"Kalispell, I think," Justus corrected, then he was silent for a moment. "Funny, ain't it, that there's all these trees where it's cooler an' ya don't need 'em as much, but out in th' desert it's all open to th' blazin' sun?" That was nature, of course, but often, nature didn't make any sort of sense.
"Wonder what it's gonna be like?" he mused, "reckon it'll be even higher up in th' mountains, green all th' time an' plenty'a water." Sounded like Paradise, at least compared to the barrens of Tejas, although he allowed that the desert had its own beauty, it was just difficult to appreciate when it was blazing hot.
"Wonder how much farther it is?" Couldn't be too far from his past as far as he was concerned! "Gettin' kinda anxious ta see this place."
"That was workin on the "S". Hot an' dirty. Day in, an' day out, workin' in the sun." Zane complained, although his delivery was light, making it sound more like a reflection.
He looked around, though it was dark and just a sliver of a moon shedding light, yet he could make out the trees, and yes they seemed plentiful, more than he had ever seen, or so it seemed. "Beautiful country." He remarked, "I agree that likely there'll be even more the higher up we get. And the water, ain't gotta worry about gettin' it, worry is crossin' it sometimes. Nice problem to have."
"Tejas, yeah, been there a couple times movin' cows an' such. Ain't no hotter than Lordsburg. "But then that was just the times I was there, but I only heard that term from the Mex's, mostly I heard it called Texas, maybe that's what Tejas means in American, I dunno."
Then he chuckled, "Took 'er right away from Mexico, we did. My pa was only fourteen when the Alamo fell, an' that was forty years back. He wanted to go, but his Ma put her foot down after word of the massacree at Goliad. I remember him tellin' me that, plain as day." He reflected on the memory and suddenly said, "We got us a piece ta go, be spell yet, maybe I dunno, could be a couple weeks, 'er a month. Got no idea. But a good question
"Reckon through most'a history men been takin' land away from other men," Justus observed, "not that it's right in any way, but it's just what is." Hopefully, one of these days that would change and people would let others live their lives, but that wasn't likely to happen soon. He just was grateful for now that he was on the 'winning' side.
"So, did yer pa serve in th' War, or was he too old by then?" The Alamo had been in the '30's? So Zane's Pa would be...60 or so? "My Pa wasn't right after that...well, if he was ever right in th' first place."
"My pa, ya, my pa. I wasn't even a gleam in Pa's eye back then. Lost one uncle at Goliad, another'n at the Alamo. Pa was crippled up by them Mex's outside'a Hondo on his way to the Alamo, crippled him up purdy good, bastards. He had a bad limp the rest of his life." Zane reflected. "He told me that the call had gone out, and men from all over responded, but not all of them made there before the mission fell. It was his big regret in life. Then again, I'd'a never been born."
"How 'bout you?" Zane asked. "Doubt you'd had yer Pa in that fight, Me I', just over thirty, so I reckon Pa was whot, sixteen in thirty-six. He's been done now ten years, after Ma passed he just went ta peices. He was never the same."
Justus shrugged, looking out into the dark. "I wasn't but five or six when Pa went off ta th' war," he explained, "I think that was...'63. He didn't seem quite th' same when he come back, that was nearly a year after they said it was over. Never did say why it took so long."
His mother had had her suspicions, but he'd been young enough that he wasn't privy to those adult conversations, and it had been easier (and more pleasant) to go out and milk the cow or gather eggs when the shouting started.
"Just glad I didn't hafta fight like that...can't imagine what it was like, rushin' at people who're shootin' at ya, an' then ya gotta do it th' next day because that's yer orders...an' gone from home so long, an' then..."
Well, there had been a lot of 'thens', and Justus was just beginning to really admit that the War had had little to do with who his father was.
"I count myself as lucky. I went, hell I was just eighteen when I was called up. Had thought to go many times, but didn't. Got sent to the Sixth Texas Infantry, but wound up transferred to garrison duty, guarding prisoners." He shook his head with a grin.
"Zane Geraghty, prison guard. So I never fired a shot in anger during them last two years, and a wonder all of us weren't called up to fight, cuz we was losing bad, and the worst was yet ta come. whot with the carpet baggers whot descended on us. Hell of a time that was. Me. I rode out to the Territories ta get shut of 'em. And then, there was Injuns ta deal with there, that was a war all in itself."
"Be nice ta have nothin' more ta worry 'bout than cows an' horses," Justus declared solemnly, "not that Injuns won't be possible, but not like out here." On a ranch, it would be easier to post a lookout, and to defend territory. They could prepare and take precautions, and maybe even avoid trouble.
"Can well do without strife or fightin'. I'd be happy just punchin' cows an' findin' a pretty gal ta marry, maybe have a couple of young'un's." He didn't often let his thoughts stray to such things, but the closer to Montana that they got, the 'safer' it was to allow such dreams...so long as his past stayed in his past.
"A lot to be said for being in one place. That's for sure." Zane said. "Havin' a bunk house beats livin' under the stars most times. Warm in the winter, not sure about how hot it gets up that high, but I reckon it beats where I'm from. Lordsburgh get's flat out hot. I mean ya sortta get used to it after a while, but it's considerable."
He smiled. I reckon most want ta fn a girl ta marry an' settle down, Was that the case with this here outfit, they best have a passel 'o pretty girls ta pick from." He pointed out, with fifteen men that might be looking for a wife.
"'Course now I heard there's such a thing as a 'mail order bride.' Guess you just send away for one an' she gets delivered sight unseen, which I figger could be right risky if ya know what I mean. So I 'spose there' hope for all of us." He added.
"Mail order?" Justus raised an eyebrow. "Ya mean, packin' 'em in a crate an' sendin' 'em ta yer door?" He laughed, knowing that couldn't be how it worked, but actually a bit intrigued. "I guess we'll just hafta try ta be one'a th' first ones in town, ta catch th' eye of some pretty local gal! Hafta get all gussied up an' pretty!"
Heck, he'd not only need to bathe and shave, but he'd have to buy him some clothes that weren't frayed and dusty!
"Well, don't know as I'd ever be desperate enough ta have ta buy a bride, but there's plenty'a time ta worry on that, I need ta be settled first, before considerin' a lady, an' who knows what'll happen?"
Zane looked at Justice, "Mostly there just ain't enough women out west. So it was devised that men could look at a catalog like of women willing to come west and wed to start a family." He began, "You see Gibbs, men need sons to help with farming, sorta the way the whole thing got started."
"Imagine the Kansas prairie, ain't nothin' for miles, lonely life fer sure. Man need a companion, but also offspring to help on his farm. Now, ranchers, that'd be different. Mostly cattle spreads have water and are in reasonable proximity to a town. The women are more for companionship, though they too are raising help for the ranch, but, like where we're headed, this feller wants us to stay on, and that's like most outfits, the boss has wranglers, And again, there's jest so many women to go around in any town out here."