The Secret Saddle_Anna Troy's Emancipation

by Dani Larsen

  "Yes, I can understand that. George has never told me anything about the family and their life on the Mississippi. What happened to Frank's family? All George told me was that his da was one of many children."

  "Yes, my grandparents had thirteen children, I think, but they lost several in childhood. Grandpa Hempe, Joseph, told us a lot when he was alive. He was a wonderful man and was born in Germany in 1810. He died up in Hot Lakes in 1899. He caught pneumonia and Pa took him to the sanitarium at Hot Lakes for treatment, but he died several days later. He was eighty-nine. Only my pa and our family and Uncle Anton came out west, and they brought Grandpa along. They were Grandpa's two youngest children. All the other children were settled back there in Illinois, many with grown children living close by. The rest of them all stayed there. Mama writes to them all the time. Grandma and Grandpa lost children to smallpox, diphtheria, and even one to lockjaw. Then Grandma Hempe died of Smallpox too. She is buried back in Tipton, Illinois. Her name was Catherine Barbara Schifferdecker Hempe, if you want to keep records for your children. It had to have been a sad time for all of them."

  "I don't know how your grandparents could deal with all those losses. My family has been lucky in that we all survived. Mama lost two babies that were still born, but losing them when they are older has to be much worse. That must have been hard for Frank to lose his mother."

  "Pa was thirteen when his ma died. Uncle Anton was only nine months old. Grandpa and Pa worked the farm there for many years after that. Ma and Pa were married and had George, Ida, and me, but I was only a baby when they took a pioneer train and headed west. Anton was probably not even twenty when they got here. They said Pa's farm back there was very successful for some years, but they never knew what the Mississippi River would do. The weather and the river had everything to do with whether the crops survived or not. Sometimes the river would fork and go in a different direction, and sometimes the water would come up real high on the steamboat dock. George said he remembered it coming almost all the way up the stairs in the house when he was a boy. The way I understand it, Pa had a nice piece of property there, including the steamboat landing. He sold it and they all set out for Oregon, after they heard there was good land out here."

  "Your parents were very brave to make such a move. It must have been hard to leave all of their family in Illinois. My da and mum made a big move too. They both came from Ireland at a young age. I don't think I am brave enough to make such a move. It is hard for me to be this far away from my family, and I am only a half a day's ride away."

  "Yes, I have thought of that often. Even Ida moving to Walla Walla seems like a big move to me, although that isn't really that far, compared to moving across the country, or like your parents moving across the ocean."

  The women saw that the rodeo was letting out, as the roar of the crowd in the arena had died down and people began piling out of the main gate. Anna and Mary put their shoes back on and began straightening their stand. They had sold most of their produce already, and they hoped it would all be gone by the time George and Sylvester came to take down the stall. Many rodeo watchers and participants waited until they were on their way out of the fair to make their purchases, so they were suddenly swamped with people.

  When the crowds were down to only a trickle, George showed up to collect the money for his father, and Sylvester started taking apart the stall and carrying pieces to the buckboards. Caroline came by with the children, who were jumping up and down with excitement.

  "I promised them ice cream if they were good, and they were very good! I hope it is okay if I get them some, Anna. I will take them to the gazebo area to eat it."

  "Of course, I'm sure they will love it. I will join you over there as soon as we are all torn down and everything is packed up. Be good, children."

  "Okay, Mama." John waved at his mother, while Caroline carried Helen.

  Mary helped Sylvester carry the last load to the wagon, and Anna sat down on the hay bale to rest her feet. Most of the people had cleared out by now, and the rodeo participants were taking their animals out of the gate. Anna was lost in thought, as she mulled over what Mary had told her about the loss of her brother. Suddenly, she realized that Jude was standing in front of her holding Smokey's reins.

  "Howdy, Mrs. Anna, did you have a good day?"

  Anna was suddenly tongue tied. She did not like to be alone with Jude. Finally, she was able to speak.

  "Hello, Jude. Yes, we sold pretty much all of our wares. How did Smokey do in the rodeo this year?"

  "He did just fine. Pranced around like a prince. It was a fine parade. I don't know why George had such problems with him last year. I guess Smokey just knows me better."

  Jude smirked, after his last comment, and gave her that leering look that he always seemed to wear when she was around. Anna felt a cold chill creeping down her spine, even though the temperature was in the 90's. She stood up, quickly excusing herself, and walked as fast as she could over to the gazebo area where Caroline and the children waited for her. They were finishing their ice cream and full of energy. It was hard to get them settled down after their exciting day. They all started walking slowly toward the exit gates.

  Jude was happy with his performance that day, but he wasn't happy that Charlie Siringo had been in the bleachers again. He had told his mother not to acknowledge him at all this year, as he was sure Siringo had noticed her cheering for him last year. It gave him the creeps the way the man always seemed to be watching him. He had been on his best behavior ever since last year. He was walking slowly with Smokey after he talked to Anna, feeling good about upsetting her as he knew he had.

  The ranch hand was about to ride Smokey home when he realized someone was following him. Jude had always had a sixth sense about knowing what was going on around him, probably due to necessity. He stopped for a minute and heard footsteps come up behind him. His hand was on his gun as the man spoke.

  "Excuse me, mister. Could I speak with you for a minute?"

  Jude turned around, ready to draw if necessary, and found Charlie Siringo behind him. The man took off his hat and held it in his hand. Jude's hands started to sweat and his stomach began to roll. His mouth got dry and he began to get panicky. He thought maybe he should suddenly ride Smokey off into the sunset, but then he realized all of his gear, and the little money he had, was back at the ranch. He swallowed and got control of himself.

  "Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"

  "Can I buy you a cold drink, and we can talk?"

  "Sorry, but I need to help my boss get everything loaded up to go back to the ranch. I wouldn't want to be loafing while the rest of the hands are working."

  "Well, we can just talk here, if that is okay? My name is Charlie Siringo. Can I ask your name, sir?"

  "I'm Jude Burden. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Siringo." He wiped his sweaty shaky hand on his pants, and held it out to the man, while he pasted a smile on his face.

  "Howdy, Mr. Burden, I was hoping you could help me out. I'm looking for a man who is called Bud. Last I heard, he was going by the last name Dampierre. Do you know of such a man? He would have come out this way around 1905."

  "I ain't never heard of him. Why would you be asking me about him?"

  "Well, I heard you came to the area around that time. D'Alene, or Dolly as she is also known as, who hangs out at Anton's Saloon, admits to being his mother, but he supposedly left here with a couple when he was about four years old. She says she hasn't seen him since, but I'm not sure I believe her. Anyway, I'm just checking with any of the cowboys that know her, and I noticed at the last fair that she was a hooting and hollering when you saved that feller last year who got thrown from that horse."

  "I know her from coming into the saloon when I've been there, that's all. I don't know nothin' more about her! Why are you looking for this Bud guy?"

  "I'm investigating a murder in Idaho and a suspected arson in Wyoming. This man's name came up in both incidences."

  "Well, I do
n't know nothin' about any guy named Damper, or any murders. I need to get back to work, mister." Jude turned around and wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked as fast as he could toward the Hempe wagons outside of the Fair Grounds.

  Anna was walking toward the two men with the children in hand when she saw Jude talking to the man with the big white hat. She stopped in her tracks, not wanting to have to talk to Jude again. She watched the scene, wondering what was upsetting Jude so much. She had never seen him act so nervous. His hands were shaking visibly, and she could see sweat stains on his back and under his arms as he walked away. He hadn't looked like that when she had talked to him. It surprised her, as he always seemed to have such control of himself. The other man put on the large white hat and walked back toward the arena.

  George and Sylvester walked up just then. They had just finished loading everything in the wagons. George reached down and picked up his little girl.

  "How's my little family? Did you have fun at the fair, John?"

  "Yes, Papa, we had ice cream."

  Little John was learning to talk, and he took his time to speak clearly. Anna had been working with him every day. Helen just clapped her hands and grinned at her da.

  "Papa!" She said.

  Anna picked up John and the little family headed to their wagon. As they were climbing in, Jude rode by on Smokey heading for the Hempe ranch. George was going to say "Hi" but Jude seemed to be in a hurry, as he prodded the horse with his spurs and didn't seem to see them. Anna thought something was wrong, as Jude never missed an opportunity to harass her.

  "Who was that man with the big white hat, George?"

  "I heard he was a Pinkerton man, looking for some guy that killed the governor of Idaho. He's been around off and on for the last year. Don't know why he keeps coming around. I don't think he has found anyone."

  "Well, he was just talking to Jude, and it seemed to make Jude real nervous."

  "Anybody would get nervous when a detective starts talking to you. I don't think it means anything, Anna. You always think Jude is guilty of something anyway." George laughed.

  Anna didn't say anything more, but she knew in her gut that something was up.

  Chapter Twelve

  "Everything Changes"

  1913 ~ 1915

  Joseph Anthony was born in Cove on June 23rd, 1913; two weeks after Helen turned two years old. The baby had been in a hurry to get there, and George had barely made it back from retrieving the midwife in Cove when he made his appearance. He was a darling, little blonde boy, and his brother and sister were excited to have a new baby in the house. He was named after his grandfather, Joseph, and Uncle Anton. Anna had her hands full with three children under five. The cabin was small, so it was pretty easy to keep an eye on them. They couldn't get too far away, now that George had put the latch on the door. The baby slept in George and Anna's room, so it would be easy to nurse him, and they had cleaned out the second room for the two older children. George had finished his furniture, after making the two beds for his older children. Anna knew they were outgrowing the cabin. If another child came along, they would definitely need another bedroom, as there was no place to store anything.

  It was May of 1914, when Anna realized she was pregnant again. A few days later, she told George that a fourth child would be a real burden in the small cabin. George was surprised but agreed with her.

  "Yes, Anna, you are right. I think it is about time we started looking for a place of our own. When will the new babe be arriving?"

  "I think he or she will be here early in 1915."

  "Okay, Anna, we have a little time. I've saved up some money for a new place. We just have to look around and find the right place for us. I just hope we can run a farm of our own. I don't know what else I could do to support such a large family."

  "George, I would really like to move closer to my family, if we can find a place. I know we can make it. I grew up on the ranch, I can do a lot of the work, and John and Helen will soon be old enough to start learning some chores. John will have to start school soon though."

  "Yes, and we both know how important learning is. The children are so lucky to have a good teacher for a mother. You can teach them a lot before they start regular school. Why don't you write to your mum and ask her to send us any information they can find; about property that may be available in the surrounding areas, I'll tell Pa today that we will be leaving here sometime in the next year."

  "That should make Jude happy. I'm sure he's been after your job for a while now."

  "Do you think so, Anna? I'd never thought about it."

  "Why yes, George, I think that nothing would make him happier, than for you to leave."

  Anna cleared off the table, wiped the children's faces, and helped Helen get down from the bench that George had made to match the long table. John was proud that he could get down on his own. Joseph was sitting on his Da's lap and wanted to get down when he saw his brother and sister heading for the toy box and started trying to slide down. George had been feeding him spoons full of oatmeal.

  "Can we go out and play, Mama?" John pleaded, while Helen giggled and repeated what her brother said.

  "Mama, can I go play too?" Helen wanted to do everything her brother did.

  "Yes, children, we will go outside in a few minutes. Let me get the dishes done first. Go play until I get finished. Helen will you help put Joseph's clothes on." She took Joseph from George's lap, washed his face, and set him on the floor. He was walking, but was not very steady on his feet. Helen adored her baby brother and took his hand.

  "C'mon, Joey." She said as she led him into the bedroom.

  George rose, took his jacket off of the back of the chair, kissed his wife goodbye, and headed to the Hempe Ranch.

  He told his father when he got there that he and Anna were going to have a fourth child, and that they would be getting their own place within the year. Frank congratulated his son on the coming child, and thanked him for letting him know so early.

  Jude overheard the conversation and was elated, realizing that he would finally get the job he'd been waiting for. After he got off work, he took his horse and rode into La Grande. He went to Anton's to celebrate and had a couple of drinks, before his mother showed up. When she came in, Jude casually took her aside and told her he was going to be the foreman of the Hempe Ranch within the year.

  "I'm so proud of you, Jude." Dolly beamed.

  "Calm down, now. Let's not screw it up before this happens. Have you seen that Pinkerton guy lately?"

  "He comes in here every few months. He is very persistent and seems sure that the man he is looking for is around here. I am worried about him, because he questions me every time he comes in. He scares me."

  "Just stick to the same story and try to avoid him. That bastard has a one track mind. I thought he would retire by now."

  "He said he was going to solve this case before he retires, no matter how long it took."

  "I better leave now. Don't want to be seen talking to you. You never know who is going to say what."

  Jude paid for his drinks, picked up his hat, and headed out the door. His mood was down now that he heard that the Pinkerton fella wasn't going to give up.

  As the months went on, the Hempes worked toward the coming transition. George and Anna checked on property in Baker and Union County and made periodic trips with the family to visit more property. Jude would take over the ranch, when George took a few days off, usually once a month.

  Frank was happy for his son, and only wished that the young couple would become as successful as he and Caroline were. Their ranch was one of the most successful in Union County. The value of the property was listed at $19,040 for the year 1914. Anton's property was valued at $11,040 for his land and saloon; for tax purposes. George was worth $1,015. That was a big increase for Frank whose tax value in 1908 had only been $5,175.

  Frank decided he needed to do something with his money. In 1909, he purchased one hundred shares of Cascades C
onsolidated Mining and Smelting Company. In 1910, he bought one hundred shares of Clark Wireless Telegraph and Telephone. In 1911, he bought some undeveloped property; seventy-five miles east of Lakeview in an adjacent county. And in late 1914, he made his largest purchase; a 1915 brand new Reo Touring Car.

  He was really excited about the last purchase. It was late October, when the car was delivered to him in La Grande. George rode with him into town to pick up the car, and then George took both horses back to the ranch. Frank hadn't seen Anton for a while, so he stopped at the Saloon to show him his new purchase.

  "Hey, Strauss, how are you? And how is the family. I haven't seen you lately."

  "Strauss, it's good to see you, brother." It was a standing joke that went back to when they were young. The brothers always called each other "Strauss" due to their German heritage.

  "I've got something to show you. Can you step out in front for a few minutes?"

  "I sure can, after all, I own the place."

  "Is that yours, Frank? Wow!" Anton walked around the brand new car that was parked in front of his saloon. There were lots of people standing in the street admiring the new vehicle that sat in the dirt road. It was fire engine red and shiny, and Anton went crazy.

  "Brother! That is beautiful! Can I sit behind the wheel?"

  "Oh, course you can. Take a seat. I just drove it from the Farm Machinery lot. I ordered it several months ago through them. They had it sent by train from Boise. It was supposed to be here last month, but just arrived on Saturday."

  "That is some car. How much did you have to pay for it?"

  "Base price was one thousand fifty for the 1915 model. It's called a REO Touring Car. It seats up to five people. Caroline and George are the only ones I told about it. I had to pay three hundred twenty-five dollars extra for the cloth top, windshield, gas tank, and a self-starter. It has a thirty to thirty-five horsepower engine, and thirty-two inch wheels."

  It seemed everyone in town was now out in the street, crowded around Frank's new car. The crowd started asking him questions. This was the first REO in the area. The town folk had watched it come in on the train on Saturday, but didn't know whose car it was. Frank had been coming into town once a week waiting for it. Last week, the dealership told him it was due to arrive on Saturday and to pick it up on Monday, so they could gas it up and get it all shined up for him.