Story is dedicated to my friend Shane in Ireland.
Visitor from Dublin
His thoughts were back to the recent past and the trip across the sea had
been rough, how the ship had tossed in the turbulent sea, as the winds whipped
the sails. He had spent the majority of the trip hanging over the side of the ship,
adding to the liquids of the sea. He was glad that it had ended. Now he traveled
by land,he had been in America for only two weeks. It was a strange land to him.
The people were different. They spoke with a accent, and he couldn't understand
everything that was said, southerners talked funny,but they were friendly. The
food was different too, but it was filling, and there was plenty to fill his stomach.
The stage coach was a horror to him. He did not enjoy it at all. He sat on the
rock hard seat, and thought he would certainly have bruises from the trip. He
bounced about, and tried to distract himself from the discomfort by looking out
the window. Dust kicked up by the horses flew back at him, his eyes felt as
though he had more dirt and grim than a dust devil would carry. The land was
beautiful, and some of it reminded him of home. This journey was important to
him, and he needed to make sure he got there with the package he carried. He
sat back, and tried to breathe through the dust, the heat was intense and it
baked him in his suit. How good if would be if he could stop and find a nice
private pond or stream in which to swim and cool himself.
Murdock was sitting at the dining room table, he was chewing slowly,
his thoughts on the usual work. He glanced at his boys and watched them
eat, and thought to himself, they talk too much, instead of sitting here,
teasing one another they should be out working. The sun had been up for a
half hour. "Boys, if you are done, how about getting a move on? Need the
barn roof to be fixed, the tack room to be cleaned, and to move those 200
head of cattle from the upper south range to the lower east. The 10 horses in
the corral broken by dinner time. Hay brought in and put in the barn. That
tree that fell during the storm yesterday needs to be chopped up and put for
kindling. That and...." Johnny and Scott looked at Murdock, their eyes
narrowed.
"Murdock, is that all the work you can find for us?" Said Johnny as he sat
there wondering if his father knew they had hands on the ranch.
"No, I have more, you interrupted. You and Scott need to get some of this
stuff done now. You are way behind."
" Murdock, I know there is plenty here for us to do..." Scott saw his
brothers' smirk, out of the corner of his eye. "But that is more than a weeks
worth of work. You want Johnny and I to do all this, today? We have hands
here, they can do some of this."
"Scott, they work for pay, you are a owner, you need to put in your time,
sweat into this ranch. You too are young ,why in my day I could have done
all that by myself in a day. If you two work and no goofing off, you could do
a lot more." Johnny stood up, and threw his napkin down on the table, and
glared at his father.
"Murdock, Scott and I work hard here. We aren't your slaves. If you can
do the work of a dozen hands in a day, then you do it! "
"Johnny, you will not speak to me like this. I am your father. If you keep
this up, I may have to teach you a lesson young man." Murdock had stood
up, his eyes icy, and Scott stood too.He looked from one to the other. The
air was filled with anger, and the potential for the next step in emotion.
"You are lucky you are my father."He spoke softly, and glared back at
Murdock. "You wont be teaching me... " Scott reached over and put a hand
on his brothers chest.This was getting out of hand.
"You are a ungrateful brat, I give you part ownership of the ranch that I
built alone and this is how you repay me? I know you are bored, yo haven't
been able to shot it out with anyone in a whole week."
"That was uncalled for Murdock, Johnny is right about the work, and
you know it, you know we do plenty of work here. We also happen to like
being in each others company, are you jealous of that?" Murdock turned
red, and ran his fingers through his hair. Leaving it, standing in little tufts.
"Nonsense, Scott. But that boy, dares to threaten me? Why..."
"Murdock, calm down, just let me and Johnny get to work, we will do
what we can, and some of the hands will do the others." Murdock looked at
Johnny, and narrowed his eyes at him. His son, returned the look, and
there was something else in those blue eyes too. Johnny moved away with
his fluid panther grace, to get out of the house. Scott turned to join him.
Murdock stood watching them leave.
The dark cloud that was Murdock quickly dissipated by the time the two
brothers got away from the house. Scott turned to his brother and
smiled."Well brother, what chore do you want to do first?"
"Well there isn't many to chose from, let me think. None of them. Lets go
to town instead, serve him right."
"We can't do that, the work still has to be done. Inspite of him."
"Alright, lets go move the cattle, that if we have time, we can work on the
barn roof."
"Sounds okay to me, maybe we can take a swim before we get back."
" I know just the place, older brother." Johnnys' smile was wide and
warm. He was considering leaving the ranch, but he would have to talk
Scott into going too. He wondered if Scott would go. He was going over
some plans as he rode. He would plan it all out before he mentioned it to his
brother.
The stage pulled into Morro Coya, at noon, the young man who got out,
and moved stiffly carried a long case by its handle. He tried to dust himself
off with his hand as he looked around. The driver put his bag down on the
walk, and moved into the darkened building.
The young man was tall, and average build. He was fair, and obviously
of Irish decent. His sharp eyes took in the town, and saw the hotel. Just
what he needed, a bath, shave and a little rest, before his journey ended at a
place called Lancer. He walked stiffly with his bag and the case, several eyes
watched the city slicker walk down the street.
Cont...
