by C. J. Petit
“So, did I, Dave. But I have to do this. I’ll tell the boys what I plan to do when they all get back for supper.”
“They’re already congregating in the chow house. After Tex told me you were back, we all left the herd, but I came here while the others headed for the chow house.”
“Okay. Let’s head over there,” Jake said as he rose.
He pulled the steaming coffeepot from the hot plate then walked behind Dave as they left the house. He had to wait for Dave to unhitch his horse before they began walking to the chow house.
Dave said, “I wish you didn’t go, Jake.”
“I haven’t got a choice, Dave. Even if I decided to stay, what if my father suddenly shows up again? I need to find him. Whatever happens when I do will be up to him.”
“Will you be taking the Emperor? You’re the only one who can ride him now.”
“No. He can enjoy himself with his harem. I’ll ride Mars; if he’s still here. My father didn’t sell him; did he?”
“Nope. He’s in the corral. Bill’s been taking special care of him after you left, and nobody’s ridden him in all that time, not even your father. Partly because he’s so feisty for a gelding. I guess he’s got too much of his father in him.”
Jake wondered how much of his father was inside of his own son before he said, “My mother didn’t mention anything about anyone leaving or any new hires. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking at the books, either. Do we still have the same men?”
“Yup. The same eight ranch hands. Charlie is still keeping us fed, Bill Jackson is taking care of the horses and Big Tom McCallister is working the iron.”
Then he grinned at Jake and said, “Hell, Jake, you’re almost as big as Tom now. I reckon that the army made you a little taller but added a good forty pounds.”
“They fed us too much, Dave.”
When they entered the chow house’s open door, Jake pulled up and Dave stopped beside him. Jake looked at the eleven faces he’d known for years and didn’t notice any dramatic changes. He knew that he was the one who’d changed.
He smiled then said, “I guess you’re all surprised that I showed up. Dave seemed to think I wasn’t coming back, and I can understand why. I should have stayed, but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk. I’ll share supper with you, but before we make Charlie start earning his pay, I want to tell you what I plan to do.”
Before he could begin, Pack Oliver said, “Jake, we’re all really glad to see you again. We were fearin’ the worst. You sure have grown some.”
“Thanks, Pack. It’s good to see you all again, too. I reckon if any of you had grown at all, it would have been hanging over your gunbelt.”
The chow hall echoed with laughter, snickers, guffaws and one high-pitched giggle that erupted from Colt Hipper. He was the smallest man on the ranch at five feet and four inches. But despite his weight of less than a hundred and twenty pounds, he could handle his horse and lasso with the best of them, so no one tweaked him about his high-pitched voice or girlish giggle.
When the assorted merriment subsided, Jake said, “I talked to Dave about what happened, and I know that none of you were on the ranch at the time. But I don’t know what drove my father to do what he did, so if any of you have anything that could help me understand, I’d appreciate it if you let me know.”
Lone Bill Riker asked, “Are you gonna have to go back soon, Jake?”
“No. The army mustered me out, so I’m a civilian now. But I’m going to leave again soon to find my father. I’ll leave enough money with Dave, so you’ll all be paid. I’ll be stopping back at least once a month until I find him.”
Bill Jackson quickly asked, “What are you gonna do if you do track him down, Jake?”
“I don’t know, Bill. It depends on what he does when he sees me. I just hope that I spot him first. I’ll answer all your questions while we fill our bellies.”
Charlie took the hint and hurried to the back of the chow house to put the final steps on their dinner. It was the big meal of the day and Charlie kept it simple but filling.
_____
Jake stayed with the men for another hour after they’d finished eating to tell them what he’d been doing for the last three years and to hear them tell their stories. Not one of them was able to add any more details to what Dave had told him. None of them had seen his father ride through town, which confirmed Jake’s assumption that he’d continued riding west and then south to Helena.
Before he left, he asked that he be given time on his own to settle in, but they all knew he had to deal with his sorrow. Each of them knew how much he loved his mother and while he may not have hated his father before he left, to a man, they believed he despised Chet Elliott now.
Jake walked out of the chow house as the sun set but didn’t head back to his home. He angled to his right and stepped toward the corral to reacquaint himself with Emperor’s firstborn. He had been there when the deep red colt had dropped and had asked his father if he could have him. He hadn’t started rebelling yet, so his father had let him keep the colt. He’d been with the young horse for almost three years before he left. When he had started to confront his father, Jake expected that he’d find the horse gone one day. But when he left, the three-year-old was still in the corral. Like his stallion father, Mars was headstrong and only allowed Jake to ride him. Now Jake wanted to see if his red gelding remembered him.
He didn’t bother opening the gate but climbed over the split fence. He thought that he’d have to spend a few minutes searching for Mars in the low light but didn’t have to take a single step into the mass of horses.
His foot barely touched the ground when he heard loud whinny and saw Mars almost shove four horses aside blocking his path as he trotted close.
Jake grinned and rubbed Mars’ nose as he said, “I missed you, Mars. You’re even more handsome than you were when I left.”
The man and the horse looked at each other as Jake said, “I’ve got to go back to the house, but I’ll take you for a ride tomorrow. I doubt if you’ve even worn a saddle since I left, so don’t toss me all the way to Canada when I mount. Even if I wanted to bring you with me when I enlisted, I figured that some officer would take you away. You’re much better than any of the nags they let me ride.”
Jake laughed lightly, then patted Mars on his powerful left shoulder before he turned and climbed back over the fence. He looked back at his horse and wasn’t surprised to find the big gelding’s enormous brown eyes still focused on him.
He knew that he’d been intentionally delaying what he had to do. The reintroduction to Mars was just a pause before the much more emotional visit to his mother’s gravesite.
Jake removed his hat when he was just a hundred feet away from the small, fenced family cemetery. He soon opened the gate and stepped closer to the fresh gravesite. He stopped at the foot of the grave and read the stone that Dave had the stonemason carve.
Rose Anne Elliott
Apr 21, 1841 ~ July 2, 1881
Beloved Mother
Jake noticed that Dave hadn’t added ‘and Husband’. He could understand why Dave would have left it off the stone. Jake would have had a difficult time having the stonemason add those words himself. But despite what his father had done and the vast difference in their personalities, Jake was certain that his mother still loved her husband. His father’s character prohibited him from expressing affection to anyone, including his mother.
But even when he and his father had their shouting matches, Jake never believed that his cold, almost mute father didn’t love his mother. Whenever Jake would talk to her after one of the verbal battles, she would listen to his side of the story. Then after she soothed his agitated state, she would invariably ask him to try to understand his father better. Now he knew that he would never understand the man, even if his father tried to explain why he’d murdered his mother before he ran off like a coward.
He put all thoughts of his father aside for the time being as he conce
ntrated on the headstone. He bowed his head and said a silent prayer, knowing that it was more for his soul’s benefit than his mother’s.
When he opened his eyes, he quietly said, “Mom, I know that you would say exactly what Dave just told me. You’d tell me that what happened to you wasn’t my fault. In my mind, I can understand that, but in my heart, I can’t accept it. I should have been here. Dave couldn’t come into the house, but I could. I would have stopped dad. Dave was right that you’d probably tell me to find a wife and start my own family, too. I promise to do that as soon as I can because it’s something I wanted before I left. Of course, you know how that turned out. Kay couldn’t leave her sick mother and she married Homer James just a few months after I enlisted.”
After a slight pause, he said, “Speaking of Kay, I almost ran over Sara when I got into town today. What was odd was that it was almost exactly how I met Kay. Sara has grown up, Mom. She’s even prettier than Kay, but she was always much different than her older sister. Of course, that was three years ago, so maybe she’s matured in her personality, too. She said that I shouldn’t be a stranger, but I imagine that she has a long line of beaus already begging for her hand. She’d be eighteen now, if my mom-taught arithmetic is right. Kay married Homer when she was that age. But you know all that; don’t you? I’m just talking to myself, I guess. But after I find dad, I’ll see about starting that family.”
His lips turned up slightly as he said, “I know that you’d tell me that you didn’t want our first daughter to be named after you. You didn’t like your Christian name because you felt that it made you sound delicate. When I was a small boy, I thought your name fit you perfectly because you were such a sweet person and so pretty, too. You always had both of those rose-like qualities as I grew up. But as I aged, I recognized your resolve and strength of character that were even more important. So, when my unknown wife and I have our first daughter, we’ll name her Anne. I promise that I’ll do my best to guide Anne to be like her wonderful grandmother, too.”
Then he laughed lightly and said, “Yes, I know. I’ve got to find a wife first, and she has to be confident and compassionate just like you. Is it alright if I find a pretty one? You can help if you’d like.”
With the first stars appearing in the purple sky, Jake finished his visit by saying, “But I have to find dad first. I know you’ve probably forgiven him for what he did, but I can’t. I have to find him. It will probably take a while because I don’t know where he is, but I have to go.”
After one last, extended look at his mother’s memorial stone, he turned and left the cemetery. He closed the gate and headed for the house. He hoped that he’d find his father sooner than he expected. He wanted to honor his promise to his mother and start his own family. He wanted to fill the house with children and be their strong, yet caring father. He would also be a husband who never hesitated to show his wife how much he loved her, either. It was his mother who had prepared him to become a good husband and father.
After he returned to the house, he closed the door then lit a lamp and carried it to his bedroom. It was two doors down from his parents’ bedroom and he wasn’t about to sleep there, at least not for a while. Then there was the very real possibility that he’d have to leave anyway. It was still his father’s ranch and if he heard that they hadn’t even issued a warrant, then he might return and act as if nothing had happened.
He soon stripped, blew out the lamp and slipped beneath his clean quilts. Tomorrow morning, he’d ride into town and see if his father had requested a transfer from the ranch’s account. He wasn’t sure if he could have them remove his father from the account, but if the full balance was there, he’d move most of it to his personal account. Then he’d ask them to let him know if they received a transfer request. If his father hadn’t done it already, then he would be unable to touch the money unless he killed Jake. Jake wouldn’t be surprised if it came down to that and moving the money out of his father’s grasp might be the final insult.
He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what had happened in the front room just fifty feet away. He wasn’t sure if the guilt he felt for not being there to stop him would ever diminish. But he was determined to find his father and provide justice for his mother.
CHAPTER 2
Jake joined the boys in the chow house for breakfast. Even though Saturday was just another work day unless it followed a payday, the heavy work was usually shifted to Monday. His only change in wardrobe was his hat. He left the blue cavalry hat in his closet and now wore his light gray Stetson. It was a bit stiff after three years of storage, but at least his head hadn’t grown like his legs and chest had.
As he sat enjoying sharing the morning meal with them, he couldn’t help reminding himself to avoid calling them ‘boys’ when the youngest of them was still almost five years older than he was.
_____
Forty minutes later, Jake rode away from the ranch house on Mars, who hadn’t even issued a mild protest when his old friend climbed into the saddle. The bank closed at noon on Saturdays, but even after another round of questioning during breakfast, Jake still had plenty of time. All of the men had avoided talking about his mother’s murder or even her burial and he appreciated their compassion.
He kept Mars to a slow trot for the short ride to give himself some time to plan for his departure. He’d shifted it until Tuesday because he wanted to talk to his father’s lawyer, Jerome Wright on Monday. He needed advice on his legal situation as regards to the ranch ownership, but the money issue took priority.
He pulled Mars to a stop before the bank just a few minutes after entering Fort Benton and stepped down. After tying off his big red gelding, he scanned the streets before he entered the bank. He almost expected to see his father riding into town.
After he removed his hat, he searched for John Vindaloos. He soon spotted the clerk at a different desk along the back wall then stepped quickly across the lobby.
John had his head down as he added entries to thick ledger, so Jake was able to reach his desk and sit in the chair just three feet above the crown of his head without notice.
When Jake’s shadow fell across the ledger, John raised his eyes and then grinned before setting down the pen.
“I heard you were back, Jake. I wish it was for a different reason, though.”
“So, do I, John. I’ve only been back for a day, but I needed to get here before you closed to ask you a few questions."
"I can guess what they are. You want to know if your father emptied the ranch’s bank account and if you can remove him from the account so he can’t access it.”
“Those are two of them, but I already answered the second one myself. I don’t think I can take his name off the account, but I’m pretty sure that I can move most of the money out of the ranch’s account into my personal account. I do need to know if he has wired a transfer request.”
“You’re right on your first two answers. You can transfer almost all of the balance to your personal account but can’t close the ranch’s or remove your father’s name. I’ll take care of that in a minute. Before I do that, I’ll put your mind at ease about the transfer request. I’ve been watching for one to show up, but it hasn’t arrived. When I heard what had happened, I suspected that he might go to Helena and then try to move the money.”
“Thanks, John. What would you have done if one did arrive?”
“I’d talk to the sheriff and maybe have to lose it or find a garbled account number. We were beginning to believe that you weren’t coming back at all.”
“That’s what everyone keeps telling me. Either that or they thought I was dead. Oh, and I’ll need to withdraw seven hundred dollars from the account. My father emptied the safe and I need to leave some money with Dave Forrest.”
“That’s not a problem. When do you get out of the army?”
“I’m out, John. I’m leaving to track down my father.”
John just nodded before he and said, “I’ll get that transfer done,
get you the cash and give you both balances when I return.”
“Thanks again, John.”
John turned then walked behind the bank of teller windows to make the transfer.
Jake didn’t watch but stared out the front window. Across the street was Smith & Sons Feed and Grain and he thought about paying a visit to the establishment. He was curious if Kay lived with her husband’s family or they had their own home now. She had been married long enough to have a baby, so it was more likely that she had her own house. He also wondered if her father had remarried after his wife passed away.
It had been Kay’s mother’s poor health that had kept her from eloping with him. From the way Kay had described her illness, Jake would have been surprised if her mother had lasted another month. Maybe that was why Kay had married Homer James so soon after he left. His mother hadn’t included any updates on Mrs. Smith’s health or any other news about the Smith family other than Kay’s marriage.
He was so distracted that he was startled when John said, “I’m back, Jake,” then took his seat behind his desk.
Jake turned his eyes to John as the clerk slid some papers across the desk and said, “Here are your new balances.”
Jake picked up the small sheets, glanced at each of them then slipped them into his jacket pocket.
John then counted out the seven hundred dollars before he slid the bills into a brown envelope and handed it to Jake.
After Jake pushed the thick envelope into his inner jacket pocket, John asked, “How long are you going to stay in town before you head out?”
“I’m planning on leaving Monday morning, but it might be Tuesday. I want to talk to Jerome Wright before I go. They didn’t issue a warrant for my father, so he could just show up and take everything back. I need to know where I stand legally.”
“That’s a good idea. If the law isn’t going to charge him with anything, then as far as they’re concerned, he’s still the owner of the Elk.”
