Val King studied the open journal in front of her. Frustration marred her pretty face.
Mattie entered the room as if facing an enemy. The sisters were very similar in stature and coloring.
Val greeted, "What are you doing back? You're suppose to be on the range tending the herd."
Mattie's gaze avoided her sister's questioning expression. "I know but-"
Val threw down her pencil. "Some more cattle are gone?"
Mattie only nodded.
"That makes-"
"I can ride in and see the Sheriff. I almost went there first but knew I wouldn't be back until after dark so I thought I should come here first and-"
"Mort is a friend of Slim's."
Mattie cried out with surprise, "You gone loco? Mort Corey is an honest man."
"Like Slim Sherman?"
"Val, Slim use to be our friend."
"Use to. But no more."
Mattie bit back her words. She swallowed hard before mumbling, "I met his new hired hand today."
"Where?"
"At the pond. His calf had come on our side and-"
"Wait a minute! You telling me that our cattle is missing and you found Slim's hired hand on our property with a cow?"
"Val, he was taking a swim. What rustler you know stops to take a dip in the pond?"
"You mark my words, Mattie! Slim sent that gun hawk to steal our cattle. And you caught him red handed with one."
Mattie explained, "He had one calf that had got separated from its Ma."
"It have a brand?"
Mattie spoke softly as if she didn't want to say the words, "I didn't see one."
"Slim always brands his cattle early. We ain't got around to-"
"Maybe Slim hasn't either. Now that he's running a relay station. Maybe he ain't had time."
"And maybe him hiring a gunman means...Why Mattie? Why do you think Slim hired this gunslinger?"
Mattie's head drop as she shrugged.
"I'll tell you why! Slim wants a range war. And he knows we ain't got no one except Jim and two hands that are way over the age of being a hired hand." Val stood up as if the house was on fire. She was halfway out the door before Mattie had a chance to speak.
"Val, where are you going?"
"To pay Slim a visit."
"I'll come along."
"You sure? You might just decide to switch sides and-"
Mattie's temper lit as she shouted, "I'm your sister! I stand along side you, right or wrong."
Val's anger disappeared as quickly as air popping from a balloon. "I know, Sis. I'm sorry. This trouble between us and Slim-" She shook her head sorrowfully.
"I don't like it either, " Mattie agreed. "I don't know how we got to this point."
Val's voice soften as she said, "I've tried figuring it out. But it can't be anyone else but Slim stealing our cattle. Fences cut between our land. Each time we find cattle tracks, they are leading towards Slim's range. Face it, Mattie, I had Slim figured wrong."
"You sure? We've known Slim our whole lives. And Slim always seemed-"
"I know better than anyone how he seemed," Val said.
"I always figured you and him would marry and-"
Val's face again showed her rage. "Well, we won't! And I don't want to hear no more about that! We're going to stop Slim from stealing our cattle. We've got to if we're going keep this ranch going. On our way to Slim's, we'll ride past the east range and get Jim."
"Maybe it'd be better if we talk without-"
"Slim's got a gunslinger working for him. I want Slim to know that we also got a man working for us who knows how to handle a gun."
