by C. J. Petit
_____
After Jake waved goodbye to Sara, he tried to concentrate on the preparations for his departure but couldn’t stop reviewing the unexpected meeting. What made it almost eerie was when he recalled the one-sided conversation with his mother as he stood over her grave. After he’d told her that he’d met Sara, he asked her to help him find a wife and then added a request that she be pretty as well as confident. Sara was certainly pretty, and her confidence and honesty were equally impressive.
While he fervently believed that his mother was in heaven and watching over him, he was firmly committed to the concept of free will, and that each of us was guided by our own choices. But despite that well entrenched belief, the combination of events still created a spooky feeling deep inside him. By the time he turned onto the access road, he decided to let it go but would still have another conversation with his mother tomorrow. It was Sunday and he normally went to church, but he’d miss a week. He’d spend some time in the family cemetery, but he wasn’t going to ask his mother for any more favors.
He soon rode Mars into the barn and dismounted. He suspected that all of the men were in the chow house having lunch because he hadn’t seen any in town. They wouldn’t be out with the herds at this time on Saturday unless there was an emergency, either.
Jake unsaddled his gelding, then set his tack on his shelf before checking Mars’ shoes. After filling the oat bin, he began to brush his almost perfect coat.
When he finished grooming his big red friend, he said, “No more corral for you, Mars. But in a couple of days, we’ll be on the road to find my father. I’ll have Big Tom pick out your equine companion for a packhorse shortly. Do you have any preferences?”
Mars didn’t reply as he already had his nose buried in the oats, so Jake assumed that the gelding didn’t care who carried the heavy packs.
Jake left the barn and walked to the chow house. He heard the boys loudly chatting interspersed with louder insults and the usual cacophony of laughter. It wasn’t any different than what he’d become accustomed to hearing in the barracks. It was much different whenever a woman was in the room. Unless of course, she was working the room.
He walked through the door and was pleased that only a couple of men turned to look at him. Luckily, one of them was Charlie Shimshock. The cook stood, held up his index finger, then hurried to his large cookstove as Jake stepped to the nearest bench table.
Dave looked at him as Jake sat down beside him and asked, “Any more news, Jake?”
“Nope. After I have my lunch, you and I need to go to my father’s office so I can give you a better idea of what I’ll be doing.”
“Good enough.”
Jake then turned to Big Tom McCallister and said, “I left Mars in the barn, but I’ll need a good packhorse and Mars didn’t seem to care who wore the pack saddle. Can you find a strong gelding to fill that need? I need you to reshoe Mars, too. His seemed a bit worn, and I want a fresh set before I set out.”
Tom replied, “I’ll take care of it this afternoon, boss.”
Jake was about to correct his use of ‘boss’, but let it go. If he was able to return after finding his father, then it would be his ranch. If he didn’t return, then it wouldn’t matter.
Charlie set an overfilled plate of food before him along with a large mug of coffee before he returned to his seat.
Jake looked at him and asked, “Do you think I’m pregnant, Charlie?”
All of the men, including Charlie, erupted in their assorted laughter as Jake just smiled. He understood why he’d used that particular reference to comment on his overloaded plate. Despite Sara’s warning, he was curious about Kay’s appearance. When he’d left, she was certainly well-figured, and Jake had appreciated each curve.
But as he dug into the massive amount of food, he revisited those last nights that they’d spent together without any prying eyes. He then came to the same conclusion that Sara had reached less than an hour ago. Kay had done everything short of ordering him to satisfy her and it had taken every bit of his moral power to defeat his overpowering lust. Yet after she hadn’t been able to convince him to apologize to his father, she acted as if he was carrying the plague.
He continued to eat and before he took his first sip of coffee, Jake decided to let it go. It no longer mattered. Kay was Homer James’ wife now and he was convinced that he never would understand her motives. He had to concentrate on finding his father, then he could return and shift all of his attention to Sara.
_____
Twenty minutes later, Jake and Dave entered the office and sat down on opposite sides of the desk. Jake withdrew the cash-stuffed envelope and slid it across the desktop.
“Here’s seven hundred dollars, Jake. That’ll cover all the payroll for the month and any expenses. It might even handle a good chunk of August’s pay, but I should be back before then. You can put it in the safe if you’d like.”
“I don’t know the combination, Jake.”
Jake’s eyebrows arched as he asked, “I thought my father gave it to you when he made you foreman in ’76. I know that your predecessor knew it. Didn’t my father trust you?”
“He must have been annoyed because we got along. It wasn’t important, Jake. Whenever I needed to buy something for the ranch, I’d just ask him for the cash.”
“Do you want me to give you the combination now? If I can’t trust you, then I may as well reenlist.”
Dave snickered as he shook his head then replied, “No, that’s okay, Jake. I have a desk in my house with a drawer I can lock, and I trust that none of the boys will go inside if I’m not there.”
“That’s fine. But I’ll need any receipts or just a written note for any expenses, so I can put them in the ledger. My mother used to keep the books, so it’ll fall to me now.”
Dave must have wanted to mention his mother, so he just nodded and slipped the envelope into his jacket pocket.
“So, you’re still planning on leaving Tuesday morning?”
“Yup. I’ll visit Mister Wright on Monday, then pack that afternoon. I want to be riding west shortly after sunrise. I’ll share breakfast with everyone before I head out.”
“When you reach a town, send a wire so I’ll know where you are and what you find. Okay?”
“Sure thing. Hopefully, it won’t take as long as I expected.”
“I still think you oughta let it go, Jake. We need you here and you’ll be a better boss than your father was. He was a hard man but needed to be that way to build this place. Once it was up and running, he didn’t have to be so tough on everybody anymore, especially you.”
“I know, but you made up for a lot of that, Dave. I had my mother to teach me, but I learned almost as much from you, and I appreciate it.”
Dave replied, “Thanks for the words, Jake. But I just enjoyed spending time with you and watching you grow up. I know you probably hate your father for what he did, and I don’t blame you for feeling that way. But I don’t think you should hunt him down for the only really bad thing he ever did. Your mother would want you to stay, Jake.”
Jake looked across the desktop at the man who had become his second father and understood why he wanted him to stay. He was sure that Dave was worried that his father might kill him. But he was a bit annoyed that Dave had used his love for his mother as an argument. If anyone else had tried to make him change his mind by invoking his mother, Jake would have been much more than annoyed. But he’d never shout at Dave. He was too good a man and an even better friend.
“I know that my mother would tell me that, just like almost everyone else has. But I have to go, Dave. Maybe I’ll change my mind and return after a few days, but I can’t stay.”
Dave nodded then asked, “Who told you it was a good idea to chase down your father?”
Jake smiled as he replied, “Sara Smith, Kay’s younger sister. We talked for a while after I left the bank and she agreed with my decision to find him.”
“You talked to Kay’s sister? Is sh
e interested in taking her older sister’s place?”
Jake snickered then replied, “I hope not. She’s not Homer’s type. But she did mention that I should visit her when I return, and I intend to do just that.”
Dave disregarded Jake’s attempt at humor before he said, “If she’s already got that much influence over you, then maybe I oughta go and talk to that girl and get her to order you to stay on the ranch.”
“I don’t think you could convince Sara to sit down, much less tell me what to do, Dave. But I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell the boys of my intentions to court her when I get back. A lot could happen before then.”
“I already figured it was pretty private, Jake. I’m just glad you already found a lady to help you run the place. I’m sure your mother would be really happy.”
Jake nodded but didn’t reply and wanted to change the subject away from his mother and Sara.
“I’ve got to clean and load my guns. Can you think of anything else we need to talk about?”
“Not if I can’t get you to change your mind. But I’ll keep trying until you get in the saddle on Tuesday morning.”
“That’s alright, Dave. I don’t mind.”
Dave grinned, then stood and left the office.
Jake watched as Dave passed through the open front door before he left the chair and headed to his room to collect his Colt and Winchester to begin their restoration to functional weapons. He reminded himself to pick up some more cartridges for both guns at S.D. Bannister Firearms on Monday. His long and unexpected conversation with Sara had made that necessary visit slip from his mind. He’d visit the gunsmith before he talked to the lawyer, so he wouldn’t forget a second time. He suspected it would be highly likely to happen again after having lunch with Sara. She was certainly distracting, but he couldn’t afford any distractions when he started west on Tuesday morning.
_____
Jake had his guns cleaned and loaded before he’d had supper with the few hands who had remained on the ranch. Even Dave had gone to town, but one of the few men who had remained was Big Tom McCallister.
After he sat down with his supper which consisted of leftovers from lunch as Charlie was in town with the others, Big Tom said, “I found a good horse to wear the pack saddle and reshod him and Mars. I left him in the stall beside your red boy.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
Tom smiled as he nodded then resumed eating.
_____
When he entered the barn fifteen minutes later, Jake momentarily thought that Tom had brought Emperor into the barn as a joke. But he soon realized that the horse in the stall next to Mars’ new home was a gelding. Where Tom had found him was a minor mystery because Jake would have spotted him when he went looking for Mars. He was almost as large as his red gelding and when Jake entered, both horses turned their heads in unison to look at him.
He stepped into the stall on the left side of Mars so he could take a closer look at his new packhorse without making his red gelding jealous.
As Jake rubbed Mars’ neck, he examined the tall black gelding. He wasn’t as completely black as Emperor, but Jake was pretty sure that he was the stallion’s offspring.
He looked at Mars and said, “I think we’ll be traveling with one of your younger brothers, Mars. As he’s farther down your family tree’s branch, maybe we should give him a brotherly name that reflects his status. I have no idea how old the other planets are, but the furthest one they’ve discovered is Neptune. Your brother doesn’t look like he should be carrying a trident, so that’s out. Uranus is too, um, suggestive. Jupiter is too grand, and he was your father too, at least as far as Roman gods are concerned. Saturn has rings and I don’t think your brother ever married.”
He turned his eyes back to the black horse and as they stared at each other, Jake asked, “Any suggestions?”
He laughed then said, “Let’s avoid the whole planet thing and stick to the Roman gods. Mars had a brother named Vulcan who was the god of fire. How about that?”
When the horse didn’t comment, Jake reached across the rail, patted his shoulder and said, “Vulcan it is. When we get back, you won’t be staying in the corral, either. But until then, you’ll have to suffer a modicum of humiliation by carrying a pack saddle. But if you look on the bright side, it’ll be a good hundred pounds less than the weight your older brother will have to lug across the territory.”
He then looked back at Mars and asked, “You won’t mind the extra weight; will you, Mars?”
After a few seconds of silence, Jake popped Mars on his left shoulder and said, “I didn’t think you would.”
He then left the barn and walked back to the chow house. When he entered, he found Big Tom grinning at him.
“I reckoned you’d be stoppin’ by when you met your packhorse.”
“I never saw him before, but I should have noticed him before I left. He was foaled more than four years ago; wasn’t he?”
“Yup. You never saw him because your father was figurin’ to use him when the Emperor got too old. I was kinda surprised when he wanted him gelded, though. I only broke him to the saddle this spring and I don’t think the boss ever got to ride him. He’s almost as handsome as Mars; ain’t he?”
“He is. I named him Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. I gave him the name because Vulcan was Mars’ brother. I figured you’d want to know all the details. Anyway, when I return, I’ll keep him with his older, red brother.”
“All that Roman stuff don’t interest me none. But I figured you’d wanna keep him. I’m sure he’ll be able to keep up with Mars. And I’m kinda glad that you decided to hang onto him.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
“You’re welcome, boss.”
Jake waved before he turned then left the chow house and headed back to the ranch house.
After entering the back door, he passed through the kitchen, walked down the hallway and into the office. He turned right and stepped before the rack of rifles. He had only planned to take his Winchester and Colt, but after seeing Vulcan, he began to think that the big black wouldn’t mind carrying another fifteen pounds of rifle and ammunition. He was undecided about taking the Sharps or the Martini-Henry. He hadn’t fired either of them, so he thought that he might take both of them out tomorrow afternoon for a personal competition.
He opened the ammunition drawer and removed a box of cartridges for each gun, then picked out one cartridge from each box and carried them to the desk. After sitting down, he set them on their bases for comparison.
The Martini-Henry cartridge was massive with a larger diameter than the Sharps. But the .45 caliber Sharps cartridge seemed more elegant and had more powder. Jake also suspected that the slightly larger bullet of the British rifle would lose energy faster as it had to push more air out of the way. It wouldn’t be that noticeable, though. The Sharps may have less stopping power at shorter ranges, but Jake believed that it would be more effective and accurate than its British rival beyond four hundred yards. He’d ask Sam Bannister about it on Monday.
His decision to take one of them with him wasn’t because he planned to shoot his father at long range when he found him. He wanted to face his father and give him a chance to offer any possible explanation for his crime. Jake only considered taking one of the rifles as added protection against any bad men he might meet who wanted Mars, Vulcan, or his packs. He wasn’t worried about any of the tribes, although there were a few disgruntled holdouts roaming the territory. The road between Fort Benton and Helena, which passed through Fort Shaw, was still fairly well traveled and attracted outlaws of all sorts.
The Northern Pacific was getting close to completing the second transcontinental railroad but hadn’t reached Helena yet. They were planning a spur line to Fort Benton, but it would probably be another three years before they built it. Once those tracks were laid, then everything would change in the western half of Montana Territory. He’d be able to ship more cattle, too.
But that was all going to happen well a
fter he found his father. Until those trains started running, the westbound road that ran along the Elk’s southern border was the fastest way to reach Helena. It was the road his father had used as his escape route after murdering his mother.
Jake suspected that his father probably holed up in Helena after learning that no warrant had been issued. It had only been three weeks, so if he was still there, his father might be planning to return. Father and son might even meet each other on that road, and even more than vengeance, Jake wanted answers. He wanted to hear what happened from the only person who had been there…the man who had savagely beaten his mother to death.
He exhaled sharply, then looked at the map of the Elk on the wall to his left. It only covered a ten-mile radius around the ranch’s boundaries, but that included Fort Benton. He stood and walked closer to the map and traced the westbound road until it left the heavy parchment. He studied the left side of the map and for a few seconds, thought that his father might have circled around and set up camp northwest of the ranch. But even if he’d brought enough supplies to last a week, he’d have to start hunting and someone would have heard the gunfire.
Then he slid his index finger to the east and into the street map of the town. He paused when it touched Smith & Sons Feed and Grain, then slowly moved it to Missouri Avenue where Kay lived with Homer and their three H-initialed sons.
He smiled before he let his fingertip make the short journey to Fourth Street. He left it where he expected #26 should be and wondered if Sara had gone home for the day. He had the impression that she didn’t normally work at her father’s store, so he was pretty sure she’d gone home after their extraordinary conversation and was curious about whether she had given her mother all the details. She had said that her mother knew why Sara was primping, so it was likely. The news would get out pretty soon anyway.
He may have told Dave to keep it secret and while Sara said she wasn’t going to tell Kay, it was reasonable to assume that her mother would certainly break the news to her older, married daughter. Maybe it was better that Kay did know sooner rather than later.
