You lied to me

Previously:

Jay looked at those in the room, “I’m here to help, what can I do?”

“Get to know the other ranchers—especially McLintock of the Triple-Bar-X just outside of Dreadwood.”

“What about Carpenter?”

“Him too—if he survives the planned meeting with Larry & Boomer, that is,” Mac’s smile disappeared, “It will take all their skills to keep that man alive.”

Larry & Boomer waited until Carpenter and his wranglers were close and then they rode out of the brush and blocked their way, “Howdy fellers—lookin’ for us?”

Season VI, Chapter 5 Coldwater Ranch, Episode 9:

At the Dreadwood Saloon Erik was taking a break from a morning of unusually boring accounting ditch-digging; much as he enjoyed numbers—this mundane bookwork was not at all enjoyable—he WOULD have a chat with Big Mac about this assignment.

The cowboys were making fools of themselves with the bar-maid; whose job it was to separate as much money from them as she could; were making her job easy and unbeknownst to them; were also providing Erik with some much-needed entertainment.

His entertainment was interrupted, “Are you the Professor Hare who works at Miller & Blot, by chance?”

“Are you the Professor Hare who works at Miller & Blot, by chance?”

“I am,” Erik recognized the man as Benjamin McLintock from the wanted poster they’d carried across Minnesota and into Dakota Territory, and appropriately embellished his reply, “And the word ‘work’ doesn’t begin to address the drudgery of my employment.”

“My name is Benjamin McLintock. I own the Triple Bar X Ranch and I may just have a much more challenging, and I might add profitable, opportunity for you to consider.”

“I’m listening.”

“You lied to me. You seen that tall feller who calls hisself ‘Cooper,’ and you told me you didn’t. I don’t much like liars.”

Both Boomer and Larry appeared relaxed loosely holding their reins in one had with the other resting on the saddle-horn. Boomer smiled, “Yes, yes we did.”

“We didn’t think it was a good idea for our boss to be back-shot by some damn-fool hothead.”

“That might mess-up getting our pay, y’know.”

“I hear-tell Mrs. Carpenter is going over to Coldwater Ranch to welcome the Coopers—with a fresh apple pie,” Larry added with a wicked grin. He realized he was goading Carpenter and it was intentional.

Carpenter had all he could stand and reached for his sidearm, “Kill them boys!”

Carpenter had all he could stand and reached for his sidearm, “Kill them boys!”

To be Continued…