Partida Rol por web

-Look what I got from town, said Vernon finally and put the newspaper on the table.

Bronson Cattle Drive!

The most important cattle owner in the county, Mr. Vincent Bronson, has confirmed the Sabbath Herald he will summon another two cattle drives to Fort Worth. Any cowboys interested can apply at Harris´ Shop.

On a separate note, foreman Harvey Stenbaugh is getting back to work after many weeks of intense recovery from injuries suffered in a recent shooting incident. However, he will not be able to lead the trail this time around.

-Harv is tough I tell ya, said Vernon and pointed at the newspaper. –I saw him the other day, sitting in the armchair, talking to Vince. Man, Vince got upset when the shooting happened. Harvey is like a brother to him, or even more! Good thing you brought him to me, he was bleeding inside. Broken ribs are tricky. But he will be OK.

Then came the news... -Vince Bronson has told me that I´ll be leading the cattle drive! I´ll even get to put some of my heads and earn big money if all goes well.

Jason Bronson finds Crowe Wheelwright leaning ona fence at the Bronson Ranch. They have been friends since childhood. They are about the same age, Jason is only some months younger. But their lives have been quite different. Jason is the only son of Vincent Bronson, the wealthy cattle baron.

-Hiya Crowe, got no work tonight?

Jason Bronson was looking sharp as always, with fancy red shirt and shiny leather boots. He stands next to Crowe, and they look at the cowboys rounding the cattle up. For some reason, Crowe was not included in todays´s roster. Too bad, he needed the money.

-Look, I´ve got myself a new gun from Harris. Special Wells Fargo delivery from the coast. See. It has a shotgun barrel. After what happened to Harv, I reckoned best to have some extra protection.

Jason shows a Lemat Two Barrel gun… An expensive piece of artillery, that works as a revolver and a shot gun.

-Harv is tough I tell ya, I saw him the other day, sitting in the armchair, talking to Vince. Man, Vince got upset when the shooting happened. Harvey is like a brother to him, or even more! Good thing you brought him to me, he was bleeding inside. Broken ribs are tricky. But he will be OK.

- Oh, that was nothing. We did not do anything that any other cowboy would not have done. 

- Vince Bronson has told me that I´ll be leading the cattle drive! I´ll even get to put some of my heads and earn big money if all goes well.

- That's great news, Vernon! I am very happy for you!

And after a pause: 

- Are you looking for people to help you with the drive?

I hope he is. It's not like I am swimming on money at the moment, and this would be good. A ride is more money and also more fun that just being around with the cattle...

-You´re as good of a rider than any of the men I know, Sinta. I could really do with you for this cattle drive.I´ll put a word in for you with Mr. Bronson, he calls the shots. I will lead the cattle drive, but the beef is still Bronson´s, well nearly two thousand of his cattle that is. I´ll get to put a few hundred of mine there also. It´s my chance to make some money. 

Vernon was getting a bit emotional, maybe a bit drunk. -My own ranch, to stand on my own, with my wife. I´ve worked for Mr. Bronson for so many years, and I owe him. Everyone here owes him. But a man needs to make his own.

A woman needs to make her own too, especially a woman without a man like me. Will I ever marry like Laura?

Sinta looks at Laura unconsciously. She is partly jealous of her family life, but on the other hand she does not seem to be that happy. 

- Thanks, Vernon. I would be happy to take part on this. ---as she says this, she puts her hand on Vernon's arm and smiles ---. Now, let me get you that beer! Tonight is a night to celebrate! Yahoo!

While he sees Jason walk towards him, he smiles. A talk with a friend is always welcome. 

Maybe tomorrow - he answers, trying not to look dissapointed, shrugging his shoulders.

He looks at the cowboys, thinking that the most likely explanation for him to be standing there instead of riding was that yesterday's incident had some bad repercussions on his future working here. Crowe looks at the gun, without moving any part of his body except for his eyes.

Nice persuader - says as he looks to the cowboys again. - We all oughta get prepared just in case.

-Yeah, after what happened to Harv we ought to be ready... Ya know, pa´, he got angry I tell ya.

Jason looked at the porch, where the foreman Harvey Stengbaugh was sitting on a rocking chair smoking a cigar. -He is one tough sombitch. He took a bullet in a head and one in the gut… I reckon pa´ ain´t gonna forget what ya did, ya and Hurd and that girl, Sinta...

Vincent´s son smiles when he mentions Sinta, and then laughs and grabs Crowe´s shoulder. -Hurd... Hurd Price. He´ll be here tomorrow morning, I reckon he is going with the cattle drive. Hurd, he couldn't hit the ground with his hat in three throws. But I heard he shot the bastards who almost killed Harv with the shotgun. So pop will make it good for him, I´m sure. And for you.

Jason offers Crow a smoke, and keeps talking while resting his left foot on the fence behind him.

-This life ain´t that bad ya know. It took a long time for pa and Harv to make it good here, to build this. He ain´t going to let a few dirty bean eaters or bloody redskins start causing trouble.

Vernon Adams looked at Sinta, and then Hurd. -Tomorrow we´ll ride to meet Vincent, and I´ll put a good word in for you. Hurd, this is your chance to earn some money to pay off your debts. A cattle drive! Come on, lets get some rest, we ought to get up early tomorrow.

Laura and Hurd close the gates, and go to bed leaving Sinta and Vernon sitting on the porch. Vernon offers Sinta a smoke, and gazes at the hills, towards the Wolf Pass. Where his ranch is.

-Mr. Bronson got really upset when I took Harvey to him. Harv is like a brother to Vincent. I´ve heard him talking about hiring guns to protect the cattle. I´ve lost some of mine near the White Wolf Pass, too. I ain´t got mine marked yet, so I´m glad Mr. Bronson takes action. But... he wants to hire guns. Not cowboys, nope. He ain´t goin´to bring no farm hands. He has the money to buy the guns he needs, and those wielding ´em. He ain´t gonna let no one shoot at Harv and get away with it. So he´ll take action, you can count on that. Just not sure about bringing some crazy gunslinger to Sabbath is a good idea...
 

Sinta declines the tobacco with a brief gesture. Smoking is fine for men, but doing a man's job does not mean she is a man. It means she needs to earn a living because nobody else will do it for her.

- What happened to poor Harvey was really bad luck. I am happy we managed to save his skin, Hurd and I. Well, and you of course ---she adds, making an effort to make Vernon feel part of the Salvation Army, so to say; men like to feel important. She looks away for a second and then continues---. What you mean Mr. Bronson will hire only guns? Surely he will need cowboys to move the beasts around? I can understand that he wants to protect the cattle, even more so after what happened to us... to Harvey, you know what I mean... but just guns? Gunslingers do not know how to treat the cattle...

And cowboys cannot shoot a cow at ten feet, very few of us can use both a gun and a rope she thought, but did not say.

-Yeah, I didn´t mean Mr. Bronson would not have farmhands and cowboys. But he reckons he needs to hire a few gunslingers just to sort out any problems with the banditos. These hired guns ain´t gonna touch the cattle, but they´ll protect the cowboys and, well, Mr. Bronson´s cattle and land.

- Well, I guess that makes sense. Let's just hope it's for the best...

Sinta looked again in the distance. She shared the man's concerns about bringing gunslingers to a small town. It always seemed like a good idea at first, but it usually meant problems further down the line. Gunslingers were good at firing guns: when there were bad people around, they shoot the bad people; when there were no more bad people... it did not mean they left the guns or stopped shooting.

Sinta had seen what could happen in such a situation... but, right now, she had more pressing problems to think about, so she did not say anything. Out-of-control gunslingers were a just-possible problem that looked tiny in the future, but other real problems looked large in the here-and-now like whether she would be able to fill her table next month without abusing her friends' kindness, as she was forced to do too often as of lately. She sighed. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

- Thanks, Vernon, for helping me on this. You are a good man and good friend. I sure hope this'ole business does not go tits up and you will make some good money out of this.

The next morning, Vernon Adams and Hurd Price prepare the horses early while Sinta and Laura clear the table after a quick breakfast. It is time to saddle up and head towards the Bronson Ranch.

Sinta gets on her horse and the three of them wave goodbye to Laura and ride away to join the preparation for the Cattle Drive.

Sinta hugs Laura before she leaves.

- Thanks for everything tonight, Laura! We´ll be back soon.

She kisses her friend and moves up her horse like a man would do. Then she rides with the others like she was one of them.

And for the time being I am... sort of... Will I ever find a man for myself like Laura? Do I want to? She does not look like she is that happy with him... but then again, what do I know? And look at Jack... and Raquel... will I get a nice man like my sister did? Oh, well, "all in good time, maybe", as Daddy used to say.

Sinta looks at the sky with dreamy eyes.

Are you there, Daddy? Are you OK?

- Sinta! You al´righ´?

- Yes, yes, I am fine.

Sinta lowers her eyes to the road. She fixes her hat and rides to town with the other men. There is work to do, and long way home...

At the Bronson Ranch...

The next day, Crowe Wheelwright were slappin´ leather¹ with Jason Bronson when they noticed three horses approaching. –I reckon they´re cowboys..., said the young Bronson and stopped shooting. Then he recognized Vernon Adams among the riders. And the girl cowboy, Sinta. The third man must be Hurd Price. –More hands for the cattle drive, YEEHAW!

Then he looked at his friend Crowe, more serious. –I dunno why he has not called yer name yet, pal. But I reckon he has somethin´ special in mind for you, Crowe. You´ve always wanted to be more than just a cowboy.

Sinta, Vernon and Hurd rode through the main arch.

-Howdy, Jason greeted the riders and took the reins. –Let´s go in, so you can get yerself a drink while we wait for Harv.

Jason Bronson, Vicent´s son, then went in to the main building expecting the three men and Sinta to follow.

I sure do, so...Let's hope so. - he answered as the three cowboys approached to them. He then tipped his hat towards the three of them, eyes set on the lady, and followed Jason in silence.

Sinta touches her hat and stops the horse before dismounting. She feels happy of getting off the horse. Her bum was starting to ache.

I wonder if the horse has a bad leg or something. It wasn´t so long a ride for my behind to hurt. Anyways, we´ll think about it later...

She enters the building after Vernon. As a true gentleman, he crosses the dark entrance first...

Jason Bronson walked into the main building and let his sombrero hang on his back. Bronson´s estate was a large hacienda-type ranch, and inside it was decorated to a very high standard. The cowboys went through the building to the other side. There was a long porch with arches, and a great view of the surrounding landscape.

A wooden rocking chair with carvings almost invited to sit down and contemplate the vast Bronson estate. But everyone knew that chair was only for Vincent Bronson to sit on. The cattle baron was the wealthiest man in the county, and he was sometimes feared, sometimes loved, but always respected.

Jason, Hurd, Vernon, Sinta and Crowe waited in silence with Jason, and after a few minutes, they saw Mr. Bronson and Harvey Steinbaugh walking slowly on the porch towards them. Harvey was still in considerable pain and he had his hands on his gut. But simply to see him walking, even with some difficulty, after receiving several gunshots was nothing short of a miracle. The two were talking, and it was clear the foreman Steinbaugh was well considered by his boss. They had been through a lot together since they first settled in the Indian territory over twenty years ago.