by C. J. Petit
“I’ll be riding past in a few minutes, and I don’t want to have to shoot either of you, so just stay put. I’m not being lenient because I feel sorry for you. It’s just that I don’t want to waste the time having to bring you back to Fort Shaw. What you do out here without guns or horses is up to you.”
Jake didn’t wait to hear a reply before he turned and headed for the road. He might get even more annoyed if they started pleading for a ride or food.
It only took a couple of minutes of fast walking before he reached his horses. He soon mounted Mars and set him at a fast trot toward Helena. He kept his eyes trained to his right and as he passed their campsite, he spotted them still sitting on the ground a few feet from their spoiled Springfields.
He kept Mars at the higher pace for another few minutes before he slowed him to a less stressful speed. He had planned to stop well before sunset, but now needed to put more distance between him and the deserters even though they were unarmed and on foot. They were also desperate, and desperate men were capable of anything.
He had just apologized to Mars for his change in plans when the road crossed an almost unnoticeable summit and began to decline. He suspected that the road wouldn’t continue its shallow downward path all the way to Helena but was relieved that his horses wouldn’t have to climb again before he set up camp for the night.
_____
It was almost three hours later when he pulled off the side of the road to give Mars and Vulcan their much-needed rest. He estimated that he’d put a good fifteen to twenty miles between him and the deserters.
He set up his campsite beside a small creek that probably flowed into the Pear River which then dumped its water into the Missouri which was just on the other side of the mountains to the east. He should be able to see the Mighty Mo tomorrow when the road descended into a small plain, but then he’d lose sight of the river when he reentered the mountains. But then just a few hours later, he’d reach Silver City, a town just an hour’s ride north of Helena. He’d start asking about his father in Silver City, but still expected to find him in the largest and wealthiest city in the territory, or not at all.
_____
After a filling meal courtesy of Charlie Shimshock’s cooking talents, Jake slid into his bedroll. He should reach Helena before noon. He’d get a room at a hotel then start visiting the liveries to ask if a stranger had boarded two brown geldings in the past month. If none of them could provide any useful information, he’d visit the Lewis and Clark County sheriff’s office. But he suspected that if the liverymen hadn’t seen his father, then it was unlikely that the lawmen would.
He planned to stay in Helena for another day to let Mars and Vulcan recover even if he didn’t discover his father’s whereabouts. He smiled when he decided to take advantage of the bigger town’s offerings to buy a nice set of wedding bands. While he was reasonably sure that Sara would be just as happy with a simple steel ring or nothing at all, Jake wanted to surprise her. He wouldn’t go overboard, but he’d find something elegant. He reminded himself to send her a telegram to let her know that he’d reached Helena. He didn’t even think of sending one to Dave Forrest because he didn’t think Dave would really care if he didn’t know where he was.
It was a reasonably warm night, but Jake soon wished it was much colder when he was besieged by mosquitoes. He finally pulled his nearby blanket over his head for protection. It may have been stifling, but he was no longer suffering their tiny, irritating attacks and soon drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 6
The mosquitoes were gone by the time Jake slipped out of his bedroll as the sky began to lighten. Within an hour, he was on the road again. Mars and Vulcan were still in good condition, which didn’t surprise him. Besides the strength and stamina that they’d inherited from their father, they were both still young. Jake acknowledged his own youth but hoped that he hadn’t inherited anything other than his surname from his own father.
He soon crossed over another pass and was surprised to see the narrow plain spread out before him in the distance. He could see the Missouri River to the southeast as well, which meant that he must have traveled even farther than he’d first estimated. As he descended to the flat ground, he adjusted his expected arrival time to the town of Silver City. He should see the town within two hours and decided that he’d just pass through rather than stop to ask anyone about his father. He’d still keep his eyes open for the two brown geldings, but he thought his day would be better spent by asking those questions in Helena.
Mars made short work of the long downslope and Jake was soon riding along the five-mile stretch of road that crossed the plain. He spotted a pair of freight wagons entering the other end of the plain and assumed that they’d departed from Helena about the same time he’d broken camp. Twenty minutes later, he waved to the freighters as he passed. He didn’t tell them about the deserters because they were no longer a threat and the men on the driver’s seats were well armed.
After crossing the same creek twice, the road curved to the southwest and began to climb again. Jake knew that the next pass would be his last and not nearly as high as the ones he’d just crossed.
He was growing anxious as Mars crossed the lower pass and after a downwardly sloping right curve, he spotted Silver City a few miles ahead. The town may not be important in the big scheme of things, but to Jake, it meant that he was nearing the end of his abbreviated search.
It was close to noon when he passed through Silver City. As he walked Mars along their main street, he kept his eyes busy as he scanned the buildings, pedestrians and horses. He wasn’t expecting to find anything to help him find his father and he didn’t.
He soon left the town behind and made a left turn when the road ended at an intersection. Within five minutes, Helena’s first buildings appeared on the horizon. As more of the city came into view, Jake was amazed by what he saw. He knew that the territorial capital was prosperous, but he soon realized that his expectations fell far short of what he found. The nearby gold fields had created what appeared to be a collection of mansions.
While he may have been impressed, it also led him to believe that his father wouldn’t have stayed in Helena even if he’d passed this way. But by the time he entered the town, he found that most of the city, while more affluent than most Western settlements, wasn’t that much different. He still didn’t believe that his father would have stayed here, but he could have transited Helena before heading to Wyoming or Idaho Territories. But he’d arrived even earlier than he’d hoped, so as he walked Mars down Clure Street, he decided to get his hotel room, then start visiting the liveries.
He soon turned left on Broadway, and the first thing he noticed was a tall church steeple a couple of blocks on his right. He passed another church before he spotted the Flanagan Arms Hotel. He soon dismounted, tied off Mars and entered the large, brick building. He crossed the polished floor of the expansive lobby feeling a bit shabby after the long ride, but the desk clerk didn’t seem offended when Jake stepped in front of him.
“May I help you, sir?” the clerk asked without a hint of condescension.
“I’d like a room for the night. If you have one with a bath, I’d appreciate it.”
“We do, but it costs an extra dollar per night.”
“That’s fine.”
As the clerk turned to take a key from a hooked board, Jake signed the register. After he finished writing, he scanned the names above his, just in case his father had used the hotel. He didn’t find Chester Elliott, but on the opposite page of guests, someone had registered as R.L. Kemper. It would be a strange coincidence for someone with the name of the missing baker would take a room around the same time that his father might have arrived in Helena. There weren’t any dates, so Jake wasn’t sure how old the entry was. He stared at the name but was unable to determine if it was his father’s handwriting.
When the clerk handed him his key, Jake reached into his jacket’s inner pocket and slid out his wallet. He handed him a
five-dollar note which the clerk slipped into the cash drawer then handed him his two dollars change.
As he accepted the notes, Jake said, “I rode from Fort Benton looking for my father. I noticed that a man named Kemper registered here around the time he could have arrived. His real name is Chester Elliott, but he might have used Mister Kemper’s name. You don’t recall the man; do you?”
Jake expected the clerk to protest about privacy in the hope of extracting a gratuity, but he didn’t.
He just smiled and said, “Many of our guests don’t use the names given to them by their parents. I do recall Mister Kemper, though. He was covered in trail dust, much as you are. Most of our guests arrive via coach or carriage, so riders who have spent a long time on the road are noticeable. Can you describe your father?”
“He’s about two inches shorter than I am, but a bit heavier. He has the same hair color as I do but has gray eyes rather than my hazel green. He wore a beard when he left but might have shaved it off. What was most memorable about him, aside from his dominating presence, was that he wore a tan Stetson with a dark band decorated with bull elks.”
“I didn’t see Mister Kemper’s hat, and I’m not sure he was that tall, but he could have been your father.”
Jake tried to restrain his excitement as he asked, “Do you know where he stabled his horses?”
“We have a contract with M&M Livery just a block to the right as you leave the hotel. Guests can have their horses boarded there for half price.”
“Thank you. I’ll head over there to drop off my horses and ask if they remember his two brown geldings.”
The clerk said, “Good luck, Mister Elliott,” before Jake nodded then turned and quickly crossed the lobby.
He mounted Mars and turned him down Broadway, picking up the large livery as soon as he was in the saddle. Jake’s excitement continued to grow with each of his red gelding’s steps.
After dismounting, he led his pair of horses through the double barn doors and was met by a liveryman who was much cleaner than he was.
“Howdy. Are you gonna leave those handsome fellers with us?”
“Yes, sir. I have a room at the Flanagan Arms and the clerk said that their guests use your livery for boarding their animals.”
“It’s a good deal for us and them, too. It’ll cost you fifty cents a day for both horses.”
“That’s fine,” Jake said as he pulled two quarters from his pants pocket and handed them to the liveryman.
Before he transferred Mars’ reins, Jake asked, “My father might have stayed at the hotel three weeks ago. He was riding a plain brown gelding and was using a similar horse as a pack animal. Do you remember anyone boarding a pair of horses like that?”
“Nope. I woulda remembered ‘em, too. Most of their guests don’t have packhorses. You’re the first feller to have one in a long time.”
Jake nodded then gave the liveryman Mars’ reins. He stepped back to Vulcan and removed his clothing pannier before walking out of the livery. As he felt the late afternoon sun on his face again, he was surprised by his lack of disappointment. He’d been so excited with the possibility of finally finding his father that he believed failure would crush his spirit. While he wasn’t overjoyed by the negative results, he had to admit to feeling relieved.
He was still trying to understand why he felt that way as he passed through the lobby and soon entered the hallway to his room. He figured that the rooms with private baths were all on the first floor because of the weight of the tubs when full of water and guests.
As he entered his room, he was smiling as he envisioned a naked guest climbing into his second-floor bath and then after the floor gave way, making a spectacular entrance into the first-floor room below during an intensely intimate moment.
After leaving his clothing pannier on the floor, he walked to the window and had an impressive view of the adjacent building’s outside wall. He still stared ahead as he thought about his reaction to the liveryman’s negative answer. Did he even want to continue the search?
Just a week ago, he had been determined to find his father and at least have him explain why he’d committed such an unforgivable act. Everyone except Sara had urged him to stay. He was sure that even his mother would have added her voice to the chorus imploring him to remain on the Elk. But his lack of disappointment had convinced him to leave Helena in the morning and follow the same road back to the Elk and Sara.
Jake turned away from the window and soon left the room. He hadn’t had lunch but wasn’t hungry. He stopped at the front desk and asked the clerk if there was a jewelry shop nearby.
Ten minutes later, he entered Michel’s Fine Jewelry where he spent even less time selecting the wedding band set. After leaving the shop, Jake headed to the Western Union office which was easily found by looking for the overhead wires. The wires leaving Helena didn’t use the same route he’d taken. One branch headed south then snaked east before following a long, curving path that eventually arrived at Fort Benton while the other headed west before curving north to Fort Shaw. He had no idea why they’d chosen those routes, but it didn’t matter as long as they worked.
He entered the fairly large telegraph office and after stopping at one of the two wide shelves, he wrote his message to Sara. After he finished, he briefly thought about sending one to Dave, but didn’t even take a second blank sheet of paper from the stack. He figured Dave could run the ranch well enough in his absence without knowing that he’d be returning in a couple of days.
After paying his sixty cents, Jake left the Western Union office and headed back to the hotel. He wanted to make use of the bath that had cost him an extra dollar before he visited the hotel restaurant for dinner.
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A clean and well-fed Jake Elliott pulled back the heavy quilts of his large, comfortable bed shortly after the sun set. He wanted to have a good night’s sleep because he’d be leaving Helena tomorrow morning. As much as he wanted to return to see Sara again, he wasn’t about to risk overstressing Mars and Vulcan. It had taken him four days to reach Helena, but he wasn’t going to make any detours on his return trip. So, he expected to reach the Elk by mid-day on Monday, the first of August.
Once he decided to end his search, Jake also convinced himself that his father would never show his face on the ranch again. When he returned, he’d take over operation of the ranch, but would talk to Jerome Wright as soon as possible. He didn’t know how long his father would have to remain absent before he could legally be declared the owner of the Elk, but the clock had started on the second of July.
_____
Jake rode out of Helena a little after nine o’clock the next morning. Mars and Vulcan were well-fed, well-rested and seemed as anxious to get home as he was.
Helena soon disappeared from sight and about an hour after leaving the territorial capital, Jake passed through Silver City. Knowing what to expect of the terrain ahead would help speed his journey. It was a Saturday, so he didn’t expect to see as much traffic coming from Fort Shaw. He had a clear road in both directions when Silver City faded out of sight.
As he descended to the narrow plain, Jake wondered if he’d encounter the two deserters as he headed north. If he did, they’d be on foot with empty stomachs. Maybe they headed back to Fort Shaw after inventing an excuse for their absence.
He waved goodbye to the Missouri River after he reached the first pass just before noon. He’d stop to rest the horses and have a quick lunch when he reached the second. Jake was so pleased with his progress that he began to believe he might even make it back before sunset tomorrow. But for now, it was just a hopeful possibility.
_____
Sara was walking back to the house after spending all morning with Kay. While she suspected that Kay still wasn’t pleased with Jake’s new status as her beau, Kay had seemed to be more willing to accept it.
She had just turned down Fourth Street when she spotted Jimmy Woodley stepping onto the porch of her family home. Knowing that Jim
my was one of the three boys that delivered telegrams for Western Union pushed her into a jog. She watched him knock on the door and just as she reached the edge of her front yard, her mother opened the door.
“Mama! Is it for me?” she shouted as she continued trotting to the front gate.
Jimmy turned away from her mother just as Sara swung through the open gate and finally slowed.
Priscilla didn’t even bother asking Jimmy the name of the telegram’s intended recipient but took a nickel from her dress pocket then waited for Sara to step onto the porch.
Sara was breathing heavily as she climbed the three steps, but she didn’t care about her lack of oxygen when Jimmy handed her the message.
Sara huffed, “Thank…you…Jimmy,” as she accepted the telegram.
Jimmy grinned and was about to leave when Priscilla said, “Jimmy, this is for you,” and gave him the nickel.
He was still grinning as he clutched the five-cent piece and exclaimed, “Thank you, ma’am!” then hurried down the steps.
Sara’s breathing had returned to normal before she smiled at her mother and said, “I’m going to read this in my room. Okay, Mama?”
“I’d be surprised if you shared it with me, dear.”
Sara gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying into the house then climbing the stairs to her room. She hoped that she would soon read that Jake was coming home and didn’t care if he’d found his father or not.
After rushing into her room and closing the door, she sat on her bed and carefully opened the telegram.
She closed her eyes for just a few seconds before she read:
SARA SMITH 26 FOURTH ST FT BENTON MONT TERR
DID NOT FIND FATHER
WILL NOT CONTINUE SEARCH
LEAVING HELENA IN MORNING
HOPE TO SEE YOU ON MONDAY
COURTSHIP WILL BEGIN THEN
BUT END ON FRIDAY
UNLESS YOU OBJECT AS TOO LONG