Mountain Woman Snake River Blizzard Read Free

courts decide the punishment if they’ re found guilty.”
    Man could tell the boys wanted to ask or discuss something, but they shut up and rode in silence.  He felt when they were more comfortab le with him they might tell him what was on their mind s .
    Before they got back to his home, Man casually made a comment.  “When I introduced myself as a m arshal, I saw your faces.   Care to tell me why being in law enforcement startled you?”
    Neither of the young men made a comment.  Man let it ride for a few minutes or so, before he tried again.  “If there’s anything you want to tell me, I’ ll listen.  If there’ s a problem, I may be able to help.”
    Roy spoke in almost a whisper.  “Our mother made us promise we wouldn’t tell anybody.”
    “Is somebody bother ing or hurting her?” he asked.
    “We can’t tell you,” Roy said.
    “If it’s something serious that won’t go away, maybe your mother would like to talk to Kate.  You know, woman to woman.   Discuss it with your mom tonight and if we can help, bring her with you tomorrow.  She and Kate can visit and your mother may need a friend.”
    The two boys exchanged glances, but didn’ t say anything.
    When they got to the house, they unloaded the building materials.  Kate came out dressed in her field working skins and went with Man to haul hay to the barn.
    Man told her about the incident with Roy and Dan.  “I don’t know what’ s worrying the two boys, but something is definitely bothering them.”
    The next morning he saw the two boys coming on their old mule.  He waited by the barn and fed the mule a ration of oats and hay.  The nutritious food was already having an effect on him.  His ribs no longer showed through his hide.  He looked healthier and younger.
    Roy stood looking at the grou nd, kicking at the dirt with the heel of his boot .  Man faced him and waited.
    “Tell him,” Dan said.
    “It’s kind of a long story,” Roy said.
    “And it’s very private,” Dan put in.
    Then let’s go inside and drink a c up of coffee while we talk.  Since it involves your mother, Kate needs to hear it , as well.”
    Kate served them a hot cup of coffee and sat beside Man on the other side of the table.
    Roy took a sip, and then looked at Kate for a moment before speaking.  “Our dad and a man named Robert Engledow were neighbor s .  Our dad died last year and Mr. Engledow helped us through it.”  He looked up, took a deep bre ath and another sip of coffee.
    “Go on,” Kate said, speaking softly.
    “Last spring, Mr. Engledow’s wife was found dead at the bottom of a cliff.  From what we heard, she went out looking for a calf and fell.  Mr. Engledow is a night watchman at a mine and gets home about sunup.  That afternoon when he woke, she was gone.  He went looking for her, but didn’t find her.  He went to the police.  They found her body the next day.”
    “A fter that, Mr. Engledow changed, ” Dan said.
    “How did he change?” Kate asked.
    The two boys glanced at the other.  “Mom told us we could tell them,” Dan said.
    “Mr. Engledow comes to our home in the afterno on when we’re gone working,” Roy said.
    Man and Kate knew the rest of the story, but wanted the two boys to go on.
    “Mr. Engledow had a paper that said our dad owed him two hundred dollars and unless M om did what he wanted, well, he would foreclose and take our house away.”
    “Our dad never borrowed any money from anybody,” Roy blurted out.  “He always said, if you can’t pay cash, you don’t need it.”
    “Mom is afraid of Mr . Engledow,” Roy said.   “ We’ve seen bruises on her arms and face.   He showed M om the paper and it had our dad’s signature a t the bottom, but D ad didn’t sign the paper.”
    “How do you know he didn’t sign it?” Man asked.
    “He couldn’t read or write,” Dan said with his head down looking at the coffee cup.
    “When M om told him that, he s aid it was his word against her s and