Alice opened the door, and Dan said, “I had these in my hands, and I was coming this way so here they are.”
“Thanks for bringing them up and I am glad you didn’t say anything to dad about the chance that the Reynolds would run away.”
“I thought it best we did not say anything until we heard what the judge has to say.”
“I agree.”
“Are you tired from the trip to town?”
“No, it was fine. I enjoyed the trip and our conversation.”
“So, did I.”
“I will see at dinner.”
“Till then.”
As he turned and walked away, he thought ‘I could have ended that better.’ Dan went to his room and using the pitcher and bowl cleaned up and changed for dinner. He went downstairs and waited for the Colonel.
chapter 27
The Colonel
As the Colonel came down the stairs, he said, “Let’s go into the parlor.”
The Colonel went in, and Dan followed. The Colonel stopped at the door and closed it after Dan had entered. The Colonel walked over to the winged chairs by the fireplace and pulled one around to face the other and said, “Have a seat.”
After they sat down, he said, “Tell me about the trip to Durango.”
Dan told about the uneventful trip down and the Judges two telegrams and the Judge deciding to wait for the prosecutor and the trip back.
The Colonel asked, “Do you think the telegrams will make the Reynolds run?”
Dan smiled, he knew the Colonel knew that he knew they might and said, “Yes I think it will. The Judge’s telegram to the prosecutor implies that the Judge must have something more than the kidnapping or why else be looking at the sheriff.”
“That’s what the Judge and I thought.”
“How soon do you think we will know if they run?”
“I am not sure what the train schedule is between Alamosa and Gunnison, but I am sure, that Jason’s brother will be on the first train to Gunnison he can catch. Then maybe a day for them to liquidate what they can and pack what they want. They know that it would be a few days before anybody could get there to start asking questions. I told Joe to take his time, but to go to Gunnison and let me know if they leave. I told him if they are still there after a week to come back.”
“I am concerned that they may empty the bank when they leave, but how can you warn the bank when they are the bank?”
“I have thought about that too, and we cannot warn the bank. I don’t think they will be able to liquidate the ranches before they go, so the bank could recover the money from their sale.”
Dan said, “That would be true even if they sold the ranches to the bank for the money in the bank.”
“I hadn’t thought about that, but you're right, either way, the bank would have the land.”
“It would actually be better if they did sell the ranches to the bank, then the bank wouldn’t have to get a judgment against the ranches.”
“I think that about covers everything we have to say about this, but I want to talk to you about something else. I was going to talk to you about this after dinner, but since we are together, we can talk now. While we were waiting for you and Alice to get here the Judge and I talked about several things. One of the things we talked about was my Will, and one of the reasons he stayed in Durango was to file it at the courthouse. In my Will, I am leaving this ranch to you.”
“Sir, I don’t know what to say, surely you have some family or someone else you can leave it to.”
“I have an older sister back east, and she is widowed and has no living children. I have seen your face when you look over this country, and I know you love it. I know you have a ranch in Texas, and I am not asking you to choose between them. These are not conditions of the Will, but they are my request to you. If I go before Joe, make sure he has a home here and don’t sell it.”
“Colonel, you know me, and you know that Joe will always have a home here, and this ranch will mean as much to me as you do, and I would never part with it.”
“I am pleased that we have this settled, but let’s not get too morose. I am not dead yet.”
“Amen to that.”
They stood and shook hands, and the Colonel said, “It’s about time we see what everyone else is up to this evening.”
They walked to the parlor door and Dan opened it for the Colonel, and they went into the hallway. Finding no one there they when out to the front porch.
Will was sitting in a chair on the porch and said, “Evening, it’s the end to a beautiful day.”
The Colonel said, “Yes, it is.”
Dan said, “I agree.”
Dan checked his watch and saw that it was a little after 5:30, the days were getting shorter. A few minutes later Alice came out. He turned and looked at her, she was wearing one of the dresses she had bought in town and looked very, very, nice.
He said, “You look nice this evening.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to wear something different after wearing the same clothes for so many days.”
Dan and Alice turned and looked on the mountains lit by the sun setting behind them. The Colonel and Will just looked at the two of them and smiled.
Maria came to the door and said, “Dinner is ready.”
They entered the house following Alice. In the dining room, the seating remained the same with the Colonel at the head of the table and Alice and her father on one side and Dan on the other. Maria had dinner on the table. The meal consisted of pan-fried steaks, mashed potatoes, and beans. The conversation at the table was subdued because everyone was hungry.
After a few minutes, Dan asked, “Colonel, can you tell us what project you were working on today.”
“Yes, I am trying to improve the water situation here at the ranch.”
“I didn’t know there was a problem.”
“There is not a problem I just want to make it better. The creek that runs behind the barn supplies our water, and it flows from a spring up at the head of the valley. I have been working to divert part of the creek near the spring into a small but deep rock tank. Then out of the bottom of that tank, I want to run a pipe to the house and bunkhouse to supply running water.”
Alice said, “That would be amazing.”
Dan asked, “What kind of pipe would you use?”
“Galvanized steel pipe.”
“How will you keep it from freezing?”
“It will run underground to the house and bunkhouse, and then I will have to insulate it with cotton batting and canvas from the ground up into the house.”
Will asked, “Have you installed any of the pipes yet?”
He replied, “No, not really. I have installed two sections from the collection tank this way with a valve between them as a test. I have the first section and about half of the second section buried two feet in the ground. I am going to open the valve to allow a little water to flow and see if the tank or pipe freezes during the winter. If they do not, then I will get enough pipe to complete the system.”
Alice asked, “How did you think of this?”
“Back east they have water systems in the cities, but they have pumping stations to get the water elevated into storage tanks, so I thought I can let the water just fall to me if I can prevent it from freezing.”
Dan said, “I guess we have to wait until spring to see if it worked.”
“I will write and let you know.”
Maria entered the room with two slices of pie and said, “I am sure everyone still has room for pie.” She set a slice in front of the Colonel and Will and said as she headed back to the kitchen, “I’ll be right back.”
Will said, “It might hurt her feelings if we don’t eat this.” and laughed.
Maria brought in slices for Alice and Dan, and they began to eat. Then Maria came back in with a fresh pot of coffee and filled everyone’s cup.
When they finished, Alice said, “I want to see if Maria will let me help her clean up” and went
into the kitchen.
After a minute, she and Maria came back and started clearing the table.
The Colonel said, “That is our signal to retire to the parlor and have a brandy.”
The men went into the parlor, and the Colonel poured three glasses of brandy.
He handed one to Will and Dan and said, “Here is to friendship.”
They touched glasses and drank.
The Colonel invited them to take a chair.
He said, “We are all hoping to get this over quickly and return to our everyday routines, but it will be at least the day after tomorrow before the Judge gets back and we know what we can do. Until this situation becomes firm and we know what is going to happen, we need to continue to be cautious. Will, when we set our plan in motion, we did not have a fixed timetable. You have been away from your ranch for almost two weeks, do you need to send word to your ranch or have your foreman meet you here?”
Will said, “I will write a letter tonight to Cecil my foreman if you can have it delivered tomorrow?”
“That will not be a problem. I will have Bob Robert take it since he has been there before.”
Will added, “I will just let him know where I am and that he can reach me here if he needs me.”
The Colonel asked, “Dan how about you?”
“I posted a couple of letters when we were in town today.”
The Colonel said, “Now that the business is concluded, would either of you or both care for a game of cards?”
Will asked, “Colonel, do you play cribbage?”
“Yes, I do.”
Dan said, “I think I will leave you two to the cards and I will go for a walk.”
Will said, “We can play three handed.”
“That’s alright, I need to do some thinking.”
The Colonel said, “We will be here if you change your mind.”
“Thanks maybe later.”
Dan left the parlor and went out onto the front porch. He walked down the steps and out to the ranch road. He turned left and started down the road toward the Durango-Montrose road. He walked slowly thinking about what the Colonel said and about his ranch in Texas and about Alice. Then he thought about why his thoughts always turned toward Alice. He liked being with Alice, and he liked talking to her, but most of all he liked her. He thought, if I only liked her why would my thoughts always turn to her. My feelings must be more than like, do I love her? How can I love her, I have only really known her for a few weeks? But why else would I feel this way? It must be love that I feel. I don’t feel sorry for her. I am proud of the emotional and physical strength and courage she displayed through the ordeal. I think that is what first attracted me to her. If I accept that I love her, how does she feel? Does she like me, or does she love me and if she loves me is it only because I rescued her. Does she know how I feel? He didn’t know relationships could be so complicated. He realized he had walked about halfway to the road, so he reversed course and headed back to the house. His thoughts continued. He wanted to tell Alice how he felt, but he was afraid that if he told her that he loved her, she might respond out of gratitude and he didn’t want her to do that.
He decided he wouldn’t say anything to her unless she showed that she felt that way or said something. He also thought that it would be best not say anything to her until this business with the Reynolds was finished. He forced his thoughts back to the conversation he had had with the Colonel. He was surprised yet pleased that the Colonel thought and cared that much for him. He was very hopeful that it would be some time before he had to take over the ranch. He had planned on regular visits to Colorado, but this made that more definite. When he got back to Texas, he would have to put some serious effort into getting his Will done.
As he approached the house, he saw Alice sitting on the porch. As he walked up the steps, he said, “Good evening.”
“Good evening, how was your walk?”
He sat in the chair next to Alice’s chair and said, “Relaxing, it is a beautiful evening.”
“It is starting to get a little cold out.”
“Can I get you a wrap or something?”
“No, I am fine for now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, isn’t it nice to just sit here and enjoy the day?”
“Yes, it is.”
“What were you thinking about as you walked along.”
“Colorado and Texas mostly.”
“About when to leave one and go back to the other.”
“A little, but more about what I like about each and how different they are and yet how much the same they both are.”
“That sounds like deep thoughts.”
“Not too deep, but thoughts that need to be considered.”
“I think we should go in now.”
“You are right, it is getting cold out here.”
They went in, and Alice just waved at her father as she walked by the parlor. Dan, however, turned and went into the parlor.
The Colonel said, “Do you care to join us?”
He said, “No, not tonight. I will just watch a couple of hands, then go upstairs.”
The Colonel, “Okay.”
Dan watched as Will dealt the cards. He alternately dealt six cards to the Colonel and himself. They each discarded two cards and Will being the dealer, slid them over to his side of the table. The Colonel cut the deck, and Will picked up the top card from the bottom half of the deck and turned it face up on top of the top half of the deck that the Colonel had returned to the deck. They continued to play as he watched. After the Colonel had dealt the next hand, he left and went upstairs.
Dan awoke at 5:30 and washed, dressed and went downstairs. He got a cup of coffee and went out the back door. He saw Bob Robert at the corral talking to a couple of the ranch hands, so he headed that way.
Before he got to the corral the two men walked away, and Bob Robert turned and said, “Morning.”
“Morning.”
“You still planning on going to the practice range?”
“Yes, after breakfast.”
“I have to go to Mr. Johnson’s ranch this morning, but I can have a horse saddled and waiting for you if you need it.”
“That’s okay, I will just walk, but thank you anyway. Do you have a trunk or trunk size crate I could use to pack some of my gear for the trip back to Texas?”
“I have a crate that I think will work. Are you leaving soon?”
“No, not right away, but I have some gear that I will not be using, and I thought I would go ahead and get it packed.
“I will have it on the back porch before I leave.”
“That will work.”
Dan walked back over to the house and went into the kitchen. Maria was busy cooking breakfast, so he poured himself another cup of coffee and went into the parlor. He was looking at the books in the bookcase when Will came to the door.
Will said, “Good morning Dan.”
“Good morning Sir.”
“That coffee looks good. I will be right back.”
Dan turned back to the bookcase. He wasn’t looking for anything, just passing the time. He had already read some of the books and thought that he and the Colonel had some of the same interests. He saw several that he wanted to read, but that was for another time.
Will came back in and said, “The Colonel tells me that you have a ranch in Texas.”
“Yes, I do, it’s located west southwest of Fort Worth.”
“What breed of cattle do you have on the ranch?”
“Herefords, this time of year the herd is up to about fifteen hundred. We will be selling off about five hundred the end of the month and carry a thousand through the winter.”
“How large is the ranch?”
“It is seven thousand two hundred and forty acres, and we could run more cattle but I prefer to have a little land to spare in case cattle prices drop and I have to hold on to the cattle until prices rise, or if we have a dry year and I need more acres per cow to feed
the cattle that I have on the range.”
“It sounds like you have a good handle on things.”
“Thanks, but you know there is always something you did not plan on.”
“That is a fact of life.”
The Colonel came to the door of the parlor and said, “Breakfast is ready if you care to join us.”
Will said, “I am ready.”
Dan said, “Lead the way.”
They left the parlor and went into the dining room where Alice was already seated.
They all exchanged greetings and sat down.
After a few minutes, Dan said, “After breakfast, I am going out to the rifle range to verify that my rifle is still sighted properly. Since you will be able to hear it here at the house, I just wanted you to know what I was doing.”
Will asked, “You aren’t expecting trouble are you.”
“No, but the rifle got knocked around pretty hard on the trail coming out. I wanted to check and make sure it is sighted in. Colonel do you have a fresh paper target I can use”
“Yes, I will leave one on the desk in the parlor for you.” Then he said, “Will, Bob Robert just left to carry your letter to Cecil.”
“Thank you.”
Dan asked, “Alice what are you going to do today?”
“I have talked to Maria, and I am going to spend most of the day with her in the kitchen.”
The Colonel said, “Will wanted to see the water system I am working on so he and I will ride up the valley and check things out this morning.”
Breakfast finished, and they all headed out to start their day. Dan went through the kitchen and out onto the porch and got the crate that Bob Robert had left him. He carried it up to his room and set it against the wall. He would tend to that later, but now he wanted to sight in the rifle this morning while the wind was calm and the air cool. He picked up the High Wall, a box of cartridges and his leather pack. He went downstairs and into the parlor, where he picked up the paper target. Then he went to the kitchen to go out the back door, but found Alice already there with Maria. She was wearing the dress she had been wearing when they left the ranch, but now it was washed and ironed and looked good on her.
High Country Rescue Page 29