The Secret Saddle_Anna Troy's Emancipation

by Dani Larsen

  Kate, her husband, and Bobby and his wife were also coming for dinner on Christmas Day, and they were all bringing food to add to the festivities.

  George was walking his beat three days before Christmas, and he stopped in at the hotel to see Jude.

  "Hi, George, how are you and your family?"

  "We are all doing just fine, Jude. How are you?" George was worried about the man who had worked for his father for many years. He was hoping that Jude would meet a nice girl and settle down.

  "I am fine, George, just working hard."

  "What are you doing on Christmas?"

  "Nothing, Christmas really doesn't mean much to me, George."

  George thought for a moment, because he knew Anna didn't like Jude, but he felt like he couldn't leave the man all by himself on Christmas.

  "Why don't you join us on Christmas Day for dinner, Jude? Anna's family is coming in to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us, and we are having a big feast. There will be plenty of food and nobody should be alone on Christmas."

  "I don't know, George, somebody has to work the counter on Christmas, and since I'm the only one without a family, it might as well be me. Christmas to me is just another day. If I get off early enough, maybe I'll stop by for a bite, but don't wait for me, because I just might not be there at all."

  "Well, if you can make it, you are surely welcome."

  "Thanks for the invitation, George."

  After George left, Jude started thinking about what a great opportunity that might be for him to do another search at the Troy Ranch for that saddle. He wasn't working on Christmas Eve, and probably not on Christmas Day either, so he thought what a great time to give their place a thorough search.

  George got off early on Christmas Eve. The Troys arrived at three, after spending the morning cooking and wrapping presents. The children were excited to see them. Little Bert was a happy little boy because it was his birthday and he thought he might receive something special. Anna had baked a cake for his birthday, and after dinner they sang "Happy Birthday" to him and they all enjoyed a piece of delicious chocolate cake. After they were done eating and cleaning the dishes, his grandparents gave him a small package. Bert quickly tore the string off the package and opened the small box. Inside was a hand carved horse, and Bert squealed with delight. He took it out and kissed it, then ran over and kissed his grandparents and his aunts and uncle. Anna then pulled out another small package for her little boy. This one held a small handmade book with a wooden cover. Bert's name was carved on the front of the book, and the hand written pages had been carefully printed by Anna. She read the book to him.

  "On a special Christmas Eve in 1916 there was a family who had four children. Two boys named John and Joseph and two girls named Helen and Mary. The children had asked for many presents for Christmas but weren't really expecting to get what they asked for. Just before they went to bed their papa came in with a surprise for them. In his arms he held a tiny baby wrapped in a blanket. Helen and Mary giggled in delight and John and Joseph said 'oooh'. The children were so happy that they all decided that they had just received the best Christmas present ever ... a little baby brother named Bert. The End."

  Bert was so happy with the book he jumped up and down and giggled. He then went and kissed his parents and each one of his brothers and sisters, including his baby brother, George, who was sitting on his father's lap.

  "He is certainly a loving child." Fan said, when Bert kissed the baby.

  "Yes, he has been blessed with a happy and pleasing personality."

  While the family was enjoying a happy Christmas Eve, Jude was at the Troy Ranch searching for his father's saddle. There was no one anywhere on the property. Jude was sure that the ranch hands had gone home for Christmas Eve and that they would be back in the morning to tend to the animals. He tied his horse behind the stable and went inside. He lit the lantern that he brought with him and took his time going through every cabinet and box that was in the stable. There were several wooden crates up in the loft, behind the hay that was stacked there, but he found nothing in any of them. He tried to put things back the way they were, but if anyone paid attention they would know someone had been there.

  He closed up the stable, ignoring the animals who were trying to alert someone that an intruder was in their midst. He spent several minutes listening carefully to make sure that there wasn't someone around that he had missed, but nothing was stirring. After five minutes of silence, he went to the ranch house. The front and back doors were locked, so he started trying to open the windows. They were all locked too. He didn't want to break a window to enter, so when he saw the deck above the front door, he decided to climb up there and check the upstairs door and windows. There was a ladder leaning against the wall on the outside of the stable, so he retrieved it and put it up by the front door, and climbed the ladder to the second floor, where much to his surprise he found the door opened easily. After another few moments of listening for any noises, he went inside. He was surprised to find that the family had electricity in the house, and he flipped on the lights before he went through all the drawers and closets upstairs. Then he went downstairs, and went through everything down there. One closet was full of boxes and he spent a lot of time going through each one. He was becoming more frustrated that he had not found the saddle. After searching everywhere, he went back upstairs and out the same way he came in, then he put the ladder back where he found it. Then he went to the spring house, which was next to the back of the house, and searched through it carefully. After he had done a thorough search of all of the buildings on the property he got back on his horse and rode back into Baker City.

  Filled with disappointed that he didn't find the saddle, he tried to think of what he had missed. That saddle meant everything to him, as he was sure that it held the secret that would lead him to happiness. He wondered if they had really given the saddle to the Church Bazaar. He remembered seeing a sign in one of the store windows on Main Street, advertising another Church Bazaar at the end of January. Maybe he should check out that event and see what he could find out from the people who were working it. Maybe they would know who had purchased it, if they had really had it. His thoughts were only on that saddle all the way home. It's mine, it was my father's saddle, and it belongs to me. I need to find it, and the treasures it holds.

  The next day, he didn't have to work, and he thought about going to the dinner at George and Anna's, but then he remembered the night that he and Sam had broken into the stable at the ranch and he was afraid one of the Troy family would remember something about him and recognize him, and he decided it wasn't a good idea. Most important to him was that saddle, and he knew it was somewhere close, and he just had to track it down.

  When the Troys went home late on Christmas night, they knew immediately someone had been in their house. Zee was very neat and put her things in her drawers exactly where she wanted them, and when she went to put her scarf away she found things were not exactly as she had left them. Not only that but the bottom drawer in her dresser was ajar a little bit, and she never left drawers open as that was one thing that drove her crazy. Then she looked in her closet and could tell immediately someone had gone through her things in the closet.

  "Mama, Da, you'd better check your rooms as someone has been in the house, and gone through my things."

  After Zee's discovery, everyone checked their own dressers and closets, and they all realized that someone had been there and searched through the house and the stable.

  "I can't find anything missing." John said, when they were done checking everything. "It must have been the same person looking for that saddle. I better go into town tomorrow and tell George what has happened."

  "Yes, ye better tell him, before the weather turns bad and ye can't get in there to warn them."

  John rode into town and found George walking his beat around town.

  "George, someone went through our house again while we were gone. Nothing is missing, but
I thought ye ought to know what has happened. Whoever it is, they are still looking for that saddle."

  "They must really want that saddle bad. Come on over to the house and have lunch with me, it's about that time."

  "Okay, George, thanks."

  Anna was fixing turkey sandwiches with the leftovers from Christmas dinner. She was happy to see her father and immediately started making an extra sandwich. They all sat down at the table to eat, and John told his daughter about the break in.

  "Oh no, not again! I can't believe it."

  "Yes, yer mother sent me in to warn ye that someone is still looking for that."

  "Looking for what, Mama?" Ten year old John had been listening to their conversation.

  "Never you mind, young man, this is adult conversation. Keep your ears closed."

  "I already sent a down payment on that parcel of land outside of Sandy, Oregon. We will plan on leaving as soon as we know spring is here for good. I hope you and Steve can help me move our things."

  "We will take the time to help ye, George. If we have to hire a couple of wranglers for a few extra days we will just do that. Why not just move the family out to the ranch toward the end of March, if the weather is good enough, then ye won't have to pay rent for April. We can get yer things moved over there before the beginning of April, and ye can move yer family there the first of April, weather permitting. Will that work?"

  "Yes, that should work fine. I will buy me that car the first of March, and we can have a sale in the middle of that month, and get rid of anything we don't need, like the buggy."

  "We will be happy to help any way that we can. Ye just all be real careful who ye tell about the move ahead of time."

  "I will tell very few people that we are leaving."

  "We are leaving? Where are we going?" John piped up again, and the other children were looking at their parents wanting to know what was going on.

  "Children, this is a secret that we must not tell anyone, not even your best friends. No one is allowed to tell anyone what I am going to tell you. We are buying some land over by Mt. Hood, where we are going to open a dairy. It is a very nice area with good schools and lots of fun things to do. You will all love it there, but you must promise to not tell anyone. We will tell those who need to know just before we go, and we will be spending some time at your grandparents for a few days before we leave. We are also going to buy a new car before we go, so we will all be traveling there in a new car."

  "Oh, goody goody!" The children were excited now. "We won't tell, we promise."

  Jude decided to go the St. Frances Bazaar at the end of January. He looked at everything and didn't see any saddles. There were reins, horse blankets, spurs and a lot of other tack and gear, but no saddles. When he saw a woman who seemed to be in charge he decided to ask her.

  "Do you have any saddles?"

  "No, we don't usually have anything that big. People who have saddles usually sell to friends or neighbors. We get a lot of accessories, but no saddles. When people come to a bazaar they expect to get things really cheap, and saddles are just too expensive, and don't belong here."

  "So you have never had any saddles for sale? You don't even accept them when people bring you donations?"

  "No, we never have. If someone were to bring in a saddle I would tell them to take it to the blacksmith, as he could find someone who would be interested in it."

  "Thank you. I will go to the blacksmith and see if he knows of any for sale. My saddle is getting really worn and I think it is time for a new one."

  "You're welcome, sir. Sorry we couldn't help you."

  Jude walked away knowing that Mary Troy had lied to them. If she had gotten rid of the saddle, why wouldn't she just tell me what she had done with it? Suddenly, something came back to him. He remembered a conversation at the Troy dinner table when he had helped the Hempe family move to Keating. Their son had said something about a saddle and had been hushed up very quickly. What was it the boy had said? It all came back to him now.

  "Jude, do you want to see the saddle? It's real pretty! Grandma got it from the sheriff when ..."

  "That is enough, John! That is not something your mama wants to talk about right now, and Jude has to get back to the ranch before dark."

  Margaret had interrupted her nephew because she didn't want him to know what they were talking about. Their boy knows about the saddle, why would he know? Suddenly it came to him. Mary gave the saddle to Anna ... George and Anna have the saddle! That is where it has to be. Damn, why didn't I think of that earlier?

  Jude knew he would have to be real careful in how he looked for it at the Hempe's place. George was aware that Sam had been looking for the saddle and that he had a partner. If they have it, they will be on the lookout for people trying to break in. He thought he could ask the children, but then realized that they would be warned not to talk about it, and if he questioned any of them, they would probably tell. He knew Anna didn't like him and would be suspicious of anything he did. He would just have to bide his time, and wait for the right moment. Maybe they would go visit the Troys someday soon, and he could check things out while they were gone. He would have to stay good friends with George to find out what was happening. At least now he thought he knew where the saddle was. He didn't care how long it took him to get it, he would find that saddle and someday it would be his.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  "The Move to Sandy"

  The Hempes gave their landlord notice that they would be vacating the premises in Baker City by the end of March, and Fan and Zee brought the Troy's wagon in to help the family move what they would need out to the Troy Ranch for the time Anna and the children would be staying there. George told his captain that he would be leaving his job with the Baker City Police Department on the 25th of March. John and Steve Troy came in to help the family get rid of what they were not taking with them, and to load up what they were. John thought it was time that the Troy Ranch owned one of those new farm trucks. It would be great help with bringing in the hay, and also good for helping his daughter and her family move. He bought one the first part of March. The men loaded up the truck with beds, dressers, tables and chairs, and covered everything with tarps in case they met rain on the way. They tied the load down carefully, so they wouldn't lose anything on the mountain passes. George loaded his new Ford with boxes of dishes, pots and pans, toys, and packed crates from the garage, one of which held the saddle, and other tools and necessities for their new dairy farm. George sold their horses and chickens, with plans to use the money to buy more, and cows for their new dairy farm when they arrived on the outskirts of Sandy.

  Arrangements had been made with a realtor to take over their new property before the end of March. The land was in the area called Cottrell, but the children would attend the Kelso School, which was closer to the property than the Cottrell School. The land was situated on Orient Drive, which was an easy route east into Sandy, and could take them west to Oregon City or into the larger city of Portland. The children could easily walk east to Kelso Road where the school was located closely behind the store on the corner. There was a new high school being built in Sandy and plans for school buses were being worked on to transport the children in the outlying areas to that facility. Anna and George were excited about starting over in the fast growing area.

  The family stayed with the Troys the night of the 25th, and the men left early the next morning in the two loaded vehicles that spent the night in front of the ranch house. Steve drove the truck as John wasn't proficient yet in driving the new vehicle. George loved his new car and couldn't wait to get it on the road. It was a full day's drive at thirty-five miles per hour on Highway 30. Going through the mountains really slowed them down, but they were thankful that there weren't that many other vehicles on the road.

  The road they took out of Hood River that went over Mt. Hood was the scary one. It was Highway 26 all the way to Sandy, but it was treacherous going through the pass. It began pouring down rain at a
bout six p.m., and the two vehicles pulled over until the rain quit. Luckily, the winter had been mild and there was only a little snow when they reached Government Camp. It was dark by the time they drove through Sandy, and they finally reached the property around eight p.m. The land agent had left them a stack of wood for the wood stove and had made sure that the electricity was turned on, and that the water was working properly in the sink. The area had just put in the new water system. The men were exhausted, but they quickly unloaded the truck and car, putting everything where they thought Anna would want it. Anna had remembered to load blankets and pillows into the car at the last minute, as well as two large baskets of food to last the men for the two days they would be gone. After they ate their sandwiches and drank their lemonade, the three men went to bed in the Hempe's new home.

  "Well, what do you think, John? Do you like our new place?" George asked his father-in-law, as the men ate hard boiled eggs, cheese, and bread for breakfast before they left. He had brewed some tea after finding the tea kettle and cups in the boxes in the kitchen, and lighting the fire in the wood stove.

  "I think it is just fine, George. Anna will love it here. Ye are quite a way from us now, but not as far as Mary and I were from our family when we moved from California up to Oregon."

  "We are not that far away. One long days ride and we can come back and visit. I hear they are working on improving the highways, so it will eventually be a much shorter ride when those new roads are finished. That wood plank road coming down the mountain was not easy to drive on."

  "No, it wasn't. We can take a different route on the way home." Steve said. "It will be a longer route but probably safer. If we go down Orient Road, we can go through Troutdale and find Highway 30, which will take us all the way back to Hood River where we turned off last night. It might not be as far in the long run, because the weather should be better."

  "Where did you hear about that route, Steve?"