I Should Have Been A Cowboy Pt. 01

Kelly thanked Bill and headed back to his task. As surely as the sun comes up in the east, a few days later a lone state patrolman showed up on the ranch. Bill called Kelly to come to the ranch house for a talk. Kelly met the patrolman and assured him that he was fine. The patrolman lectured Kelly on the need to keep family informed about his whereabouts so that they would not worry and involve law enforcement. Kelly managed to not smile as he assured the patrolman that he would take care of that oversight.

Missouri now started to plan. His pickup would be watched, that he was sure. He had no wish to see Megan right now. He had the rare thought, what if she brought Mark and Mary with her when she came looking? Absolutely he would not talk to her with those assholes present. Where to go and how to accomplish it were his main thoughts. He could definitely buy a new vehicle if he desired but as soon as he registered it, someone could start to track it.

He went back to Bill and made a couple of arrangements with him after outlining his plan for the immediate future. Bill was surprised but then got a smile on his face and agreed. The basics were then discussed.

Kelly used some money from his personal account, one that had been set up after he left home, to order supplies. About a week later the brown truck started to make regular stops at the ranch. A small pile was accumulating in Missouri's room. Every evening Missouri would go through the latest shipment and repack the panniers he had purchased.

He got his handgun permit and used a rare trip to Alliance to purchase a semi-automatic .45 pistol and a couple of hundred rounds of ammo. He also purchased a .223 rifle and scabbard for coyotes. A couple of hundred rounds for it were also added to his overall supplies.

They started branding. It was hot, dirty, smoky, smelly work. The good hands would rope the calves out of the herd and drag them to the crew throwing the calves on the ground. There were two people to each calf. One would grab the calf and throw in on its side and then kneel on its neck and hold the front hooves. The other one, usually Missouri, would then grab one hind leg and pull back while pushing the other hind leg forward with his foot. This helped hold the calf still while additional hormones and antibiotics were administered, then the brand applied to the right flank. If it was a young bull then he would be castrated and made into a steer before being let up to rejoin the herd. Early in the day the calves had been separated from the cows. The cows were bellowing in the other enclosure and the calves were bawling for their mammas. There was a break for lunch, provided by the ranch wives, before continuing all afternoon. On a couple of large ranches the whole group would be relocated to another herd and the process started all over again.

Missouri would sleep on the way back to the Circle Bar X and then eat a light meal before showering and throwing his clothes into the washer. There was no thought about Megan or any of his other worldly problems before falling into a deep sleep, only to be awakened before daybreak to head to the next ranch and repeat the day.

There were calves who fought and kicked. Their hooves hurt and caused great bruises. More than one person was limping at the end of the day. Missouri took solace in the fact he wasn't the only one hurting. Occasionally they would find a steer or heifer that had escaped notice before. These were not thrown on the ground. A portable cradle would be used and the miscreant then shoved into the cradle. The sides squeezed the beef and the head was locked into the headgate so the animal couldn't move. The appropriate bar could be moved down and out of the way to allow branding then the animal was released.

Some ranches wanted to use calf cradles to hold the calves but the process of branding was slowed so most still just roped and threw the calves.

As they moved from ranch to ranch the calves were getting bigger. They were putting on weight everyday as they grew. It took more and more finesse and strength to throw the calves. Missouri didn't realize it but he was growing stronger every day from the sheer physicality of his work. He was leaner in size but heavier with muscle. His hat had been replaced with an eight inch brim to shade his face as much as possible but he still was becoming more and more brown. Some hands wore sunblock but it wore off pretty quickly.

Finally branding was over. All of the hands took a needed couple of days to rest and recuperate. It was time for haying to start. All of the tractors, sickle mowers, swathers, rakes, balers, and loaders were ready to go. The mowers and swathers would start up as soon as the dew was off the hay. If a mower was used then a day later the rake would be brought in and the hay windrowed. The swather left the hay in a windrow but sometimes the windrow would have to be turned over if the hay got wet and didn't cure fully so a rake might be used to turn the windrow.

Again it was hot, dusty, dry work. The old adage of making hay while the sun shines is not a false statement. Some of the tractors had air conditioned cabs but most were old but serviceable open platform tractors with none of the modern conveniences. High school kids were hired to help run the mowers and rakes. Older crew ran the swathers and the balers and loaders.

Some hay was put up in large haystacks and some was baled in the large bales. It depended on the rancher and his preference. Missouri started out with the high schoolers on the sickle mower tractor. Then he learned how to use the twenty foot wide rake to pick up the loose hay and move it to the center into a nice windrow for the baler to pick up and make into tight two ton bales with plastic wrap to protect the hay.

Soon the meadows were dotted by the large round bales. On a couple of ranches the bales were large square bales affectionately called "loaves" by the owners. These were easier to stack than the round bales but all would later have to be moved to the bale yards where they would be handy for the upcoming winter. It was hard to think that while sweating out pounds of water everyday that this was work to prepare for winter.

Arriving back at the ranch one evening Bill came to the bunkhouse to talk to Missouri. "Connie had some visitors today." That was the bombshell that Missouri was dreading.

"For me?" Bill nodded. "How many came?"

Bill held up his fingers. "Three, two women and a man. Only one introduced herself. She claims to be your wife and wanted us to immediately get you back here. Connie informed her that you were working on another ranch today and wouldn't be back for a couple of days. She figured that your wife wouldn't question your sleeping arrangements."

He stopped and looked intently at Missouri. "Are you going to go through with your plans?"

Missouri nodded. "Yep, I figure I will be off your land before she comes back. If she doesn't know which direction I leave she will figure I will go for my pickup and will watch for me there. With any luck I will stay away long enough for her to go home and leave me be."

Bill jumped on his comment. "Do you mean her home or your home?"

Missouri smiled a little sad smile. "Until today this was my home. I guess I now fit the epitome of homeless. There are still a couple of hours of daylight left so I had better get going." He shook hands with his boss, also someone he could call a friend. He didn't say anything to Butch or Hoss. Bill would take care of that tomorrow.

He quickly stripped his bed and threw the bedding into the washer. His packs were only needing his toiletries and he was ready to leave. He turned off his cell phone as there would not be a signal for quite a while.

Then he went to the corral and sorted out the two horses he had purchased from Bill. One he saddled and the other just got a halter. He led both back to the bunkhouse and tied them to a tree. Butch came out onto the porch as Missouri put the pack saddle on the second horse and then started to lift the panniers into place. "Goin' someplace, Missouri?"

Missouri continued to pack. "Yeah, I got to see what is over the horizon. It's been a slice but it's time to head on out. I am drawing my time here. Bill will explain in the morning about why I have to go so abruptly."

Butch nodded. "It's a woman, right?" Missouri nodded. "I wondered. You never seemed to want to go to town on Saturday nights and howl a little. There aren't many unattached women in this neck of the woods but everyone notices if someone isn't chasing what is available. No one figured you for being gay so we all decided some woman did you wrong and you were still hurting."

Missouri nodded again. "I just ain't ready to deal with her. Bill said she showed up here today so it's time to go. When I have decided what to do I will talk to her. Until then I will just keep moving."

"Since you are on horseback which direction are you heading? Do you figure she is watching your truck?"

"I don't know which direction myself. If you don't know then you can't tell if she comes and asks. And, yes, I figure she's watching my truck. I'll come back and get it later."

Missouri was done packing. He settled his hat a little and swung up into the saddle after putting the rifle into the scabbard there. His .45 was in a small holster in the small of his back. The sun was starting down in the west and the shadows were lengthening. He nodded at Butch and turned and headed north.

Missouri got his idea of horseback traveling from an old Zane Grey novel where the modern day cowboy from the 1930's had traveled from Hollywood, where his horse was the star of motion pictures, to Wyoming. It was already uncommon to see someone on horseback even then but it was possible to ride for days without seeing anyone at all. Missouri wasn't planning on going quite as far as Grey's hero but he could stay off the highways and roads so Megan would get frustrated in not being able to immediately find him again.

His supplies included ground cloths and a sleeping bag, a small dome tent for inclement weather, freeze dried meals, jerky, water and extra water jugs, changes of clothes, and his personal items. His laptop, cell phone, and tablet were well packed. If he decided to lay up for a day he had a solar charger for his electronics. There was a lack of firewood in the Sandhills so he was planning on using that old pioneer trick of burning dried cow dung (or cow patties) for heat and cooking. There were many small lakes in the valleys so he could replenish his water anywhere. In a week he could be a hundred miles away and never see a person if he so desired. North was South Dakota and west was Wyoming. South and East were closer to more populated areas so he wouldn't head in those directions for a while.

He planned on making a wide loop around the Circle Bar X. The storage fees were paid up on his pickup for a long while and he could electronically send money to keep the storage current whenever he got to a public library where the wi-fi is always free.

He only went about five miles that first night before settling down for the night. He used a small camp stove to heat a quick meal before rolling up in his ground cloth and falling asleep. At first light he rolled out of bed, checked his horses and moved them to another spot of grazing before making some coffee and a quick breakfast.

After eating he packed the animals again and was soon off. Figuring Megan, if she persisted in looking for him, would find out he headed north, he went north a couple more miles before heading west. He was still on Circle Bar X land. As always he was looking at the range conditions and any fences he came across. He could always let Bill know about any potential problems he encountered. After the few months of getting to know the land he was confident on his location. Early on the rolling hills had seemed the same. You would top out on a small hillock and the next hill looked exactly the same.

There were many accounts of ranchers and their offspring getting lost on their own property. Most uneducated would laugh but the knowledgeable would just sigh and think about the times they had been turned around on land they knew very well.

Missouri knew if he kept going west he would hit the highway and the edge of the Circle Bar X. If there was a gate he would use it, otherwise he was carrying fence pliers and would drop the fence and get the horses across before putting the fence back up.

The second night found him twenty miles west of the highway on Lazy K ground. This was one of the places that Missouri had helped with branding and haying so he kind of knew the ground.

Again he made camp but this time by a small lake. Since it was marshy around the lake he stayed well back on dry land and just went to the lake to get water. It was so pure that it didn't need purification. Clear and tasteful. He did have to watch out for alkali lakes as they were not uncommon in the area.

So went his days and nights. He would lay up in old tree belts for a day to rest the horses and then make fifteen to twenty miles on other days. Every night he curried the horses and examined their hooves to make sure that one or the other didn't turn up lame.

After a week's travel he spotted a ranch house and approached it. As he came into the yard the rancher came out of the house and called out, "Light and set, stranger." The man started to chuckle as Missouri did just that. "Ain't been any reason to say that for probably fifty or sixty years. Just isn't anybody on horseback more than needed around here anymore."

He looked at Missouri. "Got a call the other day from an old friend, Bill Blaze, over at the Circle Bar X. Said there might be a drifter come along and needing a job for a spell. You the guy called Missouri?"

Missouri nodded. The old man, at least seventy if not a day older, put out his hand. "Name's Ronny Bentley. This here's the Double B. I'm a little stove up from arthritis and can use a new hand for a bit. You interested?"

Missouri was still reeling from this man knowing who he was. His facial expressions must have signaled his confusion. "Son, you might be miles from the Circle Bar X but in this sparsely populated area we all know each other, if not personally then by reputation. Ain't no other man out riding with a pack horse but the man called Missouri. Bill said he called everyone he could in a hundred mile radius of his place to let them know that this Missouri guy might be calling. He vouched for you and said we would be getting on his bad side if he heard of anyone slighting his man. I guess we all have been looking out for you to stop by, even for a short bit."

Missouri shook his head and thanked his new friend. "Ain't nothing at all. Put your horses in the corral after you take care of them and come up to the house. Supper will be on in a few minutes."

Missouri did just that. After entering the house he was introduced to Millie Bentley who immediately showed him the bathroom so he could clean up. After a filling supper she showed him the towels and wash cloths so he could shower and feel more civilized. They bedded him down in a guest bedroom for the night before retiring themselves.

Missouri was up at dawn, as usual. Ronnie was already up and moving around, though slowly as his arthritis kept him from moving fast. Millie soon had breakfast on the table. After eating Ronnie took Missouri on a tour of his place. The Double B was only about 8,000 acres compared to the Circle Bar X's 15,000 acres but still large enough to need a couple of hands to get work done. Missouri helped fix some fence and then move large round bales off the meadow.

He stayed there for a week before getting the bad news. After coming in hot and sweaty from the summer sun Ronnie met him at the yard gate. "There was some people here earlier. Said they was looking for some guy named Kelly Free. Told them I didn't know the name or who they was looking for. I don't think they believe me."

Missouri shook his hand. "Thank you, Ronnie. I guess I will pack up and be on my way in the morning. Did they say when they would be back through?"

"They said they had been checking up north so they might be headed south and then east again. They think this guy is hitchhiking around to the various ranches. The one woman seemed to be very anxious to talk to this Kelly guy."

"I suppose she might be. Don't know why, though. Sounds like she should just get on with her life."

Missouri turned and went to the barn where his horses and his possibles were kept. He had been sleeping in the guest room so he only took a change of clothes and toiletries into the house with him each day. Since he had been on the trail he was sporting a nice mustache and full beard. At the Double B he shaved his neck to reduce the scratchiness but left the beard and mustache. He had used their internet connection to make sure his pickup was still safe and had sent some e-mails to Bill Blaze thanking him for letting his neighbors know about Missouri's travels. He had also sent emails to his parents letting them know he was well but not where he was.

The next morning he ate a great last breakfast and started to pack up. He paused long enough to order some supplies, particularly food stuffs, to be delivered to an address in Gordon, Nebraska that Ronnie had given him. He figured it would take a week to get to Gordon. It would be his first foray into a town since leaving the Circle Bar X.

For a full day after leaving the Double B it rained. Missouri put on his slicker and made sure his brim was down and he kept riding. The horses didn't seem to mind and his packs were waterproof. At the end of the day he had probably only made five miles as the horses didn't want to walk very fast in the rain. He found an old abandoned barn and was able to get himself and the horses inside. It was lucky he did that as it started to lightning after they were safely under cover. Missouri again tended to his horses before heating up some stew and eating a hot supper. He hung his wet clothes on a makeshift clothesline before rolling up in his ground cloth again. It was too hot for his sleeping bag.

The next day dawned bright and clear so he made good time. At the end of the week he was outside Gordon. This was a small town of about 1600 people but a hub of shopping for the area. Missouri staked the horses out on a small stream on the edge of town and then walked into the business district. He visited the small store there and picked up some canned goods and allowed himself to have a rare Coca-Cola. It was cold and refreshing.

He walked back to the horses and packed the canned goods in the pannier before heading for the address Ronnie had given him. There he met the homeowner and retrieved his supplies. Back to the horses he went and packed these supplies also.

His final trip of the day was into the library where he spent some hours catching up on current events and using the public internet to send some e-mails. His attorney wanted to let him know that Megan was calling daily for information. Lawrence also let him know that Megan had never once mentioned divorce in any correspondence or conversation with him.

His parents were supportive but wanted him to come home. He sent them a reply stating he was healing and would soon contact them again.

He checked the local news from his old home town and found that Property Management Services had closed its doors. He was far enough removed that he took no satisfaction from the business failure. Overall he was just sad that so many had lost their jobs.

Then he decided to eat a prepared meal and headed to the local café that he had passed on his forays into town. He went in and sat down at a booth on the side of the room and was soon being served iced tea alongside his hot roast beef sandwich. It was going down smoothly when he started paying attention to the conversation from the booth behind him. The tall backs of the seats prevented people from sitting and seeing who was around them and that usually afforded a good deal of privacy while eating but the two people, at least Missouri only heard two voices, carried to him. The two must have not been worried about privacy.