by Sioux Dallas
The bunkhouse was cleaned from top to bottom, the foreman’s cabin was cleaned and fresh linens put in and about six of the storage buildings were cleaned and divided into private rooms for the ones who would be staying.
Ginger did wonder about all the bustling and cleaning but didn’t question it. She was so concerned about the news of ranchers still having cattle rustled and mustangs stolen that she didn’t pay any attention to the plans for her surprise party. The men dug the trench for the hogs one day when she had gone to town for supplies.
Two days before the party Amy Davidson called and accidentally let the secret out of the bag. Ginger was surprised but promised not to give her away.
The day before the party two big cattle trucks pulled in loaded with bellowing calves. Frank and Moose happened to be in the yard when they pulled in. Two men got out of each truck and walked to them.
“We’re supposed to deliver these to Ginger Proudfoot but we have to be paid first before we can unload them.”
“Who told you to bring those here?” Frank was mystified. He knew Ginger had not made arrangements to buy more cattle or she would have discussed it with him.
“Our boss told us to deliver them. You can call him and find out who gave him the order.” By then Ginger, Juanita, Helen and Irene had come out.
“What’s going on here?” Ginger demanded.
Frank quickly explained to her what the men were doing there. She was rightfully upset because she knew she had not ordered cattle. She took the phone number and went in to call the owner of the cattle trucks.
“A woman ordered them over the phone saying she was Ginger Proudfoot. I’ve done business with Mike Proudfoot before and agreed to deliver the calves to be paid for on delivery. I usually get paid before I leave the lot, but knowing the Proudfoot family I knew it would be all right.”
“Well it isn’t all right. I’m Ginger Proudfoot and I have never purchased cattle in this manner and I certainly didn’t this time. I’m sorry but your men will just have to turn around and come back.”
“Now listen here, lady ---”
“No! You listen. I. Did. Not. Ask. For. These. Calves. and I won’t pay for something I didn’t buy. Do you want to have one of the men come in and talk to you so you can tell them to come on back?”
There was a pause and then a slow, “No, I guess not. Tell them I said to come on back and those calves had better not be hurt.”
Ginger went back out to see more of her men gathered. She gave the message to the delivery men and explained that there had been a mistake in orders. She stood looking perplexed as the trucks were driven away. She turned, frowning, and looked at her men and Frank.
“Something’s rotten here. I didn’t order the washer, dryer and stove and I sure didn’t order the calves. What is happening?”
“It sounds as if someone is out to ruin you, or at least ruin your reputation for doing business. I’d like to know what the problem is and who’s behind it.” Frank was angry.
He turned to the men. “Keep an eagle eye out and don’t trust anyone, even if it’s someone you’ve known for a while. Some one is trying to cause trouble for us. I want another count made of the mustangs and the horses in the pasture. In about three weeks, we’ll have a cattle drive and bring the cattle down from summer grazing. We’ll need to hire some hands and I’ll need you men to watch them carefully and know what’s going on.”
Chapter Eight
Ginger pretended to be surprised when friends started coming in that would be staying. Moose walked down with her to talk to Hank and ask his advice about the puzzling events. He said he would check into it.
All the people were in a happy, party mood. Ginger did not want to spoil the day for anyone. Hank was there in his wheelchair because his legs were still too weak for him to stand more than a couple of minutes.
The music group was made up of three guitars, an accordion, two violins (fiddles), a harmonica and a keyboard. They were surprisingly good and enjoyed by all.
Food was outstanding, as usual. Ginger was swung around the “dance floor” by her own men and friends. She was pleased that a couple of the Amish had joined them. Not to dance; just to socialize.
Ginger was a little annoyed and amused at the same time when a hand from the Parker ranch kept insisting that she needed to get married. “You’re doing a great job, and everybody loves you, but you need a man to take the burden off your shoulders. A man could take care of these blamed things that have been happening.”
Ginger laughed. “I am working hard, but I’m so blessed to have two wonderful foremen and loads of good hands. I’m doing fine now. I don’t have time for anyone else, but thank you for being concerned.”
The laughing, talking, eating and dancing went on until after dark.
Children were asleep on coats, horse blankets or whatever they could find.
The people who lived nearby began to gather belongings and head home while those who were staying went to the cabins that had been assigned to them.
Hank and Frank checked to make sure there was no danger of fire and went to their own places. As much as Hank blustered when he first found out he would have a house of his own, he was grateful for the peace and comfort that he had. Moose had pushed his wheelchair home and helped him get ready for bed. Then Moose came back to the bunkhouse.
Ginger was too excited to sleep. She thought of her parents whom she had loved dearly and her precious Grandfather whom she had adored. She counted her blessings for friends, workers and neighbors. She almost went to sleep while she was praying she was so tired.
Six o’clock came whether they were ready for it or not. Work still had to be done; animals fed, people fed and guards changed.
Juanita, Ginger and the two girls prepared a hearty breakfast for those that had stayed. The women all helped while the men went to help with the ranch work. Martin and Wanda Peterson didn’t live too far away but they had stayed because they were older with their children all grown and gone. They had good dependable ranch hands who would be welcome to join the festivities when they finished their work. Martin took it upon himself to stand and ask a blessing over the breakfast table. Ginger was very pleased and decided she must encourage her own men to do more praying aloud.
James drove in bringing his parents. Howard, too, was in a wheelchair so he and Hank could talk together and to the other people. Everyone was glad to see the Deerhunter family. Arline hovered over Howard until he was embarrassed and ordered her to go away.
Some of the neighbors returned until, with the guards who missed yesterday, there was almost as big a crowd as there had been the day before.
Ginger was pleased that the musicians voluntarily played again. There was not as much dancing as there was visiting.
Troy and Virginia Campbell had arrived from the other side of St. Ignatius. Ginger was glad to see them because it had been a few years since she had any contact with them. Ginny had been so good to her after her parents had died and she appreciated their friendship.
Ginger had heard that Troy and Virginia were opening their ranch three times a year to cancer children. The children were sponsored and spent a two week glorious time learning to ride the horses, swim in the pool, and some even went on a make-believe cattle drive. A trusted hand would sit one child in front of him on a horse and hold an arm lovingly around the child. The children glowed with happiness and, for a short time, forgot their problems.
“Hi, Ginny. I’m so glad you could join us. I haven’t seen you for a long time. We must get together for a chat before you leave. I want to hear about your great work with the children.” Ginger hugged her.
“Yes, I’d be delighted to tell you about our children. We love them all and ache to see each one leave. We’ll get together. Happy birthday. I’ve heard so many great things about you and what you’re doing here. You are a walking wonder.” Ginny laughed and hugged Ginger. They couldn’t talk more because people were crowding in to talk to Ginger.
Gin
ger was shocked to see an old man come walking up the long driveway looking as if he would pass out any minute. He seemed to be about Hank’s age and he was limping badly. She didn’t see a vehicle or a horse so he had to have walked a distance.
“Hello, there. Can I help you?” she asked with a smile.
The old man looked puzzled and took off his hat to show sparse white hair and watery looking blue eyes. Lines on his face gave evidence that he had worked outdoors most of his life.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you. I didn’t know you had company.”
“That’s okay. What did you want?”
He scuffed worn boots in the dirt. “Well, I need a job and a place to stay. I ain’t got no family here and nowhere to go. I need food.”
Ginger’s heart melted. ‘Well, of course. There’s plenty of food here and you’re welcome to share. Why are you in this area? I mean why did you come to my ranch?”
I worked for the Wentworths until I got my leg busted when my horse was shot out from under me and fell on me. I wasn’t able to do ranch work so I cooked in the bunkhouse and did odd jobs. They told me they didn’t have a place for me and I’d have to go summers else.”
Ginger was angry. Here she was making plans to take care of her older workers and care about them and this poor old man was turned out to starve or do the best he could. “Why did you come here?” she smiled.
“I knew Mike Proudfoot and knew he’d never shet the door in my face.”
“No, he sure wouldn’t and I won’t either. Would you like to live in our bunkhouse and help the men cook and clean there? You’ll have shelter, food, a bed and time to rest.”
“Thanke ma’am. I do preciate it. You won’t be sorry.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’ve been called Gimpy so long I clean fergot my name. I be William Watson, but you kin call me Gimpy. Everybody does.”
“I’ll call you William or Bill. We have another Billy working here,” she laughed. She looked around for her men. “Jimbo, this is our new hand. Please see that he gets food and a bed in the bunkhouse.”
Jimbo looked surprised but followed orders. He helped William get a plate full of food and sat to talk to him. Soon he could see that the old man was very tired. “Would you like to go to the bunkhouse and rest a while?”
“I shore would sonny. Thankee kindly.” He got up and shuffled after Jimbo across the grounds to the bunkhouse. Jimbo was touched to see that he went to sleep almost as soon as he stretched out on a bunk. He walked back to tell Ginger.
He didn’t get a chance to tell Ginger because as he walked to the yard a pickup whirled in spewing dust on everyone. An excited man jumped out.
“Where’s my boss?” He ran over to Allan Barker. “Boss, you gotta come. We’ve been attacked.”
People gathered around concerned and angry for their friend and neighbor.
“What do you mean -- attacked?”
“Baron Morris first noticed one of the fields on fire. We knew it had to be set because there was no lightning to do it. We saddled up and started over to see about it when Bucky Boyd came riding in with a bullet wound in his shoulder. He said some men had cut the wire on a fence and was driving cattle on to a truck. He fired over their heads and ordered them to stop. They fired at him, hurried to get in the truck, and took off. I left the other men patching the fence and keeping the cattle away from the weak area.”
Frank and Hank were beside him by then. Hank wheeled closer. “Did you get a look at the men enough to identify them?”
“Just a quick look. I think I could know them if I saw them again but I’m not sure.”
“Well, did you get a license plate number or was there writing on the truck?”
“No. They had put mud on the plate and there was no writing; just a black cattle transport truck.”
Roy and Bonnie Service ran to get their belongings and jump into their truck. “We’d better go check on our property.”
Ginger thought it was selfish of them because the other men were offering to go to Barker’s ranch and help any way they could.
Alan shook his head sadly, “thank you all but it’s too late now to do anything. My men have the fire out and the cattle are gone. I do have ear tags on them and will notify the auction houses and the meat inspectors to watch for them. I need to see about my man that was shot.”
Ginger had run in to call the sheriff as soon as she heard what had happened. She came out in time to hear Daniel Grey Wolfe. “It’s obvious they knew we would be together here and took the opportunity to attack while the attention was off the property. This makes me think that it’s true; we have a traitor in the neighborhood.”
Ginger felt badly that her party had left the way open for the rustlers to move in and work. Hank assured her that they seemed to have a clever leader and would have found an opportunity some how.
Needless to say the people began to leave to check on their own property.
A few had offered to stay and help Ginger’s men clear up but Ginger thanked them and said they could handle it. She felt terrible for all of them and wanted them to go to their own homes and make sure everything was all right.
Frank quickly saddled his big black stallion, Ebony Lightning, and rode out to check on the guards in the pasture.
Hank tried to comfort Ginger. “It’s no one’s fault, honey. Evil people are going to do evil no matter what the rest of us do. I think you should bring your cattle down from the mountains sooner than you planned.”
In September they would be planting winter wheat. She had all ready ordered two hundred acres to be planted in corn to be ground and used for winter feed. Some of her fields would be mowed and the grass rolled in huge rolls for hay for feed.
“Hank, do you think I’d better separate the cattle and sell the ones earlier than I planned to? I can keep the calves and young stock. I need to buy a new bull so that I don’t have inbreeding. I can sell cattle and buy a young bull at the same time.”
“That’s something to think about. Don’t make any hard and fast decisions now. Wait a day or two until we can sit down with Frank and plan what we need to do.” he beat the chair arms with his fist. “How I hate this. If this hadn’t happened to me, I’d be able to go after them. I feel so useless.”
“You are far from useless. It was past time for you to slow down. I need your clear head and good advice. Don’t go to pieces on me now when I need you so badly.”
She was trying to calm Hank as well as get control of her own emotions.
While Moose went home with Hank and stayed with him, Ginger went into the house and almost ran to the office. She got the files of all the men that her Grandfather had kept. She needed to remember to have William fill out papers tomorrow. She read until her eyes were scratchy.
HENRY (HANK) BAXTER - worked 48 years - had been foreman for 40 years. 72 years old. Widower
FRANK ROYCE - Assistant foreman - worked thirty-five years. 54 years old. Married with grown children.
William (Billy) Carson - 21 years old - worked 3 years - widowed mother, 2 younger brothers and 1 younger sister.
Arturo Rodriguez - 41 years old. Married, 3 children- 2 older ones away, younger one in college. Worked 20 years
Juan Chavez - 34 years old - divorced, no children - worked 14 years
Buster Mitchell - 60 years old - worked 38 years - no family. Deceased
James (Jimbo) Boyd - 24 years old, single worked 3 years
Andrew (Andy) Lutz - 27 years old - worked 1 year - no dependants
Aubrey (Moose) Stallard - 57 years old - worked 37 years - widower, no known dependants.
Merika Lopez 28 years old, married with five children, worked 11 years.
Herbert (Slim) Krantz 31 years old, worked 12 years, never married, no known dependants.
Robert (Rocky) Rutherford - 29 year old. Single. Worked 10 years.
Gerald (Fish) O’ Brien - 28 years old. Divorced. No children. Worked 10 years.
James Baird
- 32 years old. Married, 2 children. Worked 14 years.
Sean McMahon - 45 years old. Widowed, 4 grown children. Worked 25 years.
Alfred Kruse - 48 year old. Divorced. No children. Worked 19 years.
Now there would be William Watson to add. She noted where each of the men had worked before they were hired here, if they had worked. She was too tired and worried to think as carefully as she should. I’ll try to get some sleep and go over this with Hank and Frank tomorrow. Dear Lord, please take care of my friends and neighbors. You’ve been so good to my family and blessed us for hundreds of years. Help us find the people doing the damage and stealing from us. It isn’t right that we work so hard and someone comes in and takes it away. My heart is so sad because of the deaths and wounded men. Be with all of us, Lord and help us to be sensible and safe. I need to talk to the priest, too.
She fell into a troubled sleep.
Chapter Nine
Anxious days went by with increased trouble on various ranches. Ginger was thankful that, as far as she knew, there was no more trouble on her property.
One morning Frank asked her to meet with him at Hank’s house. They discussed perplexing events happening in their county.
“The money that I was paid from the sale of the cattle hasn’t gone as far as I’d hoped. I have to pay a huge insurance premium on the property and one on a health and accident policy for the workers. Too, there are daily expenses that occur regardless.”
“Ginger, I’m so sorry that you’re being fearful over something none of us seem to be able to solve.” Hank commiserated with her. “I haven’t had time to tell you, but the Park Police are sending two undercover agents to work with us. I’m sure there are more agents on other ranches, but we’ll have these two staying with us. We three are the only ones that absolutely must know they are undercover.”
Frank was flabbergasted at the information. “When did this happen?”
“I only heard a couple of days ago. They naturally got in touch with me knowing that I’ve been foreman here for many years.”
