“Davises! This is Sheriff Bob Markel and my deputy Martin Bower!” Sheriff Markel yelled out at the house. “We need to talk to you all please! Not here for any trouble just talk!” the sheriff continued.
“This ought to be interesting,” A.J. said as the three of them stepped out of the house with their firearms pointed towards the ground at their sides.
“We don’t want any trouble,” Sheriff Markel said. “Just want to talk.”
“What ya want to talk about sheriff?” Bub asked.
“Got a couple of complaints from the Farlands,” the sheriff said.
Bub packed some new tobacco in his pipe and relit it as the sheriff talked. “What are the complaints about sheriff?” Bub asked.
“First one is the Farlands say your cattle have been wondering over to their land time to time eating some of their crops,” the sheriff said. “They also said when they came over to tell you about it you and A.J. threatened their lives,” he continued.
As the sheriff talked Bub puffed at his pipe and looked over at A.J. standing to the right of him. “That all sheriff?” Bub asked annoyed.
“No that is not all,” the sheriff replied, “they also said you stole a horse of theirs.”
Bub, while puffing on his pipe, turned to look at his sister who was standing behind him closer to the house. He turned back to face the sheriff before he spoke again. “Sheriff you been over to their house yet?” Bub asked.
“No I have not Mr. Davis.”
“Well I have recently had the opportunity, so to speak, to look at their house,” Bub said. “It’s a pretty nice house for a farmer sheriff.”
“What does that have to do with anything they are accusing you of Mr. Davis?” the sheriff asked.
“Well Sheriff Markel if you were to go and look at their house you may take a good look at their crop field to the west of their house,” Bub said. “It’s plowed over for fall sheriff. There are no crops there for my cows to eat. You ever heard of cattle eating dirt sheriff?”
The sheriff looked embarrassed as he turned to look at his deputy. Before he could speak Bub spoke again, “See sheriff our cattle have never crossed the two creeks on the east part of our land since my father bought the place over two decades ago,” Bub harshly stated, “except the other day. My brother and I noticed cattle missing and seen unshod horse prints driving our cattle over to Farlands land,” Bub continued. “You appear to be an educated man sheriff. How long the Indians been gone from this territory now?” Bub asked and then spoke again before the Sheriff or his deputy could answer. “My brother and I caught the Farlands relatives’ crossing over into our land the other day trying to intimidate us, so your dam right I threatened them!” Bub said. “As for the horse sheriff, two of the Farland boys brought it over the other day claiming it was sick and left it here for Soph to cure. Problem is sheriff it wasn’t sick and they haven’t been back to pick it up since. The dam horse is in the barn if you want to take it back to the Farlands when you go check up on their crops!” Bub yelled angrily as he turned and stormed off back into the house puffing his pipe.
The sheriff and his deputy didn’t know how to react or what to say. They just sat on their horses staring as Bub angrily headed back into the stone house. It was A.J. that finally spoke next as he told Sheriff Markel everything that had happened in the past few months.
“Sheriff everything A.J. and Bub say is the truth. My brother isn’t upset at you so please forgive him, he is just upset at the situation and the fact we have been robbed of a lot of cattle in the past few months,” Soph said.
The Sheriff now enlightened with all the details of what had been happening got off his horse and shook A.J. and Sophs hands and then remounted his horse. He promised A.J. and Soph he and his deputies would follow up with the Farlands in the next day or so. He and his deputy turned to leave back towards town, as he did the sheriff stopped and over his shoulder told Soph to keep the horse until the Farlands had the guts to come back and get it.
12
The next three days everything seemed quieter and more like what Bub remembered it when his father and mother were around. Bub and A.J. had both thought it better to just ride out and check on the cattle from time to time but be back before dark and stay the night in the house. Neither of them had seen any more unshod hoof prints on the land or noticed any of their cattle missing.
After the talk with Sheriff Markel and his deputy everything seemed to go back to normal. Soph still had the Farlands horse and fed and rode her daily, the horse never did show any signs of sickness. Soph just considered her one of her own animals and even named her Gwennie after a favorite dog she once had. It was a warm morning and Soph was up early and finished her chores before she had cooked up breakfast. Bub and A.J. helped her out with her chores and they all three sat down at a breakfast of ham, biscuits with homemade jam, and coffee.
“After we get around here A.J. let’s get those cattle checked on,” Bub said, “and possibly get them moved to the north a ways.” he continued. “Want them to get fatter on that greener grass before we send what is left of them to market before winter.”
“Ok Bub just let me finish my coffee and I will be ready to go,” A.J. replied.
A.J. and Bub finished up their breakfast and coffee as they packed up their horses for the day. Soph wrapped up some biscuits and some jerked beef to send with them. “Be careful boys and make sure you all are home before dark tonight please,” Soph reminded them as they mounted and headed out for where they last seen the cattle.
The boys had ridden about a mile before either of them spoke. “Bub I need to talk to you about something,” A.J. said. “With everything that has been going on lately I have been giving a lot of thought about my future here on the ranch.”
“You aren’t thinking of leaving us are you bud?” Bub asked worriedly.
A.J. laughed out loud. “No not at all Bub,” A.J. said. “I think mostly I will be around here to help the family out as best I can. I have just been thinking about a place of my own Bub.”
Bub felt relieved, he didn’t want his brother leaving the ranches responsibility just in his and their sister’s care. “You want us to build you a cabin or something on the land?” Bub asked.
“Well until some of our cattle came up missing, I was hoping to use some of the profit to buy the land to the south of ours, they have wanted to sell for a while,” A.J. said.
“Actually I had been thinking of talking to you about buying that land this next spring from the left over profits of the cattle,” Bub said. “Now though I don’t know if we will have enough cause of all the cattle we are missing,” he continued. “I know Sheriff Markel was looking into finding what happened to our cattle but I am not holding out for that.”
“I understand,” A.J. said. “I have just been thinking about it a lot Bub. It would be nice to have a place of my own someday. I’m sure you feel the same way too.”
“I do feel that way also A.J.,” Bub replied. “It’s best we let Soph have the family home. Hopefully someday she will have a family of her own there. It would be nice to each have our own place though either on the land or somewhere close by.”
“Well let’s talk about it more over the winter and maybe next spring if we don’t have enough profit ourselves, we can start building our own places here on the land,” A.J. suggested.
“Does sound like a fine idea A.J.,” Bub said.
They rode the next mile or so in deep thought about their conversation. Bub did think it was an excellent thought to have his own place. He hoped at least his brother and sister would be close by though and continue to help maintain the ranch with him. Bub couldn’t think of a better thing to be for himself then a rancher in the future, it was in his blood and he wanted to make his parents proud.
A.J. was day dreaming as well, he was initially a little depressed about possibly not having enough profits by spring to get his own land and place to live, however Bub was o
pen to the idea of them both getting their own places before long. He was thinking of how he would construct his cabin when his day dream was interrupted by something he seen on the ground. “Bub, hold up,” A.J. said. “There are hoof prints all over the ground here,” A.J. continued. “Looks to be from an unshod horse Bub.”
A.J. and Bub dismounted their horses as they looked at the fresh tracks on the ground. “I think it’s just from one horse,” Bub said. “They kind of wonder around here in this area only, and then head back towards the little hill overlooking the grazing area over there.” Bub continued. “You think they are from a look out watching for us?”
“Dam good possibility Bub!” A.J. said as they both remounted their horses. “Let’s get on top that hill to make sure our cattle are ok Bub.”
They both rode towards the little hill overlooking where their cattle usually grazed this time of year. They rode as quickly as they could quietly so they wouldn’t alert anyone that was possibly around. Once they got on top of the hill is when they saw the group of three men, caught by surprise, as they were coming up the other side of the hill. Bub and A.J. quickly realized it was Owen Farlands middle son Will along with two of his cousins Luke and Cole.
13
Both groups of men looked each other over closely. A.J. thought the Farlands all looked like they were