Mountain Woman Snake River Blizzard (4 page)

“We can do that
. 
I’l
l bring your horse back here a
nd then come get you when the boys go home.”

“
That’
ll work,” she said.  “Mr. Engledow has to go to work about then.  If he goes to her home, it will be before then.”

Roy
and Dan
were nervous the nex
t morning.  “Mom told us Kate i
s going to our house
this afternoo
n to confront Mr. Engledow,” Roy
said.
 
“Mom’s
worried about her and what he’
ll do to them.”

“Kate has taken down a lot tougher men than Bob Engledow,” Man said.

“Will she shoot him?” Roy asked.

“Only as a last resort, but if he attacks her, yes, she’ll shoot and she won’t miss.”

Kate wore her
case
buck
skins
,
as she felt more
comfortable in them.  Her twin W
alkers were on her hips and both rifles were in scabbards on her saddle.

Man rode at her side on Arabian.  He was frisky as this was the first time out of the corral in a few days.   Red Bird was prancing around
, as well.  T
he brisk fall air was to their liking.

Roy
and Dan
gave them instructions on how to find their
home.  They rode by a
house before
reaching the Shobert
home. 
“From what the boys sa
id, that’s where Engledow lives,
”
Man said.
  The last house on the road was a log cabin, very similar to the one they
’d
left in the mountains near The Fort.

Kate smiled at seeing it.  “This cabin brings back some cherished memories.   Our life together started in a place like this.”

“I know,” Man said.  “But, I suspect you like your new home much better.”

“Of course I do. 
I love it.”

They dismounted
,
walked to the door
,
and knocked.  “Lucille,
its
Kate.”

Lucille opened the door for them.  It was almost dark inside with only one lamp lit.  She invited them inside and peeked out.  It was obvious she was nervous.

“He’ll see the horses and won’t come in,” she said.

“I’m going to take them and come back with the boys at quitting time,” Man said.

“I’ll light another lamp.  Oil is so expensive, when I’m here alone, I use only one.”

Kate saw a bolt of cloth
on the table.  “Are you sewing?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m making a dress for a woman.  I make all of her clothing.”

“As dark as it is in here, you’ll ruin your eyes.  Maybe after today, the money you and the boys have saved can be used to buy things you need.
  If the note he holds is bogus, that threat will end.”

“I need to move out,” Man said.  He went to Kate and gave her a hug.  “I’ll bring in your rifle.”

He went outside and came back in jacking a bullet into the firing chamber and adding another to the magazine.  “It’s ready if you need it.”

She pulled her Walker Colts and slipped another bullet in the pistols.

Lucille
w
as watching with big eyes as Kate loaded the pistols.  “Does Engledow carry a pistol?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lucille said.  “And I’ve seen a knife he has in a scabbard inside his pants.
It has a very long blade.”

She blushed as she realized what she
’d
said.

“We understand
why he comes here,” Kate said.

Man went to door and opened it.  “Don’t give him any advantage,” he said.

“I won’t,” Kate said.  “He won’t get close.”

Kate’s eyes were ad
justing to the semi-darkness.

“Do you want me to light another lamp in case he comes?” Lucille asked.

“No, my eyes have adjusted.
  If Engledow does come, that’
ll give me the advantage.
  His eyes won’t be adjusted coming in from the bright sunlight.
”

They sat at the table and Kate watched Lucille sew.  Every few seconds she glanced at the door.  “How does he come in?  I mean, does he say anything, knock, or does
he open the door and come in?”

“He just op
ens
the door and looks inside. 
I think to make sure I’m alone.”

“
Then what does he do?” Kate asked.

She hesitated and her hand went to her m
outh.

“I need to know so I’ll know what to expect,” Kate said.

“He come in and starts undressing.  He tosses his clothes on the table and tells me to get naked.  If I don’t undress fast enough he slaps me or punches me.”

“Is his pistol on his
hip in a holster?” Kate asked.

“Yes,” Lucille said.

“Which side, right or left?”

“Right,” Lucille said.  “Why is that important?”

“I’m going to be beside the door when he comes in and grab his pistol.  I don’t want to be forced to shoot him if I can help it.”

She took a chair and placed it beside t
he door.  “Go ahead and sew.
I’ll be over here, ready.  Does he ride or walk here?”

“He usually rides.  He
stays until it is time for him
to go to work.”

Kate pushed the door open a crack so she could see.  She put her rifle against the
wall beside her chair
.

Lucille sat at the table and went back to work on the dress.

Kate glanced around the cabin and saw a fireplace made of rock with an iron rod across for hanging pots.  A pot was over coals and she smelled beans cooking.  She looked at the shelves on the back wall and saw only a s
ack of beans and corn
meal.  Roy
had mentioned they only ate beans and cornbread.

“Do you ever can food?” Kate asked.

“I did when we had a garden,
but since we moved here there’
s no place to grow anything.”

“Would you be interested in canning food for me on the halves?  I would furnish the food and jars.”

“Yes, I would like to do that.  The boys need vegetables.”

A noise outside caused Kate to stand and she moved closer to the door.  A big man came in and his eyes focused on Lucille
seated at the table
.

“I came by yesterday and you were gone.
”

“I was working,” Lucille whimpered.

Kate reached over and jerked the
pistol from Engledow’s holster when he took a step inside the cabin.

“Who in the hell are you?” he shouted.  “What are you doing here and why did you take my pistol?”

“
Lucille, light another lamp.  I have business with Mr. Engledow,” Kate said.

Lucille hurried to light another lamp.
  “My name is Deputy Federal
Marshal
Kate Manchester.  Now walk over there and stand still.”

“Like hell I will,” he shouted.

He took a
step toward
Kate with his fist doubled up
.

Kate pulled one of her Colts and aimed it at Engledow’s nose.  “If you swing at me, this bullet will drive your nose back through your skull,” she said as she cocked the pistol.

The sound was deafening in the tiny room.  His eyes were adjusting to the darkness now and he saw Kate more clearly with the pistol held steadily in her hand.

“What’s this all about?” Engledow demanded.  “This is between Lucille and me.  Now get the hell out of here and give me my pistol back.”

“Not hardly,” Kate said.  “Open your pants and put the knife on the table.”

“I ain’t got no knife,” he said with a couple of curse words
thrown in
.

Kate kept the pistol aimed at his nose and pulled the other Walker
,
stepped forward
,
and hit him in the side of the head.  He moaned and fell to his knees from the blow.

Kate pushed him on his
back, jerked his pants open,
and found the knife.

“You’ll pay for this
,
Lucille,” he shouted.

“I think not,” Kate said.

“I have a note for two hundred dollars.  I was giving Lucille and the
boys time to raise the money.  B
ut now, I’m going to foreclose and this cabin will be mine.  They ain’t got no pl
ace to go with winter coming on
.
”

“I want to see that note,” Kate said.

Engledow managed to stand and reached in an inside pocket on his jacket
.  He
pulled out a sheet of paper.  “It’s properly filled out and signed by Roscoe Shobert.”

Kate took the paper from his hand and walked back close to the
lamp where she could see
.  She glanced down and then back at Engledow every couple of seconds, not giving him the opportunity to charge her.

“This note will never be upheld in a court,” Kate said.

“Sure it will,” he argued.
“
I’m an upstanding citizen and everybody
will take my word over Lucille.  S
he’s a woman.”

“When I tell them that Roscoe Shobert couldn’t read or write and it was impossible for him to sign that note they might have a different opinion.   Lucille
,
how do you spell your last name?”

“S
-
h-o-b-
e
-r-
t,” she said.

“
Hum,” Kate said.  “Then w
hy is it spelled S-h-u-b-a-r-
t
here?  I’m
taking you into town and charging
you wit
h forgery and fraud.”

Before Kate saw him move, Engledow lunged forward and grabbed the paper from her hand as he shoved her backward.  By the time Kate regained her footing, Engledow had whirled around and tossed the document in the fireplace.

“Now you got nothing,” he gloated.  “The proof is ashes.”

Kate stared at him, angry at herself for not reacting fast enough. 
The man had
short stubby legs
with a barrel chest and a shaved pointed head.  A scar started under his ear, extended downward across his cheek, and ended at the point of his chin.  His dark eyes squinted with drooping eyelids giving him an evil look that would terrify little children. Two teeth were missing and tobacco juice stained his handlebar mustache.
He wore heavy miner
boots with tweed pants stuffed in the top.
 
Her finger twitched on the trigger of her gun, but sh
e forced herself to calm down.

“You
may have
destroyed the evidence on forgery
, Mr. Engledow, and
I’ll include that in my report to
Chief
Kincaid.
But, I have a
far
more serious charge to bring against you.”

“And what’s that?” he asked.

“Rape,” Kate said.  “And whose word will they take on that?  When I testify I saw the bruises and marks on her body you inflicted.  You took advantage of a wi
dow woman by using blackmail. 
In addition to that, I’m opening an investigation into th
e death of your wife.  When
word
spreads around town that that federal m
arshals s
uspect you murdered her, that’
ll do wonders for your
good
reputation
.
”

“You ain’t got no proof of anything like that,” he shouted.  “Nobody saw what happened.  She was out looking for the calf.”

“I have witnesses that the calf was in the lot when you first reported her missing.  Why would she be out looking for a calf that was in the lot?”

“The calf came back and I put him in the lot,” Engledow said
, his eyes focused on his feet, a sure sign he was lying
.

“That may be true,
” Kate said,
“
but I doubt
it
.  I think you’re lying.   B
ut
,
the damage will be done
to your reputation
.  It’s only fitting aft
er what you’ve done to Lucille.  Everybody in Coeur d’Alene will know you are charged with rape of a fragile widow woman.  I’ll make sure the newspaper has a reporter on hand when you are hauled into jail in handcuffs.”