Goodnight's Dream (A Floating Outfit Western Book 4) by J.T. Edson

Much as he had wanted to stay at the hospital in case
Loving recovered from the coma, Goodnight had forced himself to
attend the meeting. He had arranged to be notified if there was any
change, then went to the building where the commission met.
    On entering the room, he found General
Vindfallet—commanding the New Mexico Territory army posts—Colonel
Hunter, the Fort’s commanding officer and the two majors from the
previous day seated at a table. In the room also were two civilians
whom Goodnight remembered having seen watching the herd’s
arrival.
    ‘ I’m sorry I’m late, gentlemen,’
Goodnight greeted.
    ‘ We understand,’ Vindfallet replied.
‘May I say how sorry we all are to hear of your partner’s
decline.’
    ‘ This’s Mr. Wednesbury and Mr. Hayden
of the Mutual Land & Cattle Company,’ Hunter introduced,
indicating first the taller then the second dude, who nodded their
response. ‘Now, gentlemen, shall we get down to
business?’
    ‘ That’s why we’re here,’ Vindfallet
answered.
    Blandly overlooking the comment, Hunter told
of the Army’s future requirements. With some eleven thousand
Indians on the New Mexico reservations to be fed, considerable
numbers of cattle would be needed and the Government was willing to
pay well to fill their requirements. Watching his competitors,
Goodnight saw their faces register slight annoyance on hearing that
only steers would be bought. He could understand their feelings,
but knew that the Army had made a wise decision and one beneficial
to the Texas cattle industry. Hunter’s mention of the price the
Army would pay drove all such thoughts from Goodnight’s head. Long
schooled in poker playing and dealing with Indians who could read
correctly the slightest facial expression, Goodnight needed all his
skill to prevent his interest showing.
    ‘ That’s a fair price,’ Hayden
remarked.
    ‘ It’s a damned fine price,’ Vindfallet
put in. ‘How about it, can you fill our needs?’
    ‘ Of course,’ Wednesbury
stated.
    ‘ I can,’ Goodnight went on.
    ‘ Will your partner be recovered
sufficiently to do so?’ Hayden asked. ‘We’ve all heard of Oliver
Loving’s ability in handling cattle; it is matched only by your
ability as a scout.’
    ‘ What you’re trying to say,’ Goodnight
answered calmly, ‘is can I handle the drives without Oliver. I hope
I don’t have to; but if the need arises, I can. I know the trail as
well as any man and have had sufficient experience with cattle to
handle them. Have you gentlemen similar knowledge?’
    ‘ Our trail managers have. They worked
with Jubal Early during the War.’
    ‘ Didn’t you have some trouble last
night, Mr. Goodnight?’ Hayden continued when Wednesbury stopped
talking.
    ‘ Not that I know of,’ the rancher
answered.
    ‘ You had to draw a gun on a
man.’
    ‘ That was no trouble.’
    ‘ The man was objecting to
your men singing Dixie,’ Hayden said.
    ‘ That wasn’t why I drew on him,’
Goodnight corrected. ‘The incident was over, ended by two non-coms
from the Fort, before he tried to pull a gun on me. I did no more
than necessary to stop him shooting me.’
    ‘ We’ve heard of the incident, Mr.
Hayden,’ Hunter injected.
    ‘ To save further questioning on that
line,’ Goodnight went on. ‘I rode with Captain Cureton’s Rangers
throughout the War.’
    Nods of approval came from the listening
soldiers. The fame of Cureton’s Rangers had extended beyond the
borders of Texas. Without their handling of the Indian situation,
both the Union and Confederacy would have faced considerable
difficulties with the various hostile tribes.
    ‘ The War is over, gentlemen,’
Vindfallet put in. ‘Right now, our concern is not with who fought
on which side, but arranging to supply beef for the Government. And
deciding whether you can deliver it to us.’
    ‘ We can,’ Hayden declared
firmly.
    ‘ So can I—’ Goodnight began.
    ‘ We’ll have fifteen hundred head here
by the end of