Dark Journey Home (41 page)

“No thanks.”  Logan said, then he introduced Olivia to
the men.  He figured the meeting with Claude had gone well as all the hands
seemed to be back working. 

As they walked away, he noticed Chester Burns entering
the building behind the stable, where he had a small office.  “That’s the
foreman.”  He explained to Olivia.  “Been here a long time, and now has his old
job back.”

<><><> 

Logan and Olivia spent the next three hours walking
about several acres of ranch property, amidst a grove of oak and sycamore
trees; they came upon a small creek bed with clear water running over countless
rocks.  Someone had built a small foot-bridge, out of wooden planks, running
from one side of the creek to the other, and Olivia ran across the small bridge
to the other side, with Logan following.  The grass was tall and green, with
wildflowers scattered throughout the wooded area. 

“I hadn’t seen this part of the ranch before.  Sure is
pretty in here.”  Logan spoke softly, not wanting to spoil the effect, and all
at the same time, wishing the afternoon would never end.  This was an Olivia he
hadn’t seen before, and wanted to hold onto the dream for as long as possible. 

“Yes.”  Olivia whispered, as she sat down on the grass
at the edge of the stream, tucked her skirts around her legs then tossed a
small pebble into the bubbling water.  “If I had known Uncle’s ranch was like
this, I would have gotten a shotgun myself, and gotten that Woody Perkins out
of here sooner.”  She offered. 

“And you probably could have done it too.”  Laughed Logan, as he sat down near her, then he added, “At least if you would have brought Amelia
with her umbrella.” 

Olivia watched as a butterfly fluttered over a small
white flower, then she turned to watch as a frog leapt from one rock to
another.  Logan pointed downstream a ways, “See where that pile of brush is? 
That’s where a beaver has begun to build a dam.  It’s only partially built. 
Wonder why he stopped.” 

“Maybe some bigger animal came, and chased him away.” 
She offered, then giggled.  Logan enjoyed hearing the sound of Olivia’s laughter. 

After awhile Logan spoke, “I guess maybe we should be
getting back to the house.  I’d like this afternoon to last longer, but I don’t
want your uncle to come hunting you, or, even worse, Amelia with her weapon.” 
He thought a moment, then added, “Or worst of all, if we stay here much longer,
a cowboy just may be tempted to kiss a very pretty girl.” 

“Oh?”  Olivia looked over at him, and, seeing that
certain gleam in his green eyes, she said, “Well, I………I guess we should be
getting back.  I didn’t realize it was getting that late.”  She jumped up,
brushed off her skirts, and began running, across the wooden foot-bridge, then
through the woods.  She looked back over her shoulder, and laughed, as she ran,
“The cowboy can’t kiss the girl, because he can’t catch her.”  She shouted. 

Lord Beckford and Amelia, who had been walking through
the wooded area, ducked into a shaded place under a huge Sycamore tree.  “Do
you suppose he’ll catch her, Claude?”  Amelia asked.  “I doubt it, love. 
Olivia runs pretty fast.”  Claude mused. 

“I know.  I never could catch that girl, when she was
little, and she has longer legs now.”  Amelia sighed. 

<><><> 

Olivia slowed, flushed and panting, as they reached
the ranch yard, with Logan only a few paces behind her. 

“Next time I go to town, I’ll get me a pair of Indian
moccasins, then watch out, lady.”  Logan said, laughing and out of breath. 
“You may have won this race.  I can’t run well in these boots, but I even used
to out run some of the Indian boys, in Wyoming, when I wore moccasins.”

“You actually ran races with Indians?”  She asked. 

“Sure, some of them are real peaceful folks.  Used to
come by pa’s ranch and trade with us too.  All kinds of things, but mostly
horses though.  They’re good horsemen.  Most Indians are.”  Logan explained. 
He stopped and turned to Olivia, “Now don’t get the wrong idea, many a tribe
resent our intrusion into this western land, an’ they’re the ones to watch out
for.  We’re hoping the peaceful ones will spread the word that we only want to
live in peace.  Some of them are right nice folks, an’ many a pioneer took an Indian
maiden for his wife, an’ even some lived in the Indian villages, raising
families.”

“Oh, I didn’t know all that.”  Olivia looked up at
him, slightly flushed.  “You must know so much about them.” 

“Well,” Logan continued, “The Calvary, horse soldiers,
they try to keep the mean ones under control.  I guess a hundred years from now
we’ll all live together in peace.”  He grinned at Olivia. 

“Maybe sometime you can tell me more about the
American Indian.  It must be an interesting subject.  All I ever heard, from
reading books, is all about the ‘savage’ Indians.”

“No.  They’re folks, like us, only of a different
culture.  You have to understand them, and accept their ways, and then they
have to accept ours.  That’s the only way to a peaceful co-existence.  You see,
our Government gave them land called reservations, but some aren’t satisfied
with the locations, though others remain, and are peaceful.  Those few who pull
away from their tribes, and go to war, are called renegades.”  Logan paused, and thought a moment, then, “I guess they feel we came and took away their
hunting grounds.  They’re a proud people, and you can almost sympathize with
them, if it weren’t for some of their outrageous crimes against our folks.

“There are numerous Indian tribes, too many to count,
and they all differ somewhat.  Now the Sioux, a Midwestern Indian, with a
powerful stature, can’t seem to come to peaceful terms with anyone, even other
tribes.  Oh yes, they war against each other at times.  But now, the Winnebago,
a peaceful branch of the Sioux, live in eastern Nebraska.  They are farmers and
easy-going, likable folks.

“Down Arizona way, they have the peaceful Navajo, then
farther south, the very, very proud Apache.  Several tribes and locations of
them.  The White Mountain Apache are in east central Arizona.  That’s just west
of the New Mexico border. The Triple-B now, well, we’re near the border, but
the other side of it, east of New Mexico.

“Then there’s the other tribes of Apache, some in
southeastern Arizona, strong, proud fighting men.  Some  of whose war chiefs
will take their place in American history, but they also have family life, same
as any other, and their descendants will take their place in this country, same
as ours.  We’ll discuss them more another time.  That will take a lot of
telling, and it seems you are interested in learning more on this subject.  Of
course I’ve been away for a time, but I don’t believe things have changed that
much, in eight years.” 

“Thank you, Logan.  It seems I do have a lot to
learn.”  She smiled up at him, then they walked side by side into the
courtyard.   

Trudy Perkins was sitting on a bench with Consuelo.  Well,
that put a damper on the good mood.  Olivia was speechless, thinking the girl
had left the property earlier.  When no one spoke, Consuelo stood, and said, “I
can visit with Señorita Perkins if I like.  No one can tell me not to.  She
rode back with Cougar Olson, when he brought the wagon back.  He used it to
take the girl’s meager possessions to her father’s ranch, and when Señor Olson
is ready to leave, she will go.  She said her father was not at his small
ranch, and Señor Olson did not want to leave the Señorita there alone.” 

Olivia had regained her composure, and calmly said, “I
cannot speak for my Uncle, but I have no problem with whomever you wish to
visit, Consuelo.  But please confine your guests to the rear patio.”  And with
that, Olivia stomped into the house, leaving Logan standing there speechless,
looking after her. 

Trudy stood up, smiled, then walked over to Logan.  Looking up at him, she reached up to softly stroke his cheek.  “You want to take me
to my pa’s place, handsome?”  She asked. 

Logan
quickly took
ahold of Trudy’s wrist, moving her hand down to her side, and said, “Sorry,
Miss Perkins, I have other plans, besides I understand that Olson will take
you.”  . 

Olivia glanced from a front window, before heading
down the hallway to her room, and hadn’t heard what was being said.  “Well, Logan, see if you can untangle yourself from that clinging ‘child’.”  She muttered to
herself, wondering why she let that Trudy person disturb her so.   She didn’t
care that much about Logan, or did she? 

Consuelo walked over to Trudy, then angrily taking her
by the arm, she said, “Stop that, young lady.  Stop that at once.  I see you
have not changed a bit.  That is why your papa has so much trouble keeping you
in line.  No wonder his head is turning white.  Even the toughest of cowboys
are afraid of you.  I should have known you came back here to cause trouble.” 
She scolded.   

Then continued, “Go see if Cougar Olson is ready to
escort you back home.  He had to bring the wagon back, but you didn’t have to
come back here with him.  You would have been safe alone at your papa’s place. 
Even a rattler would be afraid to bite you.  Go!” She said, “From now on, I
will visit you, when I wish to be shamed by you again.  You will stay away from
this ranch from this day on.  You do nothing but stir up trouble.” 

“Leave me alone, Consuelo.”  Trudy said, as she
twisted her arm from the housekeeper’s grasp.  “It’s harmless flirting.  None
of your concern.  Besides that Logan likes me.” 

“He likes Señorita Olivia.  They’ve only been here one
day, and anyone can see that.”  Consuelo scolded.  “I should have turned you
over my knee, when you were a child.”  She scoffed. 

Logan
’s ears were
burning, as he quickly walked away, then out of the courtyard.  Cougar Olson
seems to like the little spitfire, and as the old saying goes, love is blind, he
thought, maybe Olson can tame her.  More power to the poor fool, but she will
use her beauty against him every step of the way. 

Maybe Trudy was only acting up, to cover up her own
youth, and inexperience, and possibly to get back at her pa, for his strict
hold on her, and maybe in time she will change.  Logan doubted that fact also. 
The girl‘s a born troublemaker, and Olson’s going to have his hands full.  He
thought.  Though just maybe her pa has held her in too much, and it’s working just
the opposite of his intent.  Well, he couldn’t let it bother him, she’s
Cougar’s problem now.   

As Logan walked towards Hank’s kitchen, he wondered
what Olivia thought, if she had seen that display in the courtyard. Maybe Hank
has a pot of hot coffee on the stove, and a little conversation to go with.  He
needed the distraction.  Logan was pleased to see that Claude Beckford was in
the room as he walked in.  Claude was seating himself on a bench at the long
table while Hank was pouring two mugs of coffee. 

“Hey, Logan.  Grab yourself a seat.  Good to see
you.”  Hank said, as he took another clean mug from a shelf. 

“Hank.”  Logan nodded, then turned to Claude Beckford,
“How did the meeting go, Claude?  Did a lot of the hands show?”  He asked. 

“Fine, yes, about fifteen all told.  There are about
five of them out on the range, or up in one of those line shacks.  So I will
speak with them when they come in.  We’re supposed to begin fall roundup in a
couple weeks, and some of the boys tell me we’ll be needing about four or five
more men at that time.  Burns said he’d take care of finding them.  He said
there are usually a few men in town wanting temporary work.”  Claude
explained.  “Most of the men at the meeting were receptive with the change.  A
couple said that, after the roundup, they would be riding on.”  Claude accepted
the coffee that Hank poured. 

“I did have a talk with Chester Burns, the foreman,
though.”  Claude explained, “He seems like a serious chap, but he was foreman
for Sam Beckford, before Holderman came and took over.  Burns seems glad to be
back at his old job though, and said that he never did take to that Holderman
and Phillips.  Of course Woody Perkins was believed to be the owner, so he had
no opinion of him.” 

“Can’t say as I blame him for his dislike of the other
two.”  Logan said.  “Yes, Burns is a hard man, but I believe an honest one, and
good at his job.” 

Claude took two swallows of hot coffee, then asked Logan, “Did Olivia enjoy her tour of the ranch?”