“Dave packed up and just left?” Jake asked.
Jack nodded then said, “We had Bill Jackson check the corral, and he said that two horses were missin’. One was that gray gelding Dave liked ‘cause he looked like Bobby Lee’s Traveler. The other one was a black gelding with four boots.”
“And he left without paying you?”
“Yup. It made the boys a bit testy, so I rode into town yesterday to ask the sheriff if he knew where you were, but figgered that your girl probably knew. She told me you were on your way back already, so I grabbed John and headed out to make sure you were okay.”
“Is it because you heard about my run-in with the highwayman?”
“You had a shootout with some outlaw?”
“On my way to Fort Shaw. It was pretty close to this place, too. I winged him in the left arm and let him keep going to Fort Benton. But you didn’t know about that?”
“Nope.”
“Then why did you think I might not make it back?”
“Um…we were kinda worried that Dave might be mad at you for some reason.”
“Why would Dave be mad at me? Did he tell you he was?”
“Nope. But he seemed outta sorts after you left. He was real quiet and none of us wanted to stir him up to ask what was botherin’ him. After we found out he was gone, we were thinkin’ he mighta gone to find you.”
Jake didn’t say anything for another minute as he tried to imagine what had upset Dave. He knew that Dave wasn’t angry at him, but he might have decided to try to join him in his search. If it wasn’t for Dave failing to pay the men before he left, it would be the most plausible reason.
He finally asked, “Did you ask anyone in town if they saw him on Friday?”
Jack replied, “I reckon that shoulda done that, but I was worried about you, Jake.”
“That’s okay. Did you check the ranch house to see if he took anything?”
“We figgered you could do that when you got back.”
“That’s a good idea, Jack. You probably wouldn’t have been able to figure out what was missing anyway.”
Jack nodded as Jake said, “I can’t pay you today because it’s Sunday. But tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the bank to take out some money. I’ll give each of you an extra ten dollars to make up for your lost Saturday.”
John grinned as he said, “It’s good to have you back, boss.”
Jack then asked, “Did you find out where your pa went?”
“Not a whisper. I thought I had a lead and made a detour to Woman’s Breast. Then when I got to Helena, I found what I expected was a solid clue, but it was just a coincidence. After I talked to a liveryman who told me that no one had boarded two horses in a long time, I realized the futility of my search. I thought I’d be disappointed when I decided to call it quits, but I was relieved instead. I don’t know where he is now, but if he does show up, I’m not letting him take the ranch back. He gave it up his rights to the place when he murdered my mother.”
Jack asked, “You’re not going to look for Dave now; are you, Jake?”
“No. But I do want to know why he left. It had to be for a good reason. I just don’t know why he didn’t pay you first.”
John then asked, “Now that you’re gonna stay for good, are you gonna marry Miss Sara?”
Jake grinned as he looked at John and replied, “In the telegram I sent her on Friday, I told her that I hoped that our courtship finished before Friday unless she thought it was too long.”
Both men chuckled as they continued riding into the sun. They still had another forty miles before they reached the Elk’s access road.
_____
Sara was incredibly relieved after Big Tom explained what had the ranch in a turmoil and asked, “Would you come to our house and then escort me to the ranch? I want to surprise Jake when he returns.”
Tom replied, “Um…he won’t be comin’ back ‘til tomorrow.”
“I know. I want to clean the house for him.”
Tom looked over her head, hopefully to see her parents shaking their heads. But they were both noncommittal, so he reluctantly replied, “Okay, miss. I reckon I can do that.”
“It’s only a short walk, but my horse is saddled and I already have everything packed."
“I have to get my horse first, Miss Sara.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Tom nodded then slowly turned and walked to the nearby hitchrail.
As Sara watched him mount, Orville said, “It my horse that’s saddled, Sara.”
Sara turned to her younger brother and replied, “And I’ll take good care of him for a day. Then when Jake returns, he’ll give me Vulcan.”
Then Sara took Orville’s arm, and the Smith family began walking to their house with Tom riding slowly behind.
_____
When Sara and Big Tom arrived at the ranch house, Tom said that he would take care of Orville’s horse. The remaining men arrived en masse just as they dismounted. When Big Tom told them that she would be staying in the house waiting for Jake, the group became a melee as they jostled to carry her things into the house. But once they’d carried her bags over the threshold, they vanished into the ether as if they’d never been there. She suspected that they were all back in the chow house gossiping.
After leaving her bags in the front room near the couch, Sara entered the hallway. She looked in the first large bedroom which
