The Legend of Perley Gates

by William W. Johnstone

  “Well, I see you’re right on time,” Steiner said. “I thought you’d likely leave your horses in the stable.”

  “I picked me out a good spot to camp over by the river,” Perley said, “but I thought I’d best bring my horses with me. Fort Collins looks like a mighty nice town, but I didn’t wanna leave my packhorse down by the river.”

  “Right,” Steiner replied. “I guess that’s smart thinking, since you aren’t staying at the hotel.” He nodded to himself, thinking the young man showed common sense. “Well, come on, you can lead your horses. The house is on the street behind Main Street. I always walk it.”

  It was a short walk to the large white house with a wide porch across the front. Perley tied his horses to a corner post of the porch just as Mary came out to greet them. She waited for them to climb the steps before speaking, making an intense inspection of the young man her husband had deemed worthy of an invitation to sit at her table. “Welcome to our home,” she said then.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Perley replied, doing his best to be polite. “I have to apologize for droppin’ in on you like this, without any notice a’tall.”

  “It’s no trouble. We’re glad to have you, and if I know my husband, he probably didn’t give you much choice.” She cast a sideways glance in Steiner’s direction, which he acknowledged with an impish grin. She continued then. “Come on inside and let’s eat while the food’s still hot.”

  Perley followed her into the parlor, where he found a young girl standing near the dining room door. No more than ten or eleven, he figured, she stared openly at him. He nodded to her and she smiled back at him as she watched him walk past. So, they had a kid, he thought. He had somehow formed an impression that they had no children and that that was the reason they invited company. That impression was destroyed a moment later when he walked into the dining room, where he was met with three young women of various ages, standing around one end of a large table. Before any introductions were offered, another woman came from the kitchen with a large platter of biscuits. She smiled at him as she placed the biscuits in the middle of the table and stepped back to stand beside her sisters.

  “Louis,” his wife reproached, “are you going to introduce our guest?”

  “Oh, of course,” Steiner fumbled. “This is Mister . . .” he started before realizing he didn’t know his guest’s name. “Well, upon my soul, I don’t believe I ever asked you your name.”

  “Perley Gates,” he said.

  “Perley Gates? I thought that was your grandfather’s name.”

  “Yes, sir, it is. It’s my name, too,” Perley replied, aware of the amused expressions of astonishment on their faces. Eleven-year-old Hope could not suppress a giggle.

  “Well, that’s a most unusual name,” Mary said, hastening to fill the void it had caused, “one I’m sure you’re proud of.”

  “Not especially,” Perley answered honestly, “but I reckon I’ve gotten used to it.” He smiled at her. “Once you get past the name, I’m pretty much like everybody else.”

  “Well, we’re glad to meet you, Mr. Gates,” Mary said, with a frown in Hope’s direction. She introduced each one of her daughters, starting with Virginia, and each one nodded in turn, still smiling broadly. “Let’s sit down and eat—Mr. Gates, right here, next to Virginia,” she directed, pulling out a chair for him.

  Surprised to say the least, for he had hardly expected to have supper with so many women staring at him, Perley felt like a wild bear cub someone had rescued and was now watching to see his reactions to human beings. On the other hand, the food looked mighty good, so he reached for a biscuit just as Mary spoke again.

  “Papa, I think we’re ready. You can ask the blessing now.”

  Perley immediately jerked his hand back, causing Hope to giggle and the polite smiles on the faces of the other four daughters to turn into amused grins. Embarrassed, he was happy to bow his head while Steiner embarked on a lengthy blessing that offered thanks not only for the food on the table but that encompassed the fertile land that produced it.

  While he listened, Perley was touched, but not so much by Steiner’s words as he was by the toe that began to caress his knee. He peeked up at the daughter introduced as Callie, sitting directly across from him, but her head was bowed reverently, as was her sister’s beside her.

  At the sound of “Amen,” Perley looked up quickly to find Callie smiling at him again, but with an expression that would indicate there was nothing going on under the table. He glanced at Virginia, seated beside him. She answered his glance with a smile, then promptly passed a bowl containing potatoes to him. There was no sign of mischief in her smile. That left only one other within easy reach of his knees, but surely it could not be Steiner’s wife, so he decided it had to be Callie, she with the innocent expression on her face.

  The rubbing on his leg increased to the point where he felt he had to do something to stop it. He shifted his legs around, and the poking stopped for a few seconds but started up again. Perley became extremely uncomfortable, and his brothers’ words came to his mind again—another cow pie. He looked from Steiner to his wife. Neither seemed aware of the ill behavior of their daughter, and they appeared to be the kind of people who would not condone such carryings-on. He was not sure what he should do, but he had suddenly lost his appetite. Mary Steiner noticed it and spoke up.

  “For a strong young man like yourself, you don’t seem to be very hungry. I hope the food is to your liking,” she said, looking truly concerned.

  “Oh, yes, ma’am,” he quickly replied. “It’s a fine supper. I reckon I’m just wantin’ to make it last a long time, so I’m eatin’ it real slow. Oh!” he yelped involuntarily when he was sure he felt a foot thrust up between his legs. His sudden eruption caused everyone to look at him in astonishment.

  Mary looked at once in Hope’s direction. “Did you let that dog in the house again, young lady?” She didn’t wait for Hope’s answer. “Get him out of here. You know what I told you about letting Brutus in the house when we’re eating.”

  Down at the end of the table, Hope displayed a pouty face but dutifully got up from her chair. Taking a piece of a pork chop from her plate, she lifted the tablecloth and called, “Come on, Brutus, you’ve got to go outside.”

  In a few seconds, a large hound, almost as tall as the table, came out from under it and followed Hope as she led it out the door.

  “I hope you think we’re a little more civilized than that, Mr. Gates,” Mary said as Hope and the huge pooch left the room. “Hope lets that dog get away with practically everything he wants to do, but feeding him from the table is one thing I will not stand for.”

  “No, ma’am, not at all, ma’am,” Perley responded, hoping the flush of embarrassment he felt in his face and neck was not obvious to see. As suddenly as it had left him, his appetite returned, and he began to eat as his hostess had expected him to.

  “I believe you were hungry after all,” Steiner commented. “Eunice, pass Perley the beans. The girls all help with the cooking. Virginia bakes the best biscuits in the Colorado Territory. I’m gonna lose her one day when the young men find out how good she can cook.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Perley said, thoroughly enjoying his supper now. “They’re mighty good biscuits.”

  “Tell us about your home in Texas,” Mary said.

  “Not much to talk about,” Perley replied. “It’s just a cattle ranch about a half day’s ride below the Red River.” He went on to tell them about his brothers and his mother and the death of his father. “So that’s the reason I’m tryin’ to find my grandpa,” he concluded.

  “Sounds like yours is a hardworking family,” Louis Steiner commented. “This part of the Colorado Territory is shaping up to be a real thriving community and a land of great promise for any young man to raise a family in. Most of the folks who have been coming in are farmers, but there’s a real need for men who work cattle.”

  “Yes, sir,” Perley said, “looks like a r
ight nice town.”

  It had not sunk in at first, but Perley suddenly realized that all of Steiner’s conversation seemed to end with a sales pitch for Fort Collins—that is, when he wasn’t touting the homemaking abilities of his daughters. Happening to notice several occasions during the supper when Mary aimed deep frowns in her husband’s direction, Perley began to believe that she was not in favor of Steiner’s efforts to interest him in any of the girls. Perley could understand his host’s situation, saddled with five daughters, most of them grown and none of them with husbands. It’s a shame they all seem to have inherited their looks from their father, he thought. If they’d gotten a little bit more from their ma, they’d have a better chance of finding husbands.

  After he finished a slice of apple pie that Steiner said his daughter Eunice had made, Perley thanked Mary and all her daughters for the fine meal. “It was mighty nice of you folks to invite me, and I’m pleased to make all your acquaintances. I reckon I’d best be on my way now. I have to take care of my horses and set up my camp. I’ll be gettin’ an early start in the mornin’. I’ve been a while with nothin’ but salt pork, so I’m goin’ up the river a ways to see if I can’t find a deer. I saw plenty of signs of them by the river today.”

  “You could stay right here tonight,” Steiner suggested. “Leave your horses in the backyard and eat a good breakfast in the morning.”

  The man doesn’t give up easily, Perley thought. Mary had had enough, however, and said it for him.

  “Oh, Louis, you can see Perley has things to take care of that he can do better in his own camp. So, let him go take care of his horses. Isn’t that right, Perley?”

  “Yes, ma’am, that’s a fact, so I’ll say thank you again and good night to you all.”

  With that, he took his leave, stepped up into the saddle, and turned Buck toward the river. Louis and Mary and all five daughters stood on the porch to watch him leave.

  “Well, he wasn’t as dumb as his name,” Hope declared.

  “No, he isn’t dumb,” her mother said, still perturbed by her husband’s campaign to interest their guest in their daughters. “I think he’s a fine young man—it’s just too bad he’s not looking for a wife.”

  * * *

  Come on, he thought. Come on down to the edge and get a drink. You know you’re thirsty. Crouching in a clump of berry bushes beside what looked to be a common crossing for deer, Perley watched the four of them as they approached the river. An old buck with three does made his target selection easy. He would take the best shot presented to him.

  He waited to let them drink, keeping his rifle sighted on one of the does in case they turned around instead of crossing the river. When they had satisfied their thirst, the old buck snorted a couple of times, then started across. Perley waited until the ladies followed, and when one young doe presented him with the perfect angle for a lung shot, he squeezed off the fatal round. She dropped immediately, while the other deer bolted up from the riverbank and disappeared into the fir trees on the slope beyond.

  He hurried out of the bushes and ran to the fallen deer, anxious to end her suffering. When he approached, the deer began struggling in a frantic effort to get up, so to make it quick, he drew his .44 Colt and put a bullet in her head.

  “I’m awful sorry I had to do that,” he apologized. He always felt sorry for animals he killed for food, a weakness he was always careful to hide from his brothers, or anyone else, for that matter. “If I could live on nothin’ but berries and such, like you do, I reckon I would.”

  The butchering of the deer was a different matter, however. He figured once the deer was dead, its spirit had gone on to wherever deer spirits went, leaving nothing but meat, and venison was a hell of a lot tastier than sowbelly. He decided to butcher his doe back at his camp, since it was not too far from town and he didn’t want to leave his packhorse unattended there too long. With that in mind, he loaded the carcass onto Buck and started back down the river.

  When within about fifty yards of the little clearing where he had made his camp, Perley suddenly reined Buck back. Something was wrong! He smelled smoke; then, looking up toward the tops of the trees, he saw faint traces of it drifting up from what had to be the spot where he had camped. He was sure he had put his fire out before going after the deer. Someone must have come upon his camp and his packhorse. He was stupid to have left the horse for the short time he was gone, only to have it stolen. Well, we’ll see about that, he thought and urged Buck ahead slowly.

  When about twenty yards closer, he halted Buck and dismounted. Leaving the bay gelding there in the trees, he made his way cautiously toward the clearing until abruptly stopping when he spotted a figure sitting beside his campfire. Glancing over toward the edge of the river, he saw his packhorse grazing, and he couldn’t help wondering why the man hadn’t taken the horse and fled—if that had been his goal.

  Reckon we’ll find out, Perley thought and pushed on through the trees, holding his rifle ready to fire. “Didn’t know I was havin’ company,” he called out, in lieu of something better.

  Startled, the figure by the fire jumped, then spun around to face him. Perley held his rifle ready, but there was no move by his guest to draw a weapon. And for a frozen moment, the two of them stood staring at each other in astonishment.

  “What the. . .” Perley exclaimed. “What are you doin’ here?” he finally managed, trying to recall who this was. “I can’t place your name right now.”

  “I’m Ethel,” Steiner’s thirteen-year-old daughter said. “I thought I could find your camp, and when I saw the packhorse, I knew it was yours.”

  “Yeah—so what can I do for you?” Perley asked. “Did your folks send you to find me?”

  “No, Mama and Papa are at the store, just like every day,” Ethel answered.

  “What about your sisters? Did you tell them you were going to find my camp?” Perley asked, still baffled by the young girl’s appearance.

  “No, I don’t have to tell them everything I’m gonna do.”

  Still baffled, Perley had to ask, “Well, is there somethin’ you want from me?”

  “I wanna go with you,” she stated frankly. “I’ll dry up and blow away if I have to stay here much longer. I can help you do the cooking and anything else you need. And you don’t have to worry, I didn’t tell anybody I was coming with you.”

  Perley found it hard to believe what he was hearing. “Ethel, you’re mighty young to ride off with some man you don’t even know. I wouldn’t know what to do with you anyway. Besides, I’m gonna be on the trail for a long time, lookin’ for my grandpa; then I’ll be headin’ back to my home in Texas. I don’t think you’d enjoy that very much.”

  “I’d like to see Texas,” Ethel said. “And I’m older than you think.”

  “No, you ain’t,” Perley replied abruptly. “You run off from home and you’ll break your mama’s heart. You need to wait till you’re a couple of years older to think about takin’ up with a man. You’ll have plenty of time to meet the right one for you. Fort Collins is growin’ every year. You’ll have a lot to choose from.”

  She wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know about that. Virginia’s twenty-two, and she’s still waiting for somebody. I can’t wait till I’m twenty-two.”

  “Take my word for it,” he said in conclusion. “In the next couple of years, the men around here are gonna outnumber the women, so it’s best you stay right here.”

  Considering that to be his final word on the matter, he now had another problem. “I’ll take you back home, but it’ll have to wait a little while. I’ve gotta skin and butcher a deer and smoke it before the meat goes bad. The weather’s gettin’ warmer now, and I’m afraid to wait too long to dry the meat. And it’d be a sin to kill an animal like a deer unless you used the meat.” There was the matter of a missing girl at the Steiner house, however, which complicated things. “Are your folks gonna miss you if you’re gone for a while?”

  “Like I said, Papa and Mama are at the store.
I go off all the time without telling my sisters. They don’t care, anyway, so I can help you with the deer,” Ethel offered quickly, although she could just as easily have gone home without escort, the same way she had arrived, but she still had hope of changing his mind.

  “Maybe so,” Perley allowed. “At least we can get it started.”

  He pressed his thumb and forefinger to his lips and whistled a short blast. In a few seconds, Buck came trotting out of the trees with the deer carcass on his back.

  It was well past noon by the time Perley had butchered the deer and had it ready to smoke over a makeshift fire pit. Since neither of them had eaten anything that morning, he had Ethel make coffee and cut some strips of the fresh meat to cook over the fire. When they were done, the two sat down to eat, and that’s what they were doing when Deputy Sheriff Martin Sumner rode into the clearing.

  “Well, you ain’t the smartest kidnapper I’ve ever seen,” Sumner announced, surprising the two. With a double-barreled shotgun leveled at Perley, he carefully dismounted. “Are you all right, Ethel?” When Perley started to get up, Sumner warned him, “You set right where you are till I get some answers. I ain’t got no patience for men like you, who take advantage of young girls.”

  “I think you’re jumpin’ to the wrong conclusion,” Perley started to explain, but Sumner cut him short.

  “You just keep your trap shut till I tell you to talk,” Sumner ordered. Then he turned to Ethel. “Tell me what happened, Ethel. What are you doin’ here?”

  Frustrated by having been caught by the deputy, Ethel was about to confess that it was she who was at fault for being there. Then, thinking that the deputy might force Perley to marry her, she replied, “He had his way with me, Deputy Sumner. Snatched me right up off the street and brought me out here to his camp.”