Ralph Compton the Empire Trail, page 24
He confirmed the rumors.
“Would you mind, boss, if we took our share and stayed here a spell?” Prescott asked.
“We gambled goin’ over and through the mountains,” Mitchell said. “We figure to continue tempting fate.”
He said it with a wink; it was clear both men preferred this risk to the certainty of oranges. They departed with good wishes from the others and rode off to a future as risky as every future those two had known in war and peace.
The remaining four men cut north toward San Bernardino.
It was on a warm day, early in the afternoon, that they passed the cabin where Mitchell had lived to tend to the grazing cattle.
“It’s gonna be tough, boss, givin’ all that up,” Fremont said.
“You think of starting your own spread? You’ll have good money to buy starting stock.”
“I ain’t sayin’ no, but on the other hand this was a couple weeks that I didn’t think we’d see the end of. I ain’t felt so mortal since the war. Not sure I want to feel that again.”
“I don’t think Dawson’ll own up to what St. Jacques did, but I can’t see him giving you a sampler for the ranch house, either.”
“I believe that’s true and—well, who knows? I’ll try growin’ fruit or vegetables or whatever they are, an’ if it ain’t to my likin’, maybe I’ll take up Jacob’s offer to go to sea.”
“You can grow whiskers,” Buchanan said. “Keeps you warm in a squall.”
It was another day before they reached the main house, riding in under the noon sun. Pete Sloane had heard the horses approaching from a distance and informed Patsy Buchanan. It was a home day for the girls, and, following their mother, all three ladies walked quickly and then ran toward the four arrivals. Sloane stayed back, giving them their time. Buchanan broke from the others and galloped forward, waving the sack of gold coins in his hand. It was his way of letting them know that all was well. He stopped well short of the three so he would not cover them with dirt and flung himself from the saddle.
Just then, King bolted past them all at a run. He leapt all over his master, licking whatever section of cheek he could reach and kicking loose the dust of the trail.
“Did you keep good watch, boy?” Buchanan asked.
As unselfish as he was faithful, the shepherd backed off, now barking with joy as his mistress arrived.
“You did it!” Patsy cried, hugging her husband.
“We did something,” her husband said. “It wasn’t what we planned . . . we didn’t make it to Hidalgo . . . but—”
“God had His own plan,” she said, stepping back, smiling and crying at the same time. “He always does.”
“Funny. That’s just what the padre said in Chihuahua where we sold the herd.”
Just then, the girls arrived and slammed into their father, hugging him. Patsy stepped back and waved at the other men, who were taking their time coming in.
“It’s so good to see my two doves,” he said, crushing them both to him. “I got gifts for everybody, which I’ll bestow, but only after I wash, take off my boots, and hug you all some more.”
“Where are Reb and Lewis?” Patsy asked.
“They decided to try their hands at mining,” he said. “Seems they have no appetite for groves.” His eyes found Sloane standing in the shadow of the smoke pots set for the hornets. Buchanan nodded toward him and the cowboy nodded back.
Patsy’s eyes snapped back and she looked at him for a long, soulful moment.
“Like you said, God has His plans,” Buchanan told her.
Patsy made room for herself between the girls and threw her arms around her husband’s chest even tighter. She wept with joy into her husband’s dusty garments as the four Buchanans held tightly to one another and to the challenge they would share together.
About the Author
Ralph Compton stood six foot eight without his boots. He worked as a musician, a radio announcer, a songwriter, and a newspaper columnist. His first novel, The Goodnight Trail, was a finalist for the Western Writers of America Medicine Pipe Bearer Award for best debut novel. He was the USA Today bestselling author of the Trail of the Gunfighter series, the Border Empire series, the Sundown Rider series, and the Trail Drive series, among others.
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Jeff Rovin, Ralph Compton the Empire Trail
