Chapter 6

“Brad and Steve you have a long way to get home.”

Brad answered, “I wouldn’t if you let us use the old trail we used to use before Turner shut us off. It can save us three miles from the ranch to town for us.”

“I didn’t know about that?”

Betty spoke, “You mean there is a short cut across our range, and Jim wouldn’t let you use it? I didn’t know this either and he never mentioned it. As of right now, please feel free to use it anytime. Buck will say the same.”

“Sure, what Betty said. That way we will see more of you when you go to town and get the news when you come back.”

“That’s great, Betty, we thank you. Buck, what was Sims trying to say and why are we suppose to meet him in his office.”

“Well, I don’t know as I should tell you. He wanted to get it out into the open.”

“Buck, tell them or I will.”

“Okay Betty. Maybe I should explain a little more about Betty when I came here. Betty was out of money and had used the last she had to buy hay from Pete. After explaining her problems, she did sell me a half interest at a ridiculous low price. We talked about her husband, she telling me he had sold a herd of yearlings in early September.

“When he died all she could find for money was two hundred dollars and a little money she had kept from him of her own. “We talked about it coming to the conclusion, that he must have it hidden money on the place somewhere.

“I found it and I found two books, one a journal, and an account book. In the journal, there were several things that laid-bare what he was like. Much of it was what he planned in the future for Betty, which wasn’t good for her at all. When he sold the last cattle, all of them were yearling heifers.

“There was a separate accounting of his money and a code of sorts. There were 67 yearlings listed, marked JT Boxed plus an (O) and there were 40 yearlings, marked JT Boxed plus (M). I showed this to Deputy Sims and we both agree that either Turner or Johns had rustled these from his neighbors.”

“When could he have done this?”

“Knowing cattle and when your roundup was, it had to have been last April when he eased those unbranded 107 head away from their mothers. I sent my men scouting and they found a hidden draw with enough room to hold that many head for a short time. After roundup was over, they just went ahead and branded them with Turners brand.

“My crew also found places where there could have been a fire built to brand cattle. There was nothing in the journal about that. It could have been that Johns was stealing cattle from Turner and it was he who built those fires.”

“Why are you telling us this? So Turner got away with some of our yearling heifers and they went out of here with his brand on them.’

“Betty and I have talked and she thinks I should give you what her former husband got for them. I’m with her on this because it isn’t going to cost me a cent of money.”

“How so?”

“Well, the sheriff of Mountain Gap looked over the herd when Johns drove it in and although, thinking Johns crooked, he found everything was in order. Remember also, that Turner died about a week after he sold this herd of yearlings and Betty didn’t even know about the deal. Anyway, one of my men killed Buddy Johns, and the deputy killed Tommy Johns. When Sims transported the bodies back to Mountain Gap and found out Sonny who was staying here and was the only heir. Judge Black, who is trustee of Sonny made Betty and me guardians.

“Sonny comes to us with some assets as heir. I do have to oversee paying any debts that might arise and I have to pay them. This I am willing to do, I’ll apply to be reimbursed from the trustee for any outlay I make on Sonny’s behalf.”

“That’s pretty neat.”

“Yeah, so when we meet on Thursday with Sims, I’ll have some money to pay for your rustled yearlings. I’ll tell you, I’m impressed with the deputy we have stationed in our town. We may not have him long because when Sheriff Carlson retires, he is going to put Sims up to replace him.”

“We’ll play dumb and listen to the deputy.”

“He has worked hard on Betty and my behalf.”

“Any idea what we will be getting? I don’t suppose it will matter and will be a nice Christmas present for us. That’s in about three weeks and will come in handy.”

“I’ll bring the account book and show you what Turner received. I’m hoping it will make you happy.”

“I’ll be satisfied whatever the amount is. It will like found money.”

Alma and the ranch wives made flapjacks and had a large slab of bacon that they sliced. It was after nine when everyone left. Betty received hugs from the women and Betty hugged some of the girl children. The ones old enough to understand, she told she was having a baby before spring.

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I told the men there was nothing on for today, I was just going to laze around and recover from the excitement of last night. Betty and I did make some plans. We decided that our money was safer in the bank, so we would open up accounts in our name this coming week.

Betty had something else on her mind that I should be doing. That was after a nap after dinner, that is. “Buck, you should write and tell your family you are married, own a ranch, and are going to have a baby in the spring.”

“Yeah Betty, I’ll get to it. They are probably wondering, where the hell I have gotten to? Tell you what, why don’t you write the letter. Send just a note to Richard H. Harrison, my older brother. Say that we live near the town of Breckenridge, own a ranch and you are going to have a baby in May. Just sign your name as Mrs. Buck Harrison.”

“Buck, that’s too damned mean to treat your family like that.”

“No it isn’t. That is what they would do to me if circumstances, were reversed. You will get to understand, me and my brothers after awhile. Besides, if you write just those bare facts after I have been gone less than three months, they will know I have found a place and have really landed on my feet.”

“I won’t do it.”

“Oh, come on Mrs. Harrison, just for me?”

“You’re sure that’s the way you want it.?”

“That’s the way I want it.” Betty did try to get me to change my mind. Women do have the power, so I relented a bit. “Okay, add (more details in next letter sometime after Christmas.) Put parentheses around this so they will think I didn’t know what you had written.”

“You and your family are definitely weird ... but I love you anyway.”

The old trail that Turner had stopped the Owen ranch from using couldn’t be used by their wagon, because it had become brushed in over the years. Yesterday, the Owens needed to go back toward Breckenridge and around home that way. I thought maybe, if we continued to be friends, I might work on the trail from this end if my men had time this winter. In the spring, there would be a roundup. I wanted to build onto the ranch house. Betty certainly deserved a good home.

I wanted to get the hens into a hen house and maybe start my own laying hens from chicks. Damn, I had forgotten to see about buying that gig for Betty when she got too big to climb on a horse. I’d check into that the next time I was in Breckenridge.

I should begin cutting next year’s firewood. I wondered if there would be any trees big enough for wood on that trail I was going to open up. Maybe tomorrow I’d ride up there, find the trail and see how far it went before reaching the Owen spread.

I’d ask Betty to get into the saddle and we’d go look. Not knowing the ranch at all, and with no one to ask, was the trouble that prevented me from making plans about the cattle and the ranch. Betty had said that Turner had made her ride all over the ranch and she did, but not knowing cattle, she didn’t connect what was an advantage or a detriment for the raising of stock. Something that was obvious to me, and Jim, but wouldn’t be obvious to her, being a town person.

Monday morning the sun was shining, so all of us saddled up and rode to where we figured the trail to the Owen ranch was located. We easily found it mostly blocked by brush. It looked like by hitching the team to a chain wrapped around this, we could pull most of it when the ground thawed. It might make the trail bumpy and a little shovel work could fix that. Then we ran onto a cut-bank that was of gravel and this would have to be moved from where it had partially blocked the trail. With the dray, we could fill in the holes where we had removed the brush.

Returning to the flats where our cattle were feeding, we circled this, riding along the western edge. I was mighty pleased to find more water that came down from between a couple of hills and there was a rushing creek that didn’t come out into the open pastures. The cattle had found this already and were drinking from it.

This creek paralleled the field and went out between another couple of hills. That pretty much solved the cattle finding enough water. I observed, “Betty and men, this ranch only gets better and better.” It was late in the day when we returned to the house. Betty had put beans in a big pot and they ready so she made Johnny Cake and took a baked ham and sliced it for supper.

Betty and I saddled up and headed for Breckenridge on Tuesday. We had a small satchel with paper money in it and two other ones with gold coins. One, I had came here with money in my saddlebags. And another one which Betty said she had brought with some keepsakes in it. Now it held the great amount of this money that Jim Turner had hoarded. The amount was nearly three times what I was going to deposit.

Two of the men were coming into town for a load of lumber to build a henhouse. They should be along about a half hour after us. We’d go to the bank and I’d help them after I got done.

We were early, barely nine o’clock. William Carrington was the banker. There were three customers lined up at the lone teller. Carrington was standing in the doorway of his office. Neither Betty nor I had ever been in. He spotted Betty and came over. “I know you, you were the one who sang that lovely song at the dance. Is there anything I can help you with while waiting for the teller?”

Betty answered, “Yes, we wish to deposit some money. It is quite a large amount.”

“Fine, I can help you in the office. He went around to his chair and stood waiting. I swung the satchel and placed the gold in front of him. Betty did the same with the satchel she was carrying. The amount of gold was a smaller amount than what she carried in her satchel. We both began undoing the straps and opened them.

Carrington didn’t move at first, “How much is there?”

Betty informed him. He started shaking his head, and then queried. “Where did all this come from?” We didn’t think it was anything to be hidden so Betty told about Jim hoarding it for a long time and I just stated that some of it was an inheritance from my mother’s estate.

He struggled to say, “I can’t take that large of a deposit. That is more than half what my little bank is capitalized for. What if the bank is robbed? If I take this, I’ll never be able to sleep from worrying that word will get out how much money is here. Hell, I’d have trouble cashing a 500 dollar check. I don’t carry that much on hand.”

“Well, what would you suggest?”

“Deposit it with the Wells Fargo concern. They advertise that if they get robbed they will guarantee they will replace it. I keep my reserves there myself.”

“Where are they located and how do we reach them?”

“It’s Meadville where you ranchers drive your cattle. That’s end of line for the railroad. You must know that?”

“Sorry, I’m new here and Betty didn’t have anything to do with what her husband did on the ranch. It is taking me a long time getting to even know what I have for range that comprises the ranch. How do you get money from here to there?”

“I use an ex-soldier who is gun handy. You could use him. He lives in the ally back of the bank.”

“Okay, line him up to leave in a half hour. I have two men who will be here shortly. I’ll take them along. I’ll have to get a couple of mounts from the livery to put my men on. I’ll do that now. I will leave the list of lumber at the mill. Betty, we might stay over here in town tonight if we get back late and bring the lumber home in the morning.”

“Am I supposed to stay over?”

“Whatever you want to do. Go see Alma, have a gabfest and go home or stay. She is always willing for you to stay over. Here take out $500 paper money to pay for the lumber and open an account with the same amount because we still want to use this bank. Carrington’s eyes brightened when I said this.

I turned to the banker and told him I would be back to get the money we were transporting. Carrington said, “I’ll let you out the back door. It’s the third door down. Tell him what you want. His name his Dirk and totally reliable. He can knock on the door when he is ready. Mrs. Harrison, please relax while I write a note to Wells Fargo.”

I found Dirk half-asleep in front of his stove. He didn’t say much after I said Banker Carrington needed him to take a trip. He got up, asked how cold it was, and put on a heavier jacket. I said I would be going with him and I hoped two of my men. If they weren’t here yet, we would go alone.

He shrugged as if it was good either way with him. Before he put on his coat, he shrugged into an underarm holster and had heavier weapon at his hip. He took a Winchester off some pegs and grabbed a scabbard, sliding the rifle into it. We came out the door and he went around back. I thought this was a small house but there was a horse stall in the back half. That room he was in was his total living quarters. I headed for the livery stable.

I met Joe and Burt coming up the street in the wagon. “Change of plans, men. We’re going to take a ride. I have to go to the Wells Fargo office in Meadville. It’ll take about three hours. Park the wagon and horses at the livery stable. The Livery will take care of them. I rented a couple of mounts for you to ride. After you get them saddled, pull behind the bank. We’ll be coming out the back door. There will be a man named Dirk with us.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you some other time. When you get to the bank we should be ready to take off.”

“Okay Buck, I’m glad I brought my heavy coat. It looks like storm. Is this a gun carrying trip?”

I nodded, but didn’t say that it was. “We’ll be back by then and I hope home. Betty will be, anyway.”

You do watch out for that woman.”

“Do you blame me?”

“Nope.”

It was a mile-eating trip and we were in Meadvill in two and a half hours. Our horses were still in good shape. I said some thing to Dirk about it. “Cavalry, Captain. I thought as much of the horses as I did my troops. Still do. Say, do you have an extra two dollars? I got a woman over to the fancy house. You can find your own way home.”

“Sure, thanks a lot. See you in town someday.” He nodded. I carried the satchels in and placed them on a counter. A clerk came up and I handed him the letter that Carrington had written.

“How much you want to deposit?” I told him. “Wait while it is counted.” He took them across the room and dumped the coins in a tray. Another took the paper money and did the same.

The man counting the coins and the clerk got their heads together. The clerk then came to me. He had a coin in his hand. “Mr. Harrison this coin is no good. It’s supposed to be a twenty dollar coin, but it only has about a dollar of gold in it. The rest of it is lead. I’m supposed to report this but if you want to keep it, it is okay with me.”

“How’d you spot it?”

“Oh easily, we stack the coins in a slot tray and run our finger down the stack. The man counting the coin can tell the difference immediately.”

“I’ll keep it and show my wife.”

“Neither one of you try to spend it. Federal offense, you know.”

“We’re honest people.” I had a slip of paper that said I had deposited several thousand dollars with the Wells Fargo concern. While I was winding that up, Joe went and bought sandwiches and a good sized tin can of coffee. We sat on the edge of the steps coming out of Wells Fargo ate and drank. At 2:30 we headed the horses back to the road we had ridden in on and barely a half hour before.”

It was six when we arrived back in Breckenridge. I told Joe and Burt to turn the horses in where the wagon is and come on home. “Never mind getting lumber, it is going to snow before morning.” My horse was tired and I was as well and I wanted to snuggle up to my wife.

I went by Pete’s and he said he had seen Betty driving the wagon with lumber on it headed down the road toward home. “Damn woman, she always does the unexpected.” (My thoughts anyway, but then, I was proud) It was way after nine when I pulled into our yard. Sonny and Zeke came out and took my horse. Betty was standing in the doorway. There was an inch of snow on the ground and snowing hard.

I explained where Joe and Burt were to Zeke. They had ridden livery horses on our jaunt and not up to my mount for staying power. I told Joe I was to be in town Thursday and I’d bring their mounts in with me. Betty had jumped the gun by driving the team home, therefore leaving them stranded.

“Buck, put me down, you’re all wet. I worried about you every minute you were gone. I decided I had to do something. When I went to the livery for the wagon, they hadn’t unhitched the team so I stayed with the plan and got the load of lumber you wanted. I had Sonny and Zeke put canvas over it when it began to snow. Buck, I mean it, put me down. You might shave soon too. My face will be all red from your stubble.”

Betty had stew to heat up and I had the first satisfying food of the long day. It wasn’t until we got into bed that I told her I thought our money was much safer at the Wells Fargo office than here in Breckenridge.

Waking up to sounds of Zeke and Sonny getting something to eat, we decided we didn’t need to get up just yet and snuggled down for another hour. When we finally did go out, we found a note on the table. “Gone to town with hosses.” Or at least we think that was what the note said. Zeke had admitted before he couldn’t write much.

I looked at Betty and we decided the bed hadn’t cooled off yet and it would be hours before all the men got home. Best to make use of it.

It was two in the afternoon when our men came home, There were three in saddles and Zeke was sitting in a gig. “Me, we were in the livery stable and this old man came in and was talking. He said you had talked to someone about buying the gig his wife used to drive. He said he wanted $ 27.00 for it. We all went to look at it. The man at the livery said you were good for the money, so we took the wheels off and greased the hubs. Zeke’s horse is the only one who has ever been hitched between shafts so he got to drive it home. Five inches of snow didn’t bother a bit.”

Betty spoke, “You guys are wonderful and so thoughtful. I’ll ride it tomorrow going to town.”

“You can use my horse, Betty.”

“No, I’ll use one of the draft horses until I get used to it. We’ll break one of the other saddle horses to drive. Maybe the horse I ride even.”

We reached town at ten. We didn’t see and mounts in front of Sims’ office so we went into the diner. “How do you like your gig, Betty?

“It’s good Ron. It will be better when I have a smaller, fleeter horse hitched to it.”

I added, “We’ll get there. This ought to make it so you can go to town up until your eighth month.” Patrons were coming in and going out. We were there 45 minutes when I saw Owen and a couple of his riders come down the street. “I’ll bet they will be in for coffee. I haven’t seen the Murphy outfit yet.”

Betty leaned forward to whisper, “Buck, do you know everyone who has been here spoke to us? Before Jim died, no one ever spoke to me.”

“They didn’t speak even here in the diner?”

“Buck, we never came into the diner. Jim was too cheap to buy a cup of coffee. If we were going to be in town, I would pack a sandwich and a canteen of water. This is a treat to be able to say good morning to someone and receive the same with a smile.”