Storyteller / Shared NPC
Three men had set out well before the sun tried to peak through the clouds of the cold, gray, October morning. Pike, Dallas and Lorado were headed south, skirting the town of Kalispell to the west at a lope. Smoke was rising from stove pipes and chimneys as folks were begining their day. They had covered five miles of the trek to meet the herd so that they could lead it back to the Rockin' P range. There were no fences, at least not yet, to block their progress, and that was good.
But there were small ranchers and farmers out there, and they were fencing with the hated barbed wire. Pike would have none of it, he believed in an open range, and was more than willing that water and grass be shared. So far the threat from fences had yet to reach his side of the range. It was clear that it would be spreading as the small spreads and farms would begin to fill the valley. It worked out that he was the he-dog on the east side.
Lost Lake and the Evergreen, as big as they were, would have a hard time annexing any ot the range to their east, it would just not be feaseable to attempt to control that land. Once, when Whitefish stood, there was that chance for the Evergreen, but with it's demise so went all of that open range to men like Pike, or any of the others who were not as big.
"Nice country Mister Pike. Real nicve." Dallas stated.
"Is. Still open and free. Names either Pike 'er Pronto. Mister Pike was my pa. Spread that around."
"Yes sir."Dallas said. Pike just lkooked at him and Lorado laughed.
"We sorta been wonderin' how this was all gonna shake out." Lorado put forth. " Ridin' with Mister Teal and Pythias, well, things were alot like what you've told us. Never called him Frank, but likely could have." He paused, "This here speaks to me. Somethin' I oughtta do, where I'll be a part of all whot you an' yer Missus got planned."
"It shorely does that to me as well. Has all along, from the time I rode inta this valley, it spoke to me clear. Just some dumb luck put me in the position I'm in, so you boys is ewelcome to stay on, that was the offer an' Ill be for standin' by it."
As always, the herd moved slowly, the men were fanned out, and by luck of the draw, Justice Gibbs and Zane Geraghty rode point. The two had come a ways together and had become good friends along the way.
"So this town, you realize that there might not be no women there what ain't married already, or not in the market for no thirty a month waddie with no real future, doncha?" Zane asked, though he was teasing the younger man about something he had no knowledge of.
Though it could well be the case that there we no single women, or even girls for that matter, when actually, chances were that the town might well have any number of eligible women. It was hard to gauge towns one had never been in before.
"I mean there might not even be a saloon, well that seems doubtful. There'd be a waterin' hole afore there'd be much of anything else." Zane added.
"No saloons?" Now, that was something that alarmed Justus! Not that he was particularly a drinker, but Zane was right -- the first thing that set up in a town was a place to indulge in drink, sometimes months, or years, before a proper church was established.
"Heck, I ain't worried 'bout not havin' much money," he quipped, "ladies'll be fighin' ta get ta me, no question!" He laughed, then observed, "Looks like th' boss headed this way, with two men?"
They'd been watching the riders since the evidence of their approach was just a small whiff of dust on the horizon, but now it was possible to make out Pike, Lorado and Dallas.
"Must mean we're close ta home, huh?" While he didn't want to admit how excited he was, he couldn't wait to see what his future looked like!
"Oh, that'd be Dallas an' Lorado with him." Zane observed, "An' sore enough, that mean's we're close ta this brand-spankin' new home. That'll be a treat!" Zane wondered where his future would lie once this trip ended on the Rockin' P range. There was Tyrell Thornton to locate if he was still about. He may well have moved on, or, for that matter, never even reached this Kalispell.
"Be interesting to see what's what an' where Pythias got off to. Figgered he'd'a rode on back, not that he'd be needed here, there's plenty of us to get these doggies where they need ta be. That's for shore." He paused, "Then we'll find out all about this town."
"Like as not, he's baskin' in th' luxury of that brand new bunkhouse, takin' th' best spot, an' drinkin' coffee all day!" Justus laughed, although he was getting excited about actually getting to the new spread and seeing what it was all about. He sincerely hoped that the Rocking P could be a place to settle, at least for a few years while he left the past behind and set the base for a new, good future.
"Can't be too much farther, right?" Well, at least to the actual property, although he understood that, even once they were on Pike land, it could still be quite the distance to the house and barns. "We'll be sleepin' soft tonight, that's fer sure!"
"Baskin', now that there sounds right good, along about now," Zane said, that had him thinking of just sitting in the sun without a care in the world as if he had ever been able to do that. "An' drinkin' coffee all day? Be sendin' ya to the privy real reg'lar like. But I'd give 'er a try."
"Can't be sure, don't rightly know the country, but we'll be there soon enough." Frank said as he rode up, might be we'll be to the ranch itself by supper time, maybe earlier than that."
"Figger it'll be a ways yet then." Zane agreed. "Wha'd he say, fifteen hunder'd acres? That'll take some time getting across any part of it!"
"Well, they're almost here, so it cain't be all that far, or they started out before daylight, an' I doubt that." Fank stated.
"Maybe we should tell them cows that green pastures an' rest are just ahead if they get their little hides movin'!" Justus laughed, then nodded as the three riders approached them. It was just a matter of time now, and he suspected this last day would feel as long as the drive had up to now!
"We going to be cuttin' th' horses out once we get there?" he asked. It made sense there would be a fenced pasture for the horses, but then, they might be left to run with the cows for a time.
"Like they'd understand anything we' have ta say to 'um." Zane said as Lorado, Dallas and Miter Pike rode up to them.
"Mornin' gents." Zane greeted.
"Mornin', an' yer name was?" Pike asked.
"Zane, Zane Geraghty, sir. An' this here's Justus Gibbs." Zane responded.
"Well Zane Geraghty, you keep 'em movin'." Pike said when the thunder of galloping hooves filled the air along with the mooing, lowing, and bellowing of the herd as Frank Teal rode up, all but sliding to a halt.
"Mornin', herds travelin' well, the horses are as well. How long till we make yer range?" The foreman of the Pike herd asked.
"Three, four hours depending," Pike replied, "we keep 'em movin' like this, we'll be fine on time. Range is open, plenty of grass and water for 'em doubt they'llbe for wandering away any time soon. Left yer man Pythias with the missus. Ya done a good job here Frank, it won't go unrewarded fer you and these boys."
"Thanks, we had are toubles along the way, but made do. Good men, the lot of 'em. " Teal stated. "We can push 'em some if yer a mind to."
"Yer the foreman, get 'em to the range however you think's best, they'll fatten up afore the winter on this range." Pike replied. "There'll be hay ta mow, other things that'll need doin'. Ya know, ranch work." He smiled.
Justus rolled his eyes, leaning to whisper to Zane, "Always more work, ain't there?" He was grinning, though, he had no delusions that once they got to the ranch the work was going to be over. In fact, while he really didn't know much about the workings of a ranch, he was pretty sure it would be just as hard as being on the trail, only maybe not in the saddle.
And if they were to take a vote, he would have eagerly opted for pushing ahead as quickly as possible!
"Yes Sir." He said to Pike, As Pike, Frank Lorado and Dallas moved off so the man could have a fresh look at his stock and her horses, Zane and Justus just heading in the direction of their new home.
He looked at Gibbs, "Yep, always. That's the thing, workin' cattle an' horses is just part'a workin' a spread. The man said it was open range, means no fences ta fix, but the day's comin' when that'll be true. Men'll haveta put up wire, some may already have done it, the small outfits." Zane explained. "The time'll come when the open range just up an disappears behind wire. An' that'll jest be more work ta do. But the thing is, you'll have a home, steady work and steady pay. Hard ta beat that 'un."
