Split Trails Ranch

They nodded, some with more enthusiasm than others. "Very good. Now we will discuss wages. I do not expect you to labor for just room and board. I will pay you a fair wage for your skills. Henrietta, since you have little skills, you will receive twenty dollars a month, with raises as your skills increase. Courtney, you will receive thirty. Claire and Paris will receive forty each, because of their knowledge. Is this acceptable?"

I could tell they were surprised to hear I was paying. A good ranchhand made thirty a month, so Claire and Paris were drawing what a good segundo would make. It was what I was paying Bill and he seemed quite pleased. It would increase it as he became foreman. Brad would be leaving as soon as he thought it was safe to do so and I would need him. He had his own dreams to pursue.

There were actual smiles, and they seemed to be getting along for the first time since I'd arrived. Maybe this would work after all. After the meeting was over Jess and Sabrina met us at the door, almost quivering with excitement. They dragged the ladies off to see the treasures I had brought. Brad met me on the porch.

"Most went out to see what was left of the fella you plugged. One got a little pale. A couple got mad. Upshot is four came to me wanting to draw their wages and leave. I paid them off and they're gone. A couple of the others were arguing with the rest, and I think they may be out of the equation. One disappeared with a rifle. Bud is dogging him. If he even looks like he's about to do something foolish he'll get a bullet for his trouble. Still leaves five. Sonny and Carlos are waiting."

He was holding the Colt, and I had a feeling I'd be looking for another shotgun soon. He was talking about shortening the barrel and the stock to make it a better close quarters weapon.

We walked back to the bunkhouse, Carlos and Sonny falling into step. "If it's just one on one, I'll handle it. If it turns into a free for all, pick your targets. I'm going to try to make it personal for the leader and maybe the rest will stay out of it."

Four were lounging on the porch and I frowned. I knew about the one with the rifle, but where was the fifth? Sonny must have been reading my mind, because he split off, going around back. I was suddenly tired of talking people out of gettin' killed.

Before the man could speak I cut him off. "Leave right this minute or pull you piece. I'm tired of wastin' my time talking and ending up killing somebody anyway."

We heard a grunt, and Sonny walked out the side door. The man inside was no longer a concern. Their edge gone, the leader tried to talk. I shot him. Brad's shot gun boomed twice, and two more went down, one almost blown in two. The other one had his hands up, crying. He had obviously pissed his pants. I left him alive for one reason. "I want you take a messge. You tell whoever is behind all this I'm not fooling around. If you're on this spread and not working for me, I'm shootin' you where I find you. You make sure they understand. Now change your pants and gather your stuff. Leave the others lying, and if I can find out they have relatives, I'll send them their possibles along with whatever wages they had comin'. Just then a rifle boomed and I grinned. "I'll do the same for the feller on the hill. And once you deliver that message, you clear out of this territory. I'm not even gonna threaten you with what will happen if I run into you. Be gone before an hour passes. Understand?"

I turned around, surprised to see Claire standing about fifty feet back, a rifle in her hands. "You'll do, Mr. Walters, yes indeed tou will." She turned and walked off grinning. Apparently violence and death didn't upset as much as most women.

By the end of the week I was down to just enough hands to run the spread. Claire turned out to be an excellent horsewoman, and Henrietta was fair. I took them with me on an inspection tour, and we made plans to move the cattle a little farther South. The hands had already moved them once but not far enough for my liking. We also did a rough tally, and Claire frowned. "There should be about a third more, according to what Buck told me. I wonder where the others went?"

We resolved to find out once things were running smoothly. The ladies had settled to their tasks with a vengeance. I was particularly impressed when Sabrina and Jessica appeared a the supper table in matching new dresses. They were quite a pair, Jess with her honey blond hair and Sabrina with her jet black tresses. Of course I praised them, as well as their seamstress, for the way she made them look. All the ladies were sporting new clothes, except for the seamstress. Seems she was too busy making the others to make one for herself.

I turned to Courtney. "As managing partner, I am ordering you not to make another dress until you have made two for yourself, and I expect to see one in two days. Understand?"

She was a lot calmer these days, and instead of snapping off, she grinned. "Yes boss. I'll need the spare hand to help."

Even Henrietta was calmer, even if she wasn't the friendliest person on the ranch. She nodded her head, agreeing.

The girls had been very excited to see all the things Jess talked me into buying, stuff they had needed that Jack had refused to get. The meals improved, and I think Jess had a little to do with that. When she and Sabrina weren't helping, they were being schooled. Henrietta was the best at making them understand things, and I knew she would get a raise soon. She seemed to enjoy teaching. I may give her the title of head of education. When they weren't studying or helping, they were off on little adventures. They were riding Sweetie double, and Jess informed me Sabrina had a birthday coming up. "She needs her own horse, Daddy." The hands that had stayed were shaping up into a pretty good crew, and part of their rides were delivering homemade cookies and snacks to the men close by on the range, often riding along and watching them. Jessica was especially impressed with the roping skills, and an older hand took them under his wing and taught them how to it. Sabrina was better at it than Jess was, but she was a better horsewoman. Sweetie seemed to take to it naturally, until she had developed into a pretty good cutting horse.

I had Carlos send a message to his rancher friend, asking him to be on the lookout for a small horse if he didn't have one. It seemed I had a hard time telling the ladies no, especially the small ones. A fact they recognized and often used to their advantage.

A week before we were due a supply run, they presented me with all kinds of lists. I just laughed and tossed it down. "I won't be getting any of that."

They were shocked and I laughed again. "I won't be getting it because you will. I won't have time to run all over town, so I'm taking you all along. Beside, it'll be payday. I haven't run into a ranchhand yet that didn't like to go into town and blow off some steam and spend some of their wages. Make plans."

That triggered off a flurry of activity, and the addition of another wagon, an old Conestoga that had been in storage. I wondered how much it was going to cost the ranch to fill that up.

We hadn't run into anyone when we moved the cattle, and they were fattening up nicely. I figured for a fall drive, if I could get a good price from the Army. They were buying everything they could, to feed their own troops and the Indians they had on reservations. I had culled a lot that I intended to sell, leaving as many cows and young heifers as I could. I was also thinking about importing a couple of bulls from back East to improve the Longhorns that made up most of the herd. I discussed it with Claire and the girls at the dinner table, and she sent some feelers out, even advertised in a few stock journals.

The girls were so excited to be going to town they hardly slept the night before. Seems it had been over a year since any of them left the ranch. We were rolling before daylight. Bill and Sonny were staying behind to keep an eye on things. Carlos was going along to visit family. Bud was going because Soibahn was. When they told me they had an Irishwoman for a cook, I was thinking about a grandmotherly type. Sissy was just seventeen, a willowy redhead with green eyes. Bud was smitten the first time he saw her. She flirted back gently, and now all they had eyes for was each other.

Claire was on her horse, the buckskin mare I had brought along. She had bonded with it the first time she rode it, declaring it her horse and was off limits to anyone else. Courtney and Henrietta were on the seat of the big wagon, apparently getting along quite well. Sissy and Paris were on the buckboard. Sabrina was with Jessica, riding double. They would get off every once in a while to give Sweetie a rest, sitting between the women on the wagons.

I was amazed at how much trouble it was to set up camp. Jess and Sabrina were sleeping in her little tent, the girls in the Conestoga. All the men were sleeping on the ground, and there was always two of us awake, watching. Jess and Sabrina were assistant camp cooks, helping Sissy feed the traveling horde. Besides Carlos, Brad, Bud, and myself, we had six hands along. They got to go by luck of the draw, and it was understood they were out of it the next month. We rode loose in the saddle, these were still unsettled times.

We were quite a sight when we rolled into town. The desk clerk at the hotel almost fainted when all the girls trooped in, demanding rooms and baths. He knew Jess was mine and asked which one of the others was. "All of them," I said grinning.

"You some kind of Mormom?"

"Nope, just lucky, I guess."

He started mumbling and sorting rooms. I took advantage of the time to go to the bank and see my lawyer. I made arrangements to pick up the payroll on the way out of town, but pulled out enough to pay off the boys with us, and the girls. Then I went off to get my own bath and put on my 'city clothes', a suit I'd ordered, as well as ones for Brad, Bud, Carlos, Sonny, and Bill. Like I said, I wanted to project an image as a successful businessman and rancher and wanted those around us to reflect that.

There was a lot of hoorahing and joshing as we bathed, two at a time. I still wasn't sure how we'd be received. Then it was off to the barber, where we had our boots shined as we waited. I don't know who was more impressed when we met up for dinner. The girls were wearing new dresses, in a style copied from one of the magazines I'd brought when I arrived, with matching hats. Even Jessica and Sarbina were dressed to the nines, living breathing dolls. It was gonna break my heart when they grew up. We complimented each other, turning heads as we walked down the boardwalk.

The men tipped their hats and the women smiled in greeting. Most had never seen them and weren't sure who they were. One older gentleman smiled. "You have a lovely family, sir."

I thanked him for the compliment. I was escorting Claire, holding her elbow. Jessica was on one side holding Claire's hand, and Sabrina was locked down on mine. Bud was holding Sissy's hand, Henrietta was being escorted by Carlos, and Brad was trailing along behind, Courtney on one arm and Paris on the other.

Conchita broke into a big smile and rushed up to Carlos, wrapping him in a hug. Then she did the same to me. I saw Claire's eyes narrow a little, Conchita wasn't much older than Carlos, and was a very handsome woman. It bothered her even more when we held a conversation in Spanish. Then she turned to Claire. "Be careful with this one, senorita. I think maybe he could be very dangerous to love." Claire was shocked for a minute and then grinned. "I don't know, madame. So far it looks fairly easy, judging by the girls."

I flamed red and the whole crowd laughed. Soon we were dining, Brad and Jessica giving a running description of what we were eating. Sissy was doing everything but taking notes, so I knew our dinners were about to expand for the better. I had read the local paper while I waited for my haircut, and there was a traveling company of actors presenting a lighthearted piece by a modern playwright. I managed to secure good tickets, declaring it a reward for all the hard work they had put in, and after dinner we stolled over to the theater.

It was quite good, with more than a few laughs. Sabrina and Jessica sat in front of us, spellbound. Claire and the girls were also having a good time, and I noticed about halfway through the performance she was holding my hand. Deciding it was a pleasant feeling, I left it there. At the end, she suddenly realized she had been doing it, turning loose of my hand and flaming red. I just grinned and put it back.

The night was not quite over, and when we left the theater we went to the hotel dining room. In honor of the entertainment, they were staying open late, offering cakes, pastries, and frozen pudding, which was the rage at the time. Sarina and Jessica had never tasted it, and ate so fast they got headaches, trying to wash it away by drinking their saspirillas. The adults had the surprisingly rich coffee, and I chose an almond torte. The rest of the women went with the frozen puddiing, something they had also never had.

We stood in the lobby after dessert, not wanting the night to end. The children were starting to droop, so Claire and I escorted them to their room. They insisted on staying together in a room between mine and Claire's. Before they went in, they seated me on a chair in the lobby. "Daddy, Sabrina and I have been thinking. We have decided to become sisters. Since we are now sisters, that gives her the right to call you Daddy as well. Please tell us you agree."

Claire as looking on shocked while Sabrina was near tears. Stunned, i thought it over. For about five seconds. I gently placed her on my lap and gave her a hug. "Welcome, daughter. It would be an honor to be known as your father. Thank you."

She was full on crying by then, holding me like her life depended on it. She finally calmed down, kissed my cheek, and said "Good night, Daddy. I will love you, you'll see.."

"I can already see. I'll love you too, baby. I'll love you as much as I love your sister. Now you girls go to bed, there's lots to get done tomorrow."

Claire was looking at me with a small smile on her face, tears rolling down her cheeks. My eyes were a little blurred as well. Damn, it looks like a hotel as expensive as this one would do a better job of dusting.

When she could finally speak, she surprised me. "Please don't hurt her, Zeke. She hasn't got a lot of love from men in her life, and this is all new to her. It will break her heart when you leave."

I grinned. "Why would I leave? I own most of what will eventually be one of the nicest spreads in the state, surrounded by beautiful and intelligent women. I'm a family man now, with two daughters to consider. So if you're thinking about running me off, I'm putting you on notice. It won't be near as easy as you think. Goodnight, Claire. I had a really nice time tonight."

"So did I, Zeke Walters. The best. You're a hell of a man, mister." The she shocked the shit out of me by giving me a little kiss, grinning as she shut her door. Jessica had forgotten to tell me something, and opened the door just as it happened. She just smirked and closed the door.

We had breakfast in the hotel dining room, then it was time for business. I pulled out my wallet. "Payday, ladies. I want you to know you all did a good job this month. A man couldn't ask for more." I went from the least to the most, surprising Henrietta by handing her twenty five instead of twenty.

"You deserve it, Henri, you've done a really good job, especially as a teacher. You may have missed your calling."

I gave Courtney hers next, adding the same bonus as I gave Henri. "You are a whiz with a needle, Corky. The best I've ever seen." I cheated a little and paid them all in fives to make it look like more. She joined Henri in her sniffling.

"Paris, thank you for taking care of us. When the girls got the sniffles, and Tony broke his arm, you were right there, knowing exactly what to do. You would have made a hell of a doctor."

Finally I turned to Claire, handing her fifty dollars. "You're the glue, Claire, the one who held this family together trough some pretty rough times. Now that you have our finances in order, maybe there can be bigger bonuses in the future."

Finally I turned to my girls, handing them five ones apeice. "Here babies. This is for being good daughters and paying attention to what Henri is teaching you. Don't spend it all on candy!"

They grinned and Sabrina spoke. "We won't, Daddy. We'll get you to buy that for us."

The women, except for Claire, all looked at me funny when she called me Daddy and I just smiled.

"Well then, now that business had been conducted, it's time to shop!" They practically ran out of the room, but not before I cautioned them. "This is your personal money. You spend it on the ranch and I'll tan your hides. If you need something, tell Claire. If she thinks it's a good idea, you'll get it. Now go!"

I took advantage of their shopping spree to see Senor Gomez. I made sure I brought gifts for the family, ribbons for the wife and daughters, as well as a good stock of candy. I gave him a nice pocketknife. He had some more stock for sale and I bought the best of the lot, eight horses that looked like they had stamina and speed. Five were mares, and I figured I'd let my black have a go at them, and increase my herd naturally.

I was disappointed on one level, thinking he hadn't found anything for Sabrina, when one of the daughters brought out a little chestnut mare, almost exactly the same size as Sweetie. "I've been working with her. She has a good disposition and she'll be more than gentle enough for your little girl." He had made a brown saddle that looked like part of her back, along with a matching bridle. I couldn't wait to see Sabrina's face. I made arrangments to have her brought out last when we picked them up.

I was met with a whole group of irritated women who wanted to know where I went. It bothered them no end when I told them it was 'man business', smiling and refusing to say more. They all looked a little miffed until Sabrina and Jessica laughed. "We'll get it out of him. He might be about to say no to one, but both of us will wear him down."

That calmed them, and they decided to tell me what they had purchased, item by item, until they saw I was kind of glassy eyed. "Girls, stop. He's a man, and it's just not good to give them too much information at one time. We'll be gentle, and give it to him in small doses. They're serving frozen pudding in the dining room, let's take him and get some sugar in him, then he might be able to pay attention."

The frozen pudding did indeed revive me. The 'juniors', as the girls called them, got huge bowls, and sprinkled it with jellybeans and cookies. It was quite a sight. I walked them back to their rooms for some rest, all but Claire and the little ones. Those I needed.

We went to the bank, and I was surprised when the manager called her by name. She grinned. "We were in here while you were gone. All of us opened accounts and deposited half our wages. A practice we will continue."

I commended them, then we entered the private office, leaving the girls outside. I asked if he had the letters of incorporation filed, and he surprised me by saying he hadn't, pending my approval of changes Claire had made. We would have to get our lawyer to file the revised version, then notify him. I looked at her, wondering what she was up to.

"We thought about what you said about the ranch belonging to all of us. I agree, and decided to give them a vested interest. Paris, Henri, Courtney, and Sabrina all will get five per cent, with me as Sabrina's guardian. I didn't include Jessica because if anything happens to you your share will automatically go to her. Oh yes, I found out about the will. I approve, a parent should always try to insure their offspring are provided for in case of his or her sudden demise. I kept the rest. Do you agree?"