Chapter 42

I decided to go take a look at the stock I'd brought with me and I caught them being milked, or milked at anyway. I went to find Ben right away and when I did I shared the word with him.

"Ben, if you keep half-milking those new cows like I just saw them doing you'll end up giving them milk fever and they won't be worth shit to you," I said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I just watched them being milked and it looked like to me the ones doing the milking are going by what they're used to getting from the other cows you already have. They stopped on the new ones before they were half through," I said.

He went to the milking shed and sure enough the Holsteins were turned loose already and even I could tell they still had milk to give. Ben dove in tearing a strip off Someone's ass and soon enough the Holsteins were back in line. Ben and I stayed around until the milkers decided they had all the Holsteins would give again, and then Ben sat down and got another two gallons out of one and he put the one who'd given up on it to milking the other one.

"Milk that damned cow until you can't get any more out of it and I don't want to have to come back here again to make sure you're doing it. If you can't even milk the damned cows what are you doing working in the dairy? I'm going to be checking your work for the next few days and weeks and if you don't get it done right I've got a job cleaning up shit out of the streets in town for you," Ben said, and I do believe he meant it.

"I didn't mean to get any crap started, Ben," I said, as we were leaving.

"I should have known better than to trust them with new stock anyway. They've taken to milking the cows until the get the same amount of milk out of each one. I think it's already caused a few cows to dry up before they normally would have," he said.

"Well, you know what that means don't you?" I asked.

"Of course I do. It means we're keeping more cows than we need to for milk. We have to start more in the milking shed and keep the others around and feed them until they have another calf. I can't really blame them for giving up on the two new ones so easily though. You were right about them. They give more milk than I'd have ever dreamed they could. I can hardly wait until I get some calves out of that bull," he said.

"I've got eight calves at my house that should do just as well as these two, but I can't bring them until they're grown," I said.

"But why not?" he asked.

"Because they won't get any older here. Just like the stallions I brought," I said.

"Speaking of stallions. We have some three year olds from that last one you brought and they are something else. They aren't any bigger than the ones from the tall stallion I started breeding with, but they are damned sure faster, and by a lot. They've already out run every horse on this place and every other one around here too. We can't even get up a race against them any more," he said.

"Well that's what I wanted. If they're the fastest horses on Chaos it's what I intended. Have you tried crossing him on the mares out of Joe Bob and Blacky?" I asked.

"Yes, but two year olds are the oldest I have out of them yet. They look like they're going to be something special too," he said.

Good. When I got off to do my business here I need the best horses I can get. Have you got three of his get ready for me to use in a day or two?" I asked.

"I've got three good ones, but they're all stallions and I don't want to cut any of them yet."

"I think I can still handle a stallion. Have you got them going with bits yet, or are they still in bosals?"

"We're still working them with bosals. To my way of thinking it just makes them better horses," he said.

"Me too, Ben, me too. I won't be leaving for a couple of days, so you've got some time to show them what a packsaddle is all about if you would," I said.

"I'll start them on it tomorrow, but I don't think we'll have any problem with that."

I walked down to George's bailiwick then and caught him hammering on hot steel.

"It's good to see you haven't forgot where you came up from," I said, as he put the piece he was working on aside.

"Well, I've got to keep in practice. I've finally been able to get Cal going on doing all the casting and I'm back to my first love full time now. Need anything special?"

"I could use three sets of two throwing knives for some women I've got lined up to help me out. They have some already, but they won't be able to bring them along. Can you fix me up?"

"I can start in a few minutes," he said.

"I won't need them until I go back and then come back so there won't be any hurry. When you get them made how about sending them to the leather shop to get a throwing harness made for them. Tell 'em to leave the ends loose and they can fit them to the women when they get here."

"I can do that all right. Just come and tell me when you need the knives and I'll have 'em here for you," he said, and I headed back to the ranch house.

I ran into Conroe on the way and he asked me if there was a chance I had any more of the bows I'd provided for him a few years ago. He said he had two more men who could really use them. I told him if he'd give me a ride up to the bank I'd get them out for him.

Two of Conroe's men were still riding herd over the shitass guard when we got there and he was doing a good job with his cow-shit cleanup, whether he wanted to or not. I walked into the vault, called for the box that held the bows and drew one out of it before sending the box back.

Conroe was glad to get the bow and the quiver of arrows I brought for it and we hopped back into the carriage and headed right back for the ranch.

I made it back just in time for supper and I was glad I had. Kala might be getting a little along in years, but she still set a fine table and she had her helpers making sure I got all of everything I wanted to eat.

Of course it was a little odd to be going to bed by myself after the meal was over, but I figured it would only be for a couple of days.

The next two days passed without incident and on the third morning I ate early, and left the kitchen with plenty of food to take along.

When I made it to the barn I could see there was something going on and it involved the big trade wagon plus Conroe and twelve mounted men. It didn't take me long to find out they were heading south to visit the place I had taken over for Maime and her family. They were good trading partners with us now and the wagon was going down that way for a delivery.

Conroe was also taking twice as many men as usual because they'd had a little dust-up along the way last time. When I got the details out of him I figured his dust-up had probably started from the place I was going to check out.

I was headed for a turn east off the road about ten miles north of town. Supposedly there was a big place five miles east of there and the owner was holding a Damsel. Slaver came to my mind right away and we didn't need any of that going on around so close to us.

Conroe decided it would be best to take the wagon and all with us to look the place over. We headed out with our plans made and we spent the day traveling into range. We pulled off the road into a little clearing the wagon often used on the way. It was cleared off, had plenty of firewood stored, and it even had a fence surrounding it on the backside.

We stopped in plenty of time to cook a big supper, and after it was over all the men, except the two with the wagon, scattered into the woods and bedded down.

We weren't disturbed during the night and we were up with the sun to cook a breakfast and then get started down the road. When we came to the turn off headed east I was surprised to see and inn there. It was a small place and we didn't stop there, but still, it seemed odd.

We headed east and as soon as I saw a big farm come into view I signaled Conroe and he signaled the men in turn. I noticed they all made ready to use their bows. The wagon turned up into the lane leading to the farm and we made it all the way up into the farmyard before anyone came to see what we wanted.

I took the man as a hired hand when he came to ask what we wanted and I told him right off the bat.

"I want to see the owner," I said.

"Well, he's a busy man. What do you want to see him for?"

"I'm Hero Jack, from Jacksville, and I've heard there was some slaving going on down around here. I want to see him so he can convince me he ain't involved in it. If he can't we're going to stop the slaving and hold a trial fro everyone on this place. If we find slaves here you'll all end up with a big s branded into your foreheads, unless you end up with an arrow in you're guts first," I said, and I finally got a rise out of him.

"You ain't got no right to come here looking around as you please," he said, and then he started cussing when two loops dropped over his head and two cow-ponies started backing up and tightening the hold we had on him.

"You'd better learn a little in the way of manners mister. Of course if you get that s branded on you I don't guess you'll need manners after all," I said, and we all dismounted then. The two who'd done the roping retrieved their loops and hog-tied the one they'd roped and left him laying where he was.