Only 06 - Winter Fire

and turned with a smile. “Good morning.”
    â€œAin’t you the cheerful one. I take it your pet outlaw is getting better.”
    â€œYou don’t know that Case is an outlaw.”
    â€œHuh,” Lola said. “Gal, ain’t no other kind of man out here but damned fools, and that hombre in there sure as hell ain’t nobody’s damned fool.”
    â€œHe could be a marshal.”
    â€œNo badge,” Lola said succinctly.
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œI went through his gear.”
    â€œLola! You had no right to do that.”
    The older woman’s black eyes looked upward as though the answer to Sarah’s foolishness was to be found in the sky.
    â€œHe has a fistful of ‘Wanted’ posters from Texas,” Lola said, “a spare belt gun, two long guns—good ’uns—enough bullets for a grand dust-up, a change of clothes, soap, razor, spyglass, and maybe three hundred in gold. From the cut of his overcoat, he was a Johnny Reb. And he was carrying a little cup and saucer, like for a doll, all wrapped up careful like.”
    â€œNone of that makes him an outlaw.”
    Lola snorted. “Difference between an outlaw and a bounty hunter ain’t a great stretch.”
    â€œWas Ute mentioned on any of those posters?” Sarah asked bluntly.
    â€œNary a one. Culpeppers was featured.”
    Suddenly she remembered the conversation she had overheard between Ab and Kester Culpepper.
    Shee-it. Next you’ll be whining about them Texicans dogging our trail .
    Ain’t seen ’em .
    Sarah suspected that she had seen at least one of the “Texicans” who were following the Culpeppers.
    â€œDon’t look so down in the mouth,” Lola said. “Ain’t no reason to shed tears over the likes of them Culpeppers. If even half what them ‘Wanted’ posters say is true, they’re as sorry an excuse for men as any woman ever whelped. And Ab is the worst of a bad lot.”
    â€œI don’t doubt it,” Sarah said, remembering bits of what she had overheard Ab Culpepper say.
    Even the devil don’t know a female’s mind. Worthless sluts, all of them .
    Steal or buy a female down in Mexico. Or get a Injun .
    If I decide the Kennedy gal needs taking care of, I’ll do it personally .
    â€œWhat did the Culpeppers do in Texas?” Sarah asked uneasily.
    â€œRobbed banks, raped, and murdered mostly.”
    She winced.
    â€œAnd they sold kids to the Comancheros,” Lola added, “after doing things to the young’uns that would shame Satan.”
    Sarah didn’t ask for any more details. She simply swallowed hard and began wringing out the now-cool rags. The ferocity of her motions said more than words.
    â€œSounds like Case might have a personal reason for hunting Culpeppers,” Sarah said after a few moments.
    â€œLikely,” Lola agreed. “Hope he gets on his feet right quick.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œCuz we’re going to need him, that’s why.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œThem Culpeppers been sniffing around.”
    Sarah’s stomach clenched.
    â€œAre you certain?” she asked.
    â€œUte saw their sign alongside his and Case’s back trail.”
    Silently Sarah wrung out another bandage and spread it on the line to dry. She didn’t ask if Ute was certain who had made the tracks he saw. Before he turned outlaw, he had been the best army scout west of the Rocky Mountains.
    â€œDoes Conner know?” Sarah asked.
    â€œTold him myself.”
    For an instant she closed her eyes. She couldn’t help wondering how long five people—one of them badly wounded—would last if the Culpepper and Moody gangs descended on the little ranch. The only shred of hope she had was Ab’s blunt orders not to cause a fuss within three days’ ride of Spring Canyon.
    â€œWhat about the army?” Sarah asked.
    â€œOh, they might take a notion and come over this way, but not in time to do us any good. Them soldier boys have their plates plumb overflowing with redskins.”
    â€œWell,” she said, shaking out a bandage with a brisk snap, “we’ll just have to do the best we can. I’ll start taking a turn on watch at the rim.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œYou wouldn’t shoot them outlaws on sight,” Lola said.
    â€œNeither would Conner.”
    Lola tilted her head and looked at