Crow Bait

Thirty-seven

Lancaster found out the family last name of George, Harry, Fred, Sam, and Hermione was Dickson. Apparently, Hermione’s age of forty made her the baby.

After the beef stew he walked over to the livery to check on Crow Bait.

“Not many men would give a horse like that a chance,” the liveryman said as he entered.

“You’re Sam, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I met your brothers George and Fred.”

“You had the beef stew?”

“Yes, I did.”

“It was good, huh?”

“It was better than good.”

Sam wiped his hand on his trousers and stuck it out.

Lancaster shook it and said his name.

“Horse don’t look like much, but he’s strong,” Sam said. “What’s his name?”

“Crow Bait.”

That made Sam laugh until he was bent over double, choking. “That’s rich. You come to see if I’ll take good care of him?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, don’t you worry,” Sam said. “He’s in good hands. Why don’t you go over to the saloon and have a drink?”

“And meet your cousin Dan, huh?”

“Dan,” Sam said with a face that said he didn’t like his cousin, “yeah.”

“What’s wrong with Dan?”

Sam shrugged. “He’s a cousin, not a brother.”

That seemed to be reason enough for the dislike.

“Well, I think I’ll take your advice,” Lancaster said. “I hope he’s got cold beer.”

“He’s got it,” Sam said. “We may be a small town, but we got everythin’ you’ll need.” Sam raised his eyebrows, grinned, and added, “Everythin’.”

Lancaster left the livery, wondering if “everything” meant sister Hermione?

Lancaster was unaware that he was being watched from a window on the second floor of the hotel as he crossed over to the saloon. The white lace curtain was pulled aside, remained that way until he entered the saloon, then fell back across the window.

The saloon was empty, except for the bartender. If Lancaster hadn’t been told that Dan was a cousin, he wouldn’t have recognized him as family. He didn’t look anything like the brothers. For one thing, they all had gray hair, while his was pitch-black.

“Welcome to the Peach Springs Saloon, friend,” the bartender said.

“You’re Dan, right?”

“Ah, I see you met my cousins already.”

“I did.”

“Well, belly up and tell me what your pleasure is.”

“Beer,” Lancaster said, “cold.”

“Comin’ up.”

Lancaster took off his hat, set it on the bar, and ran his hands through his hair.

“Been ridin’ long?” Dan asked, setting the beer down.

“Long enough.” Lancaster took two swallows of the cold beer, closed his eyes as the cold ran through him. How easy it would be just to sit and drink, switch to whiskey, and just drift away…

“You must be passin’ through,” Dan said.

“Why do you say that?”

“That’s all anybody ever does, pass through here. Nobody ever stops for more than a day or two.”

“And if they stop for a day or two, what is there to do?” Lancaster asked.

“Nothin’,” Dan said, “nothin’ at all.”

“Your cousin Sam said I could get anything I want here,” Lancaster said.

“Yeah, well,” Dan said, “that depends on how bad you want it.”

“Well, the food and the beer are good.”

“If you like beef stew all the time,” Dan said.

“Is that all your cousin Harry can make?”

“No,” Dan said, “he can make bacon and eggs.”

“Bacon and eggs and stew? That’s it?”

“Rolls,” Dan said. “He can bake rolls.”

“Well, that’s food and beer, anyway,” Lancaster said. “What about…other things?”

“Can’t get no supplies,” Dan said. “I mean, we could probably sell you some cartridges, let you have some coffee and bacon for the trail.”

“And that’s it?”

“What else is there?”

“Women?”

Dan made a face.

“You can have a woman if you don’t mind my cousin Hermione,” Dan said.

“The boys pimp out their sister?”

“Don’t let them fool you,” Dan said. “Hermione is the one in charge.”

“Really? I heard she was the baby of the litter.”

“She’s also the only one with any brains.”

“What about you?” Lancaster asked. “You seem to have some brains.”

“I’m only a cousin,” Dan said. “Thank God.”

“So Hermione whores herself out?”

“Don’t let the smiles fool you,” Dan said. “Any one of them will do anything to make a dollar.”

Lancaster took another measured swallow.

“You want another?”

“No, this is good. So tell me, why would anyone actually come here? I mean, why would they purposely head here?”

“Here? To town?” Dan shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe they’d go to one of the ranches, but here?”

“Maybe,” Lancaster said, “I should meet your cousin Hermione.”

George turned to see who was coming down the stairs—not that it was any great mystery.

Hermione Dickson crossed to the desk and stared at her brother, whose smile seemed to freeze.

“Who’s the man who just rode in?”

“Henry says his name is Lancaster.”

“What did he want?”

“A room.”

Hermione was not a large person. In fact, all of her brothers were physically larger than her, but they were cowed by her intelligence and the force of her personality.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all he asked for.”

Hermione looked inward and said, “It don’t make sense. He must be here for somethin’.”

“Well,” her brother said, “we got all night to find out what.”