Chapter 3

Ian was so tired from the grueling schedule he’d kept in making ready for the arrival of the sheep that he stumbled just a bit when he got off his horse in front of the little house he’d decided he’d occupy while in the newly cleaned up, former settlement of Muddy Creek.

Roy, his cook’s helper who was sent there a few weeks earlier to cook for the clean-up crew, limped out onto the front porch of the house they’d salvaged for him.  It was slightly larger than the one Ian would occupy, which was good since it was to serve as a mess hall as well as a bunk house for Roy.  By the expanse of space that looked like it once had structures on it between that building and the one that Ian would occupy, he guessed two, possibly three buildings had once stood. Opposite the cook’s mess house was a freshly repaired house that would serve as the bunk for the eight hands. “Over here’s the cook’s hut, boss.  I got a pot of beans keepin’ warm and a slab of bacon I can cut a few strips off and fry up real quick ifin’ yer good and hungry.  There’s still some bread made fresh today, too.”

“Got any coffee?”

“It’ll put hairs on yer chest, but it’s wet and hot.”

“Did they do something about a shed for the horses?” Ian asked as he stepped onto the small porch that was just large enough to allow two men to stand and one to sit on the small wooden bench that was positioned just under the window to the left of the door.

“Sure did.  It’s out back.  I can tend to yer horse after I settle ya down with some fixin’s.  Yer lookin’ a bit peaked.”

“I rode straight here from Fort Benton.  Did the stoves arrive?”

Roy scurried into the house to spoon some hot beans into a bowl. “Got one right here, boss.  She’s a beauty, ain’t she?”  He lifted the remains of a loaf of bread.  “Made this bread this morning in the oven.  It’s light as a feather. Damn good stove ya got.  Damn good.”

Ian smiled and nodded as he eased himself onto a wooden chair that was pulled up to the long wooden table.  He pulled the beans in front of him and greedily spooned heaping amounts into his mouth.  He accepted a chunk of the bread Roy was so proud of and dipped it into the juice of the beans. Roy was right.  It was light and fluffy.

There must have been a miscommunication when he’d purchased the stove. He could have sworn he’d ordered two stoves.  It was his intention that one be installed in Roy’s kitchen and then one in the house he’d occupy.   With only one arriving, had he been there, he would have likely installed it in his own house and ordered another one for Roy’s use since the fireplaces were all set up to double as a cooking apparatus and Roy had the skill and know how to use them that he didn’t. Now that he saw how happy it made Roy to have it so conveniently at his disposal and tasted the food he was able to put out with it, he was glad Jackson made the decision to put it in the mess house instead. 

He wasn’t sure what he was thinking when he only ordered one stove.  It just showed how stressed out and over worked he’d been lately.  It made sense that it should be in the cook’s house. Unfortunately, for a man who enjoyed a cup of coffee in the middle of the night, not having a stove in his house was going to be a bit inconvenient. The advantage of seeing the stove he’d purchased in the kitchen of the mess house was that he could get an idea of how it would fit in his own little place.   He decided to purchase a smaller one for his house on his next trip to town.  In the meantime, he’d have cook leave a pot next to the fireplace in his house for those nights when he couldn’t sleep and just wanted a bit of coffee laced with whiskey and a hand rolled cigarette.

“Is there anyone else here besides you?” Ian asked between mouthfuls.  “The sheep will be here tomorrow. I expected the crew.”

“They’re all abed, boss.  It’s after two in the mornin’.”

Ian shook his head.  “Damn, I’m sorry, Roy.  I’ll tend to my own horse.  You get back to bed.”

“Hell, no, boss.   It’s dark and ya don’t know yer way around.  I can do it faster and better tonight. Ya just sit there and fill yer belly and then head over to the house to get some sleep.  The sheets are washed and ready for ya.”   As he started out the door, he stopped.  “What time are the sheep supposed to arrive?  Should I be wakin’ ya at a special time?”

Ian washed his food down with the coffee Roy warned was too strong and shuddered.  He had to give the man credit. He was honest.  He stood up and followed him to the door.  “I expect them by early afternoon.   I want to get up with the sun so that I can look over everything.  I’m sorry I was delayed in Fort Benton.  I should have been here last week to help finalize things.”

“Mike’s damned serious about his position.  I think you’ll be pleased to see how good he’s handled things, boss.”

Ian nodded.  “Mike’s a good man.  Is he sleeping in the house?”

Roy shook his head.  “He didn’t feel right about it.  He took his bed into the bunk house.  Says he’s fine there.”

Ian shrugged.  “As long as he’s happy.”

“He’s like a pig in mud, whistlin’ all day long.”

Ian threw his head back and laughed a real laugh for the first time in almost a month.  It pleased him to know that his help was happy and satisfied. 

“How about Jackson? Is he here, or did he go back to the ranch?”

“He left a few days ago.  He’s just as serious about the cattle as Mike is about those damned sheep.”

Mike Anderson grew up on a sheep ranch in Australia that suffered from repeated seasons of draught and bad money management. Hearing about the land of gold and plenty, his family immigrated to the western territory of the United States in search of gold and a new life.  When he realized that his father was using his famous poor money sense while chasing rainbows, he set out to make a life for himself.  To his dismay, when he found himself in Montana with no money and in need of employment, all he could find was work on the cattle ranch. 

Knowing Mike’s background, it made sense for Ian to put him to use with the sheep.  Ian’s family farmed sheep back in Ireland, so he was able to converse with Mike about the process to find out just how much the young man actually know.  It was quite a bit.

 Mike’s knowledge of sheep farming was one of the reasons Ian was so confident about it working.  If the fact that he was placed in a position of authority made the young man extra happy, all the better.  The happier Mike was, the greater the chance of him staying put.  Ian learned long ago that the quality of help could make or break his business, no matter how pristine an inventory he owned.

He paid attention to the direction Roy went with his horse, but continued toward his bed.  With his belly full, he felt the exhaustion more than ever.  It didn’t matter if he had clean sheets or even sheets.  As soon as he entered the little bedroom, he fell onto the bed and was asleep within seconds with his clothes and boots still on his body.