As the Eagle Flies

by J. D. Oliver

  Randy Fillmore came out of the location shack as I rode up. “The Doc is with him now, those two punchers are in the cook shack eating, the way they’re putting it away I would say they hadn’t ate in a week.” Randy said.

  “Yeah? They’re just probably taking advantage of the free chuck and loading up. I would do the same thing in their place. Did Suong get my knife out of his arm?”

  “Yes,” Randy said, “here it is. I have never seen one like it. Where did you get it?”

  “Oh, an itinerant tinker came by when I was in my early teens, he made it for me.”

  “What’s it made of?”

  “I believe he said it was made from a new metal called tungsten. It keeps a good edge.” I said as I took it from him and put it in the saddlebag. I didn’t want anyone to see where I kept it, even though those two punchers had seen the whole thing. I suppose I had better go and talk to them.

  “How’s the new well coming?” I asked Randy.

  “Good, we hope to bring it in within the next few days, didn’t Faith tell you?” Randy said.

  “Yeah, sure, must of slipped my mind.” I said, as I my eyes locked with his, he broke first. I can be pretty mean at times, poor Randy’s face had turned pale. He knew he had goofed when he used her first name. I shuffled off toward the cook shake.

  As I came through the door, both of them were still shoveling it down. It was lunch time and some of the roughnecks were still eating also. I sat down between the two brothers, cause brothers is what they were, I could tell.

  “Well boys,” I said, “you just about got your tail in the wringer this time didn’t you?” They kept eating with downcast eyes. “It seems that I should know you two, you look right down familiar. Where do you hail from?”

  The cook brought me a plate of food and a cup of coffee, I looked up at her. I recognized her, she used to cook for a greasy spoon in town. “Thanks Kate.” I said.

  I turned my attention back to the almost miscreants sitting beside me. “So, spill the beans,” I said.

  “We’re the Hoeffer brothers, Chip and Dale, I’m Chip,” The older one said.

  “Chip and Dale? You’re shitting me, I mean, Chip and Dale? Is your Dad, Doug Hoeffer? From over Powell way?’ I said.

  “No, we’re not shitting you, we get that all of the time, although I have never figured out why people think it’s so funny. And yes our Dad’s name is Doug.”

  “Why aren’t the two of you punching cattle for him?” I asked.

  “He done committed the sin that we can’t forgive.” Dale said.

  “And just what might that be?” I asked.

  “He turned the place into a Dude Ranch, he wanted us to wrangle them dudes. We said, no Sir, we weren’t going to do that; he told us to light a shuck then, we did.” Dale said.

  “Well there’s a sight more money in wrangling dudes, then cattle now days.” I said, “I can’t really blame your father. But I also know how it offends a Buckaroo’s sensibilities. Where’s your Saddles and Tack?”

  “In our hotel room in town.” Chip said.

  “Well, if you want a job, I’ll have one of Randy’s crew run you to town to get your plunder, then he can drop you off at the ranch. You tell Red I said to put you on the payroll. Oh, by the way, how old are the two of you?”

  “I’m twenty-one,” Chip said, “Dale here is twenty.”

  “Did the two of you graduate High School?” I asked.

  “Didn’t seem to be any point in it, we weren’t learning anything.” Dale said.

  I had another wild thought, “Just what bar were you guys drinking in last night?”

  “The Double O, it’s a new bar run by some guy from the east.” Chip said.

  “Alright, finish eating, when you get done stuffing your jeans, Randy will have someone to take you to town.” I said, as I finished my plate and downed my coffee.

  As I came out of the cook shack, Harry Silver’s helicopter was just landing. We must be some important, him coming in a copter and all. As I was walking to meet him, I was thinking about those two boys.

  They needed an education, high school anyway. I wonder how many of my ranch hands had a high school diploma? We’d have to do something about that.

  I took Harry into where Suong was still operating on Dipper’s arm. She had given him some kind of drug to knock him out. She said to me, “Why didn’t you just kill him, it would of saved me a lot of work.” It wasn’t a question, it was just her needling me.

  I said, “You’re the second person today to ask me that question, are you going to be the third,” I said to Harry.

  “No, I’m glad you didn’t. I have a lot of question’s I want to ask this guy. Do you want to fill me in on the details?” I did so.

  “Were those two guys mixed up in any of his shenanigans?”

  “Nope, they were just duped, or doped I guess you could say, I’ve put them on my payroll.” Randy was standing there, I told him to take the boys to town to get their stuff. He didn’t like it much; me telling him what to do. He started to say something, then he clamped his jaw shut and stomped out.

  “What’s eating him?” Harry asked.

  “Oh, he’s got the hots for my wife. She’s been overseeing the oil stuff while I have been under the weather. I hope I don’t have to break his jaw.” I said. Suong looked up, “You don’t have to worry about Faith messing around on you, she loves you all of the way.” She said.

  “I know that, I haven’t the slightest bit of doubt about her. I guess I can’t blame guys for going bug eyed over her. I know I still am.” I heard the ambulance coming. I said my goodbyes and went out where Brutus was grazing, as I tightened my cinch, he tried to nip me again. I mounted up and we headed for home.

  As I rode up to the branding fire, Faith came over, “I thought I heard an ambulance in the distance, I was worried.” She said while holding onto my stirrup.

  “Yep, you did.” I said, as I dismounted and both of us led Brutus to the barn. Rosie came riding up. “What happened?” she asked.

  I told them the whole story, all except Randy’s infatuation. I would tell Faith about that when we were alone. I didn’t want Rosie kicking his ass.

  Before I hung my saddle on the tack room wall, I took my knife back out of the saddlebag. Rosie and Faith both looked at me as I put it back in the sheath down the back of my neck. Rosie said,

  “Will you teach me how to throw a knife?”

  “Sure thing Rosie, no problem. That comes in right down handy at times.” I said, as I put one arm around each of them and walked back to the house. Rosie said, “I’ll be in pretty soon, I forgot to unsaddle Diablo. Then I’m going over to Daisy’s after Alita.”

  “Those boys you hired, you think they’re on the up and up?” Faith asked.

  “Yeah, I do, I know their Dad, we worked a few roundups together. He’s pretty stiff necked, but he’s on the level. Those boys just have some growing up to do.”

  Chapter Ten

  Faith and I were both dirty and dusty from our day’s work, so we decided to take a bath. Our room had an oversized tub in it, along with a big shower stall. We used the tub this time. While we were soaking our aches and pains away. Faith asked me, “Just why didn’t you kill Dipper Tick, you know he’s just going to keep trying?

  “It’s going to be pretty hard from a prison cell.” I said.

  “Oh, you know better than that, he will either make bail or hire someone else to do it.” Faith said as she turned around and laid up against me. “You know it doesn’t do any good to just take a Rattlesnake’s rattle, you have to cut the head off and bury it.” Faith said.

  “Sure, I know that. But just at the last minute, the thought hit me; who am I to be judge, jury and executioner? Oh, I know I’ve been rather quick on the trigger in the past. And I don’t have any qualms about killing someone to save a life, either mine, or my family’s. Or even some stranger, but why not let the legal system of Satan’s world take care of it?”

  “Sata
n’s world? What in the world are you talking about?” Faith said, as she wiggled a little tighter against me.

  “Well, as you know the Devil is the God of this system of things, or didn’t you know that?”

  “Well, I often thought as much, but never really gave it much credence. How do you know he is?”

  “Do you believe in the Bible? Okay then, at 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 1John 5:19, it says how he’s the God of this world, and even at Revelations 12:9 it says how he was hurled out of heaven and down to earth to mislead the entire inhabited earth.”

  “How do you know what the Bible says? I have never even seen you read it.”

  “I don’t know, these things just pop into my mind, at the most opportune times, I might say.”

  “Well, what does it say about making love to your wife in the tub?”

  “Okay, at Proverbs 5:19, it says and I quote, ‘let her own breasts intoxicate you at all times. With her love may you be in an ecstasy constantly.’ So let’s get it on!”

  As we were drying off, I said, “Oh, by the way, did you know Randy Fillmore had a thing for you?”

  “Does he?” Faith said, as she got the last spot dry on her tush. “I have suspected as much, he’s sweet, the way he fawns all over me. But you don’t have to worry, he’s not my type.”

  “Oh? And just what is your type?”

  “Big, dumb and ugly, didn’t you know that?” Faith said, I rolled my towel and popped her on her luscious derriere. She of course retaliated, we ran out of the bathroom popping our towels at each other.

  Of course setting on our bed was Rosie and Alita, I hurriedly covered myself, Faith didn’t bother.

  “Well, if you two are done playing around, I need a bath myself, you can watch Alita.” Rosie said, with the proper disdain, as she got up and walked primly out of our bedroom.

  “Do you think she seen me?” I said to Faith. She turned to look at me as she picked up Alita, “Well of course she seen you, you’re not invisible.” Faith said.

  “I mean, you know what?” I said, as I put my shorts on.

  “Well of course she did, does that bother you?”

  “Yeah, it does, it embarrasses’ me. She’s my daughter.” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it, I bet she’s seen a lot of them at the orphanage. Maybe not that big though.” Faith said giggling.

  “Well, alright, but how am I going to face her at the supper table?”

  “Will you stop it, it’s no big deal. In a family situation, things like that can’t be helped at times. I realize that you didn’t have any sisters, but I had brother’s, believe me I’ve seen theirs plenty of times. And beside that, who do you think took turns bathing you, while you were in that coma? That’s right, we both did. She probably knows your dingus better than you do.”

  “Well, be that as it may, it makes me uncomfortable. So next time I’ll check before I run out of the bathroom.” I said.

  “I’ll just never understand you, you don’t mind if I run around naked, but then when it comes to you it’s a no-no.” Faith said.

  “Yep, that’s right. You don’t have to understand, it’s just the way I am. A grown man just doesn’t run around naked in front of children. Even with Alita, I know she’s just a baby, but it won’t be long till I’ll have to watch it around her.” I said, as I finished getting dressed.

  Faith and I, along with Alita, went down to the kitchen and started supper. We usually shared the chores. We had it ready by the time Rosie came down. Rosie said, as we sat down to eat. “You know, you two aren’t the best cooks in the world, not that I’m complaining. But have you given any thought to hiring a cook? I know we have enough money. And I bet there’s someone out there who needs a job.”

  “Okay, Miss Smart Alec, if you want a cook, or whatever, you have to find one and interview them, it’s all up to you. Your Mother and I delegate it to you…”

  “Good, I know of a family that needs help. There’s a girl that Graduate’s this spring with me. They don’t have a father, he was killed in a mining accident. There are three children. Their mother works in a small Café in town. They pay her peanuts. Do I have free rein on how much to pay?”

  “Sure, as long as you use common horse sense.” I said.

  “Good, one other point, can they live here with us?”

  “I suppose, this is a big house. But one thing, none of them smoke, do they?”

  “I know Tiffany doesn’t, I don’t think her mother does either.”

  “How old are the children?” Faith asked.

  “Well Tiff is 17, her brother is 14, and then the youngest girl is 12.” Rosie said.

  “They must be a handful for the mother. What are their names?” Faith said.

  “Her mother’s name is Hope Friday, the boy’s name is Hank, the girl is Popular, they call her Poppy.” Rosie said.

  “Alright, it’s up to you, have you talked to them about this?”

  “Of course not, not yet, I wouldn’t do that till I asked the both of you. Oh, one other thing, their black. Is that a problem?”

  “No, why should it be?” I said.

  “I didn’t think it was. But why is it, when someone is half black and half white, they always call them black?” Rosie asked.

  “I take it their half white. But to answer your question, I don’t know. They do that to me also, I’m half white, but people around here consider me to be Indian. I don’t mind of course, I’m proud of it. And I bet they are also.” I said.

  Faith said, “If you do hire them, they can take over the west wing. That way they will have privacy and so will we. But of course we’ll all eat together and such. When do you graduate?”

  “The 22nd of May, it’s only a week away. I’ll talk to Tiff tomorrow, it’s Monday.”

  “You know it’s funny,” I said, “I don’t seem to be able to keep track of the day of the week anymore. One day is pretty much as another to me.”

  “Well, that’s the way it is, when you’re a lazy ass.” Faith said, as she poked me in the ribs, letting me know her jib and jab was just in fun.

  Faith said, “Rosie is there going to be a graduation party?”

  “Yeah, the school has one planned. It will be in the gym, it starts at ten that night, and they don’t let the kids out till the next morning, it’s one big slumber party, sort of. There will be games, and the kids can win gifts and such. They say it’s a lot of fun, but I’m glad you brought that up. They need more chaperons, will you be one Mother?”

  “You bet I will, do you think I would let you go without me?” Faith said. Then she turned to me, “Since you’re feeling better, are you going to take over the drilling oversight?”

  “Yes, do you think I want Randy ogling you?” I said, acting jealous, even though Faith knew I wasn’t. (like so much, I wasn’t).

  The next morning I helped with the cattle for awhile, then rode out to the drilling rig. Randy wasn’t too happy to see me, he was expecting Faith. But he recovered quick enough. That was the way the rest of the week went. The Friday family accepted Rosie’s offer of employment. Hope gave the Café a weeks notice to find someone else. They planned on moving out right after Graduation.

  Graduation day came. Of course the three of us were in attendance. We got to meet the Friday family. Like Rosie said, Hope was half black, she was a good looking woman of 37. Hank and Poppy were quite protective of their Mother. Their father was evidently white, cause they were of lighter complexion than their mother.

  There were a lot of men giving Hope the eye, but Hank and Poppy were running interference. Their father had only been dead for six months. Time would heal their hurt.

  When Rosie introduced them, Hope said, “Are you sure you want us to come and work for you?”

  Faith said, “Of course we are. Rosie has excellent judgment, we trust her completely. Has she explained everything to you?”

  “I think so, but the youngest children still have two weeks of school left, I know they can ride the bus, but how wil
l they get to the bus stop, Rosie said, it’s about a mile from the house to your fence line?”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, “we’ll find a way. Rosie has been driving to the bus stop. Does Hank know how to drive?”

  “I don’t know, Dave used to let him drive once in awhile, I suppose he could.”

  “Okay, like I said, don’t worry about details, they always work themselves out.”

  Tiffany now, was a knockout. As I was introduced to her, I looked into her eyes. And staring back was a level headed girl who had not let her looks influence her outlook. I was satisfied that she would do. She said, rather directly, “Why do you want to help us?”

  “I don’t. Rosie does. Not that I’m opposed to it, but it was Rosie’s idea. Don’t worry, you’ll all earn your keep, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

  “It is, I don’t like to accept charity. I believe in working for what we get.”

  “Well then, I guess it’s a done deal, because I bet Rosie can find things for all of you to do, and get paid for it.” I said.

  Hope said, rather embarrassedly, “Tiff can be rather direct at times, but what she said goes for me also. We’ve always worked, Dave never liked something for nothing.”

  “That’s good to know,” Faith said.

  That evening Faith and Rosie went to the school sponsored party. This was the first time that I had to do without my wife since we got married. I mean, we had to sleep alone when I was in that coma, but this was different. I missed her very much.

  The next morning I got up and fixed my own breakfast and then rode out to the drilling rig. Randy was getting used to me. I had got the latest price on the world market for crude, it was selling for over a hundred and thirty-two dollars a barrel. But we were only getting eighty for our domestic crude. The big oil company’s were making windfall profits. The general public didn’t know that domestic crude was cheaper, they thought all crude cost the same.

  “Randy, old boy, what would you say if we built our own oil refinery?”

  “What? That would cost a fortune. I know you don’t have that much money.”