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Garvey answered him just the same “He never said one word”

“Good” Chase nodded in satisfaction and sht, boys We appreciate it” As soon as the two men had left the den, he switched his attention to Ty “Did Tara say anything outside?”

“Just the usual s across his knee “But you can bet she was confused and annoyed that we didn’t accept the deal She’ll be back Probably not for a few days, but she will be in touch”

“I’ht frown creasing his forehead “There was one thing she said tonight that rang true Outside of our own men, no one knows the Triple C better than Buck Haskell He has ridden every hill and gully on this ranch—and can tell you every back trail and which one is the quickest or shortest way to anywhere” He swiveled the leather chair around to stare at the framed map “And she has him planted damned near in the middle of it all”

Ty studied the h to try anything”

“Maybe Then again,his chair back around “The s is to play it safe and pass the word toe vehicles traveling over the ranch roads”

“Consider it done” Ty idly adjusted the he its line over his boots

But Chase wasn’t finished “Does O’Rourke still prowl around?”

“Not as ht of him, usually if Cat’s in the vicinity Why?”

Chase reached for the telephone “I think I’ll have Cat ask O’Rourke to keep his eyes peeled for anything unusual or suspicious He is one s aboutseen”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Ty questioned the decision “Buck used him once before And O’Rourke has never had any love for either one of us He only tolerates us for Cat’s sake”

“Good point Just the sa like that happens again” Chase slipped on his reading glasses again to punch his daughter’s telephone number

The nextTy spread the word for everyone to keep a lookout for any strange vehicle traveling within the Triple C boundaries He alsothat Tara had offered to lease thee—and they had refused

Each time the reaction was the same After a moment or two of stunned disbelief cae was clear to all—the Calders would not be dancing to whatever tune Tara chose to call, as et the land back, no one knew But they were confident that the Calders would find a way—their way

Within days after the ent out, the telephone at The Ho off the wall—not with reports of unknown vehicles being sighted, but with complaints over the marked increase of air traffic over the ranch’s north and east quadrants