No Place for a Lady (40 page)

"All right, Andy. I'll follow you back to camp. You have the
coffee hot?"

"Don't I always?" he said matter-of-factly.

They ambled along in silence. The worn leather saddle, with
Josh's .44 Winchester rifle packed across the front, creaked under
his shifting weight. Except for an occasional snort from their
horses, it was a calm, still day. A lone eagle soared above the timberline, sending out its shrill call into the bright morning skies.
Shebe was not far behind her beloved master.

As they entered the small clearing where the sheep wagon was
parked by a bubbling creek, a handsome wrangler rose from a
stump, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He wore a floppy hat
pushed back at the crown, exposing a shock of long blond bangs
that fell across his forehead. He sported a red sash around his
neck.

"Howdy." He quickly threw the cigarette down, ground it out
under his heel, and walked toward them.

"Hi yourself. What can I do for you? Our camp is quite a ways
out for strangers" Josh dismounted, and Andy followed, taking
the horses' reins. Josh was careful when strangers appeared, never
knowing who to trust when someone dropped by unexpectedly.

The stranger stuck out his hand. "I'm Charlie Russell. Live over
in Great Falls, just passing through. I saw your camp and thought
a good cup of hot coffee would be mighty nice" His smile was
warm and friendly, and he had a sparkle in his eyes.

Josh shook his hand. "My name's Josh McBride. I own the sheep,
and Andy here is my sheepherder. Where ya headed?"

"I was over in Lewistown, and now I'm heading home. Crossed
the Judith River and saw smoke from your campfire"

"Sit down, Charlie. Andy, how'bout a cup of java?"

Josh felt an instant liking for Charlie. He was apparently
friendly, and good-looking too. Bet he has a way with the women.
He could've talked Crystal into taking off to Montana, had he known
her. Josh was startled by the turn his thoughts had taken. It had
been some time since he had given Crystal any thought. He knew
that she was happy and that Luke adored her. Josh had finally
come to terms with that.

Charlie sipped from the chipped enameled cup Andy had given
him. "I may have to sketch you with that friendly dog you have
there, josh. What's her name?"

Josh scratched Shebe's head lovingly as she sat on her haunches
next to her master, keeping a keen eye on Charlie. "I call her
Shebe. She's my best friend, right, girl?" Shebe barked in happy
agreement.

Charlie yanked open the black box he was carrying and pulled
out a sketch pad and pencils. Josh started to move away. "No, just
sit right there with Shebe. We can just talk. You can tell me about
yourself." He flipped open his pad to a clean sheet and outlined
Josh and his dog.

"Not much to tell. I'm a sheepherder byway of Colorado, where
my daddy is a cattle baron. I wanted to spread my wings and experience something different. Started out with a small herd of sheep
that Andy mostly tends now. I have a cabin, but I'm planning on
building me a real home soon. What about you?"

Charlie seemed eager to talk. "I'm an artist of sorts. Hung up
my spurs in '92 after wrangling since I was sixteen. I used to be
a horse wrangler with some of the best outfits around. I once
worked at Judith River Basin as the night hawk. From time to
time, I drew scenes of wrangling, calf branding, and cattle drives.
I guess you could say that I'm a self-taught artist. Once people
actually wanted to buy my paintings, well, I decided to hang up
my spurs and pursue my dream:'

"Self-taught? Well, there has to be talent involved. I could no
more teach myself to paint than design a ship that would hold up
at sea:" Josh fidgeted, shifting to a more comfortable position.

"Hold still, I'll be done here pretty quick"

Charlie's eyes twinkled, and he laughed as he deftly sketched an
image that was beginning to emerge as Josh's face, showing him
playfully touching Shebe's head as she lay curled at his feet. "Shucks,
everything can be learned. I grew up in Missouri and left at sixteen
to live out my childhood fantasy, but if it hadn't been for my good
friend Hoover, I wouldn't have learned or experienced the ways of
frontier life or being a cowboy. He took me under his wing and taught
me the ropes" Charlie grinned at them. "Hey! That's funny. He did
teach me how to rope:" He chortled. "I did a little sheepherding myself for Pike Miller's sheep ranch near Judith Basin, but I didn't stick
with it, and he was glad to see me go. But Hoover taught me a lot"

Andy, who was stirring up cornmeal batter, strolled back to
where Charlie was adding the finishing touch to his sketch of
Josh. "That name sounds familiar ... Hoover:" He walked behind
Charlie and looked over his shoulder at the drawing. "Well, I'll
be doggoned. That looks just like you, Josh" Andy just shook his
head in awe. "I never knew an artist"

"I'm pleased that you like it, Andy. Can't say I'm really making
much money at it yet. Anyway, as I was saying, Hoover's a mountain man. He did a little gold mining too, but never struck it big.
I lived with him at his cabin at Pig Eye Basin. His latchstring was
always out. I think he really loved people, along with his habit of
drinking. I could use a drink myself."

"I don't drink." Josh cleared his throat. "So, you won't find one
in my camp:'

"No matter. I'm about done here. As I was saying, Hoover
discovered sapphires near Utica, and I think he's formed a partnership to mine there with some investors."

"Wish I could find gold or somethin' somewhere," Andy said,
pouring himself some coffee. "You staying for grub?"

"Is that an invite?"

Josh nodded, rising stiffly to peer at the picture Charlie had
drawn. "Pretty good picture. Guess we owe you some beans and
johnnycakes. You're welcome to stay."

"That's mighty kind of you, and I think I will" Charlie held out
the picture toward Josh. "Here, you can have this."

"No thanks, Charlie. I have nowhere to put it right now. Keep
it for your portfolio. Maybe you'll be famous someday." Josh lifted
the lid on the pot of beans, and the savory smell wafted out into
the chilly morning air. "The beans are close to being done. Andy,
flip us some of your johnnycakes to go along with this"

Charlie stuffed the sketch and his pencils back in his canvas
case. "Sounds good to me. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Nope, Andy said. "There's some oats over in that there barrel
if you want to give your horse a nibble:"

"Thanks. I'll do that"

Josh watched Charlie as he proceeded to pour oats in a bucket
for his horse. He was an affable cowpoke, easy to talk to. Josh
couldn't help but wonder what kind of skills he had as a cowboy,
but thought Charlie was at least a pretty decent artist.

The rest of the workday brought nothing unusual. Josh pulled
a bleating lamb from a thicket, and it began frantically looking
for its mother. Charlie tagged along. He talked the entire time, as
if finding the whole realm of sheepherding interesting.

The sun was just beginning to slip behind the purple mountains
of Tollgate Hill when josh and Charlie tethered their horses. Josh
removed Pete's saddle while Charlie gave the horses fresh water
to drink.

"Mmm ... I'm about to starve to death;" Charlie said when
they entered the campsite.

"Good thing, cause I'm just about to dish up the food" Andy was
flipping johnnycakes on the open fire with a flick of his wrist.

"Andy, you've turned out to be a good cook. I'm hungry myself.
Hope there's some coffee to go with it" Josh smiled at Andy.

"Matter of fact, I just made some fresh:"

Josh looked at the young man bent over the fire. Andy made
him smile inwardly at his eagerness to please. He was a runaway
from a stepfather who was meaner than a snake. Josh was glad
he had hired him-Andy was worth his weight in gold. Josh had
never had a younger brother, only his sister, April, and that was
another thing altogether.

Later, Charlie wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Pardner, that was some fine eating that I wasn't expecting out
here tonight. Thank you, Andy."

"It's my secret ingredient"

"And what might that be?" Charlie laughed.

"If I told you, Charlie, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

Josh chuckled at the two of them. It was getting dark now. He
poked the fire, sending orange sparks upward and lighting the
faces of Charlie and Andy. He suddenly remembered the blue
stones tucked away in his vest pocket. He took another swig of
his coffee, set his tin cup down, and pulled out the blue pebbles.
Holding them in his palm near the firelight, they twinkled like
distant stars.

Andy and Charlie stopped talking when they saw the pebbles
in the firelight. Andy let out a soft whistle. "Hey, whatcha got
there, josh?"

"I'm not sure. Found these today in the creek bed when I
stopped to let Pete drink. I just remembered" Josh was fascinated
with the cornflower blue of the stones as his fingers pushed them
around in his palm.

"If you find more, you maybe able to build that home quicker
than you think;' Charlie said. "Remember my friend Hoover that
I told you about?" Josh nodded. "Well, these look like the blue
stones that he found last year at Yogo Creek. You ought to take
those to Lewistown next time you're up that way and have 'em
looked at. Could be you're holding your future in the palm of
your hand, Josh."

Josh stared at the stones, then tucked them back into his inside
vest pocket. He would definitely get them examined by an assayer. He would love to be able to build that house sooner rather
than later.

When he'd left Colorado, he had not been on good terms with
his father. Jim McBride had told him that if he left the ranch, he would cut josh out of the will. His father was a mighty powerful
and wealthy cattleman. He used his influence to get what he
wanted, when he wanted it. Besides, Josh had told his father that
he'd wanted to do something different and be responsible for
his own welfare. Tempers flared and an argument ensued. Then,
when the woman he was really interested in married another
man, josh decided it was time to leave instead of mooning over
her and seeing her with someone else.

Crystal. He paused over the image in his mind. The pain was
gone after three years, and he decided that it must have been God's
will for him. Another plan. Another life. Funny, when he thought
about it. His sister, April, had been engaged to the man Crystal
eventually married. What a strange turn of events.

He'd struggled in the last three years to make ends meet, and
now he was beginning to reap the benefits. Not wealthy by any
stretch of the imagination like his father, but he was happy here
in Montana and had put the past behind him. He was looking
forward to what the future had in store for him.

Maggie Brendan is a member of the American Christian Writers
(ACW) and the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She
was a recipient of the 2004 ACW Persistence Award. An active
student of Colorado's history, topography, and botany, Maggie has
spent years studying both the landscape and the rich folklore of
the beginning territory of Colorado.

Maggie has experience in media and print production and
has a particular interest and affinity with radio. She also writes
reviews for some of her favorite authors, which can be found on
her blog, http://southernbellewriter.blogspot.com.

Maggie is married with two grown children and four grandchildren. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, singing,
painting, scrapbooking, and being with her family. She lives in
Marietta, Georgia.