The Lone Texan

CHAPTER 31

A NOVEMBER ICE STORM. WHICH HAD MELTED INTO miles of mud, slowed Drum's progress.

He'd talked Daniel into riding north of Galveston in hopes of saving a few days, but they were almost three weeks behind Sage. The shortcut helped little.

Drum missed her in Austin by two weeks, as he figured he would. Travis talked them into staying one night. He wanted details about Luther. Drum could see it in his eyes; Travis was making his own list. He might wear a suit and look to all the world like a respected lawyer, but part of him was wild and always would be. Drum wouldn't be surprised if Travis McMurray went after the man. He was probably thinking the same thing Drum was. One lone man could get in and out of the camp, leaving no sign behind, only one dead count.

After everyone went to bed. Drum walked the streets of the capital city. He couldn't sleep without knowing Sage was safe, so he tried to picture asking her to live here with him. Austin was exciting, but he couldn't see either of them being happy to ride their horses around a park. The stores were fun to look into, and there were more places to eat than he could name. He'd never thought about where they'd live or what he'd do to make a living: he'd just wanted to be with her.

When Drum turned Satan toward Elmo's Trading Post the next morning, he was on familiar ground. He'd made the trip many times and knew where all the best roads were and where to stop for the night. Daniel stayed up with him at every turn. He even stopped drinking, claiming it was a waste of time to try to swallow at the speed they rode.

The winds blew from the north, and mud slowed them more than rain. Both had good mounts, but Drum knew not to push them too hard. Satan was a McMurray horse, one of the finest in the state. If he rode Satan to ground getting to Sage, she'd never forgive him. The woman was almost born on a horse and probably loved them far more than she'd ever care about any man.

When they stopped to rest the horses, Daniel slept and Roak paced.

One afternoon. Daniel leaned up from his nap and said, "What's bothering you? You know Sage is safe. They couldn't have gotten to her yet. Even if the count sent another man after Luther, he couldn't be traveling faster than we are. Something else is festering like a burr under your saddle!'

Drum squatted down beside Daniel. "It's that boy of Luther Waddell's. I can't stop thinking about him there in the camp."

Daniel sat up. "I didn't see any kids while I was there. My guess is the women who have them keep them out of harm's way. As many years as the hideout has been there, you know a few kids are there somewhere. I saw clothes on the lines near the little houses along the pasture line. Maybe that's where the wives stay. There wouldn't be many. The kind of man who lives that life picks his mates by the hour."

Drum agreed, then added, "Do you think if I showed Luther the back way, he could go in and get them all out before the firing starts?"

"There's a chance he'd turn on you and warn Hanover we were coming. Or, just as likely, one of the wives would tell her man and blow the plan.”

Drum nodded. "Maybe, but I don't think so. He looked real sad when he talked about his family. Surely he'd know who to trust."

Daniel stood. "We could ask the captain when we get back. I'm kind of hoping the count dies of the fever before then, but in camps like that, there is always someone else to take the big snake's place."

"Time to ride.”

Daniel stepped into the saddle. "I was afraid you were going to say that.”

They crossed through open country and reached Elmo's Trading Post by mid-afternoon the next day.

Daniel pulled his horse. "Holy smokes, Roak, I thought we'd be riding into a little cluster of buildings around a trading post, not a town”

Roak stared. "I don't know what happened. The place looks like it's doubled." There was a regular main street with stores and a church next to the bank. A block away was a dance hall and a couple of saloons as well as homes lined up in rows.

They walked their horses down the dirt street, noticing construction happening all around them.

"Folks are moving to Texas faster than sugar ants move into a molasses pantry.” Daniel pointed at a café. "You think we could stop for some food? I've been eating your cooking for so long, my teeth are thinking about falling out in protest."

Drum shook his head. "Between you and Sage I'm starting to question my skills as a cook."

"What skills?" Daniel grumbled.

He made no move to turn in at the café. "Come on. I want to see Sage before we eat. Then I'll buy you the biggest steak we can find.”

Daniel took a deep draw on the air as they passed a bakery. "I figured that. How about we take her some hot rolls? Women like it if you bring them something.”

"Rolls?"

Daniel grinned. "Works better than flowers, I'm told. It would on me anyway.”

Roak pointed to an old building with a crooked porch wrapped around it. "I'll check with Elmo, the old trading post owner. He'll know if Sage is staying in town. I'll meet you back here in five minutes. You get the rolls.”

Roak walked across the street as Daniel hurried into the bakery.

The trading post looked about the same as it always had. The area where Elmo stored mail was gone, replaced with shelves of dry goods. Roak stood in the doorway and watched an old man, withered on one side, move toward him.

"Can I help you, mister?" Elmo Anderson said with gravel in his voice.

"I hope so. I'm looking for Sage McMurray.”

Elmo glanced up and smiled. "Drummond Roak." He let the name roll around in his mouth a little before he got it out. "It's good to see you again. I hear some mighty fine things about you, son”

Elmo had always been nice to Roak. He'd given him small hauling jobs when he was a kid.

"It's good to see you too, old man. How'd you let this town get so big?"

"You sound just like Teagen McMurray." Ehno shook his head. "I don't know how it happened. Let a few people in, and before you know it, things get out of hand." He laughed. "They want to name it after me. Can you imagine?"

"No offense, but Elmo don't sound like much of a name for a town”

He agreed. "And Anderson don't sound like nothing special, so I'm thinking they should name it Anderson's Glen." Drum frowned. "There's no glen."

"I know," Elmo snickered, "but my mother was Irish, and I think she'd like the sound of it”

"I agree. Now about Sage?" He asked before Elmo got started on something else.

"They're settling in at a house north of town. It's off by itself. I heard Teagen say he wanted Sage to be able to see the hills so she'd know she wasn't that far from home. It's a pretty whitewash with trim on it as dainty as lace. Teagen got the place built for her just like she told him, but I don't think they're open for business yet. You'd better hurry if you want to catch her. She rides home ever' night to the ranch." He laughed. "And you know Sage; if she'd riding, no one's going to catch her"

Roak said a hurried good-bye and rushed out the door just as a tribe of school-aged boys bombarded the place.

Daniel was waiting by the horses when Drum crossed the street. "I thought you were going to buy some rolls?" "I did, a dozen, but I ate them while I was waiting."

Drum frowned. "Why didn't you go in and buy some more?"

"I tried, but the lady in there told me to get out of her store before the yeast rose again and I exploded.” He rubbed his stomach. "She said if I was still alive tomorrow, she'd sell me another dozen."

They climbed on their horses and headed north. Daniel continued talking as if Roak were listening. That baker was a sweet little round kind of girl, but I don't think she thought much of me. She made me stop one foot in the door and tell her what I wanted."

Drum laughed. "You might want to think about taking a bath."

Daniel lifted his arm, took a deep breath, and crossed his eyes. "I will before I go in there tomorrow. She had cheeks as round as apples and skin as smooth as a peach."

"I think you're still hungry. Next thing you'll be telling me is her legs were green beans and her fingers as round as carrots."

"I was so hungry, my stomach's been gnawing on my backbone for two days. If we stay here awhile, I plan to eat five or six times a day to catch up”

Drum saw the white house with the trim a few hundred yards beyond where the rest of the settlement ended. The door was open, and Bonnie, wrapped in a white apron, was sweeping the long porch. Her worthless cat was sitting on the porch railing.

He urged Satan into a trot and was out front before Daniel stopped talking about food and thought to join him.

Bonnie squealed and ran down the steps. "Mr. Roak! Daniel Torry! It's good to see you”

Drum grinned. "You're looking fine and healthy, Miss Pierce." He was surprised how much he meant it. In the month since he'd seen her, the tall nurse looked like she'd put on a few pounds.

She ran right past Drum and hugged Daniel then pulled back quickly. "Wow, you do smell of the trail.”

Daniel shrugged. "I've been told that a lot lately.”

"Miss Bonnie," Drum drew her attention. "Where's Sage?" The need to see her had become a physical ache within him.

The nurse laughed. "She went up to her grandfather's winter camp a few days ago. Teagen told her the old man is sick when he came by to get the boys to spend some time at the ranch with him." She held a finger in the air. "No, I think his exact words were, Grandfather claims he's sick but said to tell you not to come.”

"Sage said the old man would never admit to wanting to see her, but she'd ride up while we're waiting for the last of the work to be done on the clinic. We decided to turn the attic into rooms for the boys and Sage when she stays over."

"We're not heading into Apache territory tonight, are we?" Daniel asked.

"No," Drum answered. "We're getting rooms at the hotel, having a long bath, and then coming back to take Miss Pierce out to dinner if she'll consider letting us both escort her."

Bonnie blushed. "I'd be honored. I haven't been out to eat. It wouldn't be proper for me to go alone, and Sage has been too busy."

They left her still blushing on the porch and circled back to the hotel.

"I think this may be the first time Miss Bonnie has been asked out," Daniel said as they walked up the steps. "She's plain, but I think she might have gotten married if she hadn't been so tall. Aren't many men who want to look up to a wife.”

"Probably so," Drum agreed. "She's past the marrying age now."

He walked to the desk, noticing the hotel owner who'd run him off a few times four years ago.

"Welcome, Rangers," the owner said with a smile. "We're always glad to see you.” He turned the book around. "If you'll sign in, ill have baths sent up to your rooms immediately.”

Roak smiled. The owner didn't recognize him. Daniel ordered a bottle, then they parted with a nod to their rooms.

Two hours later, both Rangers ordered two meals at the café. Bonnie sat between them, as proper as ever. The old maid might be ten or more years older than them, but she was still flattered to be asked to dinner.

"You young men sure do clean up nice," she said. "Sage will hardly recognize you when she gets back”

"I'm riding on up to the camp tomorrow," Drum said. "I thought Daniel might stay here for a few days. If you need him, he'll be close.”

"You think the boys may still be in danger?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I don't see how the raiders who killed their parents could find the boys here, but it pays to be safe." He didn't dare tell her Daniel's theory of the raiders and the outlaw being links of the same gang. "I think Sage may still be in danger. The man she treated at the outlaw camp seems to want another house call made. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen.”

Bonnie's hand shook. "There's so much trouble in this country.” Tears bubbled in her eyes. "I swear I'm frightened most all the time.”

Her show of emotion surprised Drum, but he had to admit for a woman who'd said she'd never gone more than a few miles from her home before she left Boston, this must be a terrifying place.

Daniel tried next. "Don't you worry, Miss Pierce, you're far enough from the saloons that even when there is gunfire, it'll never reach you."

Both men frowned when tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"I don't think you're helping.” Drum said.

Bonnie excused herself and almost ran from the room. Daniel pointed at Roak. "Well, at least I was trying. Which is more than you were doing. What do you suggest next?" "Pie," Drum said and waved down the waitress.

When Bonnie returned, she smiled at three pieces of pie sitting in front of her. It seemed to work; her mood did improve as she nibbled on a slice.

She filled them in on everything that happened on the trail up from Galveston. She also talked about Will and Andy. It was obvious she'd grown to love them both. During the weekdays, they'd stay with her at the clinic so they could go to school. On Friday, one of the McMurrays would take them to the ranch for the weekend, where they would run free.

"They invite me to go along," Bonnie said, "but I like my time alone here in town. There's too much going on at the ranch. I have my knitting and my books to keep me company, and of course when the clinic opens, we may have patients from time to time who are in recovery."

When she talked about the details of the clinic, both men listened politely as they ate.

Drum walked her back to the clinic while Daniel excused himself, claiming that a poker game was calling him. Drum strolled through the streets alone after he said good night to her on the porch. He took in the feel of the town and decided he liked it. Anderson's Glen seemed a safe place and, in a strange way, it felt almost like home. He knew people here, even if some of them didn't remember him.

Something else had changed. Men tipped their hats to him and women smiled. They'd say things like, "Evening, Ranger" and "Nice night.^” It seemed the badge he wore didn't just frighten outlaws, it was a welcome sight to those on the right side of the law.

He closed the door to his room and stripped his clothes off without turning up the lamp. Then he lay on the bed and relaxed. There was nothing he could do until dawn, when he planned to saddle up and go to the Apache camp to see Sage. After warning her, he thought he'd ride back with her to town. Maybe somewhere along the way he'd have enough time alone with her to remind her that she was still alive.

As he passed into dreams, he rolled to his side and reached for her as he had every night since they'd been together.