Her One Desire

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Garrett Ranch

"This waiting around for something to happen is getting on everyone's nerves," Jim told Jake and Dusty. "I don't know how much longer we can justify keeping your ranch hands here."

Chad was outside checking on the horses in the corral for something to do so the men were free to voice their thoughts.

"I know, sitting around playing cards isn't want they are used to doing every day," Jake replied. "But I know the minute we send them back the trouble will once again start and then it would be just the four of us."

"I was thinking as I went to bed last night that whoever this person is his men have to be just as bored as ours unless he has set his sites on some other ranch until he can get a hold of Chad's," Dusty said. "And then I wondered just where are his men hiding out? Has to be around here somewhere close because of how easy they attacked here at all times of the day and night before you came, Jim."

"Yes," Jim said thinking then went to his bedroom without telling Jake and Dusty why and returned shortly with the documents from Cheyenne and spread them out on the table until he found the one he wanted.

"Look at this map," he told them. "What if he has them hiding out on one of these ranches they either ran the owner off of or murdered?"

Then he pointed at two possibilities that were near Chad's property. One of them was the former Twitchell ranch.

"We need to find those men and make them talk," Jim told them. "Steve, Luke and Sean might not be able to get whoever is in Providence to cough up his or their boss's name."

"Those men would have to be getting supplies from Brookton if they are as close as we think," Jake said.

"That might be another way to find them but lets do some scouting tonight at this place," Jim said and pointed to the ranch nearest to Chad's on the map.

* * *

Diamond G

"This yahoo isn't going to give up his boss's name unless we get real mean about it and either beat him half to death or threaten to brand him. Talking with him hasn't gotten us anywhere. Bill Roberts would have this yahoo tied him between two different horses and threaten to split him in half back in my younger days to find out what he wanted to know," Slim told the others after they had taken turns all morning questioning Dorgan.

Luke smiled at Slim. Having heard much about Sam's father when they were searching for his killers he wouldn't doubt it a bit what Slim was telling them. Bill Roberts wasn't one to play around to get the answers he wanted if it might save someones life.

"What if we took a page out of Bill Roberts's book and made Dorgan think we would split him in half?" Luke said still smiling.

"I say we try it," Steve said smiling back at his friend.

"I agree as long as nothing goes wrong and we accidentally split him in half," Sean told them.

"I will make sure we have to very well trained horses attached to him," Slim replied.

"Just make sure they don't look gentle we want him to believe we would do it," Luke told him.

"After lunch you get things ready Slim while Luke and I ruff the guy up some and when he doesn't answer us about his boss then when we tell him we have had enough he will believe us when we tell him what we have planned for him. Sean you can be the one holding the gun on him this time," Steve told them.