Free Brothers in Blood by Dusty Richards

boys. While she put together a hot meal, Cole and Jesus took care of the horses.
    Marge had coffee with them while they ate. After a good meal and some small talk, Chet’s two men promised to be ready at daylight to meet Roamer and try to locate the breed camp. Then they headed for the bunkhouse.
    After he thanked Monica for feeding them, Chet and his wife went upstairs to their bedroom.
    â€œEverything alright down there at the ranch?” she asked.
    â€œYes, Tom has things running better than smooth.”
    â€œWho is this breed that Roamer is after?”
    â€œJack Kay. I don’t know him, but he’s broken the law.”
    â€œYou be careful. Those men on the run get desperate.”
    â€œOn top of that, Simms has threatened to fire Roamer again.”
    â€œOh, that man has lost his mind, hasn’t he?”
    â€œI guess. I may talk to him about it.”
    She kissed him. “Don’t lose your temper with him.”
    â€œI’ll try to act nice.”
    The next morning, Roamer met them and they rode over to talk to Hampt. He and his men were feeding hay, and his two stepsons were riding their horses around the herd. The boys loped over to meet them.
    â€œYou two okay today?” Chet asked them.
    â€œReally riding our horses hard. Lots of herding for us to do.”
    â€œWell, I see you’re doing a good job gathering them up.”
    He told them to keep up the good work and rode over where the others talked with Hampt.
    Roamer reined his horse around. “He says that camp is across the river and north of your property. Let’s go see if we can find him.” He moved his horse off and Jesus and Cole followed.
    Chet lingered for a few words with Hampt. “Cattle look good,” he said.
    â€œIf I didn’t have to run off Rankin’s cattle, it would be easier.”
    â€œI imagine it would be. How’s the fencing coming along?”
    â€œGood. We’re really moving on that.”
    â€œAny problems?”
    â€œJust doing it.” Hampt laughed. “We’re fine. Good to see you. JD doing all right?”
    â€œI think so. He ain’t himself yet.”
    â€œThat can come. I promised May I’d do something for her today, or I’d go along with you.”
    â€œTake care of her.” Chet set out at a lope after the others, but taking time to look around at the land. This country had lots of junipers and some sagebrush about it. Everything tilted east from the ranch house to the hayfields below on the Verde. The previous owners had badly overgrazed this ranch. It would be several years recovering.
    The others were way off the mountain before he caught up with them. Before long, he spotted a trail of smoke to the north. He pointed it out and they agreed it came from a campfire across the river.
    Headed toward the smoke, they passed the fencing crew rolling out wire from a reel slipped on a smooth post. They had two wires up and were working on the third one of five. New posts set in a straight line and stays, to be placed between the posts to keep the wire in place, were on the ground. Looked good to him. It would look better when completed. He spoke briefly to the fence crew and rode on.
    They crossed the Verde at a ford where a cut in the far bank allowed them to ride up on top on the other side. The camp was spread out and little children ran for wickiups at the sight of them. Someone opened fire at them and they dismounted and returned a shot or two.
    â€œThere’s three of them shooting at us,” Chet said. “Be careful not to shoot a woman or child.”
    When there was a break in the gunfire, they divided up, crouched low, and ran for the camp. But the shooters had taken cover in some tall junipers.
    Chet heard a baby cry, then a small teenage girl ducked coming out of her shelter. Bare-breasted despite the cold air, she carried a crying baby.
    â€œIs he all right?” Chet