Jess kept his eyes locked on Mattie. She had greeted him only with a quick glance then her focus had stayed glued to Slim.
Slim's anger showed in his voice, "You letting him do your talking, Val?"
Jim replied, "I'm her foreman."
"Seems the trouble all began right around the time you started working for the Kings."
Jim's eyes darkened. "You trying to put the blame on me? You're the one with the gunslinger on the payroll."
Jess started to speak, but Slim spoke first, "Jess is my hired hand. No more than that. The fact that he can handle a gun don't make him a gunslinger."
"And it don't snow in Wyoming in the winter," Val responded. "Slim, who are you trying to fool? He's a gun hawk if I ever saw one."
Mattie's eyes slid to Jess' gun.
"Why do you need a gunman on your payroll?" Jim challenged.
"You look like you're no stranger yourself to using a gun," Jess cut in before Slim could respond.
Jim's eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Jess. "You may just find out."
"Val, there ain't no need for trouble!" Slim argued. "I didn't take your cattle. Jess here was only getting our calf back. Jess is new. He didn't know he was on your land."
Jim threatened, "You get on our land again-"
"I thought it was the Kings' land," Slim cut in. "Val, I don't want trouble between our spreads. Our outfits have always gotten along. Our fathers were good friends."
Val warned, "Slim, keep off my land. And keep your hired gun off too. Next time we'll shoot to kill."
Jess' temper burst, "That's the second time today one of you Kings has threatened-"
"Mister, that's no threat!" Val cut in. "That's a promise."
"You're talking range war!" Slim snapped.
"It's up to you. You keep off our property; we'll have no trouble. But you even take one step on my land and it'll be your last." Val turned her horse.
Slim grabbed the reins of her horse. "What's got into you? If your Pa knew how you were behaving-"
"You leave my Pa out of this! I had you figured wrong. And he did too!"
"If you'd just listen-"
"I've heard all I'm going to hear. I know why your gun man was on my land," Val shot back. "Mattie found more cattle missing today."
"You accusing me of rustling?" Jess snarled.
Val eyed Jess with disdain. "I'm sure you've been accused of a lot of things." She turned away as if the sight of him disgusted her.
Jess looked as if he had been slapped.
Val warned, "Slim, I mean every word I say. You stay off my land. And that goes for your gunslinger too. Shoot to kill. You've been warned!"
She pulled hard on the reins causing the horse to jump, forcing Slim to let go of this animal. She then turned her horse and rode off, spraying dust in her trail.
Jim said quickly, "You're right. I can use a gun. And I will. You best remember that."
Jess took a step off the porch, but Jim rode away before he could stop him. But Jess did stop Mattie's horse. "You and me got something to settle."
"Jess!" Slim pulled Jess' hand away from the horse's rein. "Mattie, you got to believe me. I ain't been taking your cattle. You got to talk some sense into your sister before there's bloodshed."
"Slim, there won't be any killing on our part if you stay off our land. That goes for him too."
Slim asked, "Did you at least follow the tracks of the cattle?"
"They were heading in the direction of your property. Just like all them other tracks we found. I lost the trail after a mile or two right before I got to where the fence had been cut."
"Slim, I fixed that fence," Jess explained. "But I didn't see any tracks."
"Didn't figure you would," Mattie replied.
Jess' glare was frightening, but Mattie didn't look away.
Slim tried to reason, "Mattie, you've known me all your life-"
"And I've known how cash poor you've been." Her eyes surveyed relay station. "You've made a lot of improvements in the last couple of months."
Slim nodded, "That's right. Since I've started the relay station. Stage line said I had to."
"Them improvements must have cost money. And I hear gunslingers don't come cheap."
Jess' frown was so big that his face looked cracked. Slim glanced worriedly at Jess. But Jess only took a deep breath to chase away his own anger.
Slim argued, "Mattie, if you're thinking-"
"Slim, I don't know what to think about all of this. Our ranches are side by side, yet we're the only one with cattle getting stolen. And all the while you're spending money to fix up this place. Does makes a body wonder."
"Not if you know Slim like you said you knew him!" Jess defended. "Even if I seen Slim rustle with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it unless he told me different. 'Cause I know even if Slim was starving he wouldn't-"
"It's all right, Jess," Slim's smile showed his gratitude for Jess' loyalty. "Let her say her peace."
Mattie said, "I don't want trouble. But that's up to you, Slim. If either of you step even an inch on our land, you're going to draw against Jim. And he's good. He's real good."
"Mattie, I don't want you or Val hurt. You've got to know that Jim is no ordinary ranch hand."
"Neither is Jess Harper," she shot back. Mattie turned her horse and galloped out of the yard.
Jess moved to Slim. "What do you think?"
"I wish she hadn't lost the trail."
"Maybe we should check it out ourselves." Jess started for his horse.
Slim grabbed Jess's arm. "Hold it! You know what they said! We get on their land-"
"Slim, you ain't scared of that foreman are you?"
"It's not that! I don't want a range war to break out. And I don't want more trouble with the Kings." Slim sighed. "You think he is a hired gun?"
"I'd bet on it. You notice the way he wore his gun? I'd say he's used it a time or two."
"Don't make sense. Val ain't the kind who would-"
"She seemed to me the kind to start a range war. Almost like she wants a fight with you."
"Maybe she does have a good reason to dislike me."
Jess' eyebrow shot up.
Slim added, "But I didn't steal her cattle. Let's take a look at them tracks."
"That-a-boy! Now you're talking!"
"You both hold it right there," Jonesy said stepping off the porch and joining them in the yard. "You two go riding on their land, and it's a sure way to start trouble."
Jess answered quickly, "We might just find out who's responsible."
Jonesy said, "And you might just find a bullet firing at you too. And it won't do you any good if a bullet hits you. Slim, think of Andy."
"But Jonesy-" Jess started to argue.
Jonesy cut in, with his hand raised for silence, "All I'm saying is let things simmer down. Give it a week. Right now Val's temper is blazing. Don't give her more ammunition to get angry. Now I got hot coffee on the stove. How about all of us sitting down and having some?"
Slim nodded. "Jess, Jonesy's right."
"Of course, I'm right. And don't look so surprised."
A smile tugged at Slim's lips. "I guess we do need to give it some time. For all our tempers to cool off."
"Then we ain't going to look?" Jess sounded disappointed.
"Oh, we'll look. Just not today or tomorrow. But soon. Real soon."
