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“He’s beautiful; part wolf, isn’t he?”
“He is…” Again, he was astonished.
As innocent as the girl might be, she was not ignorant of animals, Sam noted.
“I thought so, such beautiful eyes. Why’d you name him Nodog? That’s a right peculiar name for a dog.”
“He was given to me by a friend, an Indian friend. Chase had nursed him back to health as he’d been attacked by a bear. He said, ‘He’s a good one, but he is no dog.’ So that’s what I named him, Nodog.”
“Pretty clever. I don’t reckon I would have thought of it. Your friend’s name was Chase?”
“Chase Rivers, a breed.”
“Oh well, that explains it. Indians always have such interesting names.”
“So what exactly is your trouble, ma’am?” Sam asked, going back to his digging. “I mean, other than being out in the middle of nowhere with no buggy or horse.”
“It’s kind of a long story, but then…I guess with diggin’ a grave, you got the time to listen. Everything was fine ‘til this morning.” She began once more trying to answer his question. “Then all hell broke loose.”
Sam knew from experience that he shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t show his curiosity, but a woman in the middle of nowhere with no horse or buggy confused him, especially a woman dressed in pants, like a man. This was no ordinary female.
“Wait, wait, start at the beginning. You’re name don’t tell me much.” Sam tried to be patient with her lack of understanding. “Since I’m not from around these parts, name’s wouldn’t mean much to me.”
“I guess that makes sense. I’m sorry. I’m George Morgan’s daughter,” she explained as though that said it all. Again, she waited.
Sam shrugged. “Okay, like I said, names don’t mean much to me.”
She squinted up at him, and moved her head out of the sun. “I thought everyone either knew my father or knew of him. He’s one of the biggest ranchers in these parts. Or was.”
“Or was. Does that mean he’s no longer with us?” Sam asked.
Looking thoughtful, she nodded. “You really aren’t from around here, or you’d know who I was talkin’ about, and that he was dead. He died a few months ago. He had a bad heart and a wild bronc to tame. The two didn’t mix. I’m his only daughter, his only kin, well practically. So naturally I took over the ranch. Nothing unusual about that, except I’m a girl.” She stopped and looked at him. “And it’s one of the biggest ranches in the territory.”
Sam’s expression didn’t change and she seemed surprised.
“My God, this water is so good.” She sighed, licking her lips.
“I can see you’re a might thirsty.”
“A might.” She smiled. “Thanks…” She took the canteen in both hands and turned it up and sipped it slowly, enjoying it as though she’d hadn’t had a drink all day. Sam watched her out of the corner of his eye. Once she was full, she put the lid on it and wrapped it around the saddle horn. She walked back over and sat down on the hard earth once more, watching him.
“But it wasn’t hard taking the ranch over from my dad. I mean it wasn’t like I didn’t work there every day of my life. I can ride, shoot, and do figures as good as the next rancher. Anyway…as I said everything went like always ‘til this morning, when my foreman Harry Stevens took a gun to me. I got away, as fast as I could. The ranch hands were in on it with him, I soon found out. There were too many of them. I couldn’t do anything but run. So that’s why I’m out here in the middle of nowhere without a horse,” she explained and looked up at him once more.
“Why would your foreman suddenly take a gun to you? You get into a squabble with him or somethin’?” Sam stared at her for a long time. She was trouble and he knew it. But she’d become his trouble he realized with regret.
“Not really. He asked to marry up with me and I told him no, of course.”
Sam squinted up at her. “Of course…”
“Well, it’s not like he’d been courtin’ me or anything.” Riley shrugged with indignation. “I had no relations with the man other than as my foreman, so I found the proposal a little stunning. He’d never mentioned an interest to my father, when he was alive. Dad always said I was pretty plain so I sure didn’t expect him to propose, although I realize that would be one way of takin’ the place over. He didn’t take too kindly to the turn down, though. But I never expected him to turn violent on me, either. I got along go
od with the boys on the ranch, most of them.”
“You mean he didn’t love ya?” Sam asked, his face screwing up with confusion. “You sayin’ in one breath he asked you to marry and in another to kill ya?”
“No, of course he didn’t love me. I guess they wanted the ranch, and decided to take it from me,” she huffed indignantly. “I guess they figured it would be easy, and so far, they are right.”
“They? There’s more than one? I mean, you are sure the other hands are in on it too?”
