"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,"
Cade nodded, he had hoped to deal with the actual owner of the ranch for any sort of talk about his experience and skills.
"Been doin' this fer awhile now, been on two cattle drives, that sorta thing," he informed the man without going into details.
"And always willing ta learn, sure," he added.
Muley backed him up which was nice of the old fella, given they barely knew each other not even a full day.
Then it was over to a table and some laid out food. Looked and smelled great too, the lad was hungry. The lady was nice and welcoming.
"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.
"I'd be glad to sample a nice slice, yes ma'am," Cade wasn't about to turn down that sort of treat. It'd been a long time since he'd had cake or pie or such luxuries.
"well then, you shouldn't have no trouble catchin' on here. I'm second under his foreman, Frank Teal, whose with the herd comin' in. Be puttin' in a good word for ya oncet he gets here"
Pythias grinned, the food was as he knew it would be, excellent. The stop at her cafe told him as much, though she had not done the preparing, he was positive that the woman filling in for her was equal to the task. And then there were the griddle cakes from the night before. She could do most anything she wanted with a stove and the necessary fixin's even if she was short some of them and make it work!
"Mighty tasty Ma'am, might tasty. This two might jest be the champeen pie tasters!" He added. Being on a ranch was already growing on Pythias. A home, good food and good folks. This was going to be nice.
"Oh, well, in the Spring you'll be able to really get your fill of pies during the Box Social and dance." Emeline smiled as she took a sip of coffee. "There will be baking contests of all sorts, and they are always looking judges." Her grin widened. "And I can let you know which ones I made so you can choose appropriately!"
This was really nice, she thought, and as much as she'd enjoyed traveling, and wanted to do more, this was the feeling she embraced, of home and family, making something good together.
"Pythias here has assured me that the cook for the drive is one of the best, and the bit that I tasted was very good. Not as good as mine, of course." She chuckled. "Perhaps Cookie and I will have to have our own competition, and Thanksgiving is coming up, too, that will surely be an undertaking!"
Hold that critter down!
"Oh, well, in the Spring you'll be able to really get your fill of pies during the Box Social and dance." Emeline smiled as she took a sip of coffee. "There will be baking contests of all sorts, and they are always looking judges." Her grin widened. "And I can let you know which ones I made so you can choose appropriately!"
Muley looked a little misty-eyed and nostalgic.
"Why, I haven't been to a box social fer years. Must'a been one time back in Vermont. I guess they do it up here like they do it there - er, the lady makes a box lunch fer two and the gents pay to claim one of 'em, all anonymous like. And then the two have lunch together and the money goes to a worthy cause." he remembered "Well if what I've seen so far's anything to go by, I reckon you'd have the tastiest box in all the territories, Mrs Pike" he complimented her.
"So, who's cookin' up the vittles on the drive?" Muley asked, wondering if there might be an opening for him there.
"Pythias here has assured me that the cook for the drive is one of the best, and the bit that I tasted was very good. Not as good as mine, of course." She chuckled. "Perhaps Cookie and I will have to have our own competition, and Thanksgiving is coming up, too, that will surely be an undertaking!"
"Yeah!" The old man was a little disappointed, but he tried to make sure it didn't show.
"Man name'a Nate Ambrose, maybe you know him? Not sure where all he's from 'er been, we signed him on down Coldwater Texas way. He was sought after by a couple outfits headed fer Kansas, but he said he'd had him enough 'o thet an his Montana thing sounded good."
He could see the disappointment in Muley's eyes. But there was never any telling of what might or might not happen. Dickens was a good man, and known to be a better than average cook, so that would make three people plenty capable of feeding the hands.
Cade was a hungry young man and all of this was very good so he talked very little but concentrated on eating. He did stop chewing long enough to thank the negro hand for his willingness to give him a good word for hi.
"Thankya, appreciate it," he nodded.
Apparently the owner's wife was quite the cook, that would be a good thing if he did secure the job. And seems like so was the returning cattle drive crew's cook. He had to smile to himself as he shoveled in another mouthful but then couldn't resist a comment.
"You were lucky, both drives I was on, the cooks were godawful. Course one of them was durn near blind but he was the trail bosse's wife's brother. Just a coincidence he got the job I'm sure," he grinned.
Box lunch social and a dance. He didn't know much about the first but being a redblooded young man he'd make it a point to try and attend the second. He couldn't dance much but if nothing else he could ogle all the fine gals.
"Nate has him a reputation. Went north wit Goodnight oncet, been up to the cow towns a few times, said he was plumb sick of the way the towns folk treated the men, and sicker still of how the cowboys wreaked havoc in those places. So he signed on with Frank an' well, he's on his way, but now the boy, young Danny, well no tellin' 'bout what happens with him. Way I heard it he was an orphan when Nate hired him on fer this trek."
He looked to Muley and then Missus Pike, "Ain't never heard of no outfit with more'n one cook, but there was a rumor that there was a big spread down Texas where they had two, one with a chuck and the other at the cook house. They'd switch, an' big as this place is, why Nate cain't be in two places at the same time, and them hands can't ride in fer grub, so maybe Muley here could help solve that problem like that Texas outfit did."
Hold that critter down!
"Huh? I ain't sniffin' round for no cookin' job!" Muley snapped, showing a slightly cantankerous side that had always been there but was getting worse with old age. He was, perhaps, a little miffed that his 'subtle' probing as to whether there was a job going had been so easily exposed by Pythias.
"Dagnabit' - I just called to wish Barnabas and Mrs Pike good luck with their new enterprise, is all. Not lookin' fer no job. Who said I was? Jehoshaphat, Pie, you do make a habit of putting two and two together and getting five!" he grumped and bit into some more of the amazing vittles.
"Why, if I wanted a job, I could get one job like that!" he added, clicking his fingers "Fact, straight after this. I'm heading into Kalispell to get one, don't need to come round here beggin' fer no job..." he mumbled into his beard. If nothing much else, the poor old bastard still had his pride.
"Ain't never heard of no outfit with more'n one cook, but there was a rumor that there was a big spread down Texas where they had two, one with a chuck and the other at the cook house. They'd switch, an' big as this place is, why Nate cain't be in two places at the same time, and them hands can't ride in fer grub, so maybe Muley here could help solve that problem like that Texas outfit did."
"Oh, I didn't know you were interested in cooking," Emeline commented, glancing at Muley. She surely could step in if Cookie was on the trail, but the final decision was between Barnabas, Cookie and Muley.
"Huh? I ain't sniffin' round for no cookin' job!"
"I'm sorry, I just thought..." Well, here was why she shouldn't be involved in the hiring of hands! Maybe that would be different if they delved into help around the house once the baby was here, but Clara had been the only person she'd 'hired', and that really had just been a mutual agreement. Well, there was Barnabas, too, but that was different altogether!
"Dagnabit' - I just called to wish Barnabas and Mrs Pike good luck with their new enterprise, is all. Not lookin' fer no job. Who said I was? Jehoshaphat, Pie, you do make a habit of putting two and two together and getting five!" he grumped and bit into some more of the amazing vittles.
"Why, if I wanted a job, I could get one job like that!" he added, clicking his fingers "Fact, straight after this. I'm heading into Kalispell to get one, don't need to come round here beggin' fer no job..."
"Oh, I've no doubt you could find any job you liked," Emeline declared, smiling as she glanced at Pythias and Cade. "Of course, as long as you're already here you may as well stay until Mr. Pike gets back...so you can put in a good word for young Cade here, right? Now," she stood, "if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'll get that pie I threatened you with!"
Pythias sort of stepped back, although he was seated."Ain't no need'a gettin' all riled up over conversation, Muley. Ya stubborn old cuss, you don't wanna a job, well that there's yer decision. The idee you might have some interest in stayin' on here an' lend a hand seemed plub nat'ral ta me. But you do what suits ya Muley, but know I'd been fer singin' yer praises was ya wantin' to stay on."
"Oh, I've no doubt you could find any job you liked," Emeline declared, smiling as she glanced at Pythias and Cade. "Of course, as long as you're already here you may as well stay until Mr. Pike gets back...so you can put in a good word for young Cade here, right? Now," she stood, "if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'll get that pie I threatened you with!"
"See? Ya hard head. Now about thet pie, an' Ma'am, thet weren't no threat, leastways not the way I heard it." Pythias added, working to keep the subject changed.
