"Sounds real good," Justus commented, nodding, "ta be there at th' beginnin', help make it a real good spread." It would be something they could all be proud of, and maybe even be the foundation for a long-term home.
"An' that Mr. Pike seems like a good man, fair..." He grinned. "I think I'm gonna like it, an' in no time I'll be in charge an' makin' th' big bucks, tellin' everyone what ta do!" He laughed.
"Sounds real good," Justus commented, nodding, "ta be there at th' beginnin', help make it a real good spread." It would be something they could all be proud of, and maybe even be the foundation for a long-term home.
"That's what he's plannin' on. Man's in it fer the long haul, and them that sticks with this 'Rock'n P' brand I'm thinkin''' be moren' glad they did." Munson mused. It had real promise.
A man don't come onta a deal like this but maybe oncet in his life. Be sttin' down roots on this here spread I'm thinkin'
"I think I'm gonna like it, an' in no time I'll be in charge an' makin' th' big bucks, tellin' everyone what ta do!" He laughed.
That caught the ear of maybe the one man who was not meant to hear the brag. Frank Teal.
"Zat so?" He asked as he turned to face Justus. "Well boy, you work at it, learn all there is ta know 'bout running a cattle spread an' that just might happen for ya. But it's gonna take work, hard work, believe me, but you could actually get it done was you a mind too." Then he turned back to what was going on.
Zane smiled, "So here's the thing about alla that, not everyman here has that ambition, to be he dog'a the spread. Most just want ta ride for a solid brand, like this is gonna be."
"It's very beautiful," Emeline agreed, then chuckled. "Almost as beautiful as Mr. Pike!" She reached out to give Danny's arm a squeeze. "I'm happy to have you with us, the Rocking P will be the best ranch in the territory, I'm certain!" Until she and Barnabas were, literally, rocking on the porch!
"Now that, that sounds ta be just perfect fer a couple drifters that managed ta catch onta this here drive." Nate explained, but added, "Now I'm sought after, when there's a drive, but betwixt seasons we jest set an' bide are time and cash. This here offer, I can feed these boys an' if ya ain't got a cook shed, I reckon the chuck'll work til one's built."
"Yes Ma'am, an' bein' settled to one place, with proper provisions, we'll have us a happy crew, that's fer sure!" Danny said, Supplies can get real thin on a drive, but not so, I reckon, on a ranch."
Justus hadn't intended for Mr. Teal to overhear him, but then, he hadn't been trying to whisper, either, and as Frank turned away, he did whisper this time, to Pythias and Zane, "He's old, right?"
He laughed, but Frank's words sank in. Did he want to actually want the goal of being a boss on a ranch someday, seeing to the logistics, having a real home, a place to come back to, to stay and be proud of? While it might not, in the long run, be the Rocking P, he did find that he liked the idea!
"Now that, that sounds ta be just perfect fer a couple drifters that managed ta catch onta this here drive." Nate explained, but added, "Now I'm sought after, when there's a drive, but betwixt seasons we jest set an' bide are time and cash. This here offer, I can feed these boys an' if ya ain't got a cook shed, I reckon the chuck'll work til one's built."
"I do believe there's a kitchen attached to the bunkhouse," Emeline explained. At least, it made sense, and Barnabas had been pretty thorough in his planning. "Certainly by winter, there will be accommodations." While the man might be accustomed to cooking with the wagon, during the cold, snowy months it was impractical.
"Yes Ma'am, an' bein' settled to one place, with proper provisions, we'll have us a happy crew, that's fer sure!" Danny said, "Supplies can get real thin on a drive, but not so, I reckon, on a ranch."
"No, there should be no reason for supplies to run low," she declared, smiling. "I've been operating a cafe for a few years now, first out of a tent in Dakota, and now I have a cafe in Kalispell, so I'm accustomed to ordering for numbers. And you can even have more variety of spices and such, if you'd like."
Pythias looked at Justus for a split second and then burst into laughter. "Old?" He asked as he caught his breath, "Man's no codger. Can handle his-self in a brawl or dealin' with cattle buyers. Knows men, likely the most important thing in his line 'o work. Old, yep. I reckon he is by some standards, but he's one to ride the river with, I'll tell ya that son.
"I'd say he old in knowledge about the job an' about folks in general." Zane offered, "I mean look at the crew he assembled here for this drive, what with that off to the other end of it, good men, the lot. Easy to see that, I guess if yer lookin' fer such things. He's a man ta learn from, no matter if you wanna be the boss on a spread, 'er jest a better all 'round hand fer the spread yer on."
"You catch on quick there Geraghty." Pythias pointed out, "This one, might take him a bit longer, but he's young yet." He looked Justus in the eye, "You watch him closer now, you'll see what he can offer was you ta want ta learn. But, there ain't no rush if you plan on stayin' on."
"Plan on watchin' all'a ya," Justus declared, still grinning, "so's I can learn all th' faster an' be yer boss! Then I can go an' tell ya ta shovel shit!"
He laughed, looking over toward the Pikes. "We got us a good thing goin' here," he commented, "an' I'm lookin' forward t' it." Of course, the other men were older than he, for the most part, and probably had a lot of options, but for Justus, this was the chance to start a life of his own and leave behind what his father had tried to nurture.
"Well, now, I been told that on many occasions over the years sprout, by bigger an' maybe better men, but when you take over as foreman, should I live so long, then whatever orders you give out, I'll foller to the letter," Pythias stated, and he meant what he said. "A man rides for the brand, that means, good times an' bad, an' well see both, you kin bet yer bottom dollar on that, but, it'll be the best of times buidin' this place ta whot she can be." He smiled and looked to the men around him, "Ain't maybe but one time in a man's life he gets to build somethin', an' this 'un's are chance ta be part a somethin' big!"
Zane had been a part of the Lazy S, but it had already been built by the time he signed on, so that experience was something he had no experience with, yet what he did know was those that had been there from the start had this air about them, as if the place was theirs, which in a way, it was.
"Yep, been around men to build a spread, like it was there's. I mean, it wasn't but to them, they cared for the place, made sure things were in good repair, the feeling I got from those boys, well, if you been around it, ya never forget it."
"No, there should be no reason for supplies to run low," she declared, smiling. "I've been operating a cafe for a few years now, first out of a tent in Dakota, and now I have a cafe in Kalispell, so I'm accustomed to ordering for numbers. And you can even have more variety of spices and such, if you'd like."
"Yes 'um, spices to tend ta make the meal. These boys we got, they put away the groceries, an' hardly a bad word about my quality." Nate said with a wide grin, because it was true. "But you put me ta cookin' in a real kitchen with the proper ingredients, yer husband'll have trouble turnin' away the men whot'll show up ta work for him. That is oncet the word slips out, an' it will."
Danny was visibly agreeable, "He done a weddin' once down Amarilla, big place maybe a hunderd guests, plus all the man's hands. Folks come offerin' him whatever he wanted to come cook for 'um, but he was already contracted fer a drive and had ta pass. We don't need ta pass on this deal, no siree, we don't!" The boy knew what it would mean to have a place to stay full time, to be able to learn to cook from a man he considered to be the best.
The boy liked the woman already, and couldn't wait to reach the Rockin' P Ranch and settle in. Nate, he was already sold on the idea. He was smiling and thinking, 'wait'll they have a big ta do up there, word'll spread like wildfire about the Pike's parties.
Brick, McVay, and Wheezer stood watching and listening to what the new boss had to say. And what he said wage-wise? That was music to their ears. A new place, good money for their hard work, all new construction on the bunk house and Barn, including other out buildings, this was truly getting in on the ground floor of a new brand.
"Reckon this deals on the up an' up?" McVay asked, a bit skeptical about the wages mentioned.
"Couldn't rightly say, but this feller if ya give 'em the once over an' get past them guns, got himself the outfit to get from wherever they been ta home." Wheezer observed he was a man who paid attention to the quality of a man's outfits. "Stout wagon, draft horses, good saddle mounts, and he's got the riggin', water barrels an' the like, geared fer the long haul right proper.
Dixie stood watching and listening, then shook his head. "I done some fool things in my time, granted, but boys, a man'd be a fool ta pass on this offer. Pike there'll stand with us come trouble, an' it'll come, always does, and his wife, yeah, these are folks we can count on. He wouldn't offer up what he just did if he couldn't back his play. Count on that."
The more they saw of this man and his wife the more they were committed to being part of the plan that was offered, and looking around they could see no one that was hesitant about what their future was.
