Crow Bait

Forty-nine

In the morning Lancaster went to the livery to make sure Crow Bait would be ready to travel.

“Hey, mister,” the liveryman said, “your horse just about ate me outta oats.”

“He’s got a good appetite.”

“I know! And it don’t show on ’im. But don’t you worry, I’ll have him ready to travel.”

“Much obliged. Maybe about midday.”

He left the livery and went back to Bessie’s for breakfast. The young waitress served him but didn’t make any conversation.

After breakfast he figured he had two stops to make. He had to talk to Ray and to Sheriff Manning. He had to talk to Manning first, because the Broken Branch wasn’t open yet.

As he entered the sheriff’s office, he was struck by how cramped it was.

“I know,” Manning said, when he saw the look on Lancaster’s face. “They’re supposed to be building a new jail. That’s why I was goin’ to a meeting yesterday.”

“How’d it come out?”

“Not good,” the lawman said. “Half the town council thinks they need a church. Another church.”

“Too bad. What’s the other half say?”

“That’s what the mayor is workin’ on. You come to say good-bye?”

“Almost,” Lancaster said. “I still have to talk to Ray this morning. What time’s the Broken Branch open?”

“Ten, but hell, go over and bang on the door. He’s usually in earlier to clean the place up and get it set up for the day.”

“Thanks,” Lancaster said. “The quicker I talk to him, the sooner I can be on my way.”

“I hope you find what you’re lookin’ for,” the lawman said.

“I will,” Lancaster said.

“You sound sure.”

“I am,” Lancaster said, “because I won’t stop until I do find them.”

He left the sheriff’s office, crossed over to the Broken Branch, and banged on the locked door.

Ray opened the door and peered out at Lancaster through one good eye. The other one was swollen shut.

“Hey, come in,” he said, backing away. “You want some breakfast?”

“I ate,” Lancaster said. “What happened to your eye?”

“I ran into two friends of Sweet’s last night,” he said.

Lancaster followed him to a table in the back, where he was eating ham and eggs.

“Coffee?” Ray offered.

“Yeah, I’ll take a cup.”

Ray got up, went behind the bar, and came back with another cup, which he filled from the pot already on the table.

“Anyway, I was askin’ some questions about your man Sweet—”

“I didn’t want you to get in trouble, Ray,” Lancaster said. “I just wanted you to see what you could remember.”

“Well, I was askin’ anyway, and apparently your boy Sweet’s got friends all over the place. These boys heard I was askin’ and they paid me a visit. Jumped me outside when I left for home. Said I better stop askin’ questions if I knew what was good for me.”

“Then what happened?”

“Well, I gave as good as I got, and they ran off. Guess they figured me for an easier mark.”

“Know who they were?”

“Strangers passin’ through,” Ray said. “Not even here for a day. You know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think they’re on their way to meet Sweet,” Ray said.

“And you don’t know their names?”

“Sorry.”

“What’d they look like?”

Ray described two men who could have been outlaws or cowpokes. There was nothing unusual about them except for one thing.

“One of them was wearing a big silver ring on his right hand,” Ray said, pointing to his eye. “That’s how I got this.”

“Silver ring,” Lancaster said. “That’s better than nothing. Thanks, Ray.”

“I figure they stayed the night and left this mornin’,” Ray said. “You can check at the livery when you pick up your horse.”

“I’ll do that. Hey, let me give you something for that eye.”

“Give me enough to buy a steak.”

“To put on your eye?”

“No, for supper tonight,” Ray said. “I love a good steak smothered in onions.”

Lancaster passed over some money and said, “Here, have two.”

Lancaster picked up Crow Bait and asked the liveryman about two men leaving earlier that morning.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Looked like they been in a dustup, too. All bruised and such.”

“Did they say anything about where they were going?” Lancaster said. “Maybe something they didn’t know you could hear?”

“All I heard them say was that they better get their asses goin’,” the liveryman said. “They had to meet some other fella.”

“Did they say where?”

“No,” he said, “but they rode west.”

“West? You sure?”

“I know which way is west, young feller.”

“I’m sure you do,” Lancaster said. “Can you tell me anything about their horses?”

“Like what?”

Lancaster took a few dollars from his pocket and handed them over to the startled man. “Like anything that might help me track them?”

“Well, now that you mention it,” the liveryman said, “their horses coulda used some new shoes…”