Chapter 8

Sam went down to the bunkhouse to speak to Hamilton Burger the next morning. “Hey Ham, we meet again. You do get around the country, don’t you? Are you still in Texas?”

“No, actually I haven’t been there since I found the Witherspoon woman. I understand you didn’t hang around there after you found out you weren’t married to her.”

“No, her husband bought our outfit. Chance had come up here and started an outfit of his own. We knew he had been to Laramie and we were able to trace him. We got here just in time to keep him from getting shot. Ma fixed the man who was shooting at him. The next ranch east of here belongs to one of his army officers and that was who Chance was looking for.

“The daughter of the woman who was living here and Chance got together and got married. I rode up from Cheyenne with another young woman who’s father owned this place. Both Chance and me were married the same day. That was nine months ago.”

“Do you miss the Witherspoon woman?”

“God, no. This woman I married is someone I can trust. One of the reasons Chance moved out of Texas was because of Marcy. She was wanting him to head for California and take her with him. She don’t know how thick the Baldwin blood runs.” Sam paused and continued, asking Burger about who he was looking for.

“Jeremiah Jones and his daughter, Eleanor. I understand he is dead. She is supposedly living with some family named Taylor.”

“Yeah, we are putting up a cabin for her next week. It would have been longer before that happened because either Chance or I would have been gone for several weeks. The girl is getting married as soon as we get it raised, now that we are both back. Are you in any great hurry?”

“No, I guess not, why?”

“Because, I’d like a day with my wife before I go off again. Papa Joe will be here early today. He must of come in last night ‘cause I seen some activity over at his winter place. He’ll be over. He’s the girl’s grandfather. He’ll fill you in all about her and her father to take back to his brother. Come up to the house and Ma will have breakfast ready.”

Joe came around the corner of the ranch house as Ham and Sam stepped up to the porch. Sam spoke, “Joe, here’s a man looking for you.”

“Yeah, I got word during the night. That’s why I come over so you wouldn’t have to come looking for me.”

Ham asked, “How in hell did you get word? Not many people knew about why I was up here.”

“One of my granddaughter’s brave told me. He was down to the Barkley ranch letting Halona know that her brave was dead. He and the few others he was with got into a skirmish with a larger group of Northern Arapaho. The two tribes live on the same reservation, but they don’t like each other much. George was the only one killed. Too bad, Halona thought a lot of him. That’ll leave Hey Pete without a father.”

Sam put in, “Halona will find another brave soon. She is pretty fair for an Indian.”

“Yeah, she reminds me of my wife, Morning Sun. I think Halona’s papa was Morning Suns grand nephew. And I guess he had a little white blood in him. Trappers were all over this territory when I first came in here.” The three went in and were greeted by Hetty.

Hetty was placing food on the table. “Chance and Rita will be out and join you. Sam, Nancy said she would be out if Naomi would watch your baby. Hey Joe, good to see you. I knew you’d be around.” Joe grinned.

Sam said, “You all eat. I’ll see if Nancy is alright to get up and move around. It has been only two days.”

“Sam, Nancy is fine. She was up several hours yesterday and that was only six hours after she had the baby. She’s a good mother.”

“I believe you, Hetty.”

Naomi came out and told Rita that the baby was sleeping. “I’m glad the boys are home. Not right they had to go off, but you are home now. Jeb hasn’t been around that much either. There was always errands he had to run for the two ranches. Him being gone some these last few days let me get out of the house and do chores. John don’t think that’s is something I should do but with Nancy and Rita being heavy with child and then with babies there was no one else. Papa Joe, is it you who will guide Mr. Burger to the Taylors to meet Ellie?”

“Yes, we’ll leave in a bit.”

Rita spoke, “Chance, why don’t you go with them? Stop and tell Mary and Ron that Nancy and me have both had our babies. Give Tim and Faith all the news and about Percival Jones looking for his brother. Find out what Ellie is going to do about her uncle. I hate to see her leave to go east with him. She is in love with Tucker and they are a good couple. Besides, I don’t think Ellie would fit in with the people back east ... If they found out she is part Indian they will give her a rough time. Better her to stay right here where we all accept her as she is.”

Joe had something to say. “Rita, those are my thoughts, exactly. Tucker is a good man and will make her a fine husband. Of course we don’t know what this Jones is like. If he is anything like Jeremiah was he could make his life here with us. Who knows he might take up with a squaw like Jeremiah did. Then again he might be as hide bound as most easterners are.”

I laughed at Joe, “You’ve been in the wilderness too long and lived with the Indians too much.”

“May be, but the Indians of the same tribe are pretty honest with each other, not like white people.”

“You mean like me, Joe?”

“No, I have to say all of you Baldwins are good people and with the young-uns coming you’re getting to be a tribe yourselves. Damn it, you know what I mean.”

“I guess I do. Let’s get going, I don’t want to be away all day. Sam, you and Nancy name your baby before I get back.”

Rita spoke now, “Chance, we’re going home tomorrow. Hetty is going to drive me and J C in the gig. I guess the next thing coming up is to get a cabin built for Ellie and Tucker for when they are wed.”

“What if she wants to go east with her uncle?”

“She won’t. She’s happy right here and she is of age.”

“I agree.”

Chance led the way, fast enough so there was little conversation. When they pulled into Ron and Mary’s yard, they got down from their mounts. It took just a few minutes to catch up that both Sam and Chance were home. Hamilton was introduced and the reason why they were headed for the Taylor farm.

Mary spoke up, “I think I’ll go up to see Rita before she goes back to the Barkley spread. It is always nice to see Hetty too. You can tell me what Ellie is going to do. I’ll miss that child if she goes off.”

Papa Joe snorted, “My granddaughter won’t be going off. I wager a bottle of whiskey on it.” There were no takers.

The Taylor family was working in the fields. The two youngest, Matt and Debby saw them arriving and ran for the yard to see what we wanted. “Where’s your folks working?”

“Chance, out in the field back of the barn. They be coming up soon. I’ll run down and tell them you’re here”

“Make sure Tucker and Ellie come with them.” Chance led the horses over to the water trough and watched as the girl ran inside to get a pitcher of well water. Debby stared at the man she didn’t know, but shy, didn’t dare ask who he was.

Tim came around the barn first with a hoe over his shoulder. “Hey Chance, you were the lucky one and didn’t have to go up the Wind River.”

“No, and neither did Sam. We found another rancher to do it for us. I got a lot of yearlings and he wanted some for next year so we made a deal. Rita and Nancy have had their babies. Hetty is there with Naomi and Nancy. I’ll be taking them home tomorrow.

“Smart. You need to be home. You have a family now.”

“Sam and I both do. We are happy because both have birthed our boys.”

“Congratulations. How come you are visiting us?”

“Tim, this is Hamilton Burger, a Pinkerton agent. He is here tracking down Jeremiah Jones. The brother, Percival, came looking for him, and is holed up in a boarding house in Fort Laramie.”

“Does he know about Ellie?”

“Ham does. She is his only living relative now that Jeremiah is dead. Now that Hamilton has found her, she has to decide what she wants to do.”

“Well, she and Tucker are planning on getting married in a couple of weeks. I doubt she will want to go back east. I know Tucker won’t go. Tucker is following in my footsteps and I’ve already given him and Ellie a piece of land.”

“Well, let Hamilton talk to them and he’ll take word back to her uncle.”

“They will be up in a few minutes. Park yourselves on the bench and Faith will get a drink for you. Joe, why don’t you take the stranger down and you can introduce him and explain to Ellie and Tucker what’s going on?”

Faith was coming in as Joe and Hamilton passed them, heading for the young couple. Tim explained to Faith what was going on. Faith asked, “Tim, do you think Ellie will leave?”

“I don’t think so. She is part of our family now and when Tucker and she are married, even more so.”

“I hope she stays. We’d all miss her. We can’t lose Tucker either.”

“We’ll know soon. Faith, get us something to eat. It’s early, but we have that field to finish up after this is settled.” Faith went into the house. “So Chance, you made a deal so you didn’t have to take herd up to the Indian reservation.”

“Yeah, I hated to be away from Rita and Sam wanted to be home with Nancy. It cost us a few of next year’s yearling heifers, but it is worth it.” How are the crops this year?”

“Great. We’ve had enough rain at the right time. We’ll have a bumper crop of everything. I’ve got a peck of beet greens to take home with you. They’ll be small, but the rows are bursting with them.”

“That’ll make Ma happy.”

Joe, Ham, Ellie and Tucker came up before dinner was done. Tim asked, “What’s the plan, Ellie?”

“Tim and me are staying right here. We planned on getting married in two weeks, but we can wait another week for my uncle to get here. I’d like him to be at my wedding so we’ll wait one more week. Papa Joe says that will give us time to build our home to live in. He’s going to bring his Indians to help. Chance, maybe you can let Rod and Marion help with that, too.”

“Yes, and me and Sam will pitch in. You’ll have your cabin to start your married life in.”

“Mr. Burger says my uncle can take the Casper stage up as far as Barkley ranch turn off. Rod and Marion can meet him and bring him here. I wonder if he is anything like Father. They can bring him down here to meet Tucker before we are married.”

“We’ll make him welcome, whether he is like Jeremiah or not.”

“Chance, I knew you would.” As soon as dinner was finished, Chance, Ham Burger, and Joe headed back to the Owen ranch. He knew Hetty and Rita would want to head for home early tomorrow and Chance was anxious about the ranch after being away.

Hamilton and Joe went with Chance back to the Owen ranch. Hamilton and Joe sat on the porch and Joe filled him in about his former son-in-law. “Jeremiah was a good man. He loved my daughter and married her before Ellie was born. This was unusual and not needful for her being half Indian, but he followed the Whiteman’s way in this. How old is this Percival?”

“A lot younger than Jeremiah was. He just might stay here. He would have come here with me when I started searching, but I talked him out of it. I didn’t want to wander around up here in the wilderness forever and I knew I could cover more territory alone. As it is, I can head east as soon as I fill Percy in about finding who I was looking for. Too bad I’ll have to tell him his brother is deceased. Your granddaughter has a rare beauty. She would turn heads back east.”

“May be, but that isn’t her. Living as her father has and dealing with what she has had to hasn’t harmed her. Even if she returned to so called civilization, she would come out okay.”

“I gathered that. I am certainly impressed with her. Not only with the person who will be her husband, but all the people I have met here in this valley. I didn’t tell you that I had met Sam and Hetty Baldwin back in Texas did I?”

“No.”

“It was quite a story, but I’ll leave it to them to tell you. I had never met Chance before I came up here so you know more about him than I do.”

“Chance is a man of vision and I’m glad I latched onto him when I did. You know his wife shot him the day we got here. It was an accident. Chance hired me to guide him here when he was looking for Ron Pickwell. Before we reached his place we saw that Ron and his wife was under attack. Chance took over and we drove them off after killing some of them. We went down to the ranch and were talking about it. Later Rita, his now wife, pulled in and was going to threaten him. The gun went off and she shot him. I swear at that moment they fell in love.

“That can’t be.”

“I swear. A bit later at a dance a brother of one of the men we killed was after Chance and the owner of the ranch where Rita lived. Chance faced the man with a small pocket gun. He got one of them and missed the other. He could only stand there and take it.

“While this was going on a small coach pulled in behind Chance. All of a sudden, there was a rifle shot. It killed the man that was gunning Chance. It was Hetty meeting and saving her oldest boy all at the same time. If half the people in this world was like the Baldwins, I might go back and join civilization. They sure are something ... all of them.”

Come daylight, Ham and Joe saddled up and headed for the Barkly ranch. Chance, Hetty, Rita, and the baby would be coming along at a slower pace. Reaching the ranch they were pleased that Halona and Marion had gone through the house and given it a good cleaning.

Rita, Chance and JC settled in as a married couple now with a baby. Hetty in the other end of the house knew enough not to bother them and only met at mealtimes. Rita, good cook, took over the kitchen and prepared most of the meals. Halona couldn’t keep Pete with her because if Chance was around Pete had to be there with him. He had much the same feeling for Rod

Hamilton Burger had immediately headed for Laramie to inform Percival Jones that his brother had died and that his niece was about to get married. Chance fixed it up that Percival would be able to stay in Halona’s cabin. Her husband had died and Pete was happy staying in the bunkhouse. Percival could have Pete’s bunk to use for the short term. Chance didn’t know how Percival would like bunking in with the men in the bunkhouse and there wasn’t room in with him and Hetty in the main house.

Daytimes Chance paired up with Pete. Marion rode the range with Rod. There wasn’t much range work that could be done, but they were able to keep the waterholes from filling in and to keep the herd within the confines of the ranch. The punchers who had gone with the herd up to the Wind River were needed but this was the deal. Over to the Owen ranch Sam had some of the Indians to help manage his herd. Truth, there weren’t that many animals on either place for most had gone up into the uplands for the summer.

There were line riders stopping by often because of the loss of cattle the winter before. Chance asked if any were interested in help in haying. These punchers weren’t enthused over this type work. When they found out they wouldn’t be swinging a scythe and a machine was doing the cutting, they signed on. Chance took them over and fixed it up with Ron Pickwell. Stacks of hay went up fast.

Chance, Sam and Hetty talked this over. Chance brought it up, “You know I have been finding my way ever since I arrived here. We have a great operation going. I know we are spending money like crazy, but we are still doing better than most established operations. Ma still has some money and Sam and I haven’t cut into the herd money too much.

“John Owen and his new mine will be paying off soon. I think we should keep going this year and look how to become more efficient next year. Our cattle herd will be the right size and we have put up what buildings we need for everyone.

“The Indians have a new way of life and seem to be integrated into our way of doing things. Less and less, they go off on the hunt when they have food right before them. But still as a whole, they are unpredictable. Papa Joe seems to be the only person who can control them. We are giving them a chance to stay where they have a little more freedom than they would have on the reservation.

Hetty brought up one more thing: “Chance, call Rita. I have something to say. You know you ordered timbers and planed boards to build a new house up in the hills. We are awful close to the Casper Road and people are traveling it all the time. I don’t think I want to live here alone this close to the trail.

“There’s Halona, Marion and Rod besides the crew. Why don’t you use what you have ordered and make the Barkley ranch house into something fine? Granted it is comfortable enough the way it is, but this place could be something of note. I want to be able to play with one of my grandsons whenever I want too. I just think it safer for all of us that way.”

“Ma, I’ll talk to her.”

“No need, she thinks it a good idea.

Halona opened her door to Chance and Percy several days later. Marion had met the Casper stage three days in a row before Percival stepped down from it. “Hi Halona, can Percy bunk in Pete’s bunk until he decides what he is going to do and where he is going to live? He is Ellie’s Uncle.”

“Yes. Pete is living in the bunkhouse with the crew all time now. I have no son at all.”

“I know, Halona, but he is a good kid. He wants to be a cowboy just like them.” Later Percy found out what Halona knew about his brother and that Ellie was an orphan except for him. He found out how his niece came to live here in the valley.

“When you meet Papa Joe, know that he was Jeremiah’s father-in-law. He is some what related to all the Indians you will be meeting here and is Ellie’s grandfather. Her grandmother, Morning Sun was Papa Joe’s wife and my great aunt. We are of the Shoshone Tribe. Papa Joe brought us down from the Wind River Reservation when Small Pox was around years ago. We just never went back.

“Then Chance showed up collecting Papa Joe when he came through Fort Laramie. Chance has put us all to work and given us white men’s names. My name is Barkley after the ranch here. Pete, the boy who is staying in the bunkhouse, is my son. His father died not long ago in a battle with some other Indians. That is why I have a bed for those who come here. Chance thought that would be better for you than living out of the bunkhouse.”

“Halona, you do have a pleasant home. I thought all Indians lived in tents.”

“I did until Chance brought us down from the hills a year ago. The tipi is still standing, but this is better.”

A few days before the wedding Halona and Pete rode with Percival, (Percy) now, to meet his niece. They stopped at the Owen ranch to meet Papa Joe and Mable. Mable, grossly fat as always, didn’t meet with Percy’s approval. Papa Joe, made note, but wasn’t upset.

“Don’t look down on my squaw, my bones are old and my blood is thin. She needs a home and I need to keep warm. My grand daughters look after her. Ellie, brings food and visits. Mable talks about the Indian’s way so they won’t be lost. Jeremiah was her friend. You could be too.” Percy nodded, not saying anything.

Papa Joe stopped at Ron Pickwells and introduced Percy as Ellie’s, uncle. Mary exclaimed, “I’m so glad to meet you. Ellie is such a nice young woman. I’m so glad she is going to be living near us.”

Papa Joe and Percy didn’t stop long. “Next place is the Taylors. They are an industrious bunch. You must have met Marion Granger while at Chance’s ranch. Marion was a Taylor. She and Rod fell in love before Chance showed up around here. He took Rod on and made a hand out of him and then hired him on full time so the two could get married. Tim and Faith didn’t want to let Marion go because she was needed on the farm. Ellie is taking Marion’s place in the family and is loved by all.”

“Has she ever considered going east? I’m her uncle and the only one of her family left. I can do a lot for her. She should be in school. I’m a professor, you know.”

“I heard that. I don’t see a problem. All of her family, except you live around here. We love her as much as you could. Best thing for you to do is settle here someplace. Take up your brother’s work of studying the Indian. He was going back to you because he was sicker than he let on and knew his time on earth was limited. You’ll see how intelligent Ellie is when you sit and talk with her. You can thank Jeremiah for that. He educated her.

“Well see. That would be a whole different life than what I have looked forward to.”

“Yes, but consider where my granddaughter would be the happiest. I don’t think you can stop her from marrying Tucker Taylor and Tucker won’t leave. He thinks too much of his family. Tim and Faith have already given the couple some of the farm land. I honestly believe you made the trip out here for nothing.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I’ve met a lot of different people. I’ve always wondered about the Indian. I thought my brother a fool. But then you tell me he was happy.”

“He was and he enjoyed everyday of his life since he came. That was something like twenty-two years ago. He took up with my daughter shortly after his arrival. She was about as fair as Halona, although Halona is a bit darker. Trouble is my daughter didn’t live that long. Jeremiah is the one who raised Ellie.”

Papa Joe led Percy right into the Taylor yard in front of the house. Percy sat his horse looking at the people sitting on the piazza. The two young ones were sitting on the edge. Tucker and Ellie rose from a bench and stepped down. Ellie came out to Percy still on the horse.

“Uncle Percival, I don’t know you, but I would know you as family. You look much like my father. Please step down so I can introduce you to my betrothed, Tucker Taylor. Papa Joe, you get down too. I’m always glad to see you.”

Ellie first went to Papa Joe for a hug. She turned to her uncle and extended her hand. With her other hand she brought Tucker around to face her uncle. “Uncle Percival, this is Tucker Taylor who will be my husband. How fortunate you arrived so you could hand me to him. That will be in eight more days.”

“Child, call me Uncle Percy. Your grandmother named me Percival and it is a name to dislike. Oh, you remind me of my mother, except she was fair of hair. Your features are much the same, though.”

Faith and Tim came down from the piazza and were introduced. Faith welcomed him to the farm and said that he would be staying in the cabin that the neighbors had built for Tucker and Ellie to live in. “When they are married, you will be welcomed to sleep where Ellie has been sleeping here in the house. That was originally our daughter Marion’s room until she was wed a little while ago.”

“I met Marion and her husband, Rod at the Barkley Ranch. I slept in a woman’s cabin for a night. Her name was Halona Barkley. I believe she was of Indian blood. We could converse somewhat. I was surprised she had a white person’s name. I left my trunks there at the ranch. I can see the clothes I brought with me won’t be used very often. They are too fine.”

“We know her well. She is distantly related to Papa Joe by marriage. Please wear some of your nice clothes for Ellie’s wedding. Some day we will go into town and have some pictures taken. Hetty Baldwin would like a group picture of all of who live in the valley. Better yet, maybe we can get him away from his studio and get together here in the valley. I think we can arrange to have Ellie and Tucker married within a week or ten days. This is coming up on our busy time of the year, so it has to be soon.”

“I would like an image of my niece. I would gladly pay for one.”

“We all would. We plan to have Ellie and Tucker have a wedding picture. We’ll have just their faces or busts that can be taken in the studio and not have to be in their wedding clothes.” Faith told Ellie and Tucker to take Percy out around the barn and show him the fields that were under crops they were growing. “We’ll be eating soon and then it is back to work for the afternoon.”

Papa Joe ate and then said he was headed back to the Owen ranch. Ellie and Tucker were working in the potato field with hoes to cover up any potatoes that had pushed from under their dirt cover. This prevented them from getting green from the sun. Percy walked with the two in the next row over where they could talk and tell about their lives up until now. Percy learned a lot about his brother that he didn’t know. He was curious how Ellie could turn out as such a fine beautiful woman out here in the wilds of the Wyoming Territory.

The following morning, Ellie announced that she was going to the Owen Ranch to talk to Nancy and Naomi about the wedding dress that they were sewing for her. “They need me for a fitting. Uncle Percy, would you ride with me?”

“Certainly, child, I would be glad to. Will we be in any danger from the Indians?”

“No, of course not. Remember that I am Indian and I am favored because of my father. You come under the safety umbrella as well. Papa Joe, I’m sure has told our people about you just in the short time he had with you. Remember also you stayed with Halona one night and she will reinforce that you should have our protection. You are safe here in the valley and in the hills where the cattle are ranging.”

“How can they know that?”

“Instinct, I believe. This has sharpened over the years because the Indian has been wrong so many times. The sign that you are worthy is how you look at people when you speak to them and how little you brag about your accomplishments. Papa Joe took Chance Baldwin up into the Indian encampment when Chance first arrived here. Halona traveled through the hills with him and came back saying he was a good man. She told us that the Indian could walk with dignity beside him. He might just prevent the Indian from being rounded up and forced to live on the reservation where there is no dignity.

“That is the way my father lived and loved the Indian. It was a great day when the Baldwins of Texas came to live near us. You can add to father’s work by helping us continue to learn the white man’s ways by teaching their language and explaining the customs that are so different.”

“You want me to stay here with you, don’t you?”

“Yes, I will soon have a husband and I wish to make my life with him forever.”

“That is fine for you. You speak very well about your heritage. You use words and share thoughts that would make a sincere politician proud. What could I do if I stayed here with you?”

“My words came from father.” Ellie faced her uncle, “Uncle Percy, the valley has need of a teacher. You are learned. There are Indian children as well as white ones here to teach. I hope soon to have one of my own. Matt and Debby have need of the history of our country. Out here in the territories we are making our own history and it needs a learned man to write and comment on.

“My young sister-in-law and brother-in-law have need of instruction in the ways of this new country. My mother-in-law and father-in-law, Faith and Tim, came, but here in this wilderness they don’t have the time to teach the ways of civilization. My father bemoaned the lack of newspapers. When he first arrived, none were to be found. Now with the trains opening up the country, it might be possible to have a steady source. Many people can’t read and some of the articles need explaining.”

“You are suggesting I become a voice in the wilderness.”

“Exactly. That is what my father wanted to be. He was before his time for being that, but you can be.”

“I don’t know. I don’t have funds to live on for very long.”

“You can do it and live fairly well. The Indians brought pelts after the winter was over for my father because he was such a good friend. The Baldwins, the Taylors, and the Pickwells would pay you a stipend. The Indians are paid in cow hides. The deal Chance has with them made them rich in goods. I’ll bet John Owen would build a school house on Sam’s ranch just to teach his grand kids.”

“Whom should I talk to about staying?”

“I would say Chance and Miz Hetty. She was a Southern Belle at one time. She and Chance think the same. Yes, definitely, speak to them. Rita is good, too. Rita shot and wounded Chance the first time they met. I’ll tell you the story someday. Possibly, I won’t have to, just ask Chance about it. He is proud of it. Rita not so much, but I have seen her laugh about it when Chance isn’t looking.”

“Were you there?”

“Oh no, that was months before my father died and I hadn’t come down from Wind River yet. If there were only a doctor around, father might be alive today, but we heard the story about Rita and Chance where we were living.”

Percy and Ellie rode over to the Owen ranch. Percy didn’t have anything to do because Sam and the crew were out on the range. Naomi and Nancy were involved in fitting Ellie in her wedding dress. He had been sitting in the kitchen and bored to tears. He went to the door where the women were working, “Ellie, didn’t you say Tucker was going to meet you after dark to escort you home?”