad car was safely stowed on the siding, Bob Hoover and Nick put the luggage into the back of the wagon. �I brought a couple of horses�not much room on the wagon, but I figured the men might want to ride anyway.�
�I want to ride!� Kate said quickly.
�I think not, darling. Come up here with me.� Victoria held out her hand.
Kate didn�t move. �I�d really rather ride, Mother.�
�The mare�s gentle enough for the little girl,� Bob Hoover said. �She�s my wife�s.�
�I�ll stay close to her, Mother,� Nick said.
As Kate mounted, Nick winked at her.
�Stay over here on the side, KatieBee,� Nick said. �No need eatin� dust all the way.�
�It�s only about ten miles out,� Hoover said quickly. �Ranch was here thirty years �fore the town.�
�You ship cattle by rail?� Nick asked.
�Yeah, but from Abilene�that�s north of here �bout a day�s ride.� He picked up the reins. �Heard of the Barkleys in California. Three times the size of this ranch, I reckon.�
�Just about,� Nick said.
�This place was part of a Spanish land grant before Austin brought in his first settlers.�
�The Old Three Hundred,� Kate said smugly, not looking to her parents for approval this time. How many times had they reminded her that children should be seen and not heard?
Bob Hoover glanced at her in surprise. �That�s right. Then after independence in thirty-six, it was sold off in pieces�and finally put back together again in forty-five when Texas became a state.�
�Who owned it?� Royce asked.
�Family by the name of Becker, but there weren�t any sons to take it over after the old man died, so it sold again to a man named Trenton. He had five sons�all killed during the war.�
�All of them?� Kate asked.
�All of �em. That�s when Mr. Trenton hired me�oh, not to run things at first. I was just a kid. But he taught me about the place and about cattle, and I�ve been here ever since.�
�How did Judge Lyles get hold of the property?� Royce asked.
�Well, I�m not rightly sure, Mr. Wardell. I didn�t meddle in Mr. Trenton�s personal business, but I think he and the judge knew each other from years back, and. . .well, I reckon he got it to settle a debt. I never met him, you understand. But when Mr. Trenton died, I was told to keep runnin� things and puttin� by the profits�and next thing I know, I got word that the old judge was dead and that you owned the place now.�
�I�ll tell you frankly that I�m not a cattleman, but Nick is. He�s the one who suggested I look things over before I make the decision to sell or not.�
Bob Hoover nodded. �Well, the books are all in order�my wife Addie, she taught school awhile before we married�went to the Summer Normal over at Daniel Baker College in Brownwood�so she�s right good with numbers. Keeps two sets, see, �cause the judge always wanted one set for his accountant to go over every year. Then he�d send �em back, and we�d start over again. Copy just came back last week, so you�ll be able to see both of �em.�
�What kind of accommodations do you have for us?� Royce asked. �We don�t want to put you out.�
�No problem, Mr. Wardell. Addie and me, we have a little place of our own. The big house�s been closed up since Mr. Trenton died, but Addie sees to it that it�s cleaned regular. So it�s ready for you, and we hired some of the wranglers� wives to cook and look after things while you�re there.�
�Do you have any children, Mr. Hoover?� Kate asked eagerly.
��Fraid not, Miss. Just Addie and me and. . .� He hesitated. �And my pa. He just came to live with us couple a months ago. He�s been. . .� He stopped again. �Well, truth of it is, Mr. Wardell, my pa went off to war when I was little, and he got in some kind of trouble and spent the next thirty years in prison back east. Ma and I come down from Ohio�that�s where we knew Mr. Trenton, y�see�but Ma always made sure the prison folks knew where we was. She died a good while back, and then six months ago I got word that Pa was bein� turned loose. He didn�t�well, he didn�t have no other place to go, so I went and got him and brought him here. But he�s an old man�can�t hurt nobody.�
Victoria and Royce exchanged glances. �It was good of you to offer him a home, Mr. Hoover,� Victoria said.
�Yeah, well, like I said, he�s an old man.�
�Those trees look like ferns!� Kate shrieked suddenly. �Look, Mother! Don�t they look like the ferns you have in pots on the porch at home?�
�Them trees are mesquites, Miss,� Hoover said. �Got long taproots that go way down so they can get the water when it don�t rain. They�re everywhere �round here. There�s one out back of the big house with a swing on it. Put a new rope on it myself when I heard you was comin�.�
Kate beamed. �Thank you, Mr. Hoover.� She rode closer to the wagon. �Maybe General Sherman was wrong about Texas, Papa.�
Royce smiled indulgently. �Maybe so, Kate precious. Maybe so.�
* * * * * * * *
The sprawling L-shaped house made of rock and adobe gleamed white as snow in the late afternoon sun. It boasted a red-tiled roof and a wide veranda that ran across the front and down both sides. A pleasant-faced Mexican woman stood waiting to welcome them.
�This here�s Lupe,� Bob Hoover said, swinging down from the wagon and offering his hand to Victoria. �She speaks some English but not a whole lot.�
�I speak passable Spanish,� Victoria said. �We�ll get along.� She smiled at the younger woman. �Buenas tardes, Lupe. Como estas?�
The woman smiled broadly. �Mucho gusto, Senora!�
Kate followed her mother�s lead. �Buenas tardes, Lupe. Me llamo Kate.�
�Ah, que bonita! Bienvenido, senorita!�
�She thinks I�m pretty,� Kate said in an aside to her father who spoke fluent French but almost no Spanish.
In short order they were installed in their rooms�long and low like the house itself, with cool stone floors and wide windows hung with gauzy curtains. Victoria had to make it clear to Lupe that Kate would do her own unpacking.
�But she wanted to do it for me, Mother,� Kate protested as the woman, obviously disappointed, left the room.
Victoria frowned and seemed about to say something, but she shook her head instead and walked away without even reminding Kate to put her things away carefully.
Kate crossed to the window and looked out. It was a wild place, Texas, but something about it excited her. Defiantly, she hummed a little of Sam Bass.
Carelessly tossing her underclothes and nightdresses in the drawers of the small bureau�and not bothering to hang up her riding skirts and waists, she slipped out into the silent corridor and followed the ell to a door that opened directly onto a small porch. A few feet away, a huge mesquite tree spread its branches over most of the yard. Kate wasted no time in trying the swing that dangled enticingly from the thickest branch.
Behind the tree was a vegetable garden, and the Hoovers� house, built in the same style but not as large as the main house, was beyond that. Rather than a veranda, it had a long porch supported by cedar posts much like the ones Nick and Heath used at the ranch. At one end, his chair propped on two legs against the wall, sat an old man with uncombed hair straggling to the collar of his denim shirt. The stem of a pipe appeared lost in the thick handlebar mustache that drooped across his upper lip and down each side of his jaw. Kate slipped out of the swing and made her way through the rows of beans and tomatoes, stopping a few feet from the porch.
�Hello.�
He squinted at her curiously but didn�t reply.
�I�m Kate. Kate Wardell, My papa owns this ranch now.�
He blinked once.
�We came out to see it. We�re staying over there.� She pointed behind her at the main house. �We live in Tennessee. Have you ever been there?�
He blinked again.
�We used to live in New Orleans, but we moved to Nashville when I was eight. Papa wanted me to go to school there. But my mother used to live in California, so we go there every Christmas and every summer.�
She advanced and sat down gingerly on the rough edge of the porch and studied the man�s face. It wasn�t a kind face like Papa�s, she decided. His skin was gray, and there were two deep furrows between his eyes. She shivered a little.
�Are you Mr. Hoover�s father?� She remembered now that Bob Hoover had said his father had been in prison for thirty years. No wonder he looked unhealthy.
�Why d�ya want to know?�
�No�no reason. I just wondered.�
The front legs of the chair crashed to the porch, and the man leaned forward into her startled face. �Y�know whar I been fer thirty years?�
Kate swallowed hard and nodded.
�Ever knowed any outlaws afore?�
�I�I�ve heard about Sam Bass.�
�Sam Bass! Nuthin� but a two-bit pussyfoot! Small time�he was small time! Not me�no sir, not me! Banks�that�s whut I did�banks!�
Kate felt her fear giving was to fascination�and the guilty knowledge that Mother and Papa would be horrified to know she was sitting on the porch talking to this man.
He leaned back again and regarded her with amusement. �So�you skeered o�me, little gal?�
She shook her head fiercely.
�Wal, y�should be. Y�should be real skeered.�
�Kate! Kate, where are you?�
Kate jumped up and headed back through the garden. Not until she was beside the tree did she answer, �I�m right here, Mother! I�m coming!�
�Kate! Where have you been? Lupe called us for dinner five minutes ago. Now go made yourself tidy quickly and come to the dining room.� Victoria gave her daughter a gentle push in the direction of the water closet. �Don�t dawdle now, Kate!�
* * * * * * * *
�Say, now, this is some spread!� Nick unfolded his napkin and dropped it in his lap and helped himself to a tortilla as large as his dinner plate. �Dig in, KatieBee. You don�t get fajitas like this in Nashville�or even in Stockton!�
Kate spread her tortilla with the meat mixture and rolled it up skillfully. She liked Mexican food when she could get it, but tonight she didn�t feel particularly hungry.
�I told Hoover we�d go over the books in the mornin�,� Nick said, �and then we�ll ride out and take a look at some stock.
Royce fumbled with his fajita before reaching for his fork to cut it into small bites. �I can understand the figures, but the rest of it is up to you, Nick.�
�You see Hoover�s pa?�
Kate�s ears perked up, and she hoped that Nick hadn�t seen her talking to the man.
�Not yet.�
�Crusty old coot.�
�Well, Nick he has been out of society for thirty years.� Victoria poured coffee for her husband.
�Out of society?� Nick snorted. �Well, that�s a polite way to put it. Wonder what he did?�
Royce shrugged. �I�d expect it was something that happened after the war, but it�s really none of our business.�
�Wonder why he brought the old man out here?�
�Where else would he have gone?� Victoria asked.
�Well. . .�
�Thirty years is a lifetime, Nick.� Royce glanced at his wife. �A lifetime.�
* * * * * * * *
�Do you suppose he killed somebody, Papa?� Kate asked when Royce came in to say goodnight. �Maybe he rode with a gang�like Sam Bass or Jesse James or. . .�
�I told you that isn�t something for young ladies to talk about, Kate.�
�I think I�m tired of being a young lady!�
�Ah?�
�It�s not very interesting�and it�s hard work always doing things right!�
�Like unpacking this afternoon?�
Kate didn�t look at him. �I�I guess I forgot.�
�Forgot, Kate, or just didn�t do it?�
She didn�t answer him.
�Well, perhaps you�re just tired, Kate precious. It was a long trip�even in a private car. Tomorrow afternoon, when I finish some of my business, we�ll go down to Mustang Creek. Mr. Hoover says it�s shallow enough in spots for wading.� He kissed her and drew the cover under her chin. �Goodnight, Kate. Sweet dreams.�
* * * * * * * *
Royce blew out the lamp and lay down beside his wife. �Is it my imagination, or is our Kate a little out of sorts lately?�
�It�s not your imagination,� she said firmly. �And Nick instigated it�saying that I ruled her with an iron fist!�
�Have I indulged her�spoiled her?�
�Perhaps you buy her more material things than necessary, but you�re also quite strict with her.�
�What did you mean about Audra growing up in different circumstances?�
�Tom spoiled her shamelessly.�
�And you didn�t step in?�
�It was a touchy situation. I�ve told you how we were physically estranged for many years after Strawberry. Audra was conceived after we reconciled somewhat tentatively.�
�She was fourteen when he died?�
�Fifteen. His murder devastated her.�
�She doesn�t appear spoiled�all her work for the orphans�and she made a good marriage. She seems remarkably devoted to Don and the boys.�
�She turned out well.�
�I want Kate to turn out well, too.�
�She will, Royce. You�re a wonderful father�and husband.�
�Still, I�m concerned about her.�
Victoria thought of the wooden spoon that she was convinced had made the difference in her older children�s lives�and wondered if Lupe had one in the kitchen.
Part III
Kate woke before it was completely light and lay thinking about where she was. Truth told, she hadn�t slept well. Sam Bass and his gang had chased her all over the ranch�which looked remarkably like the Barkley Ranch in Stockton�while the old man with the droopy white mustache had stood on the porch yelling, �Git her! Git her!� And Nick and Papa had been nowhere in sight.
As soon as she�d dressed and made her bed, she set to work organizing her clothes. When everything in the drawers was refolded and placed in order, she shook the creases from her riding skirts and waists and hung them neatly in the wooden wardrobe.
Feeling slightly less guilty about yesterday, she hesitated over reading material to pass the time until breakfast. There was her Bible�she was supposed to read a chapter every morning and another every night�and a copy of Godey�s Ladies Book that Audra had left behind for her on another visit. Soon she was lost in visions of long dresses and real silk stockings.
�Kate? My, you�re up early and ready for the day!� Victoria put her head into the room. �Did you sleep well?�
Kate nodded�pushing Sam Bass and the odd old man to the back of her mind. �I unpacked, Mother. Would you like to see?�
Smiling, Victoria shook her head. �I�m sure you made a lovely job of it, Kate. Why don�t we see if we can help Lupe with breakfast?�
* * * * * * * *
At breakfast, Royce and Nick announced that they would be spending the morning going over the ranch accounts with Addie Hoover. Bob Hoover appeared from the kitchen and said he was unnecessary to the going over and would be happy to show Victoria and Kate the ranch.
�We�d love to ride,� Victoria said quickly, and Kate nodded happily. She hurried through her huevos y tortillas con queso�Nick grumbled under his breath about the lack of steak, biscuits, and gravy�and ran off to help Lupe again. As soon as Bob Hoover came back with the horses, she ran to call her Mother.
�Get your hat, Kate,� Victoria reminded her. �The sun will be hot even this early in the morning.� Despite a near lifetime on the Barkley Ranch, Victoria�s complexion was still smoothly light. As Kate thought her Mother was particularly beautiful and aspired to look as young in years to come, she never argued about wearing a hat.
�The creek�s only about two hundred yards from the house,� Bob said as they left the west veranda behind.
�Does it ever overflow its banks and endanger the house?� Victoria asked.
He chuckled. �Don�t rain that much very often. I�ve seen the water come close�but it�s never gotten in.�
Mustang Creek�so named, Bob related because of the herd of wild horses that used to live in the area�was partially hidden by a thicket of live oaks and cedar. �This was Comanche hunting ground,� he said. �A few still lived around here when I came, but they�re long gone now.�
Kate inhaled the cool, fragrant scent of cedar. �Did you ever see any Indians�or the wild mustangs?�
�There�re still a few mustangs in the hills. Mr. Trenton used to round �em up and sell �em to the army over at Ft. Concho. Sometimes one or two�ll come down here to drink, but mostly you see deer late in the evenings�and jackrabbits.�
Kate thought of the rabid coyote that had almost attacked Nick the previous summer. �What about�wild animals?�
�Oh, I hear bobcats and coyotes sometimes�not often.�
�What�s a bobcat?�
�Sort of like a really small mountain lion. I found me a cub once�mamma died, I guess, and I kept it for awhile. But then when it got big enough, I turned it loose.�
�Why?�
�Wild things belong in the wild, Miss.� He pointed to the unfenced pasture beyond the creek and the low hills that rose above it. �In the spring, all that�s covered with wildflowers�bluebonnets, Indian blanket, brown eyed Susans�mighty purty sight. But they�re gone by May. Addie, she�s got some seeds�she likes ta try ta grow �em outta season. She�ll give you some if you ask.�
�Would they grow in Nashville, Mother?� Kate asked.
�We might try them, darling. They must like sun to grow out here in the open without trees.�
�Yeah, they like the sun, ma�am.�
Bob returned Victoria and Kate to the house just after midmorning. Kate noticed that the Hoover porch was empty and wondered where the old man had got to. He was there, however, when she came out to the swing a few minutes later with a handful of still-warm pecan cookies that Lupe had given her.
Inexplicably drawn to him, despite his boastful attempts to scare her, Kate crossed the yard and sat down on the edge of the porch. �Good morning. Would you like a cookie? It�s still warm.�
His hand came out slowly, and she laid a cookie in it. �We don�t get pecans in Nashville�mostly it�s walnuts.� She watched him savor the cookie slowly. �You fought in the war, didn�t you? My papa fought in the war.�
The old man regarded her closely for a moment. �Which side?�
�His family was from Tennessee,� Kate said carefully.
The man grunted. �Johnny Reb!�
�He was a soldier in the army before that. He went to West Point. But he couldn�t fight against the South. It was his home. General Lee�Robert E. Lee made the same decision, you know.�
�Traitors, all of �em!�
For once Kate didn�t jump to her father�s defense. Mother had told her that Papa had followed his conscience. That�s all a man can do, Kate. A woman, too. No one has to defend himself for doing what he believes is right.
�Where did you fight?�
He shrugged. �All over.�
�Any of the big battles? Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain. . .�
�Bull Run�both times.�
�Papa was at the first one. One of my brothers was at Gettysburg, and the other. . .�
He snorted derisively.
�They were! They�re all a lot older than I am!�
He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigar, bit off the end, and spat it neatly over the porch railing, just missing her head.
�My brother Nick was at Chancellorsville. He came with us to look over the ranch.�
�What fer?�
Kate sat up straight. �Because he knows about ranching and cattle. He runs the Barkley Ranch �and it�s a lot bigger than this!�
�Sweatin� never got nobody nowhere.�
�What?�
�Easier ways to mek money.�
�How?�
�Takin� it.� He cackled softly.
�Is that what you did?� Kate regretted her question immediately, but the old man didn�t seem bothered.
�Sure did�took it from fools too stupid to keep it, so they didn�t deserve ta!�
�That�s stealing.�
�So?�
�It�s wrong.�
�Not iffen ya don�t get caught.�
Kate didn�t doubt that Papa would tell her again that young ladies didn�t talk about such things, but there was something oddly exciting about talking to the old man.. �But you got caught,� she said boldly.
�Eh? Mebbe I did. What�s it to ya?�
�Nothing.�
�Killed a lotta Rebs, too!�
Kate felt her face flame. �You sound like you�re proud of it.�
He grinned. "But th� time I spent locked up�twarn�t fer that. Never got caught fer killin�!�
Kate stared. Papa had said he wasn�t proud of killing Indians, but this man was bragging about killing people and getting away with it.
�Wanta know about it?�
Before Kate could reply, the Hoovers, Nick, and Royce came out of the house.
�Kate, what are you doing here?� Royce spoke sharply, something Kate wasn�t accustomed to hearing, especially directed at her.
�I�I was just. . .�
�Does your mother know where you are?�
�No, Papa, I don�t think so.�
�Then perhaps you should go back to the main house.�
Kate scrambled up. �Yes, Papa.� She didn�t look back as she threaded her way between the rows of the vegetable garden.
Victoria was on the front veranda reading. �Where have you been, Kate?�
�Uh�I went out back.�
Victoria regarded her curiously. �I see. My, your face is flushed, darling. Have you been running?�
Kate nodded.
�Well, come and sit down. There�s a pitcher of water on the table there.�
Kate helped herself and gulped noisily�more nervous than thirsty. Her knees grew weak as she heard footsteps coming from the side veranda to the front.
Royce walked straight to her. �Kate, I don�t want you over there talking to that man again. Do you understand?�
Kate nodded.
�Talking to what man?� Victoria asked.
�Bob Hoover�s father. I found Kate sitting on the porch with him.�
�Why, Kate!�
Kate studied the tips of her riding boots in guilty silence.
�Don�t go over there again.� Royce cupped her chin in his hands.
�No, Papa, I won�t.�
He kissed the top of her head. �All right.� Turning to Victoria, he continued, �We�re going to ride out after lunch. There�s a herd about six miles west of here that Nick wants to see.�
�May I come, Papa?�
He shook his head. �Not this time, Kate. You rode this morning, I believe. You stay here with your mother, and I�ll take you wading this afternoon.�
* * * * * * * *
Later, Kate watched the three men ride out and felt decidedly sulky. It wasn�t fair that she had to stay around the house the rest of the day. Mother had gone to rest, as she always did after lunch, and she was supposed to be in her room, too. But as she stood at the back door, she caught the scent of cedar on the breeze and thought of Mustang Creek. It was only a short walk, and Mr. Hoover hadn�t said that there was anything dangerous around. Without stopping to weigh the consequences, Kate stepped outside and started walking.
Finding a secluded spot, she pulled off her boots and socks and dipped her feet in the water. It was icy cold and tickled her toes as it ran across them. Lulled by the peaceful stillness of her illicit hideaway, Kate didn�t even see the shadow that fell across her shoulder.
Part IV
�Whatcha doin� down here by yerself, girl? Dontcha know it ain�t safe?�
Kate looked up into the face of the old man. For the first time she noticed that his eyes were as gray as his skin. And there was something in the way he looked at her that made her more afraid than she�d ever been in her life.
�It�s safe,� she said, trying to sound brave. �Mr. Hoover said there weren�t any coyotes or bobcats around here anymore.� One hand crawled over the damp grass toward her discarded boots.
�Weren�t talkin� �bout no four-footed things. Dontcha know th� most dangerous animals is people?� He took another step toward her.
She caught his scent then�as if he hadn�t bathed for a long time�and there was something else�not so much a smell as a feeling. Repelled, she grabbed her boots and socks and scrambled to her feet. �I have to get back to the house. My mother will be looking for me.�
He cackled. �Nah, she ain�t lookin� fer ya! She�s asleep!�
�How�how do you know?� Kate edged away.
��Cause I saw her.�
�You looked in her window?� The horror in her voice seemed to amuse him.
�Shoulda pulled th� curtains iffen she didn�t want no visitors.�
Kate�s eyes darted in all directions at once, gauging the best way around the man who seemed much bigger than he had before. Then, just as she decided to run left, he stepped back. �G�wan, then,� he said, and this time there was no amusement in his raspy uttering. �Git! Miss high-and-mighty little gal! But you �member�I know how ta take kere o�little gals like you. Done it afore!�
Kate needed no further urging. She fled, heedless of the sharp grassburrs that pierced the soles of her feet. As she burst through the door into the ell, she collided with her mother.
�Kate, where have you been?� Victoria was angry�or as angry as she ever got�and Kate knew it. But her relief at being away from the evil exuded by the old man was so great that she welcomed even her mother�s stern demand.
�I�I went down to the creek,� she said in a small voice.
�Why, Kate! I assumed you�d gone to your room to rest. . .� She saw the girl�s wounded feet then. �Oh, darling, your feet!�
* * * * * * * *
Kate lay on her bed weeping silently as Lupe and Victoria picked the tiny stickers from her tender skin and applied a soothing�albeit smelly�salve. Then Victoria sat down on the bed and wrapped the girl in her arms. �What made you run through the grass without your shoes, Kate?�
Kate squeezed her eyes closed and shook her head.
�Something, I think�and I also think you should tell me.�
�You�ll�you�ll be mad�and you�ll tell Papa!�
�I don�t know about the first you�ll�but as for the second, certainly I�ll tell your father. He deserves to know everything about you.�
Kate burrowed into her mother�s slender arms. �I�I wanted to go with Papa and Nick and Mr. Hoover�and when I couldn�t I�I decided to go to the creek instead.�
�Without permission�and worse, without telling anyone where you were going. What if something had happened to you, and no one knew where you were?�
Kate hesitated a moment too long. Victoria shuddered. �Kate! Nothing happened, did it?� She cupped the girl�s face in her soft hands. �Tell Mother the truth!�
�Nothing�nothing happened, Mother, honestly!�
�Something frightened you�made you run back without taking time to put on your boots.�
Kate nodded slightly.
�What frightened you?�
�He did.�
There was no need for Victoria to ask for clarification on who he was. �Did he hurt you, Kate?�
�No. He just�just talked mean.�
�You�re sure that�s all.�
�Yes, Mother, that�s all. I�m sure.� Kate looked questioningly at Victoria.
�Oh, Kate, it would break my heart if anything should hurt you!� She held the child�s head against her breast and kissed her hair.
Kate burst into fresh sobs at the display of emotion. �I�m sorry, Mother! I�m really sorry! Really, Mother!�
* * * * * * * *
She was just waking from a long nap�aware that her feet throbbed unmercifully�when her father came in. �Kate, are you awake?�
�Yes, Papa.�
He sat down on the edge of her bed, leaning to kiss her. �How do you feel?�
�I�m all right.�
Turning to glance at her salve-swathed feet, he said, �Your poor little feet!� Then he cupped her chin. �Did you forget I told you that I�d take you wading at the creek when we got back? Is that why you went alone?�
�No, Papa.�
�You worried your mother very much, you know.�
Kate�s chin quivered. �I�m sorry, Papa.�
Royce sighed. �Kate, I know that you�re not a very little girl anymore, but neither are you a young lady�a woman�yet. You must still trust your mother and me to know what�s best for you.�
�I do trust you, Papa.�
�I�m not sure that you do. These past few days, you haven�t been yourself. It�s as if you�re pulling away from us.� He stroked her hair. �We love you very much, Kate precious. We thought we�d experienced a miracle just finding each other after our lonely years�but then we found you�and you were the sparkling jewel in our crown of happiness. We want you to grow up to be a lovely young lady�to make your own decisions�to find your place in life and to be happy. If we seem strict with you now, it�s because we care so much about your future.�
Kate pushed her face into her father�s shirt and wept again.
* * * * * * * *
�I didn�t like the implication of what you said, Nicholas, and I particularly don�t like the effect it�s had on Kate.� Victoria faced her son sternly. �Yes, Royce and I have been strict with her, and we�ll continue to be so. You can�t compare her with Audra. Your father spoiled her completely, and I was left to go on from there. She was fifteen�a difficult age for a girl in any circumstances�but when she found that I wasn�t going to be as easy as her father�you know what happened.�
Nick�s face flushed. �Yeah, I know. Why d�you think Father made Jarrod Audra�s and Gene�s guardian?�
�Obviously he felt I couldn�t deal with them.� Victoria bit each word off angrily.
�Now, Mother. . .�
�Don�t patronize me, Nick!�
�I didn�t mean. . .�
�Kate is mine, Nick�she belongs to Royce and me�not you, not Jarrod�and God willing, we�ll live to raise her to womanhood! Royce thinks because I�ve raised four children that I have all the answers�but he doesn�t understand what it was like to raise four children with Tom Barkley!�
�What are you saying? That he wasn�t a good father?�
�You know I�m not saying that! But you know the truth, Nick�you know that I was often treated as no more than a child myself in that house! Yes, he was my husband, and yes, I loved him! But he played the hero for all of you, and I picked up the pieces until there were none left to pick up!�
�Mother, we�ve always known you were strong. . .�
�Have you, Nick? Did you really know that? Or did you just see me as being strong as I was allowed to be�first by your father and then by you and Jarrod?�
�I�Mother, I don�t want to fight with you. The four of us turned out all right.�
�Yes, you did, and I had something to do with that�but only because your father was away enough when you and Jarrod were younger that I had the opportunity to discipline you both�and then you aided and abetted him when he indulged Audra and later Gene. Only by the grace of God was I able to reassert my authority with Audra�and then Gene fell into line.�
�I�I never realized you felt this way.� Nick eyed his mother warily.
�There�s a great deal you never realized, Nick,� she said wearily.
* * * * * * * *
With his mother�s permission, Nick carried Kate to the dining room for dinner and, afterwards, out to the veranda. While he and Royce smoked their evening cigars and discussed what they�d learned about the ranch, Kate lay with her head in her mother�s lap, feeling loved�and safe.
Later, when Victoria tucked her into bed, Kate asked her to lock the window and draw the curtains.
�It�s quite warm, Kate�wouldn�t you like the fresh air?�
�No�please, Mother, I want the window closed�and locked.�
�What are you afraid of, darling?�
�He�Mr. Hoover�s father�said he looked in your window this afternoon and saw you sleeping.�
Only the tightening of her jaw betrayed Victoria�s irritation. �I see. Well, in that case, I�ll certainly do as you asked�and tomorrow I expect your father and Nick will speak with Mr. Hoover about his father�s lack of manners!�
When she repeated the conversation to her husband a few minutes later, Royce took her in his arms. �Victoria, I have to tell you something. I think�I�m almost positive�that Bob Hoover�s father is the man I set out to kill in that prison.�
�Oh, Royce!�
�The name wasn�t Hoover�it was Cressy, Shad Cressy�but there�s something about him. . .�
�Do you think he recognized you?�
�It�s hard to tell. I had a full head of black hair then�but he might�ve recognized the name. I�m sure he�s heard it from Bob.�
�Thirty years is a long time, Royce�you said it yourself.�
Royce looked down at her with a depth of sorrow in his eyes that she�d never seen before. �I wonder, my darling Victoria, if even a lifetime can wipe out some things.�
* * * * * * * *
The shadow that slipped past their partially-open window and stopped at the next�the one just to the right of Kate�s bed�sneered into the darkness. Only one thing c�n get rid of what you tried ta to do me, Mr. Royce Wardell. I hope she�s worth it to ya�hope all three of �em are.
Part V
Victoria was up several times during the night checking on Kate, and she noticed that her husband slept restlessly, too. At dawn, she rose noiselessly, dressed, and went into the kitchen where Lupe had just finished making coffee. �Gracias, Lupe,� she smiled, accepting a cup.
�Como esta la senorita?�
Victoria shrugged. �Still asleep,� she said in English. �I�ll want to bathe her feet again today.�
�Si, Senora, Lupe entiende.�
Victoria poured herself a second cup and one for Royce and went back to their room. He was awake, sitting on the side of the bed with his head in his hands.
�Royce, are you all right?�
�I suppose I didn�t sleep well.�
She sat down and handed him his coffee. �You were rather restless.�
�Victoria, I�d like to send you and Kate back to Stockton. . .�
�No.�
�Surely after what I told you last night, you see the wisdom of leaving.�
�We�ll go when you do, Royce.�
�That won�t be for a few days�perhaps a week. We still have a great deal to see, and Hoover said that he knew of someone interested in buying the place.�
�Oh?�
�They just came out here from Missouri�leased a little place adjoining this one. But he says the man has the means to buy.�
�Are you sure you want to sell?�
�Nick offered to lease it himself for a flat fee and divide the profits, but I�d rather sell and invest the capital in something I�m familiar with.�
She leaned her head on his shoulder. �I�m going to help Lupe with breakfast. Kate�s still asleep.�
�Victoria�if you stay�and you seem determined to do so�then I want your promise that you and Kate will keep to the house unless one of us�Nick or I�is with you.�
She kissed his cheek. �Of course, Royce. Whatever you say.�
* * * * * * * *
Kate�s feet stayed swollen and sore for the next two days, and she was content to stay in the house or sit on the veranda with her mother. On the third day, Nick brought word that there was a dance in town that night. �You can�t dance with the pretty girls, Nick,� Kate teased. �You�re married!�
He grinned. �I got two pretty girls right here to dance with!�
Kate jumped up, wincing a little as she landed too hard on her still-tender feet. �I�m glad we brought one dress apiece, Mother, aren�t you?�
�It�s always important to be prepared for any occasion.�
�I�m going to see if mine needs pressing. Do you want me to see about yours?�
�That would be nice, Kate. Ask Lupe to start heating the irons.�
As Kate ran off�carefully�Nick pulled a chair close to his mother and sat down. �Mother, about the other night�I�m sorry. And I�m sorry I insinuated that you were too hard on KatieBee.�
Victoria gazed at him steadily. �Thank you for your apology, Nick.�
�You and Royce are good parents. She�s�she�s a real special little girl.�
�Yes, she is.�
He moved nervously. �Royce mentioned he might have known that old man before�that he might bear him a grudge.�
�He might,� Victoria answered carefully. It was obvious her husband had made only as much explanation as he wanted Nick to have.
�Well, going to the dance tonight has two purposes�a little fun, of course, and the man interested in buying this place is going to be there. If that works out, we can leave early next week.�
Before Victoria could reply, Bob Hoover�s father materialized from the side of the house. �Mr. Hoover,� she said coolly.
He looked at her for a moment, then turned and left.
�There�s somethin� not right about that old man,� Nick said.
Victoria rose quickly. �Nick, please go and see that the door at the end of the ell is latched�and also the one in the kitchen. I�m going to find Kate.�
* * * * * * * *
It was eleven o�clock before they left Ballinger that night. The evening had been a huge success in more ways than one. Theodore Emerson and Royce had concluded a gentleman�s agreement to negotiate the purchase of the ranch and stock based on an independent appraisal. And Kate had captivated the attention of Mr. Emerson�s twelve-year-old son Teddy. They had joined the square dancing with the joyful abandonment of childhood�and when Kate had been forced to rest her feet, the young boy had seated her in a corner chair and brought her a cup of punch and three cookies on a plate.
�He�s going to be a doctor, too, Mother, just like I want to be! Isn�t that fine? He has two older brothers who want to be ranchers, so his father doesn�t mind that Teddy doesn�t want to be. I told him that I was going to medical school at Vanderbilt someday, and he said he might come to Nashville, too. Wouldn�t that be fun, Mother?�
Victoria smiled into the darkness as the wagon lurched over the rough road. �That would be lovely, Kate darling.�
Royce rode up beside them. �I know a young lady who was quite the belle of the ball tonight.�
�Oh, Papa, I wasn�t a belle�but I did have a good time!�
�Young Teddy Emerson certainly saw to your comfort.�
�I liked him, Papa�he was certainly nicer to me than Trevor is!�
�Well, he. . .�
Royce�s words died on his lips as a shot shattered the stillness of the warm summer night.
* * * * * * * *
�Royce!� Victoria reached to push Kate off the box Bob Hoover had placed in the back of the wagon for her to sit on. �Royce!�
There was the muffled sound of a body falling. As Bob Hoover whipped up the horses, Royce turned and spurred his horse back the way they�d come. �Nick!�
�Get down!� Royce fell, his feet jerked from beneath him by a gloved hand. �What th� hell was that all about?� Nick growled in Royce�s ear.
�Hold-up?�
Nick snorted. �Not hardly!�
�Are you hit?�
�No, but th� bullet came so close I decided I was safer on the ground!�
�Sorry, Nick�it was meant for me.�
�You don�t know that.�
They lay still in the road for several minutes. Only the soft, nervous whinny of the horses as they pawed the dirt broke the silence. Finally, Nick raised his head, then sat up, then got to his feet. �Guess whoever it was is gone,� he said, reaching down to help Royce.
�We know who it was.�
�Y�can�t be sure.�
�I�m afraid I can.�
�Why would he want to kill you?�
�Because I tried to kill him.�
�War?�
�No, after.�
�Still wanta kill him?�
�No.�
Nick was silent a moment. �Well, maybe y�need to tell him that.�
* * * * * * * *
A mile down the road, the wagon was waiting, sheltered in a grove of trees. Victoria sprang down from the seat. �Royce! Nick! Are you all right?�
�We�re fine.� Royce wrapped her in his arms. �Where�s Kate?�
�Here I am, Papa. Mother told me to lie down flat.�
�And I want you to stay that way until we get to the ranch,� he said quickly.
�Let�s go on then,� Addie Hoover said softly. �Mrs. Wardell, perhaps you should ride in the back with your daughter.�
�I think so, too.� Nick lifted his mother over the side of the wagon.
Victoria pulled Kate against her. �We�ll be home soon, darling.�
* * * * * * * *
Nick was sitting on the front veranda, his gun on his knee, when Bob Hoover called out, then came around the corner of the house. �It wasn�t him,� he said shortly. �He was in bed.�
�He coulda beat us here,� Nick said evenly.
�Reckon he could�ve. Don�t think so. Hope not.�
�You don�t know him�you said so yourself.�
�That�s true. But he�s an old man.�
�Did you check the horses�see if one�d been ridden hard?�
�No.�
�Maybe you should�ve.�
�Didn�t think about it. Is everyone all right?�
�I moved KatieBee�s bed into her parents� room.�
�Mr. Barkley, I�m sorry.�
�Yeah, so am I.�
* * * * * * * *
No one mentioned the previous night�s incident, but no one could forget it either. Toward noon, Nick rode into town to telegraph Jarrod that they�d be leaving Ballinger on Monday. He was drinking a beer in the town�s lone saloon when Bob Hoover burst in. �Mr. Barkley! Mr. Barkley, ya� gotta come!�
Nick set his glass down so hard that the contents splashed the rough-hewn bar. �What�s happened? Is it my mother?�
Bob was breathing hard. �No. . .� He shook his head. �No�it�s the little girl. It�s Kate�she�s gone! My pa�that filthy old man�he got her!�
Part VI
Nick hadn�t waited for Bob Hoover to get the sheriff and a posse. Rage fueled by fear sent him riding hard for the ranch. In the main room of the house, he found Victoria and Addie tending Royce.
�What happened?�
Victoria was outwardly calm, but Nick knew her too well not to discern her terror. �Royce took Kate to the creek to wade this afternoon. Someone hit him over the head, and when he came to. . .�
Throwing aside the cold pack that Lupe had brought to stanch the bleeding wound on the back of his head, Royce tried to rise, swayed dizzily, and let Victoria guide him back to the settee. �I�ve got to go after them,� he muttered, but it was clear that he was incapable of crossing the room, much less the range.
�Wait for Bob to get back with the sheriff and a posse,� Addie said gently. �Bob knows every inch of this place�he�ll find her.�
�Did he take a horse?� Nick demanded.
�No�we checked that first,� Addie said.
�Then he couldn�t have gotten far on foot! I�m going. . .�
�Nick!� Victoria left her husband and cross the room. �You�re going to wait for Mr. Hoover and the sheriff.�
�Mother, every minute. . .�
�Nicholas�I said!� She returned to the settee and replaced the cold cloth on her husband�s head.
* * * * * * * *
Forty-five minutes later, the men gathered around the table in the dining room where Bob Hoover had rolled out a map of the ranch. �Which way d�you think he�d have gone from the creek?� asked the sheriff.
�Well, there�s a line shack north of there�about half a mile.�
�If he was on foot, then that�s the best bet.�
�He wouldn�t stop there!� Nick shouted. �He wouldn�t go there at all�if he�s got any sense! It�s too obvious!�
Bob studied the map. �Well, there are some old Indian caves northwest.�
Victoria gasped. �Not�not deep!�
�No�they�re pretty shallow, just rock shelters is all�except for one. It goes into the mountain about fifty yards, but there aren�t any tunnels.�
�Did your father know about them?� Nick put his face close to Bob�s.
�I don�t know what he knew, Mr. Barkley. He�s been here six months�don�t go much farther than the porch. . .�
�How about a gun?� asked the sheriff.
�He�he carries a hunting knife, that�s all.�
�That�s all?� Nick raged. �A gun, a knife, it�s all the same when you�ve got a little girl. . .� He stopped abruptly. �Mother. . .�
Victoria raised her face from Royce�s chest. �You can�t say anything I haven�t already thought of, Nick.�
�We�re wasting daylight!� Nick exploded. �Let�s split up, and. . .�
�Good idea,� said Bob Hoover quickly. �I think we should go north and west and meet.. .� His hand moved over the map. �Meet here�at the caves.�
Lupe�s husband came to the door. �The horses are ready.�
Bob nodded. �All right�let�s go.�
Royce picked up his hat and started out with the men. �Royce, you can�t. ..� Nick began. He looked at his mother for support, but she just stood there.
�Don�t tell me what I can�t do, Nick,� Royce said evenly. �Kate�s my daughter.� He turned to his wife. �Victoria, we�ll get her back, I swear.�
She touched his face. �I know,� she murmured. �I love you.�
* * * * * * * *
Kate had never really been afraid. In her almost-twelve years, she�d known only the love of her family and the security of her home. But she was afraid now. Even the terror of that afternoon last summer when she�d shot the rabid coyote couldn�t compare with what she was feeling now.
Her last sight of her father had been his unmoving body sprawled in the grass beside the creek. She supposed she�d lost consciousness, too, because when she became aware of her surroundings, she was lying face down on a cold stone floor in a dark place. Her whole body ached as she pushed herself to a sitting position and tried to look around, but it was too dark to see anything.
Her first thought was to try to find her way outside, but she decided against that. Someone would be looking for her. Papa would be coming unless�she pushed the thought away. She hadn�t heard a gunshot. Papa hadn�t been shot. He wasn�t dead. Oh, please, God, don�t let my Papa be dead!
She leaned against the wall and listened, but there was no sound anywhere. All right, it was dark, but she was alone�nothing�no one was there to hurt her. Papa would come for her. Papa and Nick. She would just wait. Shakily, she began to sing.
Sam Bass was born in Indiana, it was his native home,
And at the age of seventeen young Sam began to roam.
Sam first came out to Texas a cowboy for to be-
A kinder-hearted fellow you seldom ever see.
Sam used to deal in race-stock, one called the Denton mare;
He matched her in scrub races and took her to the fair.
Sam used to coin the money, and spent it just as free;
he always drank good whiskey wherever he might be.
Sam left the Collins ranch in the merry month of May,
With a herd of Texas cattle the Black Hills for to see;
Sold out in Custer City, and then got on a spree-
A harder set of cowboys you seldom ever see.
On their way back to Texas they robbed the U.P. train,
And then split up in couples and started out again;
Joe Collins and his partner were overtaken soon,
With all their hard-earned money they had to meet their doom.
* * * * * * * *
By midafternoon, the men were at the agreed-upon meeting place. They dismounted and drank from their canteens, letting the horses drink from the branch of the creek that ran through that area. Nick eyed Royce warily. �You all right?�
The older man nodded.
�You�re sure?�
�I�m going to get Kate, Nick.�
�Sure�sure, we�re gonna get her, Royce.�
Bob pushed back his hat. �I just happened to think�the cedar�s pretty thick around the creek about a mile from here. Make a good place to hide out, I guess.�
The sheriff screwed the cap back on his canteen. �Why don�t you check it out�and some of us will make some torches and go into the largest cave.�
Nick noticed that Bob seemed to be waiting on something. �I�ll come, too,� he said quickly.
Royce leaned his head briefly against his horse�s flank. �So will I.�
* * * * * * * *
As they approached the wooded area, Nick drew up. �We�ll leave the horses here and go in on foot.�
Bob took his rifle from its sling on his saddle. �I�ll go around that way�it thins out a little there.�
Nick nodded. �No shooting unless you have to�you might hit KatieBee.�
Royce stumbled a little as he started forward, and Nick caught his arm. �Royce, stay here by the horses. You don�t have a gun.�
�I don�t have my daughter either.� The anguish in his voice pierced Nick to the core.
�We�ll get her�if she�s there, we�ll get her, but we don�t know. . .� A flash of red among the trees cut him off. �Did you see that?�
�Kate! She was wearing a red waist!� Royce jerked away.
�No, wait, Royce! Wait!�
�Kate! Kate, it�s Papa! Where are you?�
Nick drew his gun. �Let her go, Hoover!�
�Ya got the wrong man!� a voice called back. �Name�s Cressy.�
Nick glanced sideways at Royce, who nodded. �That�s his name.�
�Let her go, Cressy!�
�Don�t have her!�
�Then where is she?�
�You want me, Cressy, not her!� Royce called. �For the love of God, she�s only a little girl!�
A chilling cackle emanated from the dimness. �Yer right�she ain�t ripe yet! Not like th� other one!�
�What�s he talking about?� Nick asked.
�Now th� other one�she was real nice, Wardell. I took my turn first when she was fresh, y�see. Twice. Then I let th� others have her!�
Nick saw Royce�s fists clinching and unclinching in helpless rage.
�An� �fore we left, I took this here knife�yeah, I got it back when I got sprung last year cuz they never knew whut I used it fer�I took this here knife and. . .� He cackled wildly. �Too bad y�never saw whut I could do with a knife!�
�Where�s my daughter, Cressy? Where�s Kate?�
�Tol� ya�I don�t got her! Never seen her since yestiddy.�
Nick�s jaw dropped. �I thought. . .�
�I didn�t see who hit me,� Royce murmured.
�I figured. . .�
�So did I.�