by C. J. Petit
JAKE ELLIOTT HELENA MONT TERR
Sara was smiling when she opened the telegram and laughing when she finished reading. She read it twice more before folding it again. She wished she could send a reply but knew he would already be on his way back.
She left her room to surprise her mother by letting her read the telegram. Even as she stepped down the stairs, Sara was already imagining the best way to welcome Jake.
After he’d gone, Sara had been improving her riding skills using Orville’s new horse. Now that she was comfortable on horseback, she wanted to borrow his horse to greet him on the Elk. She only wished she knew exactly when he would be arriving on Monday.
_____
As Sara was walking down the hallway toward the kitchen to let her mother read Jake’s telegram, Jack Parker was riding into town from the Elk Ranch. When he left, he had planned to visit Sheriff Zendt. But as he entered Fort Benton, he decided that Sara Smith might be able to answer his question better than the sheriff.
So, he headed to her father’s feed and grain store because he didn’t know where she lived. After dismounting, Jack entered the store and approached her father.
Lou Smith smiled and asked, “What brings you by this morning, Jack?”
“Lou, do you know if Jake is on his way back yet?”
“Nope. But if anybody does, it would be Sara. She’s probably home by now. Our house is #26 Fourth Street.”
Before Jack turned to leave, Lou asked, “Is something wrong out at the Elk?”
“I don’t know if it’s wrong, but it sure is confusin’,” Jack replied before giving Lou a short wave and leaving the store.
After he mounted, it only took Jack a minute to reach the Smith home. He hoped that Jake had not only sent a telegram to Sara but told her he was on his way back. He didn’t care if Jake found his father, either.
He soon knocked on the door and waited anxiously. If Sara didn’t know where Jake was, the situation on the ranch could get testy.
Sara and her mother were still chatting about Jake’s telegram when they heard Jack’s loud knocking.
Sara said, “I’ll get it, Mama,” then popped to her feet and hurried down the hallway still clutching Jake’s telegram.
When she opened the door, she didn’t recognize Jack, but could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t happy.
Before she could ask who he was, Jack said, “Miss Smith? My name is Jack Parker, and I’ve been working on the Elk for seven years. We’ve got a problem out there right now, and I was hopin’ that you might know where Jake is.”
“I don’t know exactly where he is right now, but I can tell you that he’s given up searching for his father and left Helena this morning. I just received a telegram a little while ago. He hopes to be back by Monday.”
Jack was visibly relieved as he said, “That’s really good news, miss. I appreciate your help.”
Sara was about to ask what the problem was on the ranch, but Jack quickly turned and trotted down the porch steps. He was in a hurry to get back to tell the boys that Jake was on his way back. She watched him mount then wave before he wheeled his horse toward Main Street and rode away.
She slowly turned and entered the house, leaving the front door open in case Jack Parker returned. She walked down the hallway to tell her mother of the short, but troubling conversation.
But the look on Jack’s face inspired her to modify her newly hatched plan to welcome Jake home. Now all she needed was to convince her parents to let her do it.
_____
Two hours later, Jack Parker and John Hatcher rode away from the Elk and turned west after leaving the access road. They weren’t leading a packhorse because they wanted to move fast. They needed to make sure that Jake made it back in one piece.
They hoped to be more than halfway to Fort Shaw by the time they had to set up camp and, God willing, they’d meet him on the road on Sunday morning.
_____
Jake was now more than halfway to Fort Shaw, even after stopping for lunch. He hadn’t spotted the deserters yet, so maybe they’d returned to their post with their implausible excuse. It would be better than begging for forgiveness because the army wasn’t known for its compassion.
As Jack and John rode out of the Elk, Jake passed their campsite. He didn’t even have to search for it. Their dead mounts’ odor was even more powerful with the shift in wind direction, and Mars and Vulcan didn’t like it any better than they had when they’d passed by yesterday.
By late afternoon, he knew he was just another three hours or so from Fort Shaw, so he began to believe he’d make it back to the ranch before sunset on Sunday. He then remembered that it was payday yesterday and grinned. He might not see any of the boys if he did show up earlier than he’d expected. They’d either be sleeping off Saturday’s revelry or still in town. Big Tom would still be alert, but he might be in town teaching his Bible lessons if it was his turn.
_____
Sara closed the oven door, looked at her mother and said, “It’s almost done, Mama.”
Priscilla continued peeling the enormous potato as she replied, “Thank you, dear.”
Sara then sprang her plan on her unsuspecting mother when she casually said, “Tomorrow morning after church, I’m going to borrow Orville’s horse and ride to the Elk.”
Priscilla set down the sharp paring knife, looked at Sara and asked, “Why? Jake’s telegram said that he hoped to be back by Monday. The ranch will probably be empty or close to it tomorrow.”
“I know, Mama. I plan to stay in his house until he returns. I’m worried about what has happened on the ranch while he was gone. I don’t know what it was because Mister Parker seemed anxious to find Jake, and I never had a chance to ask him.”
“Then it’s all the more reason why you shouldn’t go to the ranch, Sara. What if one of the men wanted to take over the ranch while Jake was gone? There could be shooting. You can wait another day for Jake to handle the problem on the Elk.”
Sara chewed her lower lip for a few seconds, then said, “The big man who is a blacksmith on the ranch, I believe his name is Tom McCallister, goes to our church. I’ll ask him what is going on. If it’s not violent, I can ask him to escort me to the ranch.”
Priscilla knew Big Tom was a moral man and if the blacksmith told Sara that there was no danger, she knew her younger daughter would probably override her and her husband’s objections anyway.
“Alright. We’ll see what Mister McCallister has to say tomorrow. If he agrees to watch out for you, then I suppose you’d go regardless of what I tell you.”
Sara grinned in relief then said, “Thank you, Mama. I’ll pack my things tonight just in case.”
Priscilla resumed disrobing of the potato as she replied, “I’m surprised you haven’t already emptied your dresser drawers.”
_____
When Jake pulled up to set up his own campsite for the night, he was less than three miles from Fort Shaw, and it was all downhill. He was confident that he’d be sleeping in his own bed tomorrow night.
Twenty-one miles east of Fort Shaw, Jack Parker and John Hatcher had a cold supper as they discussed what had happened on the Elk.
Jack asked, “I wonder if Jake already knew what was going on. Maybe he got a telegram from his girl and that’s why he’s comin’ back so fast.”
John was chewing his smoked venison, so he had to swallow before saying, “You shoulda asked her when she told you he was headin’ back.”
“I know. I was just too anxious to tell you and the other boys about Jake.”
“Well, we sure ain’t gonna head back now. With any kind of luck, we’ll bump into Jake tomorrow mornin’ before we reach Fort Shaw.”
Jack nodded then said, “I’ll feel a whole lot better just findin’ him ridin’ high on Mars’ saddle.”
“You and me both, Jack.”
_____
With Mars and Vulcan grazing nearby, Jake stared at the waxing moon overhead. It would be a half-moon in an
other couple of days. He hoped by the time it was full, he and Sara would be married. He was still uncertain if they’d use the large bedroom his parents had shared.
But that would be a later decision. Since he’d decided to prematurely end his search, he’d been trying to understand why he hadn’t felt a hint of disappointment with his failure. Even his earlier frustrations were gone. It was as if he’d been in prison then was unexpectedly pardoned. It made no sense to him because the man who had murdered his mother was still free and might even marry another woman and hurt her.
As that thought crossed his mind, he thought of Mrs. Kemper. How had his father treated her? Then another, even more revolting notion popped into his head. What if his father had murdered Mister Kemper? All Jerome had told him was that the baker had simply disappeared.
That concept blossomed into a series of plausible events. His father was having an affair with Mrs. Kemper and her husband walked in on them unexpectedly. His father was a much more powerful man than the baker and killed him. He may not have intended to murder Mister Kemper, but once the man was dead, he’d have to hide his body, which wouldn’t be difficult. Whether he paid off her mortgage and added the five hundred dollars to her bank account because of guilt or a form of blackmail wasn’t important.
What mattered was when his mother tried to balance the books and confronted him about the large, unexpected withdrawal. It had been the fuse that set off his father’s explosive rage.
Satisfied with his complete resolution of the entire episode, he almost considered continuing his search. It was only his more powerful desire to see Sara that overrode the idea. But he also believed that his mother’s whispers might have added to his decision to return to the Elk.
It may be a few more years before his name could be put on the deed to the ranch, but he would run it as if he owned it. He still didn’t believe his father would suddenly return, but if he did, Jake was now determined that he wasn’t going to be the Elliott who would be leaving. Jake now firmly believed that his father had surrendered his rights of ownership when he’d murdered his mother. He and Sara would make it their home.
CHAPTER 7
Sunday was still in its infancy when Jake stepped into Mars’ saddle and left his campsite. He was wearing his heavy coat to fight off the morning chill, but left it unbuttoned in case he needed quick access to his Colt.
In the dim light of the predawn, before he’d saddled his horses, Jake had washed and shaved in a nearby stream just in case he had enough time to visit Sara. He probably wouldn’t see her until tomorrow, but there was no harm in being optimistic. He hadn’t even nicked himself as he scraped off his stubble.
He was in excellent spirits when he spotted Fort Shaw and didn’t give a thought about stopping to see if the two deserters had returned. If they had, then they should be in the guardhouse awaiting court martial. Maybe they’d walked into the fort with some lame excuse for their absence that had been accepted. Jake thought neither of those outcomes were likely. The two ex-privates had probably spent a few hours trying to repair their broken Springfields before wandering into the wilderness. Whatever happened to them wasn’t important to Jake. They shouldn’t have shirked their duty.
He soon made the right turn onto the Fort Shaw – Fort Benton road. He had another fifty-five miles to go, but Mars and Vulcan were still going strong even after yesterday’s longer and more strenuous journey up and down those passes.
_____
Jack Parker and John Hatcher didn’t start saddling their horses before Jake made that turn. But they were on the road heading west just fifteen minutes later. So, with the bright sun at their backs they headed for Fort Shaw while Jake was riding into the sun fifteen miles ahead of them.
They’d left an unhappy bunch on the Elk, but to a man, they believed that Jack and John would return with Jake. The situation prevented them from leaving the ranch on Saturday for a good time in town, so they all slept in except for Big Tom McCallister. He was out of his private bunk in his smithy with the sunrise as usual, then began his morning ablutions in preparation for Sunday services. He didn’t have a suit or even a nice jacket, but he didn’t believe fancy clothes were necessary. He did want to be as neat as possible when he entered the church. He was the only worker on the Elk who was a regular churchgoer. Some of the other boys would accompany him, but only if they had a gripe or request that needed divine intervention.
Church services began at nine o’clock, so as Jake, Jack and John rode closer toward each other, Big Tom was saddling his personal horse, a big buckskin mare he named Lulu.
_____
Sara was already dressed and waited anxiously for the rest of her family. Her bags were packed, and Orville had agreed to let her borrow his horse for a day. She hoped that whatever problem had driven Jack Parker to find her wasn’t bad enough to keep Mister McCallister from attending today’s services. If he was there, then she hoped that when he explained the issue, her parents would be satisfied that it wasn’t dangerous. If it was safe, then she was confident that the big blacksmith would agree to escort her to the Elk.
But after she’d gone to her room last night, she began to spend more time thinking about what had caused such a commotion among the ranch hands on the Elk. The most obvious and chilling was that Jake’s father had returned. She knew he had more than enough time to make the long, circular ride that would bring him back to Fort Benton from the south even as Jake was going in the opposite direction. She hadn’t mentioned that possibility to her parents this morning, but if she was able to talk to Mister McCallister, she prayed that he wouldn’t tell her that Jake’s father had resumed control of his ranch.
Sara may not hear about the ranch’s difficulties until she was able to talk to Big Tom after church services, but Jake would learn about the problem much earlier.
_____
While he was still riding into the sun, it was high enough in the sky to allow Jake to spot the oncoming traffic when it appeared on the eastern horizon. He studied the tiny specks as they grew into barely discernible figures. He counted two riders and no pack animals. His recent shootout with the highwayman in the same area raised his hackles. He was about to shrug off his heavy coat when both riders began wildly waving their hats over their heads.
They were still a good two miles away, so he had no idea why they had done it. They wouldn’t be able to recognize him at this distance, even with the sun at their backs. He released his Colt’s hammer loop but kept his jacket on rather than give them a warning.
He kept Mars at the same pace, but noticed that soon after they’d waved their hats, the two riders sent their horses into a gallop. He was about to pull his pistol when he recognized Jack Parker and John Hatcher. He waved his hat as they had before slipping his hammer loop back over his Colt. He suspected that Sara had sent them to find him after she received his telegram. He couldn’t imagine any other reason for them to leave the Elk on a day of rest.
When they were a couple of hundred yards out, Jake pulled Mars to a stop and waited as they slowed their horses. Before they reached him, his grin evaporated when he saw the distraught look on their faces. He immediately reached the same conclusion that Sara had…his father had somehow returned.
When they held up a few feet away, Jake quickly asked, “What’s wrong, Jack?”
Jake replied, “It’s Dave. We don’t know where he is.”
Jake was shaken by the unexpected news, but before he said another word, he nudged Mars into a medium trot and waited to be flanked by the two ranch hands.
Once the trio were riding abreast, Jake asked, “When did he disappear?”
“The last time anybody saw him was Thursday during chow. We went out to work the herds the next mornin’ but didn’t go lookin’ for him. When we finished for the day, we expected to see him in the chow house with our pay. But he didn’t show up, so we got kinda worried and went to his house. After we knocked long and loud, we went inside, but he wasn’t there. Then John noticed that all
his drawers were empty, and his other personal stuff was gone.”
“Dave packed up and just left?” Jake asked.
Jack nodded then said, “We had Bill Jackson check the corral, and he said that two horses were missin’. One was that gray gelding Dave liked ‘cause he looked like Bobby Lee’s Traveler. The other one was a black gelding with four boots.”
“And he left without paying you?”
“Yup. It made the boys a bit testy, so I rode into town yesterday to ask the sheriff if he knew where you were, but figgered that your girl probably knew. She told me you were on your way back already, so I grabbed John and headed out to make sure you were okay.”
“Is it because you heard about my run-in with the highwayman?”
“You had a shootout with some outlaw?”
“On my way to Fort Shaw. It was pretty close to this place, too. I winged him in the left arm and let him keep going to Fort Benton. But you didn’t know about that?”
“Nope.”
“Then why did you think I might not make it back?”
“Um…we were kinda worried that Dave might be mad at you for some reason.”
“Why would Dave be mad at me? Did he tell you he was?”
“Nope. But he seemed outta sorts after you left. He was real quiet and none of us wanted to stir him up to ask what was botherin’ him. After we found out he was gone, we were thinkin’ he mighta gone to find you.”
Jake didn’t say anything for another minute as he tried to imagine what had upset Dave. He knew that Dave wasn’t angry at him, but he might have decided to try to join him in his search. If it wasn’t for Dave failing to pay the men before he left, it would be the most plausible reason.
He finally asked, “Did you ask anyone in town if they saw him on Friday?”
Jack replied, “I reckon that shoulda done that, but I was worried about you, Jake.”
“That’s okay. Did you check the ranch house to see if he took anything?”
“We figgered you could do that when you got back.”
“That’s a good idea, Jack. You probably wouldn’t have been able to figure out what was missing anyway.”