The Gunslinger (Barnett Ranch) (7 page)

             
“Most men I suppose are too blind to see the woman you are.”  “It’s not most men, it’s all of them.”  She looked at him accusingly.  “Nevertheless, I won’t change who I am for no man and I won’t marry a man who just wants my land.  I’ve got too much pride.”  “I suppose, I can’t blame you.  I reckon anybody would be unhappy if they tried to change for someone.  It seems to me most women are unhappy, probably due to the fact they often marry up with a man that’s their pa’s choosing instead of their own.  Nope, I don’t blame you at all.  You don’t change for nobody.  I suppose there’s a man out there who will put up with your constant nagging and griping.”  He looked at her and laughed.  She pushed his shoulder.  “Oh, shut up.” 

             
He wanted to get off the subject of her marrying.  It wasn’t something he was prepared to think about and so he made light of it by teasing her. 
That was all that was, needed to change the subject.  She quickly picked up a new subject.  Maybe she too had become uncomfortable talking about it.

             
“Well my pa, came here in 1866
, I think it was, and built his ranch.  The year I was born, we nearly got burnt out by Indians.
They burned down our barn
, at least that’s wh
at the boys tell me.  My brothers were twelve and six. 
Reeves
is the oldest, and
Craven
is the youngest.  
Reeves
killed his first man that year, helping my pa fight off the Indians, while
Craven
took care of me.  For as long as I can
remember I worshipped the ground, my brothers walked on.  They were my heroes when I was little.  I don’t reckon I even knew I was a girl until I was about twelve or thirteen. 
Since then, I have tried my hardest to prove to
every one
of them that just because
I am
a
girl;
it doesn’t mean I
cannot
do what they can do.  I guess it’s a good thin
g I live in Wyoming. 
Women are treated, like equals here.  They aren't in most of the country. 
At least that’s what Granny tells me.  I guess she would know.  She came up from Texas a few years ago.  My pa sent for her, because he felt I needed a woman around to teach me things a woman should know.  I suppose I got a few things left to learn, like cooking, but I don’t care none for propriety.”

             
They rode through the middle of the herd, and the horses scattered away from them.  The stallion ran back and forth always coming back to Jax’s side.  He was a steady companion, and had been for years.
“Well you may not care much for it, but I expect she’s looking out for your best interest. 
She probably doesn’t want to see you forced into marriage to some no account,
good for nothing.  Nor does she want to see people shun you, and th
at’s just what they will do.  Virginia,
I think
its
best if you get on back before it g
ets dark.”

             
She turned around a
nd looked at him.  “I reckon you’re right.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”  She popped the horse with
the
end of the reins and took off at a run.  As soon as she was out of sight
,
she slowed the horse to
a
slow walk.  She let her mind drift to memories of her brothers. 
Reeves
had always been there for
her,
Craven
too. 
Reeves
was the most protective though.  He’d always had her back.  She wondered what he was doing right now.  She was sure they had made it up to Montana by now.  She hoped they would be coming back soon. 

             
She remembered the day before they left
Reeves
took her out riding so they could talk
. 
He was worried about her staying behind.  He wanted to have her come with them but their father refused.  They too, had
ridden
through a herd of horses talking, much like she and Jax had just done.  He told her to stay out of trouble, and keep safe. 

             
He was always looking out for her best interest.  He’d saved her many times, growing up, because he never took his eyes off her.  It was a promise he made to their dying mother, the day she’d been born. 

             
She smiled thinking about
how;
so many
times,
she would be furious with him for protecting her.  She wanted to do things on her own.  She didn’t want his help.  She screamed at him so many times, because she was still a child.  She’d matured though, and she’d earned his respect.  He let her do things her own way and he trusted her judgment.  
Craven
was the more aggravating brother.  He constantly found ways to irritate them both because he loved a good laugh. 
Reeves
was the serious type. They were two opposites, but she loved them both.

The Drive

             
“Stampede, stop the cattle!”
Reeves
yelled.  The entire drive had been nothing but one complication after another.  His gelding stretched out as far as he could as
Reeves
fought to take the lead and turn the cattle.  They were running wide open.  Their best bet would be to turn them and corner them at the canyon wall.  His horse was breathing loudly.  It was all the gelding could do to get where he needed to be.  He hoped it didn’t ruin him, he was a good horse.   Finally, he rounded the leaders, and shot his gun into the ground in front of them to send them to the right. 

             
Craven
came up on the right keeping them in line for the canyon.  The trail hands all fell into position one by one to keep them from turning
back
. 
Finally, it came to a stop. 
Reeves
checked on the men, no one had been killed; this time.  They had already lost three men on this drive.  One youngster was hurt but he was alive and that was the most important thing.  He looked the boy over.  His face was bloody and cut up but he was going to be fine.  “As soon as Cookie gets here with the wagon, go over and let him put a couple of stitches in that.”  “I don’t need
any
stitches, I’m fine.”  “Well maybe, although I thought you might like to keep your face pretty.  The ladies love a pretty face.”  “Awe fine, I’ll let Cookie stitch it up, then.” 

             
The kid was stubborn, but proud. 
Reeves
knew that he was proud of his looks.  The ladies all doted on him because of his good looks.  Adam would do as he said, and get it stitched. 

             
His pa had been gone for the better part of a week.  He’d struck out on his own ahead of the herd
to scout it out.
Reeves
was, left in charge and he was tired of it already. 
The men were all irritable, disrespectful, mean and lazy.  He really couldn’t blame them after all the trouble they’d encountered, and they were only coming from one state away.  He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like had they been coming from Texas, like the other herds. 

             
Cattle driving took guts, and skills that most men could not mettle. You had to be made of something more than everyone else.  You had to be made of pure grit, to survive out here.  There were rustlers, Indians off the reservations, and disease awaiting you at every turn. The weather could turn on you in an instant.  It was the most agonizing thing he’d ever done and he hoped he never had to do it again. 

             
He w
as glad now that his father
chose to leave Virginia behind.  She could have handled it but he would not willingly choose to have her out here exposed to the elements, the way they were. 
The work was dirty and every single one of them stank to high heaven.  He was ready to see a creek soon, so he could bathe.  Although it didn’t do much good when the cattle had already been through it, stirring up all the mud and crap in the bottom. 

             
Reeves
gazed up at the sky.  The sun was setting, and the cook wagon still wasn’t here.  “
Craven
, send someone back to check up on Cookie.  He could be having problems with that bad wheel again.  It’ll
be dark soon and the men will be getting hungry.”  “I’ll send Pete, to check on him.  He’s the strongest, and can do any heav
y lifting that might need doing.”  “Good, get it done.” 

             
Most of the men were unsaddling their mounts and setting up camp for the night.  They spread their bedrolls around a fire and lay down, resting their heads on their saddles and covering their eyes with their hats. 
Reeves
let them rest.  They were all bone tired and deserved a rest.  He couldn’t rest, though and he rode his mount around the herd singing softly to them.  He was restless, and he missed his home and his sister.  He worried about her.  He prayed for her safety.  He’d practically helped raise her.  So many times his father left him in charge of her.  His mother’s dying breath was for him to look after her.  He did just that, too.

             
Once she had enough of him, he had to become sneaky about how he kept an eye on her.  He pretended he wasn’t watching out for her, because she needed to feel independent.  She was so much like their mother.  She had a way with the horses, too. 

             
The drive was taking much longer than it should have, because of all the problems. 
They should have already been on their way home now.  It was becoming more evident that this drive was going to test their mettle and they would know by the end of it if they were destined to be cattlemen.  Why his father chose to take the cattle to Montana instead of Cheyenne to the
railway
did not
make a lick of sense to him.  His father was a business man, and he knew the cattle business like the back of his hand.  If the old man said Montana is where the money is then Montana is where they would go.

             
The cook
’
s wagon rolled up just after dark.  Pete led the way carrying a lantern to light the way.  Cookie parked the wagon
with the tongue pointing north and
Pete unhitched the mules so Cookie could get started on supper. 
“Cookie, did you have more problems with that bad wheel?”  “I did, but old Pete helped me fix her right up.”  “I was worried about that.  When you get a chance, I want you to see if you can put a stitch in Adams face.  He got pretty cut up during that stampede.”
 

             
Reeves
rode off, and
Craven
soon joined him.  Together they circled the cattle.  Thirty thousand head of beef was a lot.  When they got going on the drive, they stretched for two or three miles.  They also had a string of a hundred horses in the remuda.

             
“What are you thinking on so hard,
Reeves
?”  “I don’t really know how to explain it, I’m worried about Virginia.  I have a gut feeling something bad is about to happen.  It’s the same feeling I got when she was born, and later when the Injuns came.  I get it every time something really bad happens,
Craven
.  I’m worried about her, because we’re not there to protect her, and Mama made me promise I’d look out for her.  What if something happens and I’m not there?”  “Don’t fret on it,
Reeves
.  You know Virginia can take care of herself.  Hell we taught her how to shoot, ride and fight.  The girls got more guts than most men.  She’ll be fine.” 

             
Reeves
nodded and tried to wipe the bad feeling out of his mind.  His gut refused to let it go though.  They had maybe a week or two left on this trail and as soon as they were through with it, he was high tailing it back to Chugwater.  He learned at a young age to rely on his gut feelings and they’d gotten him out of many a bad scrape.  He knew something was wrong.  He could feel it in his bones.

Chugwater

             
Virginia was pulling weeds out of Mrs. Ellen’s garden when Jax got there.  He had a lot of wood to chop so he wanted to get an early start.  She was down on her hands and knees pulling up the old plants and the weeds that had taken over.  It was time to plant a fall garden, so she was going t
o be busy a while.

             
Jax chopped wood, but it took him longer than usual due to the fact he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the rounded behind of Virginia sticking up in the air.  She had a womanly figure underneath those male clothes.  He reminded himself that she was too young.  Though she was of marrying age, she was still much too young for him.  He would do better to find a woman closer in age.  Still his body did not want to listen to his head.  He grunted in frustration as he swung the axe.  He needed a woman and he needed one soon.