“This is good news,” Daniel said. “I’ll buy you breakfast and ride back with you to look over your cows.”
Daniel got his horse from the livery, they had a quick meal at the Cowboy Café and then headed out.
“Looks like a fine, healthy herd,” he told Theo Pierce. The two men sat atop their mounts assessing the longhorns.
“We started out with two thousand head,” Theo replied. “Lost a dozen in the Red River, a couple to snakebite and let the Kiowa and Comanche have a few to keep them off our trail.”
“We’ll do a count as we lead ’em through the chutes tomorrow,” Daniel said. “You didn’t lose many. Sounds like a good trip.”
“Not complainin’.”
“Remind your men about the no-gun law before they go into town tomorrow. They can check their weapons with Sheriff Davis. Another laundry opened on Fourth Street, besides the one across from the tracks. Bathhouse on Second, and three places to eat along Eden now. The townspeople will be happy to see them.”
A rider joined them, a young fellow wearing a fringed buffalo-hide vest. “A calf ran off yonder. Dutch is after ’im. His mama’s cryin’. Other than that, they’re pretty calm.”
“Keep an eye on his mama ’til Dutch brings ’im back,” Theo said.
The rider acknowledged the order by turning his horse abruptly and heading back to the herd. The state of Texas had been quilled in Indian beadwork on the back of his vest.
“That’s James Johnson. He’s my point man,” Theo explained to Daniel. Being point man required experience. He determined course and set the pace for the drive, keeping the lead steers headed the right direction.
“I’ve heard that name. Thought he usually rode with Stone’s outfit.”
“Not this time.”
“I’ll book a room for you at the hotel. Plan to join me and my partners for dinner tomorrow evening,” Daniel said. “Tell James he’s invited, too.”
“That’s mighty generous.”
“We appreciate you bringing your herd to Cowboy Creek. Spread the word that we treat you well and pay top dollar.”
“We’ll see how the sale goes tomorrow,” Theo answered.
Daniel agreed with a nod and rode back to town. He hadn’t made it to the livery when Sheriff Davis caught up to him on horseback. “Daniel! Don’t put your horse up yet.”
Daniel reined in beside him in front of the Fourth Street laundry. “What do you need?”
“There’s something you have to see.”
He accompanied Quincy down Lincoln Boulevard, past his own house, south a few blocks, and rode across the tracks to a row of railcars that awaited unloading. Quincy pointed to an empty flatbed car. “That one was stacked with your lumber.”
Daniel glanced at it. “I had a crew deliver it to a building site to the west today.”
Quincy shook his head. “’Fraid not. When they got here the lumber was gone.”
“There’s a night guard. What does he say?”
“They found him tied up in one of the other cars. Said someone got the jump on him last night and he doesn’t remember anything.”
Daniel frowned. “Someone stole the lumber?”
“Looks that way.”
Daniel’s first reaction was more confusion than anger, but the more he thought about it the more irate he got.
“Were those supplies for one of your houses?” Quincy asked.
“No, that was town property. Lumber for section twenty to the west.” They hadn’t even named the new street yet. The council planned to do that at the next meeting.
“I sent out a couple of deputies and I’ll be searching, as well. I found tracks leading away from town, but they were covered by others and I lost ’em. We’ll figure it out and hopefully catch the thieves.”
Daniel nodded. “I’ll take a look, too. Which way did the tracks head?”
“East.”
“Thanks, Quincy.” At the livery he gave his horse feed and water, then rode from the rail station east, following the tracks Quincy had discovered and losing them, but picking them up again a couple miles farther away.
He’d gone half a mile farther when the smell of smoke touched his nostrils and he scanned the sky, spotting a thin thread of black twisting into the horizon. He headed toward it and met two riders coming his way. As they neared, he recognized Timothy Watson and Buck Hanley, two of Quincy’s part-time deputies. Timothy wore his hat tipped back on his head. “Found your lumber, Mr. Gardner!”
“Somebody hauled it out here and lit fire to it,” Buck supplied.
Daniel absorbed that grim news. “We’d better stay and watch it,” he said. “Last thing we need is a prairie fire. This is a pretty stupid thing to do.”
Buck’s somber expression showed concern, as well. “Surprised a spark hasn’t caught the grass afire yet.”
“Got anything we can scoop dirt with?” Daniel asked.
“I got a tin pan in my saddlebag,” Timothy offered.
“I have one, too,” Buck said.
“I have a knife,” Daniel informed them. “I’ll loosen dirt and you toss it on the fire.”
A couple of hours later, only a few embers still glowed. Even though it was spring, the three men were hot and dirty under the Kansas sun. Daniel yanked out the questionable boards and kicked dirt on them. They stayed until there was no threat of the fire spreading.
“I appreciate you both sticking around to see this through,” Daniel told them in a solemn voice.
“We have a stake in Cowboy Creek, too,” Buck said. “I’m doin’ the deputy job and working for Owen Ewing so I can save up and start my own business.”
“What do you want to do?” Daniel asked Timothy.
“I put a deposit down on a building. I’ve been watching to see who comes along to see if I can find a partner. Not sure, but my options are open.”
“Let me know if I can help you when you decide on something,” Daniel said.
“Will do.”
The three of them mounted their horses and headed back to town. Uneasiness settled over Daniel and didn’t let loose. Someone had stolen that wood and destroyed it, not caring who or what was hurt in the process. A prairie fire could spread for miles, decimating everything in its path—wildlife, crops, farms. The motive for such an act escaped him.
He’d talk to the town council about immediately hiring another guard for the station and railroad yards. It was better to take preventative measures than be sorry later. Daniel didn’t intend to let anyone undermine what they were working so hard to build. There was too much at stake.
* * *
Leah joined the other young women on their walk to church. It was a beautiful morning, warm and filled with sunshine. The perfect day for a joyful announcement. She wished she felt more jubilant than cautiously relieved. Her future wasn’t as uncertain as it had been a week ago, but apprehension still wound its cold claws into her conscience. Daniel Gardner had always been a close friend, but when it came to pondering a husband she’d never so much as considered him. Maybe she’d been too close to him and had foolishly overlooked what was right in front of her. Now that the war had cut her world into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle and she had to fit it back together again, he was the best option she had.
She felt guilty for thinking that way,