Free Train From Marietta by Dorothy Garlock Page B

who knows the land.”
    Tate nodded in agreement. “If there’s any easy money to be made, Hayden would know about it. Speaking of money, is your friend going to pay the ransom?”
    “He’ll pay. He’d do anything to get his daughter back.” Lyle stared at Tate for a moment to let the weight of his words sink in. “There was one strange thing about the ransom note, though.”
    “What?”
    “According to John, it was mailed from right there in New York City. That means that somebody back there is the ramrod. Probably the brains of it all, more than likely. How would Hayden get involved with someone in New York?”
    “Possibly through that lawyer over in Alpine, the one that represented him when I filed the charges against him last time for rustling.”
    “That’s a thought.”
    “Either way, if Hayden’s involved, that woman’s life is in danger.” Tate flicked his cigarette out into the yard. “Jorge and I need to get the horses ready that I sold to the army. The commander of the fort is sending a detail for them. But I can take a couple of days and see what I can find out.”
    “Thanks, Tate. If anyone can trace that girl, it’s you. You’re the best tracker in the area.”
    “I’ll send you a wire if I find anything.”
    “No need. As soon as I hear back from John, I plan on coming back this way. You can tell me then.”
    “If there’s anything there, it won’t take me long to find it.”
    “Fair enough.” Lyle puffed on his cigar and patted his stomach. “Well, I guess I’d better head on back to Alpine. I’ve got some business there before I can go back to Waco. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Hard times bring out the worst in some folks.”
    “You’re welcome to spend the night, Lyle,” Tate offered.
    “Thanks, but I better head on out. Good to see you, Jorge.” Lyle extended his hand as Jorge stood and took it.
    Tate walked with Lyle toward the man’s automobile. The night had become cooler and was made even more so by a light breeze from the northeast. Old Bob lay in the yard gnawing on a deer bone.
    “If this Tyler woman is the same woman I saw on the train, I’m not sure how safe she’ll be out in this country. She didn’t look the type that could blow her own nose, much less defend herself with someone like Hayden.” In his mind, Tate could still see her standing on the platform in her city clothes. Pretty and helpless.
    “Then I think we’d better find her as quick as we can,” Lyle said as he got into his automobile. “John Tyler’s a friend, and even if he wasn’t, I’d still want to find the woman. I hate to think of her out there in the wilds with Hayden.”
    “I’ll do what I can.”
    “I know you will, Tate,” Lyle said as he put the vehicle into gear. “I know you will.”
    Tate watched the car go down the road until he could no longer see the taillights. He went back and sat on the porch beside Jorge. His foreman passed him a cigarette, and the two men smoked in silence for a couple of moments. Tate looked off into the Texas night.
    “What do you think of all this, Jorge?” he finally asked.
    “You do what you must do, señor.”
    “What about the horses?”
    “A couple of days not matter. The horses ready for delivery. Patrol not get here until next week.”
    “I want to be here when they come for them. This sale’s important. But before I go we’ll talk about it, just in case I don’t get back in time.”
    The two men parted for the evening. Tate went into the house, stopped in his daughter’s room, and placed a kiss on her forehead, then went into his own bedroom. He undressed quickly and slid between the cool fresh sheets.
    There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed in your own house on your own land. The older I get, the more I appreciate it.
    Tate lay on his back with his hands under his head. Thoughts of the woman filled his mind. She had embarrassed the hell out of him. He hadn’t thought that he could possibly feel sorry