Devil's Rope

By Buck Immov

The last thing Snakeskin McMurtry ever wanted was trouble, but trouble was what he got. What he wanted was his own ranch so he wouldn't end up crippled and broke like half the old cowboys he knew. He figured out a few ways to get money for the ranch that were almost legal, but they didn't work out perfect. He got men after him. And then he sold some horses to some outlaws running from a posse but the outlaws didn't think the horses were worth 500 dollars each. Then he met the perfect woman but she found out there were men after him and insisted he give up his ranch, move east, and get a job as a clerk in a store. Be a counter-jumper. A gol-danged counter-jumper! If that wasn't enough, a big rancher got confused and came after Snakeskin looking to start a range war. It would take a lot of luck to get out of this one and luck was something he'd never had much of.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Buck Immov
• Release date: May 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463599617

Buck Immov

About the AuthorI grew up in a small town in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. I fished and hunted and rode horses over Saddleback Pass to fish the upper Frying Pan River. Up there, Colorado was still Colorado. You could catch a hundred fish a day, if you wanted to. The deer would walk into camp, look around, shrug their shoulders, and walk on down to the lake. One thing about a Rocky Mountain fishing trip, you don’t have to go down to the creek for water, just leave a bucket out for 15 minutes and you are all set. On the few occasions it doesn’t rain, you get dew and then all you have to do is to swish the bucket through the grass a few times and you have enough water for coffee and soup. If you have any washing to do, you put the clothes under a bush and hit it with a stick. You had better use a long stick, though. Raincoats are a help, but you have to put them on before you get out of the car. Otherwise your hands are too cold to fasten the snaps. It used to take me three days to thaw out enough to straighten my knees after I got home from the Frying Pan River...........four if the weather was cloudy.I remember being a real little kid riding with Daddy when he was feeding his cows on the Hayden ranch. He would open one corner of the bag of oats, half-open open the pickup doors, hang the bag outside, and drive along scattering oats with one hand and steering with the other. One time he got stuck and couldn't dig out. He told me to wait there and, in a little while, here came Mommy in the other car. What excitement!I graduated from a couple colleges, Reed and the University of Oregon, and got a job as a professional diver, a marine biologist. We counted things or caught them: fish, sea fans, kelp, rocks, and mud. I learned about attending to business when the claw of the sea puss was hovering around my hind end. We used to put lines of 50 shark hooks inside the surf line to catch shovelnose sharks for research. (Shovelnose have great inner ears.) You had to sit in the skiff and wait for a chance, then run in and set the lines before a big wave threw the boat, together with a tangle of shark hooks, shark lines, and anchors, on top of us. Once I was about to pull the line and looked up and saw a huge wall of water coming. I remained calm and said calmly to the kid running the motor, "Point the boat toward the open sea and go that way."And he said, "Hunh?"Then I realized that calm had its drawbacks and did my D. Duck impression, "Go that way, go that way, go that way fast. Wak, wak, wak, wak !!!!!!!"Just before a wave breaks, it throws up a little spray. We went over three of them before we got outside. After a while, we went back in and pulled the lines. Got enough sharks to go on with.While I was doing research, I published about 25 articles on science. I also taught college for a while because when a diver gets old and decrepit and can't do his job any more, they fire him. The very reverse is true for a teacher. Recently, I decided to take a break from teaching for a while and write a book or two.

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Devil's Rope

Published by Buck Immov

Copyright 2013 Marion Patton

License Notes

This Ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This Ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite Ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead, or otherwise, is purely coincidental. Similarly, any resemblance to actual events is coincidental. You better believe it.

'Gunfighter' silhouette on cover by Wizards of Metal - Custom Metal Art

Table of Contents

Glossary

Prologue

Chapter 1- A Difficult Birth

Chapter 2 -Amarantha Blackburn

Chapter 3 -Political Animals

Chapter 4 - A Good Indian

Chapter 5 - Gentleman Caller

Chapter 6 - Bear's Gold

Chapter 7 -The Great Race

Chapter 8 - Cinderella

Chapter 9 - The Po-8

Chapter 10 - The Green Parrot Fuss

Chapter 11 - HooDoo

Chapter 12 - Schoolmarm

Chapter 13 - Mountain Man

Chapter 14 - Turquoise

Chapter 15 - The White Cliff

Chapter 16 - The Happy Yeoman

Chapter 17 - Trout Diem

Chapter 18 - Decisions

Chapter 19 - Strange Bedfellows

Chapter 20 - The Iron Singer

Chapter 21 - Bunco Artist

Chapter 22 - Gate Castle

Chapter 23 - The Lightning Decision

Chapter 24 - The Bend in the River Where the Cottonwoods Grow

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GLOSSARY

Ain’tagonna – Refers to an unlikely or exceedingly improbable event, i.e., viz., to wit, ‘Never happen’.

Beeyuny – Pronounced Bee-you-knee. Buena Vista, a small town located far above most places. Foreign languages are never spoken there and their English bears only a passing resemblance to that spoken by Elizabeth the Second or any other member of the royal family, for that matter.

Belly through the bush – Avoiding legal entanglements by absconding, particularly in a clandestine manner.

Bucket of Blood - An inexpensive albeit egregiously poor-quality hostelry

Buscadero - An individual adroit in handling firearms, particularly in stressful circumstances. May be largely responsible for eliciting the aforementioned circumstances.

Cutting a Rusty - Engaging in courtship behavior. The intentions thereof may be marital or simply a fuller involvement in the joys life has to offer.

Corral Dust - Balderdash, albeit entertaining balderdash.

Hoodathunkit - Who would ever have considered such a course of action feasible? (Chiefly West Texas).

Lie up among the willows - avoiding arrest or retribution by concealment, particularly in a sylvan environment.

Mizewell – Said of an alternative that is just as efficacious or appropriate as any alternate alternative.

Mudsill – Reprobate, degenerate, depraved, and disadvantaged, i.e., ‘Not our sort’.

Rainch - Rural establishment for the purpose of raising livestock, particularly bovids. For the correct intonation, a non-native needs must compress the nostrils with thumb and forefinger while pronouncing this word.

Shiheart – Navajo term of endearment

Slommack - An inexpensive albeit poor-quality ‘Lady of the Evening’

Stainchable - Durable and able to withstand strain. Again, a non-native must hold his or her nose to attain the correct pronunciation.

Talking iron – A pistol, i.e., a small, hand-held firearm without a shoulder stock, especially one with a rotating cylinder holding several projectiles. (The projectiles usually number six. (This is perhaps a reflection of the sexigesimal system of numbers used in ancient Sumer (See Samuel Noah Kramer: History Begins at Sumer).))

Too much mustard – Said of egregiously boastful statements

Waddie – An individual living in a bucolic environment who is involved in the care of bovine quadrupeds, particularly if they go ‘Moo’.

Whyncha – Used to indicate an advantageous course of action.

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Prologue

Snakeskin McMurtry was just a kid when he discovered two things: 1) He was a cool and deadly gunfighter. 2) He couldn't stand killing people. After he shot somebody, he got as sick as a dog. Couldn't even keep water down and he got these God-awful headaches. Could hardly even see sometimes. Trouble was, people found out that he could shoot, so he had to go along on these posses and sometimes he had to kill somebody and somebody else would looking for revenge and he would have to shoot them too. If he couldn't think of something, he'd end up in the nuthouse or the graveyard.

He figured that if he owned a good-sized ranch he could get out of those posses. They'd let an important man off, usually. Only how to get the money? He figured the quickest way was to make deals with outlaws. It was quick, all right, but pretty dirty. He got the money for the ranch but he also got some men looking for him. Men that didn't want to kiss and make up.

Then there was the woman. Didn't take him long to figure out that she was the one for him. She seemed to think so too, but she didn't want to loose another man she loved to gunplay. Could he keep his ranch and the girl when his past caught up with him? He didn't know, but he did know it wouldn't be easy.

All this was very much on his mind when he rode over to the Salt Works ranch to talk about cattle with the girl's father.

(Oh. By the way. Snakeskin's mom was a schoolmarm once and kept trying to keep him from talking like everybody else. He tried. Annawest had learned some French before they kicked her out of that eastern school, so she also talked funny.)

Chapter 1 – A Difficult Birth

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.

- Colette

When Snakeskin arrived, he was wearing the same sort of clothes he wore for yesterday’s fencing, only cleaner. Annawest excused herself when the civilities were over, but came back with paper and ink and sat down. "I’d better get some of this written down, she said.

Her father glared at her. Dang it, Annawest, my memory is as good as it ever was.

Well I don’t know, said Snakeskin, there’s going to be a lot of numbers and names to write down. I’d feel better if she stayed. If you wrote to the wrong man, you might come gunning for me.

Humph, said her father, can’t hurt. Now what about this here Timber and Rock Act?

The palaver lasted all afternoon and Snakeskin again stayed to dinner. After dinner Annawest said, You really got to attend church with me Sunday. It'll be a good chance to make the acquaintance of your neighbors. Get a little rapport goin’.

Well. Good idea. But I don’t have the right clothes. Pete was right. You got to wear the right clothes if you don’t want to give people the wrong idea about what you are.

"Oh that’s a daisy of a thought. We can catch the eight-fifteen into Leadville tomorrow and shop all mornin’. I know just what’s au courant for men. It was in Godey's Lady's Book just last month. You’ll be one plumb soigné puncher! And I know a daisy of a place for tiffin. We can have brioche and crêpes, that’s buns and pancakes. We can catch the three-thirty-seven back in the afternoon."

What's swan-yay? said Snakeskin.

That’s clothes that make even the ducks cheer, said Chuckie. But I tell you there ain’t no arguing with her in that mood, Mr. Snakeskin. You’ll just wear yourself out and get nowhere. That's as sure as a gun.

Snakeskin scratched his ear. Well, I been figuring to get me some new clothes anyway. I guess tomorrow is as good a day as any. He leaned back and crossed his legs with his ankle on his knee and looked Annawest between the eyes. But look, he said, "I don’t want to look too dudish. I can’t be the least bit fluff-duff. A ranch owner is more…dignified than that. If I was...were too fashionable I’d give people the wrong idea."

So you’re sayin’, said Annawest, a rainch owner can be soigné but not dernier cri.

Denny creek?

Dernier cri, that means the latest scream said Annawest.

So I want to get something that makes the ducks cheer but doesn’t make them scream. That sounds reasonable, said Snakeskin.

You want good, quality, don’t you?

The best.

It’s all settled then. But wait, I can not think of a good men’s tailor, said Annawest. Maybe…

That’s all right. I know jis who to ask, said Snakeskin. Say, they teach you much French at that eastern college of yours?

Until we were plum…azure in the face.

____________________________________________________________________

Annawest…I mean Miss Quarll, this is Doc Holliday. Doc, Ann West Quarll.

I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Quarll, said Doc Holliday bowing and removing his hat. I trust your father is enjoying the best of health?

Quite well thank you. I trust that you also are well?

I find this mountain air extremely salubrious, thank you.

You know that might be true, Doc, said Snakeskin. I believe they have what they call sanatoriums for your problem way up in the Swiss Alps.

"Do they indeed? Perhaps if I stay here, I will die in bed after all. Wouldn't that be amusing? But I’ve no wish to bore you with my health problems. Have you any problems that I might help you with?"

We need expert advice, Doc, and I knew you were jis the man to come to.

I would be very pleased to help in any way I can. Perhaps it is a question involving a game of chance?

No Doc it ain’t…er, isn’t. Maybe you heard I finally got my ranch.

Indeed I did. Congratulations. Perhaps you need my advice on how to hold onto it?

I jis might, some day, said Snakeskin, but right now I have another problem. I have been told that a big sugar’s got to dress like a big sugar. Know a good place to get the right clothes?

Hah, said Holiday, indeed I can help you there. Go to David Maye on Harrison Avenue. He is a Jew, but a man of skill and integrity. He feels that if the sale is not a good one for the customer, it is not a good one for his company. You can’t do better.

Thanks, Doc.

Yes, thank you.

You are quite welcome and now I must beg you to excuse me while I return to my profession. Business is business. I am very pleased to have met you, Miss Quarll. He bowed again.

It was nice meetin’ you, too. Good day.

__________________________________________________________

The first thing Snakeskin saw when he entered the Maye Company was a big mirror. He wished he hadn't. Annawest looked very stylish. Her hair was pulled back at the sides and ended in a cluster of ringlets and her bangs were frizzled over her forehead in Josephine curls. Her hat had a curvy brim, a sky-blue band, and a bunch of artificial flowers on the back. She wore a tight basque jacket flared at the waist. Beneath the jacket was a sky-blue skirt fitted over a bustle. The skirt had a huge bow in back and ten lines of drapery coming around the front. Below the drapery were five rows of ruffles. The skirt was daringly short; it revealed her instep and three out of the ten buttons on her shoes. Completing the outfit was a pair of fine white gloves with a dozen buttons each, a matching bag, and an umbrella. It was a pretty outfit, but it slowed her down since she could only take very short steps.

He didn't match her at all. His cowboy outfit was all sweat-stained and about half worn out. He'd put on a snakeskin vest with the idea of dressing it up. The vest looked good, but it made the rest of his clothes look worse by contrast. Oh well, he'd come to buy clothes anyway. A counter-jumper, Snakeskin figured from his outfit he was probably the boss, moved forward. Good morning, he said, how may I help you?"

Morning, said Snakeskin, you must be David Maye. My name’s McMurtry. I jis bought a fair-sized ranch and have been informed by those who ought to know, that I ought to dress like a big sugar since I am one, any more. Doc Holliday told me you were jis the man to talk to.

I am very glad to have Doctor Holliday's good opinion, said Maye

Lot better than having his bad one, huh? I brought along another authority on the subject of good clothes, Ann West Quarll, Snakeskin removed his hat and gestured with it to Annawest. I'd like to start with some church clothes.

Certainly, said Maye. He removed a suit from the shelf and laid it out on the counter. Now here is the new 'sack suit' or 'ditto suit'. It's replacing the old frock coat and contrasting vest.

Mmm, said Annawest in approval.

Huh, said Snakeskin eyeing the sack suit suspiciously. You don't see a lot of men wearing anything like that.

Well that's good, said Annawest, you'll the first to set the new fashion trend.

Well Annawest, said Snakeskin, scratching his neck, I had better be honest. I'm jis not the kind of man that can set a new fashion trend. To do that you got to be able to strut down the street wearing something funny looking and act like you’re proud of it. I can’t do that. I'm not afraid of ghosts, gunfighters, or mean cows, much, but I am absolutely terrified of people laughing at my clothes. And it would show on my face. I couldn't wear that kind of suit if nobody else was. A cowboy has to be a little bit behind the fashions. Especially if he is a ranch owner.

Men! Well I suppose it isn’t a good idea to wear somethin’ that makes you feel uncomfortable, no matter how chic.

’Chic’ probably means ‘fashionable’, said Snakeskin to Maye. Most of those French words of hers do.

Now Mr. Snakeskin, said Annawest, I hope you don't think me too pushy, but I have got to be honest, too. I do have a mind of my own and I will always express my opinion.

Well, my Mom was like that. So I'm used to it, said Snakeskin. I don't mean to be too picky, or can’t take advice, but...

Might I make a suggestion? said David Maye. There is a compromise possible. This is a 'morning coat' it is reasonably fashionable, though it is not so extreme in its cut as the sack suit. It much resembles the frock coat, but it is cut a bit shorter. Also it is cut away at the sides. This particular kind of styling is more practical than the frock coat because it permits easier access to the vest pockets and to the pistols.

Well now that, advantage would be worth risking a snicker or two. What do you think Annawest?

I like it. It lets you show off a handsome vest which the sack suit does not.

OK, said Snakeskin, two of them.

Might I suggest one in black and one in dark gray.

Sure, said Snakeskin.

Matching trousers might be best, suggested Maye.

Sounds good.

Now, said Annawest, we need to get you some vests. These silk ones are powerful soigné. How about this cerulean blue? That would make you stand out in the crowd.

Well, it’s real pretty, but I don't really want to stand out in the crowd. Not at a distance anyway.

Why not?

Well there's jis no point in beating around the bush, said Snakeskin. I used to be a bounty hunter. I've allus tried to work out a deal with any outlaw I brought in. Get them a lawyer, split the reward, take care of their family, sell them some lock picks...

Lock picks?

Nothing illegal about selling a man lock picks. I looked it up. Any way if they didn't want to deal, I'd thank them politely and ride off. But there have been times when they went for their guns instead of talking and I had to shoot. I hated doing that, but sometimes I had to. Now some of those guys I shot had relatives and some of those relatives are still after me, or say they are. That's why I don't want to wear anything that stands out. If I'm dressed about like everybody else, they'll have to get close before they know it's me. And I don't mean to brag but I figure I can recognize them first. A beautiful blue vest is jis too good a target.

How…how many men are after you, said Annawest.

Not that many and they're not that dangerous. And the waddies I hire are going to be boys that'll ride for the brand and can handle a gun as good…I mean as well as they can handle a cow. That Tim Sholtz, now he's a man to tie to in a gunfight and so is Koffpot. Koffpot ain’t…isn’t that big but neither is Doc Holiday. When I get my herd, I'll have a few more like him. Look, it’s like anything else. If you understand the risk and use common sense you’re safe enough.

Oh. I…Well I guess we had best get the black vest then, said Annawest. Though it does look dreadful somber.

We can easily brighten it up with some gold embroidery, said David Maye, that would not be conspicuous at a distance.

Good idea and why don't we get this dark maroon one too, said Snakeskin, put some embroidery on both of them. Sound OK Anna…Miss Quarll?

Yes,' She said. Whynchya try the outfit on so we can appraise it."

That is necessary anyway, said Maye, I must mark those alterations appropriate to a proper fit.

Snakeskin amiably took the garments and retired to the dressing room. Soon he emerged dressed in the new garments. And wearing his gun belt.

Oh mi vache! cried Annawest. There’s no other way to say this and there’s no gettin’ away from it either. That gun belt looks just plain gauche with the rest of the outfit. That means silly.

"I jis told you…Well, some of those guys that have it in for me are cowards. They’ll stay as gentle as lambs if I stay armed."

Annawest made no reply. Her mood had changed. She frowned deeply and turned away.

Might I point out that there is another problem here? said Maye smoothly. You have said that you wish to be fairly inconspicuous. Wearing a gun belt with a morning coat is no way to achieve that. There is, however, a simple solution. We can sew belt loops onto the trousers. Then holsters can be mounted on the belt so that the weapon rides just above the hip pocket. If the morning coat is worn unbuttoned the weapon can be easily drawn. Let me demonstrate. Maye donned a morning coat. As you reach backward, your hand sweeps the tails of the coat out of the way and the pistol may be grasped and drawn. A reasonably fast draw is attainable with practice.

Yeah. Yeah, doesn’t look too bad, said Snakeskin. People talk about a quick draw a lot, but I’ve never, or almost never, been in a situation where it would of made any difference.

Accuracy first and speed a long way second? said Maye.

That’s what Wyatt Earp allus used to say.

There is one more point in favor of such an arrangement. In some situations, you might wish to slide the holsters back on the belt so that you would appear to be unarmed, said Maye.

Snakeskin smiled and nodded. Like when you want to smoke somebody out that’s jis waiting to catch you unarmed? Good point. Real good point. Be a lot better than trying to stay on your guard for ten years.

I would suggest you obtain your holsters and your belt from Preston Becker. He owns a saddle shop two blocks north on Harrison right next to Doctor Holliday's faro game.

Thanks. Well, what about hats? inquired Snakeskin.

I would suggest two bowler hats and one top hat. You would certainly wish to wear the top hat if you ever were to patronize our new opera house. Something I would indeed recommend. Maye handed Snakeskin the top hat.

I like music, said Snakeskin, admiring the hat. ‘Luke Short used to wear one of these kind of hats sometimes. What do you think Miss Quarll?"

Annawest was staring at a red bonnet with feather trim.

You can have that bonnet if you want, said Snakeskin.

What? What bonnet? she replied.

The bonnet you were looking at, said Snakeskin.

What, this one? said Annawest No I don’t want it and I wasn’t really lookin’ at it. I was thinkin’ about somethin’ else.

Oh, said Snakeskin. He thought a minute. You know the chances of somebody coming gunning for me over something that happened years ago are really pretty slim.

I… said Annawest. She looked at the hats Maye was holding. "Those bowler hats would entirely soigné for church and everyday town wear, but I think a top hat would be de rigueur for that opera house Tabor just put up. I have heard they put on a daisy of a show there. De rigueur means required for that kind of a slab-sided shindig."

Snakeskin nodded to Maye. We'll take them. Now I need to get some riding clothes. As Maye was assembling riding outfits Snakeskin turned to Annawest. What does ‘Oh la wash!’ mean?

Oh mi vache? Oh the cow.

Hunh?

The French say it when they mean…‘Con sarn it.’

The riding clothes included, not only durable work clothes, but also two elegant white shirts embroidered with roses and little blue birds. One for Snakeskin and one for Annawest. Snakeskin felt uneasy about buying those white shirts. He could never dare wear his shirt if he wasn't riding with her and if he was riding with her, matching shirts would look too sissy and he could not think of a polite way to ask her not to wear hers if he was wearing his. This problem occupied him all the way to Preston Becker's saddlery. Becker understood what Snakeskin wanted immediately and asked to see Snakeskin's guns. Snakeskin gave him both guns. That was foolish, since they were both alike.

Snakeskin was absently watching Becker make his measurements when he heard Annawest call from outside the shop, Oh Snakeskin, come look! Snakeskin hesitated; he hated to be without his pistols, but came out when she called again. Look! she said, look at those beautiful chaps. Snakeskin looked through the big shop window. The chaps were pretty all right, but not practical, since they were white. Also, he wasn't going to be talked into buying matching chaps. Matching shirts were bad enough. He was trying to think of what to say, when he heard a horse stop abruptly behind him and a voice coming from its rider.

Well if it ain't. Well if it ain't the lickspittle that bedded my brother down into the bone orchard. You better get ready to join him Snake, because you’re about to. It was Max Crate.

I'm not armed, Max, said Snakeskin.

Well ain't it just my lucky day, said Max and drew his pistol with a slow and deliberate motion.

Snakeskin froze. He was helpless without his guns but if he ran back into the saddlery to get them, he would be deserting the lady. Deadwood Dick would never do that and neither would any other Victorian man. He didn't know what to do.

Max checked his loads and took careful aim.

Annawest did not freeze. She hopped forward with both feet, the only fast locomotion possible in that dress, and popped her umbrella open in the horse's face. The horse shied violently, leaping sideways and backwards. Annawest pursued with a hop a kangaroo would have envied and popped her umbrella open in the poor horse’s face again. The horse forgot everything but getting away from that terrible umbrella. It leaped back, twisted around and started to run away. Max's gun went off and put a hole in the saddlery sign just above the ‘B’ in Becker. Annawest dropped the umbrella and started pulling things out of her bag. She filled the air with a perfect blizzard of handkerchiefs, fans, calling cards, buttonhooks, vinaigrettes, perfume bottles, sachets, buttons, needles, thread, silver dollars, and a gold-embossed book of etiquette.

Meanwhile, Snakeskin came out of it and grabbed the back of Max's batwing chap and jerked his foot out of the stirrup. The horse dashed forward. Snakeskin and Max fell flat on the ground at Annawest’s feet and began to struggle over Max’s gun.

Annawest said, Hah! pulled a derringer out of the bottom of her bag, pressed it to Max's temple, and said, Drop it,

Max dropped it. Snakeskin picked it up.

Excuse me, came Doc Holliday's voice. I see Sheriff Mart Duggan coming at a high lope. Considering his aggressive nature, I think it would be best to holster our pistols.

My pistol is goin’ to stay right where it is, said Annawest.

Of course, said Holliday, but he and Snakeskin holstered theirs.

OK, said Duggan, what’s going on here?

This man tried to shoot Mr. McMurtry when he was unarmed," said Annawest.

Old grudge, said Snakeskin.

Duggan glanced at Holliday and Becker, who was looking out of the door of his shop. Both nodded. OK, he said, you can put your gun away Miss Quarll, I'm taking this boy in.

You know, said Snakeskin, Max was in that gang that robbed the train down by Canyon City a few years back. We might be able to put him away for a nice, long time.

Any proof? said Duggan.

Well, said Snakeskin, there's a couple of people in the state prison that might be willing to testify. 'Specially after they hear how Max got himself out of jail by blowing on them.

Don't tell them that, said Max, they'll kill me!

Will they now, said Snakeskin. Well ain't it jis my lucky day.

Holliday went back to his card game and Becker to his saddlery. Annawest reloaded her bag. Snakeskin bought the matching white chaps for himself and Annawest. He hoped that would cheer her up. It didn't help much.

That was good of Doc to take our part, said Annawest.

Well, like I said, we have an agreement, said Snakeskin. "It's the same agreement I have with Johnny Ringo, and Scott Cooley, and a few other buscaderos including some Texas Rangers. I got…have plenty of men to call on in a difficulty. Annawest said nothing. Look, said Snakeskin, that wouldn’t of happened if I’d of had my guns."

Annawest managed a smile, but did not really cheer up until they were halfway home. Then, she shook herself forced a smile and said, Let's go out ridin’ in our new outfits tomorrow.

Uhh…OK, said Snakeskin.

______________________________________________

Next day, Snakeskin put on his white outfit and rode over right after breakfast. Annawest came hurrying out in her whites. There's trouble, Snakeskin. Lily has disappeared and she was just about to drop her calf. We have got to find her.

Uhh, OK.

She's just a daisy. She's the creame de la crème and so is her milk. I don't want to lose her or the calf. It cost a lot to get her bred.

What's she look like? said Snakeskin.

She has a beautiful fawn color with white markin’s on her forehead and withers. Oh, I hope she's all right. We had her pen all spread with straw. I can not imagine how she got out.

They led their horses over to the calving pen. This her track? said Snakeskin.

I think so, she was smaller than the others, said Annawest.

OK. We can follow this.

The trail was easy to follow. What was not so easy was ignoring the cowboy's response to their outfits. There was grinning and whistling. Snakeskin knew they would spend the day working up some choice comments for him when he came back. He didn't look forward to them.

Look, said Annawest, she's headin’ right for the creek. We used to play there when she was younger. Oh I hope she doesn't try to wade in it. She'll get stuck.

There she is, said Snakeskin. She's bogged all right. Looks bad.

Oh, let's hurry, said Annawest. Oh mi vache! she said a moment later. Her water's broken. Her calf is comin’. We have to get her out of there tout suite. Right away.

The only way, said Snakeskin, is to dig down and grab her hooves one at a time and tie them up. I got some pigging strings. Once we get them all tied up, we can put a lariat around her horns and pull her out. We try to haul her out without doing that, we're liable to break her legs."

Are you sure we couldn’t...

Annawest, I’ve seen cows legs get twisted completely off that way.

Oh dear! Please hurry, said Annawest.

Snakeskin threw off his vest and reached for his shirt buttons. Then he stopped, glanced at Annawest, and dove in just as he was. The job was difficult. The water was a foot deep over the mud and the cow was buried almost belly-deep. Snakeskin had to take a deep breath, dive under water, and work his hand down to each hoof and tie a loop around it. It took several tries to push the loop down far enough, since the mud was thick and the cow was struggling for air. When he finally finished tying one hind hoof, he heard a splash and saw Annawest working on the other one. It was hard for her since she wasn't as strong as Snakeskin, but she kept trying. Once the string tangled around her hand and the cow lurched and pulled her head under water. Snakeskin splashed over, but she had released herself by the time he got there. Maybe you better… he said.

No! Get the other leg, the calf is comin'. We'll lose them both! she said and, after a few gasps, dived back in. Finally, all four legs were tied up.

OK said Snakeskin, throw me my lariat and I'll loop it around her horns. Then tie the other end to your pommel and back your horse up slow...slowly. I'll hold the cow's head up. Once she's out, we'll snub her to that tree before we cut her legs loose. She might come after us. Besides, we want to check on how the birth is going."

Lilly slid out of the creek easily on her side. Annawest wrapped the lariat once around the tree and backed her horse to keep the rope taut. They untied the cow's hooves. She stood up. The cow was mad and jerked her horns at Snakeskin, but soon stopped and started straining to push her calf out. Annawest jumped off her horse, grabbed Snakeskin's hat, rushed to fill it with water and used the water to wash off Lilly's hind end. It took several trips to get it clean. The horse, trained for calf roping, kept the lariat taut and the cow snubbed to the tree.

Snakeskin was checking on the birth. Oh Luddy Mussy, he said, it's not going right. The calf has got one hoof back. We're going to have to push the calf's head in and grab that hoof and bring it around and line it up with the other one. That's not going to be easy. Get me the pigging strings. We'll need them to straighten the hooves and maybe to pull the calf out.

Snakeskin took two deep breaths, put his hand on the calf's forehead, and started shoving. Dang, he said, she's awfully strong for such a little cow.

Listen, said Annawest, maybe if I came around and put my hand on top of yours, we could both push.

Let's try it.

Its movin’ back, said Annawest, I kin feel it. Oh mi vache! She's pushed it back out again. Why don't you hold the calf's head back next time and I'll try to loop the string around the foot?

Let's try it.

Hold on, said Annawest, I've almost got it tied. There.

Now pull slow and steady, said Snakeskin.

It's comin’! Oh. I’ve got the foot out. Now what?

OK, said Snakeskin, line the hooves up and we'll try to get the string around the calf's head. Here give the string to me. Ouch!

What?

Oh, the calf’s teeth are real sharp, said Snakeskin.

Oh mi vache, look at your hand! said Annawest. Give me the string.

Ok, loop it through the mouth and around the back of the calf's head behind the ears.

OK, said Annawest. Ow! I'm all right; it just hurts your hand when she pushes. Oh she's stopped. Now I can. I think I've done it.

OK I’ll pull on the string, said Snakeskin.

Push, Lilly, Push. said Annawest. Oh it’s comin’. Oh!

That did it. said Snakeskin. Real nice little ... heifer.

They both picked up the calf and gave it a good shake head down. Fluid and mucus came out of the calf's nose.

She's not breathin’! They tickled the calf's nose with grass, poured water in its ears to make it shake its head, but nothing worked. Finally, they tried artificial respiration. Snakeskin pushed down on the calf’s ribs and released. Over and over. Annawest lifted its top foreleg on the release. Finally the calf coughed and started breathing. After a while it tried to stand. They helped it wobble over to its mother and guided its little head to her udder. It started nursing and Lilly turned her head and started sniffing the calf's hind end. Then she started licking her calf.

Looks good, said Snakeskin, looks real good.

Let’s call her ‘Gracie’, said Annawest. Oh isn't she pretty?

Hah, said Snakeskin, that's more than you can say for our new duds. At least we still match.

They looked at each other and both started laughing. Well, white isn't really practical for out here, anyway, said Annawest

They watched the calf nurse for a while, then cleaned up, retrieving the strings and wiping themselves and everything else down with grass. They threw the afterbirth in the creek because Snakeskin said it would draw coyotes and rode back with Snakeskin carrying the calf across BettyBea’s withers and Lilly trotting anxiously behind and calling to her calf. Snakeskin just grinned at the hilarity of the Salt Works cowboys. Annawest responded by insisting that the cowboys admire the new calf. They were generous about that.

Chapter 2 - Amarantha Blackburn

Man does not determine his own fate. The women in his life do that for him.

-Groucho

There was much building and fencing to be done on Snakeskin’s ranch so courtship was largely limited to Sunday. Snakeskin went to church more often that year than he did in the whole rest of his life. He didn’t complain much, even though the minister gave the same sermon every Sunday. Snakeskin had figured out how to deal with that problem, too. He and the younger parishioners would put dots of paint on June bugs and let them go when the sermon started. Then they bet on whose June bug climbed the wall first, whose June bug climbed highest, and which wall would have the most June bugs on it. Annawest did not join in this amusement, though she did wonder where all the June bugs were coming from.

After church, Snakeskin and Annawest changed to riding clothes and went off with Waypatoo as a chaperone. As soon as they got out of sight of the house, Waypattoo's horse tactfully pulled up lame and Waypatoo dismounted in a shady spot. By coincidence, her loom was always set up right where her horse went lame.

They usually had a picnic and a few kisses. Annawest well knew what they would end up doing if she allowed more than a few kisses, so she got Snakeskin to teach her to fish. This substituted one passion for another. Snakeskin cut her a long willow pole and attached three feet of line to it. Then he caught a few grasshoppers with a net he had made up out of a broomstick, cheesecloth, and an old barrel hoop.

Now Mr. Trout, said Snakeskin, "will be sitting in quiet water next to the fast water. That way he can take it easy in the quiet water until something to eat comes floating by. Then he grabs it. One thing more, he likes deep quiet water a lot better than shallow quiet water because it's safer. Jis what you’d do if you were a fish. Now Mr. Trout can see you and feel you. He can’t hear you talking, but