Cade smiled at the other man's assessment of what marriage can do for the man's temperment, he did not exactly have an optimistic view of such things. As for the young cowpoke, he had yet to give such things as marriage any consideration. Maybe someday when he would meet the right girl and have some money to support her.
They had secured their horses but hadn't even reached the ranch house door when it opened and a woman stepped out with a dog by her side. Did this place have a cook or was this the wife of the ranch owner, Muley's old friend. They were about to find out. Cade swiftly removed his hat from his head and then nodded to her, not forgetting to give her a friendly smile too.
"Mornin' ma'am! Sorry for the intrusion but is this here the Rockin' P spread?" he asked even though the men were quite sure it was.
"We're here because we heard the place was lookin' for hands. And us.....well, we're lookin' for work."
"Name's Cade.....Cade Brodie, ma'am."
He'd let Muley introduce himself.
Hearing the horses approach, Pythias took up his Winchester and moved to the door. There was no telling who the riders might be, or why they were there. It would be a safe bet that the deputy might well have enemies as most lawmen did. He didn't know much about Pike, but the two pistols he wore said he had been in fights before. It was a big country, that was true and lightly populated, yet word spread quickly about gunmen, on either side of the law.
Peering out of the barely open door, he saw that they were hardly the kind that would be looking for trouble, more than likely a pair riding the grub line, and late in the year to be doing that. So, he set the rifle aside, eased open the heavy wooden door, then stepped out as Missus Pike was talking with the two men.
Hold that critter down!
"We're here because we heard the place was lookin' for hands. And us.....well, we're lookin' for work. Name's Cade.....Cade Brodie, ma'am."
Muley touched the brim of his battered old hat and cackled.
"Well, I ain't so much lookin' fer work as just dropping in to say hello: Barney's an old pal of mine and I'd never forgive m'self if I din' come here and wish him well in his new venture. It's a fine spread o' pasture he's got here, ought to raise a fine bunch of longhorns roundabout." he said, gesturing about. In turning, he noticed a dusky face approaching.
"Well, as I live an' breathe, Pie-face Modeen! Is that you?!!" Muley cried, amazed. He never really had been able to pronounce the black man's first name properly, and had always taken it to be some sort of nickname.
He walked over and offered Pythias his hand "Never thought I'd see the day you'd leave Frank Teal's outfit, thought you two was joined at the hip!" he turned to Cade. "Pie-face, meet Cade Brodie, he's a pal o' mine: a square feller and a good hand. Cade, this here's Pie-face Modeen: black as the Ace of Spades but the whitest man I ever rode with!"
It was language that would not be countenanced today, but perfectly acceptable at the time and about the biggest compliment Muley could pay the black cowboy.
@[Bailey]
"Well, as I live an' breathe, Pie-face Modeen! Is that you?!!" Muley cried, amazed. He never really had been able to pronounce the black man's first name properly, and had always taken it to be some sort of nickname.
Pythias stopped cold, looking up at the man as he stepped down from his horse. "Dang the luck! Heard you was dead over some woman in Fort Worth!"
He walked over and offered Pythias his hand "Never thought I'd see the day you'd leave Frank Teal's outfit, thought you two was joined at the hip!" he turned to Cade. "Pie-face, meet Cade Brodie, he's a pal o' mine: a square feller and a good hand. Cade, this here's Pie-face Modeen: black as the Ace of Spades but the whitest man I ever rode with!"
"Never did. Frank's on his way here with the Pike's herd, you sorry old saddle tramp." Pythias said. "Pie face my Aunt Hattie! Ad who's this whot ya drug along behind ya? Some youngster whot don't no better'n to tie in with the likes 'o you, Muley Dickens!" Ignoring what the man had just said, then he looked up at the youngster. "Cade is it? Well if the Missus there'll have it, step on down. Hard to believe you'd git yerself roped in by this ol' cayuse thief. But Like I told him, Mister Pikes gone ta fetch his herd, and some'a thee most beautiful Morgan Horse you ever laid yer eyes on!" He looked to Missus Pike for her okay. "I'll vouch fer this old codger."
Bongo, Wayfarer, Javia
The realization that Pythias knew the older man reassured Emeline, and she let out the breath she'd been holding as she relaxed. Next to her, the dog sensed the change in her and sat, his tail wagging and tongue lolling out.
"Well, then, welcome, gentlemen." Followed by the dog, Emeline stepped off the porch, one hand resting on her belly. "The Rocking P is surely looking for hands, but that is up to Mr. Pike, and, as Pythias pointed out, he's helping to bring in the herd. In the mean time, I have some left over biscuits and gravy, and coffee if you men are hungry."
Hospitality was something that would always be extended, and Emeline was happy for visitors...possibly new hands.
"You can wash up at the pump, and have a seat there." She nodded to a table sitting in the sun on the porch. "Oh, and I'm Mrs. Pike. Pleased to meet you."
Before the woman could even get out a response, a man...a negro at that...came up from out of the barn and he and Muley knew each other. It was a happy reunion for the both of them.
"Pie-face, meet Cade Brodie, he's a pal o' mine: a square feller and a good hand. Cade, this here's Pie-face Modeen: black as the Ace of Spades but the whitest man I ever rode with!"
Cade nodded and smiled, "Howdy!"
"Cade is it? Well if the Missus there'll have it, step on down. Hard to believe you'd git yerself roped in by this ol' cayuse thief. But Like I told him, Mister Pikes gone ta fetch his herd, and some'a thee most beautiful Morgan Horse you ever laid yer eyes on!"
Cade nodded some more, he had no idea what 'step on down' meant but the man was friendly so that's what counted.
He looked to Missus Pike for her okay. "I'll vouch fer this old codger."
That was a good thing! Cade now listened to the woman speak her piece.
"Well, then, welcome, gentlemen." Followed by the dog, Emeline stepped off the porch, one hand resting on her belly. "The Rocking P is surely looking for hands, but that is up to Mr. Pike, and, as Pythias pointed out, he's helping to bring in the herd. In the mean time, I have some left over biscuits and gravy, and coffee if you men are hungry."
"That is most kind of you, ma'm. Thankya!" Cade smiled.
"You can wash up at the pump, and have a seat there." She nodded to a table sitting in the sun on the porch. "Oh, and I'm Mrs. Pike. Pleased to meet you."
Wash up, yeah his hands could certainly use it. He nodded. And then she introduced herself too.
"Pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Pike. You sure got a nice place here," the young man replied .
Hold that critter down!
"Well, then, welcome, gentlemen." Followed by the dog, Emeline stepped off the porch, one hand resting on her belly. "The Rocking P is surely looking for hands, but that is up to Mr. Pike, and, as Pythias pointed out, he's helping to bring in the herd. In the mean time, I have some left over biscuits and gravy, and coffee if you men are hungry."
"That is most kind of you, ma'm. Thankya!" Cade smiled.
"Yeah, 's real nice of yuh, Ma'am." Considering his previous diatribe about the evils of marriage and the dangers of womenfolk generally, Muley was polite, even bashful, in the presence of one. "A home ain't a home without a bun in the oven, er... er... I mean some biscuits on the stove!" he stumbled, accidently drawing attention to her obviously pregnant condition. He reckoned he'd covered his slip, though, and got away with it.
"You can wash up at the pump, and have a seat there." She nodded to a table sitting in the sun on the porch.
"Wash... Oh yeah, sure!" mumbled Muley, looking like the idea had quite taken him by surprise.
"Oh, and I'm Mrs. Pike. Pleased to meet you."
"Oh, er, Dick Dickins, but most folks call me Muley, er, Ma'am" said the old feller not knowing whether to take his hat off or keep it on.
"Pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Pike. You sure got a nice place here," the young man replied.
It was nice, maybe a little new for Muley's taste, but he reckoned the place'd soon look a little more lived in, give it a season or two. As he washed his hands, he looked at Modeen.
"Say Pie - you bein' here: Frank and Barney ain't bringin' that herd in short-handed are they? I heard there was a little trouble round these parts, range war brewin'. Some feller named Steelgrave aggravating folks. You know, Someone with a mind to could make a lot of mischief with a herd like that: stampede 'em or what not. If they don't know the ground, they'd scatter fer miles and half of 'em never found again." he worried out loud, but not so Mrs Pike could hear. He wouldn't want to worry her.
"Heavens no! Thirteen 'er fourteen men 'er with them critters. 'sides, you ever know Teal ta lose a single head he was driving?" Pythias said, "Not ever! We had call ta fight rustlers and injuns on the way here, kept cattle an' horses we did. He had 'em bedded down back down where the lake was, but you know Frank, they started out at dawn, same as Mister Pike with a pair of Frank's boys."
"Now you got yerself any experience there young Mister Brodie, 'er ya up fer learnin' a thing 'er two?" Came Pythias' question of the young man. "Got us another'n 'bout yer age comin' up with the herd, so you'll have yerself some comp'ny was you ta sign on," Pythias took Muley by the shoulder. "Come on boys, be some'a the best grub ya ever ate!"
As the men settled at the table, Emeline fixed up a tray with plates, flatware, coffee mugs, a bowl of sausage gravy, a plate of biscuits, a small jar of orange marmalade and a pot of hot coffee. It was a lot, but she was accustomed to dealing with such things, and was honestly happy to be serving food again.
"Here we are," she said with a big smile as she set the tray on the table then settled into an empty chair. Natty lay quietly at her feet. She had some pies in the oven, but there was some time before they were done, and she was interested in visiting with the potential new hands. "Help yourselves, there's more if need be."
Grinning, she took a flaky biscuit and slathered some marmalade on it. "And I will need someone to test some pie later, if you're willing?"
Hold that critter down!
"Heavens no! Thirteen 'er fourteen men 'er with them critters. 'sides, you ever know Teal ta lose a single head he was driving?" Pythias said, "Not ever! We had call ta fight rustlers and injuns on the way here, kept cattle an' horses we did. He had 'em bedded down back down where the lake was, but you know Frank, they started out at dawn, same as Mister Pike with a pair of Frank's boys."
"Oh! Er... yeah, that's great!" lied Muley. He had rather hoped that he and Cade might have a reason to ride out and meet the incoming drive halfway: give Pike a chance to meet the lad in the field' as it were, and see what Muley himself had observed: that although Brodies cowography skills were as yet untested, he certainly rode well and was at ease around the doggies - for they'd met a few strays on the ride in.
"Now you got yerself any experience there young Mister Brodie, 'er ya up fer learnin' a thing 'er two?" Came Pythias' question of the young man. "Got us another'n 'bout yer age comin' up with the herd, so you'll have yerself some comp'ny was you ta sign on,"
"He can handle himself all right!" said Muley with disarming confidence, before Cade had a chance to be more modest.
Pythias took Muley by the shoulder. "Come on boys, be some'a the best grub ya ever ate!"
"Well that's just great, Pie, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse." Not that his own worn-out mare would fill him up any, she was all skin and bone. And here was Mrs Pike with all the fixin's.
"Here we are," she said with a big smile as she set the tray on the table then settled into an empty chair. Natty lay quietly at her feet. She had some pies in the oven, but there was some time before they were done, and she was interested in visiting with the potential new hands. "Help yourselves, there's more if need be."
Grinning, she took a flaky biscuit and slathered some marmalade on it. "And I will need someone to test some pie later, if you're willing?"
"He, well, that would be just wonderful, Ma'am." nodded Muley, shyly.
For a while all four were quiet, silently munching: the only voice was that of Natty, whining for scraps and licking his lips. Muley, soft hearted as he was, kept slipping the mongrel tidbits of food under the table, and was rewarded with a licked hand.
@[Flip]
@[Bong]