The Heirs of the Lazy S

By Max Windham

This novel was written purely for entertainment. It came from my imagination and was not intended to hurt anyone. I hope you like my view of the Old West and continue reading my novels.

One Who Knows Horses was my first. It was about a young man leaving home on his big stallion, Ollie. He would meet and live his life among friendly Indians. He would learn by giving a gift that would change his life. There would be many dangers this mild young man would have to face.

The Spanish Valley is a sequel to One Who Knows Horses and will take you back to old Mexico. You will meet Captain Abrego and Camilia and follow their journey as he is sent to the east coast of Mexico to return her to her father’s ranch. They will be surrounded by many dangers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jul 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728390659

Max Windham

Max Windham was raised in the small town of Sumrall, Mississippi, and has worked as a builder. He is the author of One Who Knows Horses.

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2019 Max Windham. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/09/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9061-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9062-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9065-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Author’s Notes

I

WOULD LIKE TO THANK JAMES (Buddy) Marshal

for his support and encouragement. Thank you Lincoln Harris Photography for the cover photo. Last but not least I would like to thank Sam Clark the young man in the cover photo. Sam is living his dream on the C M Ranch in Wyoming. One Who Knows Horses, The Spanish Valley and Heirs of the Lazy S are my first three novels with many more being written for the future.

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CHAPTER ONE

C OLE PATTON UNTIED THE PIGGING string from the three hundred pound steer, allowing it to get up and join the rest of the herd. He had not been able to find anything wrong that would cause the yearling to limp, maybe it had bruised itself somehow. There was no blistering under the skin and did not appear to be blackleg. He would need to check it again after a day or two, hopefully nothing was wrong. He would hate to find it dead later, because of something that he had overlooked. That steer was worth a months wage. His job was to protect the herd and save as many head as he could.

Cole Patton had been given the line job simply because no one else wanted it. Working the far boundaries of a ranch was a lonely job. The Cowboy that was assigned to work the outpost, would often go months without seeing another smiling face.

Cole had worked the cattle to the west today, where the snow covered mountain tops sloped down into the lush green valley. Now the sun was going down and Cole was ready to get back to the line shack. He was anxious to see if his supply wagon had arrived. The line shack, where he lived while tending the Lazy S herd, was always a comfort to see after a day on the range. When he had taken the job, the shack had been in a state of disrepair. The roof leaked and the cold wind blew through holes in the walls. After six months in his spare time he had been able to stop the rain from coming through the roof and cold wind from blowing through the walls making the shack livable. He had been working the Northern line camp, a lonesome post all this time. His supplies ran out a week ago. He felt as if the Lazy S had forgotten him, the last time the wagon came it was a week late. The reason given was every one was to busy to make the trip. It was hard being alone, this far out from the ranch house, he had no one to talk to except his horses and the cattle.

Cole Patton was a little bigger than the average size man at six foot one. By the age of twenty four, he had developed the muscles and hard body, from hard work handling cattle. He had not entertained the thought of marriage yet, even though women did give that admiring smile when in their presence. Cole wanted to meet his goals, he would have a nice home to offer his future wife. It was hard enough on women in the west, without them being drug from one place to another, never knowing if they would have a home to raise children. He had made up his mind, it would be a while yet, there had been many lonely nights and he knew there would be more. He had been alone most of his life after his parents died from the lung fever. Cole had taken the work a young boy of thirteen years old could find. At first he had wasted his money on what he thought was entertainment. As the years rolled by, he begin to look at life different. Over the years many of the men he knew had in one way or another helped him set the goals that he now followed.

The line shack was located between two ranges of mountains and every direction he looked was beautiful scenery. Snow capped mountains down to the green tree line that seemed to flow into a valley that covered thousands of acres with cattle dotting the landscape. A sight he never tired of looking at. Cole knew that when he had his ranch, he would want it located in a valley such as this. He wanted mountain ranges like he was looking at now. The mountain range seemed to go on forever. There were canyons recessed into the mountains where the valleys were green, with deep grass for grazing. Every time he finished a chore and looked up he realized he was a lucky man.

Cole had worked his way west over the years, every since he was a young man he had heard about these mountains. He had fell in love with their splendor the first time he laid eyes on them. He had taken the line job for the extra money it paid and to keep him far from the saloons, where he tended to waste his money. Cole Patton may be a hand for the time being, but he was working for the future.

He had been saving every dime he could. His plan, after one more year, he would have enough money saved, and although he did not own a ranch. He would be able to free range his herd until he could buy a piece of land to build a ranch. There was plenty range with water and deep grass no one had claimed yet. He would be able to free graze a herd in different places, letting the cattle graze the best grass, until he was able to purchase his land.

Cole had taken orders from men he did not like, usually getting the jobs no one else wanted. He had always worked hard for whatever brand he rode for. The lessons he had learned from the cattle men had been stored away for future use, and one more year he would be giving the orders for his on brand.

Topping the hill, where he could look down at the camp all was the same. The pack horse stood in the coral waiting for his ration of oats, he saw no wagon or any indication his supplies might have arrived. As late in the day as it was, the wagon would not likely come. He had finished his canned vegetables and coffee a week ago. He could not live off rabbits and deer meat much longer. A man needed coffee in the cold mornings to help take the cold edge from him, and vegetables mixed with meat to make a stew. He had not had the makings for a cigarette for over a week, the last cigarette he had was made from the cigarette butts he had already discarded.

Cole led Acorn, his prize cow pony, into the corral where he stripped the saddle from his back. Cole had purchased Acorn before leaving the Bar T. He had gentled and trained the horse himself. While feeding Acorn and the pack horse a double helping of oats, and brushing Acorn down good, he spoke to the horse, well at least you get to eat good tonight.

Cole finished cleaning the rabbit he had killed earlier that day before entering the cabin. While the fire was heating the oven, he used the rest of his flour making a baker of biscuits and a pan of gravy that would have been much better with tomatoes. But like everything else he had been out of for over a week. He had already decided to cook what food he had left. He would take the food he did not eat with him tomorrow. It was time to go to the Lazy S, he would see if they could make a few changes. Instead of being a week or two late, they could start coming a week or two early. He had taken the job no one else wanted, and did the best he could. They should at least get his supplies to him before he had to eat gravy without tomatoes and wake up without a hot cup of coffee. He would get a good nights rest, and start early the next morning. It was a long ride back to the ranch and hopefully he would meet the supplies along the way and not have to make that long ride.

Before the first rays started to streak the sky, Cole felt something was different in the air. When he rolled the cover back and the cold air hit him. He knew a cold front had passed through during the night. He scolded himself for not banking the fire the evening before, but his plan was to leave as soon as he woke. Getting out of the warm bed, he went to the water bucket finding it frozen, man what I would give for a cup of hot coffee. thought Cole.

Getting a fire started would serve to warm him up, and melt some water to drink with his biscuits. While the water melted he got dressed, then went out to feed Acorn and the pack horse, before leaving on the long journey. As Cole stepped from the doorway he realized there had been a light dusting of snow during the night, it was not uncommon in the high country this time of year. He had been caught off guard. With his mind on the supplies he needed, he could only imagine what it would be like, if it had been a heavy snow where he could not travel for a few days.

With the pack horse loaded with enough oats, for the horses on the trip, he strapped his camping gear down, and set out for the journey he had before him. If the weather did not get worse he should be at the Lazy S tomorrow. With any luck, he might run across some of the range hands that would have coffee and the makings for a cigarette.

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CHAPTER TWO

C OLE HAD MADE GOOD TIME during the morning, the horses seemed to be enjoying the snow and cooler temperature. They had gone many miles without slowing their pace. He had stopped only once during the morning to rest them, it was past midday now and the sky was beginning to cloud again, he hoped they would not have another round of snow. He had a feeling that more was on the way. As long as the horses were able he felt he needed to be heading south. He did not like pushing the horses beyond their endurance, but he really did not like the thought of sleeping on the cold ground covered in new snow.

Cole had ridden down in a dry wash crossing an ancient gulch, as he was crossing over and beginning the climb out the other side, he spotted three sets of tracks going west. Cole spoke to Acorn, why do you think those cowboys would be riding in a wash when they could ride the flat plains, unless, they did not want to be seen. Cole felt he should follow and see why they would travel where no one could see them, and maybe get some coffee if they were friendly. If he followed, and did not catch up with them he could easily ride ten miles out of his way. He could get caught in a snow storm, and those men had stayed out of sight for a reason. He chose to keep moving to try to make it to the Lazy S. If the horses were not too tired he would ride through the night. Maybe he could beat the snow that looked as if it would be returning.

Two hours before dark he had made his decision, it would be best to ride through the night. The horses seemed to be holding up with no problems. He would feed the horses and give them a rest. If it did not start snowing so hard he could not see, he could be there around ten or eleven o’clock. With the colder weather, he felt like Acorn and the pack horse was in good enough shape to continue. He would need to depend on their sense of direction to get him to the ranch safely.

The snow started about eight o’clock, it was small flakes and so far had not obstructed his sight, but his hands felt as if they would freeze. He alternated one hand stuck in side his coat until the other could not take the cold any longer, then he would change. If he could keep traveling he felt he would be close enough the horses could find their way. Through the evening, the flakes had become much larger and it had grown colder. A few times the snow had fell hard enough that he could not see but Acorn never slowed his pace. Cole had almost decided to stop and build a fire when Acorn stopped and refused to go farther. With darkness and the snow coming down so hard you could see