Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5
     






     Nine Mile let O'Malley nap most of the afternoon. About dark O'Malley woke up feeling rested, but his arm was stiff and very sore. 
     Nine Mile was cooking supper. "How is the arm?"
     "Sore as hell." grumbled O'Malley.
     "Serves you right for playing gunfighter and protecting a widow woman." teased Nine Mile.
     "Now surely, you are not dumb enough to get that 'gunfighter' all riled up are you?" parried O'Malley.
     "You’re right. Your seedy reputation alone is enough to scare me to death." chuckled Nine Mile.
     After supper, Nine Mile and O'Malley talked strategy and discussed "puzzle parts" to the mystery of Tom's death.
     O'Malley and Nine Mile compared the list of land Slade had registered in Billings against the list Nine Mile had found in Red Lodge. None of the land was the same, so Slade had bought a great deal more land than just around Red Lodge. 
     "Why would Tom and Slade want land down the valley?" O'Malley asked.
     "I haven't got the slightest idea. If you offered all the land they bought to me, I wouldn't give you five dollars for all of it. Most of it isn't even decent graze land. Most of it don't have water for cattle. No body could farm that much land. Don't make no sense at all." Nine Mile grumbled.
    "I think it isn't land so much, as something else. Tom was shot when he was on his way to Grant’s ranch. I think what ever he was going to talk to Grant about has a lot more to do with his killing. Not so much the land. He only had a few acres. Slade wouldn't kill him over one small piece." O'Malley reasoned.
     "Slade sent Catman to gun me down.  But, I don't own any land and haven't tried to buy any. Slade must want me killed because he thinks I know the 'secret information' Tom wrote about." O'Malley continued. "Problem is, I don't have the slightest idea what the secret is."
      "Well you will just have to get out and see Grant." Nine Mile suggested.
      "Another thing. I saw Catman in jail down in Meeteetse when I picked up a letter from my brother from the sheriff. I told the sheriff my name, and I remember Catman looking at me. It didn't mean anything to me at the time, but I am sure when he got back to Red Lodge he must have told Slade I was Tom's brother. Since I am going to tell Kate the whole story tonight, I may as well tell the sheriff the whole story and pickup Tom's personal belongings. There may be some information there that will help us solve this mystery."
   "I'll take care of that tomorrow, but right now I need to get to Kate's by eight o'clock.   
    O'Malley shaved, washed up, changed his shirt and jeans and combed his hair. He took a lot of ribbing from Nine Mile about getting all "duded up". 
     As O'Malley walked out of the cabin Nine Mile hollered after him, "The dumbest creature on God's green earth is 'a buck in the rut'."

     O'Malley removed his hat and knocked on the door.
Kate opened the door. Soft light captured the loveliness of the woman. Her hair was flowing down, and freshly brushed. She wore a blue velvet dress which showed enough cleavage to make any man blush or at least turn his head for a better look. Her warm brown eyes twinkled and consumed O'Malley's gaze.
     "Come on in." she purred. All the coolness from earlier in the day was certainly gone. “How is your arm?”
     “A bit sore.” Awkwardly, O'Malley walked into the front room. The house reeked of womanliness from the smell to the furnishings. 
     Kate walked to the sofa and sat down, she patted a spot next to her and said, "Sit here unless you think I will bite." a coy intimate smile was upon her face.
     O'Malley sat down and was determined to keep his composure. He began to tell the 'truth' about himself. "My name is John O'Malley, I am a rancher and I really am from Smith valley. I am not here to buy cattle, but to find out who killed my brother and why." It all rolled out in rapid fire as if the truth would change if not spoken immediately. O'Malley continued to take Kate into his confidence by telling her every detail, including the attempt to dry gulch him.  He spoke of his suspicions that Sam Slade either killed Tom or had him killed. He explained why he felt it was important to him to keep his real identity a secret.
    Kate listened attentively, never once interrupting O'Malley.
O'Malley continued, "I think Sam Slade is the man behind Tom's death. I have three goals. Prove Slade shot or had Tom killed. See Slade shot or hung with justice done, and find the reason behind Tom's death." O'Malley paused and looked at Kate. 
     “I understand why you didn’t tell me the whole truth when I first met you. I forgive you, and I would like to help you accomplish those goals." Kate offered. "Will you let me?" 
     "You bet. I don't know how, but sure, I would like that. I will need all the help I can get. So long as you don’t endanger your life too." O'Malley answered. 
     "Thanks for being honest with me. I feel I know you so much better now. We even share a secret together." she smiled. "How is your arm doing?" She asked for a second time.
     "Sore and stiff." O'Malley lamented as he moved it slightly.
     "It could be getting infected. Let's take a look at it." Kate's nursing instinct emerged. Here let me help you take your coat off." 
     O'Malley complied with her wishes.
     "We don't need to rip the sleeve of this nice shirt, so take it off." She ordered.
     "What!" O'Malley said and protested, "Wait just a minute!"
     " I was married once, so I doubt if you have anything I haven't seen before."
     "Yea, but you haven't seen me before." O'Malley swallowed hard.
     Kate already had his coat off and had begun working on the buttons of his shirt. She was not to be denied. The shirt soon followed the coat and lay on a chair. She made him sit down on a kitchen chair.
     O'Malley's chest was bare, he was well muscled, and lean.
 Kate turned her attention to the bandage, removing it very carefully. The closeness and womanly smell began to stir yearnings within him. Not strongly, but noticeable. Her warm soft hands both soothed and raised the desire within him. She leaned forward and he was given an intimate view of her ample breasts. He felt a warm flush spread through his body. He began to breath deeply and slightly faster. The wound did not appear to be infected. 
    She went to the next room and came back with a salve which she said, "Would take the soreness away and help prevent any infection". She began to gently rub the salve on his arm. Her hands moved slowly and sensuously over the hard muscles above the wound and to his shoulder.
     He dared not speak for fear she would stop.
     "My, your muscles are all tight and tense. Let me fix that." She moved behind him and began messaging his neck and both shoulders, then down the upper part of his back. 
     He responded to the slow pulsating touch. Passion made an undeniable appearance.
     She reached across to began to message the muscles in the upper part of his chest as she did this he felt her breasts brush the back of his neck in a rhythmic fashion. Somehow, almost magically the message had become a caress. He could stand it no longer. He reached up and held her hands stopping the movement. He stood up, turning around facing her and looking down at her upturned face. No words were spoken. He looked deeply in her warm brown eyes and saw passion glowing inside. He gently reached and touched fingers beneath her chin. He began a slow and deliberate move toward her warm glowing lips. She did not resist. He placed his lips to hers, gently pressing against the warm softness of her mouth. Her body moved toward his and she began to press against his, her hand began a slow glide up his chest and slowly upward until her hands cupped his neck. The kiss had not been broken. A more insistence of urgency was now being expressed through the contact of their lips. The movements and contact of their bodies amplified their passions. The sensuous kiss continued with her tongue darting between his lips and seeking an intimate caress from his waiting tongue. With the kiss their bodies began to melt and join emitting an aurora of intense passion which was not to be denied. He slowly released his hold on her and broke the kiss ever so slowly. He said, "You are the most sensuous woman I have ever met.” She looked deeply into his eyes, holding his hand she turned and led him toward the bedroom. He did not hesitate and followed willingly.

     O'Malley got back to Nine Mile's cabin before dawn, but not by much.  He quietly crawled into bed and fell fast asleep. 
     "Git up you lazy tom cat. You're gonna buy me breakfast at the Silver Grill, and we are going to have a council of war." Nine Mile said, as he poked O'Malley's foot.
     O'Malley opened one eye, but only partially. "Go away you old squaw chaser." he pleaded.
     "Nope! Git up we got work to do and a pow wow at the cafe." Nine Mile insisted.
     Slowly, ever so slowly, O'Malley got out of the bunk taking care not to bump his extremely sore arm. He decided not to wear the sling any more and try to begin to work out some of the soreness. O'Malley took his sweet time getting ready while Nine Mile grumbled about how hungry he was.
     "I guess you know I heard you come in about daylight." Nine Mile said quietly, fishing a little bit.
     "I am old enough to stay out as late as I like. I don't need no squaw chaser to keep a tight rein on me." 
     "Well you must have had plenty to talk about to stay up all night." Chuckled Nine Mile.
     "Do you want me to buy you breakfast or not?" 
     "You're right. Ain't none of my damn business. Let's go eat."
   
     Most of the breakfast crowd had left by the time they arrived at the cafe. 
     Kate was brighter and more pleasant than usual to everyone. O'Malley envied her for her energy and abilities to be "Miss Wonderful".
     Kate greeted them cheerfully, took their order and bounced off to the kitchen. She returned with coffee.
     Nine Mile said in a knowing way, "Who put the bee in your bonnet this morning?"
     She flushed, and said, "I don't have a clue as to what you are talking about. I'm just my everyday pleasant self. Are you eating breakfast or just taking up room?" 
     "Yep, the "tom cat" is buying." Nine Mile smiled and ordered his breakfast. 
     O'Malley ordered his breakfast.
     With her orders taken, Kate bounced off to the kitchen again.
      Nine Mile saw Charlie Small Bear in the street outside the cafe. "I need to see Small Bear for a few minutes. I'll be right back." He left the table went outside leaving O'Malley alone, but not for long.
     The "she panther" pounced on O'Malley. Kate asked in an indignant voice, "Did you tell Nine Mile anything about last night?"
     "Nope, didn't have to." he smiled.
     "What does that mean?" she snapped.
     "You’re walking sorta funny." he snickered.
     She hit him across the head with her dish towel and stomped off to the kitchen.
     Nine Mile returned in time to meet Kate coming from the kitchen with their breakfast.
     They ate their breakfast and drank coffee waiting for the other customers to leave.
     O'Malley, Kate, and Nine Mile finally set down together. Kate set between the two men and occasionally play "kneesie" with O'Malley. Kate showed she had plenty of horse sense and Nine Mile added his years of living savvy as a plan was finally formed.
     It was decided Sam Slade was too slick to be directly connected to Tom's death. The plan would be to first find out why Tom was killed and then maybe that would lead to a way to connect Slade to his murder.
     O'Malley and Nine Mile would go to the sheriff and admit the fact John was really Tom's brother and pick up Tom's personal effects.  
     Kate went back to work in the kitchen and O'Malley and Nine Mile went to the sheriff's office.

     The sheriff frowned as he looked up from his desk when the two walked in.
     "What, no shotgun Nine Mile?" scoffed the sheriff. Nine Mile didn't answer.
     "I know this is going to be difficult to explain, but my real name is John O'Malley. Tom was my brother and I am here to pick up his personal effects." O'Malley reached into his pocked and took Tom's letter out and gave it to the sheriff. "This letter will explain part of the story and I will explain the rest. Also you can contact Sheriff Gary Wilson in Smith valley, he will vouch for me."
      The sheriff reacted as though his whole day was ruined because of this news.
      After a lengthy explanation by O'Malley, many questions from a rather grumpy sheriff, he finally agreed to give Tom's personal effects to O'Malley.
     "Don't leave town until this mess is cleared up." Were the last words from the sheriff to O'Malley. 
     O'Malley and Nine Mile left with a suit case full of Tom's gear and went to Nine Mile's cabin.

     The suitcase contained mostly clothes, Tom's gunbelt, a Colt revolver, a billfold, a deed for land near Fort Rockvale, a set of spurs, and not much else. 
     They found an envelope addressed to Tom from a Gene Conrad of the Ft. Dodge Company from Ft. Dodge, Iowa, but there was no letter inside. On the back of the envelope was a hand written note by Tom which read, "spring, mineral rights, George Grant". They went through everything twice, but could not find any other clues.
     "I wonder what was in the missing letter." O'Malley said.
     "Send him a telegram and ask him to confirm the information in the letter and telegraph the information back to you." Nine Mile suggested.
     Nine Mile was brilliant at times O'Malley realized.
     "Not a bad idea." O'Malley said with admiration.
     Nine Mile gave O'Malley a snuggled toothed smile, puffed out his chest and was proud he had such a great idea.
     O'Malley asked, "What about 'spring', 'mineral rights', and 'George Grant'?"
     Nine Mile's peacock feathers suddenly wilted as he gave O'Malley a blank stare. "Hell, I don't know everything. Do a little thinkin' on your own. Let's go send that telegram and give me some time to think."

     O'Malley read the telegram. 

GENE CONRAD
FT DODGE COMPANY
FT DODGE, IOWA

SEND CONFIRMATION OF INFORMATION IN LETTER BY RETURN WIRE. SEND TO MY BROTHER JOHN IN RED LODGE, MONTANA TERRITORY.

TOM O’MALLEY

     handed the telegram to the telegrapher and said, "Send this." 
     O'Malley paid him and they left the office.
     "Well I'll be skinned!" exclaimed Nine Mile as he looked at the land office across the street. "Mineral rights. Sure, territorial law says you can buy the land, but if you want to mine the land you have to buy the mineral rights separately. 'George Grant'-- that's it too. George Grant owns lots of land over around Dry Creek and Bear Creek and he owns the mineral rights to all his land."
     Nine Mile looked at O'Malley to see if what he had told him answered some questions.
    "OK. That sounds reasonable, but what about 'spring'?" O'Malley asked.
    "Well there are 'water rights' here in the Territory. If it is a creek or river you can file for so many 'miners inches' of water for farming, drinking or livestock. With a spring you can file for all the water from the spring if no one else has filed on it, and the spring don't even have to be on your land."
     "Why would Tom want a 'spring'?" O'Malley wondered out loud. 
     "Grant has to be the key. Tom talked to him before he was shot. In fact, he was on his way to see George Grant again when Tom was shot."
     "land--mineral rights--spring--lots of money--big secret." With some frustration, O'Malley spoke the words aloud as he tried to make sense of it. "The land deed at Fort Rockvale is forty miles from here and the deed said, 'no mineral rights'." O'Malley shook his head. "Let's go talk to a pretty and smart lady and I'll buy you lunch."
     As they walked toward the cafe O'Malley said, "I know, it's not gold or silver."
     Nine Mile shook his head. "Nope. I've prospected this whole country around these parts. The closest gold is the land of the Yellowstone over the plateau near Cooke City. Ain't no silver around for over fifty miles."
     "Damn! What on earth can it be?" O'Malley was totally frustrated.

     The Silver Grill Cafe was busy as usual for the noon meal. Kate was a good cook.
     Nine Mile and O'Malley had lunch, finishing with fresh apple pie. They drank coffee waiting for Kate to have time to sit down for another council of war. 
     The last customer left and Kate come over to talk.
     O'Malley explained what they had found in Tom's personal effect, the empty envelope, the Tom's hand written word on the backs of the envelope, and Nine Mile's idea to send a telegram.
    Nine Mile gave Kate the same information on 'mineral rights', 'George Grant' and 'spring'.
    Kate listened attentively and drank coffee. When there was nothing new to add, she did not speak, but was obviously thinking and trying to piece together the puzzle. "I agree you need to see George Grant. He would at least be able to tell you what Tom wanted or talked to him about."
    "I'll plan to go see him tomorrow morning." O'Malley told her.
    Kate stood up, smiled warmly at O'Malley and said, "I have work to do. So pay your bill and you and Nine Mile get out of here."
Proceed to Chapter 6