Let's Cowboy Up!: The Ranch Finder

By Ronald H. Mayer

Lets Cowboy Up is a West Texas cowboy story centered around Charlie, a single twenty-five-year ranch hand, whos a wannabe dreaming to climb up the cowboy chain of command so as to someday own and operate a West Texas ranch of his own. During this climb, he runs headfirst into almost all kinds of obstacles known in the life of a day-working West Texas beauty. This story is written in and around Broomee, Texas, a once-thriving ranching community just south of Sterling City on the way to San Angelo. The town Bromee has been recreated to help out with the story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496963802

Ronald H. Mayer

This is Ronald H. Mayer’s second story about the life of a West Texas cowboy with some influence from his early days as a ranch hand on his grandfather’s ranch at Arden. At this period in the life of the “Ranch Finder,” it appears he has finished his climb up “the cowboy chain of command,” having sold his great New Mexico Ranch. The family now owns two small ranches in Central Texas.

Book preview

© 2015 Ronald H. Mayer. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/20/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6357-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6380-2 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Prologue

Charlie Thompson

The Meeting At The Bank

Perhaps A Ranch Job

Cowboy Café

It’s About Blue

Mrs. Hattie White

White Ranch Code Of Ethics

The List

To Town And More

The Old Green Pickup

The North Unit

Problems On The North Unit

Breakfast And More

Just A 357 Magnum Pistol

Planning Ahead

Supper At The Ranch

Mid Town National Bank

Last Chance Bar And Grill

Time For Action

A New Monday

The Introduction

The Issue

The Introduction

The Hardisty Ranch

To Town

Let’s Go To Rachel’s

Sunday And The Judge

George Jr.

Unexpected Trouble

Recovery

Charlie’s Second Coming

The Three Friends

Fresh Start

To Town

Trip To The Bank

On To Austin

The Surgery

Headed For The Ranch

New Start

Sunday Lunch

Back To Austin

On To Austin

To The Medical Center

The Ramada Inn

Back At The Ranch

Back To Work

The Auction

The Cattle Auction

Sale Day

Cattle To The White Ranch

The Big Supper

The Branding

To The Hospital

Oil And Gas Lease Talk

Rachel And Supper

Life Goes On

Hogs And Bulls

Circle F Ranch

The White Ranch

The Report

Waiting To Hear

The Long Wait

As It Stands

It’s Time

The Funeral

The Gift

The Meeting

PROLOGUE

West Texas has always offered up lots of Wanta-Be-Cowboys, because as I’ve seen and lived it most of my life, West Texas is some of the best livestock country there is and that also means good cowboy country. So for Charlie Thompson to come along ready willing and able to cowboy up in early 1977 was typical as to what was taking place throughout the livestock industry here in West Texas at this time.

It just so happens Charlie as a cowboy was just a cut above the rest of the crowd because he wasn’t lazy and although a little naive at times, but when it comes to getting the job done he could always see the big picture and always produced a creditable ending.

When Charlie met up with Rachel Jones and got joined at the hip so the speak, things began to happen in a good way for the both of them which includes Charlie’s great Blue stud colt and his famous Red Healer dog.

The two of them proved their loyalties and love to their benefactor Mrs.Hattie White, and she returned this devotion with the greatest gift a Cowboy and his Girl could ever dream of, THE WHITE RANCH

CHARLIE THOMPSON

Charlie Thompson was what you might refer to here in West Texas as just another "Wanna-be Cowboy" with no ranch of his own to work on, no horse to ride and no pickup to get to the ranch to Cowboy on. What he was…was ready, willing and able to Cowboy Up anywhere, anytime, because he had the desire and a pair of boots, a set of old gal-leg spurs and an old high-back, double-rigged saddle his grandfather gave him when he graduated from Broome High School in 1971.

From time to time, Charlie would go down to the Livestock Auction Barn on Sale Day, almost always every Wednesday. For $10.00 up, he would ride any of the green starter colts that the local Ranchers would bring in to be made saddle wise and hopefully learn these young broncs some pen smarts so they understood what a saddle horse was supposed to do.

He got lots of $10.00 up green colts to ride at the auction and soon was considered a top hand at handling these young horses. He also worked as a flanker with the branding crew, when given the chance to practice on some of the sale ring calves.

Charlie was soon being sought after to try his hand at day work on several of the close-in ranches.

His only problem with this kind of real cowboy work was getting out to the ranch and back. He didn’t have a horse or a pickup, nor a trailer to get to and from the ranch to start his Cowboy Up days. Charlie didn’t even have a head stall with a snapple bit or a rope hack-a-more to gather up a horse, so he always had to borrow a horse and other tack, or rent one.

Then he needed someone to come get him after the day work and bring him back to his sleeping place, which was an old wood frame bunk house. It was attached to the feed store where he mostly stayed when he wasn’t day-working or riding the $10.00 colts or flanking calves.

This style of cowboy works continued through the summer of 1977. Apparently Charlie was making a good hand, because the day work was beginning to turn into weeks at a time. Now that summer was just about over and winter was coming on, Charlie needed to find full time work with monthly wages.

Having saved up enough day work money to buy a Blue Roan, two year old stud colt from one of the ranches, he had brought him to town and was standing him in the old horse barn and corrals, located at the feed store.

Charlie named the colt, Blue.

Now he had his own horse. All he needed was a pickup and trailer and a few other tack needs and then he figured he would be on his way up. This was The Cowboy Chain of Command to someday owning his own spread here in his Beautiful West Texas.

Blue was just green halter broke when he got him. Charlie was spending most of his off-time in the corral, taking the fear out of Blue so that he could teach him the things he needed to know right up front before Blue had his first saddle up.

They spent so much time with each other that Blue began to know just right smart what Charlie was going to do next with him. It became easy for Charlie to handle this type of training, always repetitious with green broke horses, so that what Blue had just been taught was forever implanted in his brain.

Before Blue knew it, Charlie was sacking him all over and in no time was saddling this little stud colt for his new venture into the life of being a right smart West Texas saddle horse.

Charlie needed his own vehicle, such as a pickup, and, for sure, a trailer so that Blue could come along too. So how do you go about getting a pickup and trailer when you barely make enough money just to get by on?

The only steady money Charlie could count on was the $127.00 a month check that the government paid him for the 25% disability from having been in the Army and served in Vietnam. Seems he got too much Agent Orange sprayed on him, causing him to see funny spots in his right eye, sometimes even to see double or hardly at all when it got West Texas HOT. Other times if he got nervous, he just plumb couldn’t see anything out of his right eye.

So the bottom line was that this amount of government money, plus what he had been making at the Auction Ring on $10.00 green horses and, also, his day-workin’ chores was just ‘way short of even a down payment on a second hand pickup, without a chance of ever getting a trailer.

Charlie’s best friend since childhood was Bill Simpson. Fact is Charlie and Bill rode the school bus in to town from their country home until they graduated from Broome High School. Bill also worked full time at the Broome Feed & Seed Store where Charlie and his second best friend, Blue, were spending so much of their time, just trying to understand each other.

After Bill heard over and over again Charlie’s sob- story about the lack of transportation and, more so, the lack of capital to operate with, he suggested that Charlie saddle on down to the Mid Town National Bank and look up one of them loan fellers who lends money to good, hard workin’ folks like Charlie. That way he and Blue could get started and keep moving on up The Cowboy Chain of Command.

Bill went on to advise Charlie, Once you get in the bank, pay special attention to a good lookin’ gal that sits over on the far left near the water cooler. You just might want to renew your acquaintance with Miss Rachel Jones.

Yeah, Rachel Jones, that skinny little girl that used to get on the bus at Jones’ Landing and ride the loop with us to school for oh, so many a year. Pay attention, Charlie, she’s a looker!

THE MEETING AT THE BANK

C harlie cleaned up the best he could. That is to say, he put on his only other shirt and dusted off his Levis and wiped off the front of his boots on the back of his trousers. Then he washed his face and slicked down his hair.

As he left the bunk house, he noted that he hadn’t looked this good in years. Why, hello there, Rachel Jones! It’s me, Charlie Thompson of not so long ago!

The Mid Town National Bank was right where it had always been. It’s just that Charlie had never had reason enough to look inside. As he entered the big front door, the first thing he looked for was Miss Rachel Jones. Sure enough, there she was, right over next to the water cooler, where his pal Bill Simpson said she would be.

Before he could get up the nerve to go over and speak to her, she called out, Charlie Thompson! I been waiting on you to show up down here, ever since Bill called and said I should get ready for a big surprise. Come over here and hug my neck! It’s been over four years since I’ve even heard your name and that was long before you went off to the Army!

Charlie was taken back somewhat by this sudden calling of his name in such a public place. Nevertheless he quickly turned his footsteps toward what now appeared to be a beautiful looking, full blossomed, young West Texas woman who was looking straight at him. For sure it seemed like she wanted very much to talk to him.

He was just a little unsure about hugging her neck with all these bank folks looking his way. Just to be kindly, he did hug her neck and it sure did please him. She felt so soft and smelled right smart. Boy! Had she growed up to be a looker!

Charlie and Rachel talked for a short time and kind of got caught up on the last five years. For the first time, Charlie talked a little about his three and a half years with the Army and about his early discharge with a 25% disability due to an overdose of Agent Orange. That was the chemical the American Army sprayed on all the trees and the forest in Vietnam so they could see where they were going…even if they weren’t supposed to be there.

He told her he was sometimes real close to blind in his right eye. On certain days when the temperature would get over 99.9 degrees, his left eye would begin to sort of jump and vibrate. The Army doctors said that was due to nerve damage. The best thing about the disability rating was that he now had a monthly income of $127.00. Anyway, he had Blue, such a great horse with two good eyes to help him climb his way up The Cowboy Chain of Command.

Rachel was not quite sure how to judge Charlie’s understanding about the need for collateral. He seemed to think that being a cowboy with a good horse and $127.00 a month steady due to his limited vision was all he needed to qualify to get a loan… even if it was just for an old used pickup and trailer.

Just about the time Charlie got to feeling a little more comfortable with Rachel, up walked Frank Smith, another classmate of his from their days at Broome High School.

Rachel introduced Frank as the Loan Officer for the bank. From here on, Charlie would need to sit down with him to see if he could talk him out of enough money with which to buy the pickup and trailer.

Once again, Charlie had to go over his life’s actions since he graduated from Broome High School in 1971. His path was rather simple. After graduation from high school, he went only one semester in the College of Agriculture at West Texas State at Canyon, Texas, before running out of funds for the second semester.

After that, he just kicked around West Texas, working wherever he could get a steady job on ranches when possible.

At the beginning of 1973, he just up and joined the U.S. Army. The Recruiter told him if he stayed in at least four years, he would have a chance to qualify for the G.I. Bill that would pay his way back to college, when and if he felt like he was ready.

Two months after his induction into the Service, he found himself headed for Vietnam as a Rifle Man in a weapon’s company. Charlie soon realized that this type of life was very different from his days on the Open Plains of West Texas. Besides, he had never met so many people who had no idea where Broome, Texas, was and they didn’t give a damn, nor want to know anything about this part of the real world.

His disability got him discharged six months early in the Winter of 1977. Even though he could qualify on the G.I. Bill for college, he still didn’t have enough money to get by on. By that Spring he just gave up on the idea of having a college education. Instead, he decided to embark on a career of being a West Texas Cowboy.

Frank listened to Charlie, hoping there was something more to his qualifications, other than the steady monthly $127.00 disability check and what he referred to as one of the best damn Blue Roan Stud Colts in Broome, Texas.

In the end, Frank had to tell Charlie that he just didn’t have enough collateral to justify even the basic 90 day loan of $500.00 at 5% interest.

Needless to say, Charlie was disappointed, because he sure was hoping to get this loan so he could get on his way to workin’ full-time on one of the bigger ranches in this area.

He thanked Frank for giving it to him straight on about this ‘borrowing’ money. He went on to say, I feel like borrowing money is too much trouble. Besides, this bank wants to know too much about my business from start to finish.

He got up and started for the door, when Rachel called out again, Charlie Thompson, don’t just walk out of here without stopping off and sayin’ ‘goodbye’.

Charlie wandered over to Rachel’s desk again. It appears to me that the bank is too short on money at this time. I was told to come back in six months when they will have some money to loan on old pickups and horse trailers.

Rachel knew Charlie was disappointed over not being able to qualify for a loan, so she just let it go as it was. Right now she was more interested in coming up with a reason for Charlie to keep in contact with her. Maybe he would ask her out on a date. After all, she had always had a thing for Charlie Thompson.

Just then, she remembered the Widow Hattie White, owner of the White Ranch, who had asked her on her last visit to the bank to find her someone to help out on the ranch this summer.

PERHAPS A RANCH JOB

R achel then looked at Charlie and told him about Mrs. Hattie White, the widow of Howard White, the late owner of that nice ranch they used to pass by on the school bus, as they rode from Jones’ Landing to town and back again, year after year.

Seems like Hattie White has more or less let the ranch go its way…downhill…since her husband Howard died three years ago. Now she’s ready to get things back under control and on line again, as far as ranching goes.

Charlie Thompson, this might be the chance you and Blue are looking for. Give me a few days to set it up. Then you come calling over to where I live on 1417 South Fourth some evening. I’ll tell you just what you have to do to get in good with the Widow White.

Charlie looked at Rachel and before he realized it, he was hugging her neck again. However this time it was all his effort. He sure might like to do this in some place…other than the lobby of The Mid Town National Bank…and for sure, without so many folks just standing around watching.

When he got back to the Feed Store, Bill Simpson was waiting at the Bunkhouse to hear the good news about all the money Charlie was able to borrow from the bank.

No news is good news, as far as the money story went, but Bill was excited to hear about the hopefully upcoming meeting with Widow Hattie White. Word was that she owned about 10 sections of the old Paul Jones ranch, which had been divided between Hattie and her sister, Lucy Ferguson. Lucy’s remaining 10 sections joined the White Ranch on the west.

Now these two sisters owned some of the best ranch country in the County. Lucy and her husband, Fred, and two sons were operating their part. Rumor had it that they were running cattle all over Mrs. Hattie’s part and not paying her a dime lease for the grazing rights. They just up and took over when Howard White died some three years back.

Bill Simpson offered, If you get the job, you keep your good eye on them brothers, George Jr. and Freddie, just because for sure, they are always gettin’ in trouble with the law and they like to hard knock on anyone smaller than they are.

Two days passed rather slowly as Charlie waited to hear from Rachel. Without giving notice, he cleaned up again. That’s twice in one week he noted. It appeared to him that he might need to get him some new clothes, especially new white shirts, if he continued to have these pleasant meetings with Rachel Jones and, hopefully, the upcoming meeting with the Widow Hattie White.

He almost decided to ride Blue over to Rachel’s but gave up on that because he didn’t know where he might tie him so that the street dogs would leave him alone. Instead he had to walk over to 1417 South Fourth Street. He wasn’t used to walking, so it took him over 45 minutes, just long enough time for him to sweat the arm pits of his clean white shirt…and his left eye started jumping around in the socket.

It was almost 6:30 in the evening when he showed up, unannounced, at Rachel’s front door.

Rachel had come in from work, changed over to a pair of shorts and a baggy T-shirt, and was bare- footed when she opened the door. There stood Charlie Thompson on her front porch, all cleaned up like he was going to Church, with a big smile on his sun burned face.

After getting over the shock of seeing Charlie for the second time in just a week, she quickly opened the screened door and kissed him