I had Iris hold the horse trailer rear gate open. I opened the gate to the corral, they trooped out and headed for the horse trailer. One of the mules stopped beside Iris, he nuzzled her, she patted him on the nose. The rest of them got in the trailer, one by one. The one by Iris was the last to get in.
Iris said, as she swung the tail gate toward me, “His name is Luke, I think he likes me.”
“Oh, he told you his name, did he?” Mary Jane said.
“Well, not exactly, I asked him if his name was Luke, he nodded his head yes. Isn’t that the same as telling me?”
“Sure it is, how would you like him to be your Mule, no one else’s, just yours?” I said.
“Yes, Oh yes. You’re not kidding me are you?” Iris said, jumping up and down.
‘Nope, he’s yours.” I said. Alita was squirming in Faith’s arms, “Me, me too. I want my own mule, also.”
“Alright, when we get home, you can pick one out for yourself, it’ll be just yours. Okay?” I said. Alita held out her arms to me, I took her and she gave me a big kiss. Iris pulled at my elbow, wanting me to bend down, she gave me a kiss also, “Thank you, Uncle Clay.” She said.
“Well,” I said, “I got kisses from two of the females, how about the other two?”
Faith came up on one side and Mary Jane on the other, they each gave me a peck on the cheek. Faith said, “That’ll have to do, till we get home.” Mary Jane said, “That’ll have to do, period.” I stuck my tongue out at her. It was going to be fun having her around.
It was just a little after nine when we finally got on the road. We went back in the Park, to Mammoth and made a left toward Roosevelt Junction, where one road went toward Tower and the other through the Lamar Valley, beside the Lamar River, to Silver Gate and Cooke city. This road stayed open year around, it was the only way to get to Cooke City in the winter time.
We took our time. There were a lot of Bison that used the Lamar Valley year round. Alita was busy counting them. We did see a couple of Wolves, just hanging around biding their time.
“Now I was never a fan of them restocking our range with Wolves. But it was over and done with now. I was of the mind when somebody shovels shit in your yard, use it for fertilizer. In other words make the best of a bad thing.
We stopped in Cooke City for lunch. Then proceeded toward Red Lodge, but we turned on the Sunlight Basin road, the same route we came by. It used to be just a trail across there, toward Cody. But now it was a paved road, with all kinds of houses, that didn’t make me none to happy either.
It was just after seven that night that we arrived home. There were still a couple of hours of daylight left. The first one to meet us was Rosie, with Tiff at her heals, with Hank and Poppy right behind them. Hope stood in the kitchen doorway, shading her eyes at the late afternoon sunset.
Faith opened the truck door, Dog jumped out. Rosie reached in and took Alita, Alita fastened her arms around Rosie’s neck. Rosie looked at Mary Jane and Iris, “Who do we have here? My, but Faith, she looks just like you, is she your sister or what?”
“Not quite, she’s my cousin, Rosie this is Mary Jane, and the little one is Iris, her daughter.” Then, “Mary Jane and Iris, this is our daughter, Rosie. And standing beside her is Hank and Poppy, they’re family too, and that’s Hope standing in the doorway, their Mother.” Dog ran around checking everything out. I think he liked his new home.
As they all jabbered at each other, I jerked my head at Hank, then indicated the horse trailer. He followed me to the back. “Hank, why don’t you open the corral gate, I’ll let these guys out, just whistle and they will follow you.” It went pretty much that way, all except for Luke, Iris’ mule, and one other. They came and stood close to the talking women. Hank said, “What about those two?”
“That’s Okay, leave them alone, the big one there belongs to Iris. And I guess the other one must belong to Alita.” I walked over and took Alita, the smaller Mule came over, “Well Alita, I guess you didn’t get to choose, it looks like he choose you, is that Okay?”
“Yes, Daddy, I like him, can I sit on him?” Alita asked.
“Sure,” I put her up on his back, she grabbed his mane, and kicked him in the ribs, he walked around the yard, with her talking a mile a minute to him. Iris had me lift her up on Luke, they joined the other two, with Dog right on their heels.
Hope called from the doorway, “I have supper ready, it was a good thing Faith called and said how many there would be.” They all went in the house, I called to Iris and Alita, “Hey come on in, supper’s ready.” They rode over, Alita said, “Daddy, can Matthew and Luke stay in the old coal shed outside the back kitchen door. There is nothing in there now, can they please Daddy?”
I looked at her, “How did you know about that old shed?”
“I seen it out there before, Rosie told me what it used to be used for. They said they wanted to stay close, incase we needed them.”
“Oh, they did, did they? Well alright, I can’t see that it would hurt anything. There’s an old tub that Iris can fill with water for them. I’ll get them a bale of hay after supper.”
Alita never ceased to amaze me. She noticed everything. I helped them down, Iris led Alita into the house. I said to the mules, “well go around back, I’ll run you some water and get you a bale of hay.” I went to the hay stack beside the barn and grabbed a hundred pound bale of alfalfa. I cut the bale open and then filled an old wash tub that was hanging on the side of the shed. They seemed quite content.
I went in the house, they had saved a place for me, someone had filled my plate. That was nice of them, I wasn’t a picky eater, I cleaned the whole plate full up, and then held out my plate for more.
Hope said, after noticing the mules out the back kitchen window. “Are they going to be alright there?”
“Yeah, I reckon, I can’t think of better watch dogs, than mules. A lot better than Guinea Hens, the hens might make more noise in case of intruders, but mules will kick the shit out of them.”
Faith said, “Please Sweetheart, your language, the children, you don’t want them to use that word, do you?”
“Well no, I guess not. You’re right, I’ll try to do better.” Mary Jane gave me a wink, she knew I would backslide.
As to sleeping arrangements it was decided, by Alita and Iris, that Mary Jane would take Alita’s old room. There was an extra room off of the kitchen that hadn’t been used in years. Iris and Alita wanted to share that room, so they could be closer to the mules. And of course Dog would sleep in there also.
The only thing I wasn’t too happy about, was that Alita’s old room had a door opening into ours. I wasn’t sure the lock worked on that door. All of the bedrooms upstairs were full up now. Well really all of the bedrooms were, since the one off of the kitchen was now occupied. Nothing like a full house.
Hank had finished eating, I asked him, “Well, how are those horses coming, do you have them all broke yet?”
“Funny thing, I don’t have to do much, their pretty much training themselves. Seems they are very anxious to please.” Hank said.
“Well now, that’s good to hear. Tomorrow you can start on the mules, I don’t expect they’ll give you any trouble, they’ve been used in a dude string, packing supplies in and out of the mountains. Mules are a bit different than horses. If they take a liking to you, they will do most anything for you.” I said.
“What about those two outside of the kitchen window?” Hank asked.
“Leave them to me, they belong to Iris and Alita, I don’t expect them to take too much training.”
The whole family turned to on the dishes. All but Hank and I, we went out to check on how the mules were getting along with the horses. I guess we didn’t have to worry much, they seemed to be getting along pretty good.
Red came out while we were there, filling me in on the branding and such. “How’s the count coming; did we lose many over the last winter?” I asked.
“Just a few head; I found about five carcasses bunched up in a dead end coulee. That last blizzard we had probably drifted them in there.”
“Didn’t lose any to rustlers though huh?”
“No, not us. But the outfit next door did, they seemed to think it was funny that we didn’t. I sort of got the impression they thought we might be branding a few that weren’t ours.” Red said.
“Who said that, Old Man Dithers?” I asked.
“No, they sold out to an outfit from back east, some rich bastard, I didn’t like him none.” Red said, as he spit tobacco juice into the dust.
“When are you going to stop that chewing Red. It’s going to give you cancer, sure enough if you don’t?” I didn’t wait for an answer, cause I knew he wouldn’t, “What’s that ranny’s name?” I asked.
“Joe Cummins, anyway that’s what he told me. He stands about six foot four, looks to weigh in a shade under two eighty. If you asks me, he’s a big bag of shit.” Red said.
“My, I guess you sure don’t like him none. I’ll ride over there tomorrow and let him vent his ire on me.” I said.
“Well, watch your back if you do, some of his hands look like they came from the back alleys of New York. They can’t rope worth a damn, but I bet they can shoot you in the back.” Red said.
We went back to the house, Hank went in, I stopped to talk to Luke and Matthew. I scratched them behind their ears. “Well boy’s,” I said, “you two are the official watchmen, if anyone comes around, just Hee Haw really loud, I’ll hear you.” I went in, everyone was already in bed, I tiptoed up the stairs.
Faith and Mary Jane were setting on our bed. For once they both had PJ’s on. I told them about what Red had said about our new neighbor. Faith said, “I don’t think you should go over there alone, Mary Jane and I will go with you. No, don’t argue, it’s settled.”
“I wasn’t going to argue, I know you both have your knives, but does Mary Jane have a gun?”
“No I don’t. But, being an ex-cop, I know how to shoot, that is if you have an extra gun.” Mary Jane said.
“I have one, I took it from the closet in hallway at home, just before we left. I thought we might need an extra one.” Faith said, then she went to her suit case that was in the closet. She put it on the bed and opened a false bottom on it. She not only had this ten shot .41 caliber auto, but ammo for it, and her little .32 Mag. Plus about ten more stiletto’s,
Mary Jane took the .41, pulled the receiver back and checked to make sure it was loaded, which it was. Then snapped it home. I could tell she knew what she was doing. “Is that an extra clip for it?” She said, Faith handed her two extra clips. Mary Jane smiled. I looked back and forth between the two of them, I sure wouldn’t want to get on their bad side.
Mary Jane said, “Well, I’m going to bed. You two hold it down when you make love, I don’t need to hear it, I haven’t had any for ages.” As she went through her bedroom doorway, she pulled her teddy off over her head and wiggled her naked butt at us. Then she shut the door. That I was glad of….
The next morning I was the first one up, I went downstairs and put the coffee on. Hope heard me clanking around and came down in her robe and curlers in her hair. I looked at her, “You still wear curlers at night, I thought that went out with the 60’s?”
“Yes I do. My mother always did, and I just got in the habit. Don’t you like curlers?”
“I ain’t got nothing against them, just surprised some is all.” I said.
“Do you want breakfast now, or do you want to wait for the rest of the family?” Hope said.
“I can wait, I just wanted to get the coffee started. I’m going out and check the stock. Do you want me to the feed the chickens, or are you going to?” I said.
“You can, while you’re at it, gather the eggs too, will you?”
“Sure, no problem, it’s sure nice to have you and your kids with us, Hope. How are you liking it so far?” I said.
“It’s a dream come true for us. I always wanted a big family, now I have one.”
“The same goes for us, it’s nice to have the house full. It’s what I always wanted too.” I said.
I stopped and fed Luke and Matthew, then went to the barn and checked horses and mules. I was some glad that we didn’t have milk cows, they tied you down morning and night. Then I went to the chicken coop, it and the chicken yard was all fenced in with chicken wire. When I was a kid, we let the chickens free range, but now it was simpler to keep them in one spot. Safer for the chickens also. I tossed them some cracked corn and then gathered the eggs.
I stopped again at the mules, I noticed that there was no manure around where they were standing. “Where are you guys going to the bathroom? I asked them. They sort of tossed their heads toward the garden. I looked over there. Sure enough they were placing it in a nice pile close to the garden. All we’d have to do is shovel it where we needed it. Now how did they know to do that? Well at least there would be no stinking mess beside the kitchen door.
As I went through the kitchen door, Hope said, “You’re just in time with those eggs, wash some of them off for me, then crack them in that bowl, would you?”
I did as instructed. We had both white and brown eggs. Now I always favored brown ones. Now most people can’t tell the difference, but I could. Mom always said that I was nuts, but I knew better.
By the time we was done, we had platters of sausage, potatoes and eggs, along with hotcakes. “Hope said, “I sure wish we had a milk cow, I always liked home churned butter. Plus the cream is always better. I like buttermilk, homemade. Can we get a milk cow?”
I had just counted my blessing that we didn’t have one, but I said, “Sure, no problem, do you know how to milk?”
“Yes, I learned when I was a little girl, these kids need to know how to milk and churn butter, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, sure, shouldn’t everybody?” I said.
“I’m glad you agree with me, if we get one, I’ll make up a milking schedule. That way it won’t be a burden on any one of us.” Hope said. Then she added. “I see that there is a separator in the pantry, it looks like it hasn’t been used in years though.”
“It hasn’t, but it’s all there, I’m sure. It’s still the old hand turned one. But I guess I could rig up an electric motor to it.” I said.
“No need to, the cranking will be good for everybody.” Hope said.
Everyone trooped in at the same time, I said, “I bet you’ve all been just waiting till we got breakfast on the table, to show up, haven’t you?”
Mary Jane said, “I don’t know about everyone else, but Faith and I were.”
“Okay, just for that, you Mary Jane can say the prayer this morning.” I said.
“Are you sure, I thought the man of the house had to do it?” She said.
I grabbed up a tea towel and tossed it to her, “put that on your head, the Bible just says that when a woman prays in the congregation that she has to have her head covered, so there.” I said. She wrapped the towel around her head and gave a prayer that made mine sound juvenile. She even used Jehovah’s name and closed in Jesus’ name.
“Where did you learn to pray like that?” I asked.
“My Uncle, he was sent to Siberia in the 80’s, he never came back.”
“I’m sorry, that must have been just before the Berlin wall went down.” I said.
“Something like that, I don’t know for sure. Pass the pancakes will you?”
All of the kids kicked in to clean the table off and do the dishes, even Alita helped. Hope said that she would keep an eye on Alita and Iris. I told Hope that she could put them up on the back of their mules, that they could baby set for awhile.
The three of us went out to the barn and we saddled up Brutus, Nick and Diablo. Rosie said that Mary Jane could ride him. Mary Jane knew how to ride, as I suppose all Sinti Gypsy did. The horses were raring to go, Brutus and Nick hadn’t been rode for awhile. Of course Rosie had been riding Diablo almost every day. Tiff had been riding one of the new ones that Hank had been working with. Dog stayed with Hank.
I made sure we left the saddle guns at home, I didn’t want it to look like we were hunting trouble. We had enough fire power anyway.
We let the horses run, that is after they got warmed up a little bit. It was about ten miles over to Old Man Dithers place. They were still branding. They were gathered in a flat about a mile from the house. I could see them working as we rode up. Well not all of them were working, just the old hands that used to ride for Dithers. There were six hands just lounging around doing nothing. I could pick out that Joe Cummins, and one other man that I recognized right away, that made eight that were packing guns. The one I recognized? It was that lawyer that was with Dipper Tick, the one that I knocked out before. I think his name was, Delbert Westinghouse. Faith recognized him also.
I reined in watching Joe Cummins, I could tell by just looking at him, that he was just a front man. He was both arrogant and stupid. Stupid because I knew by the expression on his face that he was going to try and kill me, and that this day would be his last. He was leering at the women. Delbert said something to him, he shook off his advice.
I said, “I hear that you think that we’re responsible for some losses that you say you’ve experienced.” I figured we might as well get right to the point.
“Yeah, that’s damn right. You’re a thief, get down off that horse, I’m going to beat you to death and then I’m going to screw your women.” Brutus danced around, I just let him, making it look like I couldn’t control him. Brutus knew what he was doing, his rump came around about three feet from Joe Cummins, he kicked out, catching him right in the face. Blood and snot flew all over the place. He was down like a pole axed steer.
A bullet bounced off of my saddle horn. I dropped from the saddle, my gun in my hand. Mary Jane and Faith were both down on their knees firing. Six of those thugs were firing at us, I guess their leader going down in blood and gore unnerved them, because they were missing a lot.
But not for long, because they were falling like fall leaves in a blizzard. I only got one of the six. Old Man Dithers hands were standing there with their hands in the air, we ignored them. Delbert was couched down on the ground with his arms over his head. He was screaming “don’t kill me, don’t kill me, I’ll tell you everything.”
I walked over to Delbert, I clubbed him over the head, I sure hated the sound of his voice. Next I went over to Joe Cummins. I knelt and felt his neck for a pulse, there was none. I checked him over, no bullet holes, well chalk up one for Brutus.
Faith and Mary Jane were checking the other six, they looked at me and shook their heads. “They all dead?” I asked. They just nodded, reloading their clips. I looked at the Cowboys. There were eight of them. I said, “You guys Okay with this?”
One of the cowboys was an old fellow that I knew from when I was just a little shaver, we called him Yankton, cause he was a Sioux from the Yankton reservation in South Dakota. He came over, “Well Clay, it took you long enough. I sent up a prayer weeks ago.”
“I’m sorry Grandfather, for being so slow. I haven’t completely recovered from the coma I was in for six months. I will do better next time.” He wasn’t my Grandfather, calling an elder Indian Grandfather was a sign of respect.
“Is Old Man Dithers alright? Red said that they bought him out, is that right and that he left the country?”
“He is locked in the basement. The land never changed hands. I think they just wanted to lure you in, so they could kill you, they hate you real bad.” Yankton said.
“Why do they hate you so much?” He added.
“I don’t know Grandfather, perhaps it’s not me, perhaps it’s the Great Spirit that they hate so much.”
“How did you train your horse to do that?” Yankton asked.
“I didn’t Grandfather, Brutus has a mind of his own, I think the Great Spirit sent him to me. Just as he did my wife Faith and her cousin Mary Jane.” They both came over and held out there hands to shake, instead Yankton hugged them both. The rest of the hands hadn’t moved, I think they were still in shock.
I got in my saddle bag and got my cell phone, I called Harry Silver, yet again. “How many? He yelled. “Take it easy Harry, they started it, I have Delbert Washington, he’s still alive, he said he would tell us everything, that is when he wakes up.” I said.
I turned back to Yankton, “Why don’t you send in one of your hands to free Old Man Dithers, he must be getting right down tired of that basement.” I said. I could hear Harry’s helicopter coming by the time I heard Old Man Dithers coming, they both got there at the same time.
Dithers came up to me, “Clay thank you so much, I thought they were going to kill me. Yankton thinks that God sent you.”
“As to that, we’re all just tools of his aren’t we?” I said. Then Harry started in, I just walked away, saying back over my shoulder, “talk to all of them, they seen it. Delbert’s waking up, put the screws to him.”
“You just wait a minute young man, I want to talk to you.” He said running after me. I stopped, “Okay, okay, what do you want?”
“What do you know about the disappearance of Pete Frank?”
“What the hell do you mean? You’re the one who has him in custody.” I said.
“Not anymore, he was supposed to be picked up by Homeland Security this morning, we went to his cell to get him and he was gone, with the cell door still locked. How did you do it?”
“Really Harry, how in the hell could I do that. There must have been someone on the inside who helped him escape.”
“No, no one was there. The camera was trained on him all of the while, one second he was there the next he was gone.” Harry said.
“Well maybe you’re like Yankton over there, he thinks the Great Spirit sent me, maybe God took him.” I said. Harry went away cussing, then he turned back, “Here,” he said, “is your badge and I.D. You’re now a special agent of the FBI, why in God’s name they made you one is beyond me.” He said, stomping away.
Mary Jane and Faith had been right there all of the time we were talking, Mary Jane was smiling, I said, “I suppose that was your Great Grandfather’s work, right? Freeing Pete?”
“You got that right, don’t ask me how he does it, I don’t know.” Mary Jane said.
Faith said, “So now you’re not only an agent for New Mexico, but now the FBI? What do they want you to do?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea, nothing I hope. I sure don’t know what’s going on.”
“All I know is, that it has been one wild roller coaster ride since I met you. And I like it.” She said, jumping up and putting both of her legs around me, kissing me like there was no tomorrow. Well maybe there wasn’t.
Mary Jane said, “You two aren’t going to do it right here, are you?” Faith let loose, “No, but I sure could, have you ever felt like that?” she asked Mary Jane.
“Yeah, at times, with my husband. I sure miss him.” Mary Jane said.
We walked back over by Harry Silver, he had calmed down. “Well, what did Delbert tell you?” I asked.
“It’s that damn Dipper Tick again. But Delbert said that the orders came from someone higher up, he doesn’t know who. But he wants protection, he’s say’s he will give us all the details. All I know is that the body count is getting way too high.”
“It’s not my fault, if they keep trying to kill me, maybe I should just let them do it, how would you like that?” I said.
“Don’t tempt me, cause I just might do it myself.” Harry said.
We mounted up and rode off. Mary Jane said, “Isn’t it strange that they keep giving you these badges and stuff and don’t want you to do anything?”
Faith said, “Yes, I find it more than strange, weird even. And I don’t like it, it’s like they are setting you up for a fall.”
I looked at my wife, she just could be right. But I was slowly preparing for it. The fall, not them precipitating it. Who knows what Satan has in mind.