Careful of the Lone Rider

Beau felt the vibration even before he heard the thundering hooves. It woke him from a deep sleep which he hadn't had in weeks. Swearing under his breath he quickly rolled up his blanket and threw his saddle and saddle bags onto his horse. He cinched the saddle tightly listening to the herd of something, for he had not yet determined what, cattle or horses, getting closer. Sweat trickled down his brow as he climbed onto his nervous paint and rode away from the edges of the canyon which would spew its animal contents at any moment. In seconds he recognized the panicked bawling of spooked cattle and even in the darkness of a half-moon sky he saw the dust cloud ahead of the crazed beasts.

They quickly laid waste to what had been his camp; it only took seconds.

"Damn!" he said, patting his horse on the neck trying to calm the nervous animal. It was dancing around and nearly threw him off as he held the reigns tighter. The heavy dust cloud spread in his direction and he pulled his kerchief over his face and closed his eyes. The horse tried to turn away and he let him with a, "Sorry boy."

"Are you all right mister?" someone asked.

Beau opened his eyes and saw a young man of about twenty astride a tall white gelding. He had a pale hat pulled onto his head and because they were in the shadows of the canyon, Beau couldn't make out much else. 

"Oh, I reckon I'll live," Beau told him. "What got 'em spooked?"

'I don't know, maybe some critter got in with them they didn't like. They were peaceful and then they were running like hell," was the reply.

Beau just nodded and brushed the dust off himself and then reached ahead and brushed what he could from his horse's face.

"Why don't you come over to our camp?" the young man asked. "I'm sure our cook has coffee on already and he'll start breakfast shortly if I don't stop him."

"What about that cattle?"

"I don't hear them anymore. I expect the other fellas got them stopped by now.

"Alright," Beau replied. "My grub is pretty well ruined. I did good to get my saddle and blanket."

The young man looked at the place that had been Beau's camp. "You were lucky. They could just as well have trampled you and that paint of yours."

They rode together back to the camp, neither saying much as they looked over the damage the stampede had left in its wake. Cacti were shredded into mush and mixed with sand and the sparse grass as they rode through the canyon. At the mouth of the canyon was a grassy oasis with a small spring-fed pond. Beau could see the cook's wagon at the other end of the grassy patch and a fire burning low beside it.

The paint balked and Beau looked down, steadying the animal. "Whoa." He patted its neck. "It's okay," and led it around what had scared it.

"What's wrong?" the younger man asked.

"I think a rattler got after one of your cattle and spooked it. Could be what started it all. That rattler is pretty dead though, so I'd say the animals came out ahead."

"Hey, Lou, that coffee sure smells good," the cowboy called to the black man wiping his brow with a weathered kerchief standing near the fire.

"Oh, good, somebody's come back," Lou said. "Did you get 'em stopped Mr. Pete?"

"I reckon so," Pete replied. "This fella here almost got trampled though," he said pointing to Beau. "Say, what is your name? We never did exchange pleasantries."

"I'm Beau," he replied, "And you did ask if I was okay."

They climbed down and tied their horses to the wagon. Lou handed them each a cup of steaming chicory coffee and a biscuit.

"Thanks, Lou," Pete said. "We'll help you load the wagon and find the herd."

Two hours later just after sun-up they rolled up on the herd of a hundred fifty cattle which were grazing peacefully.

"I see they found more grass," Beau told Pete.

"Well, Texas ain't all sand; it just feels like it sometimes. They should be good from here; we only got a couple more days to go anyway."

"Oh, you're not taking them to market?" Beau asked.

"No. My boss sold them to the army. We're taking them over to the fort."

"Oh," Beau said. "We'll do you mind if I ride with you fellas a ways? It gets mighty lonesome out here," he added.

"Sure," Pete told him. "Where you headed?"

"No place in particular," he answered. "I guess I'll know when I see it."

"I'll introduce you to the other fellas when they come in to eat. They have to keep a pretty close watch over the herd. We can't go losing them now," Pete said.

Beau rode watch over the herd for two days, giving one then another a chance to go eat and get some rest. He told them it was the least he could do for their hospitality.

"Hey, Beau, some of the boys are heading into town.  Want to go?" Pete asked him. "We turn this bunch over to the army tomorrow afternoon," he said indicating the herd of cattle.

"No, you go ahead. I'd rather stay behind," he answered.

"You know, I sure wish you'd have talked more the last two days. I didn't really get to know you all that good," Pete said. "Of course you're welcome to stay on after we're done. I'm sure the boss wouldn't mind."

"That's all right. I think it's time for me to be moving on anyway."

"Well, if you change your mind about coming into town, there are plenty of men staying behind to watch them critters. Just follow the sound of the piano playing in the saloon."

Beau watched as Pete and several of the men headed to town. He waited until they were out of sight and loaded his saddle bags with some of Lou's biscuits, filled his canteen, and rode out of camp. He rode west late into the night putting distance between himself and the encampment. "They served their purpose," he thought. "No one will know where to look for me. Juarez, here I come. "  

"Pete, it's good to see you again," the sergeant said sticking out his hand. "How was the trip up?"

"Oh, it was pretty good except for a minor stampede. We got all of them here though," he said.

"Good, glad to hear it. Come on to the office and we'll get you paid."

A troop rode into the fort looking ragged and tired. They climbed down from their mounts handing the reigns over to boys who would make sure the animals were brushed and fed.  They then headed slowly to the barracks brushing off several layers of dust.

"Where they been?" Pete asked.

"Looking for an outlaw," the sergeant answered." He killed a judge over by Fort Worth when he convicted him and his brother for cattle rustling. He told the judge it was a lie, that they did no such thing, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He grabbed for the sheriff's gun and shot the judge, then they both jumped through a window. They managed to get to their horses though."

"You got papers on him? Maybe we came across him on the trail. He traveling with his brother?" Pete asked.

"No, he got killed during the escape. Old Beauregard got away clean."

"Beauregard?" Pete asked. He turned white as a sheet when he saw the wanted poster. There was Beauregard Richardson, also known as Beau, wanted dead or alive.

"What's the matter Pete? You look like you've seen a ghost. This fella would have been traveling alone, probably south, so we've been trying to find someone all by themselves. I guess they didn't have any luck."

"I think I know why," Pete told him.

The Hang Ups

“Hello,” Sheila said into the telephone receiver. She set it down. “Your girlfriend hung up on me again.”

Paul laughed. “Well, your boyfriend hung up on me twice yesterday and once the day before.”

It was a running joke between them since the phone calls began months earlier. No matter who answered, the caller always hung up once they answered. 

“We really should get caller ID.” Sheila told him. We might not know who it is, but we would at least have their number to call back or look up.”

“That’s a thought. I’ll look into it. The phone is equipped, we just have to order it,” he said. “Now that I’m working from home, it probably isn’t a bad idea anyway. I’d know if I missed a call from a client.”

Sheila nodded in agreement. “I still think someone is just casing the place to see if someone is home.”

Paul smiled and tried not to chuckle. It wasn’t the first time she had mentioned it. He had to admit they did have a lot of nicer electronics in the house, especially since he set up his office in the spare room as she pointed out several times. “Well, there isn’t always someone home. How could they possibly time it so that someone was always here to answer? If they were casing the house, wouldn’t they already have robbed us?”

“Okay,” she said. “But check into that caller ID. These calls make me nervous.” She shouldered her purse. “I have to go to work now. Have a good day.” She kissed him and patted the dog goodbye. 

Paul picked up the phone and dialed. “I told you to stop calling here. You’re making Sheila nervous.”

“Good,” said the sultry voice on the other end. “You were supposed to leave her a long time ago.

“Soon, my love. Soon. Meanwhile, stop calling. I’ll see you Thursday. Okay?”

Sheila told her friend at the office about the phone calls.

Carrie listened intently. “Have you been there when he answered the hang up calls?”

“Oh yes,” she replied, nodding. “He stays on a little longer before giving up, but I’ve seen it.”

“Try picking up when he does. If someone is there but he says it’s a hang up, you’ll know your little joke isn’t such a joke after all,” Brandi said. 

“You, my friend, have a suspicious mind.”

“I have experience with a rat husband cheating on me.”

The phone rang while Sheila was cleaning up the dishes. She picked up when she heard it stop ringing, cupping her hand over the mouthpiece to muffle out any outside sounds. The female voice made her skin crawl. She was changing their meeting time to one o’clock from eleven in the morning. She ended it with a ‘kisses lover’ before she hung up. Sheila replaced the receiver and grabbed a hand towel and went to Paul’s office.

“Who was on the phone?” she asked.

“No one,” he said. “It was a hang up again.

She sighed heavily. “Did you check on the caller ID?”

“Yes, it will take effect Monday,” he told her. “I didn’t see any reason to start it before then since that’s the beginning of the next billing cycle. They’d have to mess with the bill and it wasn’t worth it for a couple days.”

“Good,” was all she said.

Thursday morning Sheila kissed Paul goodbye as usual.  “I’ll be in meetings all day, so if you need something, you’ll have to leave a message on my voice mail.” Paul nodded acknowledgement.

At one o’clock Sheila sat down the block from her house. There she was, the other woman. She drove by in a black Mercedes. Her curly blonde hair hung loose around her bare shoulders. Her tanned face was heart shaped and her full lips were painted bright red. She wore large sunglasses and long gaudy gold earrings. She never even noticed Sheila’s car or Sheila sitting by the next driveway. She reached up and pushed a button on her visor and the garage door opened and then closed behind her as she pulled inside. 

Sheila blinked back tears and choked down her anger as she played with the papers her attorney had drawn up for her the day before. He had warned her to think long and hard before going through with serving them, to make sure she was right before she jumped to conclusions and ended her marriage.

After ten minutes Sheila unlocked the front door and went into the house. The dog picked up his head and began thumping his tail on his bed. She held up a finger to shush him as she squatted and scratched him behind the ears and kissed his furry head. Pulling her shoes off so as not to give herself away she made her way in the direction of the unmistakable sound in her bedroom. She squeezed her eyes shut before sticking her head in the doorway. 

“Didn’t take you long to get down to it, did it?” she said in a calm even voice. “Hang ups, huh?” She threw the divorce papers onto the bed next to a very surprised Paul, grabbed her cell phone and clicked a picture of the two of them in the bed. “Just in case I need proof, or leverage.” She said. “I’ll be back for my things later, after you have time to take out the trash,” she said staring pointedly at the woman. She started out the door but turned briefly. “Nothing of mine better be missing.”

The Survey Says

Janine sat at her table staring over her cup of coffee at her husband waiting for his usual morning rhetorical question, and it didn’t take long.

“So, what do you have planned today?” Tim asked, as he carefully speared another piece of egg with his fork and stuck it in his mouth.

Usually she replied, “Nothing.” Today, she decided, was going to be different. She was putting her foot down.

“I made arrangements to meet Kathy in town for coffee and then we’re going to do a little shopping for her upcoming trip,” she said. 

Tim raised an eyebrow and placed his fork across his plate. “You have coffee here, and she can get whatever she needs just fine by herself. Here’s my list for you.” He slid a long piece of scratch paper across the table at her. 

Janine slid it back after glancing at it. “There’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.”

I’ll have a new list tomorrow,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I don’t know why you bothered to make plans. You know you can’t keep them. You have to do what I have planned for you. Do you think I have nothing better to do than come up with things to occupy your day?”

“You always make plans for me and it isn’t necessary. I am perfectly capable of planning my own day,” she said.

“You will do what I tell you to do,” he said, his voice flat. “I am the head of this household.”

“It’s my house too,” she pointed out.

“As I recall, you aren’t on the mortgage. I pay for it. It’s my house.”

“Janine stood up. “You wouldn’t let me on the mortgage,” she told him.

“You don’t have a job, he returned, also standing. “We discussed it and it was agreed that you should stay at home and take care of me.”

“No, you discussed it. I went along because it was easier than arguing. If I disagree, you brow-beat me until I cave in and you get your way. I’m sick of it.”

“There’s the door. You’re welcome to use it,” Tim said pointing.

“And if I do?” she challenged him.

He balled his fists and rested them on the table. “You wouldn’t stay gone long. You can’t support yourself. Besides, the day you took my name you became my property. Everything you wear, everything you eat, even your car, belongs to me.”

“I am not your property,” she said slowly, anger seething out of every word.

Tim checked his watch. “I have to go to work, you know, to pay the bills. This had better be done when I get back,” he said pointing to the list. He slammed the door on his way out.

Janine went to a drawer and pulled out an envelope from her doctor’s office. It was the results of a survey they had her fill out at her last checkup. “And the survey says,” she said, re-reading the cover letter, skipping over the introduction. “You are being emotionally abused. He may not have hit you yet, but all indicators project that he will. He is escalating and it won’t take much to set him off.” They included the numbers for marriage and family counselors and a number to call for a referral. She shook her head. 

Janine pulled a cell phone Kathy had given her out of her robe pocket. She hit the speed dial Kathy had programmed into the phone. 

“I can be ready in an hour,” she told her. “Is your aunt sure she wants to take me in.”

“Absolutely,” was the reply. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. 

Janine scribbled a note across Tim’s list. “Do it yourself, jerk. I’m out of here. Since my clothes wouldn’t fit you anyway, I am taking them with me.”

She ran to her room and stuffed her clothes and personal items into paper sacks. “Wouldn’t want you coming after me because I took your luggage,” she said to herself. She looked out the window when she heard the car and sighed with relief that it was Kathy. She had left the door unlocked for her so she was wasn’t surprised when Kathy stood in the doorway.

“Ready?” Kathy asked her.

“As I’ll ever be,” Janine said. She threw the keys on the counter beside her note and walked out the door.