Winds of Change

By G. Allen Clark

Late 1860’s. Clouds were rolling in across the Territories of the western landscape. These were the dark clouds of a turbulent change that was brewing. The territories of Colorado, New Mexico Wyoming were vying for statehood and In Colorado the economic hubs of the state, Golden and Denver were competing for title of the State Capital.The problem was that the two fledgling cities had little chance of being Capital of the new state and this was due to their lack of a transportation network. The Transcontinental Rail System had been run through the Territory of Wyoming instead of Colorado. This left both Golden and Denver stranded and fighting for their individual economic future. By the mid 1860s, many of the businesses in Denver had folded or sold out and moved northward to the new Dakota Territory communities of Laramie and Cheyenne which had sprung up along the new transcontinental railroad. Faced with the dwindling population of the town and its eclipse by the new towns to the north, the remaining citizens of Denver took some very drastic measures. The citizens of Denver had pooled their remaining capital and set out to build a railroad. The cost was going to be high but the price of failure was even higher. The first requirement was to obtain land. To accomplish this took capital from men who stood to profit and who had no problems with manipulating the rules of emanate domain. More than a few eyes averted as the ‘rule of law’ was twisted. Hands; once clean, were overtly held out and backs were turned when people cried in protest. The largest impediment however, stopped the project dead in its tracks.
The orders went out. Remove the blockage by any means necessary.

• Language: English
• Publisher: G. Allen Clark
• Release date: Oct 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370289356

G. Allen Clark

G. Allen Clark has been writing for over 40 years. He was the co-owner of a 2nd hand pickers marketplace in Colorado Springs called The Flipping Peddler. He and his partner sold that business in 2021 and semi-retired to concentrate on refinishing furniture and writing. Retirement is not a way of life he enjoyed. He soon found a new outlet that combined the best of both worlds. In 2023, he bought an 1887 church and opened another antique vendor’s marketplace and used bookstore in Larned, Kansas You'll find it today as "Old Church Antiques and the 2nd Page Bookstore in Larned Kansas"His marketing and business expertise grew from his business and as an Adult education instructor in Small Businesses Entrepreneurship and having owned the market places listed aboveSince 1982, Clark has written various articles and ‘how-to’ e-books. One on Professional Selling entitled “The Perfect Profession” another on “Writing Copy as a Career,” and another on writing structure for managers & professionals, entitled “Writing to be Read.” Multiple Media copies can be found here on Smashwords..

Book preview

This is a work of Contemporary Fiction / Alternate History. With the exception of the Colorado area and its colorful history, including the names and dates for the historical backdrop used, all other names, characters, places and incidents – including incidents names and places within or surrounding Colorado are the product of the author’s imagination, woven into the story and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales are entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume responsibility for author or third party websites or their content.

ISBN: 9781370289356

Title: Winds of Change

Author: G. Allen Clark

Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.

The Winds of Change

Chapter 1.

Late 1860’s. TbarT Ranch – North East quadrant, Colorado

"George Overstreet sat in the mud, having just been unceremoniously dumped on his butt by his brain dead horse. His right hand held an Army Colt and his left, held tightly onto the rein of his frightened horse. On the ground, six-feet away, laid the remains of a large diamond-back rattlesnake.

Before climbing back on his horse, he cursed the snake and kicked it far into the brush with the toe of his boot. With the smell of the snake far away from it, his horsed lowered its head and settled down. After checking to make sure the snake hadn’t bit the horse, he cleaned the mud off his pants, straightened his hat, and climbed back into the saddle.

His crew of eight hands moved the herd along. Two of the men were his sons. Men Overstreet’s age usually took pride in seeing their two strong sons working alongside them, but the Overstreet clan wasn’t like most families. Overstreet was determined to pass the legacy of this ranch to his sons, but his two sons were convinced that their father and the ranch were relics. They were convinced the cattle business was dying and that mining was the future. They could have been right except for the one solid piece of logic that his sons could not dispute, someone has to feed those miners and hungry miners like meat.

Obi, Overstreet yelled out, round up that bunch of strays going down the wash and move them back into the herd. I don’t want them breaking away yet. The ground is too swampy down there. We’ll loss some head if they get in that bog.

Yes Pop. Vern, Burt, Obi yelled out, with me.

Obadiah Overstreet, the oldest of the Overstreet boys, Vern being the youngest, spurred his horse down towards the wash. Every 30 days was the same, move the herd to a new spot on the 139,600 acres that made up the Overstreet TbarT ranch. This movement allowed the grass to grow back in each range quadrant. If you allowed the herd to stay too long in one range, they would eat the grass down to the roots.

As he sat watching the herd, he pondered the future of this land. There was a fight brewing and he was in the middle of it. He had received threats by mail and a more ominous threat by the killing of ten of his cattle the other night in front of his ranch house. A young boy of about 10, son of one of the ranch hands, rode up from the main house. Mr. Overstreet. Mr. Overstreet, he called out as he slowed from a full gallop, this just came in for you. He handed Overstreet a telegram. Overstreet opened the telegram and a frown crossed he face. Damnit," he exploded.

Something wrong Mr. Overstreet?

Things are plenty wrong boy. Ride down by the wash over there and find Obi. Tell him that he has the herd, I have to go to the ranch.

Damn him, Overstreet thought. Why can’t that idiot stay out of my life?

Riding hard, he soon reined up to the front of the ranch house, pulled up in front of the stables and threw the reins over the hitching rail. His wife greeted him at the door with a smile that quickly turned to concern. George what’s wrong? You have that look on your face.

His anger became obvious when he slammed the door in his wife face in error. He stopped, realized what he had done and reached back and opened the door. I’m sorry my dear, he said. "I was distracted. I’ve got to go to Denver. I just got word they captured my brother again. What the hell is he doing in Denver? Last, I heard, he was in Chicago. They want me there to post bail. Pack me a bag and make sure you have my extra boots packed. Damn City’s nothing but a mud hole this time of year. Where’s Tim?

In the stables, do you want him?

"No, just tell him to rig up the buggy and take care of my horse.

Oh, dear, I'm sorry George. You told him not to come back here to Colorado She called up the stairs after him. Do you want me to go with you?

He stopped. The last time they had been on a trip together was over three years ago. He could use her, for she seemed to be the only one who could talk any sense to that worthless brother of his. The boys could handle ranch for a couple of days. Well, he's your brother-in-law, he called down the stairs, so yeah, maybe this time you can talk some sense into that fool. Yes, pack yourself a bag. We'll settle this once and for all.

Chapter 2.

High on a hill overlooking the spread, two lone riders, hidden by the stand of trees, watched the outriders move the cattle. The cattle were eager to get to the new ground where the grass was fresh and succulent.

How many head?

We were told to take only a hundred head at a time. They’ll never miss them, less chance of getting caught.

Running one hundred head across to Cheyenne is still going to be a problem at night. There’s 60 to 75 miles between here and there. Some of the land around the rail lines is fenced.

"We’re not rustling one hundred head into Cheyenne. We’re heading North East, meeting the line out of Julesburg. The engineer on tonight’s train will pay us. He’s going to pull just west of the siding. They got a cattle chute set up there. Should take us about 30 minutes to load up one hundred head and then they pull out for Cheyenne. The engineer pays us at the chute. Two days from tonight, we do it again. With as many head as the TbarT has, they won’t miss one hundred head. If they get suspicious, they will expect us to be heading to Cheyenne.

What if we get caught? They’ll hang us.

You knew that when you signed up. The solution is we shoot our way out that’s all.

Well let’s do this then. I get nervous sitting around waiting.

Ok, we got about three hours till sundown. Round up the boys and meet at the four corners. We’ll take the north trail in, through the wooded area, the way we scouted yesterday. Be there by midnight, no fires and don’t be late. The train’s going to be at the siding at 5:15. We got four and a half hours to push one hundred head northeast 30 miles. We’re gonna push those beeves hard but we don’t care how tired they are, just so that they’re one hundred or so head when we get there.

Chapter 3.

Vern swung open the door on his brother’s room, to find him standing in the mirror. Obi we have a problem.

What do ya mean Vern?

Pete rode up and said that he had been at the north end of the herd checking on strays and he noticed a whole lot of tracks heading north east from the outer edge of the herd.

You think we’ve got strays.

If we do, we have a whole lot of them.

So what do you want to do?

You and I need to go up there and see what’s happening, unless you’re fixing to go someplace else. What are you getting all fancied up for? Got you a date or sumptin? Going to meet that little girl again," he chided.

"Just you never mind