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Loren writes:
I was finally going back to my ranch. It had been four
years since I had been home. My brother, Wayne, my wife
Johnnie and I had come into this country six years ago. I
had bought six sections of land on the Nueces River in south
Texas, one hundred head of long horn cattle and ten horses.
Johnnie was driving a Studebaker covered wagon and Wayne and
I were driving the cattle and horses to my land. There were
still some Indian problems in the area but we were all
armed. Wayne and I had colt revolvers on our belts and
Winchester rifles in a saddle boot on out horses. Johnnie
had her Winchester rifle on the wagon seat beside her.
I had scouted the land before I bought it so I knew just
where I wanted to build our ranch house. There was a little
bluff over looking the river. The river was the east
boundary line of my property. A hundred yards to the north
of my house site was a tall cliff running from the river
west for miles. That was my north property line.
Wayne and I took a year building a home for us from logs we
cut from along the river. We had built it big because we
expected to be here the rest of our lives. The house had
six big rooms and three fire places. In that first year our
cattle herd increased to 133 and our horse herd increased to
14.
After that first year, Wayne said he wanted to go back to
San Antonio and get married to a little lady he had been
sparking before we came out here. He said they would be
back in a month. I never saw Wayne again. I found out
later, he never made it back to San Antonio.
All that first year, we never saw an Indian and decided we
were so far off their usual hunting grounds that they would
never bother us. Then one day when I came home from the far
south pasture I found Johnnie lying out in the front yard
with three arrows in her back.
I buried her out behind the house up against the foot of the
cliff. Then I rode away. That had been four years ago.
Now I was going back to my ranch. I wondered if my house
would still be there, and what about my cattle and horses.
As I rode up along the river I could see the house was still
there, then I noticed there was smoke coming out of the
kitchen fire place chimney. Some one was in my house! As
I got close to the house, a shot ricocheted on the ground in
front of me.
A girl??™s voice yelled, ???You don??™t have any business here
mister just turn around and leave while you can.???
I yelled right back, ???hey, put that rifle down. I have
plenty of business here. This is my ranch and you??™re in my
house.???
???You must be confused mister, this is our ranch. We??™ve been
here three years. Now get!???
???I??™m not gettin??™ and if you??™ll let me come in I can prove
it??™s my ranch and house.??? There was maybe five, six minutes
of silence and then this girl walked out on the porch. An
old man followed her out and they both still held rifles in
their hands.
???Ok??? the girl said ???dismount and hang your gun belt on your
saddle horn. Leave your horse there and walk on up here.
Paw you keep you rifle on him.???
???My name is Loren Moore and if you??™ll let me go inside my
house I can prove this is my ranch. The title to these six
sections of land is in the house.???
???I don??™t know what your game is mister Loren Moore but there
ain??™t no title in this house with your name on it.???
The old man said, ???Pam maybe we should let him look and when
he don??™t find any title he??™ll leave and let us be.???
???Paw, you know there ain??™t no title. We looked for one when
we first came three years ago.??? Pam told her dad.
???Well folks??? Loren said ???you didn??™t find a title because you
didn??™t look in the right place.??? Pam and her dad finally
agreed to let Loren go into the house. He went straight to
the fire place in the front room and removed one of the
river rocks he and Wayne had built the fire place with.
Loren reached into the hollow that was behind where the rock
had been and brought out a metal box. When he opened the
box he took out a piece of paper and handed it to Pam. As
Pam read it her face turned pale. ???Paw it??™s true he does
have a title to this place.???
Pamela writes;
"Pa, I think we've been hoodwinked," said Pam.
Pa just scratched the stubble on his chin and didn't say
anything. Then he turned around and walked out the door and
headed to the barn without looking back. Pam and Loren
watched him go.
"Mr. Loren Moore, I??™m real sorry about this," started Pam.
"The man at the bank in San Antonio said this property belonged to the bank and was for sale. We made a
big down-payment on it, everything we had, and now we owe
several thousand more dollars to boot."
Loren didn't know what to say. He shifted his feet and
looked around the house. It was clean and tidy, and
something smelled good coming from the kitchen.
???I guess we'll be packing our stuff and heading back to
town, Mr. Moore," Pam said. ???I think we need to go back and
see that crooked banker and try to get out money back." She
wiped away a tear, then said, "You??™ll find some preserves
down in the cellar, and a garden out back..."
Then Loren got an idea.
Loren writes:
Pam, you and your paw got a raw dial but I may know a way to
help you. You and your paw stay here at my ranch. Give me
all the paper work from the bank and I??™ll take it to the
sheriff in San Antonio along with my title.
I??™ll show him what that banker did and see if I can??™t get
your down payment back for you. After that I??™ve got to
round up some of my cattle and get them branded so I can
drive them to the railhead in Abilene, Kansas. I??™ll hire a
few cowboys to come back to the ranch and start building a
herd for the drive. Oh, I guess I better hire a cook also.
Pamela writes;
"Loren, there's something you probably ought to know. Pa
and I did pretty good keeping your cattle herd together for
the first couple of years, but then we started losing a few
here and there. I couldn't figure out what was going on,
but we suspected rustlers. Then one day paw was out riding
around and his horse came back without him. It took me most
of a day to find him and he was hurt pretty bad. I guess
you saw that he moves pretty slow. He really never has
gotten over that accident."
Loren said that he had noticed paw's limp as he walked out
to the barn.
Pam said, ???I talked to that banker about our problems, and
he sent some men out here to help. Well, they're supposed
to help, but I can't seem to get much work out of them.
They're a lazy lot, and mouthy, too."
Loren said, "now, don't you worry much about handling those
cowhands. I intend to straighten out a lot of things now
that I??™m home for good."
Loren walked out the front door and headed toward the barn.
He had a feeling he needed to talk to Pam's paw about what
was going on. He found him leaning against the corral,
watching the horses. Loren stepped up to paw and laid a
hand on his shoulder and they began to talk.
Meanwhile, two men lay on the ridge watching the house. The
horses were tied a few yards back in some brush.
"Now, who do you reckon that feller is?" asked one as he
squinted into the distance and watched the two men at the
corral.
Loren writes:
The other man answered, ???he could be a law dog of some kind,
but neither one of those Jenkins have been off the ranch to
go get one. But still I don??™t like it. I think all of us
should pull out of here tonight. We??™ve got a good size herd
of their cattle over in those brakes west of the ranch. We
ought to start driving them up the trail to the railhead.
We can make a lot more money doing that then what that
banker is paying us.???
???Mr. Jenkins can I talk to you? Pam told me about paying
the banker in San Antonio a large down payment
on this ranch. She also told me about the banker sending
some men out here that were suppose to help you with the
cattle. Well this is my plan. I??™m going to take the title
to my ranch and your contract with the banker to the sheriff
in San Antonio and get your money back.???
???Loren, I don??™t think you understand what you??™re bucking
here. Those men ain??™t goin??™ to let you leave here if they
think you??™re going for help. I done tried it and they might
near kilt me. I never told Pam what happened when she had
to come find me.???
???Mr. Jenkins, I think me and Mr. Colt can make it out of
here. I??™m leaving tonight just as soon as it gets dark.???
Pamela writes;
Pam went back into the kitchen of the ranch house and
checked on supper. It was going to be slim pickin's again
tonight. They were running low on supplies because her paw
had been unable to travel to town in the wagon. Another
night of biscuits and gravy, she sighed. The flour was
almost gone. Maybe she could check the henhouse one more
time for another egg or two.
The scuffing of boots at the back door announced the arrival
of the cowhands. They stomped into the kitchen, leaving
clumps of dirt and manure from their boots spread all over
the clean floor. Pam bit her lip and turned her back to
them.
Chairs scraped backward from the table as the cowhands began
to sit down at their usual places at the table. Dishes and
forks rattled as the men began to dig into the food, leaving
very little for paw.
"hey, we need more biscuits here..." started one rough man,
then suddenly all sounds ceased. Pam turned around to see
what had happened.
There stood Loren and paw, looking over the dirty cowboys
who hadn't even bothered to wash their hands and necks
before coming into the house. Loren was giving them a hard
stare.
"seems to me there's some hands don't know their place
around here," he said. "hired hands belong in the
bunkhouse, not wiping their faces at the owner's table."
One sorry hand stood up and said with a sneer, "and just who
might you be, stranger?"
Loren writes:
???I??™m the stranger that??™s going to put you off this ranch, me
and Mr. Colt.??? Loren said as he rested his hand on the butt
of his pistol. All six of the hands got up from the table
and went outside. ???Pam, you and your paw get your rifles
and follow me out on the back porch.???
Loren walked out on the porch and saw the hands standing in
a line facing him. The one that seemed to be the leader
said, ???ok Mr. Stranger let??™s see you back up that thread to
put us off this ranch. There??™s one of you and six of us.???
Just then Pam and Mr. Jenkins walked out on the porch with
their rifles. Loren told the cowhands, ???the first one to
reach for his gun will be the first one to die. Then the
ones on each side of him will be the next ones to die. Pam
and Mr. Jenkins will see to that.???
The leader looked around as the other hands began to back
away from him. Abruptly he turned on his heel and walked to
the bunk house, the rest of the hands followed him. When
they got in the bunk house he told them what he had decided
about driving their rustled cattle to Abilene, Kansas. He
said they should leave right now. So they all went out and
got on their horses and rode away.
Pamela writes;
"Woo-hoo!" Pam shouted as the last of the riders topped the
hill and disappeared from sight. "Mr. Moore, you don't know
what a relief that is to us. We've been so burdened since
they moved in!"
Just as suddenly, Pam lost the look of delight on her face.
It was then that she remembered, this wasn't to be their
home any more. She had no right to feel happy that those
cowboys had left the ranch. Loren noticed paw's look of
distress, too, and had an idea.
"Wait just a moment before you go packin' those saddlebags
there. I suddenly find myself short-handed on help around
this place. Would you two be interested in a job until we
get this matter straight with the sheriff?"
Pam smiled and said, "yessir, Mr. Moore! I can cook and
clean and ride and rope and do just about anything you need
done on this ranch. Paw rode for the Sutterfield ranch and
was foreman there for years. We'd sure enough like to help
you out."
Paw said, "Yeah, I??™d like to do my part to help out. A man
hates to admit it, but I was plumb beat down by those ornery
critters. I was worried about my daughter and couldn't see
a way out of this mess, and I hate to quit and run scared."
paw rubbed his chin in thought. ???I??™ll stay and help you out
until we get things straight. It's the least I can do to
repay you, but I have to say one thing about those
varmints. They're liable to come back when you least expect
it and cause trouble. I'd shore keep a eye open until we
know for certain they've left the country."
Loren grinned like a possum and said, ???It's a deal. Now,
let's go check out that supper that was smelling so good and
see if we can scrape enough together to fill us up. It's
been quite some time since i've had home cooking. Then I??™m
headed off to sleep. First light of day, we're all going
out to check on the herd and see where we stand."
Loren writes:
Come first light Loren, Pam and Mr. Jenkins were in the
saddle. They rode to the pasture on the west side of the
ranch house first. As they rode along they were not seeing
any cattle but they did see the tracks of the cowboys.
???What are they doing coming this way? Loren wanted to know.
???Well it sure ain??™t the way back to town.??? Mr. Jenkins
answered. ???we should have found some cattle by now.???
???I got a notion??? Loren said ???we ought to follow these tracks
and see where those cowboys were going last night.???
They followed the cowboy??™s tracks all the way off Loren??™s
ranch and into some brakes beyond. When they got there they
found the tracks of a herd of cattle but no cattle.
Pam was excided and said, ???paw I think I know what was
happening to our ??¦ er Loren??™s cattle. That bunch of no
account cowhands were stealing them and stashing them here.
???It looks that way, daughter but where are they now????
???there??™s only one way to find out. Pam, you and your paw go
back to the ranch and take care of things until I get back.
I??™m going to follow those tracks.???
Pamela writes;
Pam didn't like that idea one bit, but she didn't think it
was her place to argue with Loren. She couldn't help but
volunteer one idea.
"Mr. Moore, I think you should take paw with you. He's
mighty good with the long rifle and you might need a little
backup if there's to be a confrontation. Besides, I??™ll be
fine by myself at the ranch and I??™ll have supper waiting for
you tonight."
Loren sat on his horse and thought it over. "you might be
right, Pam. Another gun may come in handy, but I shore hate
the thought of you riding back alone."
"aw, Mr. Moore, I??™ve been riding since I was knee high.
This old mare and I have covered quite a bit of ground and
she's nice and gentle. Besides, I??™ll be going in the
opposite direction of those cowboy's tracks, so I??™ll be
safe." Pam gave them a wave as she turned the horse around
and headed back to the ranch house.
Paw looked undecided but didn't follow her. He and Loren
started west and tracked the trail of those cowhands and
Loren's cattle. With any luck, they would catch up to them
in a few hours. Two cowboys riding alone could travel
faster than a herd of longhorns.
Pam was almost back to the ranch when she topped a small
hill in view of the house. She got off her horse and walked
over to the grave and knelt down. She wasn't sure who was
buried there. The grave was already there when she and paw
had bought the ranch. Or thought they had bought it,
anyway.
This was a nice, peaceful place with a good breeze even on
the hottest days. A nice place to rest. She thought she
might ask Mr. Moore about the gravesite when she saw him
that evening.
Loren writes:
After a few hours of trailing the herd Loren and Mr. Jenkins
caught up with it. Loren could see two of the cowboys
riding drag. So he and Mr. Jenkins rode up behind them and
when they got close enough Loren pulled his gun and hollered
for the cowboys to throw up their hands.
After disarming them and tying their hands behind their
backs, Loren left Mr. Jenkins to guard them and he rode up
the left side of the herd. He found another one of the
cowboys and got the drop on him. After tying his hands
behind him Loren took him back to Mr. Jenkins.
Then Loren rode up the right side of the herd and found the
fourth cowboy. After taking him back to Mr. Jenkins. Loren
rode up to the head of the herd. By this time the herd was
beginning to drift and stop to graze.
The cowboy that had been riding point was coming back to see
why the others were not keeping the herd moving. He saw
Loren and he drew his gun and shot. He hit Loren in the
left shoulder, just as Loren fired. Loren hit the cowboy
dead center in his chest. He was dead by the time he hit
the ground.
Loren rode back to Mr. Jenkins and told him what happened.
He said to leave the cattle where they were and they would
come back after them later. Right now Loren just wanted to
go back to the ranch and take these rustlers to San Antonio
and turn them over to the sheriff. Mr. Jenkins wanted to
know about that sixth rustler. Loren said he hadn??™t seen
anyone else.
Mr. Jenkins could see the blood dripping down Loren??™s arm so
he herded his four captives back the way they had come.
Loren followed along behind him.
Pamela writes;
It was drawing close to sunset and Pam was beginning to
worry about paw and Loren. Maybe she should have stayed
with them and helped bring the cattle home. Loren had
seemed pretty certain, though, that he didn't want womenfolk
around when there might be trouble from the rustlers.
Supper was ready and warming on the stovetop. She'd
sacrificed two of her laying hens for tonight's meal, but it
would be worth it. Maybe tomorrow she'd talk paw into going
out and bringing back a couple of jackrabbits, or maybe even
one of those wild hogs. With Loren helping, they should be
able to put a little more food on the table than what they'd
been used to the past three years. It had sure drained the
ranch's food budget to provide chow for six lazy cowpokes
who didn't contribute anything to the table but their
appetites.
She and paw had sure made some mistakes running the
ranch. They should never have allowed that banker to send
those men out here. What business was it of his how they
ran the ranch? Paw should have sent them packing right from
the start and not let them get the upper hand in things.
She just couldn't understand paw's thinking. He had not run
the Sutterfield ranch like this. There, he'd been the
foreman and had the respect of his men.
Pam had a fire started in the fireplace. Though the days
were hot down here in Texas, the nights could be cool. She
sat on a chair near the fire and drew her mother's old quilt
around her shoulders. Coming here had been a mistake. She
could see that now. She missed her mother, buried back in
Boston. Her younger brother was in law school back east,
too. Paw had hoped to send him money by and by.
She had just about drifted off to sleep when she heard the
drumming of hooves outside in the yard. It sounded like
several horses, not just paw's and Loren's. She hurried to
the door to peek outside and was relieved to see that paw
and Loren had caught the rustlers and had them tied to their
horses. But wait, she was counting only four rustlers.
There was also one horse with an empty saddle trailing along
with them.
Loren writes:
Loren and Mr. Jenkins took the rustlers around to the side
yard where a large pin oak tree grew. Loren had the four
rustlers sit down with their backs against the tree. Their
hands were still tied behind their backs. ???Pam, would you
bring a bucket of water and one of the gourd dippers and
give these guys a drink of water????
After each man had drank all he wanted, Loren ask Mr.
Jenkins to take the rope off his horse and wrap it around
the men tying them to the tree. When this was done Loren
slid off his horse and almost fell to the ground. Pam and
her paw rusted to him and helped him inside the house,
that??™s when Pam saw the blood on Loren??™s shirt.
???paw, what happened to Loren???? Pam asked as she gently took
Loren??™s shirt off.
???he was shot when we captured the rustlers. But the one who
done it is lying out there dead. The rustler??™s shot hit
Loren in the shoulder and Loren??™s shot hit him dead center
in the chest. Pam honey, I??™m worried about where that sixth
rustler is. He may come back here looking for the rest of
his crew and with Loren laid up we could be in real
trouble.???
???paw, you take your rifle and go to the bunk house. You
keep watch from there. Just as soon as I get Loren in bed,
I??™ll set out on the back porch in the dark with my rifle.???
Pamela writes;
Loren said, "Quit talking about me as if I??™m already a
goner."
Pam and paw both jumped because they had thought Loren was
passed out asleep after all he'd been through. His face was
pale but there was a serious look in his eyes.
???I ain't goin' to bed like some ninny. Just let me sit here
and catch my breath a moment and I??™ll help with those
rustlers out there."
Paw pushed Loren back and told him to sit still a moment.
Pam hurried to get Loren a drink of water from the bucket,
then she fetched both of the men a plate of food. It took
Loren longer to eat but he put away just as much grub as
paw. Pam felt much better after she took the empty plates
back to the kitchen.
Paw was busy stacking up the rustler's guns and rifles in
the corner of the kitchen. He was keeping an eye on them
out the window when suddenly he yelled, "fire! Fire in the
barn!"
Loren writes:
???wait Mr. Jenkins, don??™t go out there. All the horses are
in the corral so there is no reason to run for the barn.
That fire didn??™t just start by its self. We may have found
our sixth rustler. Let??™s wait and see what happens.???
The rustlers tied to the tree kept looking around. They
knew it was their leader that had set the fire and they
expected him to rescue them. But as the barn burned down to
embers their leader still hadn??™t shown himself. Finally
when there was just a red glow from the coals of the fire a
dark shadow darted from the darkness and cut the rope tying
them to the tree.
When he did this voice from the dark of the back porch said,
???hold it right there. Grab two hands full of sky or you??™re
dead.??? Instead of throwing up his hands he went for his gun
and there was a rifle shot. The leader fell dead. Mr.
Jenkins said, ???I warned him??? as he walked out to the body.
Mr. Jenkins had Pam fetch another rope from the tack room
and he tied the rustlers back to the tree.
???come day light, I??™ll leave for
San Antonio. I??™ll bring the
sheriff and that crook of a banker back out here and we??™ll
get this mess straightened out.??? Mr. Jenkins said.
Pamela writes;
Paw was standing in the corral just before dawn, tightening
the cinch on his horse's saddle. He heard the soft sound of
a boot scuffing the dirt behind him, and whirled around just
as something hard smack him on the side of the head. He
fell to the ground without seeing who had hit him.
The rustlers had sat under the tree all night, roped up
tight and getting madder by the minute. It wasn't until paw
had stepped out of the house and made his way through the
darkness to the barn that the first rustler finally managed
to loosen his rope, just a little. It didn't take long from
there for them to work themselves loose, and not a moment
too soon in their way of thinking.
One rustler rolled paw over and took his guns, sticking them
in his own belt. The rest of the men caught and saddled
their horses in the corral.
???I think I killed this one,??? said the rustler. ???just as
well, I don??™t cotton to lookin??™ over my shoulder while we
ride away.???
???What about them other two still in the house,??? asked the
second man.
???Ah, I??™m not too worried about the one that Gus winged
yesterday, and I don??™t believe that gal could even raise a
gun to shoot us.??? The men began to laugh as they mounted
their horses and rode out of the corral.
???I don??™t know about you fellers, but I don??™t aim to make
that long ride back to San Antonio without my guns,??? mumbled
one. ???I know he took them in the house. Won??™t take but a
minute or two to find them.???
The rustlers rode quietly toward the ranch house. They
didn??™t hear paw??™s moan as he lay on the ground, coming
round.
A resounding crack of a rifle filled the air as the first
rustler was taken out of the saddle. Pam reloaded as she
yelled to Loren, ???Mr. Moore, you??™d better come quick! Paw??™s
in a heap of trouble out there!???
Loren hurried into the front room of the ranch house,
holding a colt in his good hand. ???Get back from the window,
Pam. I??™ll take it from here.???
The rustlers dug their spurs into the horses and rushed past
the house. ???I aim to make that stranger pay for all the
trouble he??™s been since he came back,??? yelled the one
holding paw??™s gun as he hauled back on the reins. He
pointed the gun at the house and fired off three quick shots
at the closest window.
An instant later, the rustler was lying on the ground under
his horse??™s dancing feet. One shot from Loren??™s colt was
all it took to bring him down. Loren heard the fading hoof
beats from the other horses, but he knew he would catch the
remaining rustlers in a day or two. Then he??™d haul them to
the sheriff??™s office and turn them over.
Loren looked toward the corral and saw paw raising himself
up off the ground in a daze. ???I think your paw??™s okay??¦???
Then he noticed Pam crumpled in her chair by the fireplace,
her dress dark with blood. ???Paw???? She whispered.
Loren was kneeling beside Pam??™s chair and holding her hand
when paw staggered in the door. ???I think a ricochet bullet
hit her,??? Loren whispered. ???You??™d better step over here,
Jenkins.???
Pam leaned her head over to her paw??™s shoulder as he hugged
her close. She whispered, ???Paw, I love you. And Mr. Moore,
you??™ve been an angel sent.???
It was a week later on a bright, sunny morning, and paw and
Loren stood on the small hilltop and looked down at the two
graves there. Paw had carved markers and set them at the
head of each resting place. Loren had placed a handful of
blue bonnets on Johnnie??™s grave, and gave paw a group to lay
on Pam??™s.
Paw said, ???I hope you don??™t mind my hanging on here until
the bank gets my money back to me, Loren. I plan to send
most of it back so my boy can finish his schoolin??™. Then
I??™ll be looking for a ranch to work at. I think my days of
being a ranch owner are over.???
???no need to move on,??? said Loren. ???I??™m needing a good
manager for this spread right here. And there??™s one thing
I??™ve learned, it??™s never run from trouble. If I'd stayed
here when I lost my Johnnie, I don??™t think any of this would
have turned out the way it did. A man??™s got to stand and
face life??™s hardships, one way or the other.???
???That he does,??? answered paw.
The end
?© copyright 2005
Loren Moore & Pamela Jenkins |
