by J. D. Oliver
“Yes, but even that is not set in stone, I will tell you that much.”
“Clay, will you stop playing word games?” Faith said.
“Yeah, sure sweetheart, but I’ve got some arranging to do. I have to get them categorized in order of importance and chronologically. It may take some time. It’s like I said though, you are probably happier not knowing.”
Red was coming across the yard, “Hey,” he said, “I thought you and Rosie was going to help with the roundup and branding?”
“Sure,” I said, glad of the respite of getting back to the present. Too bad I wasn’t an animal….they live in the present….
Rosie and I missed lunch, we had a big breakfast anyway. We spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon brush popping strays out of the timbered draws. When we got back, Faith and Alita met us at the corral. “How come you didn’t ask me to go, I can ride you know?”
“Uh, didn’t know you wanted to go, and yes I know you can ride, beautifully too.” I said.
“Well, I really didn’t say that I wanted to, I guess I just wanted to be asked. I’m sorry if I came across as a bitchy wife. Besides I didn’t have anyone to watch Alita. Daisy was busy, cooking for the roundup crew. And Suong had to go the drilling rig; someone hurt his arm. I guess I was just feeling left out.” Faith said, as I picked her and Alita up and gave them both a kiss.
“Say,” I said, “what about the drilling, how’s it going?”
“Pretty good, we’re already having one well producing. They hope to have another one on line within a week. Since Red has been busy with the ranch; I’ve sort of been overseeing the drilling. Do you want to take over that?”
“No, no way. Since you have it well in hand, you keep on, keeping on.”
“Well, I do like the way they whistle at me.” Faith said. I seen the twinkle in her eye and knew she was just funning me.
“You know, I would be very disappointed if they didn’t whistle at you, you’re the prettiest thing in Wyoming.” I said.
“Oh? Only in Wyoming?” Faith said.
“Nope, in the whole universe, and I should know.” I said.
“There you go teasing again.” Rosie said, “When are you going to tell us more?”
“I don’t know, some of the things I seen I don’t like to think about. But soon, Okay? Do we have time to take a shower before supper?”
“Yes, Alita and I will get it on the table,” Faith said, “you and Rosie can get cleaned up.”
The hot water felt good, as it washed away the dust and grim, and soothed the bruise’s and small cuts, that the brush gave me. Even though I wore chaps. I was glad we had installed a commercial grade hot water heater, I took my time.
The shower door opened, Faith stood there, “Hey, I didn’t say take all night, get your butt out of that shower; the food is getting cold.”
I wanted to pull her in with me, but that could wait. I turned the water off and got out. She handed me a towel. She licked her lips, she was thinking the same thing I was, but she had to wait also. Rosie tapped on the door and said, “Come on, you two, no shenanigans now.”
After supper, Rosie took Alita into the den to read to her. I cleaned off the table and then dried the dishes as Faith washed. We had a dishwasher, but at times we liked to do them by hand. When married couples shared domestic chores; it brought them closer together. And closer was always better, right?
After we finished the dishes, Faith and I went into the den. We snuggled up on the couch and each of us picked up a book to read. My hand fell on George Orwell’s- ‘1984’.
I read the first chapter. It was disturbingly close to one of those visions that I had. But not that close, his was fiction. I was pretty sure what I had seen wasn’t fiction.
Faith was calling, “Clay, Clay, come on now, you’re not going to drift off again are you?”
“Uh, no. I’m alright. You both wanted to know about those visions that I had?
Well, this book made me think about one. This one that I am going to tell you about, has to do with religion. Or the fall of it, anyway. Have either of you ever heard of ‘Babylon the Great?”
Faith nodded, but Rosie spoke up, “Oh, I have. Isn’t it the world empire of false religion?”
“Yes, you might say that. I don’t know whether you know it or not, but religion has been responsible for most of the blood shed in the world. But before I tell you anymore each of you get a Bible and read Revelations the 18th chapter.” They did.
“As you know the Apostle John wrote Revelations. Anyway, did you notice how true Christians were told to get out of her, so as not to share in her sins? Because, did you pick up on the reason? And that was because she was going to be destroyed? Well that is what one of my vision was about. The fall of Babylon the Great and her final destruction.” I paused, then Rosie said,
“Well finish it, what did you see?”
“I seen how the world’s governments got tired of her adulteress fornications with and interference in their affairs. You know how the so called fundamentalist’s interfere in the politics of our government. Plus also the jihads of those other religions. Well they got together and outlawed religion. I seen the sacking of all of the church’s and temples all across the whole world. Those priests and monks and such were executed outright, if they resisted. Of course religion only got what they had been dishing out for thousands of years, ever since the time of Nimrod.
Now that’s not to say that the governments were in the right, as you can see by the Bible, there in Revelations. They were only the tools God used to destroy false religion. So I guess that’s the end of one of my visions.”
“Okay,” Faith said, “that was the end of false religion, does that mean that was the end of religion in the world?”
“Well, in a way, yes. But not the end of the true worship of Jehovah God. That’s another vision, you’ll have to wait to hear that one. Did you know that God had a name?” I said.
“Yes, I did,” Rosie said. “I found it in the Bible, at Psalms 83:18. Of course false religion has removed his name from most of their translations, but I found it in the King James version.”
“Good for you Rosie. I’m afraid I didn’t know all of this till I had my coma for six months. You are way ahead of me.”
“You didn’t tell us many of the details, just generally what happened.” Faith said.
“You really don’t want the details, do you?” I said.
“No, I guess not. But when does this happen?” Faith asked.
“I can’t tell you that. Because, it happens in the time line leading up to the battle of Armageddon. And the Bible says that no man will know the day or the hour, only Jehovah God knows that. Jesus his son, doesn’t even know the day or hour.”
“Well, it must be getting close.” Rosie said, “Because look at what a mess the world is in.”
“Yes Rosie, Jesus said at Matt. 24:32,33. That for us to take an illustration from the fig tree. ‘as soon as it puts forth its new branches we know that the summer is getting near, likewise when all the prophecies start to occur, you know that he is near at the door’.” I said, not knowing myself where all of these things I was saying were coming from, I had never read the Bible that much before.
Faith said, “What are you, some kind of prophet or something now?”
“No, I don’t think so, I think I’m what’s called an eavesdropper. In all of these visions, I was sort of standing in the shadows, no one knew I was there. At times I was sort of like an Eagle, flying high and just observing. In fact most of the time I was high in the sky, just looking on, sometimes I would swoop down for a closer look.”
“I’ve had dreams like that,” Rosie said, “I dream I’m flying, it’s very exhilarating.”
“Yes,” Faith said, “Me too, you’re flying and you can see everything. But I didn’t see anything important. Of course I wasn’t an Eagle, I was just me.” Then she stuck her tongue out at me. I carefully laid my book on the coffee table, then I grabb
ed her and kissed her, long and hard. I heard Rosie say, “You know you two have a room.” Then she picked Alita up and said, “We’re going to bed.” Then she stomped out. We never did make it to bed, till much later….
The next morning all three of us saddled up to work the cattle. One of Daisy’s niece’s was visiting Daisy, we corralled her to baby sit. I showed Faith how to heel, she would catch every other throw, which really isn’t bad. I’ve known some old cattle men who didn’t do much better. I left Faith and Daisy to drag the calves to the fire. I went looking for some strays, that the guys on the oil rig said they saw. (said they saw, was that proper English?) You know when you go to read a story, don’t get caught up in the mechanics of it, just enjoy the story being told.
You see that is what I’m trying to do, is recount the happenings leading up to the end. And being that I’m not an English professor, but a warrior, you will find some grammatical errors. Enjoy them. After all doesn’t it make you feel superior?
Brutus and I, cantered for a ways, then cut back to a walk, just enjoying the ride. I had a 30-30 stuck in a sheath, under my left stirrup, plus my pistol in a shoulder holster. Even though we were lollygagging along, we both were alert to our surroundings. I didn’t want to be drygulched again.
I had just kicked Brutus up to a trot, when I seen Old Man Coyote sitting in the middle of the trail and by his side sat the biggest Bald Eagle that I had ever seen.
Brutus came right up to them and stopped on his own. “Well, what do you want Old Man?” I said, expecting no answer. I got no audible one, but I heard his voice in my mind.
“Want? I want the Buffalo back, I want the Elk, the Grizzly Bear. I want things as they used to be before the white man came, that’s what I want, but both you and I know that it is up the Great Spirit to do that. But right at this minute, Eagle and I have come to warn you of danger. It’s too bad you didn’t listen the last time I seen you.
But now, I know that you can hear me. They are back. Eagle says there are three of them. They are on top of the ridge in back of the oil drilling rig. They want to kill you, but if you don’t show up by sundown, they will kill some of your drilling rig crew.”
“Why do they want to kill me, I’m just a small cog in the wheel around here?”
“It’s not what you are now. Oh, they think it is, but it’s what you will accomplish in the future. The Dark one wants you dead. He is one of the reason’s that we can warn you. He being a supernatural being, you deserve some supernatural help, us….”
“Why can I hear you now and not before, when you gave that long mournful howl?” I said.
“That bullet you took to the head, scrambled some of your circuits, the Great Spirit just took advantage of that and rewired a few connections, so to speak. Our job is to keep you alive till you can develop some of your new God given skills.”
“What do you want me to do about those guys?” I asked.
“What do we want you to do? It’s not up to us, you do what you have to do. We’ll help you in anyway we can. Eagle will go ahead of you and pinpoint their exact location. If I was you I would circle back around and come up on them from behind.”
“Okay, say did you guys see my strays?” I asked.
“Yes, they are waiting for you. They are two draws to the west.” Eagle said.
With that Eagle flew off, Coyote got up and said, “Follow me, I’ll show you the best way to surprise them.”
Brutus followed in Old Man Coyote’s footsteps, or as close as a hoof print can follow a paw print. We stayed in the timber. They were on the ridge line above the drilling rig. They were having some kind of a heated discussion. There were three of them alright. And guess who one of them was? That’s right, Dipper Tick.
Coyote said, “I’ll go closer so you can hear what they are saying.”
“Huh? How am I going to hear if you go closer?” I said.
“How are you hearing me now? That was a rhetorical question, don’t answer. I’ll simply pipe what I am hearing directly into your brain, like I’m doing now.” With that being said, he started to work his way close to them without being seen.
I got off of my horse and my hand fell on my old saddlebags. They had been on my saddle before I left for the Navy. I don’t know why I hadn’t looked into them since we came back to the ranch. I opened the flap on the off side bag. The first thing I saw was my old sheath knife.
I used to practice with it all of the time, I was pretty good, if I remember right. It was still in its sheath, the one that I hung around my neck, with knife and sheath down my back. The strap had a beaded medallion in the front, so it looked like I was wearing a rawhide necklace. That was no one knew that I was carrying a knife back there.
I had just put it on and adjusted it, so I could grab it without delay, when I heard what Coyote was feeding me.
“Look!” Dipper Tick was saying, “You guys said that you would back my play, you both said that you were killers for hire.” I could see them pretty clearly, the two guys looked young, both dressed western, like they were local Cowboys.
“Yeah, that’s right, that’s what we said, but you ain’t too bright, we would of told you anything just to keep you buying our drinks.” The oldest looking one of the two said.
The other one piped up, “Yep, haven’t you ever fed a broad a line to get in her pants?
That’s what we were doing, in essence, to just get in your wallet.”
The other one came back, “Yeah, and just what did you put in our drinks, I don’t even remember anything about getting out here. This looks like the Bronson spread. Now you say you want us to help kill Clay Bronson, and if that fails, to kill some of those roughnecks down there! Well you can go straight to hell, we ain’t going to kill anybody.”
All of the while this was going on I was creeping closer. Dipper reached on his hip, where he was wearing a holster, the same kind some of the cops I’ve seen wear. He said, “You are, or I’m going to kill the two of you.” He caught them flat footed. They weren’t wearing any guns; there were two rifles laying up against an old stump close by. But they couldn’t reach them.
I was carrying my 30-30, plus also my pistol in my shoulder holster. I could kill him right now, but for some reason I waited. I said, “Dipper, Dipper, Old Man, now you don’t want to kill those two Cowboys.” He turned sharply to face me, his face going ashen, “Whoa, now,” I said, “don’t do anything foolish, I have this here rifle pointed right where your heart is supposed to be and I can’t miss, even if you get a shot off, I’ll still kill you.”
“I tell you what, Dipper Old Man, I’ll give you a fair shake though, you just put that gun of yours back in your holster and I’ll lay my rifle down on the ground. You see I’m wearing a shoulder holster gun. Then we’ll let one of these puncher’s count to three and we’ll draw, how’s that?”
“Yeah, but you’re faster than me?” He said, his voice cracking.
“Now why would you say that?”
“I seen the video of you killing those men on the highway down in New Mexico; I’ve never seen anybody shoot like that?”
“Alright, I’ll tell you what, I’ll put my hands behind my head, you know like the cops make you do when they arrest you? You can keep your hands at your side, that way you will have the advantage, Okay?”
He smiled, I could see his mind working, “Alright, what about these two, are they going to interfere?” Dipper said.
“Nope, we ain’t going to lift a hand, Clay don’t need no help, his rep precedes him.” The oldest looking one said. Seems they knew me, I hadn’t placed them, guess I had other things on my mind.
We were only standing about fifteen feet apart, he was really smiling now; he figured he could beat me with time to spare. My right hand was only inches from my knife, it was a special made one, by a traveling tinker, when I was just a kid.
You know how sometimes in times of crisis how every-thing seems to play out in slow motion? That’s how this was. He signaled by his eyes before
he made his play. I waited till his hand was on his gun butt; he had it almost level when my knife reached him. The razor sharp tungsten steel blade entered his forearm right back of his wrist, it cut the tendons to his hand, the gun fell to the ground. The blade lodged in the bone of his arm. He fell to the ground screaming.
“Damn, I ain’t never seen nothing like that, man that was fast.” The youngest puncher said. I said, “Well, you had better take that rag you have around your neck and make a tourniquet or he’ll bleed to death. Then the two of you pick him up and take him down to the drilling rig; there’s a Doctor down there. I’m going to call the FBI, then I’ll get my horse and come on down. Oh yeah, leave that blade in there, don’t pull it out, let the Doctor do that.” I said.
Old Man Coyote said, “Why didn’t you kill him?”
“Don’t rightly know, must have been some reason, right at the last second I changed my mind. I was going to put it right through his throat. I’m going to turn him over to Harry Silver, he can play around with him.” I went over to Brutus and tightened the cinch that I had loosened when I got off. He reached around and playfully nipped me in the butt, I absent mindedly switched him on the nose with ends of the reins. Then I mounted up and was going to round up the strays two draws over, when Old Man Coyote said, “Are you just going to leave those two rifles and that pistol laying on the ground?”
“I don’t know, why don’t you do something with them?” I said, as I rode off. I heard him say, “You know I don’t have opposable thumbs, don’t you?”
I put my cell phone back in my pocket, Harry said he would be right out. I had told him he should probably send an ambulance. He wanted to know if Dipper was going to live. I told him ‘yeah, if I didn’t change my mind and cut his throat’.
There were thirty head grazing in belly deep grass. I couldn’t blame them for wanting to stay here. I told them it wouldn’t be long and there probably wouldn’t be any men around to bug them. That cheered them up considerably.
I drove them by the drilling rig, then told them to keep moseying on down toward the ranch, they did, grazing as they went.