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As Mary was pouring a cup of coffee for Caldwell, she heard the pounding of horses coming hard into the ranch yard. “This isn’t the time for any of our riders to be comin’ in,” she said. She stepped to the window and saw two dirty, unkempt men riding fast horses straight for the house. “I’ll take care of it.”
Taking her Henry rifle, she stepped out onto the porch. “You two can stop right there,” she called. “Don’t bring those horses another step closer.”
The rougher of the two called back, “Who’s goin’ to stop us?”
“I will,” she said, steady as a post, “and this Henry rifle.”
He laughed. “Russ, you believe that?” His horse stepped forward—one, two, three slow paces. Mary’s rifle spoke. Blew the man’s hat clean off his head.
He froze. “What do you mean ruin’ a good hat?” he yelled.
“What do you mean not doin’ what I said?” Mary answered. “You can state your business from right where you are.”
Inside, Caldwell watched through the window and allowed himself a quiet chuckle to himself, “Mary can take care of herself. She’s the best shot on the ranch, and she’s fought rustlers too. Before we ever had any hands on the ranch, she fought by my side.”
Thomas slipped out the back barn door and circled behind the house.
“We’re here to see Jake,” Bland shouted. “He owes us a hundred dollars each.”
“And why would he owe you? Jake has no need to borrow from anyone outside this ranch.” Mary asked.
“He stood with Tex when Pike lost his ranch. We lost our jobs. That makes it his debt to pay.”
“You just think he owes you for what you brought on yourselves. There’s other ranchers around here that are hiring good help, go to work. Even if I had it,” Mary said, “you wouldn’t get it. Turn those horses and ride out.”
Bland swung down, grinning. “You wouldn’t shoot me. You ain’t got the guts.” His hand dropped for his gun. Mary saw it as it happened. The revolver cleared leather. Her shot cracked the yard. Bland cried out, clutching his wrist as the gun fell.
Silence.
“A body ought to do what’s right,” Mary said, “and no more than that. You’ll not use that hand again for gunplay. If I weren’t a good shot, you’d be holdin’ your belly instead of your wrist and be lying on the ground.”
Thomas stepped out, revolver ready. Caldwell joined her.
“These two are wanted,” Thomas said. “Killed four of Pike’s men. Maybe more. They were hired by Pike as gunmen, not to work cows.”
Russ turned his horse to run.
“You best stop,” Thomas called.
“I’ve got nothin’ to lose!”
Thomas fired. The bullet struck his shoulder. His horse reared, and he fell to the ground landing on his shoulder and cursing Thomas.
“Thomas, you best tell Eli to go to town and get Tex and the doc, if the doc sees fit to come look at these two skunks before they ride off to jail,” said Caldwell. “I reckon you men have learned a good lesson. When a lady says stop, you better stop.”
When Sheriff Tex arrived with Eli, they lifted the wounded men onto their horses. Tex looked at them, then at Mary. “Bland was Pike’s range boss,” he said. “Russ rode with him.” He paused. “They killed four men comin’ to see me. They were going to tell me about Pike stealin’ their wages and everyone else’s, but not the wages of these two outlaws. Those four were comin’ in to do things right, but Pike had ’em shot on the way.”
His voice hardened. “Others had gone before, and these four hands knew what stood between them and town.” He nodded at the prisoners. “These two made sure that men goin’ to the sheriff didn’t get that far.” “That’s why three others took Pike’s cattle instead of comin’ to see me, and Pike almost got them hanged for it.”
He looked at Mary. “If you hadn’t stood your ground today and been good with that rifle… this ranch might’ve learned the same lesson these two men aimed to teach.”
He glanced at both their horses. “Mary, these horses are yours now. Fast ones. You earned them. Thomas and Eli can bring them back after we get these men locked up. You’ve got reward money comin’ to you too. They’ll bring it. Doc will see them in jail. I guess that’s just about the short of it.”
Caldwell looked at Mary with a smile on his face and pride in his eyes, “Mary, you saved some lives and our ranch today, just like we used to.”