A Cry in the Wilderness
Copyright© 2025 by Megumi Kashuahara
Chapter 3
It was about three a.m. when they pulled up to the barn. They had yet to dismount the wagon, and Slim was walking up to them. Slim smiled and said, “Been sleeping with one eye open waiting fur ya ta get back. Boss, lemme give ya a hand unhitchin’ the wagon; you’s go on up ta the house and hit the hay.”
“Thanks, Slim, we’ll see ya ‘bout nine, okay?”
“Sure boss. Want me ta git Sam and unload the wagon?”
“Yeah. Put all the boxes in the bunkhouse. I gots some presents fur ya ‘n Sam.”
Slim grinned and retorted, “Hmmm. Christmas come early, huh? I likes it!”
Angus slapped him on the back with a chuckle. He turned and waved back over his shoulder saying, “See ya in da mornin’.”
About quarter to nine, Angus went to Will’s room and poured half glass of water from the nightstand on his face. “Get up, you lazy, no-account son ‘o mine!” he said with a laugh.
Will bolted up sputtering and wiping his wet face with his hands. “I’m up, Pa!”
Sarah had two plates of bacon, eggs and biscuits warming by the stove when they strolled down. After sopping up the juices with a biscuit, Angus told the ladies, “Come on ta the bunkhouse. We havin’ a meetin’.”
Both women looked at each other with raised eyebrows. The bunkhouse was usually the men’s domain.
Sam was coming back from checking a fence line and Will motioned for him to hurry up. He then turned to locate the two younger boys and get them to the meeting.
Once everyone was seated, Angus was about to start the meeting when he saw Tommy giving Tessa goo-goo eyes. Angus just said, “Tommy, pay attention.”
Tommy looked down with a grin and Tessa demurely blushed. Sarah just smiled.
Angus continued, “Well, folks, let’s git the presents passed out first.”
Angus started with the rifles saying, “I wants all my men ta be armed proper. So, all ‘o us be packing one of these here Spencer rifles.”
He handed Slim his, then Sam his. He gave each man a box of fifty rounds each. Moving right along. He dragged over the small wooden crate and set two Smith & Wesson Model three .44 caliber revolvers on the table. He slid one to Slim then to Sam. He plopped up two matching holsters saying, “These are .44 caliber double action pistols that fire quick loading cartridges. No more ‘o that cap and ball stuff.” As he handed each man a box of ammo, he continued, “I wants you ta give Tommy and Billy yur old pistols and ammo. Boys, you’s make damn sure yur folks is okay ta have ‘em. Got dat? I wants ya both ta know that a man ain’t measured by the gun he wears. You ain’t gots ta wear them thin’s ever day.”
“Yes Sir!” They both nodded as the fumbled with the holsters.
‘Now, fur the ladies,” Angus said as he reached into the crate, withdrew the pocket pistols and holsters. He continued, “Stands up and strap these here holsters on.”
He helped Tess buckle it around her waist as Sarah watched and copied the method. As he unwrapped the pistols, he said, “I wants ya ladies armed. There be snakes out there, and if we gets attacked by injuns, I don’t wantcha standin’ witcha’s skirts flapping in the breeze. Now, here’s how ya load these here babies.” Angus demonstrated the loading process and then finished with. “Me an Will ‘ll takes ya out and teach both of ya’s how ta load n’ shoot em. Got it?”
Both women nodded, Tess more tentatively than her ma.
Angus continued. “Me ‘n Will made a deal wit da smithy in Mansfield fur three schooner wagons. They’s be ready fur delivery da end ‘o January. We’ll picks ‘em up then. Will, tell yur ma ‘bout the trunks.”
Will nodded a little and turned to his ma. “Ma, we gotcha three large trunks as wide as the wagons. They gots a flat top ta stack stuff on top if’n ya wanna. I could chose all three the same, but fur the same price, I gotcha one in white oak, ones made a sugar maple, and the last ‘un is a Nor’Easter cherry. Zeek says we can sand an finish ‘em if’n ya wanna.”
Sarah stood and gave him a peck on the lips and cooed “How thoughtful ya is!”
Well, the poor boy turn six shades of red, and the boys haranguing him with “Oooh, poor baby” and “Mama’s boy”...
“What be next?” Sam asked. Angus answered, “We gots ta get the ranch lookin’ like gold. Inspect fences. I wants every post straight, every board be nailed proper, every wire straight ‘n tight. I don’t wants nothing saggin’. Let’s clear away any trees or branches layin’ around. We gots to spiff it up so’s I can gets every penny she be worth. Got it?”
All said un unison. “Yes Sir!”
Angus, still chuckling about Will being raked over the coals, stood and said, “Alrighty now, you guys kin take da rest ‘o da day off. Saddle up some horses and all of you’s including the young’uns go out down by da crick and practice shootin’ yur new toys. Slim, you make damn sure them boys is learnt right. No one gits hurt. Ladies, you’s kin go today or later, yur choice.”
Both women looked at each other and in unison answered, “Later.”
— ∞ —
The next morning, Angus told Sam to take one of the boys to Robbin’s Mercantile and buy white paint, brushes and a couple of buckets. He was going to have the two boys paint the house before Thanksgiving. He also told him to pick up the mail. Will was out inspecting the north fence line. Slim was repairing the east fence line with Tommy on the wagon with the materials and tools.
Tessa was sitting on the porch reading. Angus trod up the porch stairs and asked her, “How come ever one else’s out workin’ their butts off and you’s a sittin here doin’ nuttin’? Get yur pretty little self around the corner and clean and dress up yur ma’s garden.”
She slapped her book shut in a huff, stood and walked away with a gruff, “Yes, Pa.”
He walked into the house to see Sarah kneading dough for lunch’s biscuits. He was going to say, “Mornin’ Darlin,” but she thought he was going to give her something to do and cut him off. “Don’t ya come in here actin’all king-like givin’ out orders. Else I’ll put yur highness to work”
He smiled sweetly, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She leaned her head back and said, “I’ll give ya ten minutes ta stop that,” and giggled. He started to kiss up her neck and nipped her earlobe. She gave him a gentle elbow to the gut and said, “Down, yur highness. Them’s subjects ‘o yurs’ll be a comin for lunch soon with empty bellies. Ya know what the good book sez, the worker be due his wage, and thems ‘ll be hungrier than a bobcat chasin’ a rabbit.”
He chuckled and said, “Yes yur royal queenship.”
‘Don’t cha fergit it either.” She giggled ... and so did he.
∞ —
The Lazy Susan Ranch was a hefty six-hundred-eighty acres. She had three large barns for the horses. One smaller barn for the twenty head of milking long and short horned oxen. There were also four covered lean-tos with a water and hay trough. After the house was painted, they started repairing and painting the barns and lean-tos with red oxide.
Angus finally received letters from three land agents representing two buyers from the Texas, Maryland area, and one from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Angus made arrangements by mail via the stagecoach to have each buyer arrive three days apart starting the second week of December.
The second week of November, a prairie schooner was making its way up the main ranch road to the house when Sam saw them and quickly met them before the neared the house. There was a man holding the reins, a woman and a young girl seated on the wagon’s bench seat. Once stopped, Sam politely tipped his hat, and said, “Howdy, Sir, ladies, what kin I do fer ya?”
The man nodded and replied, “Is you da owner ‘o dis here ranch?”
“No sir, that be Mr. Angus McLaughlin up at da house. Kin ya tell me what’s yur b’ness here?”
“Well, sir, I’s a lookin fer some short-term work. We come from Berk’s County in Pennsylvania. Right a-fer we left Pennsylvania inta Ohia, we wuz robbed. They got our money ‘n guns ‘n ma wife’s necklace. We was headed to Independence Missoura to go west, but I needs sum money ta make the trip. I’m a teacher by trade, but I’s handy wit ma hands.”
“Foller me, sir, I’ll take ya ta da house ta speak wit Mr. Angus.”
“Yes siree!” He snickered the oxen with a snap of the reins and followed Sam up the road.
Sarah had just come out the front door to sweep the porch, saw the wagon coming up the road and hollered for Angus to come out quick. Both he and Tess were out the door lickity split.
Sam told Angus, “Sir, these here folks wanna talk ta ya ‘bout doin’ some work.”
When the wagon bench stopped in front of Angus, the man introduced itself and his family. “G’day Sir, my name is Elijah Hall. This be ma wife Mildred, and this here’s ma daughter Rebekah. As I tol yur man here, we be on our way ta Independence Missoura ‘n hope ta go ta da Willamette in Oregon. I be a teacher by trade, an I heared there be a lack ‘o schoolin’ there. But ... we ran into a heap ‘o trouble right after we entered Ohia. We was robbed of all our money, a couple guns ‘n Mildred’s ruby necklace. It were her ma’s. So, I’s lookin fer work.”
Angus nodded his understanding and Sarah, feeling empathetic, wrapped her arm in Angus’s. Tessa stood by silently looking at Rebekah with a friendly, shy smile.
“Well. Come on down here, Elijah so’s we kin go in da house, sit down ‘n talk proper,”
Sam turned his horse and told Angus he was going back to work. Angus nodded and said, “Thanks, Sam. Good job.”
Sarah, being the staunch Christian woman she is, grabbed Mildred by the hand, and held her other out to Rebekah and said, “Come on in da house, folks. Let’s sit a spell an talk proper.”
Sarah led everyone into the house and motioned where everyone should be seated. Sarah told Tessa to help her get some glasses of water and some tinned biscuits [cookies].
Elijah started the discussion saying, Mr. Angus—”
Angus cut him off saying, “Elijah, we all be friends at ma table. Jus’ call me Angus. Same wit ma wife, she be jus’ Sarah ‘n ma daughter be Tessa.”
“Yes Sir,” Elijah restarted, “Angus we done spent jus’ ‘bout ever penny we had to make dis here move. We be in dire straits. We sees as we moving past your ranch that you gots a purdy big spread here, and me ‘n the misses was a hopin’ ya could use a bitta help.”
Sarah and Tessa returned with the refreshments and served everyone. Sarah sat, but Tess smiled at Rebekah and motioned to follow her. The two girls left the room giggling and went upstairs to Tessa, room.
‘Elijah,” Angus started after Sarah was seated, “We can feel yur pain, brotha. Our family has decided to sell this ranch an like you folks are gonna head west, maybe as fur as Fort Laramie in the Nebraska territory. I knows just what yur goin’ through cuz’ me ‘n ma son jus’ come back from buyin’ three of them there wagons like yurs ‘n got trunks ‘n guns. It ain’t cheap ta make da move.
“Now, I’s been chewin’ on ever thang concernin’ da move. I heared the prime time ta make da trip is ta leave Independence the first week a April. Ya don’t wanna be makin’ da trip o’re them prairies ‘n mountains in winter. I also gots a letter from one ‘o the wagon masters sayin’ there be a wagon train leaving Independence on Monday, April second. Now, if’n we makes fi-teen mile a day, it’ll takes us five weeks ta get to Independence from here. That means we be leavin’ here on Feberee sebon-teen. That’ll gives us a exter week. I ain’t got no pro-lem sittin in Independence fer a few days.
“Now, fer yur sit-chia-shun ... I kin use an extra hand spiffin’ this pace up ta sell. Mostly fixin ‘n replacing boards, paintin’ ‘n wire fences. I gots two men whose been wit me fer over ten years, they makes more that the boys I gots workin. I kin pay ya twelve dollars a week. You and yur family kin stay here in the house. We gots one spare room you ‘n Mildred can use, an yur young ‘un can bunk with Tessa. It seems they actin’ like best friends already. You kin work ‘n stay here and we’ll all leave t’gether. The reason they gots those wagon trains is they’s safety in numbers. We be taking three wagons, and you can join our group. How’s that sound ta you folks?”
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