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The barn was sound, without so much as a shingle out of place. The boards from the old, demolished outbuildings had been gathered and stacked, to be used on new sheds. Wind had scattered these around the yard. Several slabs of wood had blown against the pasture fence, loosening the wires. So far, there was nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed.
Walking around to the back of the house, he found a half dozen tree limbs blown down. These could be gathered and cut up for firewood later. Everything else appeared fine, except that . . . Logan froze in his tracks. Something was different.
A moment passed before he realized what it was.
The creek that flowed in its bed, a few yards from where he stood, had run low over the rainless weeks. By now, it was so shallow that rocks thrust above the water, fish were trapped in the deeper holes, and the current flowed with a gurgling sound. That sound was gone.
Walking to the edge of the bank, Logan saw that the water level had risen at least eight inches. Most of the rocks were covered now, the current flowing smoothly around them—almost as if it had been dammed somewhere downstream.
Maybe a tree had blown over in the night, catching debris until it had formed a solid dam. Hopefully, he’d be able to move it out of the way by himself.
Minutes later he found it—not a tree at all but a rock barrier across the creek bed, covered with a canvas tarpaulin to keep any water from flowing past. Beyond the dam, the creek bed was almost bare. Someone had put this up after the storm—and as Logan looked ahead, he knew who, and why.
Coming toward him along the bank were four riders. Blake Dollarhide was in the lead, with three of his hands coming behind them. All of them were armed with rifles. One of them held a bundle of what looked like dynamite sticks.
Unarmed, Logan braced himself for a showdown.
Damn you, Webb Calder!he swore silently.Damn you to hell!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM, HUNTER,” BLAKEbarked. “If I ever doubted you were a loyal Calder, I know better now. We’re going to blast this dam to kingdom come, and then we’ll decide what to do with you.”
Logan forced himself to speak calmly. “I’m not armed, Blake. And I swear on my life I didn’t do this.”
Blake sneered. “A likely story. I know Webb wants to put me out of business. You’re his flesh and blood, and you follow his orders.”
“I don’t follow anybody’s orders,” Logan said. “You know I’ve always been fair with you, letting you use the wagon road and letting your share of the creek water flow on down to your property. I’ve even hired your father-in-law to build my barn, with lumber I’m buying from you. Why would I do this now?”
“Because you’re a Calder, and the dam is on your property. If that dam stays, you can divert all the water onto your pasture. Then you and Webb can laugh and share a drink while my animals are dying of thirst.”
Logan thought fast. Webb was devilishly clever. With this one act, he’d set his two enemies against each other. This, he realized, was how range wars started.
Kristin could prove that he hadn’t been here long enough to build the dam. But Blake was her brother. Involving her would only add fuel to the fire. He would have to weigh every word he spoke.
Blake started forward on his horse, but Logan held up a hand to stop him. “Look at the ground where I’m standing,” he said. “Look at the hoofprints and boot prints around me. I have one horse and no ranch hands. There had to be at least three men building that dam.”
“So? Webb could have sent you all the help you needed.”
“He could have, but I wasn’t here. When did you first notice the empty creek?”
“This morning, when we got up to check the stock.”
“Look, then. There’s no dust on the top of the dam. And these tracks would’ve been covered or blown away. The dam was put up after the storm,” Logan said. “And I just got home this morning. I hesitate to say this, but I spent the night in town with a very obliging lady. I could give you her name, but a gentleman never tells. And I’m sure that you, as a gentleman, would never ask.”
Blake mouthed a curse. “Even if I believed you, why would Webb send his men to dam the creek on your property? None of this water is going to him.”
“Webb and I had a falling-out. The reason doesn’t matter. But if he can get the two of us fighting each other, he comes out the winner. Now, what do you say we get rid of this dam and get back to minding our own business?”
At a nod from Blake, the men dismounted and left their horses at a safe distance. One man, who appeared to know what he was doing, set the dynamite and detonator and strung out the fuse. Logan stayed back, letting them have the big-boy satisfaction of blowing the thing up. It was only then that he noticed what one of the horses was carrying.
A bundle of dry wooden stakes, of the size to be lit as torches, was slung from the saddle. From the other side hung two jugs of kerosene.
His flesh went cold as he realized what would have happened if he hadn’t been here to speak for himself. Blake and his men wouldn’t have been satisfied with blowing up the dam. Logan would have come home to find the house and barn in smoking ruins.
The men hunkered down and plugged their ears as the dam exploded with an earth-shattering blast and a shower of dirt and pebbles. Water gushed downstream, slowing as it spread.
Blake’s hired hands mounted up again. Their boss didn’t speak as they turned around and headed toward the Dollarhide Ranch. Logan waited until he was sure they were out of sight. Then he walked slowly back along the creek to the house.
