Once a Ranger Read Online Free PDF Page A

deputy who answered the complaint looked the situation over. The cow was there one day, gone the next. It was a brindle Jersey cow and the farmer had searched the area with no answer for where it went.
    Next was a complaint that someone stole a woman’s chickens. The deputy decided the poultry thief was a masked bandit called a coatimundi. The lady agreed and in the traps set by the investigating officer, they caught him. Another crime solved in the county seat.
    There was a note about the theft of silverware from a lady he did not know. Miss Janice Gardiner, who lived in the Silver Canyon District, had mysteriously lost her valuable forks, spoons, and knives while she was gone on a picnic. The deputy who investigated suggested it might have been a hobo who broke into her house, found them, and carried them off. No sign of such a transient was reported.
    Three horses were missing from the Two Bell Ranch. Tracks pointed to Apaches stealing them. Four young bucks had left the San Carlos Apache Reservation for Mexico four days earlier. The deputy on the case agreed with the ranch foreman—Apaches stole them. They filed their horse losses with the federal government for repayment with the deputy’s opinion.
    Things looked quiet, and Guthrey decided to ride back home and share his wife’s bed and attend the dance. But first he had to discuss with his main deputies, Baker and Zamora, the matter of the way Guthrey and his crew had brought back the stolen horses. They agreed that what he did was the best way to handle the international business.
    â€œHad you ever heard of the man those boys called Royal Montoya before?” Zamora asked.
    â€œNo, but he may be the next big outlaw to come from down there. Who knows, but we better mark him down as our enemy up here,” Guthrey said. “Sounds like if he ever goes back to Duval’s, he may not return to Mexico alive. If we’d been in the U.S., I’d have gone down and arrested him and his boys even if they were beyond my Arizona Territory boundaries. But we were deep in Mexico and there was the chance we might get mixed up with international legal issues, so we simply brought the ponies back.”
    Zamora nodded. “We’ll be more careful trying to watch for them coming up here.”
    Guthrey shook his head. “It’ll be a hard thing to do.”
    His deputy made a face, then nodded. “I may try for some contacts in Mexico who could wire us when they leave down there.”
    â€œSounds wonderful. I’m heading home. I won’t be back till Monday unless you need me.”
    â€œHave fun.”
    â€œI hope to.” He chuckled.
Cally, here I come.
    He arrived at the ranch and his wife rushed out to hug him. Damn, she was a neat lady and her happy spirits rejuvenated him.
    â€œI have some supper I kept warm.”
    â€œI’ll put the horse up. Where’s Noble?”
    â€œI think he went to see a woman.” Smirking, Cally glanced up at him to see if he knew anything.
    â€œOh, we’re all looking for a woman. Dan’s gone too?”
    She looked at the sky for help. “I think she works in the big house.”
    â€œHe’s lost. He’ll find himself.”
    He kissed her on the forehead and went to put the horse up. In the corral the pony rolled in the dust and grunted in gratitude at being back home. Guthrey was looking forward to being in the comfort of his wife’s company for the next few days and away from the pressure and problems of his office. They’d only been married six weeks and so far all his time had been taken up by his efforts to get the county back under the protection of a strong law enforcement unit. He’d hired a few men as tax assessors to count cattle and evaluate property for the taxes due. He expected them to produce the county revenues in a fair manner.
    He and Cally had a leisurely supper together and soon the honeymooners went to bed—early. For a man