Longhorn Country by Tyler Hatch Read Free Book Online Page B

that would be was anyone’s guess.
    Marsh didn’t get around much any more these days.
    Which didn’t make him any-the-less tough, but even his past reputation as a smack-’em-down lawman wouldn’t be enough to back up his words forever….
     
    Weeks rolled by and Alamo was back with a big fistful of money from the meat-packing plants’ agents, making sure Morgan savvied that Lucky Kinnane had set the scene for the final dickering long before Ames had gotten back from – wherever he had been.
    He never did say where – except to Morgan, of course – and the men knew better than to ply him with liquor and hope it would loosen his tongue. Alamo was one of the old school, loyal to Morgan, and a man who kept his word.
    Gradually, speculation about what might have happened to Blaine – and to Kitty O’Day, whose mighty brief visit home this time raised some querying eyebrows in town – died away and all the talk was of the sudden expansion of Broken Wheel.
    Beef prices had risen and O’Day had won a contract to supply the Army at Fort Angeles, not only with beef but with horses for the cavalry as well. They were rich contracts and O’Day had squared-away with the Texas First National Bank. On the advice ofBanker Hayden – not so bad a man once his mortgage payments had been cleared – had invested in more land. Broken Wheel had now become the O’Day Beef Cattle Company and Morgan’s influence had spread well beyond the valley and down into Mexico and some of the eastern States as well.
    He was prosperous and Lucas O’Day was not slow to take some of the credit for this prosperity.
    ‘Pa, I think we should throw up a place in Fool’s Canyon, a linecamp’s not really enough, what with all them pastures just over the rise. We should have a permanent place there – I’ve priced some lumber, and I know we can even cut their quote by half.’ He winked. ‘Got some inside information that the Company’s in a little trouble – and I figure we can capitalize on it….’
    It was a sound idea – but it wasn’t Lucas’. Alamo Ames had suggested it not long back, casually, around a campfire, but Lucas had got to hear about it while he was sharing a few drinks with Shipstead, the Land Agent.
    Shipstead, expansive after a good meal and some fine brandy, let slip that the lumber company’s lease had run out and they were willing to cut prices until they could find more timber to lease. And that was going to be hard, because settlers were moving in, felling their own trees, splitting their own shingles – and Broken Wheel owned most of the land.
    So Lucas not only did a good deal on lumber, he quietly bought up some shares in the struggling company from men who didn’t want to take the risk of losing any more money. They might make Lucas afew dollars later on, but more importantly, if the lumber company went bust, as it might if they couldn ’t procure a viable timber lease, then he could show Morgan his foresight in obtaining enough shares to give the O’Days a controlling interest.
    A little more manipulation and the Company could easily become a holding of the O’Day Beef Cattle Company – Broken Wheel had huge tracts of timber in the hills….
    Lucas was feathering his own nest for the future and already had his father’s backing in most everything he did. Morgan, with no daughter now to dote on, no adopted son to hold his interest, turned his full attention on Lucas – something Lucas had craved for most of his life. He had always felt he had played second fiddle to Kitty, and then Blaine had earned his father’s respect simply because he stood up to him and was unafraid.
    Yes – this was Lucas’ Big Chance and he didn’t aim to let it slide by.
     
    Then, five months after Kitty had left and Blaine had vanished, an outrider brought in some strays that had wandered over from Bell’s Cross B, and, off-saddling at the home corral, said casually,
    ‘Seen a rider up on Slaughter Point