Fathers and Sons Chapter Two: Accounts Receivable
"Victoria, you do fix meals with the hands of a angel, a real angel," a cleaner Buck Cannon said, smiling as he chomped into a large hunk of bread and chewed. Bits of egg stuck to his whiskered chin. He grabbed the remaining bacon from the platter and upended the bowl of eggs onto his plate to finish them off as well.
"Gracias, Buck. It is good to have hungry men around to appreciate it," Victoria replied, wishing that her brother-in-law would not speak with his mouth full. "Would you like some more coffee?" she asked.
"Oh yes, ma'am, thank you."
"Buck," John began from across the table. "Did Mano tell you what I want him to do?"
"Yeah, John, jus now he mentioned it. I 'spect we be heading south after dark, make some time at night, if that's aw right with you."
"Yeah. Makes sense. I think I can spare you. He has an idea you two are going to look over some horses."
"He said somethin' about that. He sure did."
"You two still planning to make the C-Bar-M into some kind of breeding operation?"
"We thinkin' on it, John. We told you that."
"I'd like to see you make a go of that place. I'll do what I can to help…"
"I know what you're thinkin', Brother John. But John, we ain't leaving the High Chaparral permanent; we jes probably spend some more time on our ranch. Our two ranches are gonna always need the other, with winters too cold up there an' summer too hot down here."
"Oh, yes. I know. Did Mano tell you what I need the cattle for?"
"Naw, I figgered you had some kinda deal."
"The army, Buck. It could be very big for us. I, uh, I don't want Don Sebastian…"
"You don't want Don Sebastian to know the why. I gotcha, John. I'll let Manolito handle his daddy. He's had a lotta experience pullin' the wool…"
"Buck," Victoria cried in mock outrage. "My brother would never mislead our father."
"Oh, no ma'am. Not at all. He surely would not," Buck chuckled.
"Uh, Buck, this Roy Lauder…" John began.
"Roy? Oh, he a good boy," Buck said between mouthfuls of bacon. "'Bout joined hisself at the hip to Mano, you know."
"Yeah. Buck, we never did get the whole story on him, and Mano changes the subject whenever I ask. I think I have the right to know. He is working for me, after all.
"Yeah, John, you sure do have that right, but I made a promise to Mano that I wouldn't say nothin' to you or Victoria 'bout it. You don't haveta worry about Roy though. He be okay."
"But Buck…"
"Lissen, I kin tell you this." Buck paused and bit his lower lip. "Yore brother, Victoria, came mighty close to hangin' through no fault of his own. They wuz buildin' the gallows right where he could see 'em. He was guilty before he even hadda trial."
"Madre de Dios!" Victoria gasped.
"It's one thang ta face death in a battle...or a shootout with the Apach or the comancheros...but it's sumthin' else to sit fer hours an' listen to them puttin' up the place they was gonna hang you...an' to know there's no way out. He ain't the same."
"Just can't talk about it, I reckon."
"Yep, Brother John. He just cain't talk about it. So don't force him. He tell you both when he's ready."
"Explains why he wants to do something with that ranch of yours."
"Yeah, it do in a way. Mosta that's Roy. Roy boy, he sure can gentle them horses an' I think Mano thinks of him as a sorta lucky charm. Truth is, if Roy hadn't got hisself arrested bein' stupid, we might not have Manolito with us today."
Buck drained the last of his coffee. "Thank you, Victoria. I'm just gonna head on up and rest a bit so's we can start for your daddy's tonight. John?" Buck nodded to the elder Cannon.
"Yup. Thanks, Buck."
The couple sat in silence for a full minute—Victoria, eyes misty, and John frowning.
"John?"
"Yes, Victoria?"
"Do you think you should try to talk to Manolito?"
"No, no, Victoria, I don't. Mano'll be fine. He's gotta work through some of this on his own." He finished his coffee, aware of her eyes upon him.
"I hope you are right, my husband. Is there nothing you can say to him?"
"No. Not about what Buck just told us, anyway. But I have been wanting to talk to him about a few other things. I'll do that." He smiled at his wife who returned the smile and kissed him on the cheek.
"Gracias, John."
Bueno, hombre, Mano thought as he peered over the slats of the small corral back of the barn and watched the younger man working with the mare they had sold to John. This mare was stubborn and mistrustful, harder than the first, but Roy was patient. He let the rope slide along the side of her neck.
Easy girl, you'll be fine. Jes' let me stroke this ol' rope down the side of your neck, smooth, slow, and easy, Roy thought. Tha's right! Then I'll take it on down to your withers, that's a good girl. Roy hummed as he moved the rope, no tune, just a low hum that seemed to work on the mare. Her ears twitched. Hey girl, you're listenin' to me, ain't ya? Roy thought. Okay, let's try somethin' else now.
Roy picked up an old empty grain sack, bringing it to the front of the mare's nose so she could smell it. She sucked her breath in and blew it out her nose, ruffling the hairs on Roy's hands. The grain sack smelled sweet to her. Food. Roy moved his hand and the sack up around her neck and behind her ears in the same pattern he had been using. Then he ran the grain sack down her neck over her withers and let it rest on her back, where a saddle would sit. There girl, it don't hurt none. You'll be fine. It's jes' an old scratchy sack. You'll like it when it's soft like a blanket. Here ya go! The mare's patience was rewarded with a handful of grain Roy had concealed in his other hand. Time to quit now, on a good note.
So engrossed was Mano in watching Roy that he did not notice Big John's approach till the older man stood next to him. Still leaning on the corral, Mano turned to his brother-in-law and squinting into the sun, nodded his head toward the mare.
"Mira, John. Roy is making progress with her. Soon she will accept a saddle."
"Good. That's what I've wanted you two to do since you got back: get those mares ready to ride."
"Roy, he is quite remarkable around horses."
"Yes, seems to be. I hear you're picking it up, too."
"Ah, such methods are not new to me, John. Ruiz, my father's stable master-you know Rodrigo? Valencio Ruiz is his father. Anyway, he used this strategy. I had forgotten...till I saw Roy."
"Yes. I remember Señor Ruiz. I met him when Buck and I first visited your father's place."
"A long time ago, eh?"
"A very long time ago," John smiled. "Señor Ruiz thought a lot of you, I recall." Mano nodded and after a few seconds, spoke.
"Ruiz thought Papá was at times, cómo se dice, unreasonable with me, and he was Papá's good friend. But he was pretty hard on Rodrigo, as I recall, so perhaps this is the way of fathers and sons, eh?"
John thought of Blue and shook his head yes.
"Well, as you know, I am not your father, but I would like to see you and Buck make a go of that ranch of yours."
"Sí. Oh, and by the way, gracias again for advising us to keep some of the filly yearlings. And for allowing us to bring them to the ranch."
"Yup. If you want to start a horse breeding operation, you've gotta have something to breed. They're young but they'll do for a start. You just need the right sire," John said, pausing a moment before adding, "You know, Mano, I got to thinking, you're making some real money now. What shape are your records in? Do you have a ranch ledger?"
"Juano, I have only receipts, bills of sale, and slips of deposit, hombre...in a drawer. I suppose I should do something, how do you say, more official?"
"If you'd like, I'd be happy to show you. I think I may even have an old ledger inside that's hardly been used."
"Chihuahua, so much to think about. But yes, John, I cannot see Buck doing this, so one of us must keep the accounts straight. Gracias, amigo."
John smiled. "No time like the present. Won't take long. C'mon inside in a little while. I'll be in the office. I've got plenty to keep me busy there."
Mano smiled, shrugged,and nodded as John turned and walked off. Office? Manolito Montoya in an office with a ledger. Ay Bendita, it has come to this. Ahora hombre, vamonos...but first….
"Oh Roy," Mano rasped in a low voice, careful not to disturb the mare. "Ven aquí...I mean, come here."
Roy, eyes wide and questioning, stroked the mare's neck, then turned and allowed her to follow him to the fence where Mano waited.
"Tonight after dinner we ride to Mexico, to the ranch of my father, eh?" Mano smiled. "You, Buck and me. Get your gear ready, si?"
"Okay, Mano. You got it, amigo. I ain't never been to Mexico."
"Why does this not surprise me, muchacho? We leave at dusk."
Roy led the mare out of the small corral and back to the main one on the other side of the bunkhouse. She followed, calm and willing. He removed her halter only after he had closed the main corral gate behind them and turned her away from the gate. Better to make a good habit than to haveta break a bad one, he thought as he slid off her halter and released her to rejoin her companions. Them ladies got a lot to talk about, he reckoned, and I got to get me ready to go to Mexico. Whoo-wee!
"Just a few columns are all you need, Mano," John said as brother and brother-in-law stood before an old ledger open across Cannon's desk. "Put your dates and descriptions here. You'll need a column for horse sales, including any stud fees you receive. Income and outlay. Maybe a column of expenditures for the horses: feed and tack, stud fees you have to pay. A column for expenses related to upkeep of the ranch: lumber, tools, kegs of nails, wire, that sort of thing. Note your cash balance in the upper left of each page as you go. Don't make it too complicated."
"Bueno. I remember watching my father do this, but…"
"But you never had to do it for yourself, didya?
"No," Mano laughed, hands on his hips.
Probably didn't have to do too much for yourself on the Rancho Montoya, John thought. "Well, you'll catch on," he said.
"Gracias, Juano. Eh, I have been thinking. When Blue was tried in the matter of the death of the general's son, that man Purdy risked his career to help you, did he not?"
"He did indeed, Mano."
"And he is now already a major?"
"Seemed fast to me, too. But I've kept up with him since the trial, you know, asked after him. Appears General Warren actually expedited Purdy's promotion."
"No? This is true?"
"Yep. And he also arranged for that Major Anderson to be transferred to the Oklahoma territory."
"Ay yi yi, well, there is indeed a God. I guess the general was not so bad, eh?"
"Nope. Just a man who loved his son."
"His disappointing son," Mano mused, rolling his tongue along the inside of his cheek. He grinned. He didn't have to say anything. John knew what he meant.
"You can have this ledger. Plenty of blank pages."
"Gracias."
"You ought to keep documents-bills of sale for the horses, the title to the ranch, things like that, in the safe here, too. You're welcome to do that."
"I will get them. Again, gracias, amigo." Mano clapped his brother-in-law on the back and headed to fetch the important papers.
John watched him go, thinking. Maybe, just maybe, Don Sebastian had expected things of his son that Mano couldn't give. He wouldn't have been the first. John sighed and thought again, for a moment, of Blue.