by K. L. Hemley
“Oh Jonas,” laughed Mabel. “You’re family!”
“Which is why I want to see you happy,” countered Jonas. “With your folks no longer being around, I feel a certain amount of responsibility for you.”
“That’s very sweet of you,” Mabel told him, “but honestly, I’m fine. I am happy, really I am. If I ever feel the need for a man in my life, you’ll be the first to know and you can make sure that you give the Jonas seal of approval to anyone I consider seeing!”
“Can’t say fairer than that, Miss Mabel!” Jonas hefted the last of his things up onto the chuck wagon. “Right, well I’m all set to go, so you just lead the way and we can get back onto the trail.”
Mabel went over to where her horse was waiting for her and pulled herself up into the saddle. Jesse rode over to her. “Everything set?” he asked.
Mabel nodded. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s get moving. These cattle have got a new home to get to.”
Chapter Five: Thunderbolts and Lightning
The superstitious side of Mabel couldn’t help thanking her lucky stars that she’d made that wish because it certainly seemed to have come true. The next few days passed without incident and they settled into an easy rhythm that saw them set a steady pace on their way to Kansas. True to his word, Jesse made a visible effort to keep the biting comments to himself and Mabel found herself relaxing more and more when she was around him. He really was charming when he put his mind to it and she couldn’t recall when she’d last laughed as much as she was at all of his stories and jokes. Jesse’s company was making the journey to Dodge City unexpectedly pleasant. The way things were going, they’d arrive at their destination in next to no time and without any mishap.
However, Mabel realized that she’d taken things for granted when she woke up one morning to a distinctly different feeling.
“Can you smell it too?” asked Jesse, as he saw her getting up.
Mabel nodded grimly. “There’s a storm brewing. A bit of rain would be one thing, but there’s a definite feeling of oppression in the air that doesn’t bode well.”
“We’ll stay on top of it – don’t worry,” Jesse reassured her. “I suggest we get started as quickly as possible. If we get the cattle moving, it’ll be easier to keep them in check.”
“Agreed,” nodded Mabel. “I’ll tell Jonas to follow on behind us. We can grab a quick bite in the saddle and get going straightaway.”
The horses were skittish as they rode alongside the cattle. The air was feeling more and more oppressive as the day wore on and even Jesse was uncharacteristically silent as they all waited for the storm to break.
Ned came forward with fresh horses for Mabel and Jesse. “I really don’t like this,” he commented. “The waiting’s almost worse than any storm.”
“I hear you,” Jesse agreed. “We might get lucky and not get rained on, but looking at those cloud formations, we’re in for a bad one. I’d advise you to stay back with the horses and keep them well clear of the cattle, just in case.”
The light took on a strange, pinkish tinge, growing darker as ominous clouds moved across the sky to block out the sunlight. Mabel looked over anxiously at Jesse to make sure that he was in position should the worst happen. The entire team was on edge, waiting for the storm to break. If they were lucky, it would be torrential rain, which wouldn’t bode well for the river Mabel knew was only a mile or two away, but they could worry about that when they got there. If they were unlucky, they’d be dealing with a full on thunderstorm and it would be all hands on deck to make sure that they kept the cattle under control.
Mabel felt a couple of drops of water and she looked up just as the Heavens opened, drenching them in moments.
“Hold steady!” Jesse called over to her, gesturing to her to maintain her position at the head of the line. She nodded, but the gesture was lost as the sky was suddenly split by a bolt of lightning that was brighter than the sun, closely followed by the loudest clap of thunder Mabel had ever heard. She was grateful that she was riding Pepper, who was the steadiest horse she’d ever known and she was able to urge Pepper on to head off the cattle, who’d started to stampede ahead.
It was a matter of urgency that they get the cattle under control immediately. There was nothing more dangerous than an out of control herd. She pushed Pepper on to get in front of the lead cattle, forcing them to turn to the right. Jesse was by her side as they guided the cattle to go in a wide circle, gradually bringing in the rest of the herd as they caught up.
The cowboys all worked together, even those who’d taken an overnight shift, to push the herd into formation, heading off any cows that threatened to break free so that they’d fall in with the rest of the cattle. It was hard, nervous work that was made all the more difficult by the downpour turning the ground beneath them into sodden mud, churned up by the hooves of the animals.
At last, the herd was together and the cowboys gradually pushed them into, tightening the circle so that it was smaller and smaller until the beasts were moving slowly in a close circle. They couldn’t rest yet – there was every chance the cattle would be spooked again by the weather and Mabel signaled to the rest of her team to prepare to stay where they were until the storm had blown itself out.
She could see Jonas taking the chuck wagon off to a safe distance. The sight of him warmed her, despite the chill of wet clothes. She knew that he’d start brewing up hot coffee for all of them and he’d have sourdough bullets waiting for them when they could finally take a break.
Mabel was proud of her team, who were working efficiently together to ensure the safety of both the cattle and themselves. Now the cows were milling around in a carefully controlled area, meaning that it would be a simple matter to get them moving again once Mabel judged it was safe to do so.
Jesse yelled something over at her, causing her to point to her ear and shake her head. He rode closer and shouted “I think everything’s under control now.”
“I think you’re right,” Mabel replied. “We can divide up into teams now. We don’t need everyone to stay here – tell the men who were working overnight to take a break. We can hold the cattle here easily enough and if you’re wrong, we’re going to need everyone to stay as sharp and alert as possible.”
Jesse nodded and rode off to send some of the men over to Jonas and the wagon for refreshments.
The rain beat down on Mabel, making her feel as though she was wet down to the bone. The pounding of the rain was broken by loud claps of thunder, but by the sound of them, they were moving away as swiftly as they’d arrived. With any luck, the storm would pass quickly and it wouldn’t be a moment too soon for Mabel, who felt as though she had been riding forever, even though it couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours.
“I think the rain’s easing off,” Jesse called over to her.
Mabel nodded. It had definitely let up from the relentless beating they’d been subjected to since the storm broke. She looked over at the herd, which seemed calmer now. “We can back off,” she replied. “I don’t think we’re going to get any more lightening now. Let’s check the animals, make sure there aren’t any injuries.”
Jesse nodded and they worked with the other cowboys to look over the cattle and see what the damage from the stampede had been.
They were lucky. There were few casualties, although they did need to slaughter a few cows who’d suffered injuries in the press of bodies. With every loss, Mabel felt it personally. She hated it when she had to kill an animal before its time, especially when she felt that she could have done something to prevent it. If they’d controlled the stampede better or taken a different route, maybe there would have been fewer deaths.
Still, she reflected, it could have been a lot worse. When it mattered, Jesse had really come through for her. Without the help of him and his men, they might have lost more.
They’d lost a lot of ground thanks to the storm, so despite her tiredness, Mabel didn’t want to rest for too long. Jonas had put together an
SOB stew and she took a small bowlful, eating it as quickly as she possibly could so they could hit the trail again in an attempt to make up for lost time. One final mugful of coffee and she was ready to go.
“You scout on ahead,” she told Jesse. “There’s a river not far from here we need to ford and with all the rain we’ve just had, it’s bound to have burst its banks. See if you can find us a place to camp that’s on high ground and we’ll set up camp early tonight. We’ll tackle the river first thing in the morning.”
“Right you are,” nodded Jesse, as he pointed his horse in the direction of the river and galloped off to find the best place to spend the night.
“Come on, lads!” Mabel called. “Let’s get these cattle on the move again. There’s no excuse to slack off now the rain’s passed.”
Mabel and her men began to motivate the cattle into moving forwards again. The large creatures lumbered on and soon it was as though nothing untoward had ever happened.
Chapter Six: Not Out Of The Woods
Mabel joined Jesse on the slope overlooking the fast flowing river. “It’s not looking good,” observed Jesse, a concerned frown wrinkling his forehead. “That’s a mighty strong current running through. Are you sure we can’t just follow it along and cross it further upstream?”
“No.” Mabel shook her head. “This is the best place to ford the river for miles. If we were to try and cross it later, we’d have to go massively out of our way in the meantime and we can’t afford to lose the time it would take. We’re just going to have to rope the animals together and be as careful as we can. It’ll be all right. We’ve crossed here many times before and we haven’t lost anyone yet.”
They turned their horses and went back to where the crew was setting up camp for the night. “I tell you something; I’m really going to need a good night’s rest tonight,” commented Jesse as he crouched down next to the fire. “Today’s been a day and a half and then some.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the other men, who were all huddling as close to the flames as they could get. Everyone was cold, wet and tired and whereas most nights there were songs and stories, there was a subdued hush as everyone reflected on the day’s events and how close they’d come to a disaster.
“All right, you lot,” announced Jonas. “I’ve done you bison steaks with my very own special sauce, guaranteed to warm you from the inside out. Come and get it while it’s hot!”
Everyone lined up to get their dinner from the cook. “There you go, Miss Mabel,” Jonas said, ladling a generous scoop of sauce over her steak. “I’ve given you an extra juicy steak, help give you lots of energy for tomorrow. By the looks of it, we’re going to really struggle over that river.”
“It’s not looking good,” confirmed Mabel. “It doesn’t look like it’s more than chest height on a man, but the water’s fast moving and it’s easy to slip on the way over.”
Jonas nodded. “I’m going to ask Ned to help me waterproof the wagon before we attempt to cross. The mules are pretty sure footed. As long as we have everything in the wagon covered, it should get to the other side without any problems.”
“You do that,” Mabel agreed. “Shout out if you need any help.”
“Will do,” Jonas said. “But you go and enjoy your dinner first – you’ve certainly earned it.”
Mabel sat down, the sombre mood of the camp adding to the feeling of exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her.
“Come on everyone,” she said. “It could have been a lot worse. We’re all still here and we didn’t lose many head of cattle. Tomorrow’s another day.”
“Yeah and it’s a day when we’ve got to face that river,” grumbled Bill, one of Jesse’s men.
“And everyone knows what a scaredy cat you are!” joked Jesse.
“I’m not scared of anything,” protested Bill. “I just don’t like the look of that water, ‘sall. If the good Lord wanted us to swim, he’d have given us fins.”
“I don’t think we’re going to need to swim,” Mabel told him. “We stay on horseback and your feet might get wet, but the rest of you will be fine.”
“See?” said Jesse. “If a girl like Miss Mabel can do it, then you most certainly can. Or are you chicken?” He started making clucking noises, waving his arms as if they were wings.
“Gah!” exclaimed Bill, scrambling to his feet and moving away from Jesse.
“I think you upset him,” remarked Mabel.
“Oh, Bill’s all right,” Jesse grinned. “We go way back. He’s not happy unless he’s got something to complain about. Come tomorrow, he’ll be one of the first across the water, you just watch.”
Mabel nodded and turned her attention back to the food. Jonas closely guarded the secret of the recipe for his sauce, but it was obvious that there was plenty of chilli in it. He pitched it perfectly so that the sauce stayed this side of edible while doing exactly what he said it would – warm you from the inside out.
The steak was cooked to perfection, as well. Mabel didn’t know how he did it, given the basic nature of trail cuisine, but Jonas managed to turn out food that was as good as anything she’d get at home. It was no wonder that the cook was considered to be the most important member of the team behind the boss.
“You’re going to have to watch yourself,” Jesse warned her. “I may just try to poach your Jonas from you. I haven’t tasted steak this good in I don’t know how long.”
“You’re welcome to try, but you’re not going to have much luck,” Mabel chuckled. “Jonas has been with my family for as long as I can remember. He was best friends with my father and the two of them grew up together. And speak of the Devil…”
She turned to greet Jonas, who was coming over to her, cup in hand. “Here you go, Miss Mabel. Some bison-meat juice just for you. It’ll perk you up no end.”
Mabel took the mug from him and downed the drink. It was warm and comforting and she began to feel like herself again.
“Any of that going spare?” asked Jesse jovially.
“Sure thing,” replied Jonas. “Anyone wants some, you just need to come and get it.”
“What – fireside service is reserved for Miss Mabel?”
“Do you see any other ladies around here?” said Jonas over his shoulder, going back to the wagon.
“I’ll be right back,” Jesse promised Mabel, as he scrambled to his feet and went after Jonas for a hot drink.
Mabel watched the patterns in the fire, holding her hands out to warm them. Even on the worst days, there was always something to look forward to and this was it. She amused herself by looking for pictures in the flames, telling herself that they were omens of how the rest of the drive would go. She saw a house, which she interpreted as meaning they’d make enough money to buy a new barn, and a cat, which she decided meant that they were going to be protected from thieves. Cats had to be good luck omens, didn’t they?
“What are you so lost in thought about?” asked Jesse, coming back to sit next to her.
“Oh, I’m just daydreaming,” Mabel told him, too embarrassed to tell him about her silly game. “Hoping that that’s the last of the drama for this run.”
“Well, at least it livened things up – it was getting a little boring, don’t you think?”
“What, are you telling me that my company isn’t scintillating enough for you?” Mabel batted her eyelids, deliberately parodying a coquettish, flirtatious woman.
Jess laughed out loud. “You’re one of the boys now and you know it!” he told her. “And truth be told, I like it that way. I like a woman who knows how to take care of herself.”
Mabel rolled her eyes but secretly, Jesse’s words made her feel warm inside in a totally unexpected fashion. He’d been nothing but professional that day and she couldn’t help but admire the way that he handled the animals in his care. He might be brash and tactless, but when it came down to it, he knew how to get the job done and in her line of business, that was all that mattered.
“I’ll be feeling be
tter once we’re over that river,” she told him. “I’m not so worried for myself – I used to swim in the creek when I was younger and I know how to take care of myself – but most of the cowboys are about as useful as a rock in the water.”
“As long as they stay in the saddle, it’ll be fine,” Jesse reassured her. “Nobody’s going to take any stupid risks and as you’ve said, the water’s not that deep. It’s the current that’s the problem, but the horses and cattle are more than capable of dealing with that. The biggest issue is going to cause us is the fact that it’s going to take time to get everything across and we already lost plenty of that today. But if that’s the worst that’s going to happen, I think we can handle it.”
“Agreed,” nodded Mabel. “And I hope you’re right. I haven’t lost anyone on a cattle drive yet and I don’t intend to start now, but I’ve heard about the experiences of some of the men and not everyone’s been as lucky as me.”
“You never forget seeing one of your friends die in front of your eyes,” said Jesse. Mabel waited for him to elaborate, but he stayed silent, the easy camaraderie between them replaced by a sombre stillness.
“I think I’m going to turn in,” said Mabel eventually. “If today was tough, I have a feeling that tomorrow’s going to be even harder and I want to be at my best for it.”
“Good idea. I think I’ll join you,” Jesse said.
“Excuse me?!”
“In sleep,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, Miss Mabel. My bedroll will be far away from yours. Your honor is perfectly safe from me.”
Mabel woke with a start the next morning. She’d had a restless night, nervous about the prospect of fording the river that day, but they didn’t have any choice. They couldn’t afford the time to wait for the river to go down and she knew the area well enough to know that this was the best place for them to cross. There was nothing for it but to keep on moving and hopefully they’d all be over the other side of the river by the end of the day, all safe and sound and wondering what the fuss was about.
