Pythias looked up as the kid was working on his pistol. The Cavalry jacket he wore at times said he'd been military. The Sargent stripes verified that, and the badge on his chest said he had also been a Pinkerton Agent at one time or another.
"Was. Thirteenth New Jersey Infantry, F Troop. After the war, I joined up with the Pinkertons on the frontier, but I later joined the 8th Cavalry. All Black fellas like me." Then he laughed. "Run onto Fank Teal who needed him some men to move a herd an' seein's I was outta the 8th thinkin' o' re-enlistin', I signed on. Been with him ever since, like most o' the boys he's got."
He took a ball at Antietam in sixty-two and was discharged, signed on with the Pinkerton Agency shortly thereafter, was sent to Colorado, then to Arizona where he quit the Agency and joined the 8th Cavalry in 1869.
Pinkerton? Justus didn't show his dismay. Of course, he'd noticed the jacket, but that didn't mean he'd actually fought in the actual war in the East...he very well could have served on the frontier, maybe even on a camel!
"Seems like it was right that ya met Mr. Teal when it was time for ya," Justus observed, "just like me, I hope. I'm really enjoyin' this, hard work'n all, an' I'm ready ta do somethin' steady." And legal! "Might even learn ta read an' write once we get ta Montana, become a fancy lawyer or somethin'!" Well, honestly, he thought that would be kinda boring!
"Learni' yer letters an' numbers is the best thing ya kin do fer yerself, son. Getcha a whole lot futher in life, it will. Now herdin' cows is a fine job, but you ain't drove no cows in winter, and thet ain't no life fer no man. But most all of us have done it a time 'er two." Pythias explained, earnestly.
"I noted yer disdain fer the Pinkerton badge, and with what they done in a couple places I agree, but durin' the war, well it were a whole lot differ'nt operation. Out here they tended ta be worse, an with Alan gone and Robert runnin' things, well, it took him time ta straighten 'er out. Alan was a good man, a no-nonsense man. He expected a man ta do his job, well, cuz at the time it was fer the country. After? a differn't story all tagether."
"Just don't know that I got much use fer th' law," Justus muttered quietly, shrugging. "I know they got their place, an' there's good an' bad, just like anyone else." He glanced at Pythias. "Guess I'll just hafta behave myself an' steer clear'a th' law, probably best anyway, right?"
He holstered his cleaned pistol and stood. "How do ya figure I can learn ta read an' whatnot? Between work an' all, an; I don't even know who I'd ask." Chuckling, he shook his head. "Not like I can go ta school or nothin'...well, unless th' marm's real pretty!"
"Just don't know that I got much use fer th' law," Justus muttered quietly, shrugging. "I know they got their place, an' there's good an' bad, just like anyone else." He glanced at Pythias. "Guess I'll just hafta behave myself an' steer clear'a th' law, probably best anyway, right?"
"Afraid you missed the point, Justus." Pythias began, "No need to steer clear if'n ya ain't guilty 'o nothin'. A man that's done nothin' has no need ta even be concerned by the law. The man with the badge is jest doin' a job, he ain't lookin' ta make that job no harder'n it already is. Seems he's already got his hands full without lookin' ta pester folks for no reason. Jest don't make no sense, do it?"
He holstered his cleaned pistol and stood. "How do ya figure I can learn ta read an' whatnot? Between work an' all, an; I don't even know who I'd ask." Chuckling, he shook his head. "Not like I can go ta school or nothin'...well, unless th' marm's real pretty!"
"Now that's the furst step ta learnin' yer letters, asking' about it. I kin read, an' write, don't speak as good as I might, but thet comes from bein' out here pushin' horns with these fellas. I kin hep ya. Fact is, mosta these boys kin help too, if ya like. Most all of 'em read an' write passable enough. Sometimes, all it takes is a question ta git the ball rollin'."
Truth was, it had never really occurred to Justus to ask the men for help. In his experience, the men he'd run with were only eager to teach him how to survive, how to cheat, how to run, hide, kill...and if he'd asked about something like reading, they would have laughed at him. This was just another reminder that he was with a new group of men, good, decent men who helped each other, and it was a chance for him to start new and leave all the bad behind.
"I'd truly appreciate any help," he commented, glancing at Pythias, "with readin' an' even addin' an' subtractin' an' whatnot." Then he added evenly, "But ya ain't never gonna be as pretty as a school marm!"
That got Pythias laughing, a deep belly laugh at the statement he wasn't ever going to be as pretty as a school marm. Some of the ones he had seen were far from good-looking, let alone pretty. He sat there and laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. "Pretty, thet's a good 'un Justus, that's really funny." Then he laughed some more before asking. "You had any learnin' at all?" Then he laughed a bit more.
"Schoolin' on the trail takes more time, a'cuz we only git too it now an' again. Aint no reg'lar hours ta do it, but we'll work on it as we can." He promised. It would not be easy, finding the time and there surely would be no lesson plan, it would just be catch as catch can. But learn he would, slowly and maybe not much until they got to the Rockin' P Ranch. But then, who would stay, who would ride on?
"Whatever we can do." Justus shrugged, then admitted, "Most days I don't think I'd be much interested in tryin' ta learn anythin' besides dreams!" He grinned at that, then shook his head. "Reckon there's some, like my letters, I can start on while we're in th' saddle not chasin' after cows. Know some'a them already, like A, B, C..."
He hated that he didn't know more, but he was smart enough to know that there was nothing to be gained in avoiding the subjects because he was embarrassed. This was just another opportunity to better himself so that he didn't have to push cows or run from the law the rest of his life.
"Might even learn enough ta have me my own spread someday, brand an' all!" Wouldn't that be something!
"Now there you go, Justus, yer own spread, brand and all. And, lemme tell you there just ain't no reason a young man like you can't do it once't you set yer mind to it." Pythias stated. "Why, if you was to decide that that was what you wanted, an' nothin' else, why, ain't nothin' could stop ya but you!"
"Herd's comin', best we get ourselves ready for the big push across't this here river." He added as he got to his feet. Guns were dried, cleaned, and oiled. The horses were ground hitched and waiting, all they needed to do was to tighten the cinches and mount up. Once across they would turn north again. Of course, by the time they had the herd across it would be time to make camp for the night.
They were no more than mounted when the chuck wagon came into view. They turned their horses to meet the oncoming wagon which when it reached them stopped. "Hi howdy, Pythias, Justus." Cookie greeted. "Let's get me across and to where we'll make camp."
"Yes, sir. Follow us!" Pythis responded and led out.
"Justus, you see any injuns?" Danny Baker called out.
"Nope." Justus shook his head with a sly grin. "Just a bunch'a scraggly, no good cow punchers!" Who hopefully wouldn't notice that he was wetter than could just be explained by crossing the river! "Seen some tracks a while back, but nothin' that should cause any trouble." He hoped, at least!
"Got a nice, wide crossin' here, good grazin' on th' other side, seems like we'll have us some clean, happy cows come mornin'!" He was getting pretty comfortable with this group to be joking with them!