Chapter 4

I saddled up Jim and headed for Button Box. Most of the establishments were closed including the sheriff's office. I could hear a choir singing from somewhere and finally decided it was coming from the saloon. I smiled to myself. Saints and sinners gathered together. I walked past and as I came by an alleyway, a woman accosted me.

"Mr. Jones, may I speak to you?"

"Certainly Ma'am. What can I do for you?" The woman wore a plain brown dress and had her hair tied into a bun.

"You don't recognize me, do you?"

"No, can't say that I do."

"Last week I was Hattie Driscoll. I'm now Mrs. Peter Ryeback. Pete and I were married yesterday. You met me out at the ranch the day you asked him to leave. Mr. Jones, we need a place to live. Pete says there is a line camp not too far from the ranch house."

"It isn't my place to say. It is Kenny's ranch. He may be along in a month or two and you can ask him."

"Mr. Jones, we really don't have a place to stay. I made Pete put the money you paid him in the bank. If we had a place, it would be enough to get us through the winter. Come spring, Pete says he will find us someplace to farm. I was a farmer's daughter until my folks died. Pete was a farmer until Kenny convinced him to take over the ranch, which was something he didn't know much about."

"A farmer? Well I know a bit about farming myself. Why don't you and Pete ride out and look the line shack over this afternoon? Stay for supper. I'll have Mary Eustis set plates for you."

"Thank you Mr. Jones, we'll do that." I turned away and then a question caught up with me. "Mary Eustis in an Indian witch doctor isn't she? She'll never cook a meal for us."

"Maybe, maybe not, you come anyway and I'll see that you get fed." I saw the sheriff going into his office and hurried away to catch up with him.

"Sheriff, my name is Sam Jones. Is there any news from Sheriff Colson, down south?"

"There is and in fact, I got a wire from him yesterday. He wanted me to tell you when I saw you, that some man named Wilcox has been charged with murder and armed robbery. He could hang. What do you know about it?"

"Not much. I know this woman who Wilcox later married. I was able to do her and her grandfather a favor. They kept me from being charged with a more serious crime, although they couldn't keep me from getting two years for butchering a calf.

"They went to bat for me, knowing I wasn't guilty of something that we now know Wilcox was involved in. Sheriff Colson is friends of the grandfather and looks on the woman like a daughter. He has kind of taken an interest in me because of that friendship.

"I met Kenny Ryeback up at the territorial prison and we became friends. I helped him and he helped me. That's why I'm here."

"Just for your information, Sheriff Colson speaks for you. Glad to have you located here. I hear you have a bunch of Indians out there on the Ryeback ranch."

"Yeah. Mary Eustis is in charge of them. They are doing some round up of cattle that belongs to the ranch. Already they have pried a bunch out of the brush and brought them in to be branded. I'm pretty impressed with them as cowhands."

"That's Mary Eustis' doing. She is more chief than shaman. This was the first area that settled down after we had some uprisings. She is one smart woman."

"She is that. Good to be talking to you, Sheriff. I'm planning on staying on with Kenny when he gets here."

"It'll be good to have him back here with us as well."

I announced to Mary Eustis that we would be having guests for supper. "Who?"

"Pete Ryeback and his new wife, the former Hattie Driscoll."

"She's a dance hall girl. She sleeps around."

"Maybe, but she's married now. She is also looking for a place to live. Another thing, she knows farming. Too late in the season to plant much, but I know of a couple things she could get into the ground. I used to farm some myself. It would be nice if you could make a cake."

"But..."

"Mary Eustis, just to put things into perspective, where did you sleep last night?"

When Pete and Hattie rode in, I started out the door. "Okay Sam, you're right, I can't throw stones. I forgot that for a minute. I have some chocolate and I'll make a cake."

It was only a quarter mile to the line camp. It was in a little valley of about twenty acres. I had passed the entrance to it one time not realizing what was there. I just wasn't familiar with the lay of the land yet. When we went through the gap, I could see a shack up against a grove of trees. The land itself was slightly sloping and protected from the weather. I suspected the cold wouldn't stay in the valley, but would settle out to the open land beyond.

Hattie's eyes inspected the land and when we got into the field, she jumped off her horse and kicked the soil to see what it was. The dirt turned up dark and rich. It should be just right for garden vegetables.

We didn't linger and went on to the cabin. It had been unused for three or four years, according to Pete. The roof was tight, but the one window had sagged and fallen out. Pack rats had a couple of nests under the bunk. There was a sheet metal stove with one rusted off leg and was tipped over. The stovepipe that went out through the wall was down.

Hattie walked around and I could see her imagining what it would be like to be living in such close quarters for days on end through the winter. "Mr. Jones, would you speak for us when Pete's cousin arrives? We might even get a few things in the ground this year. Not much can grow in the time we have. A few cucumbers and early squashes, maybe. I'll try for a few potatoes. They won't get too big, but we could swap them for flour and coffee. There is always beans. They will make it if we can dry them in the barn."

"I will." I was pretty damned excited myself. Pa and Ma had done this and rolling new potatoes out of the hill was something my sister and I looked forward to every year. A bit of sadness washed over me and I shook my head to clear my mind.

Before we reached the ranch, Pete wondered where all the cattle had come from. "The Indians brought them in. I made a deal with them. That 'I' tacked onto the end of Kenny's brand you see now belong to the Indians. They say Kenny will have at least three hundred under his iron by the time he gets here. The Indians will own about sixty. That will feed them for the winter and some besides."

"Why didn't you just pay them in coin?"

"Indians don't know banks. Cattle are better."

"Guess so. Never thought about it."

We pulled in front of the ranch house. There was one Indian breaking a horse in the corral. There were Indians all around it watching him. I guess neither Pete nor Hattie had much truck with the natives and didn't go over to watch. Pete headed into one of the sheds. When he came back, he asked if he could borrow the single bottom plow that was stored there. I didn't even know there was one on the ranch and said he could.

Pete and Hattie were amazed at the change in the condition of the ranch house. I just said that Mary Eustis had called on some of her people to help change things around. Pete said very little. We paid attention to the beef and beans that Mary Eustis put onto the table. She also had salaterus biscuits. There was no butter to spread on them like you might find in town, but there was a little wild honey.

Hattie helped Mary Eustis pick up the table and then we all sat down for our last cup of coffee. I looked at Mary Eustis and she smiled back at me. She immediately got up and brought back to the table a small chocolate cake. She had crushed a peppermint stick and made a dust to decorate it, spelling out Hattie and Pete with the bigger pieces.

Tears came to Hattie's eyes. She looked at me. "Not me. Mary Eustis did it all." It was getting too late for Pete and Hattie to go back to town. "Pete, you and Hattie, use my bed tonight. My blankets are still in the bunkhouse. I'll sack out there." I wouldn't have suggested this, except I could see that Hattie had cleaned Pete up and he looked good. "Call this your wedding night if you wish."

"Thank you Mr. Jones. Pete, I'll bet you won't be cussin' Mr. Jones any more like you have for the last few days. Mary Eustis, thank you for the wonderful supper and especially for the cake. I always wanted a wedding cake. It is a dream come true."

"Take your husband to bed then. I'll do up the dishes." I went out and sat on the verandah. I knew Mary Eustis would be coming out soon. She was.

"Sam, I want to apologize. I'm seldom wrong in my dealing with people. I was this time. Hattie was so happy. Where did your knowledge come from?"

"From Kenny. I had two years with him to learn the ways of the world. He is a teacher in the finest sense. Well except for one thing, but I won't mention what."

"Thank you, please don't. You're pretty generous to give up sleeping in your own bed tonight."

"Maybe I have an ulterior motive. I'm thinking of all of those fresh vegetables I'm going to have to eat next year."

"Do you think Kenny will let his cousin stay? You put yourself way out on the limb."

"No I haven't. Half of this ranch belongs to me when Kenny steps out of prison. That's his promise anyway. The money I'm using here is mine. The money that is getting Kenny released early is mine as well. I asked a friend to hire the lawyer for me. You told me yourself that Kenny was going to be here soon, so I know it is happening."

"What about the woman I saw in my dream? Where does she come into this?"

"She's the woman I should have asked to wait for me until I was released from prison. I didn't, but it may all work out. I had word today her husband is in jail charged with murder and robbery. He stands a good chance of being hung. She is pregnant and must be due to have the baby any day now.

"Her grandfather knows where I live and I expect someday I will be hearing from him. He was the one to tell me to leave town and not become involved in catching Wilcox. Not any more than I was, that is."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm the one who found the evidence that Wilcox was a killer. You know something else? The closest I have ever been to the man was to see him from across the street. It has been my decision to keep out of her life, but always hoping we will someday have a life together. Mary Eustis, you are the one that has given me the most hope it will come true."

"You realize what I say is just repeating what I dream. Also I must tell you I am losing the power I once had. I'm not being true to my own father and what he taught me. That is the power of the Gods. Now I have a different power. It is the power to guide my people to survive. I am too much with white people so I am gaining and losing at the same time."

"Why?"

"If I don't take up the white man's ways, my people and their heritage will disappear forever. You haven't been to the reservation. My people that are camped out behind your barn are so much better off than those that live on the reservation. Together, these are all that are left of my clan. In my father's time my clan numbered five times what you see. Then the clan was decimated from sickness and the uprising we had decades ago. This brought about my people being herded onto the reservation by your government. Thinking of the future, my father sent me to the mission school.

"The same that took my clan down is happening on the reservation, only more slowly. I think white men such as you are farsighted enough so that some of my clan will always survive. You could have given me one cow in twenty, but you offered two cows in ten. With Indians now, to be able to have full bellies, is to be rich."

"I can understand that. There is a wise saying. 'Give a man a fish and he will be full for a day. Give a man a fish pole and he will be full forever.' The cows you own are your fish pole. Kenny explained it to me."

"But why? You didn't have to."

"No, but remember back to your school days at the mission. This again has come from Kenny. It is something called the golden rule. 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' That is why I asked to have Hattie at the supper table tonight."

"I remembered that in time and didn't bring shame to myself."

"Yes, you did remember. I guess I had better head for the bunkhouse. Mary Eustis, I have enjoyed you in so many ways. Tonight was different than last night, but fully as rewarding."

"For me as well, Sam. Good-night."

"Mrs. Ryeback, would you drive the buckboard into town this morning and purchase what you need to make the line shack livable. It is owned by the ranch, therefore you may draw what you need from the general store. I'll expect you back around noon and we will see about getting the place set up with what furnishings you buy."

"Thank you Mr. Jones. I have to admit Pete and I were so very wrong about you just a few days ago. Pete wanted to shoot you and I almost went along with him. I guess I have changed my mind." Mary Eustis came out and we watched the two clamber up into the buckboard and wave good-bye.

"Pete doesn't say much does he?" She was smiling. "Just to let you know, I heard them discussing this morning what to say to you and how to thank you. Hattie said she would thank you and would keep it simple. You satisfied?"

"Yeah. Mary Eustis, would you have one of the braves ride out so I could see the whole ranch? I need to know where the boundaries are."

"It would be better if I went myself. Tell Pat to help the Ryebacks when they come back from town. We'll be gone overnight. This is a big ranch you know. Oh, I sent some squaws over to dust out the line shack so all Pat has to do is set up the stove and the chimney. Before winter they will have to have a new window, but that can wait."

I chased up Pat and gave him orders. "Who's goin' to give me my daily ration if you ain't here?"

"You'll get it at sundown. That soon enough?"