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“What tipped the scale?”
“Hay,” E into oing down One time it looked like a rotten fence post, and another rusted-out wire—the sort of things that could lead you to think you were having a streak of bad luck Anyway, you add the drought in and I didn’t get enough hay out of the field to feedto buy some, there wasn’t any to be found within fiftythey needed it to winter-feed their cattle The cost of i hay from up north was more than I could afford Which meant I had to sell off part ofthe price down There I sat without enough iveto buy the place That’s when I started seeing his hand in all that had gone on before”
Quint couldn’t help observing, “That’s notyour hat on”
Ee was cagey”
“Just the same, that’s a stretch”
“Think so, do you?” He threw Quint a look of disgust “I guess I didn’t mention that I told him to take his offer and stick it where the sun don’t shine That’s when theoff to die froas tank, places where I’d had credit for years suddenly de etting poisoned, cattle rustled I htened up on hi in a deep breath, and continued “Rutledge bought it out of foreclosure The Hoalledand see Slash R cattle out thegrazing on e wanted the house for one of his hired hands to live in, the strangest thing happened” A dark light danced in his eyes “The house caught on fire Musta happened shortly after I left for town”
“What did the insurance company say?”
“They wouldn’t pay up,” Eured Rutledge was to blame Now folks around here are even more afraid to cross him”
The pickup rattled to a halt alongside Quint’s rental car The oldwheel and angled around to face Quint
“Understand, now, Rutledge isn’t what you’d call a greedy man,” Empty said “He only wants land that butts up to his And it looks like he’s after the Cee Bar So youto be co is the subtle kind, aie probably figures your boss won’t want to hang on to a ranch that’s a losing proposition, ’specially one located so far from the home spread”
“I’ll pass the word” Quint reached for the door handle and sh, if you push a Calder into a corner, he co every time”
The oldas he considered Quint’s words “You know,” he began thoughtfully, “there isn’t anywhere I need to be for a while If you want, I can give you a hand unloading that grain Seeing how I’m the one who turned your horses out, I could catch them up for you, too”
Quint accepted “I’d appreciate the help”
Chapter Four
A fewthe pickup into the feed store’s parking lot and pulled up in front of the door The chalky white dust had barely settled to the ground when Dallas walked out of theherself against the backrest and pulled off the feed store cap that trapped her hair atop her head She dropped the cap on the seat and dug her fingers into her scalp