Tumbleweeds

[chuck j]

No more work was expected except getting The Garcia's things and supplies in the dry . Don , Steve , Simon and Juan crossed the ford and brought what had been unloaded from the freight wagon . The young Rangers were volunteering to help with all things directed by Ed . Katy and Wade told them they could go to the river and bathe and most did . Zeke , Rosa , Lucy , Don , Steve and John going with them to show them the men went upstream . They all came back happier .

A big meal was had , Wade told Katy ...We need another table already ! There was confusion and much talk getting to know each other . There were so many children ! And Tomas and Carlos still had to bring their families !


In the confusion before the meal Don took Katy and Wade aside and explained how Cindy and her baby were there . That Ruth had made him bring her here . That she had no where to go with her baby . Wade and Katy both said it was fine , she could stay in their cabin . Katy said ...She seems like a nice girl , she is already helping . There will be a lot of single young men here , there already are . I expect she might find someone right here . Don jerked his head up when she said that !

[chuck j]

Juan and Simon's families settled into the bunkhouse just fine . There was plenty of room . They were shown their brand new cabins and assured they would be in them within a few days ! As soon as a dividing wall was put up making them two big rooms with gun ports and doors hung . Their wives were excited !


Bill Pickett had proven to be good working with wood . Him , Ed and the three young Rangers were put to finish expanding the livestock shed . The Garcia's , Wade and Don started putting up walls in the new cabins with Katy still on the plane finishing boards . Cary and Mark Parish with Greg and Carl were shown the east ranch property line and started digging postholes to string fence . Fence was finally going up !


Joy had all the children at the shade trees by the horse pens . They were making two swings in the trees there . Joy took board ends and nailed em to a tree so you could climb it . In a while Katy went to the cabin to help with lunch . She stopped on the porch and they were all sitting up in the tree with Joy . Katy called Lucy and Willow Mae to come look . They laughed their heads off !

[chuck j]

Wade showed the water well drillers where to put the first windmill at the stock pens . They went right to work with an augur . With a windmill there they would not have to hand fill the troughs any more . Wade and Katy had ordered a water diverter and pipe to take the water to different places they might need it . It would save a lot of work and time every single day .

The second Windmill would go behind the cabins on the prairie at the northern property line . The river would be open for stock to drink , then the windmill would provide water at the northern end of the ranch . Don hoped to have four windmills before they got their cattle on pasture . He told Zeke to watch the windmill crew and see if they could do the work themselves to save money .

[chuck j]

Cindy was staying in the cabin with Katy and Wade . She was quiet and just saw what needed doing and did it . Washing dishes , laundry , cleaning up or whatever . Everyone was curious about her , the single men noticed her much .


As they took a break building the walls in the cabins Don asked to speak with Katy . They went and sat under the trees at the pens . Don took a while getting started talkin . He said ...Katy I'm interested in Cindy but I don't know what to say to her . Katy said ...Just talk Don , tell her about anything . Tell her how you came to be a Ranger , your family , what has happened here ...just talk . Wade said ...Cindy is smart , she works hard and takes good care of her baby .


Katy said ...You are stationed presently here and Wade will do whatever it takes to keep you here . Your part of us now , I think you and Cindy getting together would be a good thing if your ready for that . But you and her have to decide that , I know it's hard to make that commitment . It's hard for everyone . But we are here for both of you . You think on it Don .

They went back to work . Don was thinking .

[chuck j]

The inside wall in two cabins were finished by the end of the day . It took a lot of boards but the ports were framed , the doorway framed . Hanging the doors and gun ports were all that needed be done . Juan and Simon's families could move in tomorrow !

The livestock shed was twice as big now and only half the roof to finish with shakes , tomorrow it would be done ! The four men sent out had a good start on the eastern fence line . Tomorrow Wade would send the three young Rangers with the cart to gather posts they had cut and dropping them in the holes dug and laying them out on down the fence line . They would also start cutting more posts ...it would take many !


Things were getting done and much was coming together .

[chuck j]

After supper and everyone had went to bathe and make ready for bed Don asked Cindy to sit with him on the porch . She held her baby and they talked . She had told Don her baby's name was Daniel but she knew he would end up being called Dan . In a bit she looked down and just started talking .

She said ...I married two years ago . I was sixteen , my husbands name was Albert . He was a good man , we lived in Vashti north of Jacksboro and there was no work . Both our families were just scratching by so we moved to Fort Graham to find work . Albert started drinking and playing cards at the tent town there . We got down to living in a woman's shed that took pity on us and it's where Daniel was born .
Albert just got worse , he would work some and just be gone till he drank it up or playing cards . I did cleaning and laundry for people to feed us but sometime Albert just took the money away from me and went to the tent town . About a month ago he was drunk there in a card game and tried to start a fight and the man killed him and ran . No one knew who the man was .

I went to Ruth's café begging for food for me and Daniel . She told me we could stay in the storage room and I could work . She helped us . When you came I didn't know she was going to do what she did and just 'give' me to you . I'm sorry for being a trouble for you , it's been bothering me and I am ashamed .

Don took her hand and said ...Ruth knew this ranch is a good and safe place for you and Daniel . She was trying to protect you both . I'm glad both of you are here . I don't talk a lot Cindy but I like you and Daniel . I'm interested in you and maybe we can get to know each other . Do you think you could be interested in me ?


Cindy said ...Don ! I see you getting along with everyone . You are young but you are given authority over others . All here like and respect you ! Your a hard worker . You have helped us beyond what you know already Don . I'm already interested in you , I think your a good man . Thank you for bringing us here , this place is beautiful and filled with good people .


Don said ...Maybe we could just start talking every evening Cindy ? Cindy shook her head yes and said ...I'd enjoy that Don .

[chuck j]

The next morning they all had breakfast . Juan and Simon's wives came to help make it . There were five women trying to cook together and laughing as they got in each others way . After breakfast Wade sent Cary , Mark , Bill , Greg , Carl and the young Rangers to dig post holes and scatter posts on the fence . Start logging , post cutting and cutting fire wood from the trimmings to be brought back to the cabins . Zeke would go with and direct them .

Wade , the Garcia's and Don would finish the doors and gun ports on the cabins and start moving Juan and Simon's families into them . They would have them finished and the families in them by this evening . The water well drillers were through with the well , water was not deep and they were putting in pipe and raising the tower .

Ed told Joy to get his guns , Ed got his henry and double rifle and told Rosa to come. They heard a lot of shooting at the river , Ed's big rifle was fired many times along with all the others they took . The shots were spaced out . Ed was teaching them , looked like Rosa might get to shoot a buffalo after all !

[chuck j]

At lunch they all came in . Everything was getting done , the Garcia's had the cabins clean with most of their things in them . The fencing and logging crew had dug many holes and the young Rangers with the cart were keeping them with a post dropped in each one . Several logs had been snaked in and a load of firewood brought back in the cart at lunch . The young Rangers were making good progress learning to work with others .


Rosa was eating and said ...My shoulder hurts from Ed's big rifle ! He made me a shooting stick to shoot the big rifle because I'm not big enough to shoot it standing . Joy and me shot it a lot ! Ed said we are using a light load right now and later we will use more powder for longer shots ! I shot the Henry too and it does not kick like a mule but Ed says it's not big enough to shoot a buffalo . Ed is teaching Joy too ! Joy is getting good really fast . Ed is going to show me how to make balls for the big rifle and the pistols ! I know how to reload them all fast now ! Ed says we are going to learn shooting from a horse too and I want to use the black mule .


Ed smiled and said ...She is doing good . She will be a tool for me teaching new Rangers to shoot ...she will put them to shame .

[chuck j]

Simon and Juan's families were in their cabins . Lucy and Katy brought them food . Rice , flour , cornmeal , salt , pepper , spices , sugar , beans , dried meat and all there was to share . By midevening Wade told the Rangers and ranch hands … Move your beds in the bunkhouse , everyone has a good place to live now ! No one needs live in the livestock shed anymore ! Supplies were stocked in the big bunkhouse with interconnecting doors to Zeke and Willow Mae , Lucy and Ed cabins . Even in an ice up food could be prepared for everyone . Supplies would still be coming for winter , much planning was done by Katy , Wade and Zeke with others helping and talking . No one would go hungry !

Wade , Katy , Ed , Lucy , Don and Zeke talked of schooling the children . They must be taught ! Preparations were written to get books , There were plenty that could read to teach them . Carlos and Tomas's families were coming as soon as they could get back to Eliasville . Lucy , Katy , Wade , Ed , Willow , Don , Zeke were excited to teach them ! They had no teaching primers but they had bibles ! GOD's word and learning to read could be taught at the same time .

[chuck j]

Morning came and everyone had slept in their own bed . Don , Wade , Zeke , Katy and Joy would work at finishing the walls and gun ports in the last two cabins . Bill and Carlos would finish the shakes on the livestock shed . Everyone else would build fence , cut posts and start stretching barbed wire . Willow Mae and Lucy were making coats for the ranch hands and children that didn't have one . Cold weather was coming ! Every day the men working downriver would bring a load of cut firewood in when they quit for the day in the wagon .

The children old enough were given chores to do . Juan , Simon and their wives agreed to start talking English at home to speed up the children learning it . The hay had been gotten in and piled , the first windmill was up and running . It would save time and labor every day for other things that needed done , The windmill crew had moved to what would be the north pasture to set up the second windmill .

When the eastern property line was fenced they would fence about forty aches behind the cabins to keep the horses and serve to hold any cattle that needed be kept at the cabins . No one would have to stake out all the horses every day and bring them in again ! Things were changing quickly at the ranch .

[chuck j]

Katy got around to looking at the mail they had brought from Eliasville . There were more inquires about buying pecans . She read them and stacked them to show Wade and Zeke . There were letters from Captain Jack and Sam that made her smile . There was a letter for Lucy from Fort Graham !

Katy turned on the bench and gave it to Lucy . Lucy looked at it and laid it down on the work counter quickly . Katy hesitated then said ...Open it Lucy ! Don't put it Off ! Lucy looked upset and said … What if she just tells me she hates me or something ! Katy stood up and said ...You will never know till you read it Lucy , don't put it off and let it eat on you . Lucy opened it sitting down with Katy and read it .


She started smiling and said ...Ruth is sorry for not talking to me ! She wants to come here ! Lucy handed the letter to Katy and she read it , Katy smiled too ! At the end of the letter it said ;


I will see you soon , I love you .

Ruth

[chuck j]

The weather was cooling but the garden was doing good . They already had squash , collard greens , radishes , turnips , peppers , green beans . Carrots were small but growing as were the onions , tomatoes and all else . They prayed first frost would be late . They would dry everything they could for winter .


Ed had all the Rangers practicing with different guns . Wade taught them cavalry tactics and horsemanship . Ed paid much attention to Rosa and Joy . He was teaching Joy to quick draw and long range shooting . With so many women to cook now Katy and Cindy started driving the wagon loading and dropping posts in new dug holes , The children were encouraged to speak English and all had chores . Katy asked Carl and Greg about freight charges in general to northern states and they gave her rough ideas as to cost of shipping the pecans . She needed more information but it gave her an idea at least . The pecan trees on the river were loaded with pecans .

There had been two children's saddles from Lucy's barn and Rosa with three of the Garcia's children were being taught to ride . Cindy and Don talked till after dark every evening on the benches at the cabin .

Carlos and Tomas looked forward to their families coming making bunkbeds for the children , Simon and Juan's wives loved the ranch and all the activity .

[chuck j]

Wade sat with Katy and Zeke to talk . Wade said ...Soon I go to Fort Worth to buy cattle . We need good big heifers and bulls . I will also buy a mix of cows and cows with calves , the fencing needs to be done every day it's possible . We have to get stocker cattle on pasture and with winter nearly here prices will be good . Feeding cows and bad weather coming limiting driving them to Kansas it's a buyers market .

Since we will have fence it will be a lot easier to breed cows and control things . I want at least one thousand cows on our pasture by spring if we have the money . We have room for more but that's a good start , The fence is our main goal right now . Katy asked ...When would you go to Fort Worth ? Wade said ...The end of November , prices should be down . I will take four men and horses but have to hire more drovers there to get them to the ranch . After the drive we would not need them here so would be a one trip job for them .


They talked long about it and rough figured costs . Katy said ...I go with you , we need to arrange shipping on the pecans , start a bank account to transfer payment before we ship and find a source for bags to use . We should take the freight and ranch wagons to haul whatever is bought and use the ranch wagon to haul cooking things , bedrolls and things we will need . Maybe Lucy will go with us ! She can cook , drive a wagon or anything that needs done on the trail . They all agreed , details would be figured out as they planned .

[chuck j]

Plans were laid . The hard work continued to build the ranch . The Black mule Ranch was blessed with good people who could work together . God was with them , they depended on their father .

The Comanche were gone from the plains and settlers would be coming soon . People would flocked to Texas . Barbed wire and windmills would make the big cattle ranches appear . Cattle drives , horse thieving , trail drive towns , hangings , notorious outlaws and famous peace officers . The outlaw period would begin with it , robbers , cattle rustlers , stage and train robbery . Range wars , fence cutting wars . The new wave of Rangers had a brand new set of problems and they lacked training .


The Black Mule Ranch was one of the first . They had stuck it out , made do and relied on each other . They fought Outlaws and Comanche , they worked together and worked hard . Through their determined working together and their faith in GOD they knew they would make it !

[chuck j]

………………………………………………………….…………………………………..The end .