The Long Ride Out | Page 3

I had a small spread and I was doing all right. But I realized those railroad cars could be taking cattle to market, and I saw what a man with vision could do here. Land means cattle, cattle means money. Enough money means power, and a chance to make a mark. Lincoln City doesn't have to go the way of Dodge City and Abilene. It could have an opera house instead of a gallows, schools instead of bordellos." He looked hard at Marlin. "You have any children?"
"Never worked out that way for me," Marlin said.
Britton nodded. "My wife took sick carrying our first child. I lost them both. Never had the heart to marry again. But I could make this a town where people that do have families could live in peace." He waved one hand, as if to clear the air. "Enough of that. About the time I had my vision, Kraamer came along, full of bright ideas and a love of money. That was fifteen years ago.
"To make a long story short, we cut a deal. How much do you know about homestead law?"
Marlin shook his head. "Not much."
"Well, the law has got its weak spots, like any other. It says a man can stake a claim, wait five years, and sell it. Then he's free to move on and do the same thing again. Between homestead, preemption, timber grants and what have you, that comes to a lot of land. Which I have bought and Kraamer has gladly sold to me."
Marlin shifted in the chair, which seemed to be suffocating him. "Where is all this leading?"
"To this. The business I have with Kraamer is between us. He's no helpless sodbuster being crushed by big cattle interests. Ask anyone in town. The other homesteaders think Kraamer is worse than dirt.
"I don't have his daughter. He may know where she is, he may not. But she's just an excuse to bring you into this, to stir things up. All that can happen is that you'll get hurt or killed. Believe me, Kraamer is just not worth it."
*
The blond cowboy from the saloon was sitting on the fence by the front gate. Marlin reigned in and said, "I used to see you in Dodge. It's Wallace, isn't it?"
"That's right. I heard about you too." The man's smile had a greedy look to it.
"That's a difference between us, Wallace. I've always found enough trouble without having to go look for it."
"You won't have to look for me," Wallace said. "I'll be around."
*
The town of Lincoln City was a street, a stable, and a few buildings on either side. Paint was apparently in short supply. A brand-new bank sat across from the saloon, and next to it was a diner and a rooming house. Marlin tied up his horse and went into the diner.
The place was empty except for a red-haired boy in his early twenties. Marlin sat at the table next to his and took off his hat. He could hear the wind whistle through cracks in the plank wall.
A waitress came out of the back and wiped her hands on her apron. Marlin pointed at the boy and said, "I'll have what he's having." She was pretty in a strong, capable way, with a thick waist, small breasts, and ribbons tied up in her yellow hair. She smelled pleasantly of scented soap.
When she went back to the kitchen the boy said, "I hear you're working for old man Kraamer." He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Haven't made up my mind yet," Marlin said.
The woman came back with a plate of roast beef and Marlin set to work on it.
"It's hard," the boy said, "to tell what's what sometimes. Being in a strange town and all."
Marlin sopped up some gravy with his cornbread. "That about says it, all right."
"Hell, a man might not know where to start."
"I'd be grateful," Marlin said, "for any help that might be offered."
"Of course, it's hard to help somebody when you don't know what he's looking for."
They ate in silence for another minute, then Marlin said, "This man Kraamer might just be trying to get his daughter back."
The boy nodded and pushed his plate away. "Then again his daughter might not want to come back."
"That thought had crossed my mind," Marlin said. "It's a shame she's not around herself, to talk with."
The woman came back out of the kitchen with a basket of cornbread and set them on the kid's table. He winked at her as she ruffled up his hair. "This here gentleman," said the kid, "was wanting to talk to you, Eva."
*
"John Nash," said the boy, and held out his hand. Marlin took it, half rising as Eva sat at his table. "Me and Eva are going to get married."
Eva didn't seem to have