Abandoned - Red River Valley - Story 99

[Abandoned]

Intro to Story 99


  This is the 99th story in the Smallville Series.  The Red River Valley is an area of prairie west of Central City story 98 and lies between Fort Rapids story 28 and Skyview story 44.  The area gets its name from the Red River which runs from the Iron Mountains in the north down to Westwood in the south, along the west edge of the Red River Valley Map.  The rapids and fast current of the river carries iron sediment from North Mining Town and Iron Ridge often giving the water and river rocks a reddish color, thus the river's name.   The wide-open spaces of this valley make it an excellent place to raise and graze cattle.  Since the railway and special coal-burning train came into the valley from Central City in year 93 SVT, the ranchers could raise larger herds and sell the cattle to the markets in the east.  The story is being told in year 99 SVT.





Map seed  # 508576406      Plains One River,   Medium,   Mild,   Disasters Off,  Native No Deer (

 
Mods activated for this map and load order are:

Map Changing and Starting Mods:   Banished UI Maps, Labor Window, RK Minimized Status, CC Light Rain, override Map, Settler Deco, Jinxie Natural Decorations, Kid Deco Tree Fall, Kid Tree Replacer Deco, New Flora Edit, Start Native Prairie

Tweak Mods:  Better Fields, Hunting, Increased CC,  1:1 Alternative (Voeille), override rural clothes, Rock Respawn, Tiny Smoke

Major or Must Have Mods:    An Empty Square, Nomads (Kid), override Uneducated, Storage Crates, Jinxie Bitty Chicken Coop, Jinxie Festival Park, Kid Abandoned Places SE, Kid Ghost Town Houses, Kid Mexican Fantasy, Kid Native Village, Kid Old Town, Kid The Mission, Kid Westward Ho Wagons, Kid Wild West, Kid Wild West Cattle Drive (new, testing), Kid WorkPlace Village

Supporting Mods:   Deco Sunflower, Dwarf Signs, I See Fire (RK), Kid Animal Breeder, Kid Deadwood, Kid Deco Farm Animals, Kid Deco People, Kid Farmyards, Kid Hedgerow, Kid Market Food, Kid Mist, Kid Railway, Kid Stagecoach, Kid Traveling Trader, Kid Tree Topper, Kid Washing Mod, Kid Workshop, RK Longhorn Cows as livestock, Tiny Chopper




  No, weary traveler, I didn't have much choice after my mother died.  My father died in a mine cave-in back east in the town of Mountain Mines; my mother went to worked in the tavern.  I had only a little education so I couldn't be a teacher; I didn't know how to sew so I couldn't be a seamstress.  I knew what my mother did to earn a little extra at the tavern; I did not want to be a barmaid.  The tavern owner's wife suggested I talk to the cleric of our little church.  He told me to go to Monkstown and become a mail-order-bride.  That's what I did.  Come, sit by the fire, and I will tell you all about it.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 1







  I got a ride with a river boatman from Mountain Mines to Monkstown.  The cleric at the chapel there would do some checking and see what could be arranged.  If I did not want to marry, there was an abbey in the southwest that was taking-in young women.  I said I would rather marry and have a family.  It would take some time before we heard anything; I stayed at the rooming house and worked as a laborer.  I was exhausted and hungry most of the time. 

  Finally, a letter arrived at the Monkstown chapel from a small mission out west.  There was a young rancher there looking for a bride.  I would be receiving a letter of introduction from the young man soon; if we were both in agreement after corresponding, then passage for me to come west would be arranged.  The letter arrived soon by pony express.  Many people turned out to see who was getting such an important letter.  Yes, weary traveler, it was rather embarrassing; I didn't even know those people.

  The cleric helped me read the letter.  The young man's name was Rock, he was 21 years old.  He and his brother now owned the family ranch; he was living in the family ranch house.  His brother was married with a family and had his own ranch house nearby.  They had some land, some cattle, and a few ranch hands to help.  His brother's wife told him to tell me that he was clean-shaven and was not bad to look at, he was good with children, and he did not spend time at the saloon drinking or watching dancing girls.  He was told if he did not tell me this, he would get no pie when he went to their house for Sunday dinner.  His brother's wife made mighty-fine pies. 

  With the cleric's help, I wrote back that my name was Dayannaisha but I was called Dayann, and I just turned 20, I had no family but would like to have one.  The cleric told me to tell him that I was polite and soft spoken, a hard worker, could cook, and not bad to look at.  I would be willing to meet him if he so desired.   

  He did so desire; another letter arrived promptly by pony express.  He had arranged for my trip from Monkstown to the Red River Valley Mission.  It was customary for the missions or chapels to pay the travel expenses but he would not let the small mission pay when he could afford to.  My opinion of him went up a little more.  I was ready to set off to meet my future husband.  The first part of my journey was on a merchant ship bound for Central City.




Chapter 2





  Oh my gosh, weary traveler, Central City is a big city.  I was a bit overwhelmed when I got off the ship but a stagecoach was waiting for me.  We stopped at a shop on Main Street where I was given a map, and then we passed a big beautiful church before heading to the stage office and the Stagecoach Inn where I spent the night.  I was served warm herb bread and fruit for breakfast and then boarded the stagecoach again.  The coach headed north towards the hills; there was a big sign that said Smallville. We were headed to the Outskirts of Smallville where the wagon trains departed from.  I was to travel with an older couple who had a large wagon.



  There were 2 wagon train routes out of Outskirts. One route turned off and headed south, cutting through the Red Valley headed to Skyview and points further south.  Our route went straight west across the prairie to the Rest Stop, Fort Rapids, and westward.  The landscape here was quite different from the lush green forest areas I was used to.  It was a long, slow, and uneventful trip to Fort Rapids. I found it on the map.  It was already autumn.  I read my 2 letters over dozens of times on that trip.  The wagon train circled just outside Fort Rapids' main gate; it would replenish supplies and do minor repairs before continuing west.  A soldier from the fort would escort me to the Red River Valley Mission.  The couple I had traveled with wished me well.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 3


  I was awakened before dawn; it was time to go.  I was given fruit and biscuits for breakfast, and a cloth-wrapped package that contained bread and cheese for lunch and meat sandwiches for supper; it would take all day to get from Fort Rapids to the mission in Red River Valley.  The buckboard was waiting for me.  The soldier was an older man who'd been at the fort a long time.  He had 2 daughters who were both married with families of their own now.  They were both nervous before their weddings but everything worked out just fine.  I think he was so talkative to keep my mind off the upcoming nuptials.

  He said there were more leaves still on the trees yet in the valley because the hills protected the valley from the prairie winds.  There were not a lot of trees here either but there were a few oak trees here and there and birch trees along the rivers.  The Red River was just over the hills to the west; when the wind was still or blowing from the west you could actually here the river rapids.  The other river to the east runs from the north to Skyview; it has no rapids but caused serious flooding to the Skyview area several times in the past because of snowmelt and heavy rains.  The northern part of the valley suffered from heat and drought. 





  There were still Natives and buffalo in the area.  We saw some teepees as soon as we entered the valley.  I saw herds of buffalo in the distance.  Way to the east, I thought I could see a town but i did not see a town name on the map.  I was told the town didn't really have a name, folks just said "I'm going to town"; it was just referred to as "the town in the valley" but at one time in the past it was called Watertown.  It had a deep well with a windmill pump; during the drought the town had water when others didn't.  The townspeople took barrels of water to the Mission, the ranches, and the natives.  It wasn't enough water to save the town though when that prairie wind kicked up and the grassfire spread like wildfire across the Red River Valley prairie.  Nothing was left of the town but the water pump.  Some said the fire was deliberately set and the drought and prairie winds just help it along; the newly built Land Claims office in town had just opened. 





  It took a lot of wood to rebuild that town, and the ranches were expanding and need more wood too.  A forester tower and a few houses were built farther south near Skyview where it wasn't quite so dry.




Chapter 4




  The sun was beginning to set in the west when up ahead in the distance I could see the walls of the mission.  Looking in the direction of the setting sun, I saw the teepees of a Native hunter and his family.  I was told there were many more Natives in the Valley when the mission was built, but the wall was more a protection from the large herds of buffalo than from the Natives.   The mission was built at the time of the floods, around the same time as the Refugee Camp to the south.  The mission took in many orphans at that time.  The Natives actually brought buffalo meat and hides to the mission to help; they still do.



  It was after dark but not very late when we arrived at the mission, the autumn days were shorter now.  We were met by the headmistress of the mission school.  She showed us to rooms in the mission hostel; there were plates of bread, meat, and vegetables waiting for us.  She knew we must be tired and hungry from our trip; there'd be plenty of time to talk in the morning.  The soldier said good night and wished me well; he would be headed back to the fort at first light.  One of the mission residents was caring for his horse.

  I did not think I would be able to sleep but I was wrong.  The sun was high in the sky when I awoke.  The headmistress came to tell me there was time for a quick tour of the mission before my intended arrived; he'd been there every day looking for me.  She said not to worry; I would have a few days to decide if marrying him is really what I want to do. I would like him; he was such a nice man. There was bread and eggs for breakfast.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 5





  I don't know if I paid proper attention to what the headmistress was telling me on the tour; I was a bit nervous and distracted by my own thoughts of the upcoming meeting.  The mission was not a large one but housed 8 families, some who were descendants of those early orphans.  The mission chapel and clinic were in the courtyard.  There were 8 large and small houses and the hostel built around the outer edge.  There were 2 storage passages, a tailor, a kitchen, and a large school.  Both boys, Rock and his brother Phil, attended the school but mostly in the winter; they had ranch chores to do in the summer.  Other ranch children, and town children before the town school was rebuilt, attended and in winter when the weather was bad, they stayed at the mission overnight.  The townspeople and ranchers made sure that the mission had enough food for everyone year-round.



  The mission produced most of its own food in an enclosed farmyard area.  They raised chickens for meat and eggs, and sheep for wool for the tailor.  They grew oats, potatoes, carrots, corn, peppers, and tomatoes.  Two hedgerows produced sun seeds, hazelnuts, and more corn.  The kitchen's corn bread was very popular, as was the hot chili con carne in winter.  The ranchers brought them beef and beans.  In summer and especially in fall, the mission families collected wild foods from outside the mission walls.



  On the west side of the mission a covered passage led to the memorial garden and cemetery.  The boy's parents and grandparents were among those that were laid to rest there.  Three schoolgirls came running out to announce "He's Here"




Chapter 6




  He was waiting for me outside the chapel with a bunch of fall wildflowers he picked for me.  The 3 schoolgirls stood in the background giggling until the headmistress shooed them away.  Rock had already introduced himself.  I think I was staring; he was not bad to look at, not bad at all.  I think he was staring at me too.  The headmistress said now that we had met, she'd leave us to get acquainted.

  We did just that for the rest of the day.  He asked about the trip and told me a bit about the ranch and his family.  We walked around the mission, inside and out.  We visited the memorial garden and sat inside the chapel for a while.  We had some supper at the table outside the mission kitchen in the courtyard.  When he went to the kitchen for a second helping, the girls approached and giggling asked if I was going to kiss him.  They made kissy faces at each other.  One girl asked if I was going to have lots of babies; her mother had lots of babies but they were all boys except for her.  The headmistress saved me from answering the little brother's "where do babies come from" question.  Rock returned smiling; he'd overheard most of the exchange.  He laughed out loud at the little boy's question.  He had a nice laugh. 





  It was getting late, the sun would be settings soon, he had to go.  His brother and wife would be coming with him tomorrow to meet me.  He'd get the morning chores done early.  He took my hand, he kissed my cheek, I heard giggling and shushing in the background.  I waved as the buckboard drove away. 




Chapter 7




  Two buckboards arrived by midmorning: one with Rock and the other with his brother, Phil, and sister-in-law, Tressica, and their 3 young children, 2 girls and a boy.  I got hugs from everyone. The hug from Rock brought big smiles to Phil and Tressica's faces.  It was a good day filled with fun and laughter. The children were delightful.  Tressica pointed out how good Rock was with his nieces and nephew.  She and Phil did not miss a chance to point out Rock's good qualities which drew a dark look or laugh from Rock.  Finally he asked me if they had convinced me to marry him.  I said yes.  He questioned "yes?"  I said yes again.  I was swooped up and spun around while everyone cheered.  The wedding date was set for just a few days away.  Tressica said she would return the next day to help plan the wedding.  I wasn't sure what planning there was to be done but I would be happy for the help.

  Rock arrived a bit earlier the next morning but didn't stay long; he had ranch work to tend to and Tressica would be here soon.  She came alone with the children, driving the buckboard herself.  I was impressed.  She brought the wedding dress that she had worn a few years before.  She was a bit taller but said we could shorten it, with a tuck here and there it would fit me perfectly, and I would look beautiful on my wedding day.  The girls would pick fall flowers for my bouquet and she would bake a big cake. I was so impressed; she could drive a buckboard, sew, and bake, and take care of 3 young children at the same time.  The day went quickly; Rock returned for a short time in the afternoon and left well before dark.  He would be back to spend more time together tomorrow, the day before our wedding.

  That day went fast too, and before I knew it, I was waking up on our wedding day. The headmistress brought me breakfast. When I went out I found the courtyard and the chapel all decorated for fall and for the wedding.  It was a beautiful fall day after a windy day with rain, but the sun was shining and the air was warm.  Guests began to arrive, some from the town; Rock must be an important man in the valley.  I was glad to see the familiar faces of Rock's family.  The girls had picked a lot of fall flowers and Tressica baked a big beautiful wedding cake.  The mission kitchen prepared plates of meats and vegetables for the occasion.  It was a perfect fall wedding; Rock couldn't seem to stop smiling.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 8


  In late afternoon, I changed out of my wedding dress and packed together my few belongings; they were put in the back of Rock's buckboard along with the wedding gifts we received. There were also packages of food and cake for us and some for the ranch hands and their families.  There were a lot of hugs and kisses and well wishes and then we were on our way to the ranch; I would soon see my new home.

  We rode in silence for a while, both enjoying the peace and quiet.  He turned to me and smiled and said if I start to feel chilly, there was a blanket behind me.  I said I thought the large gift from the mission tailor was a new wool coat for each of us. He said the smaller gift was probably a kettle of salsa from the mission kitchen.  I asked how far to the ranch and he said we were already on it but it would be almost dark by the time we got to the house.  The moon would be bright so we did not have to rush.  Phill and Tressica's ranch house was a way to the east, we were headed south.





  One of the ranch hands was on hand to open the gate for us.  The ranch was more like a small town than one of the family farms back east.  The other ranch hands and their wives who lived on the ranch came out to congratulate us and welcome me to the ranch.



The ranch house was like a mansion.  We got help carrying in our packages; we gave a package of food to each family, then we were left alone.  The ranch hand who opened the gate would take care of the buckboard and the horse.  I later learned he was the ranch wrangler and lived in the livery stable with his family.  Rock and I sat alone in the kitchen and ate wedding cake.  It was a wonderful wedding day. 




Chapter 9


  There was a bowl of freshly gathered eggs and one of fresh picked berries waiting on the big wooden kitchen table for us for breakfast.  The kitchen was as big as a small house; there was a huge fireplace with hooks for a few hanging pots, a rack for frying pans, and an oven for baking.  It was quite intimidating.  Rock quickly prepared breakfast, giving me a few days to get used to things.

  After breakfast we opened our gifts.  We did indeed get 2 wool coats and a kettle of salsa.  The mission was the only place in the valley that grew tomatoes and peppers; the salsa was quite a treat.  Another box contained the blue patchwork quilt I so admired in my room at the mission.  The head mistress must have taken it and washed it as soon as I left the room yesterday; it was washed, folded, and tied with a blue ribbon.  A box from his brother and sister-in-law contained bath linens, soaps, a sewing kit, candles, and spices.  Rock said Tressica must have made a special trip to the shops in Central City while they waited for my last letter.  She must have known I would accept his proposal; she had a way of knowing things.  Rock obviously thought highly of Tressica.  He had high hopes too and made a trip to Central City.  He bought rocking chairs for us at the furniture store; one was in our bedroom by the fireplace, one was on the front porch, and two were before the fireplace in the front sitting room.  There were several other gifts from townspeople and ranch hands.

  We could thank the ranch hands and their wives that afternoon when we toured the ranch.  The foreman Kyman and his wife Alejandria lived in the big house next to ours.  He was an overseer of the ranch operations and reported any problems to Rock.  Kyman was in charge whenever Rock was away.  Alejandria oversaw the food production and food supply and made sure the ranch house kitchen was well stocked with food.  She also worked in one of the farmyards. There were 2 farmyards, a hedgerow, and the chicken coop.  The cornfield was tended by one of the ranch hands. Alejandria also now took care of Rock's laundry.





  The 2 smaller houses in the farmyard area were occupied by Lessiah and his wife Casandy, and by Sorenza and his daughter, Dormanda.  His wife Brianae died in childbirth a few years earlier.  The 2 men worked with the cattle and wherever else help was needed, the woman worked in the farmyards and tended the chickens.  Dormanda was young and still learning so most of the extra work has fallen on Casandy; she gathers food from the hedgerow, keeps the ranch house clean, and does most of the cooking.  Any help I could give with these chores would be a big help but I don't have to if I don't want to.  He did not marry me to get another housekeeper.  That was good to know because I was as inexperience as young Dormanda.  Rock was thinking of building another small house and getting another ranch hand family to help.  There was room for another house or even 2 back by the butcher. 

[catty-cb]

enjoying the story so far   

[Abandoned]

 


Chapter 10


  The stockpile, large barn, and corn crib were next to the butcher.  Most of the corn harvested from the cornfield behind the livery stable went to the corn crib to feed the cattle over the winter.  The horses were mostly fed hay and wild oats that were gathered from the prairie.  Garvid was the wrangler whose main job was tending the horses. He was also the blacksmith who shooed the horses and made and repaired the ranch's tools.  He rode the fences and repaired them if needed.  He maintained the buckboards and made deliveries or went to town to pick up needed supplies.  If I needed to go anyplace when Rock was not available, then Garvid was the one to ask; he would take me wherever I needed to go.  He and his wife, Rolandace, and their 3 children lived in the livery stable.  The upstairs windows overlooked the path to and from the mission; he was watching for our return and that's why he was there to open the back gate for us.  Rolandace helped feed and water the animals and worked in one of the farmyards.






  Garvid also rode with the chuck wagon, when out on the trail, to care for the horses and lend a hand with whatever chores needed doing.  The chuck wagon was parked between the water pump and the bunkhouse which was only used when the cowboys came to work the roundup and cattle drive.  The ranchers learned the value of the water pumps during the years of the drought and after the town burned to the ground.  Anytime I needed water in the house, Garvid or one of the ranch hands would fetch it for me.

  The tables behind the ranch house were mostly used when the cowboys were staying at the bunkhouse; their meals were provided for them.  Whether they were here or not, there was often meat roasting on the spit. The meat was either beef or buffalo; there were no boars in the valley and the deer seemed to prefer the woodlands around Skyview.  The ranch women appreciated having part of their evening meal prepared for them but the men did like a nice beef steak or sausage every now and then but beef was not butcher as much now as it was before the railroad.  A cow was only killed by the herdsman when the pasture became overcrowded or one of the bulls became too aggressive.





  I did not quite understand what the railroad had to do with butchering the beef but I did not get a chance to ask.  The wind had picked up and the autumn leaves were falling, the temperature began to drop. We stopped at the spit to pick up some of the cooked beef for our supper before hurrying back to the house. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 11


  As we ate our supper that night, Rock said if the weather was good tomorrow, he'd like to take some of the wedding food and cake to a couple of the small ranches and he'd like me to go along.  One of the couples was elderly and knew his parents; he checked on them often.  I said I would love to go.

  Together we cleared away the dishes and divided up the remaining wedding food; Rock set aside 2 small pieces of cake for us for tomorrow.  Cake was a rare treat; we nibbled a little as we cut the remaining cake into pieces. He said to wrap up some bread and roasted meat to take with us for lunch tomorrow; we'd be gone most of the day.  We sat in our rocking chairs before the dwindling fire before turning in.

  We woke to a frosty morning.  We had a quick breakfast before putting on our new wool coats and heading outside.  Rock went to get the buckboard while I moved the packages we were taking out onto the front porch.  We quickly loaded them into the back of the wagon.  I notice he again brought along a warm blanket from the livery stable, and then we were off. 



  We headed far to the southwest to a rather barren piece of land with a small ranch.  The elderly couple greeted us with warm hugs and smiles.  They were so happy that Rockie had found himself such an adorable little bride.  Rockie just smiled at me.   Before being ushered inside I notice a small pasture with 2 cows and a calf, and another with an aging mare.  There were a couple of rows of corn, a henhouse, and a few chickens.  Elmerson and Anneth were obviously hard workers but at their age, even the small farm was getting to be too much.  There was already a frost and the corn was not harvested and Elmer did not get one of the cows to the trading post.  Anneth had just gathered eggs; she insisted we have eggs and cornbread for lunch and added some of the cooked meat we brought. We said no thank you to pieces of cake.  Rockie went out to help Elmer get the rest of the corn harvested and stored in their small gatherer's shed where wild foods were stored.  He added a sack of potatoes that we brought for them and said we would take the cow to the trading post; we were going that way; if they told him what they wanted from the trader he would have one of the ranch hands pick it up and bring it to them.  We left with hugs and kisses and cornbread and the cow.  Anneth said Rockie's parents would have loved me.  Rockie agreed.  Back in the buckboard he said maybe next visit I could convince them to move to town, I said maybe to a small house on the ranch.  Rockie smiled at that.





  Our next stop was to the northeast, closer to our ranch.  It was the forester that was built after the town burned.  The forest had grown since then and there were now 4 houses, a woodcutter, and a gatherer.  The workers delivered logs and firewood to whoever needed them, firewood was needed now before winter.  Rock introduced me to everyone, placed an order, and gave them food and cake.  I loved the fall forest, more leaves were falling and crunching underfoot.  We could not stay longer to visit; it was getting late and there was another stop.  Rock said he could take me back to the ranch but I said it would be quicker for him if we went straight to the trading post.  We were soon on our way east, with the cow.   

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH

  The foreman was in charge, the last of the corn was being harvested, and the animals were being fed.  The autumn sun was still shining and the wash was dry and ready to be taken off the lines.  The firewood would be delivered soon. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 12




  The sun was still shining but it was headed to the west as we headed to the east and the trading post.  The first thing we did was take the cow to the small holding pen and give the trader Elmer and Anneth's list of items they wanted in exchange.  The trader got a small package of food and cake.  I admired the treehouse with a blue roof that he lived in.  The trading post was built by the town of Skyview over the hill to the south.  The river often overflowed the banks there and was not a good place for a trading post.  This area around the port had several small ponds, there were even some ducks.  The following summer, Rock delivered beef to Skyview, like his parents had done, and took me along to see the town.  Skyview is a very pretty and friendly little town with blue roofs, treehouses, and a greenhouse.





  Our last stop was the small ranch there by the trading post.  Dentoney was 20 years older than his wife, Janiela.  They had 13-year-old twins, a boy and girl.  Rock was so impressed with the girl who could tend the cattle and do ranch chores every bit as good as her brother.  They traded cattle the old way like Elmer and Anneth, and Rock's parents did before the railroad.  The river boatman could only take 2, sometimes 3 cows at a time in his boat, sometimes a cow or 2 would have to wait in the holding pen for his return.  That took a while if he had to go all the way to Riverboat Junction.  Butchered beef had a better chance of being traded but it was a lot more work and it was perishable; the river boatman's stops unpredictable.  That changed when the railroad was extended from Rails End to Central City and then to here.  Large herds could be taken to the railroad to be shipped east; that left a better chance for the small ranches to trade with the river boatmen, butchered or not. 



  Two railroad tunnels came through the east mountain in year 92 SVT.  A bridge was built to cross the river; several laborers went to help clear the land for the turnaround tracks to be laid.  Yes, Smallville gets the credit for the railroad coming here.  It settled a lot of the unrest on the prairie between the natives and the railroad, and the farmers and the ranchers.

  Again, we did not linger, stayed only long enough to make sure the small ranch had everything they needed for the coming winter.  We left a package of food and wedding cake and were soon on our way.  We made it home as the autumn sun was setting in the west.  The horse and buckboard were taken to the livery by Garvid and we went to the kitchen and had the last 2 pieces of wedding cake.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 13







  The following day it rained so our planned trip to town was put off until another day.  We would stop at Phill and Tressica's briefly; their ranch was almost the same distance from ours as theirs was from the town. There would not be many trips to town over the winter so I should give thought to want I needed or wanted now, anything at all.  Well, I had plenty of time to give it some thought; I did not have much to do.  I watched the rain and the leaves fall for a while; I felt a bit useless.  The day did somehow come to an end.



  We were up bright and early the next day.  The autumn sun was again shining and we were on our way to town, stopping at Phill and Tressica's ranch first.  It was a smaller version of ours but the buildings were made of a different wood and the roofs were different too. The fences to keep out the buffalo did not quite enclose the whole ranch like ours did, but the ranch house was the same size as ours and so was the livery stable.  The barn and water pump were smaller.  There was an old restored cottage for the foreman and a cabin for the ranch hand. I saw a farmyard, a chicken coop, and a hedgerow. There was a small pasture for their horses and a larger one for their cattle.  Rock's brother, for some reason, liked the longhorn cattle.  If he wanted to trade, he had to trade beef; neither the river boatmen nor the railroad would take the longhorns for safety reasons.  If Phil wanted the beef butchered, he took the beef to town or to his brother's butcher; he had none of his own.  He gathered animal feed from the wild or got it from town.



  Tressica and I had a nice visit while the men were out by the cattle and in the livery stable.  She sensed something was bothering me. When she asked what, I said for one thing the brothers did not have some land and some cattle; they had a lot of land and a lot of cattle, and the family ranch house was a mansion.   I told her I was feeling useless.  I couldn't cook much, the beef was always tough.  Rock asked me to mend a tear in his shirt and I didn't know how.  I didn't know how to do anything around the ranch and I couldn't drive a buckboard.  I had to ask someone to bring water to the house.  Rock should have a wife that could do those things.  Tressica said I just got here, I was a greenhorn, it took time to learn things.  She would teach me some of those things.  It was custom for Rock to come for Sunday dinner, she planned to continue the custom with both of us.  She would teach me how to sew and to cook.  I was to be sure that Rock got plenty of flour and apples from the corner store in town.

  I didn't know until later that she had a word with Rock before we left for town. 

[Abandoned]

Chapter 14





  Rock was quiet on the way to town but when we got there, he told me Watertown had been rebuilt after the fire and a few new buildings added.  There was a cottage for a forester near the back corner of town and there was a small ranch and butcher at the front corner now.  There were 2 workplace houses and a corn patch there too.  In the town itself there was a church, cemetery, and undertaker.  There was a doctor's office, a tailor, and the Land Claims Office that some thought was torched and started the town on fire.  Behind those buildings was a solicitor's office, a bank, and the mayor's office.  Rock pointed out the water pump that was the only thing that survived the fire.  It was next to the tool smith and the livery stable.
 






  The corner store was a busy place and we were greeting by many of the townspeople.  The peddler from Prairie Homestead was in town unloading his covered wagon so there was sure to be apples and flour available in the store.  There was a school across from the post office next to which was the sheriff's office, and jail on the main street.  There was a large rooming house back behind the jail.  Cowboys who had too much corn whiskey at The Corn Crib tavern at the end of the street could sleep it off there if they weren't spending the night in jail.  I asked if that was the saloon with the dancing girls and I got the first smile from Rock since we got to his brother's ranch earlier in the day.



  The town had a corn field across from the Corn Crib, a chicken coop, plus a couple of hedgerows and farmyards.  One of the farmyards had a vegetable and a big bird I had never seen before; Rock said the vegetable was Brussel sprouts and the bird was a turkey that tasted something like chicken.  We would get some of each next time we came to town. 

  Even though we had our wool coats on, we were feeling a little chilled after walking around town.  We warmed up a bit by the potbelly stove in the corner store.  Rock got the apples and flour while I looked around, he said if there was something I needed or wanted I should not hesitate to get it.  I said I would give it some thought for the next time.  Little else was said all the on the way home.

[HappyLeighEverAfter]

very very nice. those wooden platform-looking roads look fantastic. they look great against your terrain choice, especially. thanks for this story.

[Abandoned]

Thanks 




Chapter 15



   After we got home and put our things away, Rock asked if I was unhappy and wanting to leave. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7UnBSNP4Ac


   I guessed that Tressica must have said something so I repeated to him what I told her.  I said I did not want to leave.  He was reassured but unhappy that I did not tell him this until now.  He said he did not want a bride who would marry him for the size of his ranch so he understated what he and his brother owned.  He reassured me that I would learn the things I wanted to know, it would just take time.  He was glad that Tressica was going to help.  He would teach me how to drive the buckboard.  He smiled and said he would sit in the rocking chair and watch me tote in the water.  I smiled and said when I was done toting in the water I would come and sit by his side.

  We woke the next morning to a heavy frost but bundled-up for my first buckboard driving lesson.  Rock showed me first how to hitch up the horse.  He said I will get to know the horses and then can always chose the same one.  He would teach me how to ride when I get a pair of britches.  Yes, weary traveler, britches; I was as surprised as you when he said that.  He said most of the ranch women have them; Tressica does. 








  It began to snow just as we made our second loop around the ranch with me at the reins.  We passed a small herd of buffalo close to the ranch but Rock said there was nothing to be concerned about, but to be on the safe side, don't get too close and do nothing to startle them.  If by any chance I run into stampeding buffalo on the range, just give the horse full rein.  Any of our horses will get back to the safety of the ranch quickly, just hold on tight.  When we got back to the ranch Garvid was there to take care of the horse and buckboard but Rock wanted me to learn how to do it myself, for those times Garvid may not be available to do it for me.  We spent some time at the livery stable and then Rock showed me the surprise he had for me; next to the stable by the water pump was now a cart that I could use to tote home the water.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 16


  When Sunday came around, we went to Phill and Tressica's ranch for the afternoon and dinner. She showed me her britches.  She confirmed that most of the prairie women wore them, and not just when riding but when doing outside ranch chores; she often wears them under her dress in winter for extra warmth when going to town.  I can get a pair or two at the Leather & Linen tailor in town.  She was glad that I was not angry with her for talking to Rock, and she was glad I did not want to leave.

  Tressica showed me how to make a basic bread dough and a simple loaf of bread; then she took what was left of the dough, flattened it on a pan, topped it with apples slices, and before baking she sprinkled it with spices like the ones she gave us on our wedding day.  I could get a bread pan and cake pan at the tool smith in town if Rock didn't already have some.  Diner and the apple cake was delicious.   My shopping list was growing.



  Rock and I went to town a few days later.  He parked the buckboard by the livery stable behind the tool smith, we went in to get two baking pans. We walked to the Leather & Linen store, we got the britches and some work gloves in my sizes for doing outside chores or driving the buckboard.  A trader had just arrived with leather and furs.  I said the bear furs would make nice rugs and before I could protest, Rock got 2 of them for in front of the living room and bedroom fireplaces and then he got 2 more to put wherever I wanted them.  The peddler had returned to town also so we were able to get more flour and apples at the corner store along with turkey, pumpkins, and Brussel sprouts.  I asked the shop keeper's wife how to cook the big bird. She said on the spit or, if I had a big enough pan I could bake it in the oven.  That way I could fill it with bread stuffing.  She said the pumpkin makes a good pie.  The shop keeper said more turkeys, pumpkins, and Brussels would be available next year because there was a new turkey farmyard back behind the saloon.  There was also a corn crib next to the saloon now and a new workplace house was built by the butcher.  Rock said we'd take a look before going home after we stop at the tool smith for a pie pan and a bigger pan for the turkey. 





MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH





  The forest trader arrived at the ranch with the logs and firewood Rock ordered.  There was plenty of room on the stockpile.  The ranch hands had made a start building our 2 new workplace houses back there by the stockpile and butcher.  The wind was picking up and it was snowing heavier when Rock and I got home.  We left our packages on the porch before taking the buckboard to the livery, Garvid took charge of the horse.  Rock and I went to help the trader unload the logs and firewood so he could get home before the storm got any worse; I had on my new work gloves.  The ranch hands looked at me a little differently now.  So did their wives a few days later when I took apple cake to all the families.

[Abandoned]

Chapter 17


  It was a cold snowy winter but then it was spring; the farmyards and the corn field were being planted.  The 2 workplace houses were completed.  No, weary traveler, the elderly couple did not want to move from their small ranch just yet.  They told Rock that maybe at the end of the summer they would move to the mission; he needed young people that would be more help around the ranch.  A young single girl moved into one house and a young couple with a newborn moved into the other; the young mother had wash out on the line on the first warm day of spring like all the rest of us.



  The farmyard crops that like cool weather were already doing well with the warmth of the prairie sun, and there were baby chicks by the chicken coop.  The forester returned with logs and firewood to replace what was used to build the new houses and what was burned over the winter.  I now had my own branch cart that I could use to gather downed branches or fetch some from the stockpile.  I used the cart from the well to bring water to the house myself to do the wash. 



  Rock and the ranch hands appreciated that I could take care of some of the chores myself; they were busy with the cattle.  The calves from last year were now grown; they and their mothers could now graze out on the prairie until it was time to go to market.  The only cows left in the pasture were the 2 bulls and the 7 cows that were already expecting a calf.  With less cattle in the pasture, the grass would grow; there would be less corn and thatch needed to feed them until the calves were weaned and fall would be upon us again.