CHAPTER 34
On the next Thursday he met the surveyor at a grassy point north some twenty miles east of his place. Arthur Miles was a thin man but he looked wiry. He wore shorts and a tan short-sleeve shirt. Long considered it too early to trust the weather though it was warming every day. But the man was not a warm person to talk to—like this survey was all beneath his worth.
Jeb and Collie Burns rode with him and waited while Long finished his business with Miles.
Miles said, by his calculation, they would be at the northeast corner of the ranch in three to four days. They would use strips of cloth to mark the ranch line as they went for any fencing activity to follow. That satisfied Long. Section corners would have brass markers. He promised to have one of his crew to check on them twice a week to see whether they needed food and supplies.
The surveyor never said when he expected to have the survey completed. No matter. It was being started. The next morning he shook Miles’s hand and they rode home.
Ira and Collie commented to Long about the man.
“Now that was a damn real stiff shirt—short sleeves and all.”
“He was colder than a long icicle,” Collie added.
“But he drawled too much to be a Yankee.”
“Hell, bossman, even Yankees wouldn’ta had him.”
They had a good time trotting their horses in the fast greening world of spring. Long thought it might be a bluebell spring. That was when those flowers carpeted the entire rangeland and made it so pretty, painted blue.
Later he told Jan and Carter about the short-sleeved, stiff-shirted surveyor.
“Of course that doesn’t mean he isn’t accurate.”
“Well for what he costs he needs to be accurate,” Jan said.
“I need to go to town and straighten out some things one day this week.”
“Good. We need more material for our sewing projects. Be sure to take those two men with you,” Jan told him. “I think I am keeping Rob’s and Boone’s wives busy sewing clothes, so they are not fretting too much over their men being gone with the herds.”
“Neat idea.”
Carter and Long talked about fence post procurement. There were plenty of cedars, and cutting them down would improve the range as well. Carter felt some private contractor could handle it.
“What will we fence first?”
“I think the west line. You have to send riders over there all the time to get cattle back.”
“It is a long ways out there, and we don’t know when it will be surveyed.”
“Miles will do it. Thanks, Carter. Find the post cutters.” They parted.
He found Jan in the sewing circle, told the women hello, and motioned for her to come over to talk.
“I just realized we didn’t tell Harp about our gold before he left with the cattle drive to Abilene.”
Jan looked at him. “I think you are right. We were rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off, shipping cattle ourselves just before then.”
He hugged her. “If that’s all we forget it will be a miracle.”
“He will be surprised.”
“Yes, but it will be a good one.”
The next morning, in the early cool pre-dawn, he left for Junction, Ira and Collie with him. Collie’s horse walked on eggs the first half-mile, but Collie never let him buck.
“Your wife’s sewing sure is popular among the womenfolk on the ranch.”
Long agreed. “I guess if you were a female and all you had to wear to school were secondhand overalls, you’d think a lot about other children’s clothing.”
“You kidding us?”
“No. Jan had a broken family and lived with a widowed aunt who was poor. All Jan had to wear to school were some hand-me-down overalls. The aunt didn’t do that because she was mean—it was all she had.”
“I never would have believed that. She always dresses nice.”
“Collie, she looked to people around her as rich. Those girls who had decent dresses. It made her pretty tough. I suspect her first husband was equally as tough. When some old man came and told her she needed to be his concubine, her husband went and shot two of them. The others in the family killed him. She cussed worse than a sailor when I first met her. I told her that would not help her, and she quit. I mean she quit cold.”
“I never heard her swear.”
“She doesn’t.”
“Yeah,” Collie said. “When I went to school in east Texas, there was a girl there wore her older brothers’ used overalls. But she wasn’t near as purty as your wife.”
“Collie, I never saw her back then, but I bet boys said that about her. She said boys never dated her.”
“Them boys up there by Waco needed glasses,” Ira said, and they laughed.
In town he went into the bank and spoke to Lawrence about his money, the gold, and other financial matters.
“The price of gold goes up and down like going over those mountains in the West. To change some of that gold to money on the high market will make you more money.”
“I’d risk, say, one-tenth of it. That works, we will see about more. But I want a good earning or I’ll keep it in the gold.”
They agreed and he signed the papers on the deal.
He was walking on the boardwalk down Main Street in the warming sun, when three men began to close in on him. A big man with a walrus mustache stopped him almost face-to-face. Long looked him over—from the ivory butt of the Colt to the silk-wrapped brim of his Stetson hat.
“You one of them O’Malleys?”
“My name is Long. What do you want with me?”
“Howard Burke. I’m against fences on Texas rangeland. I understand you are considering fencing some open range.”
“It is not state land. I own it.”
“No, it is rangeland. See, you don’t understand. This puts small ranchers at a disadvantage.”
“You own any land at all?”
“That isn’t the point.”
A rifle action unmistakable clacked. “Mister, you want to go on living you back away from my boss.” Ira was sitting his horse right behind Long.
The three men backed up as Collie joined Ira, also on horseback.
“I can see our conversation about fencing is over.” Long touched his hat brim. “Good day.”
“You better not stretch a single wire,” Burke said through his teeth. “You try, you will die.”
“Better say your prayers if you come after me. I’ll send you to hell.”
“You will see. You’ve been warned.”
Long turned on his heel and spoke to his men. “I am going to meet Jan up at the Silver Spoon for lunch. Meet you two up there.”
“We will just mosey along with you,” Ira said, booting his horse forward. Collie did the same.
Many people had crossed the street to avoid the obvious threat. Others had scattered, but many were craning their necks to see where they went and who they were.
A waitress was holding the door open. “Anyone shot?”
Long looked back and shook his head. “No one hurt I know about.”
“Good. There’s some crazy people in this town.”
“There are crazies all over,” he said.
“You in trouble?”
“No. My men are coming. A man by the name of Howard Burke stopped me to give me advice not to put up any fences. He doesn’t like them.”
She shrugged and shook her head. “Good thing you had backup. Your wife is sitting over there.”
“Thanks. And my men handled it.”
“May I take your order?”
“Soon as two of my cowboys get here.”
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
“Thank you.”
“Who was that guy?” Jan asked.
“The president of the ‘don’t fence’ club.”
“Come on.”
“I never saw him before. He said he hated fences and threatened me not to fence any rangeland.”
“You think he will block your survey?” she asked.
“That S-O-B might do anything to prevent a strand of wire to be strung. This no-fence-deal in Texas has been in the newspaper.”
“Really?”
“Sure . . . if I had no rangeland I’d say don’t fence it. I’d want to graze free grass, too.”
“So it is a big deal?”
“For some. But if they try to stop us, I will end their worrying about it.”
Ira and Collie walked in and sat down with them.
Collie shook his head. “I knew he wasn’t a friend.”
“Thanks,” Long said.
“He was damn overbearing,” Ira said. “I saw him coming at you. We untied our horses and thought we’d do better on our horses if hell broke loose.”
“Perfect job.”
“That’s our job.” Ira and Collie nodded.
They gave their order to the waitress.
Long noticed there were lots of folks talking behind their hands, probably about the issue.
“They make you think about not fencing?” Ira asked.
“No. We have lots of range. It needs to be rested from time to time. Like selling all these steers. Our neighbor pointed out that was a lot less grass eaters up there, but under a fence the regrowth is ours, because we’ll soon have more cattle to eat it.”
Ira agreed and wrapped his hand around a coffee cup to sip.
“You ever have any squaw boots?” Ira asked Jan.
“No.”
“Long, did anyone ever talk to you about shoes for them wives and kids?”
Long shook his head.
“If we can get some leather, needles, and strong thread, I think I can get some of the boys to take a footprint and make them some. Be better than them old store shoes.”
Long winked at Jan, then he reached over and shook Ira’s hand. “You have a deal.”
“I bet they’ll love them in the winter,” Collie said.
Long agreed. Lunch arrived.
He shook his head. He had a real ranch family. Making barbed wire, herding cattle, and dressing the children, women, and now making them boots.
“Let’s pray.”
“Yes, we have lots to thank for,” Ira said, and they laid down their utensils and bowed.
“Lord, we thank you for our people on the ranch. Thank you for providing this meal. Be with our herders on the way to Kansas, and look after them and all of our family down at Kerrville and here. Amen.”
Both men quietly thanked him.
On the ride home, they had to put on their slickers as a shower spilled precious rain on them and irrigated the bluebells. Dismounting in the barn alleyway, Long felt blessed by the rain. His wife, still in her slicker, waited, ready to hurry for their office-house. The air was clean and fresh. His men told him to go on, that they’d unsaddle the horses.
They ran for the office holding hands and once inside hugged and kissed.
“Neat day.”
“Aside from that Burke guy who didn’t want me fencing.”
“How bad did he threaten you?”
“Not much, with the men there. I expect that kind to show up. I have had bullies like that get in my face all my life. I used to knock them out. Harp told me to just ignore them. I tried, but I still blew up if they got my goat.”
“Hey, I lost one guy who got mad and went to find bullies. I don’t want to lose you.”
Carter came in the office dripping. “Hey, Ira said—”
“Those boys did good. The guy hates fences.”
His foreman put his hat and slicker up on a tree hook. “I am pleased you were not hurt. Randy found the survey crew and he says they are making progress on our north line. They asked for a list of food items since there are no stores. He said we would send it with the next guy who checks on them. They will be fine according to him.”
“That’s good.”
“We will handle it,” Carter said.
“Your post cutters coming?”
“They will be here in a week. I have saws and axes coming, too. We have enough tents and cookware. And I selected a ranch butcher and two helpers. Between our headquarter crew, the post cutters, and eventually the fence crew we will need someone to deal with getting them meat.”
“Sounds good. Oh, and Ira said he had some cowboys who would make squaw boots for our people.”
“I bet they would. That is great news.”
Things settled in. Both Boone and Rob sent him a short letter that they reached the Indian Territory. Things were going smoothly so far.
Infrequently, he and Jan attended the Methodist church in Junction. They drove in on Saturday afternoon, ate supper at the hotel, slept overnight, attended services, and drove home after a lunch on the grounds of the church.
Quietly, he paid to have the parsonage reroofed and set up what Reverend Clark called the “widow’s fund.”
Jan laughed at how they were like the German farm families who traveled every weekend from their small town homes in Mason to attend Lutheran services. He agreed.
“Going home and seeing those bluebells starting to bloom, it is sure peaceful,” he said, making the horses on the buckboard move a little faster.
“Did you ever think that there was a special plan for you to go see the Rockies?”
He nodded. “And how I just happened to be in that area up by Waco and found your loose horse.”
She arched her back and nodded. “One night about dark you found a horse.”
“An hour shift in my time and I would not have found you.”
“Exactly. I guess fate sent me”—she hugged his arm—“and I am grateful. I spent my early life feeling left out, and look how it turned out.”
“If you don’t want that big house maybe the church would want it for homeless children or a school.”
“That would be fine with me.”
“Then we will try to do that, and then we’ll go to San Antonio and find plans to suit you for your house.”
“That isn’t being too bitchy?”
“No. I am so proud of you. What you do for the ranch and me. I could not have found a better mate.”
“Good. When you can go, I will have my bags packed.”
He laughed. “We will do it when the men get back, or if I see a break, to run down there. Maybe you can draw something you like and we’d have that to show the architect.”
“I can do that. Good idea. There are many times, here in Texas, where we can entertain outside on a covered patio so if it rains, it doesn’t ruin the fun. And I’d like a breeze through the house in the evening. Oh, and the white limestone can be quarried from on the place, can’t it? And thick cedar shingles on the overhanging roof. And some fireplaces in some of the rooms to warm the house.”
He laughed at all her plans, agreed, and told her, “We’ll put a windmill up that will put water in the attic, and the pressure at the faucet will give us running water for baths, showers, and toilets. They even have water heaters in the attic that can send hot water down to tubs, showers, and sinks. We can afford it all.”
“Good. I want it.”
“We’ll get it. As for the ranch, when we get the survey complete and a perimeter fence up, we will cross-fence and need more windmills. We’ll develop more springs and dam some creeks that will give us more water in the dry years. I want several hundred acres of hay meadows to put up for dry times and hard winters.”
“I thought people just turned cows out. They would find grass and then the ranchers would go find them when they were ready to sell.”
“That was the old way. Now you have to plan more, and do more, and those people will make more money.”
“And my cowboy husband born in Arkansas, who moved to Texas, is going to build me a real ranch house?”
“Trust me. I will get it done.”
“I know. It’s all part of this storybook life we lead. Money, ranches, cattle drives. We are one large business.”
He hugged and kissed her. “Not bad for two kids.”
“I bet you were grown up a long time ago. A lot more than most kids.”
“My father’s Irish dedication to get kidnapped children back from the Comanche was strong. We never talked about the Comanche we killed. Dad said don’t count them. It would weigh on your mind. Count the children we brought home. We freed them from a slave life among heathens.”
They hugged and held each other tightly in the dark office.
Jan said, “We better get to supper. They hold their breath for us to be there.”
“I’m ready. I get flashes of those two men of mine on the trail and hope they aren’t in trouble up there,” he said as they went on to supper.
In the hall they were joined by a cowboy and Carter.
Harry White told them he’d checked on the surveyors and they were headed south. He said he couldn’t believe the ranch went that far west.
“Long, that Rocking H headquarters may be on our ranch.”
“We met them. I hope not. I don’t want to upset them. They are hardworking people when I was out there one time. Surely our ranch land doesn’t go that far?”
“Hopefully you are here, but if you are gone and we do take in their operation, we will assure them we will adjust the border so it doesn’t harm him.”
“Correct. Keep an eye on it if I get busy.”
“I will. With all this land we can be generous, right?”
“Exactly, Carter. And we will be if it happens. Soon, I need about seven days to go to San Antonio and find Jan an architect, have him make some plans for a house from her drawings, then come back. We would like to donate that mansion to a church for a school or orphanage.”
“I bet one of the churches would take it.”
Long nodded. “I hope so. I knew she didn’t like it.”
They sat down and Carter told the girl he was only sitting there and wasn’t eating.
He turned back to Long and Jan. “Hey I heard there is a guy who did well drilling, Lance Grey. Had two setups and was working seven a day. I understand his partner Ted Hanson crawled into bed with Grey’s wife, then convinced her to run off with him. They took the company strong box and left the country. Lance fell off the wagon over it and has been dead drunk ever since he learned she was gone. Your banker had to take both rigs to protect his loan on them.”
“Men do that. It is easier to be drunk than face reality.”
“What can we do?”
“I can go see my banker, find out what he owes on them, and then, maybe, try and sober him up.”
“You ever did that?”
“My father saved a man in Arkansas who was a drunk. It was not nice. But he never took another drink. I think it is why Harp and I don’t drink. Dad tied him up in our barn, and we had to hold our hands over our ears because of his screaming. But when he dried out he went home and minded his own business. And he later cried when we moved to Texas.”
“Boy, I’ve heard about folks doing that.”
“Get me two hands and we will run into town in the morning and see what we can do about a drunk with two well drilling rigs.”
Ira, Collie, and Carter rode with Long to town. Jan stayed home because she had sewing plans. They arrived mid-morning at the bank and Lawrence met him in the lobby. They stepped to the side and Long asked him about the rigs.
“You want them?”
“Maybe. I’d like to see if I can sober him up.”
“For you, on the rigs, seven-fifty each. The business of making him sober, I bet will be harder.”
“Charge them to me. I will sign the papers when I come back to town.”
“No problem. Good luck. I think even the ministers gave up on him.”
“Draw me a map to his house.”
“Grant, draw Long and Carter a map to Lance Grey’s house. Long is buying those rigs. All he needs is a harnessed team to pull them out to his ranch.”
Grant Thomas nodded. “That is how I repossessed them. They are both at the livery stables.”
Ira nodded he heard him.
“Here is the map, Carter.”
“Thanks.”
Outside, Carter showed the map to the others. Ira knew the place. Back in the saddle, Ira asked him if they’d better get the drills. Long told them it could wait until they talked to Grey.
“We have anyone in our crew to run one?”
“Yeah, Jud Aikens worked as a helper for three years on one. He said last night, with a little guidance, he thinks he could drill with them.”
“We may need him. My banker thinks the ministers gave up on this guy.”
They rode out to the weed-grown adobe place. Long dismounted and with Carter walked to the open front door.
A small Mexican teenage girl carrying a baby in a sling asked what she could do for them.
“I am Señor O’Malley. I need to talk to Señor Grey.”
She shook her head. “He is sleeping.”
“Is that his baby?”
“Sí. I am a cousin of his wife. She left the baby with me when she left him. There are two more small children. She left them all and ran away.”
“Bad business. And he drinks because she is gone?”
She nodded.
“What is your name?”
“Wanda Robles.”
“Wanda, I am going to send a couple of cowboys and a wagon to get you and the children. And if they have to hog-tie him, they will bring him along. My foreman has a house for you and we have plenty of food. I will pay you to care for and watch the children for him. I aim to dry him out.”
Tears ran down her brown cheeks as she nodded. “My prayers have been answered. Gracias, señor.”
“Can you buy some goat’s milk for the baby?”
“Sí.”
He gave her a few loose dollars. “We have milk goats at the ranch. The ranch women will help you clothe the children. And they will help you when you need it.”
“Ira, go in there and see how many men you’ll need to haul him home.”
He came back. “Two of us can hog-tie him and load him in the wagon.”
“You have much to move?” Long asked the girl.
“Some pots and some blankets. The crib.” She shrugged.
He got out a pocket-size book. “Your name is Wanda Robles?”
“Yes.”
“What are the children’s names?” That was what Jan would ask him right off.
“Gloria, the baby. The girl is Stella and the boy Drake. They are napping.”
“You can bathe them, and they will be given clean clothes at the ranch.”
“Oh, I prayed to the Virgin. I have done everything. Thank God you have found us.”
He gave her his kerchief. “Quit crying. Tomorrow you will have a better place for you, the children, and him.”
She shook her head. “I will care for the children. I fear he is what you say pickled.”
“We will try.”
She impulsively hugged him.
Not many things got to him, but the squalor and what she didn’t have stabbed his heart. That passed-out drunk had shed no tears for his children when his wife left him.
“Get four men to do it tomorrow, Ira.”
“We can handle it.”
“I’ll have that empty jacal cleaned out and ready for when they arrive,” Carter added.
“Sounds good.”
“Damn right. This was sure sad to find.”
“But we can try and sober him up. With Ira dealing with the girl, children, and the drunk, Collie, you are in charge of a team to haul the drills back to the ranch.”
Collie spoke up, “I aim to get both of them out to the ranch tomorrow. Someone might steal them if we don’t claim it.”
Long laughed and shook his head. Way to do it. Men like Ira and Collie grew into foremen. He liked to see people who saw things that needed to be done and did them. It was how men rose up to better jobs—men like Boone and Rob. Riding home with Carter he looked north at the blue horizon. All he could do was hope those two were making their way to Abilene without any trouble. Harp too.
“What did you find?” Jan asked him, joining the returning men.
“A drunk. A sister—no, a cousin—to his wife had their three children dumped in her lap when she ran off. He drank because she ran off. He was passed out when we got there. I gave her some money, and Ira will head a crew tomorrow to bring them out here. They can use that empty jacal. Carter’s going to get it swept out and will put some furniture in it. That poor girl was even left with a baby. Oh, and we bought two well drilling rigs.”
“Who will run that?”
“Ira has a cowboy who has had some experience. The first well we’ll do is the one you want for the new house.”
“Up on the hill. So I can look over the headquarters and get a good breeze.”
“Got’cha, ma’am,” Carter said, taking their reins to put them up.
Long and Jan walked to the office.
“I want to run to San Antonio, take your drawings, find that architect, and have him draw plans so we can build this house before Christmas if possible.”
Inside the door she drew him back to her and kissed him. “And one more thing. It may not happen but, right now, I think I am two months pregnant. I wasn’t going to tell you since I had so many miscarriages, but I really wanted you to know.”
He hugged her. “Wonderful news. I know you are pleased. Should you stop riding horses?”
“The doctor told me at three months I should since I am so risky.”
“No worries. It sure pleases me.”
“Carter’s wife Edna told me she lost all of hers after birth. So having one isn’t the only challenge. Tell me more about this cousin.”
“She is in her teens. A Mexican girl who has been stuck with three small children and their drunken father. I promised you and the entire ranch wives would help her.”
“She just—”
“Tomorrow she will tell you all about it.”
“Fine. Have you eaten?”
“Supper is soon. I will be fine. I charged those rigs at the bank. They cost seven fifty. Mark it down somewhere, please. It has been some day, but now it is a special one. I am so glad we have a chance at having a baby.”
“I’ll write it in the ledger when we go back to the office. They’ll feed you early. Let’s go to mess.”
“That must have been Doogan’s word for it. Sounds like a sailor’s slang.”
“Just think. You never had to put up with him.”
“I am certain I’d have fired him. I want to check on the surveyor tomorrow.”
“I won’t ride with you out there.”
“Good idea.”
“Aren’t Ira and your men going to move the girl and children here by then?”
“Yes, they are. All I need is one man to ride along with me. There is little threat west of here.”
“Pick him out tonight.”
“I will.”
“Then you have no excuse to go alone.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Easy enough maybe he could see if the line was going this side of the Rocking H Ranch headquarters. That niggled him, too—the chance of running into their operation.
He drew an elbow in his side for that.
The cook crew welcomed him and said they’d have them a plate soon. The biscuits were done.
He and Jan took their place and steaming coffee came in cups.
The cook, Sam, came out of the kitchen and thanked him. “That butcher very good. Thank you for him.”
“You need something, holler. We can fix it.”
“I quit but not now. I proud of this ranch.”
“Sam, you have not seen anything yet.”
“Good. I will love it.”
Their steaming food came. The men were coming in and the dinner bell—a schoolhouse one—was pealing. Suppertime on the Three Star Ranch was ready.
“Will you have a cook at the new house?”
“Do you want one?”
“Maybe one to run the kitchen?”
“Maybe. But I am not the witch. I can cook, but I like this system and it puts us closer to the crew.”
“Fine. I will check with you again later on that. For now, I am thinking that we can go to San Antonio after I get back from seeing the surveyor. By buckboard, I think we can reach there in two days and find an architect. I have names to check out.”
When Carter came by, Long asked him to find Harry White. He wanted him to ride with him out to the survey crew in the morning.
“I can do that. You need two?”
“No, we’ll simply run out and see where that line will go.”
“Harry will be here for breakfast and have two horses ready. Long, are you expecting trouble out there?”
“No, but the fence line might crowd out our neighbors. Harry mentioned it and I want to check it out.”
“Thanks.” He turned to his wife, “Good luck with the girl, tomorrow.”
“Yes. I will have a nice welcome for her and the children when she arrives.”
“That would be great, Jan.”
“We can show her we are going to help her?”
“Edna will be here, too. She is coming about ten.”
Jan spoke up, “They won’t be back until mid-afternoon. Let her come, then she won’t miss a thing.”
“Anything else you need?” Carter asked.
“Jan and I want to go to San Antonio the day after tomorrow.”
“Collie and Ira will go along with you two. Ira will be back tomorrow. I will have the buckboard ready. I still think another man tomorrow?”
“Harry and I will be fine.”
“Good to see you, ma’am.”
“Thanks, Carter.” She put down her fork for some coffee.
He tipped his hat at Jan and left to go back to his house and the meal waiting for him.
When he left she said, “He is a real good man.”
Long agreed.
* * *
The next morning, at breakfast, Carter was there to make sure all was well.
Long kissed her and headed for Harry and the horses.
“Busy man, isn’t he?” Carter asked Jan.
“He stays that way,” Jan said, amused.
“Well it damn sure is a better ranch than before he bought it.”
She agreed.
Harry White sat a bay horse, and he had a saddled dun horse with a few white patches on his side for Long.
“They said you liked him,” Harry said, handing him the rein.
“Comanche are damn fine horse breeders. I’ve learned that living closer to them than most folks. This is one of their horses.”
“I’ve heard that, too.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Georgia originally. After serving in the war I headed west to find a place wasn’t burnt down. Got a job to go north last year with a herd, came back, and learned that Carter needed more hands.”
“Nice to meet you. I want to be sure we don’t cut the Hudsons out at the Rocking H by our survey. I guess he told you it concerned me.”
“I planned to see about it when I went back out there with supplies.”
“Good. I don’t like surprises that can be prevented.” Harry agreed.
They rode along at a trot and made good speed, so by noon the working crew was in sight. He reined up, and Arthur Miles, in his shorts, met him. His bare legs bore some scratches, but he seemed unbothered by them.
“Back again,” Miles said to Harry.
“Yes. We’re collecting your needs. I will bring them back next week. Long is concerned about finding out if the next ranch is going to be inside our line.”
“I made a projection. We are going to be a quarter mile east of them, and I think their headquarters are north of the line of the land they own. They are not on your property.”
Long said, “I imagine that is Texas rangeland and that they can buy it.”
Miles nodded. “Your man pointed it out so I ran a fast survey. They will be west of you.”
“Without surveys it is hard to know, isn’t it?”
“It is like throwing darts blindfolded. Do you want lunch?”
“No. Harry and I brought some food. Thanks again. I appreciate your effort and concern. In the next year we will have the exterior fenced.”
“That will be amazing.”
“I thought so, too.” Long shook his hand and they rode back.
But he felt better—one matter not hanging. When they galloped back, they flushed several prairie chickens and jackrabbits. He’d be glad to be home and with his wife.
Visions of him and Harp driving those first cattle up the hill street, past the Butterfield Hotel in Fayetteville, Arkansas, came to him. The big green hardwoods lined the street still showing artillery damage from the war. And he was riding a plug that day northward to Sedalia.
What a change, compared to riding, at a gallop, on this powerful horse through the grass and low brush of his large ranch. It sure was different. He dreaded the next day and the drudgery he faced driving a buckboard all the way to San Antonio, but he promised. And Jan would be with him.