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The request for a ranger hadn’t been all pretense, Ferg re stock—a few anih to make a noticeable difference But his foreman, who kept a close tally, had iven McCade ti him up to be shot

Ferg was pouring a second shot of bourbon to cal Bull Tyler’s angry voice on the other end of the call As soon as he heard it, Ferg knew his scheone off the rails

“If you’re , you’ll find the Whoever stole them and left theot two hours to get them the hell off my property, or they’ll be dead meat”

The slahed as he replaced the receiver in its cradle The plan, a long shot to begin with, hadn’t worked But nevera vintage 1947 Buick This one was even legal All he had to do was charet her land back The rest would be like shooting fish in a barrel

He pushed his hefty frame up from behind his desk and walked out onto the front porch The hands who’d driven the cows into the box canyon last night were close by and could be called to herd them home No problem But one question remained

What had happened to McCade?

More than an hour had passed since Tanner had watched Rose leave and heard her ride off Sitting on his horse and drinking froain so a few minutes more for his head to clear, he’d turned the horse back toward the canyon and the lowing of the stolen cattle He’d felt as if the devil were drilling on his skull But he had a job to do That job was to investigate and stop the cattle rustling

Instead of going straight in, as he had when he’d been shot, he’d made a wide circle and approached the canyon froround and the rocks beforein close He’d found the Prescott steers alone in the canyon, with rope strung between the rocks at thethen of vehicle tracks

Puzzled, he’d backed off, holed up in a stand of cedars, and waited on the off-chance that the rustlers ht return When, after forty-five o back to his roo headache, and return in time to wait for dark, when the cattle would most likely be loaded and moved

Waiting, he’d had plenty of tie his wound, her breast brushing his shoulder, her breath warainst his ear The lady had definitely stirred his blood But he’d be a fool to buy her story about riding out here with two young Tyler boys and having to leave to catch up with them For all he knew, she was the lookout for the rustlers and she’d hurried off to warn them away

Now, as he rode back toward the ranch, Tanner saw three riders approaching He recognized them as cowhands from the Prescott ranch

“Well, look at you, McCade,” one of the et run over by a cattle stampede?”

“Long story, Lem,” Tanner muttered “What are you boys doin’ out here?”

“The boss sent us out to fetch some cows that ended up on the Rimrock,” the man named Lem answered “Seems somebody found ’em and called the boss to come herd ’em back He said as to keep an eye out for you on the way Sweet Jesus, you look like you got kicked by a ot yourself shot”