Blood on the Moon Page #2

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Drink up, Jim.

Wait here, I'll be right back.

I suppose you'd like to know what

this is all about?

I have been kinda wondering, yeah.

Well I'm not gonna tell you, Jim.

I'm gonna show you.

Come in.

Jim, this is Mr. Pindalest. United States agent for

the Ute Indians over at the Reservation

This is Jim Garry, my partner.

How do you do?

You didn't tell me before about a partner.

Well I'm telling you now.

Before we go on any further,

I want to understood how he'll figure in this.

You mean money?

Don't worry Pindalest.

I'll share with Jim.

Hmm.

Well, here's the, uh, item we were talking

about the other day.

Think you'll find it satisfactory.

United States dollars are usually satisfactory,

aren't they?

Now look. I told you Garry is my partner, Pindalest.

What I know, he knows..

So relax and sit down.

No, I won't stay.

Scared?

Scared?

Just cautious, Riling.

Well that's our partner, Jim.

Cautious...

And this is our working capital,

courtesy of the United States Government.

There's enough there to buy me 2,500 head

of Lufton's beef, four dollars a head.

That's cheap enough, isn't it?

It's too cheap. Where is the catch?

There isn't any.

You, um, met Lufton, you say?

Yeah, I camped with him last night.

Did he tell you that Pindalest has ordered

his cattle off the Reservation?

Yeah. He said he'd refused his beef.

And did he tell you that the army from Fort Liggett,

has orders to seize the cattle if they're not off

the Reservation by the first of November?

No he didn't tell me that.

Well that's the layout Jim.

I've organized these two bit ranchers

to fight any move Lufton makes to push his

herd across the river and into the Basin here.

The ranchers'll fight because they figure

they're fighting for their own range.

But the truth is, they'd be fighting for me.

Now withut any graze to move to,

Lufton'll be caught on the Reservation

and his herd seized.

So what does he do?

Sell?

To me. Cheap.

Because he'd rather get a little money than lose everything.

Sounds like you've got him over a barrel.

I have!

I buy 'em cheap and sell 'em back to the Government

through Pindalest for full contract price.

Your cut will be ten thousand dollars.

What do I have to do to earn it?

Lufton's tough. My ranchers aren't.

You'll make up the difference.

I see.

I've mixed up a lot of things, Tate.

But up to now, I've never been hired for my gun.

Can you afford to be particular?

No I guess I can't.

Now you're talking, Jim.

I'll meet you down in the lobby in 10 minutes.

Come on, slow poke.

Don't you want to know if Dad got across?

Of course.

What's the matter?

Did I get you out the bed too early?

I'm worried about dad.

I hope he didn't have trouble crossing last night.

Could only be trouble if Riling found out about it.

Nobody's crossed here.

Looking for someone, Miss Lufton?

So you're one of 'em?

- I guess dad wasn't so wrong about you after all.

- Wrong?

He must've spotted you for one of Riling's

gun men the minute he saw you.

Funny isn't it Riling?

But not to you. By now Dad's probably got his herd

across the river some place else

while you wait here at Rocky Ford to throw him back.

- Is that why we're here?

- Isn't it?

Simply because Dad was smart enough to give this saddle

tramp a not that he was sure to read.

He knew he'd tell you and decoy you over here.

How do you like it now, Kris?

You and your son?

Why you aren't even being led by a smart crook.

We're only fighting for what belongs to us, Miss Amy.

You didn't fight for it before Riling gave you the idea.

Why didn't you talk to dad, Kris?

Talk to him.

You use to work for him.

You know he's not unreasonable.

Call it unreasonable to kick us off our land?

I don't believe I've seen you around here before.

- You fighting for your own graze too?

- No ma'am.

And you?

I thought you were all old timers, fighting for land

you settled on, Kris?

At least that's in the open now.

Paid gunmen against working riders.

You did read that note, didn't you?

No.

You're a poor liar.

Yes.

Well. Lufton's across the Massacre.

John Lufton's no fool, mister.

Garry did not read that note.

- Then where did you get the tip?

- None of your business, Milo.

I got a wrong tip and I won't get another.

Well if you don't like it, Milo.

Just ride it on out.

Lufton's across the river with that herd.

Yeah, sure. But steers have got legs.

They can be driven back.

The thing to do is find 'em

before Lufton can get 'em scattered.

After that we can move.

Didn't you notice how them four always stick together?

Why not?. Reardan and Shotten work for Riling.

Garry's a friend just came in to help.

I can buy me that kind of a friend

for $75 a month and no questions asked.

You know, Lufton's smart.

Yeah he's smart enough to spot me.

He had spotted Shotten and Reardan

before I even knew they were there.

They are a couple of beauties.

Who are they?

Doesn't matter who they are, Jim.

The thing that matters is, they don't scare easy.

Well, it's pretty crude.

Not so crude.

I've made everybody swallow it but Lufton,

and I'll make him swallow it too.

Shotten, Reardan and me.

Hired gunmen.

Shotten and Reardan will get paid in gold eagles.

You get paid in thousands.

Yeah. Only difference between us is the price.

All right boys, cut for town.

I'll be in touch with you.

Tate, I didn't know it was a trick of Dad.

I swear I didn't. Until I heard Amy say it.

Of course you didn't, darling.

Forget it.

It's done and now we've got to fix it.

But I'm glad in a way.

I couldn't bear it this morning when I though

you and Dad were fighting.

It isn't for you, Carol.

But I have to do what I'm doing.

You see that, don't you?

- Yes, Tate.

- You see, I'm a poor man, darling.

Money has to come hard to me.

Nothing for me to do but join up with men

just like myself and fight for what little I've got.

I tried to make Dad see both sides.

But he's just as sure he's right as you homesteaders are.

We've got to fight.

But he's across now.

What are you gonna do?

I'm not gonna ask you to risk your dad's life, darling.

But I am going to ask you to help.

Find out where he's holding the herd that he crossed.

and get word back to me as soon as you can.

You won't let any harm come to Dad, won't you?

You know you can trust me, darling.

Still a lot easier when we go through the gap.

- We ought to make it by noon.

- Yes.

I scatter 'em in the scrub pinion

west of Avery's patch.

Amy!

What the devil are you doing here?

You didn't think I'd stay home

when you're this close.

This is no place for you.

I told Bart to tell you girls I'd be home by noon.

I told 'em and it didn't do no good.

She was bent on coming along.

I couldn't wait.

All right, Cap, get 'em started.

Bart says you crossed without any trouble?

Yeah. We're primed for it but didn't come.

I think I know why.

Did a rider name of Garry drift into the ranch

yesterday with a note?

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