Page 5 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“One of two things. Someone tipped them off, and they sent a front-runner ahead. Or, it’s Cheyenne warriors.”
“I thought they moved with the Arapaho to the Wyoming territory after the treaty.”
“Most did. Roman Nose and his Dog Soldiers continue to taunt the Army here and in Kansas. And we’re smack dab between—”
“Fort Collins and Fort Morgan,”Seth finished for him.
“That’s right.”
Neither option was good, but worse for them was getting attacked on two sides, from the Army and a Cheyenne raiding party.
“About a quarter mile back, there’sabreakintherocksand a seldom-used path. It won’t be easy to spot, but you’ll need to find it to get tothe top.”
As he squinted into the setting sun and studied his destination, Seth wondered what his old man was talking about. There were no rocks, just scrub, an occasional tree, and brown grass as far as he could see.
“You’ll understand what I meanwhen you get there. Trust me.”
That was never in doubt. His pa’s eyesight, maybe.
Seth didn’t argue or linger, but ashe wheeled hismount, his father called, “Take your uncle with you and remember our deal.”
“It won’t come to that,”he said shortly, not wanting to discuss it, let alone think about it.
“Considering how wemake a living, there’s a good chance it will come to that. I expect you to follow the rules like everyone else, Seth Walker Hartigan. No getting softhearted. You got me?”
In typical parent fashion, he only used his full name when he was dead serious. “I got you, Pa.”
“Then say it.”
“If things get too hot, we go to ground. Once the situation cools down, we rendezvous at a safe location.”
Pa let go of his ribs, reached out, and caught him behind the neck, pulling him close so he could meet his eyes. “You’ve grown into a man overnight. After this job, I want you to think about what I said.”
“I’mnot interestedingoing to Texas. If you and Ike don’t want it, sell the land. Or offer it to Judd.”
“Judd’s no rancher.”
Seth blinked, stunned. “And you think I am?”
“You could be. Your brother is like me, but you are my father made over.”
Hearing that choked him up with pride. Although only a boy when his grandfather died, he remembered everything about his namesake, and how much he’d idolized him. When Granddad Seth was home and not offdefending what he had worked“damn hard for,”his grandmother Ruthie called him his shadow because young Seth followed him everywhere.
He was closer to his grandad growing up than his father, who had been off fighting the war on two fronts. Only five when his grandfather passed, he felt abandoned and couldn’t forgive him. The hole he’d left still burned to this day.
“You mean I’m a fool who doesn’t know when to give in and live to fight another day?”he asked. “Protecting that piece of dirt killed him before his time. No thanks.I’mnot interestedinhopeless causes.”
“From the accounts I’ve read, things have settled some, but we can talk more about this later,”his father said. “After we’re shed of this damned dusty prairie and get to a safe place to divvy up the profits. You better hurry on up there. We’ll lose the light soon.”
“Yes, sir,”Seth agreed—about heading out, not Texas. His pa could talk all he wanted. His life would have to turn upside down before he ever moved away from his family.
Curling in his bottom lip, he let outa piercing whistle, which caught the attention of the men despite the pounding hooves of eight horses. “Ike,”he called, “You’re with me.”
Not hanging around to see if his father’s younger brother obeyed a command from a man thirty years his junior,hewheeled hishorseand put his heels to his sides.
His uncle drew alongside him in minutes, so he hadn’t lingered to argue. Everymember oftheHartigan Gangknew Bill’s instincts were sound.
“Let me guess, kid. My consarned crazy brother had another one of his hunches,” Ike grumbled. “Why else would we backtrack in the middle of a dust bowl where we can see for miles in every direction?”
